Mira waved her hand. "It is fine. The reason Purgatory Shatter was classified as forbidden magic is because years ago someone forcibly extracted magic power to cast it, which caused both the caster and hundreds of thousands of victims to die.
"Rhodes just used it in the arena. It will not cause any casualties. In this situation, as long as it is not dark magic, even if the Council investigates, the worst that happens is the Guild Master writes a self-reflection."
Laxus stared silently.
So who was going to defend his grandfather?
Then again, come to think of it, the old man had never written a self-reflection for Rhodes before. Maybe it would be good training.
"The Guild Master will be fine," Mira added with a gentle smile when she noticed Laxus's expression. "What I mentioned was the worst scenario. He must have already prepared the aftermath before making any move."
Indeed, on the mountaintop, Rhodes heard their talk and shouted back loudly:
"Do not talk nonsense. I do not know any forbidden magic like Purgatory Shatter. This is a Four Elements Grand Magic tailored specifically for me.
'Four Extremes Baptism.'"
"In any case, take this. Purga… no, Four Extremes Baptism."
Rhodes spoke boldly. The spell required only the magic circle, not a chant, so he could shout whatever he liked.
Jura had no time to argue. The immense magic bearing down on him left no room for distraction.
He sank into a stable stance, hands clasped, magic power surging through his entire body, making his robe billow and his beard whip wildly.
"Mountain."
A half-bodied stone giant in heavy armor materialized behind him, its faint protective glow shielding Jura.
Rhodes's attack arrived instantly.
A sea of fire erupted from the ground, sweeping from Rhodes outward toward Jura. The flames were not purely yellow, nor green, nor red, nor blue. They blended violently into a chaotic elemental inferno.
Wherever the flames swept, mountains cracked and earth collapsed.
The entire artificial peak, formed from solid stone, was scorched, softened, shattered, and churned. More than half of it was shaved away completely.
The audience could once again see the arena below, but almost everyone had instinctively covered their heads.
Most of the arena walls, except for Rhodes's side, had been destroyed. The soldiers' magic shields were stretched to the limit, and they still did not feel safe.
Almost all of the floating screens distorted. Nine out of the ten winged viewing devices had vanished.
Makarov, originally standing on the railing, toppled backward from the shock.
Asuka, leaning on the railing, was swept into Alzack's arms for safety. Wendy was caught and protected by Bisca, while the three Exceed scrambled to shield their partners.
Two microphones flew off the commentary desk. Yajima's chef hat flew away. Chapati's wig was blasted off entirely, exposing his already well-known bald head.
The Pumpkin Man rolled backward into the entrance passage, where panicked guards helped him up.
Hats, snacks, drinks, and all manner of objects flew everywhere.
Strictly speaking, Rhodes's attack caused considerable trouble for spectators, fighters, guards, commentators, and even the mascot. But no one cared.
Everyone braced against the roaring winds, straining to see the arena below.
Wizard Saints. This was the power of Wizard Saints. Terrifying, magnificent, overwhelming, and irresistibly enthralling.
Rhodes descended lightly from above. With a simple wave of his hand, the smoke and dust cleared instantly.
The situation became visible.
The stone giant in heavy armor was nothing more than scattered rubble.
Jura himself was leaning forward, hands on his knees, breathing heavily.
His robe and trousers were torn, and his long beard was tangled and disordered.
"Oh oh oh." Chapati grabbed his wig and slapped it back on without checking orientation. He shouted in excitement:
"What an astonishing duel. I cannot even begin to describe that magic in words. Yet even after such an attack, Mr. Jura still stands."
The audience's response was even more explosive.
"Jura. Jura."
"Rhodes. Rhodes."
All the spectators in the arena seemed to become instant fans of the two fighters, screaming their names at the top of their lungs.
Chapati struggled to maintain his composure. "The atmosphere has suddenly reached its peak. Mr. Yajima, who do you think will come out victorious in the end?"
"Well, judging from the current situation, victory is leaning toward Rhodes. And, do you remember," Yajima added with a smile, "Rhodes is actually a Summoner Mage."
Chapati froze.
Jenny let out a sharp gasp. "You cannot be serious. That means he still has not used the magic he is most proficient in."
Chapati finally understood. "Now that you mention it, from the start of the battle until now, we have not seen Mr. Rhodes use any summoned beasts.
"No, wait, he used one in the first event, against Gray from Fairy Tail Team A.
"But that summoned beast did not seem very strong. I heard that…"
Chapati launched into a rambling explanation about Rhodes's past summoning feats, repeating outdated information that had been widely circulated.
The audience finally realized something.
The fight had been so overwhelming and intense that no one noticed Rhodes, a Summoner Mage, had been fighting Jura directly with only his own magic.
Was that even reasonable?
Members of Sabertooth said nothing.
If it came to talking about Rhodes's strongest summons, they felt they had far too much to say.
Some bored individuals even thought to themselves: He summoned a giant dragon at our guild back then. Does that mean we were harder to deal with than Jura?
Leaving such thoughts aside, even Jura himself, caught up in the heat of the battle, had completely forgotten this point.
Though clearly fatigued, he looked exhilarated. "Guild Master Rhodes, after witnessing your power, I have a proposal."
"Oh?" Rhodes smiled. "Planning to surrender?"
"No. Quite the opposite," Jura said, smiling back. "Today, please give it everything you have."
"Are you sure?"
"Indeed." Jura's tone was sincere. "With my strength, to be ranked above you and Master Makarov as the fifth Wizard Saint is disgraceful.
"So, if I lose, I will immediately report to the Council and exchange rankings with you."
'I do not even want a ranking, and it does not come with any real benefits,' Rhodes thought. Instead, he simply said, "I can go all out, but let us skip the ranking exchange. I must win this match regardless."
Jura did not reply. He had clearly made up his mind. He steadied his breathing and stared at Rhodes with burning determination. "Come."
Both men grew serious. The sky darkened once more.
In the audience stands, an elegant, handsome man adjusted his hair, picked up his goblet, and took a sip of milk. "These two are getting a bit too carried away."
...
Read chapters ahead @keepsmiling 818 p@reon