Chapter 69 : Battle Everywhere!!

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds passed.

A charred hand emerged from the rubble.

"I'm not afraid of death," Gajeel's strained voice rang out. "But I have to save Levy."

A sudden grip clasped Gajeel's outstretched hand, and with a strong pull, he was lifted up. He found himself leaning against Natsu.

"Levy is our friend too," Gray said, slicing through an iron bar with his ice blade and handing it to Gajeel.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Gajeel began to devour the metal, rapidly regaining his magical energy and feeling his strength return. His injuries were slowly healing as he continued to eat, pulling and chewing on more iron bars around him.

Meanwhile, Natsu and Gray strode toward the cathedral. Their steps were synchronized, and their magical energies were intensifying with each step.

Half fire, half ice.

Yellow lightning flickered around Laxus, emitting a sharp, piercing sound, like a thousand birds crying out. It was the manifestation of his overwhelming magical power.

"Natsu, Gray, how much have you improved over the years?" Laxus taunted as he surged forward.

Natsu wasn't fazed. "At least enough to not lose to you!" he retorted, throwing a punch.

Laxus moved with astonishing speed, catching Natsu's fist and hurling him across the room.

Crack.

In an instant, Gray encased Laxus in a block of ice. But Laxus shattered it with a single punch.

"Fire Dragon's Fist!" Natsu kicked off from the ceiling and lunged downward.

"Thunder Dragon's Breakdown Fist!" Laxus countered with a powerful backhand.

Boom.

Natsu was sent flying, while the ground beneath Laxus caved in. But Laxus didn't falter; he withstood the impact without even buckling.

"Ice-Make: Lance!" Gray took advantage of the opening to launch his spell, but it only struck a clone made of lightning.

Laxus had already moved behind Gray, ready to unleash his own attack.

"Thunder Dragon's Roar!"

A beam of Yellow lightning engulfed Gray, crackling with raw energy.

When the blinding light dissipated, Gray's body shattered into shards of ice. It was just an ice clone, a decoy.

"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!" Natsu yelled, spiraling downward toward Laxus.

"Thunder Dragon's Jaw!" Laxus met Natsu's attack with a double-fisted strike.

With a loud "Boom!" Natsu was sent flying back again, his fiery assault ineffective against Laxus's strength.

"Ice-Make: Hammer!" Gray summoned a massive ice hammer from above, aiming it at Laxus.

Laxus, however, raised one hand to meet the hammer.

Another "Boom!" echoed, and Laxus caught the hammer with ease. His arm only bent slightly under the impact.

Gray broke into a cold sweat at the sight of Laxus's raw power.

Before Natsu could launch another attack, Laxus transformed into lightning and appeared right in front of him, striking with "Thunder Dragon's Breakdown Fist!"

The hit sent Natsu flying back again. It seemed like he hadn't touched the ground since the battle began.

"Ice-Make: Ice Thousand Fist!" Gray tried to counter with a flurry of icy punches, but Laxus moved in a flash of lightning, zig-zagging in a "Z" pattern to evade the attack. He reappeared right in front of Gray and unleashed a roar with the power of the thunder dragon.

In a desperate attempt to protect himself, Gray quickly formed an ice shield, but it was no match for the thunderous attack. The shield shattered, sending Gray flying backward. Luckily, it managed to absorb some of the impact.

"Iron Dragon's Iron Rod!"

A metal rod stretched out from behind and struck Laxus with a loud "Whoosh!" It was Gajeel, coming to assist in the battle.

Laxus dodged to the side, then transformed into a bolt of lightning, following the path of the iron rod back to its source.

Gajeel barely had time to react; he tried to dodge, but Laxus was too fast.

Laxus appeared in front of Gajeel and landed a powerful punch.

"Boom!"

The ground trembled slightly from the impact.

Gray watched and sighed.

Facing Everit's teasing, he felt helpless. Against Laxus's strength, it seemed hopeless.

---

In the town square, Erza stood with a complicated expression on her face. "I didn't expect you to join this game, Mystogan."

"Everyone here has their own reasons for entering this game, Erza. I do too," Mystogan replied calmly.

Behind Mystogan, within the magic circle, stood Bisca and Cana. Nearby, several guild members were lying unconscious, including Bisca's boyfriend, Alzack.

Alzack, struggling to stay awake, whispered, "Erza..." He couldn't get up, so he looked to her for help. "Bisca, please help her," he said, before finally succumbing to sleep.

"Requip"

Erza immediately summoned her Heavenly Wheel Armor—one of her most balanced sets, suitable for both melee and ranged combat, while offering excellent defense. The silver armor glistened, complete with four steel wings, and adorned with multiple swords for a versatile attack.

"It's unusual for you to take the initiative, Mystogan. Since we're facing each other now, I won't hold back," Erza declared with determination.

Mystogan's expression was filled with complexity and nostalgia. 

The resemblance was undeniable—they looked so alike. In fact, they were once the same person.

You always protect everyone, Erza, no matter which world you're in.

"Skyscraper!" Mystogan called out as he launched his attack.

His magic focused on five different magic wands, incorporating illusion-based spells and attack magic centered around "sleep magic." 

Skyscraper's technique resembled Everit's deception magic—creating visual deceptions, altering perceptions, and manipulating emotions.

The floor suddenly gave way, and tentacles that seemed to come from hell coiled around Erza. Above her, the sky turned gray, and a blood-red eye, large enough to cover an entire city, appeared. It was an ominous sign, and fear began to take hold.

"That little trick won't work on me," Erza said, her voice steady. "It's nowhere near as scary as Everit's. If you think you can scare me with this, you're mistaken."

With a burst of magic power, Erza broke free from the tentacles. She was resolute, her eyes set on her opponent. She had been through much worse during Everit's brutal training sessions. This was nothing.

"I'm not backing down!" she shouted as she charged towards Mystogan.

Mystogan, her opponent, pulled out his wand and launched a magical attack. Erza deflected it with her sword as if it were a simple toy.

"Heaven's Wheel: Circle of Swords!" she shouted, her voice ringing with authority. Several swords spun at high speed, forming a lethal circle that shot toward Mystogan, with Erza not far behind.

"Three Layered Magic Circle: Mirror Water!" Mystogan countered. The triple array materialized, redirecting the Circle of Swords back toward Erza.

Erza expertly split the returning swords, but now she was mere inches from Mystogan.

"Mirror Naraku!" Mystogan invoked, sending a powerful wave of sleepiness towards Erza. The attack was so potent that it could drive anyone into unconsciousness.

Erza staggered, her eyelids growing heavy. It was as if the weight of the spell was pressing down on her. She tried to resist, but the dreamlike state was overpowering.

"Dreamland!" Mystogan declared, his spell rendering Erza unconscious for a moment. Her eyes lost focus, her body sagged, and she fell asleep.

But Mystogan didn't press the attack. Instead, he quickly retreated, anticipating a counterstrike.

'Shua!'

A sword swiped through the air, cutting through the spot where Mystogan had just been.

Erza's eyes flickered open, though she seemed drowsy and unsteady.

"Impressive," Mystogan thought. "As expected from Erza, her willpower is incredible."

Mystogan had planned for every possible outcome, but he still found himself in awe of her resilience. He knew the battle was far from over.

Everit also agreed that Erza was the most difficult person he'd ever had to deal with. It had taken him ages to get through to her because her willpower was beyond anything he'd encountered—it was genuinely terrifying.

"Five-layered magic circle—" Mystogan shouted, his voice thick with urgency as he prepared to unleash a stronger spell.

Five concentric magic circles formed a pillar of light that encased Erza, trapping her inside!

****

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