Ifrit tossed out another card, which transformed into a curved strip—
Cat Tail.
Makarov and Wakaba could not bear to watch any longer.
"Shall we go?" Makarov said.
"Let's go." Wakaba turned and left.
Rescue Gray?
Defeat Ifrit?
What a joke!
How could they be sure Ifrit was really there again?!
Even if Ifrit appeared before them, the Ifrit Gray saw would not be the Ifrit they saw!
And was the Ifrit they saw really Ifrit?!
Someone had tried to take the chance to attack Ifrit just now, only to end up pole-dancing again.
Right in front of everyone.
Being humiliated once was enough!
Besides!
Hadn't everyone been embarrassed this time?!
Thinking of it that way was somewhat comforting.
So—
Makarov and Wakaba decisively tore off their clothes and turned to leave!
"Huff, huff, huff—"
Gray panted, his stamina starting to fail.
He had finally grasped the firing pattern of Ifrit's new pistol!
Its rate of fire!
He could get close!
Gray continuously dodged the bullets as he gradually approached Ifrit, his magic ready to be unleashed.
Once he was close enough—once he was certain Ifrit would not have enough time to evade—
Gray struck!
"I love Natsu the most!" Those were the tattooed words fired by that bullet.
"Ice-Make: Great Hammer Soldier!"
Gray took the bullet head-on and cast his magic, figuring he could just wrap himself in bandages afterward and pretend to be injured.
A massive hammer smashed down toward Ifrit.
Boom!
The ground cracked under the blow.
The illusion before him vanished.
"Hm?" Gray sensed something wrong. Looking down, he nearly fainted on the spot.
"IFRIT!!!!"
Gray's furious roar was loud enough for Makarov and Wakaba, who had already run far away, to hear.
Neither of them took pleasure in his misfortune, because they recalled that they