As a physical attack-type swordsman, judging purely by his stats, Buster Blader was a tier below Black Luster Soldier.
However, once their monster effects were taken into consideration, the situation became completely different!
Leaving aside the mysterious "Gods" that even Chases knew very little about, the strongest creatures in the world of Fairy Tail were undoubtedly Dragons.
Whether it was the Five Dragon Gods or the Black Dragon Acnologia, who possessed terrifying resistance to Magic, they were all formidable enemies that Chases might have to face in the future.
Even the most ordinary Dragon was powerful enough to pose an enormous threat to both Chases and Fairy Tail!
Therefore, under the current circumstances, where summoning Slifer the Sky Dragon was extremely difficult, Buster Blader and his anti-Dragon effect were particularly valuable.
At the very least, Chases now had another method of dealing with Dragon-type enemies.
Furthermore, Buster Blader could also fuse with Dark Magician to become an even more destructive monster...
Dark Paladin!
Unfortunately, through his previous experiments, Chases had already confirmed that Fusion Summoning was a type of Special Summon.
That meant he first needed to obtain the corresponding Fusion Monster Card before he could successfully perform the Fusion Summon.
However...
Now that he had already obtained Buster Blader, could Dark Paladin really be that far behind?
For the time being, this period was still relatively safe.
As long as Chases didn't deliberately court death by provoking the Five Dragon Gods or Acnologia, he still had plenty of time to keep a low profile, strengthen himself, and steadily develop his deck!
Crackle!
The sudden, harsh sound of electricity from the sky interrupted Chases's thoughts.
He raised his head.
The numerous lightning Lacrima suspended high above Magnolia had already begun charging.
Golden arcs of electricity jumped between them, connecting one Lacrima to another until the brilliant lightning illuminated nearly the entire town.
Because of Chases's intervention, Natsu and Gajeel had never confronted Laxus as they had in the original course of events.
Furthermore, Chases's neutral position had caused numerous changes throughout Fairy Tail's civil war.
As a result, the Thunder Palace had not been destroyed ahead of time.
It seemed...
Time was running out.
Chases calmly brushed the dust from his clothes before striding toward Natsu and Gajeel, who were still lying among the ruins and arguing with each other.
As for Buster Blader's actual combat capabilities and the matter of establishing a contract with him, those could wait until later for more detailed study.
There was something far more urgent to deal with right now.
Beat Laxus up.
Then end this ridiculous civil war!
"Damn it!"
Natsu noticed the increasingly violent lightning gathering around the Lacrima in the sky.
He planted his hands on his knees and struggled to push himself upright.
"I need to hurry up and beat Chases so I can go take down that bastard Laxus!"
Then, as though suddenly remembering something, his eyes lit up.
"Hey, Chases! We still have the option of playing cards, right?!"
"Although it feels like our chances of winning that way are even lower than fighting you..."
Gajeel also forced himself to his feet, his entire body trembling from exhaustion.
Yet beneath his half-lowered eyelids was an incomparably determined gaze.
"We don't have any other choice!"
"That is technically true, but..."
Chases stopped in front of them.
He raised one hand and pointed toward the devastated surroundings.
"Unfortunately, the Duelist Platform was blown away."
"What?!!"
The two Dragon Slayers, who had already prepared themselves to demonstrate their card-playing skills, instantly froze.
Their eyes widened as they clutched their heads in disbelief.
"Actually, whether we play cards or not doesn't matter anymore."
Chases lowered his hand.
"Because I'm already on your side."
Hearing those words, a flash of joy appeared on Gajeel's face, although he wisely remained silent.
He wasn't stupid enough to ask why Chases had suddenly changed his mind.
As long as this monstrously powerful guy was willing to join their side and fight Laxus, that was already the best possible outcome!
However, in the very next second, the far more straightforward Natsu immediately shouted,
"But the two of us teamed up and still didn't beat you!"
"Are you an idiot?! Who cares what the reason is?!"
Gajeel finally couldn't hold himself back anymore, roaring furiously at Natsu with jagged teeth.
"Oh, right. I don't remember ever saying that you had to defeat me, did I?"
As Chases spoke, a magic circle lit up beneath his feet.
A bottle of Super Z, a stamina-boosting drink capable of restoring Magic Power, appeared in his hand.
While drinking the strangely colored beverage, Chases raised one finger and explained with a smile,
"Having the courage to challenge an opponent even when you know they're unbeatable is already worthy of praise."
"Therefore, if you choose to play cards, you have to defeat me."
"As for choosing to fight... the moment you make that choice, you automatically pass."
This wasn't some rule Chases had suddenly made up on the spot.
He had decided on it long before entering Fairy Tail's civil war as a neutral party.
Unfortunately, among all the challengers who had come here, including Lucy and Evergreen, every single one of them had chosen to play cards!
Of course, strictly speaking, this "hidden rule" was somewhat biased.
After all, looking across the entire Fairy Tail guild, there was probably only one reckless idiot like Natsu who would choose the second option without the slightest hesitation.
"Tch. If I'd known that earlier, I would've let Lucy challenge you instead."
Natsu clicked his tongue and muttered regretfully.
"You really can think of that tsukkomi woman whenever there's something 'good,' can't you?!"
Gajeel roared at him.
Even if things were exactly as Chases had explained, and merely choosing to challenge him was enough to pass, the challenger still had to properly fight him.
The combined strength of two Dragon Slayers hadn't even managed to touch Chases once.
If Lucy had been the one to challenge him instead...
The outcome didn't even need to be imagined.
"Actually, from my perspective..."
Chases glanced calmly at the two of them.
"You two aren't any different from Lucy."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"
That single sentence instantly broke through both Dragon Slayers' defenses.
The two immediately began shouting and protesting at the top of their lungs.
Chases completely ignored them.
He casually tossed aside the empty bottle of Super Z and stepped forward.
A magic circle flickered around his right arm.
Although Chases understood what was truly going on in Laxus's heart, before going over there and beating some sense into him, there was still one problem that had to be dealt with first.
The Thunder Palace.
No matter what Laxus's intentions were, those lightning Lacrima currently posed a genuine threat to everyone in Magnolia.
They had to disappear.
Hum!
Dark golden Magic Power erupted with a deep roar.
The enormous energy rapidly gathered around the summoned right arm of Exodia the Forbidden One.
Natsu immediately realized what Chases intended to do.
"Wait, Chases!"
He hurriedly tried to stop him.
"The Master said destroying only some of those things is useless! We have to destroy all of them!"
"And if you destroy even one, you'll get hit by a terrible backlash!"
"The Fire Dragon's right."
Gajeel's expression also became unusually serious.
"Doing this is way too dangerous!"
Makarov had already fallen ill, while most of Fairy Tail's members had either been defeated or exhausted their strength during the civil war.
If something happened to Chases now...
There truly might not be anyone left capable of stopping Laxus.
"Dangerous?"
Chases glanced at them.
Then, under the shocked gazes of Natsu and Gajeel, a calm smile appeared on his face.
"That's only what you think."
He drew back the Forbidden One's massive arm.
Then he punched toward the Thunder Palace high above Magnolia!
Boom!
The heavy fist struck solidly against a dark golden magic circle.
Brilliant light instantly erupted from its surface.
A card emerged from within.
[Spell Card: Diffusion Wave-Motion]
Its effect was simple.
It expanded a Magic attack that originally targeted a single enemy, allowing it to strike every entity Chases recognized as an enemy.
Naturally, the greater the number of targets, the greater the amount of Magic Power required.
Because of its exceptional effectiveness against large groups, Chases normally treated Diffusion Wave-Motion as his own version of Fairy Law.
It was particularly useful for clearing away large numbers of weaker enemies at once.
Although the lightning Lacrima of the Thunder Palace possessed tremendous offensive power, their actual durability was fairly ordinary.
After all, even Lucy could destroy one with a single strike of her whip.
Therefore, destroying all of them simultaneously wouldn't consume an unbearable amount of Magic Power.
More importantly...
Targets destroyed by Diffusion Wave-Motion could not activate their effects.
In other words, the Thunder Palace's retaliatory lightning would never trigger!
This Spell Card was practically the absolute nemesis of the Thunder Palace!
Bzzzz...
Under the effect of Diffusion Wave-Motion, dark golden energy ripples spread outward from Chases's fist.
Wave after wave expanded across the sky.
Their targets were unmistakably clear.
Every single lightning Lacrima floating above Magnolia!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Wherever the dark golden shockwaves passed, the lightning Lacrima exploded one after another.
Brilliant bursts of light blossomed throughout the sky like an enormous display of fireworks.
In only moments, the Thunder Palace began disappearing piece by piece.
Such a spectacular sight naturally attracted countless residents of Magnolia.
People stopped in the streets and raised their heads, watching the dazzling explosions overhead with amazement.
Once again, they couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
Fairy Tail really did have an endless supply of shows to watch.
Looking at the completely unharmed Chases, Natsu and Gajeel were dumbfounded.
No lightning came down?!
Meanwhile, in the eastern forest.
On the scarred battlefield, after an intense exchange of Magic attacks, Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl simultaneously pulled away from each other and returned to Freed and Mira's sides.
After such a fierce battle, the heavily injured Freed had already reached his limit.
He panted heavily, and even remaining on his feet had become extremely difficult.
Mira had also been forced to release her Satan Soul transformation and had completely lost her ability to continue fighting.
However, unlike Freed, who had suffered severe injuries, Mira had simply exhausted all of her Magic Power.
"Freed, Master is preparing to enter the battle."
Dark Magician raised his head and glanced toward the sky, where the Thunder Palace had just been completely destroyed.
"Our cooperation ends here."
"He couldn't hold himself back in the end, huh... Chases."
Freed's expression became complicated.
Yet beneath that complicated look was a faint sense of relief.
When Laxus first announced that he intended to start a civil war within Fairy Tail, Freed had actually been deeply conflicted.
He had never truly wanted to attack his own guildmates.
Especially after Laxus activated the incredibly dangerous Thunder Palace, that conflict and worry had reached their peak.
Perhaps...
Letting Chases stop Laxus really was the best possible outcome.
Freed quietly thought to himself.
"That's fine."
A faint smile appeared on his exhausted face.
"I enjoyed fighting alongside you."
"As for the barrier Magic discussion I promised you, I suppose that will have to wait until all of this is over."
Freed let out a heavy sigh.
"If I'm still allowed to remain in the guild after this..."
Before he could say anything more, his body finally reached its limit.
Thud.
Freed dropped to one knee.
"Yay!"
Dark Magician Girl happily clenched both fists.
"Big Sis Mira, we won!"
Just as Dark Magician had predicted, even with the enhancement provided by her exclusive Spell Card, Dark Magician Girl had still taken quite a beating.
She had nearly been defeated herself.
"Mhm!"
Mira nodded firmly.
The corners of her lips lifted into a relieved smile.
Since Chases had finally started moving...
This civil war could practically be declared over ahead of time.
"Let's go, foolish apprentice."
"Yes, Master!"
After saying goodbye to Mira, Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl immediately transformed into two streaks of light, one dark and one pink, and flew toward Chases's location.
At the same time, the card monsters stationed throughout Magnolia received the same summons.
One after another, they vanished from their respective locations.
Meanwhile, at Magnolia Cathedral.
Boom!
Raging lightning collided violently inside the building.
Electric arcs tore through the cathedral, and wherever they passed, rows of glass windows shattered one after another.
Erza stood firmly amid the destruction.
She wore her Lightning Empress Armor, with the Lightning Empress Spear held tightly in her hand.
Her twin ponytails swayed lightly in the wind created by the raging Magic Power.
Not long ago, while rushing through Magnolia, Erza had happened to encounter Bickslow.
She dealt with him along the way before continuing forward.
Then, attracted by the tremendous commotion caused by Laxus and Mystogan's battle, she successfully tracked the two of them to the cathedral.
Unfortunately, Mystogan had been distracted by Erza's sudden appearance.
Laxus seized that opening and knocked off his mask, revealing a face identical to Jellal's.
Knowing exactly what that face meant to Erza, Mystogan no longer had the heart to continue fighting.
He quickly fled the scene.
What was that explosion just now?
Did someone destroy the Thunder Palace?
And Mystogan... just who exactly is he?
Erza knitted her brows tightly.
Her thoughts were in complete disorder.
Zzt!
Thunder suddenly roared.
A brilliant bolt of lightning shot directly toward her.
Erza immediately raised the Lightning Empress Spear.
Buzz!
A protective barrier formed in front of her and blocked the incoming lightning.
"Damn Chases..."
Laxus could clearly sense that the Thunder Palace had been completely wiped out.
His eyes were bloodshot, and his face twisted with fury.
"That bastard keeps breaking the rules of the game again and again!"
Boom!
Violent Magic Power erupted from Laxus like a volcano.
Dragon-like fangs appeared in his mouth.
At the same time, the muscles across his upper body rapidly expanded, making his already powerful physique even more imposing.
Then...
Dragon scales began appearing across his body.
"Laxus..."
Erza's pupils suddenly contracted.
"Could it be that you're also...?!"
She recognized those scales.
They were similar to the ones possessed by Dragon Slayers like Natsu and Gajeel.
"That's right."
A calm voice suddenly came from behind her.
"He's a Second Generation Dragon Slayer who was implanted with a Dragon Lacrima."
Erza abruptly turned around.
The moment she saw that familiar and reassuring face, a smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.
"Chases!"
"Erza."
Chases didn't bother explaining further.
He rolled his shoulders and loosened his muscles as he walked past her toward Laxus.
Dark golden Magic Power gradually surged around his body, becoming stronger with every step.
"Leave the rest to me."
Erza looked at him for a moment.
Then she gently nodded.
Her Lightning Empress Armor disappeared as she released the Requip, and she silently stepped aside, clearing the path between Chases and Laxus.
"Chases."
Surrounded by roaring lightning, Laxus stared at him coldly.
"Where did you hear about that?"
Because Makarov constantly nagged him about it, Laxus had never told anyone else the secret of his Dragon Lacrima.
Chases stopped walking.
"Does something like that really matter?"
"True."
Laxus fell silent for a brief moment.
Then his expression twisted into a furious grin.
"Because right now..."
Boom!!
Lightning exploded violently around his body.
"All I can think about is reducing you bastard to ashes!"
Laxus roared as he unleashed his Magic Power without restraint.
The entire cathedral trembled beneath the pressure of his lightning.
Chases calmly faced him, dark golden Magic Power surging around his body.
The two overwhelming auras collided before either of them had even made a move.
"Let's begin!"
Laxus spread his arms as lightning erupted around him.
"The battle to decide the strongest in Fairy Tail!"
---
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