The exciting battle the audience had been expecting never materialized.
The moment the gong sounded, Future Laxus found himself in a completely disadvantageous position.
Alexei hadn't even moved a step, yet he had already beaten Laxus black and blue, drawing cries of pain from him.
"Oh! The battle seems to be one-sided! Laxus is no match for Alexei?!" Chapati exclaimed in surprise.
"What exactly is going on here?"
"Is Raven Tail's Alexei really this strong?"
Yajima and Lahar were equally baffled.
If even they reacted this way, it was no surprise that Future Natsu and the other Fairy Tail members were stunned.
Everyone stared at the arena in disbelief, unable to accept that the monster known as Future Laxus was being dominated like this.
Aside from Chase, he was the strongest member across both participating teams!
The three Thunder God Tribe members were especially emotional, shouting encouragement to Laxus.
Fairy Tail Team B.
"How could this be..."
"It can't be... Laxus can't even beat that masked bastard?!"
Juvia and Gajeel broke out in cold sweats, and Future Cana was instantly sobered up.
Even Mira was stunned, instinctively covering her mouth.
"Don't worry. He's just a despicable coward who loves playing petty tricks."
Chase leaned against the stone railing, his deep gaze fixed on Future Laxus, who was being pummeled on the field.
As Makarov's biological son, having spent over a decade in the shadows, Ivan did have some skill after all.
At least the Phantom Magic he was using was quite advanced, reaching a level of authenticity that even Mavis—who specialized in similar arts—couldn't see through!
"Wait, Chase—what do you mean by 'petty tricks'?" Future Cana asked.
Gajeel and Juvia also looked at him with confused expressions.
Seeing Chase so calm, Mira, who had been filled with worry, instantly felt at ease.
Chase didn't keep them in suspense. He said calmly, "Everything we're seeing right now—including Ivan sitting across from us and the Raven Tail members in the stands—is all the product of Phantom Magic."
It was somewhat similar to Mest's Memory Manipulation Magic. As long as the person affected realized the "truth," this type of illusion would immediately dissipate.
So in his perspective, Future Laxus was currently facing off against Ivan—who had removed his mask—and the other four Raven Tail members, discussing "Lumen Histoire"—Fairy Tail's greatest secret.
That was the true purpose behind Ivan's participation in the Grand Magic Games!
Unfortunately for him, Future Laxus knew nothing about it.
"Phantom Magic? Why would Alexei go to such lengths?"
Gajeel was the first to catch the key detail. "Wait—you said 'Ivan'... does that mean—"
Though he seemed to be constantly bickering and fighting with Natsu in the guild, he was sharp enough to be sent by Makarov as a "double agent."
"That's right. Now that you've realized the truth, take another look at the field," Chase said with a smile.
Following his gesture, Mira and the others all saw the real scene.
"So the Master already knows about all the shady things Raven Tail has been doing behind the scenes."
"The reason he hasn't acted is that they haven't harmed Fairy Tail in these seven years."
Future Laxus sighed softly, recalling the conversation he had with Future Makarov shortly after returning from Tenrou Island. He looked up at the frantic Ivan across from him and said, "He still believes in you as his son."
Those two words seemed to strike a nerve. Ivan's expression twisted in fury.
"Never harmed Fairy Tail? Heh—the weaklings you left behind were never going to find out!"
"Since you won't cooperate, don't blame me, your own father, for being ruthless and forcing the truth out of you!!"
SWISH, SWISH, SWISH.
Ivan unleashed his magic, sending a swarm of humanoid paper figures hurtling forward.
Behind him, Flare and the other three smirked coldly, launching their own attacks at Future Laxus.
A five-on-one battle erupted instantly!
"No! We need to tell the Master what's really happening!" Future Cana said urgently.
"That bastard Ivan—always pulling such dirty tricks!"
Gajeel was even more direct. Without a word, he vaulted over the railing, ready to jump into the arena and support Future Laxus.
The next second, Chase yanked him back, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Don't bother with useless moves. Even if they all gang up on him, they're still no match for Laxus."
Chase looked toward Fairy Tail's stands and said gravely, "Besides—the old man has already figured it out."
Whether it was because he sensed Ivan's familiar magical signature or simply because he trusted Future Laxus, Makarov now wore a serious expression. He raised the Fairy Tail hand sign toward the arena.
Future Laxus immediately understood. With no further reservations, he unleashed his full Lightning Dragon Slayer magic.
It could hardly even be called a battle. In just a few breaths, Raven Tail's four members had fallen one after another.
Ivan was shocked—he hadn't expected things to turn out this way. After barely taking two hits, he was sent flying by Future Laxus's punch!
Golden lightning shattered the darkness cast by Phantom Magic, revealing the true scene to everyone.
On Raven Tail's stands, the illusory Ivan and his teammates vanished.
The audience immediately erupted in murmurs.
"Oh! Wh-What is this?!"
Looking at the Raven Tail master and members sprawled across the arena floor, Chapati quickly caught on: "Could it be that Laxus was fighting Raven Tail's entire team just now?!"
"And Alexei's true identity is actually Master Ivan!"
"This clearly violates the rules on every level," Yajima said gravely.
As the referee for the battle round, Pumpkin Head set aside his shock at Laxus's one-versus-five feat and quickly stepped forward to restore order.
The facts were clear. After a brief investigation, the guards took the severely injured Ivan and his team away, and Raven Tail was immediately disqualified from the Grand Magic Games!
Naturally, Future Laxus won the match and earned 10 points.
But as he returned to the competitor area, he didn't look happy. His expression was heavy.
Ivan's parting words—"Someday you'll understand the true nature of Fairy Tail"—left him deeply unsettled.
What was the thing that bastard father of his had been willing to sink into darkness for?
Lumen Histoire...
What exactly was it?
***
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