Precision Deployment and Hellish Punishment

In his mind, Jiang Bai had already made clear arrangements for the "Grimoire Heart" group.

Hmm, let me think about it.

The leader of the Seven Kin of Purgatory, that Ultear, is Ur's daughter and Gray's senior sister.

It's best to leave this complicated and tangled relationship to Gray to handle himself.

That pink-haired Meredy, has a good relationship with Ultear and is quite strong.

One person might not be able to handle it, so let Juvia and Mirajane work together. It'll be a good opportunity for Mirajane to stretch his muscles.

Zancrow, the fire-wielding afro-haired mage, is a God Slayer. His flames are a great tonic for Natsu.

This "power bank" must be left for Natsu.

However, Lucy alone couldn't defeat the fat Kain, Hikaru, who used puppets to manipulate magic.

Alright, let Natsu and Lucy take care of that fat guy together first.

As for Zancrow, let him stand there as punishment for a while.

Jiang Bai's gaze seemed to pierce through the barriers of space, landing on Zancrow, who was preparing to show off his skills on the other side of the island.

He casually pointed in that direction and made a dot in the air.

"Certainly."

A single, light word escaped Jiang Bai's lips.

Several kilometers away, Zancrow's body suddenly stiffened, as if a pause button had been pressed, remaining frozen in his attack posture.

His eyes were filled with endless terror and horror, yet he couldn't move even a single finger.

Jiang Bai continued to calculate.

Azuma, who can control giant trees, looks pretty good; he'd be a perfect sparring partner for Erza.

Rustyrose, who uses "Arc of Embodiment," has rather flashy magic; let Laxus and his Thunder God Tribe show them what absolute power truly is.

As for Zoldeo, who is possessing Capricorn Celestial Spirit Caprico, it's best to leave him to Loke. Outsiders shouldn't interfere in battles between Celestial Spirits.

Perfect!

Jiang Bai mentally gave himself a thumbs up.

Plans in place!

Meanwhile, in various corners of Tenrou Island, a series of bizarre scenes of "people turning into living beings" are unfolding.

Azuma, who was just about to kill Wendy, Mest, and the others, suddenly felt a blur before his eyes, and the scenery around him changed instantly.

When he came to his senses again, he found himself in a completely unfamiliar dense forest.

Before him stood a red-haired woman clad in armor, her eyes sharp as knives, silently watching him.

Erza.

"Who are you?" Azuma's face was filled with vigilance.

Just then, a voice suddenly rang in Erza's mind.

"Erza, this one is in your hands!"

It's Jiang Bai's voice!

Erza's eyes instantly became incredibly determined.

Onboard the "Grimoire Heart" spaceship.

Ultear stood on the bridge, overlooking the entire Tenrou Island.

Suddenly, the space around her distorted.

The next moment, she appeared somewhere on the island, and then a black-haired young man with a naked upper body and cold eyes appeared in front of her.

Gray Fullpasta.

"Ur? How is that possible?"

Gray stared blankly at the face that was both familiar and unfamiliar before him.

A fleeting hint of panic crossed Ultear's face.

Jiang Bai's voice, like a devil's whisper, also echoed in Gray's mind.

"Want to become stronger? Then defeat the enemy before you. Those who fail will face the guild's harshest punishment!"

The battlefield was precisely divided into several sections.

Rustyrose found himself suddenly facing a man crackling with golden lightning, whose eyes were even more arrogant than his own, and behind him stood three men who looked like menacing "Thunder God Tribe."

Zoldeo was astonished to find that Loke, the Leo Celestial Spirit, had somehow appeared before him, a cold smile on his face, his hand flashing with the "Regulus."

Meredy was the same; suddenly, two figures, one in blue and one in white, appeared in front of her— Juvia and Mirajane.

The members of "Grimoire Heart" were all thrown into a brief state of confusion and shock at the same time.

They couldn't understand why they had suddenly been transferred here.

No, to be precise, it's that they don't believe anyone can make them completely defenseless against them.

On the other side.

Natsu, Happy, and Lucy appeared at the same time in an open space.

Opposite them, a short, stout man dressed in comical clothes, holding a doll called "Mr. Ushi no Koku Mairi," was staring at them with a bewildered expression.

Kain Shikaru.

"Natsu Happy?"

Lucy looked at her companion who had suddenly appeared beside her, her face also full of questions.

"How... how did we suddenly end up here?"

Before Natsu could answer, Jiang Bai's cold yet oppressive voice exploded in the minds of the three of them.

Want to become stronger? Then defeat the enemy before you!

"Those who fail will face the guild's harshest punishment!"

Punish?

Lucy paused for a moment, then instinctively asked, "Hey, Natsu, um... what's the punishment?"

She had only asked the question casually.

But when she saw Natsu and Happy's expressions, an ominous premonition instantly welled up in her heart.

Just moments before, Natsu had been full of fighting spirit, but upon hearing the word "punishment," the color drained from his face in an instant, leaving it as white as paper.

His eyes, which usually burned with fire, were now filled with unprecedented fear, and his body was even trembling slightly uncontrollably.

The Happy next to him was even more exaggerated.

The little blue cat had its eyes wide open and its mouth agape, as if it had seen the most terrifying thing in the world.

The little wings on his back were so frightened that they froze in mid-air, forgetting even to flap.

It was a kind of extreme terror, as if one's soul had been ripped out!

Lucy felt a chill run down her spine when she saw their ghostly expressions.

What kind of punishment could possibly scare Natsu, who's usually fearless, to this extent?!

"Happy... Lucy..."

Natsu took a deep breath and, in an unprecedentedly serious, almost tragic tone, addressed the two:

"We... absolutely! absolutely cannot lose!!"

"Ai!!"

Happy also came to his senses and, with all his might, loudly echoed, his voice even carrying a hint of a sob.

"We'll risk Lucy's entire future! We'll win!"

"Huh?! Why would you gamble away the rest of my life?!"

Lucy's complaints echoed throughout the jungle.