Chapter 146: The Fearsome Ten Saints

George and Mirajane did not participate in the battle. After explaining to Makarov how to defeat Gajeel, George was assigned to guard the unconscious Gajeel alongside Mirajane. Gajeel was the key evidence proving Phantom Lord's unprovoked attack on Fairy Tail and could not be allowed to fall back into Phantom Lord's hands. Otherwise, explaining the situation to the Magic Council later would be problematic.

Of course, Lucy and Happy were also nearby.

Lucy, being a Celestial Spirit Mage, relied on summoning her Celestial Spirits to fight since she had little personal combat ability. However, most of her spirits had strong personalities and often refused to follow her commands, opting for independent action instead. This left Lucy cheering from the sidelines once her spirits were summoned.

Happy, on the other hand, was even less effective in combat, contributing mainly by helping Natsu fly. His combat strength was arguably weaker than Lucy's barehanded capabilities.

"Hit him! Hit him harder!"

"Nice one, Natsu!"

"Everyone, stay safe and keep going!"

Watching Phantom Lord's wizards fall one after another, Mirajane, Lucy, and Happy formed the ultimate cheerleading squad.

"Erza, Natsu, Gray—stick with the master! Don't let him go in alone!"

George, who had been analyzing the various combat styles to determine which spells to prioritize learning later, noticed Makarov clearing a path by swatting Phantom Lord mages aside effortlessly as he headed upstairs. Alarmed, he called out to the enthusiastic Erza, Natsu, and Gray.

So far, Phantom Lord's master, Jose, and the Element Four hadn't appeared. They were likely upstairs. While Makarov was undoubtedly powerful, Jose was also one of the Ten Wizard Saints. If Jose decided to fight dirty and team up with the Element Four to gang up on Makarov, it would be dangerous.

If Makarov were to fall, Fairy Tail's advantage would crumble, and they could lose the battle. In such guild wars, reckless action could easily tip the scales in the enemy's favor.

After all, Phantom Lord had four S-Class mages on their side, while Fairy Tail only had Erza. Mirajane, plagued by her psychological issues, could not fight, and although Natsu and Gray were strong, they hadn't reached S-Class yet.

George had noticed that while Fairy Tail's wizards were exceptional, they had a tendency to get carried away in battles, often causing unnecessary destruction and losses. Surprisingly, their seemingly mature and steady guild master was often the most reckless of all.

Strategically, George thought it would have been wiser to hand Gajeel over to the Magic Council and let them sanction Phantom Lord. At the very least, they could have called back Mystogan and Laxus, leveling the playing field in terms of S-Class combat power.

But since Makarov had chosen this direct confrontation, he must have been confident. George surmised that Makarov's strength significantly exceeded Jose's, compensating for the difference in top-tier fighters.

For now, his role was clear—observe, adapt, and stay safe.

Thanks to George amplifying his voice with a sound-enhancing spell, Erza, Natsu, and Gray immediately snapped out of their battle frenzy and rushed after Makarov.

"Let's follow them!"

With Erza and the others gone, George decided to float the unconscious Gajeel along while escorting Mirajane, Lucy, and Happy upstairs. The situation downstairs was well under control; the outcome there was merely a matter of time. The real deciding factor lay in the battles upstairs.

If Makarov won, Fairy Tail would triumph. If he lost, nothing else would matter. A single Ten Saint-level mage was enough to obliterate everyone else below.

"Jose! I need an explanation, or I'll make you regret this, just like six years ago!"

As soon as George reached the second floor, he heard Makarov's furious roar.

The scene upstairs was a four-on-four standoff: Makarov faced Jose, Erza squared off against Sol, Natsu battled Totomaru, and Gray clashed with Juvia.

"Huh? One's missing. Could he not be here?"

George scanned the area and noticed that Aria, the Element Four's leader, was nowhere to be seen.

"You useless fool, getting captured like this. I can't believe I thought so highly of you."

Jose cast a scornful glance at the unconscious Gajeel, instantly understanding the situation. Turning to Makarov, he sneered:

"There's nothing to explain, Makarov. You got lucky six years ago and think you're stronger than me? Today, I'll not only kill you but also wipe out Fairy Tail entirely. I'll make your guild disappear from this world forever, proving that Phantom Lord is the strongest wizard guild!"

"Then you leave me no choice—prepare to die!"

Makarov's fist swelled to an enormous size, hurtling toward Jose with enough power to crush a mountain.

"Such an attack won't harm me."

Jose smirked, forming a massive fist of condensed magical energy to counter Makarov's strike.

Makarov wasn't surprised by Jose's ability to block his attack. He knew exactly how strong his opponent was.

"Let's take this fight outside unless you want your guild completely destroyed!"

With that, Makarov punched a hole in the ceiling and floated up using his immense magical power. Despite not mastering flight spells, wizards at their level could levitate using raw magical force.

Jose followed with a sly grin, rising into the air. He had anticipated that Makarov would suggest moving the fight outside to protect his guild members below. Unbeknownst to Makarov, Aria had been lying in wait above, concealed and ready to strike.

"BOOM!"

As the two Ten Saint-level wizards faced off in the sky, their sheer magical auras collided, creating a massive thunderstorm over the city. Lightning flashed, and the roar of thunder echoed.

Ordinary mages wouldn't have been able to move under the weight of their combined magical pressure.

"So this is the power of the Ten Saints…"

George, watching from below, felt awe and fear. He had thought Erza was powerful, but the sheer destructive potential of these two was overwhelming.

"Dark Stream!"

Jose struck first, sending waves of dark energy at Makarov.

"Radiant Array!"

Makarov countered, summoning magical arrays of holy light that unleashed beams of energy.

"Death Storm!"

"Radiant Explosion!"

Dark and light spells clashed violently in the skies above, the shockwaves shaking the city below. Even the residual energy caused buildings to tremble.

The citizens, jolted awake by the commotion, fled their homes in terror, running toward the city's outskirts as they realized the fight involved Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord.