On the lake, amidst the piled rubble of the Magic Colossus, Chase pushed aside debris and stood up first.
Because his attack had drawn upon natural lightning, combined with the colossus's collapse, he hadn't escaped unscathed.
Scrapes and bruises covered him. His face was grimy, his stylish cloak torn.
The Elusive Elf Swordsman had vanished—either destroyed by the Sky Dragon's Thunder Roar or unable to maintain form due to Chase's depleted magic.
"Hah... hah..."
Chase's chest heaved as he gasped for breath. Even standing on the rubble was difficult; he was experiencing severe magic depletion.
He was completely tapped out.
But the result was good. He had managed to take down Jose. More importantly, he had obtained a powerful new card that could change the way he fought!
Just as Chase smiled and prepared to study his new acquisition——
CRASH.
The rubble ahead shifted.
Three faint purple magic circles pushed aside the debris. Jose emerged—his clothes torn, hair disheveled, face bloodied. His twisted features radiated pure malice and fury.
Even after taking that devastating lightning strike head-on, he was still standing?!
"Heh... heheh... Didn't think you'd push me this far."
Jose's eyes blazed with killing intent as he limped toward Chase. His sharp voice was hoarse, chilling. "You damn brat... I am the master of Phantom Lord! A Ten Wizard Saint recognized by the Council!"
"I am the victor of this battle! I am Jose Porla!!"
Whoosh.
A vicious purple phantom formed around his clenched fist.
Compared to his earlier state, where he could freely unleash powerful magic, Jose was now gravely wounded. The spell he was forming would struggle to reach even A-Class.
But it was more than enough to handle the current Chase.
Watching Jose approach, Chase blinked, then sighed.
In terms of raw combat power and magic reserves, there was still a gap between himself and a veteran Ten Wizard Saint like Jose.
Of course, that was discounting Monster Reborn—his ultimate trump card.
If he had been more cautious before the battle and saved Energy Potion · Super Z to maximize his reserves, he might have been able to take down Jose in his current state.
But it didn't matter.
From the very beginning, this battle had already been decided. He had fought with everything he had.
"You're the one who won?"
Chase straightened up, flashing Jose a confident, radiant smile. "I wouldn't be so sure."
Light flickered at his fingertips as a card materialized.
Jose flinched at the familiar motion, instinctively summoning the purple phantom to shield himself.
The unpredictable, versatile tactics of this Card Mage had left a mark on him.
But a moment later, seeing Chase's weakened state, Jose lowered his guard and sneered. "Pathetic bluff."
"In your state—flickering like a candle in the wind—what can a card do?"
"You don't have any magic left to power it, do you?!"
Without a mage's magic, even the most powerful card was worthless.
Confident in his judgment, Jose laughed maniacally and hurled the phantom at Chase!
"You're right. But this card costs nothing, Master Jose."
Chase faced the oncoming blast, slowly turning the card between his fingers. "Special Card: Guild's Bond, Activate!"
The card's face bore the image of fairies dancing!
Hum!!
A warm, radiant light descended from above, effortlessly dispelling the dark phantom—leaving no trace.
Crunch, crunch.
The sound of steady footsteps on rubble grew closer—more numerous, more dense, louder.
Jose's eyes went wide with horror. When he saw what stood behind Chase, his entire body began to tremble.
Emerging from the golden light, figures appeared one by one, walking toward Chase and forming a protective circle around him.
Mira, Erza, Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Happy, Elfman, Cana, Loki, Team Shadow Gear, Team Osprey, the "Old Perverts"—
They filled the ruins, their eyes fixed on Jose with unwavering resolve.
If he so much as twitched, they would strike.
Overwhelmed, even the arrogant Jose took two involuntary steps back.
Not from weakness of will—but from pure, instinctive fear.
The light intensified. Beams of radiance struck down.
Clad in his Ten Wizard Saints robes, Makarov descended, positioning himself before Chase.
"By the laws of Fairy Judgment, Jose... you have three seconds to consider."
Makarov stood atop the rubble, looking down at Jose with solemn authority. "Kneel and repent for your actions against us!"
"Three!"
"Kneel and repent?! Don't be absurd! I am the master of Phantom Lord—the strongest guild in Fiore!!"
Jose's arms shot up, summoning another massive phantom.
"Two!"
"Phantom Lord is the strongest! I am the strongest! Damn Fairy Tail—DISAPPEAR!!"
Jose's face twisted with madness. He roared as he took a step toward the Fairy Tail mages bathed in golden light.
When he was just a step away from Makarov, the despair welling from within finally crushed his fragile pride.
I can't win. I can't possibly win...
Jose's legs began to shake uncontrollably. Finally, he collapsed—thud—to his knees on the rubble of the Magic Colossus he had so proudly commanded.
The phantom he had summoned dissolved into the light.
A cool, gentle breeze swept across the lake, dispersing the dark clouds and bringing sunlight. It carried away the oppressive weight that had hung over Magnolia.
"This ends here. Await the Council's judgment. Consider yourself warned."
Makarov cast a cold glance at Jose, kneeling in the ruins.
When he turned to face his children, his stern expression melted into a warm, joyful smile.
"You all did well. We've won~!!"
"OOOOHHHH!!!!"
Fairy Tail raised their arms in a triumphant cheer.
Chase, however, was not among them.
Completely drained of magic, he lay motionless in Mira's embrace—soft and warm.
"Mira... was I cool?" Chase tilted his head back to look at her.
From this angle, he could see her clear, unblemished face.
Mira lowered her gaze to meet him, a gentle smile curving her lips.
"Cool."
***
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