"Natsu is counting on you, Lucy!"
As the ground turned swamp-like, Gray turned and spoke gravely to her.
Lucy pointed dumbfounded at herself, but before she could react, Gray's hands were already gripping her shoulders.
"Go!!"
Like he was throwing a shot put, Gray yanked Lucy from the mud and hurled her straight toward Natsu, who was trapped on the roller coaster high above.
"WAAAAAAAAH—"
The unlucky Earthland Lucy's screams instantly filled the sky.
Nearby, Edolas Natsu remarked, "That Earthland Gray is so rough..."
Edolas Gray threw an arm over Edolas Natsu's shoulder like an old buddy and chimed in, "And that Natsu is still so afraid of transportation, too."
Thwack! Thwack!
Edolas Lucy stepped forward and punched both of their heads, shouting angrily, "Shut up! Go help them already—they are facing Kingdom Army executives!"
...
"Ice-Make: Flying Claws!" Gray, half-buried in the ground, looked up as cold air emanated from his hands.
A pair of ice claws gripped the nearby buildings, and with one powerful pull, he wrenched himself free.
"Ice-Make: Scythe!"
Gray clasped his hands together, and biting cold crystals formed an enormous scythe.
He leaped down from mid-air, bringing the weapon crashing toward Sugarboy.
"Hmm~ With magic like that, why not rescue your companion yourself?"
Sugarboy calmly raised his blade.
The moment Gray's ice scythe touched his weapon, it instantly softened into sludge.
"What?" Gray stared at the mud-like ice scythe in his hands, then frowned at the blade Sugarboy was holding.
Edolas Gray hurried over to warn him, "That is Sugarboy's Rosa Espada—it can soften any material!"
"Is that so..." Gray discarded the softened scythe and muttered, "Not very compatible with my Ice-Make magic."
Earthland Juvia said worriedly, "Gray-sama, should Juvia handle him instead?"
"No need. Even when softened, ice remains ice."
A smirk touched Gray's lips as his hands once again gleamed with cold light.
Confidently charging forward, he shouted, "Go help the others! I can handle this alone!"
Just as Gray adapted his fighting style against Sugarboy, Earthland Lucy found herself working at a terrifyingly high altitude, desperately clinging to the roller coaster that held Natsu captive.
Hughes suddenly swung his baton downward and sneered, "Don't even think about saving anyone!"
The roller coaster in the sky abruptly plunged, accelerating exponentially as it hurtled toward the ground.
Lucy, clutching the motion-sick Natsu, crouched in the car, her soul nearly leaping out of her body in terror.
"Lucy!"
Battling the fierce wind, Lucy strained to turn her head and saw a familiar fiery red sports car emerging from the chaotic battlefield.
Edolas Natsu, brimming with confidence, drove recklessly through the battlefield, swerving left and right, while Boss Lucy stood on the roof shouting something at her.
Earthland Lucy instantly understood.
Whether it was a sudden burst of courage or sheer trust in "herself," she disregarded the fact that they were dozens of meters in the air.
Holding Natsu tightly, she mustered all her strength and took a leap of faith.
"Natsu!" Edolas Lucy shouted urgently.
Edolas Natsu, with extreme confidence in his eyes, sharply turned the steering wheel, breaking through the enemy's encirclement and drifting straight toward the falling Lucy.
Thud!
Edolas Lucy used a Magic tool that softened the impact, her hands gently and safely catching the falling Lucy and Natsu, leaving both of them completely unharmed.
Meanwhile, the roller coaster controlled by Hughes crashed into the ground, shattering into pieces and leaving a massive crater.
Hughes raised an eyebrow, unable to help but praise her. "Brave girl, but how many more times can you jump like that?"
Swinging his command baton, he sent dozens more roller coaster cars crashing toward Natsu's sports car like a hurricane.
However, Edolasl Natsu's driving skills and speed far exceeded Hughes' expectations.
The red car weaved left and right like a slippery loach, completely untouchable.
This was only natural—on the way here, Ankh had fully charged the car with Magic Power.
Edolas Natsu was now ecstatic; he could finally drive recklessly without any restraint!
The two Lucys felt their hearts leap into their throats as roller coasters continuously crashed all around them.
Just then, another dense swarm of dark shadows descended from the sky, pressing toward them.
"It's the Aerial Legion Squad," Edolas Lucy said gravely, watching the overwhelming swarm of giant magical beasts flying toward them.
"You two... go help Gildarts and the others... urgh... I'll handle this... urgh... sissy." Earthland Natsu, his face completely green and barely able to stand, stumbled out of the car, speaking weakly.
Edolas Lucy couldn't help but worry. "Can you handle this alone? He took you down in one move earlier, you know."
As soon as she spoke, Earthland Lucy immediately patted her shoulder and smiled confidently.
"Don't worry, leave it to Natsu. He hasn't even gotten serious yet."
The speeding car came to a halt, and Natsu tumbled out, rolling and stumbling across the ground.
Edolas Lucy, Earthland Lucy, and Edolas Natsu immediately drove off to support the others.
"Oh, did they abandon you?" Hughes waved his baton arrogantly, sneering. "Or do they think you alone can deal with me?"
"Shut up." Natsu stood up.
His expression had turned incredibly dark, like magma brewing beneath a volcano, ready to unleash its destructive power at any moment.
Seeing Natsu's unnervingly calm expression, Hughes' heart skipped a beat.
Clenching his teeth, he retorted, "Stop trying to look so tough!"
"Hell Coaster!"
Behind Natsu, another roller coaster thundered down the tracks, plunging toward him with enough force to shatter him into pieces.
A triumphant smirk spread across Hughes' face. "You pretentious Earthland Mages, no one can escape the control of my Command Baton Magic!"
A sudden roar erupted from behind.
Natsu's eyes instantly sharpened as the temperature around him skyrocketed, thick flames coiling around his fist.
Boom—!
Without even turning his head, Natsu threw a brutal backhand punch behind him.
Flames that felt hot enough to scorch the earth burst from his fist, instantly reducing the roller coaster to ashes and melted fragments.
A small mushroom cloud rose into the air as Natsu stared coldly at Hughes.
His fearsome face still bore the faint, glowing traces of Dragon Scales.
Hughes' earlier smile vanished abruptly.
His vision was now tinted orange-red from the blinding flames, and the Mage who had just unleashed this astonishing power was staring at him like a raging dragon eyeing its prey.
Despite the intense heat radiating off the boy, Hughes felt a terrified chill run through his entire body.
"After I deal with you, our two Fairy Tail guilds still have a gathering to attend." Natsu casually shook off the excess flames from his hand, his control over his Dragon Force mode becoming increasingly proficient.
Natsu felt he could easily handle Hughes without using this mode, but even he had his limits after being tormented by transportation so many times in a row.
He wanted to finish this fast.
Placing his arm, which was now covered in dark red Dragon Scales, before his mouth, he curled it into a cylinder.
Natsu unleashed a massive torrent of all-consuming flames.
"Say goodbye to your roller coaster!"