"Ohhhhhh! I'm getting fired up!"
Even Nagiru's tone carried a distinct mixture of Natsu and Gajeel.
He clenched both fists and drew them back to his waist, striking a pose that looked almost exactly like a Super Saiyan powering up.
The Magic Power inside his body, now flowing more smoothly and forcefully than before, surged outward with a low roar.
Boom!
The violent energy erupted into something almost tangible.
The ground beneath his feet began to melt.
Even the surrounding abandoned sheets of iron softened and collapsed under the terrifying heat, gradually turning into steaming molten metal!
Flames flickered wildly as the temperature throughout the abandoned factory soared.
The sight faintly resembled the terrifying heat Natsu would one day display after his post-Dragon King Festival training, enough to melt even the Grand Magic Games arena.
"You're already on fire!!"
Evergreen screamed in panic.
Still tightly restrained, she struggled desperately as she watched the fabric of her clothes begin to soften and deform under the unbearable heat.
"Do you want to go home?"
Chases completely ignored Nagiru's challenge and slowly walked over to Evergreen.
Evergreen nodded furiously.
"Mm-hmm!"
"Alright."
Chases smiled.
Then, in the next second...
Bang!
He kicked her straight out of the factory.
"Off you go~"
"AHHHHH! Damn you, Chases! I'll definitely get you back for this!!"
Evergreen's furious screams rapidly faded into the distance.
Having finally gotten what she wanted, the so-called noble Fairy transformed into a dancing "Green Fairy" and disappeared into the distant sky with a faint ding.
Of course, they were still guildmates.
While sending her away, Chases had also conveniently removed the restraints and Magic Power suppression placed on her.
At least this way, she wouldn't fall out of the sky and turn into a pile of mush.
"Hurry up and fight me, Chases!"
Bathed in blazing firelight, Nagiru could barely suppress his urge to fight.
"I really do want to see just how strong a fused Dragon Slayer Mage can become."
Chases clapped his hands together.
"But unfortunately, your opponent won't be me."
Nagiru frowned.
"Then who?"
Chases turned his back on him, casually walked to the opposite edge of the Duelist Platform, and jumped down.
Under Nagiru's confused gaze, Chases reached into the void.
A card appeared between his fingers.
He threw it onto the Duelist Platform.
Buzz!
A magic circle instantly lit up.
Thick crimson mist began pouring across the platform.
Within the haze, two pillars of flame suddenly ignited, burning fiercely and pushing the mist aside.
An ancient altar gradually emerged.
Two crossed swords were engraved into its surface.
At the same time, a grand and stirring melody suddenly echoed throughout the abandoned factory.
Nagiru blinked.
He looked around in confusion.
"Where the hell is that music coming from?"
Chases ignored him.
Since the atmosphere had already reached this point, naturally, a little sense of ceremony was necessary.
And what better choice than the classic Yu-Gi-Oh! battle theme, Duelist's Soul?
Without wasting another second, Chases threw two additional Monster Cards onto the field.
"Offer them as tribute."
The altar flames instantly surged.
Two streams of light shot upward, one black and one white.
The opposing energies twisted together in midair.
Then merged.
Boom!
A pillar of chaotic light came crashing down onto the Duelist Platform.
Black and white colors spread across the entire arena, swallowing everything in a turbulent wave of chaos.
Within that storm...
A figure slowly rose.
He wore imposing armor and carried a sword in one hand and a shield in the other.
His presence was steady, sharp, and overwhelmingly powerful.
Then his eyes opened.
Chases smiled.
"Black Luster Soldier."
"One of the strongest legendary warriors among all the cards in my deck."
At that moment, Chases had already summoned a large number of card monsters elsewhere, while also maintaining the multiplied Kuribohs.
His Magic Power consumption was enormous.
With the internal conflict still unresolved, personally entering another full-force battle would obviously be inefficient.
Having a "substitute" handle things was undoubtedly the safest and most reliable choice.
And more importantly...
This was Black Luster Soldier's first true battle.
For such a debut, the Steel-Flame Dragon standing before him was clearly an excellent opponent.
Nagiru stared at the armored warrior in front of him.
Then a fierce grin spread across his face.
"So this guy..."
His flames surged even higher.
"...is your strongest trump card, right?!"
Nagiru had originally been quite unhappy, believing that Chases was looking down on him by refusing to fight personally.
But after hearing the introduction of Black Luster Soldier, the frustration in his heart vanished almost instantly.
His blood began to boil again.
"Rejected."
Black Luster Soldier spoke in a deep, steady voice.
"In Master's deck, I am only the strongest in the field of swordsmanship."
His personality was serious and somewhat rigid, carrying an almost overly earnest air.
"As long as you're the strongest at something, that's good enough for me!"
Nagiru didn't care about the distinction.
His tightly clenched steel right fist was suddenly engulfed in crimson flames.
Bang!
With a slight push of his feet against the ground, his entire body shot forward at astonishing speed.
"Take this first!"
"Steel-Flame Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Boom!!
Dark red flames exploded in every direction.
The floor of the Duelist Platform shattered instantly beneath the force of the impact.
"Crude."
Black Luster Soldier raised the shield in his left hand.
Darkness flowed across its surface.
"A straightforward attack path."
Bang!
Nagiru's flaming steel fist slammed directly into the shield.
Black Luster Soldier didn't move.
Not even half a step.
"It's only getting started!"
Nagiru roared.
He stepped forward heavily.
Flames erupted backward from his body like jets, providing additional propulsion and driving even more force into his right fist.
Boom!
Under that continuously increasing pressure, the dark shield finally began to tremble.
Black Luster Soldier was pushed backward little by little.
Even then, his expression remained completely unchanged.
He reversed the grip on the sword in his other hand.
Then swung.
Swish!
A dazzling blade of holy light tore through the air toward Nagiru.
Rumble!
The brilliant white slash ripped straight across the Duelist Platform, effortlessly splitting it in two.
The attack continued along the shattered ground before crashing into the far wall of the abandoned factory.
Boom!!
Stone and steel exploded outward as flames erupted everywhere.
That was close...
Nagiru, who had withdrawn his fist and twisted aside at the last possible moment, glanced back at the destruction behind him.
A bead of cold sweat almost appeared on his forehead.
That had been far too close.
But instead of making him cautious, Black Luster Soldier's overwhelming strength only caused his fighting spirit to burn even hotter.
"Steel-Flame Sword!"
Blue and crimson magic circles flashed around Nagiru's right arm.
His steel limb rapidly transformed.
In an instant, it became a massive serrated greatsword wrapped in roaring flames.
Nagiru twisted his waist and slashed toward Black Luster Soldier from the side.
Black Luster Soldier narrowed his eyes slightly.
He reversed his sword and swung from the opposite direction.
No evasion.
No retreat.
A direct clash.
Clang!!
The blade wrapped in pure white light collided head-on with the blazing serrated sword.
Sparks exploded across the battlefield.
Shockwaves rippled outward again and again, causing the already damaged floor beneath them to crack even further.
Nagiru's eyes lit up.
"Got you!"
"Steel-Flame Dragon's Wing Attack!"
Still locked in the clash, he swung his left arm violently.
His arm expanded and transformed into the shape of a steel dragon wing.
Under the intense heat of his flames, the metal turned red-hot.
The wing swept toward Black Luster Soldier with terrifying destructive force.
"Rejected."
Black Luster Soldier's voice remained calm.
"Your movements are completely within my expectations."
The dark aura surrounding his shield suddenly expanded.
Whoosh!
Darkness swallowed the incoming crimson flames.
Black Luster Soldier's defense was seamless.
Nagiru's wing smashed against the shield, but no matter how much force he poured into the attack, he couldn't advance even an inch.
Then something even stranger happened.
The holy light surrounding Black Luster Soldier's sword and the darkness flowing across his shield began to resonate.
Light and darkness attracted one another.
The two opposing forces condensed into a chaotic field around him.
Boom!
The resulting force exploded outward.
Nagiru was blasted backward more than ten meters.
His boots carved deep trenches into the platform before he finally stomped down hard enough to stop himself.
Black Luster Soldier stood at the center of the battlefield without moving.
Darkness became the shield that protected his body.
Light became the sword that cut through all before him.
And when those two opposing powers converged...
Chaos itself answered his call.
This was Black Luster Soldier.
The legendary swordsman who wielded both light and darkness.
Chases crossed his arms.
While continuously maintaining his Magic Power output, he carefully watched Nagiru and Black Luster Soldier facing each other from a distance.
Light.
Darkness.
Fire.
Iron.
The clash between these four different attributes gave him a strange sense of déjà vu.
It faintly reminded him of the Battle of the Four Dragons during the Grand Magic Games.
A trace of anticipation appeared in his eyes.
Compared to Natsu overwhelmingly crushing the Shadow and White Dragon Slayers, a battle between two evenly matched opponents would obviously be much more exciting.
Just as Nagiru had said...
The real battle was only beginning.
"As expected, you're seriously strong!"
Nagiru shook his slightly numb arm, excitement written all over his face.
After their brief exchange, he had already confirmed one thing.
Black Luster Soldier possessed truly terrifying strength.
This was not an opponent he could defeat casually.
So...
Rip!
Nagiru grabbed the hem of his multicolored shirt and tore it away, revealing his muscular upper body.
At the same time, the Magic Power inside him began rising again.
A violent aura surrounded his body.
Faint reddish-blue dragon scales gradually emerged across his skin.
Both Natsu and Gajeel were capable of partially manifesting dragon scales under certain conditions.
Now that their powers had been perfectly fused into Nagiru, naturally, he could also access that strength.
And judging from the increase in Magic Power...
This state was even closer to a true Dragon Force than what either of them could achieve individually!
Nagiru raised his head.
Dragon scales now covered much of his face as he grinned fiercely at Black Luster Soldier.
"Let's start round two, Black-and-White Swordsman!"
"Black-and-White Swordsman?"
Black Luster Soldier frowned slightly.
"I do not particularly appreciate that title."
His voice remained deep and serious.
"However..."
"I am also interested in seeing how far Master's companion can go."
After speaking, Black Luster Soldier glanced toward Chases in the distance.
Chases immediately understood.
He gave a slight nod.
Permission granted.
Black Luster Soldier turned back toward Nagiru.
He crossed his sword and shield before his body.
Then held them upright.
"Hahhh!"
Boom!
A magnificent pillar of chaotic light erupted into the sky.
The tremendous force tore through the clouds above while causing the surrounding earth to tremble continuously.
For several seconds, the pillar remained suspended between heaven and earth.
Then...
Whoosh!
The chaotic energy rapidly contracted.
Every trace of that overwhelming power was drawn back into Black Luster Soldier's body.
Light and darkness flowed across his blue-and-gold armor.
His long ponytail fluttered behind him.
Standing at the center of the chaotic energy field, the proud swordsman had elevated his power to its peak.
This was the strongest state he could currently display against the Steel-Flame Dragon before him.
It was certainly an impressive sight.
Unfortunately...
The one suffering the most from it was Chases.
"Haa..."
Standing farther away, he let out a slow breath.
His breathing had already become slightly heavier.
Under normal circumstances, after obtaining so many new cards and increasing his Magic Power considerably, supporting a single eight-star monster like Black Luster Soldier at full strength would not have been particularly difficult.
But Black Luster Soldier was far from the only card monster currently active.
Dark Magician was still fighting.
Dark Magician Girl was still fighting.
Several other monsters remained summoned elsewhere.
And most troublesome of all...
There was still an enormous number of continuously multiplying Kuribohs.
Maintaining all of them simultaneously placed an enormous burden on Chases.
The situation was almost comparable to a Celestial Spirit Mage attempting to keep every available gate open at once.
Even with his reserves, the pressure was considerable.
And that was precisely why Black Luster Soldier had looked toward him for permission before releasing even more power.
Rumble!!
Before Chases could completely regulate his breathing, Nagiru and Black Luster Soldier collided once again.
The result was catastrophic.
Boom!!
The shockwave from their first impact alone tore through the entire abandoned factory.
Walls collapsed.
Support beams snapped.
Sheets of iron and massive chunks of debris were blasted outward.
Within moments...
The entire factory had been leveled.
Two streaks of light burst upward from the ruins.
One was wrapped in chaotic black-and-white radiance.
The other burned with intertwined reddish-blue energy.
Black Luster Soldier and Nagiru blasted through the falling debris and took their battle into the open sky.
The battlefield between the strongest swordsman and the fused Dragon Slayer had shifted from the ground to the much broader heavens above.
Fortunately, Chases had anticipated that something like this might happen.
That was precisely why he had chosen the western outskirts as the battlefield, far away from Magnolia's central district.
Otherwise...
The aftershocks from this battle alone would have been enough to cause massive destruction throughout the town.
Coincidentally, over in the eastern outskirts, the battle involving Mira, Freed, Dark Magician, and Dark Magician Girl had also reached a fever pitch.
Magical explosions continued to burst across the sky.
Boom!
Boom!
As a result, the residents of Magnolia were left completely confused.
They stood in the streets, looking from east to west, unsure which "fireworks display" they were supposed to admire.
Among the crowd, one hurried blonde girl stood out in particular.
"Hey, cute blonde girl!"
A nearby resident recognized Lucy as she ran past.
"I remember you! You're one of Fairy Tail's newer members, right?"
He laughed cheerfully.
"This year's Harvest Festival warm-up event is amazing!"
Under normal circumstances, being recognized as a member of Fairy Tail would have given Lucy a small sense of satisfaction.
Right now, however, she had absolutely no time to enjoy it.
"Ahaha... I'm glad you like it!"
After giving a quick response, Lucy continued running toward the guild.
She had been playing cards with Chases at the abandoned factory earlier, so she knew nothing about the Thunder Palace Laxus had activated.
All she knew was that the countless lightning lacrima floating above Magnolia gave her an extremely dangerous feeling.
She needed to return to the guild as soon as possible and find out what was going on.
Thump!
At the corner of a street, Lucy suddenly slammed face-first into something invisible.
"Ow!"
She stumbled backward and grabbed her forehead.
"That hurts..."
Then purple letters appeared in the air before her.
Lucy's pupils contracted instantly.
She forgot about the throbbing pain in her forehead.
"This..."
"This is Freed's enchantment?!"
Footsteps suddenly sounded from beyond the corner.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
A figure slowly appeared.
Lucy blinked.
"Juvia?!"
Juvia stared at her with an unusually serious expression.
"To encounter a love rival at a time like this..."
She slowly walked toward Lucy.
"Could this be a trial sent by Gray-sama?"
"What trial?!"
Lucy immediately pointed toward the glowing purple words.
"This is obviously Freed's enchantment!"
Then her eyebrow twitched.
"And what do you mean by 'love rival'?!"
"Gray and I are absolutely not in the kind of relationship you're imagining!"
Lucy denied it firmly.
But halfway through speaking...
Her expression suddenly froze.
Wait.
Freed's enchantment had activated.
Which meant...
The two people trapped inside would have to fight each other before they could leave.
Lucy slowly turned her head toward Juvia.
Then looked down at herself.
Then back at Juvia.
Her face gradually turned pale.
Her...
A weakling...
Against S-Class Juvia?!
Lucy's entire body stiffened.
This was bad.