"You seem to forget this is a partner battle." Gajeel nodded slightly in Wendy's direction, "Our Sky Dragon isn't someone you can just ignore."
Sure enough, a bit far off to Gajeel's back-left, Wendy maintained the pose she had when casting a spell, with her right palm pointed to the sky and her left palm towards Gajeel.
She had just used the spell to dispel abnormal states - Dispel.
In Stinger and Rogue's astonished gaze, Wendy thought for a moment and then used another spell on Gajeel:
"Abnormal state resistance increase, Lirejie!"
A faint blue light flashed by, and Gajeel knew they couldn't use a similar magic to control him again.
Behind him were comrades needing protection, and at the same time, the comrade behind him was protecting him.
Gajeel had to admit, this feeling wasn't bad.
---Just that he might get scolded when they get back, 'letting Wendy worry like this and all'.
A bit annoying.
Gajeel tightened his grip on Stinger's fist, swung him up entirely, and used him as a weapon to smash toward Rogue.
The White Dragon and Shadow Dragon collided, then rolled backwards a short distance across the ground.
And Gajeel took a deep breath: "Iron Dragon's... Roar!"
The swirling Iron Blade Storm shredded the arena's surface, carving out a wide gulf, engulfing Stinger and Rogue together.
The storm ceased.
Stinger and Rogue lay one face down, the other face up in the rubble-filled gulf, with some pieces of iron lodged sporadically on them.
The audience thought the result was settled, even the Pumpkin Man was about to step up to announce the outcome.
But suddenly, white and black gleams erupted from the two of them, and they casually patted off the dust, then stood up.
White dragon scale-like patterns appeared on Stinger's face and body, surrounded by white steam like a floating ribbon.
Rogue was almost the same, except his color was black.
"Their magic power has grown so much stronger than before." Gajeel carefully sensed the magic power on the two, as if indeed giving him a sense of standing before a Giant Dragon.
Wendy also sensed the change, and worriedly said, "Mr. Gajeel, they've suddenly become so strong."
"Well, we won't know until we try." Gajeel didn't think they had gotten unmanageably strong; he just cautioned Wendy, "Be careful, no matter how foolish they are, they should know your role by now."
Wendy nodded seriously: "Yes, I won't lag behind."
Stinger slowly advanced a few steps, raising his aura to the peak: "Sorry Rogue, Gajeel should have been yours to handle, but... for Rekete, I must defeat him here!"
"I understand, as long as we win this match." Rogue took a step forward, dove into the ground, transforming into a dark shadow.
Stinger shot out like a white light, punching Gajeel squarely on the cheek, then lifting his knee into Gajeel's stomach, elbow crashing down his back... the offensive struck non-stop, each move accompanied by intense white light.
Wendy was about to enhance Gajeel with stronger additional magic when suddenly, a black shadow darted out from her side.
"Don't interfere with Stinger's battle... Shadow Dragon's Hooked Claw!"
Wendy quickly altered her casting target, adding a speed boost magic to herself, lightly dodging to the side, evading the pitch-black claw.
Standing firm just after dodging, she opened her mouth wide: "Sky Dragon's Roar!"
To ensure hitting the target, Wendy deliberately lowered the power, trading it for a larger attack range.
Yet this strike still failed to hit.
"Too slow, you can't reach the Shadow Dragon's silhouette."
Rogue's voice came from behind Wendy, followed closely by the whooshing sound of a high-speed punch.
"Divine Crown!" Remembering Rhode's teachings, Wendy used her strongest defense move when unsure of her opponent's attack strength.
A fist shrouded in shadow hit Wendy's back, making her cry out in pain and lurch forward.
However, since joining the Guild, various high-intensity battles and training had long conditioned Wendy out of being a little girl afraid of falling and pain.
Her rich experience allowed her to rotate mid-fall, creating strong winds – not only adjusting her posture but also launching an attack towards the back: "Sky Dragon's Wing Strike!"
This move made Wendy indeed look like a Sky Dragon spreading its wings, soaring a few meters off the ground, and blowing a strong wind towards where Rogue was.
Sadly, this attack still missed, Rogue, ghost-like, trailed a mass of shadow around behind and below Wendy.
"Indeed can't be treated as an ordinary little girl." Rogue opened his mouth, "Shadow Dragon's Roar!"
If only Carla were here, Wendy, in the air, had no other option, took a deep breath, barely flipping over, assuming a hanging from golden hook position, similarly opening her mouth: "Sky Dragon's Roar!"
This time, however, it wasn't an ordinary breath attack, but using the technique taught by the Cloud Sub-Dragon, making the attack more focused and sharper.
What she spat wasn't a broadly spread gale but a slender wind column, somewhat resembling Stinger's laser-like breath.
The slim and sharp wind column pierced into the dense, black shadow, giving people a sense of futility like blocking a car with one's arm.
Soon, Wendy was swallowed by the shadow, from which a cry of pain erupted.
Such an adorable young girl getting hurt easily tugs at the heartstrings; commentator Jabadi expressed concern, and among the audience, many overflowing with paternal or maternal instincts felt Rogue's strike was too harsh.
Yet in reality, Rogue wasn't in a good position either.
Because Wendy's unassuming breath pierced through the shadow, hitting him right in the chest.
Rogue felt like he'd been shot in the chest. If he weren't in the Dragon Power state now, he suspected he might cough blood.
In the air, Wendy fell out of the shadow, her black dress and long stockings somewhat damaged, a hairband on her head broken, causing one pigtail to come loose.
Luckily, she still had the 'Divine Crown' effect on her; though aching, she could still stand up.
Feeling discomfort on her head, Wendy simply tore off the remaining hairband, letting her blue long hair fall freely.
The opponent was strong, and even going all out might not secure victory.
Wendy clearly realized this.
But she was standing in for Sister Mira and couldn't become a burden.
Wendy rubbed her left shoulder, took time to swallow a few gulps of air, opened her hands: "Dragon Slayer's Secret Art..."
"Still unwilling to give up?" Rogue's palm emitted a black shadow, "Then I shall defeat you."
With that, he leapt forward, turning into a shadow, diving into the ground.
Wendy quickly adjusted her direction.
But the shadow immediately leaped to another side, continuously changing directions.
Such speed and strange movements made Wendy unable to aim for a moment.
In her difficulty, Rogue was already beside Wendy.
He suddenly jumped out from the ground, his arm covered in shadow like feathers or blades: "Shadow Dragon's consecutive..."
The move abruptly ended.
Wendy saw the figure shielding her and exclaimed in joy, "Mr. Gajeel!"