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[X784, Phantom Lord Guild Building]
— Makarov Dreyar —
A golden magical seal shimmered into existence before Makarov, the sigils spinning rapidly as beams of searing light erupted from it. Each streak of light melted the darkness around it as they moved through the air towards Jose.
"Jellyfish Form!" Jose's shades twisted and morphed, fusing into a writhing mass of black tendrils. The bloated, translucent form of a colossal jellyfish curled its countless arms around Jose, absorbing Makarov's blasts with the sounds of dull impacts. The light burned through the outer layers of shadowy flesh, but the jellyfish instantly reformed itself with tendrils coiling outward.
Makarov's eyes narrowed. His right arm stretched far behind him, growing larger and larger till it encompassed half the room. It shot forward suddenly, smashing into the jellyfish's form. Jose's barrier pulsed, the impact shaking the entire guild hall as tendrils lashed out in response. The jellyfish's arms hammered down like massive whips, aiming to crush Makarov beneath them.
Makarov's arm shrunk back as he darted to the left with the agility of a much younger man, his feet barely making contact with the shattered ground before he flipped backward. His left hand traced glowing patterns in the air, each stroke leaving behind thin golden lines of light as they formed into a magical circle.
Jose's eyes flashed beneath the protective dome of his jellyfish. "What's the matter, Makarov? Losing your touch?"
"Just barely." Makarov's voice was calm as his left hand completed the final stroke. He raised it forward, the sigil glowing bright white before a concentrated beam of light erupted from the center. It was thin—no thicker than a finger—but it traveled faster than the eye could see.
SHRRK!
Jose jerked back as the beam pierced cleanly through the jellyfish's protective veil and shot straight into his shoulder. A pained grunt tore from his throat as the blast knocked him backward, the shades around him spiraling chaotically as the jellyfish began to dissolve.
But even in pain, Jose twisted his hands into a claw shape. "Shadow Fangs!" From the pool of shadows beneath him, ghostly phantoms shot toward Makarov in the shape of hunting hounds.
Makarov's massive hand swung wide as he swept the ghosts aside like smoke. "It's impressive that you have so much power at your age," Makarov said, his tone sharp. "Your place among the Wizard Saints is well earned. If only you used that power properly."
"I have no need for your lectures!" Jose spat, dark power curling around him. His face twisted with rage. "I am neither your inferior nor a member of your precious guild!"
Jose lifted his arms. The shades coiled together into a singular mass of darkness that swelled upward, filling the ruined hall. Black tendrils curled and pulsed as a shadowy figure took shape—an enormous titan with glowing purple eyes.
"Shadow Colossus!"
The titan's head nearly scraped the ceiling, its arms hanging low as its chest pulsed with dark red veins. It screeched into the air, radiating suffocating pressure that made the air around it tremble.
Makarov's brow furrowed. "Do you really think that's enough to finish me?"
His form expanded instantly, limbs stretching upward until his head matched the titan's height. Makarov's enlarged fists smashed into the shadow construct's body with explosive force. The titan staggered, but it retaliated with a wide swing of its arm. Makarov blocked the strike with his forearm, the impact sending a small shockwave of air through the room.
"Getting bigger just makes you a bigger target, fool!" Jose barked, hands glowing with dark energy. "Dead Wave!"
A pulse of black magic shot forward, slamming into Makarov's chest, sending him skidding back towards a wall. Dust and debris exploded outward.
But as the dust settled, Makarov was shown to be unharmed, with only a few skiff marks on his chest as proof that he had taken the attack.
"Enough of this." Makarov shot forward, batting away the titan's head with a brilliantly glowing fist. The entire construct exploded into shadows, dissipating into curling wisps of Ethernano. Jose's eyes widened as Makarov's power continued to climb and climb.
"In accordance with Fairy Tail rules, I will give you to the count of three. Kneel." Makarov's voice rumbled.
Jose's mouth curled into a sneer. "What did you say?"
"One."
Makarov's hands came together, a sphere of golden light forming between his palms. The room brightened as the growing orb cast long shadows across the ruined hall.
"You demand me, me, the leader of this country's greatest Guild to kneel before you?!" Jose's voice was laced with venom as his dark aura flared. Cracks spread along the floor beneath him. "Don't make me laugh!"
"Two."
The golden orb glowed brighter, brighter than the sun itself. A thin crackle of energy ran along Makarov's arms.
"You're the one who should be groveling before me!" Jose's arms moved in sharp, deliberate motions. Dark glyphs flared into existence around him as the shades spiraled inward. "I'll send everything in a hundred-mile radius to the deepest pit of hell! You and your precious children will all die before me!"
A black pillar of light shot into the sky as rings of purple and black magic tightened around Jose's body. The temperature dropped instantly as hundreds of spectral hands began rising from the ground, curling hungrily around Makarov's feet.
"Graveborne Requiem!"
The hands clawed upward, dragging at Makarov's ankles as a cacophony of ghostly wails filled the air. The ground beneath Makarov blackened and rotted, sinking beneath him as tendrils of shadow coiled tightly around his arms and legs.
Jose's mouth twisted into a wide grin. "Not even you can resist death itself!"
Makarov remained calm.
"Three."
Makarov's eyes hardened as his hands parted. The golden orb swelled before exploding in a burst of radiant light.
"I invoke… Fairy Law."
A titanic golden magic circle materialized above the Phantom Lord Guild hall, the symbol of Fairy Tail etched at its core. Blinding light flooded the hall, piercing through every crack and crevice as Jose's spell dissolved into glittering motes.
The wailing ghosts shrieked as the light erased them from existence. The purple rings of dark magic shattered into dust. The black pillar of light vanished.
Jose stumbled, his body trembling violently as his skin paled. The man looked to have aged a few decades in the span of seconds. His red hair turned white at the temples as his magic fled him, draining his strength. No sound came from his gaping mouth. He remained breathless, eyes wide with terror.
"The fact that you survived Fairy Law is an incredible feat." Makarov's voice was cold and final. "But with your current condition, it'll only be a miracle if you ever recover. You will never threaten Fairy Tail again. You've only yourself to blame."
Makarov turned, stepping over the shattered remnants of the Phantom Lord hall without sparing Jose another glance. Jose's body slumped forward, his knees hitting the stone floor with a hollow thud.
Just as Makarov had commanded— He kneeled.
…
AN: Despite both being Wizard Saints, there was a gap between them that Jose could never hope to bridge. Makarov retains his title as most badass old man in Fairy Tail.
Fairy Law is honestly such a busted spell, I love the concept of Fairy Tail's three great magics.
This should mark the end of the Phantom Lord arc, with the resulting aftermath being handled in the next chapter. I hope y'all enjoyed the story so far.
Cheers lads.