In the palace amusement park, the once cheerful colored flags were stained with smoke.
The broken carousel and scattered colored balls silently spoke of the brutality of the battle.
Natsu, Gajeel, and Bacchus charged in, ready to claim Hughes' head.
Hughes, the captain of the Magic War Unit who possessed no abilities beyond manipulating this amusement park, was no longer a threat in their eyes.
It was merely a matter of who could drag him out first.
...
Meanwhile, outside the amusement park, the main forces of the "Royal Army" had gathered, baring their fangs as they prepared to confront the "Expedition Force."
The soldiers held peculiar long-pole weapons—one end tipped with a spear point, the other a circular cannon muzzle—clearly not mere cold weapons.
"Fire!!!"
A piercing shriek rang out.
Under the command of an officer clad in pink armor, the soldiers moved in unison, turning their weapons to reveal the cannon muzzles.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
As the soldiers pulled their triggers, countless muzzles instantly glowed with a blazing orange-yellow halo.
Accompanied by deafening explosions, a sky full of magic bullets shot forth from their weapons.
Countless magic bullets trailed streaks of light, like a disturbed swarm of bees, roaring with destructive force as they blanketed the sky, raining down upon the Expedition Force.
"They're magic bullets! All these soldiers are equipped with magic weapons!"
The overwhelming barrage, pressing down like a burning orange-yellow cloud, naturally startled everyone.
There was no helping it—magic weapons weren't mainstream in the world of Earth Land.
Only a small fraction of people used them, and a fully organized magic unit like this was rare.
Moreover, the power of magic weapons was only so-so.
"Ice-Make: Ice Shield!" Gray's eyes sharpened.
He slammed both palms onto the stone pavement beneath his feet and uttered a low cry.
Instantly, bone-chilling cold erupted from him, frosting the ground.
A thick layer of solid ice formed with a series of cracking sounds, rising like a sudden white wall to block the path in front of everyone.
"He actually cast magic directly with his hands!"
Gray's technique—the instantaneous ice magic formed without any medium—left the soldiers utterly astonished.
Many eyes flickered with disbelief and barely concealed fear.
Clearly, they had never seen such a feat: casting magic with one's own body, without relying on magical tools!
This wasn't something humans in this world could achieve!
At the center of the battlefield, smoke billowed and magical flames flickered.
Both sides were stunned by the other, yet neither halted their actions.
The soldiers of the "Edolas Royal Army" gritted their teeth, continuing their relentless assault.
Orange-yellow magic bullets hailed down upon the ice shield, sending ice chips flying as cracks rapidly spread across its surface, threatening to shatter it at any moment.
Faced with the sudden aggression of the "Edolas Royal Army," the "Expedition Force," though initially taken aback, quickly regained their composure and prepared for battle.
"Counterattack! Counterattack!"
The mages from the three great guilds were no pushovers.
Instead of remaining passive, they charged out like tigers unleashed from cages the moment the ice shield shattered, shouting defiantly as they counterattacked without a trace of fear.
The two cowboys from the western continent, Bisca Mullan and Alzack Connell, immediately began their retaliation with guns in hand.
One used "Requip Magic: Gunslinger" while the other employed "Requip Magic: Bullets," each with distinct characteristics that made their combat far more exhilarating than the enemy's single-shot magical hand cannons.
With a flash of light, an exaggerated "Magic Machine Gun" materialized in Bisca's grasp.
She steadied the weapon with a wild grin, pulling the trigger without hesitation.
A storm of bullets swept forth like metallic rain, weaving a deadly web of fire that sent sparks flying from the soldiers' armor, toppling them like dominions in chaotic disarray.
Alzack moved with the grace of a gun-kata performer, his body flowing effortlessly as he evaded return fire.
His fingers danced across his pistol, rapidly switching ammunition types.
First came a volley of blinding flashbangs that left enemies clutching their eyes in agony, followed by crackling electro-shock rounds that arced with dangerous blue electricity, sending soldiers into convulsions with foaming mouths before they collapsed like discarded puppets.
"Water Slicer!"
Juvia's hands swept through the air like a conductor guiding water, coalescing razor-sharp blades of compressed liquid that hissed through the atmosphere.
The nearly transparent edges cleanly severed soldiers' weapons, leaving mirror-smooth cuts that gleamed ominously.
Terrified soldiers scrambled backward, desperate to avoid being bisected by the aqueous blades.
"Solid Script: Fire!"
Levy's fingers traced golden magical characters mid-air, the spelled "FIRE" igniting like enchanted parchment before launching forward as searing flames.
"Solar Blaze!"
Cana flung several flame-engraved cards like throwing stars, each spinning precisely into enemy formations before erupting into expanding spheres of orange-red inferno.
Their combined pyrotechnics created a sea of fire that scorched soldiers into howling retreat, their formations crumbling under the blistering assault.
Evergreen elegantly removed her glasses, activating "Petrifying Eye" instantly.
Any soldier who met her gaze stiffened mid-motion, transforming into variously posed stone statues.
Her magic proved overwhelmingly dominant—normally restrained by enchanted eyewear, but now unleashed without restraint against the otherworldly soldiers.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
With earth-shaking footsteps, Elfman—having taken on the "Beast King" form—charged through enemy ranks like a maddened war elephant.
No armored soldier could withstand his momentum for even a second, being sent flying like bowling pins before his unstoppable advance.
Jet moved with phantom-like speed, electrical energy crackling at his feet as he trailed behind Elfman to eliminate disoriented foes.
Each kick dispatched opponents with clean efficiency.
Though not counted among the "strongest candidates," he remained perfectly capable of handling common soldiers.
Joey, Nab, and the other close-combat specialists roared as they charged forward, while Reedus' painted beasts snarled, spewing flames and tearing with sharp claws to cover their advance.
The battle instantly escalated into a fierce melee, with magical lights, explosions, shouts, and screams blending together.
Even without the "S-Class Mages" from the guilds stepping in, the soldiers were already struggling.
Despite their overwhelming numerical advantage, the relatively narrow terrain within the royal castle prevented them from utilizing it effectively.
The soldiers crowded together, pushing and shoving, becoming easy, dense targets.
There was no helping it—the combat width was limited.
Though the palace was relatively spacious, especially near the amusement park, it was still the best battlefield the "Royal Army" could hope for.
Otherwise, in narrower passages outside, these soldiers would have been lining up to die.
"We can't just stand by and watch."
Inspired by the fervor of the "Fairy Tail" Mages, those from "Blue Pegasus" and "Quatro Cerberus" refused to be outdone and swiftly joined the fray, turning the situation overwhelmingly one-sided.
Whether it was the "Royal Army" or the "Magic War Unit," they were no match for these elite Mages from "Earth Land," "Ishgar," and the "Fiore Kingdom."
Utterly overwhelmed, their magical tools proved futile against true Mages.
"Dammit!!!"
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