That Day When Suzuki-kun Wasn't the Mob-B! Chapter 456: One Against Four (Patreon)

Finn against Laxus, Natsu, Gray, and Gajeel.

After dominating a one-on-one, a one-on-two, he then had to face a one-on-four battle against Natsu, Laxus, Gajeel, and Gray; the stakes had escalated. Or was it technically one against three? After all, Laxus was practically running on fumes, having just forced his battered body to stand purely on willpower.

It hardly mattered. The end of the Grand Magic Games was about to unfold.

Most of the stragglers in the city-wide survival game had already been picked off. Before confronting Finn, Natsu, Gray, and Gajeel tore through the remaining members of Sabertooth. Now, aside from this standoff, the only major conflict remaining was a fierce, three-way battle between Erza, Kagura, and Minerva.

Yet, even with that thrilling heroine showdown echoing across the capital, the invisible weight of the arena instinctively drew every eye toward Finn's plaza.

One against four.

Was it fair? It didn't matter. Finn just couldn't help but marvel at the sheer luxury of the roster lined up to fight him: three Dragon Slayers and one Ice-Make user.

Still, putting Gray aside—since I can practically ignore him before he learns Devil Slayer Magic—my focus should definitely be on Natsu and Gajeel, Finn mused internally.

He had already crushed Natsu once, so the outcome was a given. Yet, looking at the four of them standing shoulder-to-shoulder, he could practically see the suffocating, radiant aura of their "Power of Nakama" flaring up. He knew exactly how this shounen trope worked: if he knocked one of them down, the other three would instantly receive an emotional power-up fueled by friendship and rage.

What a trouble, Finn thought, glancing briefly at the unconscious, battered form of Ichiya nearby. The Pegasus mage had sacrificed himself for Laxus, and yet here Laxus was, still on the verge of collapsing. Don't worry, Ichiya. I'll send them to join you in a minute.

"Should we give you a minute to catch your breath, Princess?" Natsu grinned, cracking his knuckles as he stared Finn down.

Natsu knew Finn was a monster. He had watched him casually trash absolute powerhouses like Jura and Laxus. But surely, Finn had to be exhausted by now. If Fairy Tail grouped up and defeated him while he was completely drained, wouldn't the victory taste entirely bland?

"Are you implying that you'll win?" Finn asked, his voice deadpan.

"Well, isn't it obvious?"

Whether it was Laxus, Gray, Gajeel, or Natsu, their eyes burned with an identical, unyielding resolve. They were going to make Fairy Tail the champions of the Grand Magic Games, no matter the cost.

Was it inherently unfair to gang up on Finn? Frankly, Fairy Tail had a long, storied history of jumping powerful villains as a group. When an enemy was overwhelmingly strong, their friendship magic worked better when they fought together.

"Well, if you all attack me at once and still lose, it's going to be so embarrassing for you, right?"

Finn didn't deny their strategy; he simply pointed out the brutal consequences. Losing a one-on-one duel allowed a fighter to keep their dignity. But to launch a four-on-one attack and still get flattened? It was humiliating.

"......"

The four of them fell silent. Laxus, in particular, gritted his teeth. He had already fought Finn alongside Ichiya and had been utterly dismantled. Maintaining a tough facade right now was difficult, knowing he was essentially resorting to a handicap match just to stay standing.

"Shut the hell up!" Gray stepped forward, proving to be the most grounded of the group. "If you're afraid, just say so."

"Did you feel guilty when I told you the truth?" Finn said, smiling lazily. "If ganging up on a single person isn't a blazing sign of cowardice, what exactly is?"

"......"

"YOU BASTARD! I'LL FIGHT YOU ALONE!"

Natsu, infinitely hot-headed and severely allergic to being called a coward, instantly took the bait. Roaring in anger, he tried to charge forward.

"Stop! Stop, you idiot! You'll get crushed if you go alone!" Gray grabbed Natsu's scarf, yanking him back.

"You're too weak right now, Salamander. Just hide behind my back," Gajeel mocked, crossing his iron-scaled arms.

"You already lost to him once, Natsu. Stand down," Laxus added gruffly.

"YOU'RE ALL BASTARDS! LET ME GO!" Natsu thrashed against his guildmates.

Despite the shouting and aggressive banter, their seamless coordination and undeniable bond were on full display. They were absolutely going to fight him together.

Finn didn't mind. He wasn't intimidated by the numbers. He was simply too strong; if they didn't group up, the fight would end in three seconds. The only thing that genuinely annoyed him was their self-righteous attitude—acting as though jumping him in an alleyway was an act of noble heroism.

"Do you want to start now?" Finn asked, breaking through their bickering.

"What?" The four of them paused, staring at him in confusion.

"You should probably brace yourselves. I'm going to start beating you now."

Finn casually stretched his shoulders. Deep down, he felt a sudden, inexplicable urge to light a cigarette, despite never having smoked in his life. Having the absolute power to crush any obstacle was great, but the sheer mental fatigue of dealing with these protagonists, who got strong so suddenly just because their friends were by their side, was enough to drive anyone to nicotine.

"I'm just giving you fair warning," Finn continued smoothly. "If you start whining about fairness after you start losing this four-on-one, you won't have any faces on this continent."

"......."

"Ha?!" Gray's temper flared, thoroughly irritated by Finn's dismissive arrogance. "If you want to attack, then just attack! Do you seriously think any of us are afraid of you?!!"

"Is that so?"

Without a sound, Finn vanished.

Before the Fairy Tail mages could even blink, Finn materialized directly inside their formation, completely bypassing their defenses. His palm shot out, clamping like a steel vice directly over Gray's face.

"Let me start with you," Finn whispered coldly. "Since you are the weakest one here."

"Eh?"

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!

With a violent twist of his waist, Finn drove Gray's skull directly into the cobblestones. The impact shattered the street, sending a shockwave through the plaza. Gray's bones cracked under the sheer kinetic force, blood instantly pooling beneath him as he was knocked unconscious in a single, brutal second.

"Gray!"

"You bastard!"

"Attack him together!"

Natsu, Gajeel, and Laxus snapped out of their shock, their auras exploding with absolute fury. Roaring in unison, the three Dragon Slayers lunged at Finn from three different directions!

Facing their combined wrath, Finn's expression remained perfectly calm. He shifted his stance, preparing to draw his weapon.

Only he didn't summon his rapier. He didn't call upon his massive four-sided axe.

Instead, Finn's hand clamped down hard around Gray's ankle. Effortlessly hoisting the unconscious Ice Mage off the ground, Finn swung his newest, human-sized club directly into the charging Dragon Slayers!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!