Chapter 143: George: The Iron Dragon's Bane
"Remember my name—Gajeel Redfox, the Iron Dragon Slayer of Phantom Lord!"
The long-haired mage sneered, then dashed toward the trio—plus Happy—at blinding speed.
"So you're the one who attacked our guild? Let me teach you a lesson!"
Jet activated his "Godly Legs" magic, moving even faster to intercept Gajeel. He leaped into the air and aimed a kick at Gajeel's face.
"Falcon Sky Soar!"
But Gajeel didn't even bother dodging. His body turned pitch-black, as if made of iron, and he took Jet's attack head-on.
"Ah!"
A bizarre scene unfolded. When Jet's foot struck Gajeel's face, Gajeel remained completely unfazed—not even slowing down—while Jet was sent flying.
Clearly, the two weren't on the same level.
By then, Droy and Levy had reacted. As a team, they fought in perfect sync.
Droy scattered seeds that instantly sprouted into thick vines, entangling Groy.
Meanwhile, Levy wrote the word "rock" in the air, summoning a massive boulder that crashed toward the ensnared Gajeel.
"Iron Dragon Slayer Magic: Iron Dragon Sword!"
Unfortunately, these attacks posed no threat to Gajeel. His right arm transformed into a spinning, serrated steel blade, effortlessly shredding both the vines and the boulder.
Before Droy and Levy could launch another spell, Gajeel was already above them.
"Oh no!"
Seeing their magic fail, Droy and Levy knew they were doomed.
Gajeel Redfox, the Iron Dragon Slayer of Phantom Lord, was on par with an S-class mage. There was no way mages of their caliber could stand against him.
But just as Gajeel's attack was about to land on Levy and Droy, a voice suddenly rang out.
"Stop!"
To their shock, Gajeel's body froze midair, as if pinned by an invisible force.
It was George, who had been observing until now, finally making his move.
"Iron Dragon Slayer, huh? Even your magic reeks of metal."
George spread his wings and flew up to Gajeel, then said to Levy and Droy:
"You two, take Jet and step back. I can't hold him for long."
If their attacker had been any other S-class mage from Phantom Lord—aside from Gajeel—George would've immediately grabbed Levy and fled toward Fairy Tail's dormitory.
Even with his top-tier wand, he stood no chance against an S-class mage like Erza.
But since it was Gajeel, the Iron Dragon Slayer whose entire body radiated metallic energy, George wasn't worried.
"O-okay! George, be careful!"
Levy and Droy quickly dragged Jet—who was still dazed from the earlier collision—to safety.
They had always assumed George wasn't much of a fighter. They never expected him to immobilize an S-class mage like Gajeel—especially without any visible spellcasting.
"Interesting. Didn't expect a cat to have such strange magic."
Gajeel tried to move but found an unseen force restraining him. His expression grew slightly more serious.
"But this little trick won't hold Gajeel the Great!"
With a surge of magic power, he brute-forced his way through George's magnetic restraint.
"Die!"
Though George's magnetism slowed Gajeel's Iron Dragon Sword, the attack was still terrifyingly fast—far beyond what most mages could evade.
"George, watch out!"
From behind, Levy and the others shouted warnings while preparing spells to assist.
"Up you go!"
But George didn't dodge. Instead, he raised a paw and flicked it upward.
The force restraining Gajeel suddenly concentrated in one direction, launching him into the air like a firework. George then pinned him 20 meters above the ground.
After a year of development, George's magnetic control had nearly reached its limit—around 500 kilograms of force.
By mutant standards, this placed him at a solid Level 3 in magnetism alone.
While that wasn't enough to restrain Gajeel's S-class physique, it was more than sufficient to send him airborne.
With no leverage in midair, even Gajeel's formidable strength was useless, crippling most of his combat ability.
"What kind of weird magic is this?!"
Trapped in midair with no way to move or descend, Gajeel stared at the cat now hovering at his eye level, his face tightening for the first time.
Normally, if an opponent used air or levitation magic to control his body, he could sense it and dodge.
Even if hit, his Dragon Slayer magic's immense power would let him break free by sheer magical force.
But this time, he couldn't detect how George had cast the spell. There was no trace of magic, no fluctuation of energy—just instant, inexplicable immobilization.
Worse, he still couldn't identify the spell's nature, let alone counter it.
Stranded in midair, flailing his limbs did nothing to help him move or descend. For the first time, he was at a severe disadvantage.
"Fine. If that's how it is…"
Gajeel took a deep breath, puffing out his cheeks as he glared at George.
"Iron Dragon Slayer Magic: Iron Dragon's Roar!"
His plan was simple: kill the cat controlling him, and the spell would break.
Unfortunately, just as he was about to unleash his attack, George smirked.
"Turn around."
He had seen Natsu's Fire Dragon's Roar before—it could blast craters into the ground.
Gajeel was even stronger than Natsu, so even George's Three Pillars of the Gods might not withstand the attack. Instead, he used his magnetism to forcibly rotate Gajeel's body.
In an instant, Gajeel went from upright to horizontal, face pointed skyward.
George then positioned himself directly beneath Gajeel—completely out of sight.
Gajeel flailed, trying to turn, but with no leverage, it was impossible.
He twisted his neck, attempting to aim his mouth at George, but couldn't even see him.
In the end, his devastating Iron Dragon's Roar shot harmlessly into the sky.
"My turn."
George flew directly beneath Gajeel, using his magnetism to keep him immobilized while drawing his top-tier wand.
"Stupefy!"
(End of Chapter)