Gray darted quickly through the streets of Magnolia, his gaze scanning his surroundings incessantly as he searched for traces of Evergreen.
However, he did not encounter Evergreen; instead, he ran into Bickslow.
That massive figure blocked the center of the street, with several totem-shaped dolls floating behind him, a flamboyant grin plastered on his face.
The two began to battle. Although Bickslow looked like he was all brawn and no brain, he was unexpectedly clever.
He wasn't just wandering aimlessly through the streets; instead, he had chosen a crowded clothing store to lie in wait, just for prey to come to him.
Gray was forced into the clothing store by five puppets, knocking over clothing racks and mannequins in the process.
He pivoted, deliberately luring the five puppets to surround him. The moment they closed in, he leaped up sharply, dodging the five simultaneous strikes and flipping his body in the air.
He brought his hands together to concentrate his magic, and an ice-blue magic circle unfolded in his palms.
"Ice-Make: Hammer!"
A colossal ice hammer descended from the sky, slamming down with bone-chilling cold, smashing the five puppets to pieces. Fragments scattered everywhere, and ice shards littered the floor.
Amidst the swirling dust, Bickslow poked his head out from behind the second-floor railing, revealing a grin so exaggerated it was distorted, his eyes squinted into slits.
"To think you wiped out all my babies; it seems I'm going to lose."
Gray kept his hands in his pockets, his gaze fixed vigilantly on the dust, not daring to relax for a second.
"Then you should just surrender obediently!"
Before his voice had even faded, several green beams of light suddenly shot out from the dust, moving at incredible speed.
Gray dodged sideways, the beams grazing his cheek and burning several charred holes into the wall behind him.
Bickslow stood up from behind the railing, his massive frame blocking the entire window, hands on his hips as he laughed loudly.
"My magic is Possession Magic; as long as there are dolls, my babies can keep fighting! Hahaha!"
Gray froze for a moment, then the corners of his mouth curled up, revealing a confident smile.
"Is that so? Then I thank you for the reminder!"
He clapped his hands together, his magic power surging instantly. The magic circle beneath his feet expanded rapidly, and cold air poured out like a tidal wave.
"Ice-Make: Geyser!"
The ground instantly shattered, and an ice-blue fountain erupted from the cracks, the bone-chilling cold sweeping through the entire clothing store.
The five puppets, having just had their medium changed, didn't even have time to move before they were completely frozen by the geyser, from their feet to their heads. Even their expressions were sealed within the ice, unable to move an inch.
Bickslow watched his babies get frozen into ice sculptures, the smile on his face freezing for half a second.
The next second, he turned and ran without hesitation, his massive body surprisingly fast. He crashed through the back door of the clothing store, waving his hand and shouting as he ran.
"I'm not playing with you anymore~ Bye-bye!"
Gray watched the rapidly retreating figure, veins throbbing on his forehead in anger, and took off in pursuit.
"You stop right there! Don't you run!"
However, Bickslow had already turned into an alleyway and vanished without a trace.
...
In the distance, Alzack dragged his injured body, stumbling along the ruin-like streets. Every step tugged at his wounds, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat.
He turned a street corner and ran straight into Freed.
Freed was leaning against a pillar, his slender fingers toying with the stray hairs on his forehead, his expression as indifferent as if he were looking at an ant.
Alzack gritted his teeth and glared at him angrily.
"Why? Why make everyone in the guild fight each other?"
Freed didn't even lift an eyelid; his voice was airy, as if he were commenting on the nice weather.
"If Lord Laxus wants it, I will do it."
Alzack knew there was no point in saying more. With lightning speed, he drew the revolver from his waist, aimed at Freed, infused magic into the bullet, and pulled the trigger.
However, Freed was faster.
His figure had already vanished from the spot the moment Alzack fired. The next second, he appeared beside Alzack, his thin sword thrusting out like a viper, though the tip did not pierce the flesh.
Instead, it carved a glowing mark onto Alzack's chest, and the patterns of the Runes spread instantly.
Alzack only felt as if his chest were being crushed by a giant boulder, the air sucked out of his lungs, and a sense of suffocation washed over him like a tide.
He opened his mouth wide, desperately trying to inhale, but he couldn't draw in a single breath. His legs went weak, and he collapsed straight onto the ground, his consciousness sinking into darkness.
...
In the flower shop, Evergreen nimbly dodged Elfman's punch, turned around, and activated her Stone Eyes.
The black cloth on Elfman's face was pulled off, and his body had already begun to stiffen.
His outstretched fist remained frozen in mid-air forever, an expression of anger still on his face.
Too little combat experience.
Or rather, the Thunder God Tribe had too much combat experience; all three were adept at using their own magic to maximize their strengths and cover their weaknesses, never giving their opponents any chance to exploit them.
...
In the guild hall, a rustling sound suddenly came from behind the bar, accompanied by the clinking of metal.
Natsu, Happy, and Makarov all turned their heads in unison, curious about who else remained in the guild.
A hand slowly reached out from behind the bar, with five iron-Gray fingers and sharp protrusions at the joints.
Gajeel slowly poked his head out from behind the bar, chewing on the guild's silver cutlery, a trace of silver shavings hanging from the corner of his mouth, making a crunching sound.
Happy's wings stiffened, and he flew over to swat at Gajeel's head, complaining.
"Hey! Cutlery is for eating food, not for being eaten!"
Gajeel gulped down the cutlery in his mouth, licked his lips, and revealed an arrogant grin.
"I understand the situation now, and it just so happens I want to test the mettle of that stuck-up guy."
Makarov's eyes lit up, his small body nearly jumping off the ground, a look of pleasant surprise on his face.
Gajeel is an Iron Dragon Slayer; his strength is not weak, perhaps he really could trade blows with Laxus!
"Go quickly! Gajeel!"
Gajeel strode toward the door, iron scales emerging all over his body, looking aggressive.
Bang!
Gajeel slammed into what felt like an iron wall; his scale-covered face pressed against the invisible barrier, his features distorted from the pressure.
Beside Natsu's face, which was also pressed against the wall, they looked just like two squashed pancakes.
Natsu turned his head to look at him.
"Are you eighty years old too?!"
Happy flew back and forth between the two.
"Or are you a stone statue?!"
Gajeel pushed forward desperately, his face distorted, the friction between his iron scales and the invisible wall creating a harsh screeching sound, but he didn't budge an inch.
"How would I know?!"
At this moment, the Runes above the door frame flickered again, and lines of battle reports appeared:
"Gray vs. Bickslow, Bickslow wins."
"Elfman vs. Evergreen, Evergreen wins."
"Alzack vs. Freed, Freed wins."
"Currently 2 remaining."
Makarov covered his face with his hands, a sense of hopeless despair leaking through his fingers, his voice hoarse.
"So now there are only you two left?!"
Happy drooped his ears and wings, floating sadly in the air, muttering to himself.
Orz
"Don't I count as a combat unit?"
The Runes flickered again:
"Currently 3 remaining."
Natsu suddenly lifted his head, his face pressed against the wall becoming even more distorted, and shouted in surprise: "How is there one more person?"
Everyone turned their heads and looked around; the stone statues on the platform hadn't changed, and there were no new figures in the hall.
Makarov squinted his eyes, his clouded old eyes suddenly brightening, and he clapped his hands in sudden realization.
"There is no one left in the arena, so anyone entering from outside will be counted! It can only be him, Mystogan!"
Natsu and Gajeel exchanged a look, hope igniting in their eyes.
However, just as they were too excited to pay attention to the platform, a crack quietly appeared on one of the nine stone statues on the platform.
"Currently 4 remaining."