"Go, Gray! Knock him down!"
As the fellow apprentices Lyon and Gray fought, Happy cheered for Gray from the side, his shouts echoing through the cold cavern.
Happy's small body was huddled tightly behind Marco's broad back.
With this solid "wall," he naturally didn't have to worry about being caught in the crossfire.
Across from them, Sherry, Yuka, and Toby stood stiffly with tense expressions, their eyes filled with hesitation and fear.
Happy blinked his round eyes, certain that no one would target a cat, so he could cheer loudly for his comrade.
"Boom!"
"Crack, crack, crack!"
In the center of the battlefield, the battle between the fellow apprentices Lyon and Gray was raging.
Every violent collision between their Ice-Make Magic was accompanied by deafening roars and piercing cracks of ice.
Countless fine ice crystals swirled and collided within the vortex of their churning magic power.
A bone-chilling cold surged outward, rapidly spreading to cover every inch of the cavern.
An increasingly thick layer of white frost condensed on the stone walls, and even the air grew thick and frigid, every breath producing a visible white mist.
If Marco hadn't moved the behemoth Deliora away beforehand to clear out this relatively open combat space, the already limited cavern would likely not have been able to withstand the full power of two Ice-Make Mages.
Ice-Make Magic had a considerable ability to alter the terrain.
Not long after the battle began, the ground was already covered in a smooth, transparent floor of ice.
Reflected by the ice crystals on the walls, the entire cavern shimmered with a cold, blue light.
This environment was like solid ground for Gray and Lyon, but for everyone else—be it Natsu, Lucy, or Sherry, Yuka, and Toby on the other side—it posed a significant challenge.
"Hey! Aren't you three going to join in?!"
Looking at the man, woman, and "dog" across from him, Natsu roared.
The flames on his body suddenly flared, orange-red tongues of fire greedily licking at the cold air with crackling pops.
Watching Gray and Lyon fight had Natsu as agitated as a volcano on the verge of eruption!
The scorching heatwave directly dispersed the cold mist around him; he could barely hold himself back.
However, the man, woman, and "dog"—Sherry, Yuka, and Toby—only exchanged uneasy glances, their feet seemingly frozen to the spot.
None of them showed any intention of stepping forward, their faces etched with hesitation and retreat.
Sherry's fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her short skirt, Toby's dog ears twitched nervously, and although Yuka tried to maintain a serious posture with his hands behind his back, his eyes darted about.
The trio's reaction made Natsu's eyes widen.
Were these people really so honorable?
Did they have to fight one by one, insisting on finishing one-on-one duels?
Were they willing to just stare at each other until then?
Marco had, of course, noticed their strange reaction long ago.
His gaze fell upon the three, all of whom were quite distinctive.
The girl had long pink hair, blue eyes, and pink-toned lipstick.
She was a fair-skinned beauty, dressed sexily in a short black dress and black over-the-knee high-heeled leather boots, with two white feathers on the back of her outfit.
The boy had blue hair swept back like a Saiyan's.
He stood with his hands behind his back in a green training uniform, with thick eyebrows and a serious expression, looking like a master.
As for the "dog," he only looked like..... a dog.
His situation was probably similar to Erza's companion, Millianna the "cat girl."
He had dog ears and a dog-like face, but he was human.
"Let me think, these three seem to be Mages from Lamia Scale?" Marco quickly managed to identified the trio.
All three were Mages from Lamia Scale, and the "blue-haired master" among them was even somewhat famous, known as "Wave" Yuka.
"Eh? Why are Mages from Lamia Scale here? Did they take the quest too? No, wait, aren't they with Lyon?! What in the world is going on?!"
Hearing Marco's words, Lucy was completely dumbfounded.
Could it be that the people from Lamia Scale were the ones pulling the strings behind this Lyon?!
What kind of bizarre development was this?!
"..."
Upon hearing the name "Lamia Scale," Sherry, Yuka, and Toby all stiffened.
They exchanged quick glances, seeing the thick, inescapable panic and despair in each other's eyes.
They had never imagined that this matter would attract the attention of a Mage of Marco's caliber.
Why would a powerhouse of his level appear here?
Their business shouldn't have gotten out, right? Why would a cursed place like Galuna Island warrant Marco's presence?!
"I, for one, think they came here on their own."
Looking at Sherry, Yuka, and Toby, a knowing smile touched the corner of Marco's lips.
His gaze was like a torch, easily piercing through the guilt they couldn't hide beneath their forced composure.
With such a timid display, how could they have been sent by Lamia Scale? It was obvious they were here on private business, not an official Lamia Scale matter.
"Damn it! Why would you do something like this?!"
Natsu glared at Sherry, Yuka, and Toby, questioning them loudly.
They were Mages from a well-known official Magic Guild, so why would they try to unseal Deliora?
That was a demon!
A demon burdened with countless sins!
"Is this Lyon guy a Lamia Scale Mage too?"
Flying beside Marco, Happy asked in confusion.
None of them had expected to end up fighting another official Magic Guild while on a quest.
"No! Lyon is not a Lamia Scale Mage!"
This time, Sherry, Yuka, and Toby shouted almost in unison, their voices sharp with urgency.
The three of them spoke over each other, explaining rapidly, desperate to draw a clear line between Lyon and Lamia Scale.
They didn't want this incident to have any connection to their guild.
Their affection for their guild was obvious.
They knew full well that with Marco's prestige and power, if he determined that Lamia Scale was involved, it would bring unimaginable trouble to the guild.
The mere thought of such consequences sent a chill down their spines, making them feel they would be letting down everyone in the guild, especially their Guild Master, Obaba Babasama!
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