Riyao carried the guild members he found back to the guild courtyard one by one, as if he were hauling sacks, tossing them onto the grass before brushing the dust off his hands.
He decided not to heal them for the time being, lest they run out again, step into traps, and get themselves wiped out.
Levy lifted the restrictions of the Runes and ran out of the guild. She adjusted the glasses on the bridge of her nose, placed her hands on her hips, and instructed them with a serious expression.
"Listen up, Natsu and Gajeel, you two need to move separately. Do not let yourselves be trapped by Freed's Runes and forced to fight each other, understand?"
Natsu and Gajeel exchanged a glance, snorted at each other in mutual disdain, acknowledged her, and ran off in different directions.
Makarov had also intended to go out, but his short figure had only taken one step past the gate.
"Stop right there!"
An aged yet vigorous voice came from outside the gate. Porlyusica strode in, leaning on a broom, her silver hair fluttering in the wind, her eyes wide as copper bells.
Seeing Makarov completely unscathed, she didn't say a word before raising her broom and swinging it at his head.
"You old bastard! You're old enough to know better, yet you still want to go out and fight with children! How many lightning bolts do you think those old bones of yours can withstand?!"
Makarov scurried away, clutching his head, his small body dodging and weaving around the courtyard. The broom whistled behind him, every strike grazing his scalp.
"Stop hitting me! Stop hitting me! Have some mercy on me!"
He shouted as he ran, his white beard blown into a chaotic mess by the wind.
Riyao carried back the last batch of injured guild members and squatted in the corner of the courtyard to watch the commotion, his hands cupping his chin, eyes squinted into slits from laughter.
"Hahahaha... Grandma Porlyusica, don't let the old man off the hook; he's always gossiping about you!"
As Porlyusica chased Makarov past Riyao, her peripheral vision caught his mop of green hair and the pair of winding dragon horns on his head. Her footsteps faltered, and she immediately redirected the broom.
"And you, you brat!"
Porlyusica was furious and swung the broom at Riyao's head.
"What kind of mess is this you've dyed?! Do you think that ugly green looks good? And you're wearing two horns—who do you think you are?!"
Riyao dodged the broom sideways and took off running, getting chased all over the courtyard alongside Makarov.
"This isn't dyed!"
Riyao defended himself while running.
"This is the Azure Dragon form of Life Mimicry. Isn't it cool?!"
Porlyusica wouldn't listen at all, swinging the broom with such force it whistled through the air. The old woman and the young man caused chaos throughout the courtyard.
Seeing the broom about to land on his head again, Riyao quickly lunged out of the courtyard gate and ran outside, waving back.
"I'll come back to heal them later. Bye-bye!"
The guild members lying in the courtyard stared resentfully at Riyao's retreating back, their eyes clearly saying, "We don't want him to heal us."
They wailed one after another, "Grandma Porlyusica, please save us!"
"We don't want to be ruined by Riyao!"
"He's a devil! Last time he healed me, he drew a turtle on my face!"
Porlyusica turned around, slammed the broom onto the ground, and gave each of them a whack with it.
"Scram! You stinking humans!"
The guild members then remembered that Grandma Porlyusica hated humans. They shed tears of sorrow, feeling even more desperate.
...
Battle erupted at the church in the center of Magnolia.
Mystogan vs. Laxus.
Mystogan was wrapped in a thick cloak, his staff waving to create layers of magic circles, activating various elemental magic items one after another.
Laxus was enveloped in lightning, using his brute strength and physique to tank all the attacks while simultaneously launching his own assault on Mystogan.
The two fought back and forth, surprisingly evenly matched.
Mystogan had no source of magic power, yet he could fight Laxus to this extent relying solely on magic items. If he had a source of magic power, he would be unstoppable.
Well, his counterpart, Jellal, did indeed fly to the sky every day using Heavenly Body Magic, and now half of his soul had truly ascended to heaven.
The commotion of the battle between Mystogan and Laxus was too great, attracting Natsu and Erza.
Seizing a gap while Mystogan swung his staff, Laxus fired a bolt of lightning precisely at his face.
The mask shattered, fragments scattering to reveal a face identical to Jellal's.
Erza and Natsu widened their eyes simultaneously, their mouths agape enough to fit a fist.
Erza's mind was buzzing, various thoughts flashing through it rapidly. She subconsciously gripped the sword in her hand, her voice trembling slightly.
"Jellal?!"
She even suspected if this was another Thought Projection of Jellal; after all, that man had pulled too many tricks.
Natsu, however, wrinkled his nose and sniffed the air hard. The scent was similar to Jellal's, but different.
"No, it's not Jellal. The scent is different."
Natsu shook his head, his tone certain.
Mystogan tugged at his cloak, wrapping the shattered mask fragments around his face, leaving only a pair of weary eyes exposed. His voice was low and calm.
"I am not the Jellal you know."
Having said that, he turned and hurriedly left, his figure disappearing into the shadows outside the church.
The main purpose of his return this time wasn't to fight Laxus, but to replenish his potions. He hadn't expected to run into this.
Erza took over the battle. A magic circle lit up beneath her feet, and she activated her Requip Magic, a white light flashing.
She donned the Lightning Empress Armor, wielding the Lightning Empress Spear, with pale purple lightning patterns flowing across the surface of the armor.
Laxus glanced at her armor, snorted coldly, and wore a look of disdain on his face.
"Lightning Empress Armor? What's the use of that thing? So what if you can block my attacks? You can't win, and that's that."
Erza gripped the Lightning Empress Spear, aiming the tip at Laxus. She poured her magic power into it, and a beam of lightning shot out from the spearhead, heading straight for Laxus's face.
"The Lightning Empress Armor doesn't just resist lightning."
Laxus stood still, letting the lightning beam strike him, the electricity crackling around his body.
He opened his mouth and inhaled, devouring all the lightning as if he were drinking water. He licked his lips and let out a burp.
Natsu's eyes widened, and he even forgot to maintain the flames on his fists.
"You're a Dragon Slayer too?!"
Laxus spread his arms, lightning dancing wildly across his body as he laughed arrogantly.
"Hahahaha! I am a Lightning Dragon Slayer! But unlike you, who was taught by some dragon, I am a second-generation Dragon Slayer with a Lightning magic crystal implanted!"
He patted his chest, his tone arrogant.
"Unlike you guys who were raised by dragons, my power was bestowed by science!"
Erza gritted her teeth. The Lightning Empress Armor could only resist electricity; wearing other armors wouldn't protect against electric shocks, and metal armor would conduct electricity.
She had too few options now, especially since she had consumed quite a bit of magic power fighting Freed earlier.
She took a deep breath and made an immediate decision.
"Natsu, I'll leave this place to you. I'm going to take care of the Thunder Palace!"
Natsu clenched his fists and brought them together, flames erupting from between his fingers. His fists ignited with blazing fire, and he grinned, revealing his row of sharp teeth.
へ(゜∇,°)へ
"Oh! Leave it to me!"