Ice shards flew everywhere. Trees snapped and toppled. Countless rocks tumbled down from the mountaintop, creating a rumbling echo.
Inside a cracked and battered crater on the mountain across the lake, NatsuGray stood up, shaking his head, stepping on scattered ice fragments.
In the split second before he would have been slammed into the mountain rock, he had used the reverse thrust of his flames plus the cushioning of Ice-Make to absorb most of the impact.
"He really is monstrously strong, that bastard Chase!"
NatsuGray was still shaken.
He could now unleash attacks as powerful as the one Chase had just used. But the other's "God Slayer Magic" seemed to carry some kind of suppression effect, throwing the magic power inside his own body into disorder!
"To encounter God Slayer Magic for the first time and still minimize the damage using its properties—not bad at all."
On this side of the lake, Chase offered his recognition without stinginess.
Truly worthy of being the fusion of Natsu and Gray.
"But that's what makes a fight interesting!"
Chase smiled calmly, raised his hands, and pulled off his casual short-sleeved shirt, revealing his well-proportioned, muscular build.
"Okay, but... why take off your shirt before a fight?!" Lucy couldn't help but complained.
Mira took the shirt Chase casually tossed over, held it in her arms, and smiled as she explained, "Because this way, his clothes won't get damaged during battle."
"He's the type to be that frugal?!"
Lucy pointed at Chase, her words quite sharp.
"Mm. Chase compensates the full price for anything he accidentally breaks." Mira nodded, her smile unchanged.
"...I feel like we're not on the same wavelength." Lucy held her forehead and said quietly.
Happy raised his hand: "Aye~ Lucy, Chase is actually super stingy. Even the wall I scratched—he made a big deal out of it!"
"If only you'd told me that half a month ago."
Thinking of that pink dumbbell at home costing 30,000 Jewels, Lucy felt exhausted.
Suddenly, as if realizing something, she put her hands on her hips and looked at Happy, saying seriously and sternly, "You're paying for my walls and pillars too!!"
Close one. Almost fell into that damn cat's trap again.
While the group chatted, the other guild members weren't idle either.
After learning a bit about the God Card "Slifer the Sky Dragon" from Happy, led by Cana, they all carried forward the fighting spirit passed down by Master Makarov:
Open the books. Place your bets.
As the wagers began, Chase surged his magic power, turned into a crimson streak of light, and flew toward NatsuGray across the lake.
Near the new guild hall construction site, obviously, he couldn't fully cut loose.
In an instant, his figure appeared directly above NatsuGray. His right leg, covered in crimson dragon scales, spun and stomped down, descending from the sky like Slifer the Sky Dragon's tail whip!
BOOM!
A magic light wave shot out, carving a deep fissure into the ground.
NatsuGray withdrew from the rising shockwave. His overlapping palms and fists radiated chilling cold.
"Ice Flame Dragon's Lancer: Meteor Volcano!"
A dense formation of ice lances wrapped in scorching flames shot out from a dazzling magic circle, their target squarely aimed at Chase in mid-air!
Facing this overwhelming assault, Chase spread his arms. Crimson magic power coiled upward, evolving into dragon-wing shapes.
Instead of retreating, he dove downward to meet the ice flame lances.
"Slifer the Sky Dragon's Wing Strike!"
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
The moment the two attacks collided, the ice shattered and the flames dissipated.
Chase broke through Lancer: Meteor Volcano with irresistible force!
"Damn it! You stole my move!"
Seeing that all-too-familiar technique made NatsuGray was quite unhappy. He stomped, cracking the ground, and spread his own arms. "Ice Flame Dragon's Wing Strike!"
Wings of ice and fire—one cold, one hot—formed behind him, extending into a massive red-and-blue dragon phantom.
Thus, the Ice Flame Dragon phantom condensed by NatsuGray rose from the ground, domineering and fearless as it charged up to meet Chase's Slifer the Sky Dragon phantom.
CRACK!
A dull impact rang out. Chase and NatsuGray's heads slammed together, unleashing wave after wave of magic shockwaves that spread outward in all directions.
Then came: "That hurts!" x2
The two iron-headed kids simultaneously jumped back to create distance, hissing and clutching their reddened foreheads.
"Heh heh. I win this round!" After recovering, NatsuGray grinned.
Chase immediately felt a chill spread from his forehead. Ice crystals sparkled and, at a visible speed, began covering his entire body.
"I see. You embedded Ice-Make into that Dragon Slayer Magic just now. Not a bad plan. However—"
Just before his body was completely frozen, Chase chuckled. "I left you a little gift too."
CRACKLE!
The moment his voice fell, a complex, mystical magic circle lit up above NatsuGray's head.
Thunder rumbled within the magic circle. An energy sphere crackling with white arcs of lightning shot out from it, hitting the caught-off-guard NatsuGray square on!
That was the traitor—no, wait—that was Slifer the Sky Dragon's signature skill:
The Thunder Force,capable of instantly killing small fry and weakening the powerful!
BOOM!
The Thunder Force exploded violently, blasting NatsuGray back down to the ground below, kicking up a massive cloud of dust!
CRACK. CRACK.
Chase surged his magic power, forcibly shattering the ice on his body and breaking free from the frozen state.
At the same time, NatsuGray on the ground also stood up from amidst the rubble and ruins.
"Damn it. Why does so much of my magic power drain away after taking that hit?"
Compared to his fierce and fearless attitude during the fight, his tone now was more reminiscent of Gray's style.
"This is bad. If I keep fighting like this, the title of guild's strongest wizard won't hold up..." NatsuGray frowned deeply.
This level of disadvantage could still be turned around. But the real problem was that Chase hadn't even used his specialty—cards!
If he called over Dark Magician Girl, who was watching from the shore, summoned Dark Magician, and then played some magic-boosting cards, there'd truly be no chance of victory!
Just then, Lucy's chibi-style head popped up in the scene, speechless: Um, wasn't that title self-proclaimed?
"Decided! I'll beat you with this move!"
NatsuGray punched his fists together and declared his final attack to Chase in the air.
"Bring it on!" Chase gladly accepted.
By this point, he had basically finished testing all the fusion's data.
As for the upper limit of Slifer the Sky Dragon's God Slayer Magic—he would confirm it with the strongest roar!
The two exchanged glances and silently tacitly understood each other, both beginning to mobilize all their remaining magic power, brewing their ultimate techniques.
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Ice Flame Dragon's—"
"Wrath of God: Slifer the Sky Dragon's—"
"HEY, YOU TWO! Are you trying to blow up this mountain range that belongs to Magnolia?!"
Crimson long hair fluttered in the wind. A stern shout suddenly rang out.
A heroic figure appeared between the two of them, stopping a battle that could have resulted in over a billion Jewels in property damage.
It was Erza, clad in her armor!
***
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