After Mirajane was freed, she was quickly brought up to speed about the current events, causing her to click her tongue while her magic power surged in response, causing Gajeel and Natsu to instinctively take a few steps back; the recent beating was still fresh in their minds.
"Tch, so I just got to beat Evergreen? Alright, consider it done." Her voice was a deep, echoish purr in her Satan Soul as she cracked her knuckles. "Just be careful." Taking Makarov's warning to heart, Mirajane approached the exit, prompting him, Gajeel, and Natsu to watch with bated breaths, only sighing in relief when she exited with no problem.
As Mirajane exited the guild, she spread her wings and took flight until the entirety of Magnolia was in her view. High enough, Mirajane scans the city, searching for Evegreen; while doing so, she spots destroyed buildings and some of her fellow friends lying unconscious, including Elfman, who was a petrified statue, causing her eyes to narrow.
While searching, her eyes glance at the city's cathedral, where she sensed Laxus's magic power leaking from within; he wasn't being subtle in the slightest, but it only made sense. Only Cooper, who wasn't present, and Makarov, who was confined to the guild, could face him.
Mirajane knew this as well, so despite knowing exactly where Laxus was hiding, she moved past it, knowing it would be impossible for her to face a wizard saint-level mage alone. As she continued searching, she eventually found who she was looking for: Evergreen, sitting atop a chimney, her expression one of boredom as she faced a previously defeated Fairy Tail mage, Nab.
"Tch, what a waste of space." Muttering softly, loud enough for Nab to hear, Evergreen lazily looked down at the wounded mage, who was on his knee and holding his arm, clearly at his limit. "Says the cowards who refuse to let Master out." Groaning in pain, Nab defiantly looks at Evergreen, who rolls her eyes.
"As if letting that old man would've made a difference." Yawning in boredom, Evergreen leaped from the chimney, floating in the air as she looked down at Nab while lowering her glasses, intending to petrify him.
However, just as she did, a demonic figure suddenly appeared in front of her. "Wha-" She wasn't able to continue speaking as a demonic hand grabbed her face before driving her into the ground through the building.
While Evergreen was deep within the ground, Mirajane flew out, landing beside Nab and helping him out. "You okay, Nab?" Nab wryly chuckled while standing up with Mirajanes' help. "Ugh, I-I've seen better days. W-What about you? Weren't you petrified?" Unfortunately for Nab, the answer he desired would be delayed as several beams of light shot towards them from the building's windows.
Quickly positioning herself in front of Nab, Mirajane crossed her arms, blocking the attacks that left nothing but faint bruises. "Try to find the others, Nab, I'll deal with her." "O-Okay, got it." Having received his orders, Nab limped away, heading somewhere else, away from the fight that was about to happen.
"Tch, how the hell did you free yourself!?" Furious, Evergreen flew into the sky through the hole, glaring at Mirajane, whose demonic voice was one that evoked fear. "You'll find out soon enough." Indifferently, Mirajane flew towards Evergreen with a flap of her bat-like wings.
Knowing she was facing one of the guild's strongest, Evergreen holds nothing back and uses everything in her repertoire, launching a volley of light beams, creating a wave of glitter that exploded close to Mirajane, and even uses her stone eyes. She was displaying a level of strength that firmly put her in the upper echelon of non-S-class mages; not just anyone could face Evergreen, and it was evident she was a mighty mage.
However, the being she was facing wasn't just a powerful mage; she was Mirajane, an S-class mage, and the gap between a non-S-class mage and an S-class mage was a chasm, one not so easily bypassed. Despite Evergreen's best efforts, it was woefully not enough when facing Mirajane; Mirajane's darkness magic deflected her light beams, and the flapping of her wings would push away the glitter.
As for her most potent magic and sure-fire way to a victory, Stone eyes were being neutralized by simply avoiding eye contact. The longer the battle progressed, the more frustrated and desperate Evergreen became as she realized nothing she did was stopping Mirajane, merely delaying the inevitable.
"Hah, how long can you continue this, Mirajane!? Surely you must be nearing your end." Uplifting her own morale and creating false bravado, Evergreen taunted Mirajane, who merely raised an eyebrow, finding her taunts lacking. "Once I defeat you, I'll be able to call myself the demon slayer!" Mirajane just scoffs, though Evergreen acts to prove her point.
Spreading her arms and legs, she releases a massive volley of light beams at Mirajane, covering her in a blanket of light, yet by compressing darkness magic into her palm, she thrust her arm forward, causing the magic to erupt into a powerful wave of energy that engulfed the attack and Evergreen, flinging her into a wall.
As she struggled to stand back up, Mirajane landed on the ground a few feet from her. "Release the others, Evergreen. I won't ask again." Folding her arms, Mirajan looked down at Evergreen, who wiped blood from her mouth before raising her head, sporting a terrified smirk.
"Heh, you're naive, Mira. My Stone Eyes has another ability, control! If you don't want me to turn every petrified person into dust, remove her clothes and prostrate yourself before me! Yeah, if you do that, then I'll forgive you!" Pointing a shaky finger while slowly standing up, using the wall behind as support, Mirajane suddenly grins ferociously, the innate bloodthirst of a demon manifesting within her.
"Is that so? Then, I'll just have to kill you. It'll hurt me, but if it means saving everyone else, I'll do it." Approaching Evergreen, who had only seen the incarnation of an actual demon before her, she screamed in terror. However, her panicking screams were cut short as a fist suddenly dug into her face, knocking her unconscious.
"That's how you bluff someone, Evergreen." Squatting down, Mirajane softly smirks at Evergreen before standing up and stretching.
Back at the guild, while Makarov sat with Romeo, the two ignored the arguing dragon slayers; the petrification sealing the girls suddenly cracked, releasing them, causing the four to stop everything and raise their heads.
"Huh, where is everyone?" "Why are we all here?" "Where's Gray?" "Man, my body feels so stiff, it's like I've been standing in the same position for hours." "I feel way too sober. I need a few drinks." "Ugh, my neck is so stiff, did I sleep wrong?"
Listening to the girls complain, Makarov leaped off the chair and clenched his fists in joy. "Mirajane did it!" "Heh, duh, Gramps, I never doubted her." Raising his fists in victory, Makarov's shout gathers everyone's attention while Natsu confidently grinned, having never once doubted Mirajane losing.
"Master, did something happen?" Erza, sensing something amiss, steps down from the stage and approaches Makarov, who, for the umpteenth time, goes on to explain the current situation, causing Laki, Juvia, Lucy, Levy, Bisca, and Cana, who was downing a bottle of beer, to furrow their brows.
"Tch, that annoying woman saved me?" Muttering under her breath in annoyance, angry that she now owed Mirajane, she took a breath, setting aside her personal annoyance, moving on to the more pressing matter. "Alright, everyone, time for fun is over." Taking the lead, a position she was naturally born for, Erza uses requip, changing her outfit into her Heart Kreuz armor and wielding a sword.
"Aw, I still wanted to drink." Grumbling under her breath, Cana, along with the other girls, followed Erza out of the guild while Levy stayed behind. "You said enchanted runes were keeping you guys here? Can you show me?" Knowing how brilliant Levy was, Makarov had Natus try to exit, causing the barrier to activate and the runes to show themselves.
"I-I might be able to break through them." Hesitant at first, her voice grew more confident as she equipped her glasses, reading the fast-moving runes. "You sure you shouldn't go and help?" "I'm not really a fighter; my presence won't change anything, but if I can use it to set you guys free, it'll be worth it!" Levy, confident in her ability to alter the barrier, grabs one of her books, a magic pen, and gets to work, formulating a method to break the barrier.
At the cathedral, Fried has just informed Laxus of Evergreen's defeat, causing a bolt of lightning to strike next to where he stood, causing him to flinch. "Tch, to think she was such a weakling. Whatever, it changes nothing. Continue the game." Annoyed at Evergreen's loss, Laxus clicked his tongue, propping his head up on the armrest while casually dismissing Fried, who nodded with a slight bow before walking away.