Chapter 61 : Maid Gray??

Laxus grinned and said, "Everit, how's it going? Interested in joining us for a little fun?"

The moment he spoke, everyone felt a shiver running down their spines, followed by an icy wave of dread that swept over them. It was as if a surge of cold sweat erupted from every pore.

So this was Laxus's plan all along!

Fighting against everyone in the guild would be a tough battle for Laxus and his Thunder God Tribe, even though Erza had been turned to stone. 

Natsu, Gray, and the others could slow Laxus down, and the rest would rush in to help. While the Thunder God Tribe were strong, they could be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

But with Everit joining the mix, everything changed.

Two S-Class wizards, both of whom had worked together before to take down the Phantom Lord Guild Master, one of the Wizard Saints—this was serious trouble.

"Everit!" Gray said sternly, looking directly at him. "Now is not the time to be joking around!"

"Why not?" Everit replied with a smirk, tilting his head to the side.

"Haha," Laxus laughed heartily.

Everit turned to him and grinned. "Of course I'm in for a game as fun as this."

"Then let's get started!" Laxus declared as a burst of blinding light erupted from him.

The light was so intense that everyone had to shield their eyes, unable to see what was happening.

When the light faded, Laxus, the Thunder God Tribe, and all the stone statues were gone!

"Good luck, everyone," Everit said, doffing his hat and placing it over his chest. He stepped back and vanished into thin air.

"Damn it!" Natsu shouted as he charged towards the door, only to slam into an invisible wall of air.

"What's going on?"

On the wall, there was a sign with words written in bold:

"No one over 80 years old is allowed to enter or leave."

"It seems to be a barrier designed to keep the Master out, but Natsu, why can't you get through?" Gray asked, sounding puzzled.

"How should I know?" Natsu replied, looking equally confused.

"Damn it!" He pounded his fist in frustration.

"The Thunder God Tribe... I won't let you off the hook for this!" he shouted.

"Laxus!"

Everyone in the guild bolted out of the building, heading for the source of the commotion.

"Leave it to me." Gajeel stepped forward, confident in his ability to handle the situation.

"Alright, I'll leave it to you, Gajeel," Makarov said. But before he could finish speaking, Gajeel walked straight into the barrier and bounced off with a thud.

"Ugh." 

A stunned silence fell over the crowd.

Makarov turned to Gray, his expression serious. "Gray, it's up to you. Go and rescue Erza!"

"Got it," Gray replied, nodding firmly before running out of the guild hall.

Outside, Gray spotted a figure standing at the end of the street. His heart sank. It was Everit, the one they all feared.

"Everit, I don't have time to waste. I'm not going to hold back against you," Gray declared, though his voice betrayed a hint of uncertainty.

Deep down, Gray wasn't sure how to defeat Everit. Everit's magic was deception magic, manipulating the five senses to confuse his opponents. The technique to counteract it was simple in theory but incredibly difficult to execute in practice.

It wasn't like using an ice shield to block fire or an earth shield to block water. This was about deception, misdirection, and sensing the slightest fluctuation in magic power to detect where Everit was when he attacked. It required precision and quick reflexes.

The challenge lay in sensing the direction of the magic fluctuations and calculating the distance to avoid the attack. Gray knew he had to be quick and precise, or he'd fall victim to Everit's magic.

But achieving this level of perception and computation within a short period of time requires exceptional skill and ability!

So far, only Jose, a wizard at the Ten Wizard Saints level, has demonstrated the ability to completely pull off such a complex feat.

Gray had been tested, and he could barely do it a few times, and even then, with great effort.

The second approach involves having confidence in oneself and recognizing when you've been deceived. This can also help to unravel the first layer of deception magic.

However, undoing a deception doesn't mean the magic disappears completely.

The effects are continuous, and unless you leave the range of the deception magic's influence, unraveling one layer, or even a dozen, might not make a difference.

And during that time, what if Everit gets involved?

Too much confidence can be deadly!

To manage emotions, the solution seems simple: stay mentally firm.

But remember that day in the guild? 

Happy used deception magic in front of everyone, and it was more than anyone could bear.

Gray also experienced it—one moment he was fine, the next moment his heart was filled with an overwhelming sense of admiration for Happy.

So Gray unleashed his full cold magic power.

To fight Everit without unleashing all of your magic power is a death wish!

Only by learning from Jose and using a broad range of magic could Gray have a chance to win!

"Ice-Make!"

But just as Gray was about to use a wide-area spell, he saw Everit raise his gun, and his pupils constricted!

Bang!

Gray quickly dodged!

"Everit, are you serious? This is no longer just a prank!" Gray said, alarmed.

"Don't worry. I can't kill you. But I've coated the bullets with a 'tattoo potion.' If you're hit, a tattoo will appear on your body—and it won't come off for a whole month. No amount of magic can remove it," Everit replied with a sly grin.

Gray went pale.

"I can even tell you what the tattoos are," Everit said with a wicked smile. "Gray—"

"Dance for me!"

"You're sick!" Gray exclaimed as Everit finished saying. 

First Tatto.

"I like big breasted beauties."

Gray knew he couldn't afford to get hit by that bullet!

But the shot was well-aimed, heading straight for his waist!

Gray twisted his body in a desperate attempt to dodge.

Bang, bang, bang!

The atmosphere on the street was tense, filled with the sound of gunshots and the sinister laughter of Everit.

"I am Natsu's worst enemy!" he shouted.

"I have a thing for Bisca!"

"I collect blue-haired figurines!"

"Kana's swimsuit is hideous!"

"Mirajane is a conniving thief!"

"I, Gray, am a delicate princess!"

"I wish I could be a girl!"

"Erza's an idiot!"

And with a final taunt, "Natsu's face!" he concluded.

Gray was on the verge of tears. He darted between the shots, leaping and dodging the bullets that whizzed past him. 

His extraordinary reflexes helped him avoid being hit, though it was a close call every time. 

The adrenaline rush made him grateful for his agility—one wrong move and he'd be toast.

Macao and Wakaba stood off to the side, watching the mayhem unfold, their expressions dark and somber. 

There wasn't a hint of schadenfreude in their demeanor; they knew this wasn't a laughing matter.

After all, they had just gone through the same ordeal themselves. Breathing heavily, they were still shaken by what had happened.

And they were wearing maid outfits.

Gray didn't realize he wasn't the only one going through this bullet-dodging frenzy. Everyone who had left the guild had faced the same madness!

But was it really dodging bullets? No, it was more like dancing!

Everit had stationed himself at the end of the street, using his deception magic to make everyone believe they were avoiding real bullets. 

But in reality, his magic was making them twist and turn in bizarre ways, looking like they were dancing. The results were both hilarious and embarrassing.

To Gray, it felt like he was passing some sort of perilous test, narrowly escaping danger with every move. 

But from the perspective of Macao and Wakaba, he was just a guy in a maid outfit, swaying his hips side to side in a ridiculous fashion. It was impossible not to stare.

Everyone who walked out of the guild experienced the same thing!

At the far end of the street, Everit held no gun in his left hand—just his fingers shaped into a pistol, radiating magical energy. 

In his right hand, he held a camera, capturing every embarrassing moment. He was recording everything for later amusement.

Everit threw a card into the air. It wasn't infused with magic, so Gray didn't notice it at first. 

It transformed mid-flight, turning into a "cat ear headband." Gray instinctively ducked, thinking he had dodged another shot. Instead, he ended up putting on the cat ear headband!

A cat ear headband, a maid outfit—two seemingly innocent things—but on Gray, they made for a ridiculous sight.

And he wasn't alone. Macao, Wakaba, Max, the Shadow Gear Team, and everyone else from the guild were dressed in similar outlandish outfits.

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