Jura stomped down hard, leaving a crater beneath his feet, and charged forward like a launched cannonball.
This time he did not use any magic. Instead, he delivered a powerful, heavy hand chop aimed squarely at the back of Rhodes' head.
His hand chop passed through without resistance, as if striking mist. The Rhodes standing there popped like a bubble and vanished.
"Illusion."
Jura immediately recognized the technique. He turned cautiously, twisted his waist, and drove a straight punch to his right.
Once again, his fist passed straight through Rhodes' chest, dispersing the image.
At that moment a third Rhodes appeared behind him. Jura heard the cadence of an incantation forming behind him and instinctively lifted his leg into a spinning kick.
It also struck nothing.
"Where is the original?" Jura clasped his hands together, intending to send out a wave of physical force to confirm Rhodes' location.
But Rhodes had already completed his chant.
"Gather here, river of light guided by the Fairy. Shine forth, destroyers of corrupted beings."
"This is bad." Jura felt a chill and slammed his hands together. "Rock Mountain."
This time a fully formed Stone Giant emerged behind him and bent low, enveloping Jura in a protective embrace.
Rhodes thrust his fist forward, voice ringing across the arena.
"Fairy Glitter."
The sky dimmed instantly. Then the radiance of sun, moon, and stars converged into a single golden river that circled overhead, forming a massive celestial ring.
The ring condensed, sacred and blinding, its brilliance filling the heavens.
In an instant it descended, locking both Jura and the Stone Giant inside. The light pulsed, gathered, and erupted with an earth-shaking roar.
Golden brilliance swallowed the entire arena. Even Rhodes' silhouette vanished within the radiance. No one in the crowd could keep their eyes fully open, yet no one felt darkness.
As that warm light washed over the stadium, the ground shook violently once more. The spectators felt as though they were riding a storm-tossed ship.
The scene resembled the devastation of Purgatory Shatter all over again.
The elevated platform Rhodes and Jura had created before the battle was completely gone. The very center of the arena had collapsed inward.
When the audience could finally see clearly again, Rhodes stood at the far edge of the field, cloak fluttering in the wind.
At the center of the arena yawned a massive crater.
The space below the arena was originally hollow, but now rubble had filled it, forming a mountain of shattered rock.
Silence washed over the crowd.
Mira's smile bloomed like sunlight. She almost cheered out loud.
Her husband looked impossibly handsome at this moment.
"Wh… what kind of…" Chapati stammered, unable to put the scene into words. "Is Mr. Jura alright?"
"He is most likely injured," Yajima said quietly. He recognized the spell instantly and for a moment hesitated to explain it.
But inwardly, his heart surged with pride.
Such an astonishingly talented young man was part of Fairy Tail.
President Ooba of Lamia Scale stopped spinning her fingers. Her serious expression froze.
Sherria covered her mouth with both hands. "There is… magic this strong in the world?"
Lyon was in even greater shock. He stared blankly at the destruction. "M… Mr. Jura… that unbelievably strong Mr. Jura…"
Gradually, the spectators regained their senses. Murmurs rippled through the arena like rising waves.
They discussed the brilliant light, the overwhelming magic, the outcome of the match, and Jura's condition.
The organizers' magic cameras faithfully plunged into the massive pit, broadcasting the scene below for everyone to see.
The big screen shifted between multiple angles of the rubble, and the entire audience held their breath, staring intently.
Finally, one angle sharpened its focus, revealing a bald head buried among the debris.
Rhodes immediately summoned two groups of Krugs. They scuttled down into the crater, carefully lifted Jura from the rubble, and gently placed him on solid ground.
He was unconscious. His clothes were torn everywhere, his injuries were countless, and there was even a conspicuous bruise on his forehead.
Rhodes raised his hand and enveloped Jura in red, blue, and violet light, then followed with Ocean's Healing. After that, he turned toward the stands and shouted:
"Wendy, come here."
"Yes." Wendy was scooped up by Carla and flown over. She knelt beside Jura and began casting healing magic.
At the same time, a red-haired girl with twin pigtails burst from the waiting area, knelt on Jura's other side, and began channeling her own healing spell.
Wendy blinked in surprise. This was Sky Magic too. Lost Magic. She looked at the girl with wide eyes.
Before any of them could exchange words, Jura's eyelids trembled.
With so many powerful healing spells layered together, it was natural that he would wake quickly.
"Mr. Jura!" Sherria called out, voice trembling.
Jura managed to open his eyes. Seeing three worried faces gazing at him, he paused, then remembered where he was.
Despite the pain, he smiled. "Saint Rhodes… what was that magic?"
"That is one of Fairy Tail's three great inherited magics, Fairy Glitter." Rhodes spoke loudly enough for both Jura and the entire stadium to hear. "So, Mr. Jura, do not mind today's result. This power is not Rhodes' power. It is the power of Fairy Tail."
"Ohhh!"
The stadium erupted into thunderous cheers once more.
"Rhodes!"
"Fairy Tail!"
"Fairy Tail!"
Their cheers shifted from his name to the guild's name.
Rhodes was genuinely pleased.
He had not forgotten the purpose of coming to the Grand Magic Games: to win glory for the guild.
The guild members, especially those who rarely left the guild, were ecstatic.
Never in their lives had they expected that the "invisible" Fairy Tail of the preliminaries would become the most celebrated guild of the event within half a day.
Romeo jumped and shouted until his voice cracked.
"Hah," Natsu grinned brightly. "That Rhodes guy."
Gray chuckled. "He is surprisingly good with his words."
Lucy clasped her hands over her chest, eyes shining. "That was wonderful."
Erza and Cana simply smiled with quiet pride.
Team B was calmer than Team A, but even they could not hide their smiles.
"See that, First?"
Makarov crossed his arms, tears welling in his eyes and shoulders trembling. "This is the next generation of the guild."
"I see it clearly, Third."
Mavis smiled like a blooming flower, her ethereal voice drifting like a true Fairy. "This is the best guild."
Below, Jura thought Rhodes was simply trying to preserve his dignity. He laughed openly.
"Haha, thank you for your kindness, but there is no need to disguise anything. The truth is that you defeated me fair and square. Do not worry, I will keep my promise."
Rhodes looked up at the sky, expression stiffening. "That is exactly what I am worried about."
"Grand Magic Games, Battle Segment, Day One, Final Match.Winner: Fairy Tail Team B, Rhodes!"