Gray, in this duel, let's settle things once and for all," Lyon said confidently, standing in the arena.
"Settle what? I don't recall having any grudges with you. We just happened to be students under Ur," Gray replied dismissively, though his eyes were filled with fighting spirit. It was clear he had been looking forward to this match for a long time.
Suddenly, Lyon pointed dramatically toward the direction of the Fairy Tail B Team and shouted, "If I win, Juvia will join Lamia Scale! Everyone here will be a witness!"
The crowd erupted in an uproar. Such a bold declaration of love was a rare spectacle, filling the arena with teasing and cheers. For the audience, watching the drama unfold was highly entertaining.
"You're quite popular," Gajeel teased Juvia, who seemed unfazed by his remark and instead looked at Gray with hearts in her eyes, eagerly awaiting his response.
"Who would use their comrades as a wager?! And what's in it for me if I win?!" Gray shouted angrily.
"Ah, Gray-sama said he would never let me go! Is this love?!" Juvia squealed excitedly, causing those around her to sweatdrop at her lovestruck behavior.
"No, he just said he wouldn't use comrades as a bet," Gajeel reminded her quietly, but was promptly ignored again.
"Heh, I won't lose. But if by some chance I do, I'll return Juvia to you," Lyon said confidently as if amused by a joke.
"She's already with us, you bastard!"
"Enough talk! Let's begin!"
As soon as Lyon spoke, he extended his hand towards Gray. A wave of cold air rushed forth, and Gray quickly realized what it was, jumping aside just as an ice flower appeared where he had been standing.
Not wanting to waste any more time on words, Gray raised his hands above his head and slammed them down. Ice spread from his hands like a meteor hammer, heading straight for Lyon.
"Ice-Make: Battle Hammer!"
Lyon swiftly dodged, bringing his hands together to cast his ice magic. Gray, almost simultaneously, made a similar gesture.
From this alone, it was clear the two were indeed students of the same master.
"Ice-Make: Ice Geyser!"
"Ice-Make: White Tiger!"
A white tiger materialized out of thin air, leaping towards Gray with fangs bared. At the same time, a massive ice hammer appeared above Lyon, crashing down like a drill, its conical head promising devastating power.
Both brothers reacted immediately to their mutual attacks, casting spells almost in sync.
"Ice-Make: Prison!"
"Ice-Make: Big Ape!"
An ice prison encased Lyon's white tiger, trapping it securely. But the tiger's strength was formidable, and it quickly began to shatter the prison. Meanwhile, an enormous ice ape emerged behind Lyon, using its massive body to shield him from the ice hammer's blow.
Though it took a while to describe, everything happened in a matter of seconds. In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged blows, neither gaining the upper hand.
"Impressive. Even your still-type creations are quite dynamic now," Lyon murmured, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit as he looked at Gray.
"You're not bad yourself, Lyon. Your moving creations have the stability of still-type ones. This won't be easy," Gray muttered, slightly furrowing his brows. Beating Lyon was not going to be a simple task.
Despite the challenge, he relished the chance to overcome Lyon.
Realizing that their powerful but slow attacks were ineffective, both changed tactics. Lyon conjured an ice eagle, while Gray created ice lances. Both spells were fast and agile, meeting mid-air and shattering upon contact, resulting in another stalemate.
The audience was thrilled. Ice-make magic was visually stunning, with its shiny ice formations sculpted into various shapes like beautiful crafts. This duel might be the most entertaining for the spectators.
Gray and Lyon simultaneously cast Ice Geyser, with ice spikes erupting from the ground and crashing into each other, creating a spectacular explosion of ice shards. Gray then quickly closed the distance, conjuring two ice swords in his hands and demonstrating impressive swordsmanship. Lyon was not helpless in close combat; he summoned a swirling ice dragon around himself, clashing with Gray's ice swords in a series of sparks and screeches.
Lifted into the air by the ice dragon, Gray kicked off it to regain his balance and conjured an ice bow mid-flight. Drawing the bowstring, an arrow of concentrated magic appeared, aimed directly at Lyon.
"Ice-Make: Super Freeze Arrow!"
Lyon merely smiled, his face calm as he poured his magic into the ice dragon, transforming it into a massive ice serpent that coiled protectively around him, leaving no gaps. The arrow struck the serpent, freezing it solid but failing to reach Lyon.
The serpent shattered, revealing an unfazed Lyon, both mages panting slightly from the intense exchange.
"You've improved, Gray. But Juvia will be mine!"
"She's not yours! Juvia is with our guild!"
"Ah! Gray-sama declared his love for me again!!" Juvia screamed, her eyes turning into hearts as she squealed in delight, much to the exasperation of those around her.
"You've got it bad," Gajeel said, sweating. He felt a twinge of sympathy for Gray and was grateful that Levy was more reserved.
Realizing that this method of fighting wouldn't determine a winner, Gray and Lyon simultaneously made a move that had the audience gasping.
They stripped off their clothes.
And then resumed their heated battle.
"Of course. Those two can't fight at full strength unless they're half-naked," Calvin quipped, earning nods of agreement from his teammates.
Natsu exclaimed, "Another exhibitionist! Are all ice mages like this?!"
"I heard their master was a bold beauty. It's a shame we can't see her in action," Calvin responded, earning disapproving looks from Erza and Lucy, making him quickly shut his mouth.
The audience, though puzzled by the two's behavior, were nonetheless thrilled, especially those with particular inclinations.
The duel continued, with the crowd cheering and the spectacle reaching new heights of excitement.