Gray stared at the frenzied Juvia across from him with a bewildered expression, cold sweat beading on his forehead as he found himself completely at a loss for words.
"So hot!"
Only then did Gray notice the massive amounts of steam rising from Juvia's body, realizing with shock.
"Hot water?"
"Why does she get so angry whenever I mention Lucy?" Gray wondered aloud as the enraged Juvia launched continuous attacks.
Facing the onslaught of scalding hot water jets, Gray found himself unable to use his Ice Make magic to defend effectively and could only frantically dodge the streams.
Fortunately, his physical combat skills and evasion training served him well as he nimbly avoided being hit by the searing liquid.
"Since the day I was born, I have coexisted with rain, so no one can defeat me in the rain."
"Juvia's jealousy is boiling over! Sierra!"
As she spoke, Juvia manipulated a small whirlpool composed of boiling hot water, and from the vortex, countless water arrows scattered in all directions.
"Ice Make: Shield!"
"Incredible heat," Gray muttered, for even through the ice shield, he could feel the intense temperature of the water jets.
"Didn't I tell you? The rain is Juvia's domain."
Suddenly, Juvia increased her magical power output, causing the collision between the hot water and the ice shield to produce massive amounts of steam, concealing Gray's figure within the white fog.
"Using steam as smoke cover? Not only handsome but clever too."
Gray had intended to escape the cloud, but to his surprise, Juvia used a torrent of water to blast him back through the broken window.
"You bastard, I'll freeze it!!!"
After adjusting his posture mid-air, Gray blocked the water jet with both hands.
"He actually jumped right into the hot water!" Juvia stared at Gray in shock.
"Freeze!"
Gray pushed his magic power to the limit, the immense energy transforming the hot water he touched into pillars of solid ice.
Gray slid downward along the ice pillar, aiming for Juvia.
"How can this be? Juvia's hot water actually froze!" she gasped. "And..."
"Ahhh!!!"
Gray's hand... was now resting directly on Juvia's chest.
"N-no, this is!" Gray struggled to explain, quickly canceling his magic and withdrawing his hand in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry!"
"You freed me from the ice... Why?" Juvia asked softly.
"Well... let's start over!"
"No, Juvia cannot harm you."
"Huh? Does that mean you surrender?"
"Juvia is stronger than Lucy, so Juvia can protect you better," Juvia said with a flushed face.
"Huh? Protect me? Why would you protect me?" Gray asked, having been completely confused since the moment he started facing Juvia.
It wasn't without reason, as Juvia's mood swings were too rapid for him to keep up with!
Juvia stammered shyly, "Be...because... Juvia... lik..."
However, the rainfall suddenly intensified along with the quickening of Juvia's heartbeat.
Gray paid little attention to Juvia's unfinished words, instead looking up at the suddenly heavier rain and noting.
"Speaking of which, hasn't the rain gotten stronger?"
"Really, what annoying rain," Gray casually complained about the gloomy weather.
'So annoying...'
Gray's casual voice echoed repeatedly in Juvia's mind, causing her to freeze.
Juvia couldn't help but recall memories she'd rather forget, for since childhood, she had been ostracized by others because wherever she went, rain would follow.
Because rain appeared wherever she did, the only company she had were the sunny dolls she made herself...
Juvia became even more frenzied than before, shouting in self-abandonment!
"So thats it, Juvia is just an annoying rain woman! But, even someone like Juvia was accepted by Phantom Lord! Juvia is a Mage of Phantom Lord!"
"I won't lose to mere Phantom Lord!" Gray shouted back.
Gray increased his magical power output, the immense power freezing the water pillars and surrounding rain into solid ice.
"Ice Make: Ice Geyser!"
Gray formed hand seals before pressing them against the ground, causing massive ice pillars to erupt like geysers underneath her, sending Juvia flying into the sky.
'Juvia lost... this is the end. Juvia will fall to the ground like a raindrop and shatter into pieces.'
'For an unwanted rain woman that nobody needs, this is quite a fitting end.'
'Farewell, annoying me...'
Juvia flew helplessly through the air, accepting her fate.
"Don't let go! Don't you dare fall!"
Juvia slowly opened her eyes to see Gray tightly gripping her wrist, dangling from the edge of the ruin.
"Why are you saving me?"
"Forget it, just lie down properly," Gray thought about it but decided against explaining, as he couldn't be bothered with the details.
As Juvia lay on the ground, safe, a new light shone in her eyes...
'The sky... had cleared...'
"Finally cleared up, huh?" Gray gazed at the sky with emotion.
"This is... the blue sky."
Juvia's eyes reddened as she murmured to herself in awe. "This is my first time seeing it."
"Shall we continue fighting?" Gray turned to look at her and asked.
"Juviiiii!!!"
Juvia's eyes turned into hearts, completely swooning over Gray's face and tone as she fainted from happiness.
...
Outside the Mobile Castle—
Meanwhile, Makarov seized the increasingly sluggish Magic Giant, delivering several consecutive punches that shattered the colossal construct into scrap metal.
"Wooo!!!" Guild members cheered as they watched the giant collapse into the sea.
Jose was filled with resentment, for with the Element 4 defeated one after another and the Magic Giant destroyed, even if they won this final battle, Phantom Lord would be severely weakened.
"Damn it... I never expected only Gajeel and Aria would remain," Jose cursed.
Jose and Raizel stood at the highest point of the collapsing Magic Giant, the unstable structure affecting their battle as well.
They stood on opposite sides, quietly waiting for the Magic Giant to finish collapsing and stabilize in the water.
Raizel looked at the teeth-gritting Jose across from him and spoke confidently.
"Believe me, Gajeel and Aria will be dealt with soon, and of course, you too."
...
"Gray!" Elfman followed the trail of magical energy to find his comrade.
Elfman looked at Juvia lying on the ground with a strange expression and posture, couldnt help but ask Gray.
"Is this one of the Four Elements? I defeated an Earth Element too."
Gray originally intended to explain, but realized he didn't actually know what had happened that made Juvia faint, so shaking his head, he simply said.
"Forget it, don't worry about it."
Elfman didn't mind either, nodding as he looked at the sky and said, "The magic circle for Abyss Break is being drawn slower now."
Gray looked at the massive magic circle hovering over the collapsed Magic Giant and said, "We've defeated three, so we just need to take down one more person to stop the spell completely."
Then he turned to look at Elfman and asked, "Mira is fighting the remaining element, right?"
Elfman nodded solemnly with a stern expression. "That's right, the leader of the Four Elements... the strongest Mage among them. Let's hurry and assist her!"
Gray patted Elfman's arm to calm him down. "Alright, but there's no need to worry, for that's Mira the Demon after all."
Inside a remaining chamber of the Magic Giant, Mirajane was locked in combat with Aria, the leader of the Element 4.