"Hmm? That form… don't tell me you're the one they call the 'Tyrant'?"
Seeing Kaien's transformed appearance, Gajeel guessed his identity.
Phantom Lord possessed quite a bit of intelligence on Fairy Tail. While few had seen Kaien's true form, many recognized his transformations.
To appear right after Erza in the lineup, and with the remaining S-Class Mages he knew excluded, there could only be one candidate left—
The Tyrant.
The Tyrant had only appeared a few times. Once, when he wiped out a bandit guild numbering over ten thousand and made his name overnight. Another, more recent event, was the total annihilation of the dark guild Eisenwald.
But to Gajeel, none of that was impressive. Anyone who chose to become a bandit, even if they had some magic, was just trash in his eyes.
As for Eisenwald? Even less impressive. He had taken down dark guilds before—just never ones that caused as big a stir.
"You were acting pretty cocky earlier, weren't you, kid? Smashing up someone's guild and still mouthing off like that—not a great look, huh?"
Kaien's voice carried a lazy, mocking tone, as if he didn't take Gajeel seriously at all.
Which made Gajeel sneer, "Yeah? So what?"
"Good. I don't like uncertainties. Now that it's confirmed, I can relax."
"Relax? You mean you're scared!"
[Both contestants are in the ring!]
[Fairy Tail vs Phantom Lord, Match Five!]
[Begin———!!]
CLANG—————!!
"Haah!! Iron Dragon's Club!!"
Gajeel swung up his leg, which turned into an iron rod, sweeping it horizontally at Kaien's head.
"Heh!"
Gajeel grinned. The Iron Dragon's Club suddenly branched into spiked tendrils aimed at Kaien—but they hit nothing but air.
"What?!"
Suddenly—
Kaien's voice came from Gajeel's flank: "Too slow."
Just as Gajeel turned, a foot slammed into his face.
BOOM————!!
"Urghhh!!"
WHOOSH————!!
Gajeel flew sideways like a ragdoll.
CRASH————!!
He smashed into the arena wall, leaving a massive crater behind.
"You bastard!!"
He hadn't expected to get launched the moment the match started. It was utterly humiliating.
Gajeel charged toward Kaien in fury.
But halfway there, Kaien's body blinked in front of him.
Smack!
Kaien grabbed Gajeel's hair and kneed him brutally in the face.
"Agh!!"
Gajeel screamed.
Then Kaien began swinging him by the head and slamming him repeatedly into the ground.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!
Many spectators flinched at the sight—especially Natsu, who was vividly reminded of the fear Kaien had recently beaten into him.
"You bastard!!"
"Iron Dragon's Sword!!"
Gajeel transformed his arm into an iron blade and slashed at Kaien.
Clang!
Kaien caught the Iron Dragon's Sword with one hand—and snapped it clean in two.
CRACK—!
Then, gripping one half of the broken sword, he slashed it across Gajeel's body.
Squelch!!
"ARGHHH!!"
A deep wound opened across Gajeel's torso.
"Iron Dragon's Spear!"
Gajeel's leg transformed into a long iron spear that shot at Kaien's head.
Kaien tilted his head slightly, dodging the strike.
Then he grabbed the spear with one hand and slashed it in half with the broken sword in the other.
CRACK!!
The spear snapped cleanly.
Clatter.
Kaien tossed the broken sword to the ground and began twirling the spear like a staff.
He nodded in satisfaction. "Mm… this one feels better in the hand."
Hearing that, Gajeel felt utterly humiliated. If Kaien respected him at all, he'd fight using his own weapon—not use one made from Gajeel's own magic. It was pure mockery.
Kaien held the iron spear in one hand and walked slowly toward Gajeel.
"Iron Dragon's Club!"
This time, Gajeel formed a massive iron club—the head alone over two meters wide.
RUMBLE RUMBLE!!
The club scraped across the arena, gouging out the floor with ease. If it struck, even a house would crumble.
CLANG!
Kaien didn't move. He simply raised one hand and caught the club mid-swing.
The heavy weapon stopped dead.
"Impossible?!"
Gajeel's pupils shrank. His attack had been halted with one hand?
Kaien grinned slightly and kicked the massive club hard.
The whole thing—club and Gajeel together—went flying.
BOOM———!
Though Gajeel managed to revert his leg in time, the sheer force still blasted him back. He slammed his iron-fused arms into the ground to stop himself, carving two deep trenches into the floor.
But just as he halted, Kaien was already in the air above him.
Kaien gripped the iron spear and brought it down in a heavy strike.
"Iron Dragon Scales!!"
Gajeel coated his arms in iron dragon scales and raised them in defense.
BOOM————!!
The floor beneath Gajeel exploded on impact.
"Aagh!!"
Even with his arms shielded by scales, the terrifying impact nearly snapped his bones. He could feel it.
"Weren't you real cocky just now? What happened to all that talk?"
Kaien raised the spear in one hand like a walking stick and casually smashed it down again.
BOOM———!
The ground beneath Gajeel shattered once more.
"Keep talking! Come on! Huh?! Huh?! HUH?!"
With each shout, Kaien drove the spear into Gajeel like a hammer driving a nail.
BOOM!!
The final blow sent Gajeel crashing through the arena floor.
He burst out from another section, gasping for air. His chest swelled.
"Iron Dragon's Roar!!"
A gray shockwave laced with razor-sharp metal shrapnel erupted from Gajeel's mouth.
Kaien didn't move. He simply spun the spear rapidly with both hands.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!
Every piece of shrapnel and the full blast of the roar were deflected.
"N-No way?!"
Gajeel's eyes widened in disbelief.
Kaien hurled the spear at him.
Gajeel dodged immediately—but the moment he moved, a shadow appeared before him.
"Iron Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Gajeel's scaly fist, coated in iron dragon scales, flew toward Kaien's head.
Clap!
Kaien raised his palm and caught the punch easily.
Then twisted Gajeel's arm outward.
CRACK! CRACK!
"Argh!!"
Gajeel cried out in pain as Kaien's knee smashed into his leg.
"GAH!!"
Gajeel dropped to one knee before Kaien.