"!!!"
Jehfrit's eyes widened. Realization struck—he immediately channeled wind-pressure beneath his feet, attempting to launch into the sky.
But nothing happened.
His boots remained grounded.
He glanced down.
Shade magic.
It slithered from the collapsed ruins like a living shadow, snaking around his legs—binding him.
BOOM!
A golden lightning bolt struck the ground just inches from Jehfrit's face. The blast of energy tore through the dark magic, disintegrating it in a flash.
Swish—
A photo fluttered to the ground in ashes as Laxus stepped forward, his body wrapped in roaring golden lightning—wild, untamed, electric. It crackled and hissed, lighting up the battlefield like a second sun.
He looked almost like Natsu—if Natsu's fire was lightning and fury.
Of course, Laxus was a Dragon Slayer too.
Jose's eyes narrowed. He'd underestimated the situation.
Individually, he could beat them both—Jehfrit's illusions were tricky, but his attacks lacked variety. Laxus had brute strength but was reckless and less refined in battle technique. Jose's decades of experience as a Wizard Saint gave him a clear advantage.
But together?
A problem.
A big one.
"Listen to me," Laxus said, low and curt.
"Alright." Jehfrit adjusted his glasses. "I'll handle the illusions. You hit him hard."
Laxus hesitated.
Just for a second.
Then—BOOM!—he burst into lightning, charging head-on.
Jehfrit raised his hand. His Deception Magic surged, subtly warping Jose's senses—creating false positions, bending sound and motion.
For a moment, Jose's body stilled. His mind trapped in a fake battlefield.
But Laxus wasn't subtle.
His magic flared like a beacon, and the force of it jolted Jose out of the illusion just in time to sense the incoming attack.
"Lightning Dragon's Iron Fist!"
"Dark Spiral!"
CRASH!
A thunderous collision erupted mid-air. Both were blasted back from the force.
Jehfrit had already been charging a spell.
Cero.
Whooom—!
A beam of concentrated energy engulfed Jose—but in the next instant, darkness dissolved it completely.
Jehfrit dodged. BOOM-BOOM-BOOM! The ground where he stood exploded under a barrage of dark blasts.
Laxus steadied himself, cracked his neck, and charged again.
Same plan. Same trick.
Only this time—he was faster.
Jehfrit distorted Jose's vision again. And now, they were too close for him to react.
"Lightning Dragon's Roar!"
A roaring blast of lightning hit Jose square in the face!
WHOOSH—!
A black figure, trailing smoke, slammed into the earth. Jose's robes were tattered, hat missing, body smoking—golden lightning still clinging to his skin.
Before he could even stand—
BOOM!
Jehfrit's predicted shot landed in front of him.
Direct hit.
Laxus followed up immediately.
"Brats…!"
Jose howled, lashing out with a chain of dark spells.
Area-wide explosions forced Jehfrit back.
Tighter, sharper spells homed in on Laxus—BOOM!—knocking him through the air.
SWISH—! Jose appeared directly in front of him.
Shit! Laxus' instincts screamed.
Teleportation. Fast.
He was tracking magic energy—Jehfrit kept shifting positions, making it hard to target him, but Laxus? His raw, loud magic was a clear beacon.
Laxus glanced sideways. Jehfrit.
And then—he retracted all his magic.
Jose's eyes widened. "What—?"
"Dark Spiral!"
Jose's attack ripped through where Laxus had been a second ago—just barely grazing his shoulder.
Laxus let gravity pull him down. Freefall.
Missed.
Jose frowned. "You… retracted your magic? Trusted him that much?"
Exactly.
In that instant, Laxus placed everything on Jehfrit's illusion.
And Jehfrit delivered. Jose was fooled—again.
No words needed.
That moment—just one—was enough for both of them to understand: this was how they had to fight.
"You think this is enough to stop me?" Jose's grin returned. "You brats are clever."
"But there's one fatal flaw."
"You're not strong enough."
BOOM—!
Jose unleashed his full power.
The pressure of a Wizard Saint exploded across the battlefield like a crushing tide. Mages throughout the Phantom Lord base staggered, drenched in invisible weight.
Dark fog poured from Jose's hands, drowning the area in pitch black. Sight was gone.
Laxus clenched his fists. His magic buzzed, anxious to explode.
Trust him.
Jehfrit's voice whispered in his ear.
"I hate this guy…" Laxus muttered.
But—
"Left. Thirty steps," Jehfrit said calmly.
Laxus moved.
Jose appeared again.
BOOM!
Laxus had to release magic to defend—dispelling the fog in a burst.
Jose anticipated it. His strike contained a second hit nested inside the first—classic Wizard Saint experience.
CRACK!
Laxus blocked the first—
But got nailed by the second. Sent flying.
Jehfrit acted instantly.
But the black fog weakened his illusions. The air shimmered with interference. The entire battlefield had become a domain of dark magic.
"Found you."
Jose turned toward Laxus—tracking the residual energy.
Jehfrit didn't move.
One step, and Jose would target him instead.
"Smart brat," Jose said. "You figured it out."
"In this fog, movement is my trigger. Any shift, and I feel it. It's a lot of energy to maintain—but for someone like you, it's worth it."
"Damn it!"
Laxus flared his magic—dispersing the fog again. A temporary reprieve.
And that moment was enough.
Jehfrit's magic crept back in—redirecting Jose.
He chased a phantom.
Laxus escaped.
"Jehfrit," Laxus muttered.
"I've never lost to a damn enemy—and neither have you."
Jehfrit grinned. "Of course not."
"Three minutes," Laxus said suddenly.
Jehfrit raised a brow. "Ara… You're finally lowering your head?"
The weight Jose brought—clearly, it was getting to Laxus.
"The final blow will be decided in under a minute," Jehfrit replied, adjusting his grip on Teal.