The One-of-a-Kind Photo

Gray unleashed his magic!

One used ice, the other water.

Both were the type to clash head-on with magic.

This was unlike the battle between Natsu and Gajeel.

It looked highly entertaining, with special effects flying everywhere.

Click, click.

Ifrit dodged the aftershocks of their magic while snapping pictures to his heart's content.

That move looks cool, Gray. When did he learn that?

Wow, Juvia has way too many tricks up her sleeve. Gray's going to be blessed in the future.

Holy crap, boiling water! Better stay far away!

Gray's physical toughness isn't much worse than Natsu's. He can take that head-on?

Ah. As expected, while I really admire this kind of powerful magic that causes actual damage, both Natsu's and Gray's fights have that terrifying feeling of looking incredibly painful.

Ifrit mused to himself.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Juvia and Gray had initially been evenly matched, but Gray was a stamina monster who could fight Natsu all afternoon.

Juvia gradually began to run out of strength.

Seeing that she was about to lose, she drew upon more than half her remaining magic power for one final attempt.

She cast a spell, blasting out a terrifying pillar of scalding water.

Gray increased his magic output as well and actually froze the boiling water solid!

"This ends now!"

While freezing the boiling water, Gray charged toward Juvia and pressed one hand against her body.

Crack, crack, crack.

Juvia could not evade in time. The instant Gray's magic touched her, she was frozen in ice.

Tsk, tsk.

Gray, you sure know where to grab.

Ifrit found a good angle and captured the scene.

Apparently, Gray had been so engrossed in the battle that, without noticing, he had planted his hand right on Juvia's enormous mound of soft flesh.

"Ah—" Juvia made a strange sound. It was not quite a scream, more embarrassment than anything.

"Sorry!" Gray hurriedly pulled back his hand and awkwardly came up with an excuse. "The rain was too heavy, so I couldn't see clearly. What awful weather."

"Ha ha." Gray gave an awkward laugh.

Who would have thought that this would completely break Juvia?

Rain. Awful.

She recalled her childhood—

Wherever she went, it rained, and people hated her because of it.

"So you're that kind of person too?!" Juvia said furiously. "Gray, I was wrong about you!"

Juvia unleashed the last of her magic power!

"Anyway, I'm the rain woman everyone hates—the rain woman nobody likes!"

"Ah!!!"

Juvia transformed into a torrent of water and lunged at Gray with overwhelming magic power.

Danger!

Gray's pupils contracted. The magic contained in that attack was outrageous. She was going all out—he could not hold back either!

"Freeze for me!"

"Ice Spring!"

Gray released his magic power at full force.

All the rainwater across the sky froze!

Boom!

A massive pillar of ice shot up from below, instantly sealing Juvia in ice!

It was over.

Having exhausted her magic power, Juvia could no longer fight.

Crack.

The ice shattered, and Juvia fell from high in the air.

I lost.

Juvia gazed at the sky.

Like rain, I'll fall to the ground and shatter into pieces.

For a rain woman everyone always hated, that is the most fitting ending.

Goodbye, everyone. The rain woman you hate is going to die...

Juvia resigned herself and closed her eyes.

Smack.

A sharp pain shot through her wrist.

Juvia's body swung, and she felt someone grab her hand.

She quickly opened her eyes. The boy above stared at her with a serious expression.

Gray shouted, "Don't move! I'll pull you up!"

With that, Gray suddenly exerted himself and pulled Juvia back.

With her stamina depleted and magic power exhausted, Juvia could only lie on the ground.

Why did he save someone like me?

Juvia looked at Gray's battered body, unable to understand.

"Oh, it cleared up." Gray raised a hand to shield his eyes from the sun and looked toward the rainbow on the horizon.

"That's a blue sky? And those colorful things are rainbows?" Juvia said in shock, and tears immediately began streaming from her eyes.

It's so beautiful.

The clear sky.

"Huh? Is this your first time seeing one?" Gray froze for a moment, then smiled as he analyzed the situation. "Maybe your magic power was so strong that it affected the weather. Now that you've used it all up, it naturally cleared up. In the end, it's because your magic control isn't good enough."

"For someone as strong as you, it really is difficult to use up all your magic power."

"That's why you've never seen scenery like this before."

Juvia stared blankly—

Beneath the blue sky, the sunlight made the battle-worn and soaked Gray incredibly attractive. On top of that, the beautiful rainbow decorated the backdrop of the blue sky.

"Ah—"

Juvia felt her heartbeat racing beyond control.

"Juvia has been captured!"

After saying that, exhaustion and overwhelming excitement caused her to faint on the spot.

"Hey, hey, are you okay?!" Gray jumped in fright. After checking that she was still breathing and had a heartbeat, he finally sighed in relief.

"What a strange woman. She's beautiful, but she seems like she'd be a lot of trouble."

"Ah, anyway, she really was strong. Even I had a hard time handling her."

"I'll rest for a bit."

Gray sat down where he was.

Click.

Ifrit took the final photograph.

Boom!

Suddenly, a golden figure fell from above and crashed into the ground not far behind him.

Crackle, crackle. Fine currents of electricity crackled.

Laxus climbed out of the crater in a sorry state and saw Ifrit's half-smiling expression.

His face darkened. Just as he was about to force himself up, his body swayed, and he hurriedly braced himself against a pillar.

"Laxus!"

"And... Ifrit?"

Gray spotted the two of them.

Ifrit's smile vanished, because danger was about to descend.

Darkness spread outward from the building at the top floor.

This was Jose's magic power. Judging from its fluctuations, he was extremely angry.

"Gray, go find Natsu. When I need help, I'll call for you," Ifrit's voice sounded beside Gray's ear.

"Okay." Gray did not waste words. He picked up the unconscious Juvia and quickly fled the scene.

"Laxus, how are you?" Ifrit asked.

"Hmph." Laxus gave a proud snort, took a deep breath, and adjusted his condition.

"Let's work together, Laxus," Ifrit said.

"No need." Laxus lifted his chin.

"Is that so?" Ifrit pulled out a card and said, "Gildarts has been out of contact for nearly three years. I really wonder who would be stronger now—you or him."

"Of course it's me!" Laxus declared confidently.

Ifrit rubbed his fingers together, and the card turned into a photograph.

"That's great. Then it looks like this photo—of Laxus challenging Gildarts in a secret place one afternoon three years ago, only to get beaten black and blue—will become a one-of-a-kind legendary scene."

"Come to think of it, Laxus, you didn't return to the guild or go home for an entire month afterward, did you?"

Ifrit revealed a sinister smile.

"Ifrit!" Laxus glared viciously at Ifrit, baring his teeth with a ferocious expression, as though he wanted to transform into an evil dragon and devour him.