Jellal's gaze locked onto Finn, his eyes solemn and burning with quiet determination beneath his mask. As he turned to walk toward the arena floor, a familiar voice called out to him.
"Je—" Erza caught herself immediately, remembering the necessity of his disguise. "Be careful. He is unbelievably strong."
A warm, blooming sensation filled Jellal's chest at her genuine concern. "You don't have to worry," he replied, his voice brimming with newfound confidence. "I will definitely win."
Erza was left momentarily speechless, her lips parting slightly before she turned her intense stare toward Finn, who was casually waiting for the match to begin.
Up in the stands, the Fairy Tail guildmasters watched with bated breath. "First Master Mavis, what do you think?" Makarov asked. He felt fairly confident; after all, Mystogan—or rather, Jellal—was a former Wizard Saint and one of the most formidable mages on the continent.
"He is powerful, but do you honestly believe that man from Heavenly Blue is any weaker?" Mavis replied, her expression grave. She had analyzed Heavenly Blue's overwhelming performances. While their magic was highly unorthodox, their raw power was undeniable. Even with Jellal stepping into the ring, she knew they couldn't underestimate Finn for a single second. Mavis sighed inwardly, lamenting their luck that such a monstrous guild had appeared when Fairy Tail so desperately needed the prize money.
Makarov groaned, conceding the point. Every member of Heavenly Blue was infuriatingly overpowered. Part of him wished he could recruit them all, though he knew it was a pipe dream. They were clearly backed by immense wealth and resources. What could a guild like Fairy Tail offer them? Love? Bonds? Many guilds touted friendship and loyalty, but Fairy Tail's core identity rested on those very emotions. Yet, standing in the arena, seven years of absence meant they had everything to prove to the world once again.
"No matter what, we have to believe in our comrade," Makarov said firmly.
"Yes," Mavis nodded.
Down on the stadium floor, Finn stepped into the ring opposite Jellal. He couldn't help but find the situation entirely absurd. Does this guy have absolutely zero fear of being recognized in public? Finn thought, glancing toward the stands where Magic Council captains Lahar and Mest Gryder were actively spectating.
"I know you are powerful, but you don't understand the true meaning of strength," Jellal declared, breaking the tension. "And today, I will defeat you to prove it."
To Jellal, true strength was born from love and the desperate need to protect. Fairy Tail was his sanctuary, and Erza's smile was his guiding light. With those in his heart, he believed he couldn't lose.
Finn merely stared at him, deadpan. Who actually cares about that? No matter how intense a person's emotions were, if they lacked the tangible power to change reality, it was all meaningless nonsense. Could love stop a raging flood? Could affection prevent an earthquake from tearing a country apart? Obviously not. Still, Finn hoped Jellal's "love" was truly that resilient—it would definitely help the man cope when he eventually found out about what Finn and Erza did behind closed doors.
"You're weak," Finn replied smoothly. "What do you actually know about strength?"
Jellal stiffened.
"Talk is cheap," Finn continued, drawing his weapon. "Show me this 'understanding' of yours." He was exhausted by this classic, ambiguous trope where mages used the power of friendship as a substitute for actual combat capability. Reality was much simpler: the strong devoured the weak. Jellal only preached about emotional fuel because he was born with god-tier magical talent. If Finn didn't possess his unique sharing abilities, he would have been crushed long ago.
"You will see," Jellal warned, his magical aura flaring violently.
"BEGIN!" the announcer roared.
Instantly, Jellal unleashed his Stave Magic, staying perfectly in character as Mystogan. Several wooden staves slammed into the earth around him, acting as conduits. In a blinding flash, a barrage of elemental blasts—scorching fire, slicing wind, torrential water, and jagged lightning—rocketed toward Finn in a coordinated, lethal swarm.
Finn didn't even flinch. He tilted his head slightly, taking a casual step forward, and let the ferocious attacks whistle harmlessly past his ears, weaving through the destruction with supernatural grace.
A collective gasp rippled through the audience. Jellal's eyes widened, but as a seasoned combatant, he immediately pivoted to his next spell. He hurled a barrage of staves into the air, perfectly aligning them above Finn's head. They resonated with a sharp, echoing hum, projecting five massive, interlocking magical glyphs.
"Five-Layered Magic Circle: Sacred Song!" Jellal chanted.
A devastating, concentrated pillar of golden magical energy blasted downward, threatening to vaporize everything inside the ring.
"Be defeated!" Jellal shouted.
Instead of dodging, Finn effortlessly hoisted his massive four-bladed axe, gripped it like a baseball bat, and swung.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The deafening impact shattered the laws of magic. Finn literally batted the holy beam away, sending the golden laser screaming into the sky where it exploded into harmless sparkles. Before the smoke could even clear, Finn vanished.
A split second later, he reappeared right in front of Jellal, a heavy battleaxe raised high above his head.
Jellal's survival instincts screamed. Operating purely on reflex, he threw three staves into a tight triangular formation right in front of his chest.
"Three-Layered Magic Circle: Mirror Water!"
Three concentric rings flared to life, solidifying into a brilliant, impenetrable mirror barrier designed to reflect any physical or magical strike.
Crack.
The invincible barrier spider-webbed the instant Finn's axe made contact.
CRASH!
The magical mirror shattered into a million glittering shards of light. The axe continued its merciless descent, slamming into Jellal with the force of a falling meteor.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!
The shockwave tore up the stone arena floor as Jellal was launched through the air like a ragdoll, violently crashing into the reinforced perimeter wall. A massive cloud of dust settled, revealing a cratered wall of stone.
Finn lowered his axe, waiting. He fully expected Jellal to experience a miraculous protagonist awakening—the moment where he remembers his friends, taps into a well of hidden potential, and rises back to his feet stronger than ever. Finn was ready for the second phase of the boss fight.
But Jellal just slid down the wall and face-planted into the rubble, knocked out as easily as a nameless mob character.
Finn blinked, staring at the motionless body. "Well... he lost?"
The entire stadium was trapped in a stunned, pin-drop silence.