The Mii Armor, specially crafted by Kira, granted its wearer enhanced close-combat abilities. Whether it was attack power, speed, or defense, it significantly boosted Mirajane's fighting prowess, giving her physical capabilities nearly on par with her Satan Soul transformation.
Punches, kicks, slams, and strikes…
Even Natsu and Gray, who were skilled in close-quarters combat, had been pushed back by this onslaught in the past. So what chance did Juvia, who relied almost entirely on her magic, have?
Retreat? Mirajane would catch up in an instant.
Fight head-on? Juvia couldn't possibly overpower Mirajane, who, in her Mii Armor, had regained her full combat strength.
As a result, Juvia could only watch helplessly as her watery body was repeatedly shattered, reformed, and shattered again, until…
"Oh no! Juvia's magic power…"
When in close contact, the Mii Armor suppressed a mage's magic to some extent. Prolonged exposure would even drain their magic power, feeding it into the armor as an energy source.
Whether it was the strain of maintaining her water-based elemental form, the gradual depletion of her magic by the armor, or the sheer exhaustion from close combat with Mirajane, Juvia could no longer keep fighting.
Boom!
"I got her!" Mirajane cheered.
'Her relentless attacks must've made it impossible for Juvia to sustain her elemental magic,' Mirajane thought.
'Oh no, Juvia's magic power can't maintain her elemental body anymore…'
A steady stream of unstable but potent magic power flowed into the Mii Armor, activating a special technique Kira had designed for close-range combat. Sensing the surge, Mirajane clenched her left hand into a fist and swung with all her might: "Demon's Left Arm!!!"
'Oh no!'
Juvia couldn't react in time and took the full force of the blow, the immense power sending her flying.
"Aaahhh!!"
When Lucy arrived, she saw Juvia unconscious on the ground and Mirajane, having shed her armor, sitting exhausted nearby.
"The rain… stopped?"
The storm cleared, and warm sunlight bathed Mirajane's face, her glistening tears reflecting a captivating glow.
'I did it! I finally have the strength to protect my friends… Thank you, Kira!'
Though tears streamed down her face, Lucy could clearly sense Mirajane's joy.
"Lucy, I'm so glad you're okay…"
Lucy ran over and hugged Mirajane, tears welling up as she said, "Mirajane, thank you!!"
"Come on, Lucy, let's head back!"
"Yeah!"
---
Guild Showdown: Fairy Tail vs. Phantom Lord
Location: Near Fairy Tail Guild
Combatants: Mirajane vs. Juvia
Victor: Mirajane
---
Meanwhile, at Phantom Lord's headquarters, Jose was growing impatient, waiting for news that never came. "Why haven't Sol and Juvia brought the target back yet?! Has something gone wrong?"
With no updates, Jose's anxiety spiked. "Looks like I'll have to go myself and bring back the target!"
---
At Phantom Lord's branch, Kira accompanied Makarov to confront Jose Porla… or rather, his thought projection.
"Jose! Are you ready to die?" Makarov roared, his veins bulging with rage. Despite his small stature, the energy radiating from him was undeniable. As the seventh-ranked Wizard Saint, his title alone spoke volumes of his power.
But the opponent he faced was no less formidable—a fellow Wizard Saint.
Jose lounged in an ornate chair, unfazed by Makarov's fury. "Makarov… it's been a while! The last time we met was six years ago at the council meeting. We had a few drinks and things got… messy."
Makarov wasn't here for pleasantries. His anger boiled over, and all he wanted was to pummel Jose for attacking his guild—his family.
"Jose, I'm not here to catch up!" Makarov cut him off. "Answer me! Are you prepared for the consequences of starting a war with Fairy Tail?!"
Jose let out a manic laugh. "Hahaha! Of course, Makarov, I've been ready to settle the score with you! But… not right now."
"Hm?" Makarov's eyes narrowed, sensing something off. "A thought projection?"
"Jose!" he bellowed. "Where are you?!"
"Where am I?" Jose's projection smirked, calm and taunting. "Why don't you take a guess, Makarov? I've drawn all of you here, so where do you think I am? And what's my goal?"
The thought projection's cryptic words were meant to stall, to provoke Makarov's already frayed nerves. Jose's plan was to distract him, keeping his focus on the projection while Aria prepared to strike from behind.
It worked. Even the usually cautious Makarov was thrown off by Jose's taunts. Though furious, he wasn't foolish—he began to ponder Jose's true intentions.
Jose stepped closer, unafraid as a thought projection. His gaze fell on Kira. He'd heard of the so-called "Sage," but dismissed him as overrated, no stronger than Erza, the "Fairy Queen." To Jose, Kira posed no threat to his plans.
"So this is the genius you bragged about back then?" Jose sneered. "Not bad, I suppose. His reputation's been making waves, to the point I'm sick of hearing about him."
Kira stared at the smug face inches from his own, itching to punch it, but a thought projection was untouchable. So, he fell back on his specialty: pre-battle trash talk.
"If you're tired of hearing my name, why don't you just cut your ears off?" Kira shot back, refusing to back down. Retreating would mean losing the psychological edge, and he wasn't about to let that happen.
He didn't close his eyes either—he had to stay alert in case Makarov was ambushed. If this were someone like Mirajane, Erza, or even Irene—someone beautiful and strong enough to overpower me—I'd probably just kiss them to shut them up, Kira mused. A thought projection would still freak out! But this old, ugly guy? No way, not even if I were dead.
So, Kira opted for the next best strategy: pretend Jose wasn't even there.
"By the way," Kira continued, "I ran into your guild's Gajeel at the council. He mentioned Phantom Lord was planning to attack Fairy Tail. That true?"
'What?' Jose's mind raced. Gajeel never told me anything like that! Something that important, and he kept it from me?
"I told him to pass a message to you," Kira added. "Did he?"
Jose paused for two seconds before asking, "What message?"
"Oh, don't worry, it wasn't anything nice," Kira said with a grin.
Jose: "…"
"But since you're asking so politely, I'll let you in on it," Kira continued. "I told him to tell you to write your surrender note in advance, so you don't run out of time."
Jose's face twisted with rage. "You little brat, how dare you mock me?!"
"Looks like you didn't write it, huh?" Kira looked at him with mock pity. "If you can't read or write, come work at my shop. I'll teach you for free."
Kira's taunting eased Makarov's anger slightly, cooling his head. But Jose, on the other hand, lost his composure, laughing hysterically. "Hahaha! You little punk! Just wait—I'll kill you myself!"
"You should worry about yourself first," Kira retorted.
"Makarov!" Jose turned his back to Kira, stepping between him and Makarov. "Didn't you ask where I am?"
"Finally ready to talk?"
"I'll let you in on it," Jose said smugly. "Phantom Lord received a job—to bring back one of your guild's mages."
"Who?" Makarov demanded.
"Miss Lucy, of the Heartfilia family!"
Makarov's face darkened. "You dare target my family?!"
"What's that, Makarov?" Jose's arrogance grew. "You declared war first, didn't you? We're already enemies!"
"To ensure success, I've sent two S-Class mages ahead. With your guild's main forces tied up here, no one's left to protect your family, Makarov!"
"You bastard!!!"
Makarov's roar signaled his rationality slipping. Seeing this, Jose's face lit up with a cunning grin. 'Now!'
Aria appeared behind Makarov in an instant.
'Oh no!' Makarov's anger had dulled his senses, leaving him unaware of the enemy closing in.
"Airspace: Extinguish!"