Lucy: Can You Leave This One to Me?
The atmosphere inside the Oración Seis's temporary stronghold was somewhat oppressive.
Angel had just fled back in a disheveled state, and in front of her stood their leader, Brain, and two other companions.
A man obsessed with money, Hoteye, and a boy Midnight Anye who always keeps his eyes closed, as if in a deep sleep.
Suddenly, Brain, who was sitting upright, trembled slightly, and the two mysterious black lines on his body disappeared silently.
"It seems that Cobra and Racer have been defeated." He opened his eyes and said calmly.
"So fast?!" Angel exclaimed.
"It must have been that guy named Jiang Bai who did it!"
"Oh! Money! Money can make people powerful!"
Hoteye, standing to the side, had his eyes shining and twisted his body into a peculiar posture.
"That man named Jiang Bai must be incredibly rich! Money!"
Angel glanced at him dismissively. "If that's the case, then go and fight him."
"You know, his bounty on the black market has always been the highest. If you win, all that money is yours."
"I like money," Hoteye said, twisting her body even more exaggeratedly.
"But I don't want to be a slave to money; I won't do something so thankless and exhausting."
Just then, Midnight, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them and said in a lazy yet authoritative tone, "Alright, leave that man to me."
Brain raised his hand to stop their argument. "All of you go together. Make sure you buy me some more time. The seal on 'Nirvana' is just one step away from being completely broken."
"Yes!"
On the other side, at the other end of the forest, Natsu was excitedly beating up one dark guild minion after another.
"Damn it! Why are they all such weaklings? Where are those Oración Seis?"
While freezing several charging enemies, Gray said, "They've probably all been taken care of by Jiang Bai."
"It could also be Mr. Jura," Lyon added from the side, having just used ice to create several giant eagles to defeat the enemy.
Just then, Erza and Lucy arrived from behind.
"Wow! I feel like I've improved a lot too!"
Lucy delivered a "Lucy Kick" that sent an enemy flying, and said smugly with her hands on her hips,
"This kind of situation is easy to handle, lucky!"
"We can't always let Jiang Bai bear all the pressure alone,"
As Erza spoke, she quickly changed into a new set of armor.
"We must get rid of these scum as soon as possible!"
"I already said, Mr. Jura could be one too!" Lyon shouted, almost in a frenzy.
"Don't you Fairy Tail ever listen to people?!"
"Yosh! Watch me! I'll take them all down in one go!"
Natsu ignored Lyon's complaints, took a deep breath, and ignited his hands with raging flames.
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Crimson Lotus Exploding Flame Blade!"
"ICE MAKE! Lance!"
"Requip! Heaven's Wheel Armor! Heavenly Wheel: Blazing Sword!"
"Open! The Gate of Leo! Leo!"
Seeing his companions unleash their ultimate moves, Lyon sighed and also assumed a fighting stance, "I... never mind, ICE MAKE! Coiled Dragon!"
As several powerful spells erupted simultaneously, dazzling light engulfed the entire battlefield.
Those members of the Dark Guild who were still putting up a last-ditch resistance were wiped out in an instant before they could even utter a scream.
At this time, the three members of the Blue Pegasus Trio were still fighting on another battlefield.
"Done!" Natsu dusted off his hands.
However, before they could even catch their breath, three figures appeared before them silently, like ghosts.
It was the remaining three Oración Seis: Angel, Hoteye, and the boy who had kept his eyes closed, Midnight.
"Oh? Have all the small fry been cleaned up?" Angel looked at them, covering her mouth and chuckling softly.
"Perfect, it saves us the trouble of doing it ourselves."
Erza stepped forward, pointing her sword at the boy who looked the most dangerous. "Are you their leader?"
"No," Midnight said without even opening his eyes, his voice barely audible, as if in a dream.
"I'm just here to defeat you."
"Isn't Jiang Bai here? Never mind, let's deal with you guys first!"
He had barely finished speaking when he appeared in front of Erza in an instant, delivering a karate chop straight to her neck.
Erza reacted extremely quickly, immediately raising her sword to parry.
However, the hand strike strangely distorted space, bypassing her sword and striking her armor directly.
"Clang!"
With a crisp sound, Erza's Heaven's Wheel Armor was cracked by the blow, and she was forced back by the force.
"So powerful!" Erza's heart skipped a beat, and her expression became extremely solemn.
"Erza, leave this opponent to me!" Natsu saw this and immediately rushed forward.
"Your opponent is me, Money!"
Hoteye stood in front of Natsu, and beneath his feet, the earth seemed to come alive, transforming into a giant fist that slammed towards Natsu.
"ICE MAKE! Eagle!"
"ICE MAKE! Tiger!"
Gray and Lyon attacked simultaneously, the two enormous ice beasts flanking from both sides, smashing the earth fist to pieces.
"Oh? Two ice-type mages?" Hoteye looked at them, his eyes gleaming with a fanatical thirst for money.
"Defeating you will surely bring in a lot of money!"
Gray and Lyon exchanged a glance, then silently took turns flanking and engaged in combat with Hoteye.
The battlefield was divided, leaving only Natsu, Lucy, and Angel, the mage who toyed with the Celestial Spirits.
"Alright, Fire Dragon," Angel looked at Natsu with disdain.
Let me keep you company for a while.
Just as Natsu was about to accept the challenge, a hand gently tugged at the hem of his clothes.
Natsu...
He turned around and saw an unprecedented determination in Lucy's eyes.
"Can you leave this person to me?" Lucy's voice trembled slightly, but her tone left no room for argument.
"She must be the one Jiang Bai was talking about, the one who treated Celestial Spirit as a slave and a tool... I absolutely cannot forgive her!"
Natsu looked into the flames in Lucy's eyes, a fire he had never seen before, the anger and resolve of Celestial Spirit Mage.
He paused for a moment, then grinned, revealing a wide smile.
"Oh, Lucy, keep it up!"