"Do not worry, it is only Jura," Rhodes said. He did not mind sounding a little arrogant in front of his wife. "As long as you cheer for me, I will finish the match right away."
Mira took his staff again and reminded him, "Even so, be careful and try not to get hurt."
"Alright." Rhodes thought for a moment, snapped his fingers, and used Re-equip Magic to put on the cloak the Master had prepared for him. Then he stepped out slowly.
Mostly, he admitted, because Jura looked quite dignified in his wide robe and sleeves as he entered.
The two old friends greeted each other politely when they met.
Jura said, "Rhodes already participated in the arena portion. Do you need more time to rest?"
Rhodes laughed. "I was thinking the opposite. I am already warmed up, so perhaps I should ask whether you need to rest."
Both continued smiling, but a faint tension surrounded them.
Once the Pumpkin Man confirmed they were ready, he waved his hand and announced, "Both contestants in position. Let the match begin."
This time, he ran faster and farther than in any match before.
Before exchanging a single blow, Rhodes spoke. "This venue seems easy to damage. Let me reinforce it first."
His hands glowed with an earthy yellow light. With both palms facing upward, he slowly raised his arms.
The entire arena trembled. The ground within the stadium walls surged upward as if a mountain were growing before their eyes.
Rhodes and Jura were lifted until they stood level with the highest spectator seats.
Jura laughed. "The thickness is sufficient, but at this height, someone in the stands could get injured. I will help as well."
The ground, which had just settled, rumbled upward again by another massive section. Now the audience had to crane their necks to see the two Mages.
Even the large viewing screens could only display a wall of earthy brown rock.
"Oh, astonishing magic." Chapati tilted his head back, struggling to glimpse even the fluttering hems of their cloaks. "Is this the power of the Ten Wizard Saints?"
"I heard that battles between Wizard Saints cause natural phenomena, but I thought that was exaggeration," Jenny said in shock. "It is actually true."
Yajima nodded in satisfaction. "I recall hearing that Rhodes also possesses earth magic comparable to Jura's. However, Jenny spoke too soon."
"What do you mean?" Jenny asked.
The audience, after getting over their initial panic, exploded into excited chatter.
"This is too much."
"The Wizard Saints created a mountain out of nothing."
"When they actually start fighting, will we be safe being this close?"
"The organizers will handle it. What matters is that we cannot see anything from here."
Because the King of Fiore adored magic, the organizers were more concerned with viewing experience than anyone else.
The screens stayed dark only a few seconds before ten winged devices flew into the sky. They synchronized multiple extended angles back to the big displays.
At the same time, a military unit entered with magic shields, arranging themselves in rows between the audience seats and taking protective positions.
An official was already communicating with the Council representatives, requesting any additional barriers they could provide.
Meanwhile, high on the newly formed mountaintop, the duel had already begun.
Jura brought his right hand together in a sword-like gesture and thrust upward sharply.
Five enormous stone pillars, each wide enough that three people would be needed to wrap their arms around them, shot up beneath Rhodes's feet. The force was strong enough to send any unprepared person flying dozens of meters.
But Rhodes stood firm, rooted as if fused with the earth itself, standing atop the central pillar.
He tapped his foot lightly. All five massive pillars shattered at once.
Jura rotated his wrist, and with two fingers summoned eight more pillars from different directions. They curved toward Rhodes like stone serpents, trying to crush him from all sides.
Rhodes stood in the midst of the rubble. His feet did not shift an inch. He swept his arm horizontally.
The broken stones around him instantly reshaped into eight sharp spikes. They solidified and shot out violently in eight directions.
The tops of the eight stone pillars immediately began to crack. The stone spikes bored into their interiors and burst out from the edges like spears.
The pillars stopped rising. Their upper halves crumbled with heavy rumbles, breaking apart and falling to the ground below.
Jura was preparing another attack when he noticed something alarming. Without realizing it, he had been surrounded by dozens of purplish black magic circles.
"Amaterasu Magic Circles," Makarov said from the stands, recognizing them instantly. Those hurt a lot when used to strike someone.
He had only ever seen Rhodes use one before and assumed he was still learning. But seeing this many appear at once, had he already become this proficient?
Feeling the pressure of the spell, Jura quickly spread his hands. "Rock Iron Wall."
More than twenty massive stone walls rose in layered rings around him.
The magic circles detonated with a tremendous roar. A blinding white light flooded every viewing screen in front of the spectators, as if a miniature sun had erupted atop the mountain.
Before the light faded, rubble flew out in all directions. Large chunks of stone, each the size of a fist, blasted outward from Jura's position.
The soldiers stationed along that section of the stands jumped to their feet with shields raised, bracing for impact.
But several enormous nets suddenly shot out from the mountaintop. They caught the heavy stones, bundled them together, and rolled them down the slope. The nets, made of spider silk, did not tear. Their stickiness slowed the rocks until they bumped harmlessly against the protective wall in front of the stands.
The soldiers only needed to block the smaller pieces that slipped through the mesh, greatly easing the pressure.
"Magic almost identical to Arana's just appeared on the mountain," Chapati exclaimed.
(Arana: I am sorry. I cannot do that.)
"I just saw it on the screen," Yajima said with satisfaction. "That is Rhodes' magic."
Jenny stared in disbelief. "Impossible. While fighting Mr. Jura, he still has enough magic to handle the aftermath of the battle?"
The audience was stunned, and their impression of Rhodes rose sharply.
They used to hear that Fairy Tail was a troublesome guild that caused chaos wherever they went. But Mr. Rhodes…
He truly had the demeanor of a Wizard Saint.
As the light receded and the shaking stopped, the scene atop the mountain reappeared on the screens.
Rhodes flicked his cloak lightly, looking calm and unhurried.
The ground around Jura, however, had sunk several meters. More than half of the twenty plus rock iron walls he had created were gone entirely. The rest lay shattered and scattered in a giant crater.
As for Jura himself, he did not seem badly injured, though his cloak and sleeves bore several fresh tears.
"What tremendous power," Jura said with a smile. Then he thrust his right hand forward sharply. "Allow me to return the favor."
A gigantic stone fist burst from the ground beside him and shot toward Rhodes.
It was the fist of a giant, complete with ornate gauntlets and heavy wrist guards. Its speed was astonishing. In the blink of an eye, the force of the punch made Rhodes' entire cloak whip violently in the wind.