Chapter 66 : Everit vs. Natsu and Gray!!

"Looks like Natsu's really pissed off," Gray commented, his expression serious.

"Yeah," Everit replied, taking a slow sip from his drink.

"I'm pretty mad too," Gray added.

"Well," Everit took a couple of steps back, noticing the tension in the air. "I think I've been tricked by Laxus. He's got a mean streak."

A sudden sharp noise cut through the air, as Gray's ice spike shot out toward Everit. The ice attack struck, but it only hit a phantom image, dispersing into nothingness.

Suddenly, there was a loud boom, and a wave of heat erupted, engulfing Everit in flames.

"Natsu, use a large-scale spell! Everit's weakest against those!" Gray shouted, trying to think fast.

"Perfect! I've been needing to blow off some steam!" Natsu responded with enthusiasm.

The fire grew with explosive intensity, as if a fire dragon had come to life. A massive fireball, like a miniature sun, shot from the sky and landed on the hot spring, evaporating the water instantly.

The entire sky glowed a fiery orange, and half the town felt the heat. It was like the hottest day of summer, with people feeling the heat on their skin and their mouths going dry. The temperature was rising rapidly.

"Good thing my cloak is fireproof," Everit muttered. He was, after all, a mage, and needed to be prepared for intense battles. His cloak was a unique design, a product of his own ingenuity.

Not only was it resistant to water, fire, and lightning, but it was also able to withstand common sharp weapons. It could disperse the force from physical attacks, protecting him from surprise stabs or slashes.

The growing heat wave made Everit frown. Natsu was definitely living up to his reputation as Salamander. The heat was so intense that it was driving away the ambient magic, making it harder for Everit to use his usual tricks.

But Everit had planned ahead. He'd already reached the second stage, planting enough "magic seeds" in Natsu's body to maintain control. 

If he wanted, he could force everyone in the guild, including Master Makarov, to kneel before him. That was the terrifying power of the second stage.

But where's the fun in that? Taking control without a fight was too boring. It would leave hidden dangers, risks that could backfire later.

Everit knew he needed to approach this carefully. It wasn't just about winning the battle—it was about winning in a way that left no room for retaliation. And right now, the battle was just beginning.

When rumors spread that Everit could force people to kneel in seconds, most enemies facing him wouldn't dare confront him directly. Instead, they'd opt for sneak attacks.

They might even exaggerate his strength, setting traps and ambushing him to avoid any mishaps and swiftly deal damage. How dreadful!

Yet, Everit prefers to convey an impression of being just slightly stronger than his opponent, suggesting they could prevail with a little extra effort.

As the saying goes, "If you conceal more cards, you won't waste your time in life!" Slowly employ your tricks, ensuring your survival.

The last time Happy borrowed his body, he made everyone in the guild worship him, inadvertently revealing one of his major trump cards, manipulation of emotions.

Fortunately, this went largely unnoticed at the time. Though Guild Master, Erza and others would surely catch on eventually, they'd keep the information to themselves.

However, facing Natsu and Gray simultaneously without tapping into his second-level power would prove truly challenging.

Natsu possesses a demon-like resilience, capable of devouring flames or transforming into a more formidable form when he eats something else, making him especially fearsome!

Unlike typical mages who weaken with prolonged combat, Dragon Slayers like Natsu show no such decline, attacking relentlessly without need for tricks or trump cards!

And Gray is a whole other challenge, not a Dragon Slayer but nearly as formidable.

Often mistaken for an ice mage, Gray boasts physical prowess akin to Natsu's, exaggerated magical abilities, and a sharp intellect, making him a formidable opponent!

Indeed, facing two formidable opponents like Natsu and Gray would put immense pressure on Everit, whose fragile exterior belies his resilience.

The sound of 'Boom' heralds a massive iron object plummeting from the sky.

Natsu pays it no mind, recognizing it as a fake - Everit does not have such magic.

But 'Boom'—a heavy blow to the head, sending Natsu crashing to the ground.

Gray, turning back, finds himself confronted with a large fragment of stone, speechless.

"Aha," Natsu chuckles, unharmed. What an ironclad skull he has!

Approaching Gray without unsheathing his sword, Everit strikes hard at Gray's legs with his cane, the impact reverberating through his hand.

Gray felt the chill before he saw it. Ice spread across the ground, moving faster than expected. His senses sharpened, ready to react, but Everit's magic played tricks on him, blurring the boundaries of reality.

"Wah!" Natsu yelled, suddenly losing his footing. The ice took a sharp turn, and he slid uncontrollably, almost as if he was skating. He tried to stop himself, but the slick surface carried him away, sending him into the distance.

"Darkness-" Everit's voice was cold as he manipulated the ice. In a swift move, he caught Gray off guard, striking him with a powerful kick that sent him flying backward. 

Gray tumbled through the air, crashing to the ground five meters away with a heavy thud.

Despite the impact, Gray quickly got back to his feet. "Everit, is that all you've got?" he shouted, brushing off the dust and patting his stomach like it was no big deal. 

His confidence pierced through the magical deception.

Across the battlefield, Natsu let out a furious roar. "Everit!" He charged forward, fists ablaze with fire, but he was interrupted by Lucy's scream from above. 

"Natsu, help!" she called, holding down her skirt as she fell through the air.

Natsu smirked, still rushing toward Everit. "I won't be fooled by your tricks!" he declared, ready to strike. 

But Everit was cunning; his voice seemed to come from everywhere at once. Suddenly, a force pulled Natsu's scarf from behind, yanking him back.

Natsu quickly planted his right foot into the ground, regaining his balance. He spun around, fist ready, but was taken aback by Everit's sudden appearance in front of him. 

He rolled to the side just in time, narrowly avoiding a swift blade that sliced through the air where he'd just been.

Gray saw the opportunity and conjured a wall of ice that shot toward Everit, hoping to trap him. The ice closed in, seemingly sealing him off completely. 

But as the shards settled, Gray's eyes narrowed. There was something off about this. The figure frozen in the ice was merely a phantom. The real Everit was still out there, lurking, waiting for his next move.

Natsu stood back-to-back with Gray, scanning the surroundings cautiously. The air was tense with anticipation, and both mages were ready for anything.

This is the tricky thing about illusion magic.

The key to breaking an illusion is simple: believe you're being deceived, and the current illusion will shatter. Once you strengthen your willpower, you won't be swayed by your emotions or manipulated by what you see.

However, deception magic has a way of trapping individuals within a specific area. Even if you break through one layer, there could be more—two, three, five, even ten or twenty. Who knows how many layers Everit has set up?

And if Everit avoids using direct magical attacks and sticks to physical strikes like punches and kicks, there won't be any visible magical traces to find him. 

Natsu and Gray would be at a serious disadvantage, forced to play defense.

Natsu suddenly closed his eyes, focusing his senses. After a brief pause, he opened them again.

A loud *boom* erupted from the space beside him, accompanied by a surge of heat and energy. The temperature spiked, and the air was filled with a blistering heat wave.

Gray's magic power flared at the same time.

A sharp cracking noise, like ice shattering, echoed as Gray conjured a world of ice and snow in front of him.

With Natsu and Gray as the epicenter, the area was split—one side a blazing field of magma and fire, the other a frozen landscape of ice and snow.

"I've got him!" Natsu shouted, his eyes locked on their elusive opponent.

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