All the moisture had evaporated in that instant!
"Th-this is his power?"
Gray stared helplessly at the figure standing in the middle of the sea of flames, a profound sense of powerlessness rising within him.
Just then, a large hand grabbed him by the collar.
"What are you staring at? Want to end up roasted alive?!"
Gildarts was drenched in sweat, his face red from the heat.
He lifted Gray as easily as a chick, shielding several civilians who had just escaped with his other hand as he roared:
"Run! Get away from that monster!"
The group scrambled away, running several hundred meters before ducking behind a grove of trees. Only then did they dare stop and catch their breath.
Even from that far away, the waves of heat washing over them were suffocating.
Many had suffered varying degrees of swelling and burns on their skin, and were groaning in pain.
Gray slumped to the ground, panting heavily.
Suddenly, his scalp felt hot, and he caught the smell of something burning.
"Hm?"
Gray instinctively reached up to touch his hair.
The moment he did, his face turned deathly pale.
Fire!
His hair was actually on fire!
"Waaah! I'm on fire! My head's on fire!"
Gray was terrified out of his wits. He frantically slapped at his head, then rolled wildly on the ground.
Seeing this, Gildarts quickly scooped up some dirt and dumped it over Gray's head. He finally managed to put out the flames.
Gray shakily got to his feet and reached up to touch his head.
His once-handsome black hair had turned to ashes.
In its place was a smooth, dark...
Bald head.
"My... my hair..."
Gray ran a hand over his smooth scalp, nearly in tears.
That hairstyle had been what he was proudest of!
Meanwhile, at the center of the battlefield.
Lu Chongwei stood amid the pillars of fire, Ryujin Jakka in his hand radiating a light too dazzling to look at directly.
He was like a god who ruled over flames, gazing coldly at everything before him.
The three Gidokens had completely broken down.
Their sturdy magical defenses were as fragile as paper before these extreme flames.
"Eek—!!!"
One Gidoken tried to flap its wings and flee.
Lu Chongwei's gaze shifted.
"Flash Step."
His figure vanished into thin air.
The next second, he appeared in midair, directly in front of the Gidoken.
He made no fancy moves.
He simply swung his sword.
"Nadeshiko."
A visible slash of flame swept across the sky.
The enormous Gidoken didn't even have time to scream before flames engulfed its massive body.
There was no spray of flesh and blood.
Only ashes drifted down in a shower, scattering into the lava.
The two remaining Gidokens watched their companion die in an instant and were terrified out of their wits.
They gave up trying to attack and fled in opposite directions.
"Too slow."
Lu Chongwei shook his head, the red light in his eyes growing brighter.
He slowly raised his long sword, pointed its tip downward, and plunged it into the lava flowing beneath his feet.
"Inferno Hell."
Rumble—!!!
The earth began to shake violently.
Then—
Dozens of pillars of fire shot up without warning, reaching from the ground to the sky!
Like bars of a cage, they instantly enclosed the entire area, stretching hundreds of meters in every direction.
The two fleeing Gidokens slammed right into the rising pillars of fire.
"Boom!"
Flames instantly engulfed them.
This time, not even ashes remained.
As if they had never existed, they vaporized in the terrifying heat and disappeared without a trace.
At last, the world fell quiet.
Only the sound of flowing lava and crackling flames remained.
Lu Chongwei let out a long breath.
At the command of his thoughts, the flames began to rapidly recede, finally drawing back into the blade.
"Phew..."
A wave of intense dizziness washed over Lu Chongwei. He stumbled, nearly falling.
Feeling the magic power in his body completely drained, he gave a wry smile.
"Shikai is terrifyingly powerful, but the cost is just as outrageous."
Less than a minute of Shikai, along with two techniques, had completely drained his magic power.
"Looks like until my magic reserves increase, I'll have to save this move for a last resort."
Lu Chongwei sighed to himself.
He looked around.
The valley, once strewn with jagged rocks, had become a flat plain.
All the vegetation and rocks—even the small hill—had completely disappeared.
A thick layer of glasslike material covered the ground, crystallized from melted rock as it cooled.
"All done. Let's go."
Lu Chongwei sheathed Ryujin Jakka with a sharp click.
The next morning.
The sun was bright, and a gentle breeze blew.
But on the way back to Fairy Tail, the mood among the three was somewhat strange.
Lu Chongwei and Gildarts walked in front. Every so often, they glanced back at Gray and burst into snickers.
Gray was wrapped up from head to toe in a ragged piece of cloth, with only his eyes showing, full of resentment.
"Hey, Gray."
Lu Chongwei tried to hold back his laughter as he teased him.
"Being bald isn't so bad. At least it's easier to wash your head, and you'll save on shampoo."
Gildarts couldn't resist piling on.
"Yeah, and it reflects light pretty well. You won't need a lantern when you're walking at night anymore—you'll have built-in lighting."
"You two jerks! Shut up!"
Gray roared indignantly.
He felt his dignity had been shattered to pieces.
Bald!
How was he supposed to fit in at the guild now? How could he face all those cute girls?
"Lu Chongwei! I'm going to kill you! I swear I'm going to kill you!"
Gray charged at him, fists swinging, but Lu Chongwei casually held him back by the head, keeping him just out of reach.
"Cut it out, Baldy Qiang."
"My name isn't Baldy Qiang!!!"
Amid laughter all the way there—mostly from Lu Chongwei and Gildarts—the Fairy Tail guild hall finally came into view.
Lu Chongwei stepped forward and kicked the door open.
"Bang!"
"We're back!"
Lu Chongwei shouted.
The guild fell silent for a moment, then erupted in cheers.
"Oh! They're back!"
"How did it go? Did you finish the job?"
"Are you hurt?"
Everyone crowded around, firing questions at them.
Makarov sat at the bar, holding a letter, an odd smile on his face.
"Back, are you?"
Makarov waved the letter in his hand.
"I've received the client's letter of thanks. I heard you not only exterminated the beasts, but also 'remodeled' the terrain for them while you were at it?"
Gildarts awkwardly scratched his head and glanced at Lu Chongwei.
Lu Chongwei simply whistled, looking completely innocent.
Before you continue