"It's my turn."
Gray stepped onto the stage. The later matches were meant for the heavy hitters, and with Erza and Kael slated to go after him, it was naturally his moment to step up.
"Go for it, Gray!"
"Show them the true power of Fairy Tail!"
Winning two matches in a row had sent Fairy Tail's morale soaring. For the first time since the attack, it felt like they were finally venting all the frustration they'd been forced to swallow.
Just as Gray reached the center of the arena, rain began to fall.
"Hm? Why is it raining all of a sudden?"
A moment later, a girl holding an umbrella walked out from the Phantom Lord side.
"Indeed. Juvia is the 'Rain Woman' of the Element 4."
Makarov stared, surprised. An opponent whose mere presence could tug at the weather itself was no small thing.
"This girl has incredible talent for Water Magic!"
To influence the atmosphere just by existing was a sign of exceptional magical prowess, even in the wider world of sorcery.
"I didn't expect you to defeat two of the Element 4,"
The girl said. "However, Juvia and Aria are not so easily dealt with."
"Sorry, but whether you're a woman or a child, destroying our guild is unforgivable,"
Gray replied, his expression hardening.
Juvia looked at him—and her face slowly turned a deep shade of red.
"Is… is that so? Then, let's just count this as my loss. Please take care of yourself."
Gray blinked, completely dumbfounded.
"Hey, hey, hey! What do you think you're doing?!"
But Juvia could feel her heart pounding wildly. An overwhelming urge surged up in her—she wanted this man more than anything. She wanted him to be hers.
[Fairy Tail vs. Phantom Lord, Match 3!]
[Start!]
CLANG!
"Water Lock!"
The rainwater on the ground moved instantly, rising into a massive sphere that swallowed Gray whole before he could react.
"What?!"
Gray hadn't expected her to attack while acting so strangely.
Whoosh!
He released a burst of cold, freezing the water from the inside out—then shattered the ice in an explosion of fragments.
"All right, you jerk… were you trying to make me drop my guard on purpose?"
As he spoke, he habitually started stripping off his clothes.
"Why is he taking them off?!"
The audience shouted, utterly baffled.
The Fairy Tail members turned away in embarrassment. Why now? He's stripping right in front of everyone!
Juvia, seeing Gray's bare chest, felt her stomach flip. She was not mentally prepared for this kind of public display.
"Ice-Make: Lance!"
Gray clapped his hands, shaping ice into a barrage of javelins that shot toward Juvia.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The lances passed straight through her and slammed into the ground behind. No blood. Her body simply flowed apart, then reformed. Gray's attack had done nothing.
"Juvia's body is made of water, you see."
"Water?!"
Gray was stunned.
"You attacked me… Juvia is not sad, because this is a competition. But goodbye, my budding love! Water Slicer!"
Juvia swung her arms, sending razor-thin blades of water slashing toward Gray.
"What kind of nonsense are you talking about?!"
Gray dodged, but the blades were too fast. Several shallow cuts opened across his skin.
"Ice-Make: Battle Axe!"
He rushed in, conjuring a massive axe, and swung with all his might—splitting Juvia clean through the waist. But thanks to her elemental form, the blade passed through her like she was smoke.
Juvia looked at him calmly.
"You cannot win against me. If you surrender now, Juvia will not have to hurt you."
"Hey! Are you kidding? Neither side can back down now, right? Stop talking nonsense and let's have a real fight!"
At that moment, the rain intensified, pounding harder and harder against the stone.
"This rain is really annoying,"
Gray muttered.
At those words, Juvia's body trembled.
This person… he's just like all the others…
"You're all the same!"
She suddenly screamed, catching Gray completely off guard.
"Juvia doesn't want to fall in love anymore!"
Her magic flared, and the water around her began to boil.
"What on earth are you babbling about?!"
Gray was utterly lost. He'd come for a duel, not a romantic melodrama.
Whoosh!
Juvia turned her entire body into a high-speed stream of water and charged. Gray jumped aside at the last instant.
"Hiss—so hot!"
Even the graze stung. His skin felt scalded.
"Ice-Make: Shield!"
Boom!
The boiling water smashed into the shield, and the heat melted the ice instantly.
Gray's eyes widened.
"What?! No way!"
"Uwaaaaaah!"
The water slammed into him, knocking him off his feet and launching him into the air. While airborne, he was battered back and forth by pressurized water like a ragdoll.
"Dammit! I need an opening to freeze it!"
Gray clenched his teeth. "I won't lose to you! I won't lose to Phantom Lord!"
"Freeze… HAAAAH!"
"Ice Geyser!"
Gray funneled every ounce of cold he had through his palms. The boiling water crystallized in an instant, frost spreading so quickly it even caught the raindrops mid-fall.
"Aaaaaah!"
BANG!
The ice shattered, and Juvia collapsed onto the stage.
"Juvia… lost?"
As she fell, the clouds broke apart and the rain finally stopped.
"Oh—it's clearing up."
This was the first time Juvia had ever seen a clear blue sky. She hadn't realized how beautiful it could be. In her eyes, Gray stood beneath the sunlight, almost glowing.
"Hey. Are you okay? Do you want to keep going?"
Even though they were enemies, he still checked on her. Juvia's eyes turned into hearts. Overwhelmed, she fainted with a blissful smile.
[The winner is decided!]
[Winner: Gray of Fairy Tail!]
"OOOOOOOHHHH!"
"Nice job, Gray!"
Fairy Tail cheered wildly. On the opposite side, the atmosphere turned grim.
"What happened?"
"Even Juvia… how is that possible?"
"Trash! You're all trash!"
Jose screamed, finally losing it. Three matches, three losses—all to people he'd dismissed as "nobodies." Fairy Tail hadn't even deployed an S-Class wizard yet. His pride couldn't stomach the humiliation.
"It can't be helped,"
Gajeel said, sounding bored. "Juvia has no defense against handsome guys."
He shrugged.
"Besides, the winner isn't decided by the early rounds. We just have to win everything from here on out, right?"
Gajeel's calm tone pulled Jose back from the edge, though his face remained twisted with rage.
Jose turned to the next fighter.
"Aria, listen to me. No matter what, you absolutely cannot lose this time!"
Aria gave a faint, eerie smile.
"Hehehe… what are you saying, Guild Master? This game ends here—with me."
Gajeel grinned, showing sharp teeth.
"Oh? Sounds reliable. Let Fairy Tail enjoy their little carnival while they still can."
[And now, the fourth duel is about to begin! Will the contestants please enter the arena!]