Meanwhile,
"Um… doesn't this thing seem a bit out of our league? Maybe we should leave it to someone else?"
A young man with short copper-colored hair couldn't help but say that as he slowly kept taking a few steps back, his eyes fixed on the enormous creature hovering in the sky above them.
"Shut up, Bradley… if we can't defeat that thing… we might as well give up the competition and go graze grass back in our village."
Argen said that while looking back at Bradley with an annoyed expression. But when Bradley looked closely at him, he couldn't help but notice something that made his face twitch.
Argen's legs were shaking too.
"Calm down… It's just a Tempest Bat anyway… we have dealt with much worse."
Graxia said calmly while looking up at the huge bat-like monster floating in the sky. Just the size of it alone was ridiculous. The creature had to be at least ten stories tall, and that wasn't even mentioning its massive wingspan that stretched across the air as it levitated just a few meters above them like a dark omen.
"Graxia, what are you going to do?" Bradley asked nervously while looking between the monster and the girl in front of them. Surely Graxia would make the right call… she always did.
"We fight."
Graxia whispered those words as a huge amount of magic exploded out of her body. The pressure alone caused her short golden hair to fly wildly upward.
"Um… what?" Bradley asked back stupidly in a low voice, as if he had just heard something unbelievable.
The Tempest Bat seemed to finally recognize the people standing below as enemies. It suddenly opened its mouth and screeched loudly, the terrifying sound echoing through the sky and forcing Bradley and Argen to instinctively clamp their hands over their ears.
Graxia didn't care about the noise at all. Her aura only continued to surge even stronger.
"Gold Make…"
She closed her eyes before suddenly slamming both of her palms into the ground. In an instant, gold in liquid form began pouring out across the battlefield. It spread rapidly in every direction like a shining tide, leaving only the small patch of ground beneath their feet untouched.
But even that seemed too slow.
"We are so going to die…"
Bradley couldn't help but cry out while staring at the gigantic monster looming above them.
"Silver Make: Shield House."
Argen suddenly slammed his right fist into the palm of his left hand. The Tempest Bat's head was already descending toward them, its massive mouth opening wide enough to swallow them whole.
But just before it could reach them, a large shield made of pure silver suddenly formed around the three of them.
The bat closed its jaws immediately—only to bite directly into the silver structure.
"Copper Make: Shield House!"
Bradley shouted as well. If they were going to die anyway, he refused to die uselessly. A thick copper barrier formed just beneath Argen's silver shield, reinforcing the structure and making it far thicker than before.
Fortunately for them, the Tempest Bat didn't have particularly strong teeth. It couldn't fully break through the layered defense. After a few seconds of struggling, the creature finally pulled its head back from the reinforced structure.
Its black body suddenly began glowing blue.
No… it wasn't its whole body.
It was more like its stomach started glowing first.
The eerie blue light quickly spread upward through its chest and throat before finally gathering at its mouth. The monster opened its jaws again, clearly preparing to release whatever terrifying attack it had just charged.
But before it could fire—
Graxia opened her eyes.
The Tempest Bat's eyes suddenly reflected a gold color from the battlefield under it.
From the massive sea of golden liquid surrounding Graxia, towering golden liquid waves began rising into the air—higher and higher, even surpassing the creature's own height. The bat screeched violently as it flapped its wings in panic, trying to escape the golden liquid tsunami rushing toward it.
But it was already too late.
Argen's shield dropped, revealing the three youths standing beneath it. Graxia stood at the front, her clothes and hair whipping wildly in the magical pressure surrounding her.
"Gold Make: Golden Tsunami."
The massive waves of liquid gold crashed into the Tempest Bat. The creature had no chance to dodge such a sudden attack.
Within seconds, its entire body was trapped inside a massive bubble of swirling golden liquid.
"I am not done yet!"
Graxia shouted at the top of her lungs, her heart racing as she felt the overwhelming rush of power flowing through her. She had never used magic on this scale before…, but right now she didn't have a choice.
"Gold Make: Absolute Prison."
The golden liquid surrounding the Tempest Bat suddenly began to solidify.
The monster thrashed violently inside the bubble, clearly sensing the danger closing in around it. But no matter how wildly it struggled, it couldn't escape.
The gold hardened rapidly.
Soon, the Tempest Bat was completely trapped inside a gigantic golden sphere.
The massive ball fell onto the Sky Island with a thunderous impact, sending a powerful quake rippling through the surrounding land.
"We did it…"
Graxia said weakly as her legs suddenly gave out beneath her and she collapsed onto the ground, completely exhausted.
"Well… It's more like you did it."
Argen and Bradley both said at the same time.
"Well, I believed you guys would protect me… so I wasn't that worried."
Graxia replied with a small smile as she looked back at them.
"Graxia…"
Both of the young men couldn't help but feel emotional when they saw the complete trust shining in her eyes.
But before they could enjoy the moment, a strange cracking sound suddenly made all three of them look back toward the giant golden sphere.
"That thing should be dead inside… right?" Bradley asked nervously while staring at the ball.
Graxia nodded slowly.
"There is no way it should—"
Before she could finish her sentence, the golden sphere exploded in a massive blue explosion.
The shockwave expanded outward instantly, racing straight toward them.
"Damn it!"
Graxia quickly tried to gather magic to form some kind of defense. Argen and Bradley tried the same. But unfortunately, they simply weren't fast enough.
Their eyes reflected the overwhelming blue shockwave rushing toward them.
"Spinning Magic: Grand Pirouette."
As all hopes were lost, a loud voice suddenly echoed from directly above them.
Astro, who was on top of Alvi, looked down at the huge blue shockwave on the ground. His eyes narrowed slightly as he judged the distance. It still seemed far away… but not that far away. If Alvi moved at full speed, they might just make it in time—
Astro's eyes suddenly widened.
Alvi abruptly stopped mid-flight, barely avoiding three wooden spikes that shot upward from below. The sharp spikes pierced through the air right where Alvi would have been a moment later.
Astro immediately narrowed his eyes and looked down.
If his mind hadn't been connected to Alvi's… he wasn't even sure if the bird would have been able to dodge that.
"You'd kill that bird at the end of the event anyway… wouldn't you? Why don't you just let us do it?"
A feminine voice suddenly sounded from above, Astro.
Astro instantly turned his head upward, surprise flashing across his face… as if he didn't expect anyone to be there.
"And give us all your points while you're at it."
But by the time Astro looked up, it was already too late.
A small explosion suddenly happened right above his head. It wasn't powerful, but the moment it burst open, a cloud of green smoke instantly spread out and swallowed both Astro and Alvi before they could even react.
"What is this weird gas…?"
Before Astro could think any further, Alvi suddenly let out a painful cry beneath him. The bird's body trembled as its wings faltered in the air.
At the same time, Astro felt his own eyelids becoming strangely heavy.
"Is this from… bulbous lavender…?"
Astro murmured weakly, but it was already too late.
His consciousness began slipping away. His body slowly lost its strength, and his grip on Alvi loosened as he started falling toward the ground below.
Alvi tried to twist its body mid-air to catch Astro, but the bird's movements quickly became sluggish as well. Within seconds, it too lost consciousness.
Both the giant bird and the young man began falling from the sky.
Their bodies crashed onto the ground with a heavy thud. Dust and smoke rose from the impact, spreading across the area where they had fallen, the two of them lying some distance apart.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield on Graxia's side,
"Spinning Magic: Grand Pirouette."
A voice suddenly sounded just above Graxia and the others. All of them instinctively looked up and saw a dark-skinned woman spinning rapidly in the air with one leg stretched outward. Her silver hair flowed wildly as she spun, and two bunny-like ears had appeared on top of her head.
She was wearing a revealing breastplate and a loincloth-like piece of armor beneath it, the cloth fluttering violently from the force of her spinning body.
As she continued rotating in place, powerful shockwaves burst out from her extended leg again and again, colliding directly with the massive shockwaves coming from the Tempest Bat. The air between them distorted violently as the two forces clashed.
"Is that the woman from Stella Kingdom?"
Argen widened his eyes as he recognized the person who had suddenly appeared to save them. Graxia narrowed her eyes while looking at the spinning woman above them.
"I think her name was Swan…"
"Hey, I can't continue for this long… this is your chance to defeat it!"
Swan shouted down at them while gritting her teeth. The pressure from the Tempest Bat's shockwaves was enormous, and even with her spinning magic, she was clearly struggling to hold it back for long.
Graxia snapped out of her brief stupor and turned her attention back to the Tempest Bat in front of them. She was still confused about what exactly was happening, but Swan was right about one thing… the monster had to be defeated first.
"Argen, Bradley!"
Graxia shouted while slamming her right fist into the palm of her left hand.
"Yes!"
Both of them responded immediately and copied the same stance before aiming their hands toward the monster.
"Silver Make: Chains!"
"Copper Make: Chains!"
Several enormous chains made of silver and copper burst out from the ground and shot forward like living serpents, wrapping tightly around the Tempest Bat's massive body. The chains coiled around its wings, neck, and torso in an instant.
However, instead of weakening the monster, the restraints only enraged it further. The Tempest Bat screeched loudly as the shockwaves erupting from its body became even more intense and violent.
"Slime Cage!"
Suddenly, a huge mass of blue slime surged out from the ground beneath the Tempest Bat, spreading upward and sticking to its body while trapping a large portion of it in place.
"Curse Magic: Flare!"
Another voice shouted from nearby. Two strange-looking dolls suddenly flew into the air around the Tempest Bat. Their stitched mouths opened wide, and they began firing a barrage of continuous magical blasts at the monster's body.
Argen and Bradley instinctively glanced behind them and saw the other contestants from Stella Kingdom standing there.
If they remembered correctly, the announcer had introduced them earlier. Their names were Doll and Gapri, right?
"Are you done yet?!"
Swan shouted down at Graxia again as she continued spinning in the air. Her leg kept generating shockwaves, but the strain on her face was obvious now. She wouldn't be able to counter the Tempest Bat's power much longer. The creature was simply too strong.
"Yeah… sorry. Powerful Maker Magic takes some time to cast."
Graxia replied with a small smile as she slowly opened her eyes. Her pupils flashed with a brilliant golden light—the same color as her hair.
"Gold Make: Colossal Sword."
The Tempest Bat suddenly looked upward.
High above it, an enormous golden sword had appeared in the sky. The blade was even larger than the monster's own body, its massive shadow swallowing the battlefield beneath it.
The Tempest Bat tried to move, but it was still in the middle of releasing shockwaves while being restrained and attacked from every direction. The chains held its body in place, the slime trapped its movements, and the constant blasts from the dolls kept striking its wings and torso.
"This is the end…"
Graxia whispered as she aimed both of her hands toward the monster.
The Tempest Bat's eyes widened as it stared at the gigantic blade above it. The golden sword seemed to grow larger and larger in its vision as it descended.
Then it crashed down.
The colossal golden blade slammed directly onto the Tempest Bat's head, cleaving through it instantly and ending its life in a single strike.
Inside the Fairy Tail guild hall,
"They are pretty good… being able to take down a Tempest Bat this fast. Looks like the other kingdoms have some pretty strong candidates too. This is not going to be easy for Astro and Laxus."
Erza said while stroking her chin thoughtfully as she watched the screen. Although Graxia's performance was good, her focus mostly stayed on Swan, who was able to block the shockwave of Tempest Bat.
"The blonde girl, she uses Gold Make Magic, it seems like… what do you think, Gray?" Erza asked, looking at the screen.
But she didn't receive any answer.
Erza blinked and turned around, only to see Gray and Natsu already wrestling each other on the floor far behind her. Since the screen wasn't showing Astro or Laxus at the moment, the two of them had apparently gotten bored and started arguing again… which quickly escalated into a full-body wrestling match.
Erza's mouth twitched, but before she could scold them, a young voice suddenly spoke nearby.
"She seems pretty good… but I don't think she is as strong as him. Gray-nii can cast magic way faster."
Erza blinked in surprise and turned her head. It seemed Shawn had quietly entered the guild hall at some point when no one was paying attention.
"Shawn, are you done with morning training? Do you want something for breakfast?"
Mira asked with a gentle smile as she looked at him. It seemed he had come here right after finishing training and taking a shower.
"No, I'm fine, Mira-nee… how is Astro-nii doing?" Shawn asked while shaking his head.
"Well… I don't know. Last time we saw him, he was riding a Duni Crow and flying somewhere."
Mira said while resting her hand on her cheek, looking a little worried… but before she could contemplate, a loud crashing noise came from behind her, and she turned around just in time to see the result.
It seemed Natsu had won this round.
He was now standing proudly while waving Gray's underwear in the air like a trophy… and Gray…well….
On the Sky Island
"He is very handsome… I didn't expect him to recognize that it was gas made from bulbous lavender instantly…" a slim girl with brown hair, wearing a blue T-shirt and shorts, said while poking the cheek of the unconscious Astro.
She looked down at him for a moment before turning her head toward the woman standing beside her.
"Looks like he's pretty knowledgeable, isn't he, Acacia?" the girl asked the black-haired, curvy woman next to her, who was wearing a green T-shirt and a short skirt.
Acacia simply shrugged her shoulders. "Even if he knew about it, there was nothing he could do… my poison gas isn't a joke, Shyla." She paused a bit before continuing…
" Anyway, stop wasting time. I heard he can self-heal like His Majesty… let's eliminate him already."
"What a waste of a pretty face… How unfortunate that because of a sneak attack, it has to be destroyed," Shyla smiled with a wide grin as she lifted her foot and aimed it directly at Astro's head, clearly intending to crush it.
"I don't think we'll need to do that anymore," A male voice suddenly came from behind them. The two women turned slightly as a man walked forward. He was wearing a black bodysuit, and a brown cloak floated behind him as he moved. "He's already unable to fight… and they've already found us."
"What do you mean, Herb?"
Both girls asked before, following his gaze upward, and saw a small winged device floating in the air over them. It hovered silently as it recorded everything below. This device was used to broadcast the competition to the audience in the colosseum as well as the judges.
"Oh my god, it looks like Astro from Fiore is already unconscious!" the announcer Mike shouted loudly while staring at the screen.
"Is he already done for? What happened while we weren't looking?" Mike continued in surprise.
"He was being too high-profile… it seems like he got ambushed because of it," Izen said with a shrug from beside him. A small smile slowly formed on his face as he continued looking at the screen.
"But I think we can wait a bit… to see if he is really unable to fight," Izen added calmly.
"Um… are you sure? Won't they kill him by then?" Mike asked nervously from the side.
Aurora and Arthur, who were also watching the screen, couldn't help but look at each other for a moment after hearing Izen's decision.
Inside the Fairy Tail guild hall
"No way… Astro was ambushed?" Elfman shouted in frustration as he stared at the screen.
"Did he let his guard down?" Loke asked from the side while crossing his arms.
"No… Astro would never let his guard down," Natsu Dragneel suddenly said while looking confidently at the screen. Out of everyone present, he was the least worried. After all, he knew Astro's habits better than most.
"Even in the guild, he never lets his guard down. No matter how many times I tried, I never managed to beat him. " Natsu continued proudly.
Behind him, Wakaba and Macao watched Natsu's proud posture with strange expressions.
"Why is Natsu so proud about getting hit?" Wakaba muttered as he let out a puff of smoke.
"Do you think we should tell Natsu that he shouts his attacks so loudly that the entire Magnolia town knows when he starts fighting?" Macao said while sighing helplessly.
"No, leave it like that… I already get enough back pain just from getting out of bed these days. I don't want to get sneak-attacked by Natsu, too," Wakaba replied.
"I feel you… But my back pain usually comes from being in bed with Enno. You have no idea how much energy she has," Macao said with another long sigh.
"Hey, at least Enno is in good shape…my wife, on the other hand… well…" Wakaba sighed as well.
Nearby, Makarov Dreyar was sitting on top of the bar table while watching the two of them speechlessly. The younger generation in his guild had far too much energy and were incredibly reckless, while the older generation seemed to have no energy left at all. At this rate, his dream of retirement still seemed very far away.
He let out a quiet sigh before turning his gaze back to the screen, where Astro lay motionless on the ground.
"Natsu is right… there isn't anything to worry about," Master Makarov said calmly while crossing his arms.
"Astro still has a long way to go, just like all of you brats. He might not even be close to the strongest wizard on the continent yet…"
Makarov's eyes slowly narrowed as a grin appeared on his face while he continued watching the screen.
"But there is one aspect where Astro is already way better than even a Wizard Saint like me…."
All the guild members who had been focused on the screen immediately turned toward the master in surprise, wondering what he was about to say.
On the Sky Island…
"Looks like the judges want us to completely kill him, Herb," Shyla said with a smile as she looked at the unconscious Astro lying on the ground. The fact that he still had not been teleported away meant only one thing.
"Seems like it… Then just kill him." Herb looked at the situation and, seeing no movement from the judges' side, spoke nonchalantly to Shyla. Acacia also didn't seem to mind at all, either, and simply watched from the side.
"With pleasure… since we are in a hurry, I'll do it fast. He won't even feel it…" Shyla licked her lips as her right leg slowly began to glow with a white light. She raised it high and aimed directly at Astro's face.
"Power Magic: Heavy Crush."
With a single whisper, she slammed her foot down toward Astro's head, intending to crush it completely.
A huge cloud of purple smoke burst out from the impact.
…Wait?
…Purple smoke?
Inside the Fairy Tail Guild Hall,
"There is one aspect where Astro is already way better than even a Wizard Saint like me…." Makarov Dreyar continued calmly, seeing some of the wizards close their eyes reflexively, seeing Astro's 'death'.
"His situational awareness. I have never seen a wizard with as much situational awareness as him. In a fight, I would say that your best chance is to defeat him in a straightforward fight rather than hoping to defeat him with a sneak attack."
Makarov said this with a confident grin as he watched the screen.
Back on the Sky Island…
"That magic presence… You guys are from Joya, aren't you? Didn't His Majesty tell you how good my sensing ability is?"
Herb and the others suddenly heard a low, magnetic voice coming from behind them.
All three of them turned around instantly toward the source of the voice.
There, sitting casually on top of a large rock, was a young man wearing a black and blue windbreaker. His slightly long black hair moved gently with the wind, and his deep purple eyes stared at them calmly. A strange mark rested on the left side of his face, one that only seemed to enhance his sharp appearance rather than ruin it.
His left arm rested casually on the knee of his raised leg as if he had been sitting there for quite some time.
At that moment, the sound of wings flapping suddenly filled the air. The three of them instinctively looked upward and saw a giant crow descending from the sky before landing beside the young man.
The large bird bowed its head slightly in front of him, trying to give Astro what he found.
"Good Alvi…"
Without even turning around, the young man casually raised his right hand and gently stroked the underside of the crow's head before taking the bo staff from its mouth.
"Sorry… I'm not used to carrying weapons. So, it ended up falling somewhere else earlier… I had to ask Alvi to get it back."
Astro spoke slowly with that same calm, magnetic voice as the purple glow in his eyes grew brighter and brighter. The bo staff in his hand seemed almost dissatisfied, as if it disliked being lost earlier.
Astro gently stroked it for a moment to calm it down before raising his head again and looking directly at them with those glowing purple eyes.
Herb, Acacia, and Shyla suddenly felt a chill run down their spines. Without even realizing it, all three of them instinctively took a step back.
"So… where were we again?" Astro said slowly, tilting his head slightly as if he were recalling something. A small smile formed on his lips.
"Oh, right… You guys were about to kill me."
His eyes narrowed slightly as he held the bo staff a bit tighter.
"It would be disrespectful to you if I didn't fight with the same mentality, right?"
Astro's smile widened just a little.
"…And since I'm in a bit of a hurry too.."
He paused for a bit as the purple glow in his eyes burned intensely. Alvi, behind him, also seemed to match Astro's energy and looked at the three people with an intense gaze.
"I promise I'll do it fast."