BOOM!
High above the main hall of the Phantom Lord guild, two terrifying forces crashed into each other.
The impact was invisible, but the result was felt by everyone.
A massive shockwave rippled through the building's structure. Dust rained down from the ceiling rafters, and the stone floor vibrated violently beneath the wizards' feet.
For a moment, the chaotic battlefield fell into a dead silence.
Both Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord members stopped fighting, looking up at the ceiling in fear.
The pressure coming from upstairs was suffocating.
Erza stood in the middle of the hall.
She wiped a smudge of dirt from her cheek and looked up with a grave expression.
It felt as if her sharp gaze could penetrate through the stone and wood to see the battle of the monsters above.
"This level of magic power..." Erza murmured softly, her hand tightening around her sword. "It feels almost evenly matched. Jose is not to be underestimated... Can brother actually win this?"
"Don't be silly, Erza."
A confident voice answered her.
Beside her, Cana Alberona flicked her wrist.
Snap!
Three magic cards flew into the air. "Summon: Lightning! Summon: Blizzard!"
Dark clouds instantly formed inside the hall, blasting a group of Phantom Lord foot soldiers with lightning bolts and freezing wind.
Cana, dressed in her revealing blue outfit, rested a hand on her slender waist.
She tossed her brown wavy hair charmingly and chuckled lightly.
"Don't worry about Ankh," Cana said with a grin. "Think about it. We have known him for years. In all that time, when have you ever seen the limits of Ankh's magic power?"
Erza was taken aback for a moment.
She blinked, recalling her memories.
She recalled Ankh's battles from childhood to the present. From the small scuffles where he taught Natsu and Gray a lesson, to his serious sparring matches with Master Makarov and even the mighty Gildarts.
In all her life, Erza realized she had never truly seen Ankh lose.
She had never even seen him look messy or desperate.
"You're right," Erza whispered. "It always seems like he can handle anyone. We don't even know how strong he really is."
Hearing this, Gray jumped down from a pile of frozen enemies.
He was shirtless, as usual.
"Ankh won't lose," Gray stated calmly. "And we can't let him down by losing down here, either!"
"Of course not!"
A furious roar echoed across the hall.
Natsu threw a punch wrapped in fire, but before it could connect, a steel fist smashed into his face.
Wham!
Natsu was sent flying backward like a ragdoll.
He crashed into a pile of wooden crates, turning them into splinters.
Gajeel stood there, cracking his iron knuckles.
He looked like he was releasing all the frustration he had built up over the past few days.
"Gahaha!" Gajeel laughed arrogantly. "Is this all the Salamander of Fairy Tail is capable of? You're soft!"
"Shut up!"
Natsu crawled out of the rubble.
He spat out a bit of blood.
The crimson flames on his body erupted like an active volcano, melting the floor around him.
"You bastard!" Natsu roared. "Stop boasting and fight!"
Natsu planted his feet.
He puffed out his cheeks, his chest swelling as he sucked in a massive amount of air. Magic power gathered in his lungs, turning into pure heat.
Seeing this, Gajeel grinned.
He immediately did the same thing, sucking in the air, his lungs turning into bellows of iron wind.
"Fire Dragon's... ROAR!"
"Iron Dragon's... ROAR!"
The two Dragon Slayer Mages unleashed their signature breath attacks at the exact same second.
A scorching blast of orange fire collided with a tornado of sharp, grey metal shards.
KA-BOOM!
The two roars met in the center of the room.
The explosion was deafening.
The shockwave sent dozens of innocent bystanders—from both guilds—flying through the air.
Tables and chairs were instantly disintegrated.
However, their power was equal. Neither roar could overcome the other.
"I'm not done yet!" Natsu screamed.
He charged through the smoke. His fists were enveloped in heavy flames as he rained blows onto Gajeel's body like a storm.
Bang! Clang! Thud!
Flesh and steel collided continuously.
The sound was like a blacksmith hammering on an anvil. Onlookers watched with their mouths open, stunned.
Was this level of physical strength and destructive power something a human should possess? They were fighting like wild beasts.
Gajeel seized an opening.
He swung his left leg, which had turned into a solid iron bar, aiming for Natsu's head.
Natsu quickly raised his arm to block.
Crunch.
Natsu stumbled back several steps, grimacing in pain.
Steam rose from Gajeel's steel skin where the fire had touched him. Gajeel casually brushed off his chest while sneering.
"Is this all the heat your flames can muster?" Gajeel taunted. "You can't burn me. I'm made of iron."
Natsu gritted his teeth.
He stood his ground, but his once-ferocious fists were trembling slightly. His knuckles were raw and bleeding.
Not far away, Gray was watching the battle closely. With his sharp eyes, he noticed the bruises and wounds on Natsu's body.
'This is bad,' Gray thought.
Even though Dragon Slayers were strong, this was a bad matchup.
In close combat, Natsu's flesh was hitting solid steel. It was like punching a wall. And in long-range attacks, Gajeel was just as strong as Natsu.
'It's simple,' Gray analyzed.
'Unless Natsu's fire gets hot enough to actually melt steel, he has a ninety-nine percent chance of losing this fight.'
Gray furrowed his brow.
He couldn't help shouting at his rival.
"Natsu, you idiot!" Gray yelled. "Can you actually defeat him or not? Don't embarrass the guild!"
Suppressing the pain all over his body, Natsu roared back impatiently.
"Of course I can! Just watch!"
Gajeel sneered. His arms transformed into jagged steel pillars as he slowly walked toward Natsu, ready to finish him off.
"It's over, Salamander," Gajeel said.
But halfway there, Gajeel stopped.
His expression suddenly shifted.
Crack... crack... snap!
A sound came from Gajeel's chest.
The layer of iron scales that covered his body began to develop spiderweb fractures. Suddenly, several pieces of iron flaked off and fell to the floor.
Natsu grinned.
His fighting spirit burned brighter than ever!
He flashed a radiant, toothy smile.
"Is your iron really that tough after all?" Natsu taunted. "Looks like you're breaking."
Gajeel looked down at his chest in shock. His expression shifted from arrogance to anger.
"Stubborn brat!" Gajeel yelled.
With another furious roar, the two Dragon Slayers tangled together once more, resuming their violent brawl.
Gray scratched his head and sighed helplessly.
"That guy... he insists on a one-on-one fight, even though this is a guild war. He never changes."
Erza shook her head, watching the fight with a small smile.
"Dont worry about Natsu, Gray. Natsu will not lose. His fire grows stronger with his emotions."
Gray pursed his lips. "Yeah, I know."
Of course, that guy wouldn't lose.
He couldn't afford to lose.
After all their years of rivalry, Gray recognized Natsu's strength better than anyone.
If Natsu couldn't defeat Gajeel... wouldn't that mean Gray couldn't defeat him either?
'I can't let him lose,' Gray thought. 'If he loses, I look bad.'
While Gray was lost in these random thoughts, he suddenly noticed something strange nearby.
"Elfman?" Gray muttered.
Elfman was fighting a group of Phantom Lord soldiers.
But he looked... off.
Elfman seemed to be in terrible form today.
His punches lacked their usual explosive force. He wasn't charging in like a tank.
Instead, he kept fighting while retreating, focusing solely on dodging. His movements were stiff and hesitant.
More importantly, he wasn't using any Magic. He wasn't transforming his arms into beast limbs.
"What is he doing?" Gray wondered.
Just then, a Phantom Lord mage swung a heavy club at Elfman's back.
Elfman flinched, looking scared.
"Ice Make: Hammer!"
Gray quickly formed hand signs.
A massive hammer made of ice appeared in the air and slammed down, flattening the enemy and rescuing Elfman from the predicament.
Gray walked over, looking dissatisfied. "Elfman! What are you doing? Focus! This is a war!"
Elfman quickly looked up. He hunched his shoulders nervously.
"Sorry," Elfman said softly. "I'm just... a bit tired... sorry."
Gray paused.
He stared at the big man.
"It's fine," Gray said slowly. "Just be careful."
'Strange,' Gray thought as he walked away. 'Why does Elfman feel so different today?'
Usually, Elfman would be shouting "I AM A MAN!" at the top of his lungs.
But today? He hadn't said it once.
And the way he just apologized... his voice was soft. It felt somewhat like a girl.
It didn't suit his usual manly personality at all.
Seeing Gray look away, Elfman breathed a sigh of relief. His eyes revealed a deep worry and melancholy.
Erza walked up to Elfman.
She stood silently beside him for a moment. She seemed to understand something Gray didn't.
"Don't worry," Erza said gently to Elfman. "With Ankh's arrangements, everything will be fine. Trust him."
Elfman nodded silently.
He didn't speak. He just joined Erza to continue fighting against the Phantom Lord members, keeping his head down.
...
While the battle inside the Phantom Lord guild raged intensely, the weather outside began to change.
Dark clouds covered the moon over the town of Magnolia.
A sudden, heavy downpour of rain began to fall, soaking the streets and canals.
In a dilapidated, abandoned house hidden deep within the alleys of Magnolia, the atmosphere was quiet and creepy.
A sleazy-looking man with a long, thin face stood by the window, watching the rain.
He wore a cunning smile on his face as he adjusted his glasses.
"Hehehe," the man chuckled to himself.
He looked back at the shadows of the room behind him, where his mission was complete.
"Success," the man whispered. "Everything went so smoothly..."
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