Everyone Arrives

"Wait until you can defeat me now before you talk about helping me improve."

Jiang Bai's casual remark was like a bucket of boiling oil, completely igniting the flames of "anger" in Jiang Bai Warren's heart.

As you wish!

Warren gave a low shout, holding nothing back any longer.

His aura surged once more, and he abandoned his powerful, sweeping punches, instead employing more cunning and deadly fighting techniques.

The two instantly engaged in a fierce battle.

Fist, foot, elbow, knee...

Every part of the body has been transformed into the most lethal weapon.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The dull thuds of bodies colliding echoed rapidly through the hall, almost too fast to count.

Apart from the powerful Erza Knightwalker, everyone else present could no longer see the two figures' movements clearly. They could only see two blurry black shadows constantly intersecting, colliding, separating, and colliding again in front of the throne.

It can only be said that Jiang Bai Warren truly deserves to be called the pinnacle of combat power in this world.

Relying solely on pure fighting skills, even with Jiang Bai deliberately suppressing his own strength to be lower than his opponent's, he was unable to defeat Warren for the time being.

In fact, in several head-on exchanges of punches, Warren was able to use his slight advantage in strength to force Jiang Bai back slightly.

But Warren felt no joy whatsoever.

On the contrary, the more he fought, the more alarmed he became, and the more powerless he felt from the depths of his soul.

You have to understand, Jiang Bai has now restricted his strength to a level even weaker than himself!

Even so, despite using all my skills, I still couldn't defeat him!

The other party is like an insurmountable mountain. No matter how hard you try to climb, the other party always seems to be higher, looking down at you with a nonchalant gaze.

This feeling drove him almost insane.

"Drink!"

After another fierce exchange, Warren seized an opening, roared, and gathered all his strength into his right fist, slamming it hard towards Jiang Bai's face.

Jiang Bai did the same thing.

Neither of them dodged, letting the other's fist hurtle towards them.

"Bang--!"

A loud bang.

Two identical fists, yet each containing different forces, collided solidly.

A terrifying gust of wind suddenly spread outwards from the two people, causing everyone present to flutter their clothes.

Under this enormous recoil force, Jiang Bai and Warren slid backward several meters at the same time, finally widening the distance between them.

A brief standoff.

"How's Warren?"

Erza Knightwalker rushed forward and grabbed Warren's arm with a worried expression.

Warren slowly lowered his slightly trembling right fist, the knuckles already bright red.

He shook his head, indicating that he was fine.

Then, he raised his head and looked at his own reflection with an unprecedentedly solemn expression. The reflection opposite him remained relaxed, as if he had just done a warm-up exercise.

"I'm fine."

Warren's voice was a little hoarse. He took a deep breath and spoke slowly, word by word.

"But it seems... this time we're really in big trouble."

This statement is tantamount to acknowledging Jiang Bai's power.

And it was at this moment.

"Boom--!"

The two heavy, ornate, carved doors of the throne room were violently blasted open from the outside.

Amidst a flurry of wood chips and dust, a familiar yet powerful voice resounded throughout the entire hall.

"Jiang Bai! We're here to help you!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

Several figures slowly emerged from the smoke and dust at the entrance.

The one leading the group was a boy with short, cherry-blossom-colored hair and a dragon-scale scarf around his neck.

It's Natsu!

Behind him, Gray, Erza Scarlett, Wendy, and Gajeel walked in in a line, looking menacing.

"Fairy Tail, here to pay a visit!"

Erza Scarlet, clad in her signature Heart Kreuz Armor and wielding a longsword, fixed her lightning-fast gaze directly on Erza Knightwalker before the throne.

Erza from both worlds locked eyes, and a fierce spark seemed to ignite in the air.

With the arrival of Natsu and the others, the tense atmosphere in the throne room was instantly replaced by a familiar, noisy style known as "Fairy Tail".

Seeing Erza from Earth-land lead everyone in, Erza Knightwalker's expression changed.

She immediately understood that the "one of my kind" Jiang Bai had just mentioned was actually herself from another world!

This realization stirred up a complex mix of emotions within her.

"Oh!!"

Natsu, without any hesitation, pointed at Jiang Bai Warren and shouted in surprise.

"Happy, look! He really looks exactly like Jiang Bai!"

"Hey!" Happy flew onto Natsu's head, put his hands on his hips, and said in a matter-of-fact tone,

"However, their strength is definitely no match for our Jiang Bai!"

Gray crossed his arms, surveyed the situation, frowned, and muttered, "But... Jiang Bai still hasn't taken him down? What's he dawdling about?"

Erza of Earth-land was already extremely anxious after learning from Natsu that most of her guildmates were still trapped inside the Magic Crystal.

Seeing Jiang Bai still having the leisure to "spar" with another version of himself, looking completely relaxed, her anger flared up instantly.

This guy is playing tricks again!

Enraged, the Titania charged forward in one swift motion.

To everyone's astonishment, especially Erza Knightwalker's, as she made a bold move.

Erza went straight behind Jiang Bai, stretched out her right hand, grabbed the soft flesh of his waist, and twisted it hard!

"Jiang Bai!"

Her voice was filled with barely suppressed anger.

"Everyone's safety is still hanging in the balance. What are you doing here instead of making the most of the time?!"

"Hiss--"

Even with Jiang Bai's constitution, he still felt a slight stinging pain from being hit like that.

Of course, there's more hemp.

He turned around and looked at Erza, who was glaring at him angrily. Instead of feeling embarrassed about being scolded, he showed a helpless smile.

Erza, don't rush.

He raised his hands in surrender before slowly explaining, "My Mental Magic has been monitoring the entire capital all along."

"And here's the real key. As long as we completely destroy the palace and then reverse and destroy that thing called 'Anima,' everyone will return to normal and safely return to our own world."

Hearing this explanation, Erza loosened her grip on his waist slightly, but not completely, clearly indicating a stronger warning.

Meanwhile, Erza Knightwalker stared blankly at the scene, completely stunned.

She looked at herself in that other world and, in an intimate manner she had never imagined—a manner that was both coquettish and reproachful—"taught Jiang Bai a lesson."

The powerful and unfathomable Jiang Bai did not resist at all; instead, he smiled indulgently and explained.

It was a tacit understanding that needed no words.

It's a natural and spontaneous intimacy.

Thinking back to himself and Jiang Bai Warren, aside from missions and orders, there was almost no private communication between them, and there was always a barrier called "superior-subordinate".

An indescribable mix of envy and bitterness welled up in Knightwalker's heart.

Looking at the two so intimately connected, she blurted out almost instinctively.

"What... is your relationship?"

This question silenced everyone present.

Jiang Bai turned his head and looked at the Fairy Hunter looked exactly like his Erza, but whose temperament was even more sharp and cold.

He smiled.

To everyone's astonishment, Jiang Bai not only didn't push Erza away, but instead turned around and hugged Erza Scarlett tightly in his arms.

Then, he lowered his head and, in Erza's slightly widened, crimson eyes filled with astonishment, gently kissed her red lips.

After doing all this, he raised his head and, with a matter-of-fact yet slightly boastful tone, raised an eyebrow at Knightwalker.

Can't you tell?