The Pict Magic Of Fairy Tail

Chapter 33: A Duel That Left Natsu Frustrated

Not only did the person whose shoulder Erza had tapped turn around in shock, but everyone who heard her name also glanced back, spotting her imposing figure.

In the guild, Erza played the role of an enforcer who prohibited fights between guild members (with the exception of her own battles with Mira).

Seeing her arrive, the first thought on everyone's mind was whether she would stop the duel.

Noticing their uneasy expressions, Erza spoke again, "Why are you all gathered here? What's going on?"

Knowing they couldn't hide it—and that any lie would fall apart as soon as Erza got a look—those nearby reluctantly explained the situation, each chiming in to describe the duel between Natsu and Silver.

"Oh, so this is about Natsu dueling Silver?" Erza said, nodding in understanding.

"Yes, Erza," said the person she had tapped on the shoulder, nervously adding, "You're not going to stop the duel, are you?"

"Why would I stop it? Duels can help guild members understand each other better. I only step in when Natsu and Gray fight under the pretense of a duel," Erza clarified, then added, "You've probably set up a betting pool, haven't you? Tell me, who's running it?"

"Uh…" The group hesitated for a moment, then pointed to the person handling the bets.

"Ah, it's you," Erza said, striding over to the bookmaker. "Why the long face? How's the betting going?"

"Erza?" The person flinched, startled to see her, but quickly sighed and explained, "Well, most people have bet on Natsu. Only Mira has bet on Silver. Mira placed a large bet, but still…"

Before he could finish, Erza interrupted, "Mira bet on Silver? Then I'll bet on him too." She pulled out her mission earnings and handed them over.

"What?!" The crowd buzzed with disbelief. Erza betting on Silver caused a stir.

Everyone knew that Mira and Erza, both top-tier A-Class wizards, were close in age to Silver and Natsu, and likely knew the two better than anyone else.

Mira betting on her teammate Silver was understandable, but Erza siding with him too seemed inexplicable.

Even so, many still had faith in Natsu.

After all, Silver's pict magic was widely regarded as weak in combat—common knowledge among wizards.

In contrast, Natsu wielded Fire Dragon Slayer Magic, one of the most powerful combat and destructive magics designed to battle dragons.

In the arena, Natsu and Silver stood about twenty meters apart, ready to face off.

Silver had his easel set up in front of him and quickly sketched the scene onto his canvas using his magic in a matter of seconds.

Natsu, meanwhile, was brimming with energy, slamming his fists together as flames erupted around them. Adopting a fighting stance, he shouted, "Silver, are you ready? Here I come!"

With that, he charged toward Silver.

Silver, fully aware of his pict magic's limitations in direct combat, knew he couldn't face Natsu head-on.

As Natsu barreled toward him, Silver quickly added a few strokes to his drawing.

The next moment, a small section of the ground in front of Natsu subtly raised, just enough to trip him. In full view of the crowd, Natsu's foot caught on the raised stone, and he stumbled forward.

But Silver wasn't done. He knew Natsu's biggest weakness—his inability to handle transportation.

Even the simplest vehicle would leave Natsu nauseous and helpless.

Before Natsu hit the ground, Silver added a few more lines to his sketch.

A rickety wooden cart materialized right beneath Natsu, catching him mid-fall.

The cart, propelled by Natsu's forward momentum and Silver's magic, began spinning wildly in circles around the arena.

The spectators erupted in surprise and laughter as Natsu, trapped on the cart, started turning pale, his fiery energy dissipating as his motion sickness kicked in.

As expected, Natsu immediately clutched his mouth, his face pale as he collapsed limply onto the cart.

"Natsu! Hang in there! Just roll over, and you can get off!" The crowd that had bet on Natsu shouted encouragement.

No one had anticipated that, within seconds of the duel starting, Natsu would already show signs of defeat.

Everyone in the guild knew about Natsu's weakness to transportation.

Normally, they paid it no mind, but now it had become the key to an easy victory over him.

Those who had bet on Natsu were unwilling to lose so easily and shouted tips and strategies to help him recover.

"I'm not falling for that trick again, Silver!" Natsu shouted, determined not to be defeated this way.

Fighting through his nausea and weakness, and with the crowd's guidance, he managed to roll off the cart and onto the ground.

The moment he left the cart, he seemed to revive completely, springing to his feet and charging at Silver once more with a battle cry.

Seeing Natsu charging again, Silver calmly added a few strokes to his drawing.

In an instant, a thin layer of fine sand appeared on the ground in front of Natsu.

As soon as Natsu stepped onto the sand, his foot slipped, and he stumbled forward again.

This time, vines burst out of the ground around him, wrapping tightly around his body under Silver's control.

"Damn it!" Natsu growled, struggling against the vines.

The helplessness of being restrained left him frustrated and annoyed. Glaring at Silver, he shouted, "Silver, let me go! Let's fight this out fair and square!"

Silver rolled his eyes at Natsu's plea. "Do you think I'm an idiot? 'Fair and square' might work for you, but for me, it'd mean getting beaten up. Why would I risk that when I have other ways to win?"

Realizing Silver had no intention of releasing him, Natsu's fiery spirit reignited—literally. Flames erupted around his body as he yelled, "Fine! Then I'll burn all of this down!"

Silver remained unfazed, watching Natsu's fiery display. "You think I didn't prepare for that? Knowing you use fire magic, did you really think I wouldn't anticipate this move?"

Just as Silver predicted, the vines binding Natsu were fire-resistant.

Even as Natsu poured all his remaining magic into his flames, the vines showed no significant damage.

Exhausted and out of magic, Natsu could only slump back, still bound, glaring in defeat.