Laxus smirked as he turned to Jehfrit. "So, Jehfrit, what do you say? Are you in on this fun little game?"
The entire guild froze at his words. A chill ran up everyone's spines like icy daggers piercing through their backs. Cold sweat poured out of every pore, drenching them in dread.
This was Laxus's true plan all along!
Sure, taking on the entire guild by themselves would've been tough—even with Erza turned to stone. Natsu and Gray could stall Laxus long enough for the rest of the guild to swarm him and his Thunder God Tribe. Despite their formidable strength, they'd eventually be overwhelmed.
But adding Jehfrit into the mix?
That changed everything.
Two S-Class mages who had already proven their synergy while fighting Jose from Phantom Lord? Now *that* spelled disaster!
"Jehfrit!" Gray snapped, glaring at him with uncharacteristic seriousness. "This isn't the time for your pranks!"
"And why not?" Jehfrit replied, tilting his head with a devilish grin.
"Hahaha!" Laxus laughed loudly, clearly enjoying the chaos unfolding before him.
Jehfrit glanced over at Laxus, his smile widening. "Such an amusing game—I wouldn't miss it for the world."
"Then let the games begin!" Laxus declared, unleashing a blinding flash of light.
The intensity of the glare forced everyone to shield their eyes. When the brilliance finally faded, Laxus, the Thunder God Tribe, and all the petrified statues were gone without a trace.
"To everyone—good luck," Jehfrit said mockingly, tipping his hat against his chest before vanishing into thin air.
"Damn it!" Natsu growled, charging toward the door only to slam face-first into an invisible barrier.
"What the hell?" He stumbled back, rubbing his forehead.
Words began glowing faintly on the wall:
[Prohibition: No one over 80 allowed to exit.]
"That must be meant to stop Master Makarov," Gray muttered thoughtfully. "But why can't you get through, Natsu?"
"How should I know?!" Natsu shot back, equally confused.
"Damn it!" someone shouted.
"We won't forgive the Thunder God Tribe for this!"
"Laxus!"
Guild members streamed out of the building, desperate to find their missing comrades.
"I'll handle this," Gajeel announced confidently, stepping toward the entrance.
"Leave it to y—" Makarov started but stopped abruptly as Gajeel crashed headfirst into the barrier.
...
Silence fell over the group.
"Gray," Makarov said gravely, turning to the ice mage. "It's up to you now. Go save Erza."
"Got it." Gray nodded firmly, determination etched across his face as he turned and dashed outside.
Out on the street, Gray spotted Jehfrit standing calmly near the end of the road. His expression shifted instantly, equal parts frustration and unease.
"Jehfrit, we don't have time for games," Gray warned. "I won't hold back."
Despite his bravado, Gray felt anything but confident.
He still hadn't figured out how to defeat Jehfrit.
On paper, Deception Magic sounded simple enough. Its mechanics involved fooling the five senses, and there were ways to counteract it. In practice, however, those methods required abilities far beyond most mages' reach.
The first method relied on detecting subtle fluctuations in magical energy to pinpoint where Jehfrit stood during attacks. By calculating reaction times and distances, one could theoretically evade his illusions. But this demanded extraordinary perception skills and lightning-fast calculations—a feat only achievable by someone like Jura one of the Ten Wizard Saints. Even Gray, after rigorous testing, managed to pull it off only a handful of times under perfect conditions.
The second approach involved sheer willpower. If someone recognized they were being deceived and rejected the illusion outright, they could break free—at least temporarily. However, Deception Magic wasn't so easily undone. It layered continuous effects that persisted unless the victim escaped its range entirely. And if Jehfrit mixed real threats into his deceptions? Confidence alone could prove fatal.
As for countering emotional manipulation—the third aspect of Jehfrit's magic—it boiled down to mental fortitude. Yet no one in the guild had managed to resist when Happy unleashed a wave of admiration-inducing enchantment earlier. Gray himself had fallen prey to it, overcome by sudden, uncontrollable feelings of worship toward the tiny blue cat.
Thus, Gray braced himself, his frosty aura flaring around him like a protective shield. Against Jehfrit, conserving magic was a death sentence. He needed overwhelming force—something akin to Jose Porla's wide-scale spells—to stand even a sliver of a chance.
"Ice Make—"
But just as Gray prepared to unleash his attack, Jehfrit raised a gun, causing Gray's eyes to widen in alarm.
*BANG!*
Gray barely dodged the bullet, spinning out of its path.
"You're serious about this, aren't you, Jehfrit?! This isn't some prank anymore!" Gray yelled furiously.
"Don't worry—it won't kill you," Jehfrit replied smugly. "I've coated these bullets with 'tattoo ink.' One hit, and you'll sport a permanent mark for the next month. No amount of magic or scrubbing will remove it."
Gray paled visibly.
"Oh, and I'll tell you exactly what kind of tattoos you might end up with," Jehfrit teased wickedly. "Gray—"
"Dance for me!"
Gray froze mid-sentence as Jehfrit added casually, "I'm a fan of busty women."
Hearing that, Gray nearly tripped over himself trying to dodge the incoming bullet aimed straight for his waist.
*BANG BANG BANG*
More shots rang out, each accompanied by Jehfrit's taunting voice.
"I'm Natsu's defeated rival!"
"I adore Bisca!"
"Blue hair is my kink!"
"Cana's swimsuit looks atrocious!"
"Mira's secretly evil!"
"I, Gray, am a princess at heart!"
"I love wearing skirts!"
"I want to become a girl!"
"Erza is an idiot!"
"[Macao's portrait]"
"[Natsu's portrait]"
"—You fiend!"
Gray was on the verge of tears. Dodging Jehfrit's relentless barrage tested every ounce of his reflexes. Each bullet whizzed past him, mere inches away, leaving him breathless yet unscathed—for now.
*Phew,* Gray thought, relief washing over him. *Thank goodness for my quick reflexes. Getting hit by even one of those would've been catastrophic.*
Or so he believed.
Unbeknownst to Gray, Macao and Wakaba stood silently nearby, watching the spectacle unfold with grim expressions devoid of amusement. They were still catching their breaths, dressed head-to-toe in maid outfits.
They hadn't told Gray—they were victims too.
After everyone else left the guild hall, they'd faced the same ordeal.
Dodging bullets?
No.
Dancing.
From his vantage point at the end of the street, Jehfrit used deception magic to trick each person exiting the guild into thinking they were avoiding gunfire. In reality, they were contorting their bodies into absurd "dance moves" instead.
Take Gray, for example. From his perspective, he narrowly avoided multiple bullets thanks to his incredible reflexes. But from Macao and Wakaba's viewpoint? Gray was rocking side-to-side in a ridiculous maid outfit, performing what looked suspiciously like a provocative dance move.
And this humiliating experience wasn't unique to Gray—it happened to everyone.
At the far end of the street, Jehfrit kept his left hand posed like a gun, using minimal magic to maintain the illusion while filming everything with a camera in his right hand. Occasionally, he flicked harmless playing cards imbued with minor enchantments. One such card flew unnoticed toward Gray, transforming into a cat-ear headband just as Gray ducked another "bullet."
Cat ears. Maid outfit.
Two accessories that screamed playful mischief—but worn by none other than Gray Fullbuster. And not just him—Macao, Wakaba, Max, the Shadow Gear Squad… Everyone bore the same ridiculous ensemble.