Child of Fortune

The cracks in the dragon-man stone statue grew increasingly dense, fine stone chips fell down in a rustling sound, and a green light continuously gushed out from the cracks.

Click.

The stone statue shattered from the inside, scattering fragments everywhere. Riyao stepped out from the rubble, blinked, stretched his stiff neck, and made a few crisp sounds.

"Being a stone statue feels pretty good, like taking a nap."

Makarov peeked out from behind the bar, looking over with delight, his mustache bristling with excitement.

"Riyao! How come you weren't completely petrified?!"

Riyao tilted his head, touched his chin, thought for a moment, and spoke casually.

"It must be my Life Magic and Azure Dragon Form that reduced most of the petrification. After all, my Life Magic can eliminate curses, and even a passive, permanent state can negate them. Plus, the Dragon Force can also negate curses. Curses and I are naturally at odds."

Makarov slapped his thigh and gave the order urgently.

"Then hurry up and undo their petrification!"

Riyao nodded, first stretching his muscles and bones, twisting his waist, rotating his wrists, and then snapping his fingers.

A flash of emerald green light, and the cheongsam she wore vanished in a stream of light, replaced by a loose white shirt and dark shorts.

His appearance was restored in the light; his soft lines became strong again, his jawline sharpened, and he returned to being that handsome man.

He walked to the center of the stage, and a bright green magic circle appeared beneath his feet. The magic circle expanded rapidly, and ripples of life force spread outward, covering the entire stage.

Cracks appeared on the stone statues, and a green light shone through the cracks, as if they had been infused with new life.

With a flash of light, the stone statue shattered completely, the fragments turning into specks of light and dissipating into the air.

One by one, the girls were freed from petrification, their bodies regaining softness and warmth.

Mirajane looked down and touched her arms and sides to make sure she was back to normal. She blinked, looking bewildered.

"Oh my god, what happened? They were just performing on stage, how could this suddenly..."

Riyao trotted over, naturally put his arm around Mirajane's waist, rested his chin on her shoulder, and grinned.

Mirajane was startled by his warmth, then smiled and leaned into his arms.

Makarov cleared his throat and explained to them everything Laxus had done from beginning to end.

From Evergreen's Petrifying Eye Laxus's hostage threat, from the rules of the Battle of Fairy Tail to the three-hour time limit, he became increasingly angry as he spoke, his beard trembling like a leaf.

Laxus, far atop the church, saw the announcement that "12 people remain" as the spell was cast. His face darkened, and with a flick of his finger, lightning danced at his fingertip.

He activated the Thunder Palace.

Golden lightning glass beads shot into the sky from the church spire, and countless lightning glass beads tumbled and gathered in the sky above Magnolia, surrounding Magnolia.

Laxus's voice traveled through Magnolia with the lightning, echoing on every wall of the guild hall.

"Now that the petrification has been lifted, I will use the entire population of Magnolia as hostages."

"The old man should know something about the Thunder Palace, haha..."

Makarov's face turned deathly pale instantly, and a sharp pain shot through his chest.

He clutched his chest with one hand, and with the other hand, he shakily pulled a small medicine bottle from his pocket, unscrewed the cap, poured out two vitamin C tablets, and swallowed them dry. Only then did he feel much better.

He raised his head, his cloudy old eyes burning with anger, his voice hoarse yet resolute.

"Riyao, Mirajane, Erza, go stop that bastard!"

Mirajane was playing with the dragon tail behind Riyao that hadn't yet retracted, his fingers gently stroking along the patterns on the scales, causing Riyao's tail to sway involuntarily.

Erza had changed back into her armor, her expression serious, her brow furrowed.

Riyao flicked its tail and replied casually, "Alright."

He was actually planning something else.

While he was dozing inside the statue, he suddenly remembered that Erza's eyes were now her natural eyes, not prosthetics, so she couldn't close them to fight against Evergreen's Petrifying Eyes.

That's why I hurriedly broke free from petrification.

Mirajane reluctantly released Riyao's dragon tail, ran her fingertips across the scales one last time, turned and walked toward the gate, her unique demonic aura slowly rising.

I'll go loosen the bark for them.

Erza changed back into her armor and gripped the hilt of her sword tightly.

"This is not a joke, you guys need to be serious."

Riyao clapped his hands and waved to Makarov.

"Let's go, old man."

People came out in droves, their footsteps echoing in the hall.

Riyao walked out of the guild gate and onto the street, his gaze swept over the guild members lying on the ground. Some were still unconscious, some were groaning while clutching their wounds, and others were trapped in place by spells and unable to move.

The buildings on both sides of the street were also destroyed, and the walls were covered with scorch marks and cracks left by magic.

I wonder how much the old man will have to lose this time.

A Magnolia resident who was passing by saw Riyao and waved enthusiastically.

"Riyao Bro, what's your guild up to this time? Fighting everywhere, making a complete mess."

Riyao responded with a smile, his tone as relaxed as if he were chatting casually.

"A rebellious kid and his friends gave everyone a surprise. Don't worry, it'll be over soon."

To avoid being trapped in a spell and forced to fight each other, the group split up and headed in different directions.

Mirajane walked briskly along the street, but stopped when she saw the petrified Elfman.

His brother remained in the punching stance, his face still bearing an angry expression, his entire body transformed into a gray-white stone statue.

Mirajane clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking, his entire body surging with magical power, and the surrounding air began to distort.

She searched the neighborhood and soon found Evergreen.

Evergreen made no attempt to hide, swaggering to the center of the square with her hands on her hips and chin held high, exuding an air of arrogance.

As she saw Mirajane approaching, a mocking smile curled at the corner of her lips, displaying extreme arrogance.

"I am the most beautiful fairy in the guild, Mirajane, you are a thing of the past."

Mirajane stopped in her tracks, her magical power surging to its peak, her long silver hair flying wildly in the wind, her Full Body Take Over: Satan Soul.

Dark magic surged from her body, her silver hair danced wildly, her white dress was Darkness Devour and replaced by a purple bodysuit, bat wings unfurled behind her, and her eyes burned with fury.

She walked step by step toward Evergreen, her voice playful.

"Evergreen! You look much older than me. Riyao said you look older."

In the distance, Riyao sensed Mirajane's raging magic and paused slightly, silently lighting incense for Evergreen Grin in his heart.

The three Thunder God Tribe didn't actually intend to kill any guild members; they were just bluffing. After all, they were all partners in the same guild, and even if they were crazy, they wouldn't actually kill anyone.

The problem is Laxus, who has been indoctrinated with wrong ideas by Ivan; over the years, they have maintained some correspondence.

Laxus already harbored resentment towards Makarov for expelling Ivan.

At first, Riyao tried to persuade him with his fists several times, but that stubborn mule wouldn't listen at all.

As Riyao walked, he thought to himself, "Should I rewrite the script?"

Dragon Slayer Dragon Slayer Dragon Slayer Lacrima can also unleash Dragon Force, with a high minimum potential and an maximum potential depending on the quality of the Dragon Slayer Lacrima and the individual's talent.

Complete dragonification is probably impossible. Laxus's ability to unleash Dragon Force at his age is a testament to his exceptional talent. Damn the fourth generation of the Demon Lord.

If anyone knew what Riyao was thinking, they'd probably curse him, "You bastard, don't you even know your own worth?"

Just as Riyao was thinking, he suddenly sensed the clash between Erza's magic and Freed's magic in the distance. The two magics collided and stirred up waves.

Lucy also ran out and faced off against Bickslow, who was known for holding back.

Riyao's lips twitched. Lucy, this chosen one of destiny, was terrifyingly powerful, always managing to precisely match the most suitable opponent.

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