CHAPTER 574: AZUMA

"Hey, I’m telling you..."

Evergreen hurried after Elfman, ready to launch into a complaint, but the scene in front of her made her stop mid-sentence.

The completely uninjured Elfman was clutching Lisanna tightly, tears streaming down his face. He held her like he would never let go, sobbing for a solid minute before finally pulling back to wipe his eyes and ask anxiously about her injuries.

Juvia turned to Evergreen, puzzled. "Why are Elfman and Evergreen here?"

"He said he heard his sister’s voice, muttered something, and took off. I couldn’t hear anything but noise." Evergreen adjusted her glasses as she spoke, her eyes drifting to the unconscious rooster and dog lying nearby. Her expression shifted sharply. "This is... Grimoire Heart? Why are they here?"

Lisanna, finally managing to calm her brother, answered, "We don’t know either. They just kept saying they had to finish some mission given by someone."

"Juvia believes there may be other Grimoire Heart members on the island," Juvia said gravely. "We must inform the Master immediately."

"Let’s get back to camp first," Elfman said without hesitation. "Lisanna needs treatment."

"What about the exam?" Evergreen frowned. "Didn’t you say that as a big brother, you have to become S-Class to be respectable?"

Lisanna blinked at her. "Big brother?"

"H-he said that," Evergreen stammered, adjusting her glasses again in a flustered motion. "I-I’m just repeating his words. Absolutely no other meaning!"

If anything, that explanation only made it sound more suspicious.

Elfman and Evergreen...?

Lisanna’s mind wandered for a moment, picturing what a child of those two might look like. The image was difficult to describe, but strangely enough... the pairing didn’t seem that far-fetched.

"That doesn’t matter," Elfman said firmly. "Right now, I’m not leaving Lisanna’s side for anything."

To him, the exam could wait, his sister comes first.

Meanwhile...

"So beautiful."

Levy’s voice was soft with awe as she admired the lush scenery of Tenrou Island. Even with the knowledge that dangerous beasts could be lurking nearby, the island’s natural beauty was breathtaking.

Gajeel followed a few steps behind, scanning their surroundings with a casual air, but there was a protective edge to the way he moved, like a bodyguard shadowing her every step.

Lily glanced between them, a knowing smile playing on his lips. He didn’t say a word, but he was already considering whether he should find an excuse to slip away and give the two of them some space.

But the peaceful atmosphere shattered in an instant.

Without warning, Gajeel lunged to Levy’s side, one arm wrapping around her waist as he pushed off the ground in a powerful leap.

Levy gasped, her cheeks heating up. "Ga–Gajeel?"

Boom!

A deafening explosion erupted where she had been standing just moments before, the blast swallowing her voice completely.

The shockwave ripped through the clearing, and the ground within a radius of several dozen meters was scorched black in an instant. Fire and smoke churned upward in a violent column.

Gajeel, still holding Levy close, was hurled back by the searing wind, his boots scraping long furrows in the dirt as they slid across the ground after landing.

Lily immediately transformed into his battle form, throwing one arm up to shield his face from the heat and debris. "Where did that come from?!"

"Gajeel!" Levy forgot her embarrassment entirely. Safely cradled in his arms, she wriggled free in a panic to check if he was injured.

"Step back." Gajeel’s voice was firm. He was completely unharmed, though parts of his clothes were singed.

He stopped Levy with a raised hand, his crimson eyes locked on a towering tree nearby. "Come out. I can smell you."

"Well now... sharp senses."

From the tree’s trunk, the bark began to ripple unnaturally.

Levy and Lily’s eyes widened. "A... human face?!"

The warped features pushed outward, followed by a head, then broad shoulders, thick arms, and finally an entire figure stepping horizontally out of the tree, his feet pressing flat against the trunk as if it were solid ground beneath him.

The man sported a wild afro and full beard, a brown tribal marking over his left eye, and wore a short green jacket with orange sleeves over matching trousers.

Etched clearly on his shoulder was the mark of Grimoire Heart.

Before anyone could speak, he introduced himself with calm certainty. "I am Azuma... one of the Seven Kin of Purgatory, Grimoire Heart."

"Grimoire Heart..." Levy’s stomach tightened. She remembered the name vividly, it was the same Dark Guild that had nearly cost both Rhodes and Elfman their lives.

Lily, unfamiliar with the full story, tilted his head. "I’ve heard of them... a Dark Guild, right?"

Gajeel’s lips curled into a dangerous grin. "Kishishishi... so you’re picking a fight? That means I get to pound you into the dirt."

"Don’t be reckless!" Levy’s voice was sharp. "Every single member of the Seven Kin of Purgatory is unbelievably strong. Even Rhodes and Elfman admit they can’t take them head-on!"

"Even they?" Lily’s brows furrowed. He had never seen Rhodes fight in person, but he had heard the stories of him wiping out thousands, including Erza, in a single strike.

If Rhodes wasn’t confident against someone... that meant their power was on another level entirely. And there were seven of them.

"Oh?" Azuma’s eyes narrowed slightly in interest. "That’s right... Zancrow and Rustyrose have already been taken care of."

His expression shifted from serene to faintly exhilarated as he continued. "I’ve always wanted to test myself against the Fairy Strategist... the Beast King... and of course, Demon Mirajane, the Titania herself..."

As he listed name after name, the anticipation in his voice was palpable. This wasn’t arrogance, it was the thrill of a warrior eager to cross blades with the strongest Fairy Tail had to offer.

Gajeel’s grin faltered for just a moment at Levy’s warning, but the fire in his eyes did not waver.

"So... an opponent even Rhodes isn’t sure he can beat? Kishishishi... Then if I take him down, that means I surpass him, right?"

"Gajeel!" Levy reached out, ready to stop him, but he was already moving.

"Oi, Afro!" Gajeel called out, his voice sharp with challenge. "Add my name to your little list! And mark it down that I’m the one who beat you!"

He lunged forward like a bullet, his right arm morphing into a long, steel-shod staff. "Iron Dragon’s Club!"

The weapon extended toward Azuma’s head with brutal speed.

Azuma caught it one-handed, his grip firm and effortless.

He stepped down from the tree trunk with casual grace, the soles of his boots settling on the earth. When Gajeel tried to wrench the weapon back, he felt an immovable force resisting him.

A flicker of a battle-hungry smile crossed his lips.

Then the world erupted in fire.

Boom!

A burst of roaring flame detonated point-blank, swallowing Gajeel whole and blasting a burning shockwave more than ten meters behind him.

"Gajeel!" Levy’s voice cracked, her hands flying to her mouth as her eyes went wide.

From within the smoke, a shadow surged forward.

"Tch." Gajeel’s clothes were charred and smoking, but his steps were steady as his left arm morphed into a gleaming blade. "Iron Dragon’s Sword!"

The strike slammed into Azuma’s side, tearing cloth.

It did not draw blood.

Azuma slid backward a pace, almost unimpressed, before casually flicking his finger.

Tiny spheres of light bloomed in the air around Gajeel, orbiting him like fireflies.

Each one flared bright and erupted.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A chain of explosions tore through the clearing, and this time the blast radius was wider, the heat rolling out in suffocating waves.

Levy cried out as the shockwave hit her, sending her tumbling and skidding across the dirt.

"Bastard!"

Gajeel burst out of the flames again, his skin now covered in jagged, metallic scales that caught the light.