Fairy Tail: My Magic is a Yu-Gi-Oh! Deck — Chapter 121

Chapter 121: Mira and Erza, The Most Anticipated Fusion!

Seeing Chase and Nagrez finally let their surging magic power dissipate, Erza released a long, heavy breath.

Thankfully, the equipment repair and maintenance shop was located in the neighboring town. If she had returned even a fraction of a second later, she truly didn’t want to imagine what kind of apocalyptic wasteland her guild’s construction site would have been reduced to.

“Oh? Fairy Queen. I didn’t expect you to return so quickly.”

Nagrez crossed his arms and sauntered toward Erza. His chin tilted upward, eyes half-lidded in a display of absolute, condescending arrogance. A single strand of black hair fell across his forehead, swaying gently in the breeze, exuding a cocky aura that demanded attention.

After experiencing the intoxicating, overwhelming rush of their fused strength, he had let the power go straight to his head. He completely disregarded the woman whom Natsu and Gray usually feared like a literal demon. His blood was pumping. He felt restless.

He wanted to use this newfound, god-like power to take back every ounce of dignity he had ever lost to her—right here, right now, through battle!

However, before the overconfident Nagrez could even open his mouth to declare his grand challenge, a sharp, deafening smack echoed across the shattered landscape.

Erza’s gauntlet-clad hand whipped across his cheek without a millisecond of hesitation.

“What did you just call me?”

Erza’s eyes were terrifyingly hollow, radiating a freezing killing intent that felt like it had crawled straight out of the deepest pits of purgatory.

The arrogant, untouchable Nagrez instantly deflated. His shoulders hunched up to his ears, his neck shrinking like a frightened turtle as he whispered, “Er—Erza…”

That single, crisp slap directly bypassed his immense magic power and violently awakened the primal, instinctive terror of a bottom-tier prey animal facing an apex predator.

Even if he possessed the raw strength to trade blows with Chase, it couldn’t erase the fundamental truth of his existence: he was a fusion of Natsu and Gray.

And who did Natsu and Gray fear more than death itself? There was no need to even ask!

Facing Erza was a pure, unadulterated double suppression of his very bloodline.

Smack!

Another heavy slap struck the other side of his face, leaving Nagrez spinning in place, utterly bewildered. Meeting Erza’s razor-sharp glare, the so-called backbone of the “Guild’s Strongest Mage” evaporated into thin air.

“I’m sorry! Erza, my Lady!”

Nagrez dropped his arms, his eyes suddenly wider and more innocent than a newborn calf’s.

“Hmm. That’s better.”

“I don’t care if you’re Natsu or Gray. Messing around with Chase and the others is one thing.” The fierce knight reached out, her armored fingers clamping down on the white, dragon-scale scarf wrapped around Nagrez’s neck. She yanked him forward until they were nose-to-nose. “But dare to act tough in front of me, and I will end you.”

Nagrez couldn’t muster a single rebellious thought. He nodded furiously. “Aye~!”

The trauma etched deep into his genetic code had instantly turned him into a second Happy.

“It’s very impolite to abruptly interrupt a duel between men, Erza.”

Chase descended gracefully from mid-air, his boots touching down lightly on the scorched, fractured earth.

Hearing his voice, Erza released her iron grip on Nagrez and marched over, her expression still dark and stormy.

Nagrez, having narrowly escaped a brutal beating, rubbed his stinging cheeks and watched with a sly, expectant grin. Don’t let me be the only one getting beat up! Go on, Erza! Let that bastard Chase taste the power of a good slap!

Under his eager gaze, Erza stopped right in front of the faintly smiling Chase. She stood in silence for a second.

Then, she moved.

Instead of a slap, Erza opened her arms and threw herself forward, wrapping Chase in an unyielding, iron-tight embrace. The heavy steel of her breastplate collided with him in a jarring clank.

“You’re just letting Chase off so easily?!” Nagrez threw his hands up, completely outraged. “Where are the slaps?!”

Erza merely shot him a sideways glare, and his complaints instantly died in his throat.

“Chase is very strong. Conventional suppression doesn’t have much effect on him, so I can only use love to influence his actions,” she explained with absolute, deadpan seriousness.

Chase, currently pinned firmly against a slab of cold, unyielding steel, let out a dry sigh. “Your love is truly… hard.”

Though he had burned through a considerable amount of energy during the clash, he could have easily sidestepped her tackle. There was simply no need to. By this point, he had gathered all the combat data he needed regarding the Fusion card and God Slayer Magic. The only thing left untested was a final, all-out destructive burst.

Besides, Erza had a point. If they actually leveled this entire mountain range, the Magic Council’s compensation fees would be a massive headache. He had the funds to cover it, but throwing away money for no reason wasn’t his style. Giving Erza some face and calling it a draw was the smartest play.

With that thought, Chase raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.

A magical crest flared to life beneath Nagrez’s feet. The fused mage instantly glowed with a blinding white light, his outline blurring and distorting before violently splitting down the middle.

“So disgusting!”

Natsu and Gray, suddenly back in their own separate bodies, took one look at each other and scrambled backward. Recalling the bizarre, intimate sensation of their minds and muscles melting together, both of them simultaneously turned their heads and began dry-heaving into the dirt.

As a side effect of the separation, Natsu had ended up wearing both the scarf and the shorts. Gray, true to form, had been restored to his absolute default state—completely naked.

Seeing the two idiots retching, Erza finally released Chase. She crossed her arms, her brow furrowing in deep thought.

Happy had given her a rough explanation of Chase’s ‘Fusion’ magic card on their way back, but witnessing Natsu and Gray physically tear apart into two separate beings was still jarring. This magic operated on a completely different dimension than a standard Unison Raid.

Just like that, the devastating clash between Slifer the Sky Dragon and the Ice Flame Dragon came to a definitive close. The four mages turned and made their way back across the ruined lake toward the new guild construction site.

“Erza, how could you! They didn’t determine a winner! How are we supposed to settle the bets now?!”

“Exactly! We were all ready to make a fortune and buy a mountain of fish!”

“You should have at least let them finish their final clash! Chase isn’t short on money to compensate the town anyway!”

The guild members who had pooled their hard-earned Jewels into the betting pool swarmed Erza, voicing their extreme displeasure.

Erza simply raised a single, sharp eyebrow.

The chaotic, noisy crowd instantly fell dead silent.

“What was that, Macao? You seem to have a big problem with my decision?”

Macao, who had been a fraction of a second too slow to hide behind his guildmates, broke out in a cold sweat. He waved his hands frantically. “No! No, absolutely not! Great decision, Erza!”

Just then, Mira walked gracefully through the parted crowd, a gentle smile on her lips.

“Erza, you arrived at the perfect time. If they had kept fighting like that, they would have disturbed the rest of the fish in the lake and the small animals in the mountains.”

“That worry is actually a bit redundant…” Lucy muttered, trailing behind Mira. She cast a weary glance at the devastated, crater-filled landscape and the boiling lake. “Those small animals should be sleeping very peacefully right now.”

The kind of sleep you don’t wake up from.

“Lucy! Why didn’t you step in and stop Chase sooner?!” Erza suddenly pivoted, directing her scolding at the blonde celestial mage.

“Ah? Areh?!”

Lucy jumped, her hair practically standing on end. She pointed a trembling finger at her own face, eyes wide with sheer disbelief. “Watashi?! You wanted me to stop those two—no, three monsters?!”

“Forget it. I’m really too lazy to talk about you.” Erza sighed, massaging her temples in disappointment.

“She’s serious! She got disappointed so fast!” Lucy slumped forward, a dark cloud of gloom settling over her head. I’m so sorry for failing your impossibly high expectations!

“Aye~ It’s okay, Lucy. Even though your magic is terrible, you’re also a complete coward,” Happy chimed in, offering his warm, fuzzy brand of comfort.

“Thanks, Happy. But it would be perfectly fine if you just kept your mouth shut.” Lucy felt her soul leaving her body.

“Speaking of which, Chase, what exactly is the deal with your new magic card, Fusion?” Erza asked, ignoring the banter. She glanced at Natsu and Gray, who were currently throwing rocks at each other. “Also, the magic Natsu used just now… why did it feel similar to Dragon Slayer Magic, yet fundamentally different?”

Hearing the question, the rest of the guild perked up, crowding closer. Having witnessed Nagrez’s overwhelming, S-Class level destruction firsthand, they were all dying to know the mechanics behind it.

“Hehe! For those two questions, let the cute and charming me provide the answers for Erza!”

Dark Magician Girl materialized with a pop, stepping forward and raising her wand high in the air like an eager student.

She quickly broke down the operating principles of the Fusion card and the ancient lore behind God Slayer Magic. The crowd listened in stunned silence, occasionally breaking into gasps of admiration.

Fusion’s terrifying potential was obvious—Nagrez’s performance was proof enough. But God Slayer Magic, an ancient Lost Magic explicitly designed to hunt divine beings, was a completely new concept to them.

“Sure enough, I still don’t get along with that fire idiot at all. Hey, Loki! If we fused, it would definitely be an unstoppable alliance!”

Gray, still completely naked, abandoned his squabble with Natsu and scanned the crowd, spotting Loki lingering near the back. The two of them had a solid dynamic; they had even agreed to team up for this year’s S-Class Mage promotion trial.

“Sorry, Gray. I really don’t feel like moving right now.”

Loki adjusted his tinted glasses. His voice lacked its usual smooth, flirtatious energy, sounding hollow and strained.

“Are you okay?” Gray frowned, noticing his friend’s pale complexion.

“I’m fine. Just a little tired lately. I’m going to head back first.” Loki shoved his hands deep into his pockets, clearly not wanting anyone to pry into his fading state. He offered a weak wave and turned away from the noisy crowd.

“That guy… did he get his heart broken again?” Gray muttered, watching Loki’s retreating back.

On the other side of the clearing, Natsu bounded over to Elfman, the most aggressively masculine man in the guild.

“I’m fired up! Let’s fuse, Elfman!”

“A real man fuses head-on!”

The two meatheads hit it off instantly, roaring at the sky.

Lucy, standing a few feet away, broke into a cold sweat. A combination of a destructive monster and a muscle-brained tough guy… just imagining the property damage makes me want to run away!

“Hey, if Chase’s Fusion can achieve a one-plus-one-equals-greater-than-two effect, then if we fuse, won’t we be able to protect Levy-chan even better?!” Jet and Droy of Team Shadow Gear bumped fists, their eyes sparkling with determination.

Lucy deadpanned. Aside from not having to fight over who carries Levy’s luggage, it makes absolutely no difference whether you two fuse or not…

“I really want to try fusing with Lu-chan too!” Levy skipped over, a bright smile on her face as she grabbed Lucy’s hands.

“Eh? Even you, Levy-chan?”

“Because fusing sounds like so much fun!” Levy giggled, her eyes subconsciously darting down to Lucy’s ample chest. A faint blush dusted her cheeks.

“What’s the point of two girls fusing?! Lucy, fuse with me instead!” Macao shoved his way forward, a sleazy grin plastered across his face. “The ultimate alliance between a seasoned guild elder and a fresh newcomer!”

Lucy’s mouth twitched violently. She took two large steps back. “I can practically hear the gears turning in your perverted head!”

“Hey, Dad! Let’s fuse!” Romeo tugged on Macao’s sleeve.

“Damn it! He beat me to it!” Wakaba cursed, puffing his pipe in frustration.

Over in the corner, Alzack and Bisca were furiously blushing, refusing to make eye contact. Just the mere mention of the word “fusion” was enough to send the young, secretly-in-love couple’s hearts into overdrive.

The rest of the guild quickly paired off, shouting over each other: Cana and Laki, Warren and Nab, Reedus and Vijeeter.

Max, the sand mage, suddenly gasped, having found the ultimate loophole. “You idiots! If we’re talking about the strongest fusion, obviously we should fuse with the Master!”

It was a highly ambitious idea, though Makarov’s tiny stature might make the logistics a bit complicated. Regardless, the entire guild was in high spirits, heatedly debating the endless, chaotic possibilities of the Fusion card.

Meanwhile, in a dark, secluded corner far away from the cheering crowd.

Juvia crouched behind a stack of lumber, biting down hard on the sleeve of her coat. She was desperately trying to suppress the overwhelming urge to sprint out there, drop to her knees in front of Chase, and beg him for a card so she could fuse with her beloved Gray-sama in a perfect union of ice and water. But she couldn’t. Technically, she was still an enemy of Fairy Tail.

“They’ve actually made me curious. I wonder what it would be like to fuse with Erza?”

Mira rested her chin on her delicate, pale hand, a soft, dreamy smile gracing her lips as she imagined the sheer destructive output of their combined magic.

“In that case, we wouldn’t have a single rival left in this entire continent,” Erza replied, planting a hand on her hip with a confident smirk. As old rivals who had clashed countless times in their youth, she knew exactly how terrifying Mira was when her demonic Take Over magic was pushed to the absolute limit.

“Erza and Mira-nee fusing?! That would be way too unfair!” Lucy and Levy, having successfully escaped the old perverts, walked over just in time to hear the terrifying hypothetical.

“About that… I’d love to see it too, but unfortunately, I can’t do it right now,” Chase chimed in, spreading his hands in a helpless gesture.

The activation conditions for the Fusion card were strictly tied to the raw magic power of the materials being fused. With his current reserves, even with his various card buffs active, he simply didn’t have the output required to forcefully merge two S-Class monsters like Mira and Erza.

A combination of Requip and Satan Soul was undoubtedly the most anticipated fusion in the guild. As for the rest of the members, Chase wasn’t particularly interested in their combinations. Even Natsu and Gray’s fusion hadn’t yielded a permanent card, let alone the others! Still, it was a fun way to prank the guild and test the limits of his deck.

“By the way, I noticed this the moment I landed.”

Erza’s confident smirk faded, replaced by a sharp, serious gaze. She looked sideways toward the secluded pile of construction materials. “Isn’t that one of the Four Elements from Phantom Lord hiding over there?”

“That’s right. I believe her name is Juvia,” Mira replied. She tilted her head, offering a sweet, completely unbothered smile toward the shadows where Juvia immediately flinched and tried to shrink out of sight. “She’s been here since we broke ground on the new building. She guards the entrance every single day before dawn.”

The Phantom Lord war had only just ended, and Juvia’s stealth skills weren’t exactly master-class. It was only natural that the S-Class mages had immediately pinpointed her presence.

“Phantom Lord?! The Four Elements?! An enemy?!”

Lucy, still traumatized by her recent kidnapping, didn’t have the veteran insight to stay calm. She panicked, her hands flying to her celestial keys.

“Don’t be nervous, Lucy. She doesn’t seem to harbor any ill will toward us,” Mira reassured her gently.

Chase chuckled, slipping his hands into his pockets. “To be precise, she seems to have fallen head over heels in love with someone in our guild.”

“Oh? So Chase noticed it too,” Mira giggled, her eyes crinkling in amusement.

“Love?! Who is it? Who is it?!”

Hearing the magic word, Lucy’s panic instantly evaporated, replaced by a burning, gossipy fervor. Even the bookish Levy couldn’t help but step closer, her ears practically twitching for the scoop.

“The Master seems to have special plans for her, so let’s keep it a secret from the rest of the boys for now.”

Mira lifted the hem of her elegant burgundy dress, stepping forward. She leaned in close, cupping her hand to whisper the lucky man’s name directly into Lucy and Levy’s ears.

“Nani?!”

Both girls shrieked in unison, their jaws dropping to the floor.

It wasn’t that their reaction was unwarranted. Gray was undeniably handsome and strong. But the man was a chronic, irredeemable stripping pervert!

Even at this exact moment, he was standing completely naked in the middle of the dirt, casually chatting with Cana about booze!

Seemingly sensing the heavy, judgmental stares burning into the back of his head, Gray paused his conversation and looked over his shoulder.

Lucy and Levy immediately shrieked again, scrambling to hide behind Mira and Erza to escape the sight of his bare form.

“Strange. What are those girls up to? Why are they acting so secretive?”

Gray scratched his head, genuinely completely oblivious to the fact that he wasn’t wearing a single shred of clothing.