Chapter 22: The Battle for Fairy Tail Begins
Hearing the word "festival," Natsu cheerfully charges at Laxus, his face lit up with excitement. But in the blink of an eye, Laxus defeats him with a single attack, sending Natsu crashing to the floor.
Laxus grinned smugly, his voice echoing through the guild hall. "We're holding a contest to see who is the strongest. The entire city will be our battlefield. You have three hours to settle this. After that, the statues of the petrified girls will turn to dust."
With that ominous proclamation, he and his Thunder God Tribe guards left, leaving the guild in stunned silence. The tension in the air was palpable as the reality of the situation sank in.
I stood there, contemplating my next move. Should I act immediately? I knew where Laxus was likely heading, but the danger of deviating from the known path was high. As I pondered, the guild members started to rush out, eager to confront Laxus and his group.
However, Master Makarov found himself trapped by Fried's runes, which prohibited anyone eighty years old and above, as well as stone statues, from leaving. Gray approached the master, frustration evident in his voice. "Can't you use your Magic to leave?"
Makarov shook his head solemnly. "The runes are absolute. Only the caster can remove them."
Gray clenched his fists. "I have to go. I won't forgive Laxus, even if he is your grandson."
As Gray left, Makarov turned to me, his eyes filled with hope. "Jade, I believe you can defeat Laxus. After all, you weren't Phantom Lord's ace for nothing."
I nodded, determination coursing through me. "Defeating Laxus isn't the problem. The issue is navigating through Fried's enchantments and possibly confronting other guild members along the way. There's no way to avoid it."
Our conversation was interrupted by Reedus' sudden appearance. He looked frightened. "I was afraid of fighting Laxus, so I hid."
Makarov reassured him gently. "It's alright. Go see if Porlyusica has a potion to reverse the petrification."
Just then, Natsu started to stir. Makarov, realizing Natsu might be able to help, explained the situation. "The battle has begun, Natsu. Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe are out in the city."
Natsu attempted to head out, only to find himself unable to leave. "What the—?!" he exclaimed, eyes wide in surprise.
"It's Fried's runes," I muttered, familiar with the enchantments from the anime. Meanwhile, Jet, Droy, and Alzack were trying to find Laxus when they became trapped inside one of Fried's rune traps. The runes declared that only the winner could escape.
Back in the guild, Fried's runes informed Makarov, Natsu, Happy, and me that the battle between the three Mages had begun, with Alzack emerging victorious.
I realized time was running out. "Master Makarov, I'm going. I'll find Laxus and stop this."
"Be careful, Jade," Makarov urged, his voice filled with concern.
I nodded, sprinting out of the guild. The streets of Magnolia were eerily quiet, a stark contrast to the usual bustling atmosphere. I moved cautiously, aware of the potential traps laid by Fried. Sure enough, I encountered several rune traps, each more challenging than the last.
At one point, I found myself ensnared in a trap that required solving a complex magical puzzle. Sweat dripped down my forehead as I concentrated, finally managing to break free. As I continued, I could hear distant sounds of battles, the clash of Magic echoing through the city.
Suddenly, I turned a corner and came face to face with Evergreen. She stood there, a confident smirk on her lips, her eyes glinting with anticipation.
"Well, well, if it isn't Jade," Evergreen sneered. "I was hoping I'd run into you."
I readied myself, determination flaring within me. "You're going to regret challenging me, Evergreen."
The tension between us crackled like electricity as we prepared to face off, the stakes higher than ever.
I stood my ground, facing Evergreen as she smirked confidently. Her eyes glinted with malicious intent, but I was ready. The air around us crackled with tension as we prepared for our battle.
Evergreen's eyes began to glow ominously. "Stone Eyes!" she declared, her gaze locking onto mine. I quickly averted my eyes, knowing the consequences of meeting her stare directly. Instead, I focused on her movements, preparing my counterattack.
"Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun!" Evergreen shouted, waving her arms. A torrent of energy needles made from concentrated dust flew toward me. I responded swiftly, creating a dome of light around myself. The needles bounced harmlessly off my barrier, scattering into the air.
"You're going to have to do better than that," I taunted, stepping forward. I raised my hand, summoning multiple light orbs. "Light Ball Barrage!" I launched a hundred light orbs at Evergreen, who quickly conjured her fairy wings to evade the attack.
She took to the sky, her wings glistening as she dodged my projectiles with ease. "Fairy Bomb: Gremlin!" she cried out, surrounding me with dust particles that ignited into a powerful explosion. The blast engulfed me, but I reappeared behind her in a flash of light, completely unharmed.
"You forget, Evergreen," I said calmly, "I can move at the speed of light." I created several clones of myself, each one wielding a sword of light. "Let's see you handle this."
Evergreen's eyes widened as my clones and I charged at her from all directions. She swung her arms wildly, trying to fend us off with another torrent of energy needles. But it was futile. My clones disappeared upon impact, only to reappear and continue the assault.
"Celestial Slash!" I shouted, channeling the pure energy of the stars into my blade. My sword glowed brightly, cutting through Evergreen's defenses with ease. She tried to block the attack, but the sheer power of the Celestial Slash overwhelmed her, sending her crashing to the ground.
She struggled to her feet, bruised and battered. "You're strong, I'll give you that," she admitted, her voice tinged with desperation. "But I won't go down that easily."
I watched as she summoned more of her explosive dust, intending to create another powerful blast. But I was already moving, my body turning into pure light. I zipped around her, avoiding every attack effortlessly.
"It's over, Evergreen," I said, my voice echoing around her. "You can't touch me." I reformed in front of her, my sword of light glowing intensely. "Celestial Slash!" I struck again, this time with all my might. The sheer force of the attack shattered her remaining defenses, and she fell to the ground, defeated.
Evergreen lay there, unable to move. I stood over her, my expression calm but resolute. "You're no match for me," I said firmly. "And you never will be."
She groaned, her fairy wings flickering out of existence. "How...?" she muttered, barely conscious.
I knelt down, looking her in the eye. "You underestimated me," I replied simply. "And that was your biggest mistake."
With Evergreen defeated, I turned to head back to the guild. The battle wasn't over yet. As I walked away, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. The battle had been easy, but it was a reminder of why I was a part of Fairy Tail.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone