Watching his troops fall like wheat, Sugarboy, clad in pink armor, glared with eyes wide in fury, letting out a roar of unwilling despair.
He violently plunged his sword into the ground, and a strange magical power surged wildly down the blade into the earth.
Under the spell's effect, the ground immediately began to writhe violently, spreading outward in an instant.
The earth turned soft and mushy, like sticky mud, sinking with every step.
"Ah!"
"What's going on?!"
The mages from "Fairy Tail," "Blue Pegasus," and "Quatro Cerberus" were caught off guard, instantly losing their footing.
Nearly all of them fell victim as their bodies began sinking uncontrollably into the ground, as if being sucked in.
The soldiers of the "Royal Army" were also affected, the sticky, damp earth quickly rising past their ankles and creeping upward, bringing a strong sense of confinement and descent.
The battlefield plunged into panic and chaos in an instant.
"Damn it! I can't move!"
Trapped in the ground, everyone struggled, but the more they thrashed, the faster they sank.
The combat-focused fighters at the front were instantly immobilized.
"Ice-Make: Ice Floor!"
Gray slammed both palms onto the ground again, ready to rescue everyone with his own method.
If the ground was soft, why not just freeze it solid?
However, under the edge of Sugarboy's sword, Gray's sturdy ice also turned soft and mushy, utterly failing to provide any effective support.
"Useless! Everything turns soft before my Rose Sword!"
Seeing the mages helpless and struggling futilely in the swamp-like ground, Shagotte leaned on his sword, laughing exaggeratedly with pride. The sword in his hand could soften all inanimate objects, even magical creations!
"A bunch of useless fools."
Watching the frontline fighters fail and those behind still unable to devise a countermeasure, Laxus cursed under his breath.
Then, he casually extended a finger, from which a dazzling golden electric serpent leaped.
A yellow lightning bolt shot out instantly, so fast it left only a searing afterimage on the eyes.
In the blink of an eye, it reached the previously arrogant Sugarboy, whose smug grin hadn't even had time to fade.
"Zzzzt!"
Sugarboy, with his neatly combed golden hair, was electrocuted to a crisp, black smoke rising from his body and his hair standing on end.
With a "thud," he collapsed stiffly to the ground, his "Rosa Espada" falling beside him.
This was Laxus's lightning—even Natsu and Gajeel could barely withstand a few strikes, let alone Sugarboy.
His body convulsed violently as he struggled to get up and reach for his sword, but it was impossible.
Another, thicker bolt of lightning struck with a booming sound, directly electrocuting him into unconsciousness.
"Noice!"
Marco gave Laxus a thumbs-up nearby.
Honestly, he hadn't expected Laxus to take the initiative to act.
But he noticed that Laxus had moved only after hearing Sugarboy mention 'Rose sword'—triggered by the keyword, as it were an insult to him.
"Hmph, a bunch of useless fools." Laxus didn't even glance at Marco, his cold gaze sweeping over his companions who had just struggled free from the mud as he delivered another sharp critique.
"We're saved!"
With Sugarboy defeated, everyone broke free as the ground finally lost its stickiness—the "Rose Sword" magic had dissipated.
"Sugarboy!"
Just as the group regained their footing, another wave of guards charged toward them.
This time, led by a tall woman with fiery red hair and sharp eyes.
"Erza!"
At the sight of Erza across from them, the "Expedition Force" erupted in exclamations and gasps of surprise.
The Fairy Tail members remained relatively calm, already aware that Edolas' Erza belonged to the enemy faction.
In contrast, the Mages from Blue Pegasus and Quatro Cerberus stared in astonishment, turning to look at their own Erza.
"Finally here, Edolas' Erza."
Marco watched with amusement as Erza knelt on one knee to check Sugarboy's condition.
This world's Erza was clearly a completely different person from their own.
Her expression was genuinely cold, eyes devoid of warmth—only the detached scrutiny of a predator.
A palpable killing intent radiated from her, pressing down on the surroundings like a physical force.
This aura marked her not as some benevolent figure, but as a true butcher.
And indeed, Erza Knightwalker, known as the "Fairy Hunter," had plenty of blood on her hands.
No wonder Fairy Tail in this world feared her so deeply.
"She's mine."
Staring at the face nearly identical to her own, Erza's eyes sharpened abruptly.
A fierce combat spirit surged within her as she clenched her fists, unable to resist stepping forward decisively.
She had to confront this world's Erza.
Most importantly, she couldn't comprehend why this version of herself would behave this way—why she would do such things.
Not only was she not part of Fairy Tail, but she actively hunted its members.
That this was done wearing her face was utterly unacceptable to Erza.
Of course, this line of thinking was somewhat unreasonable.
This Erza had lived her own life in this world—this was her natural appearance, and there was no obligation for her to join Fairy Tail simply because of it.
"Go for it, Erza! I believe you can defeat her!"
Despite his reasoning, Marco naturally stood by Erza's side.
Even Laxus watched with amused interest, clearly anticipating the clash between the two Erzas.
"Stop watching. Let's go find the king—don't forget our actual mission."
But Marco didn't give Laxus the chance to continue spectating.
He firmly slapped his brother's back, signaling him to turn around and advance together.
Meanwhile, Natsu, Gajeel, and Bacchus emerged from the ruined amusement park covered in dust and battle scars.
Natsu dragged Hughes like a limp ragdoll, while Bacchus held the "baton."
Only a disgruntled Gajeel stood empty-handed, having gained nothing from the fight.
"Marco! I won! I defeated this guy!"
Seeing Marco and Laxus approaching, Natsu excitedly swung Hughes' body while shouting, looking like a triumphant general returning from battle.
"How shameless!"
Bacchus and Gajeel standing nearby snorted contemptuously at this, both voicing their sarcastic remarks.