" Bai Yu, are you alright? If it weren't for you, I'm afraid my old bones wouldn't be able to stand here now."
Makarov gripped his cane tightly, his face extremely grim.
Faced with Jose's repeated attacks, Makarov was already furious and wished he could kill him immediately.
However, Makarov managed to suppress his anger only when he thought of Bai Yu stepping forward to shield him from that deadly attack.
However, thanks to this series of events, Makarov initially had reservations about Bai Yu, this newcomer.
However, even that last vestige of reservation has now vanished.
You could say that this is a guild member who would risk their life for you.
If you are still on guard now, be vigilant at all times.
That's probably what truly chills people's hearts.
"Don't worry, sir, I'm actually fine. I can still fight!"
Bai Yu smiled, loosened his grip on the knife hilt, casually took the bottle from his waist, and took a swig of rum.
"Of course, you can also think that I'm just being deliberately mysterious."
Bai Yu's face was slightly pale, but after taking a sip of wine, it regained some color.
Whether they were Phantom Lord or members of Fairy Tail, their expressions changed in various ways.
This seemingly unproblematic statement actually gives the impression of a blatant attempt to cover something up.
Jose's face contorted slightly, then he spoke angrily.
"Hmph, an arrogant brat. We've had dozens of mages try Aria's Airspace Magic. Even an S-Class Mage would have their magic power completely dissipated if they were to even touch it."
"In severe cases, symptoms of mana deficiency may appear, and over time, death may result from prolonged lack of mana."
"If you say nothing's wrong now, only a fool from Fairy Tail would believe you."
"But don't worry, after we kill Makarov and the others, we definitely won't leave you behind."
"Of course, if Gajeel wants revenge, he can certainly take action and eliminate him as soon as possible!"
Faced with this despicable person who had ruined his entire plan, Jose clearly intended to kill him as soon as possible.
Bai Yu laughed, finished the entire bottle of rum, and casually tossed the bottle aside, saying...
"No, Guild Master Jose, you're mistaken about something. Not only Gajeel, but everyone else, including you as the guild master, if you're confident you can kill me, I wouldn't mind if you took action."
"To show my sincerity in letting you kill me, the magic within me was indeed dispelled by Aria's Airspace Magic. However, even without magic, who among you can kill me?"
The soft sound, at that moment, struck everyone's hearts like an invisible hammer.
Everyone's expressions changed.
To utter such words after losing one's magic is simply too arrogant.
At least, even the usually arrogant Gajeel couldn't do that.
" Bai Yu, you don't have to force yourself..." Makarov couldn't help but say.
Erza and the others standing nearby also hurriedly tried to speak up and persuade them.
However, before they could speak, Bai Yu smiled, shook his head, and stepped out of the crowd.
"No, I'm not joking."
" Gajeel, do you still dare to fight me?"
"However, this encounter won't be so simple. Since it's a public betting match, there will naturally be some extra stakes involved."
"Our guild happens to have a Dragon Slayer, so good things come in pairs. If you lose, you'll have to leave Phantom Lord and join Fairy Tail."
"Of course, if I lose, you can kill me too."
"So now, are you willing to bet?"
Seeing the completely unequal bet, everyone's scalp tingled.
In their eyes, Gajeel was indeed injured.
But it's definitely not up to Bai Yu to act so recklessly and provocatively.
Jose's hands, hidden in his sleeves, cracked as he clenched his knuckles. If it weren't for dealing with Makarov, he would have loved to burst out and kill Bai Yu on the spot.
" Gajeel, go ahead and do your thing. I have complete confidence in Aria's Airspace Magic."
"You must win this battle cleanly and decisively, letting the Fairy Tail people understand what the difference in skill truly means, and restoring the prestige of the Phantom Lord."
" Gajeel, let's go. I swear on my life, the Airspace Magic did work. This guy's magic power is almost zero. You'll win with a snap of your fingers," Aria said in a deep voice with absolute certainty.
All eyes immediately fell on Gajeel.
Sensing the change in the atmosphere, Gajeel was indeed filled with resentment and unwilling to take advantage of the situation, but he still walked out with a cold face.
"Kid, I actually wish I could kill you face-to-face, but since you're courting death, I'll grant your wish. You only have yourself to blame for being too arrogant..."
"So you've agreed to my bet?" Bai Yu suddenly looked up, smiled at Gajeel.
This scene made Gajeel's mind skip a beat, and he instantly felt like his whole body was on edge.
In particular, when he met Bai Yu's eyes, this inexplicable sense of crisis was impossible to suppress and surged into his heart all at once.
It can be said that the feeling surging in my heart at this moment is even more lingering than the feeling of surviving the near-death experience with Bai Yu not long ago.
Gajeel didn't have time to think, and he frantically pushed the magical power within him to its limit.
" Iron Dragon Slayer Magic: Iron Dragon Mode!"
Blue steel dragon scales spread rapidly across Gajeel's body.
At the same time, Gajeel's hands quickly transformed into Iron Dragon's Club, intending to set up a second layer of defense.
To completely eliminate the extreme unease that arises in one's heart.
As for everyone else in the arena, they were truly puzzled by Gajeel's sudden outburst and immediate defensive stance.
However, in that brief moment, they clearly didn't have time to think much.
The moment they came to their senses, Bai Yu had already gripped the katana at his waist.
As his body bent forward, a vast, surging golden power, like a boundless ocean, exploded on Bai Yu's body.
Before anyone could react, Bai Yu, at that moment, seemed to transform into a golden meteor, tearing the ground apart.
At a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, it traversed a distance of tens of meters, carrying endless golden light, and rushed straight to Gajeel.
The moment it appeared within arm's reach, the katana that Bai Yu was gripping tightly in his right hand emitted a sharp, dragon-like cry.
With a Upward Slash flick, it was drawn instantly.
If we say that the Draw Sword is the fastest skill for standing still and fighting...
The attack Bai Yu is about to unleash is a swift and powerful strike, like a meteor.
It's completely impossible to defend against.
At least, Gajeel, and indeed everyone else in the arena, didn't have time to react.