Erza and Jura formed a tag-team dynamic, one taking the lead in offense and the other anchoring the defense. Longswords and solid rock dominated the battlefield. Despite this being their first time working together, they fought with an uncanny synchronicity—every strike and block was perfectly timed, filling the gaps in each other's defense with pinpoint precision.
Natsu and Gray acted as the vanguard, their fire and ice magic tearing through the field from two separate flanks. Lyon and Ichiya followed close behind, acting as support to fill any openings in Erza's assault. When their magic unleashed, the collective power was awe-inspiring, a thunderous display of force.
While the fire and ice magic surged forward, Ichiya inhaled a cloud of his specialized scent, his body swelling until he transformed into a three-meter-tall, muscle-bound giant.
"Power Perfume!"
Watching from the back, Lucy couldn't help but mutter a critique: "I mean, he looks strong, but why does it have to be so gross..."
Grumbling aside, she unclipped the whip from her waist and charged forward with the others.
The rest of the group, Lucy included, played a tactical support role in this round. Ren's air magic, Eve's snow magic, and Sherry's marionette strikes—while individually not the strongest—provided crucial interference and cover.
Their primary objective: protect Hibiki as he approached "Nirvana," allowing him to use his "Archive" magic to find a way to shut the damn thing down!
"You're not going to step in?" Jellal asked, walking up to Brain's side. "They won't hold out forever."
Brain didn't answer. He simply watched the chaos unfold.
The battle reignited, but this time, the matchups shifted. What followed was a magical duel of epic proportions.
"Fire Dragon's... Wing Attack!"
"Liquid Ground!"
Searing flames met churning earth, but the collision was quieter than fire hitting water. Though Natsu's future flames would be hot enough to melt solid bedrock, for now, he faced the classic newcomer's struggle: he had to take a hit and get a feel for the enemy's magic before he could adjust.
Puff!
Smothering fire with dirt is a tactic as old as time. With a soft hiss, the flames were snuffed out, leaving nothing but a thin trail of white smoke to be swept away by the wind from the moving earth.
Refusing to back down, Natsu cranked up his mana output. His Fire Dragon Slayer magic roared to life once more: "Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!!"
The magic in his left and right hands merged into one. The crimson fire intensified, tearing through the encroaching earth like a hot knife through butter as it hurtled toward the enemy.
However, Midnight—who had been dozing off on his flying carpet—suddenly drifted in front of the blast.
The scorching flames, capable of incinerating anything they touched, hit an invisible wall three meters in front of him. They took a sharp 90-degree turn, flying off into the distance and slamming into the ground, leaving behind a massive, charred crater.
Natsu stared in confusion. "What gives? Why can't I hit him?"
"Natsu! Leave the earth-user to us! Go help the others!"
"Damn it!"
Natsu didn't want to give up his opponent, but the shouts of his comrades drew his attention. Gritting his teeth, he turned and ran toward the rear.
"Ice-Make: Lance!" Gray roared, slamming his fist into his palm.
Beside him, Lyon mimicked the stance: "Ice-Make... Tiger, Ape, Dragon!"
Whoosh! Crackle!
Three massive ice beasts, supported by a barrage of ice weaponry, formed a dense, layered arctic assault that blanketed the enemies.
On the left, waves of mud surged; on the right, a blizzard of ice flowed. It was a clash of ice and earth—a collision of the rigid and the fluid.
Facing thousands of ice weapons and three ferocious beasts, Hoteye finally started to take things seriously. "You all... aren't wealthy enough, so you aren't strong enough!"
Gray let out a laugh as he retorted, "You know... if Kira were here, he'd actually agree with you 100%!"
Hoteye's expression shifted into a half-smile. "Is that so? It seems there are enlightened people even in the light guilds!"
"Oh, definitely," Gray continued. "And then he'd kick your ass, citing the reason that you aren't wealthy enough, so you aren't strong enough!"
Ice blades and shifting earth reached a stalemate. As they collided again, the air was filled with a shower of gray dust and transparent ice shards. The more the mud swirled, the tighter it packed; the more the ice crystals tumbled, the larger and sharper they became.
"If he could truly do that, then he must be a very rich man!" Hoteye was clearly intrigued by this 'Kira' Gray kept mentioning and seemed keen on chatting more.
The comment actually stumped Gray for a second. Damn it! I literally can't argue with that logic...
That split second of distraction was all Hoteye needed. With a flick of his will, two waves of earth surged from both sides, pinning Gray down.
"Crap!"
Fortunately, the nearby Ice Dragon lunged, its massive jaws swallowing the mud attacks and grinding them to nothing.
"What are you doing?!" Lyon barked. "Keep your head in the game!"
Gray, never one to give an inch verbally, shouted back, "I don't need you telling me that!"
On another part of the field, Angel had ordered Gemini to transform into Gray. They crept up behind Erza, preparing for a backstab. But as soon as they raised their hands, a silver flash of a blade sliced them right down the middle.
Gemini couldn't withstand the force. With a poof, they vanished into smoke and reverted to their original form.
"What?!"
The failed ambush left Angel stunned. "How did you know?!"
"Duh, I'm not an idiot," Erza said, rolling her eyes. "The real Gray wouldn't let himself get cut in half by a single swing."
Angel felt like her entire worldview was being challenged. She looked at Erza with pure confusion. "But... you only know that after you cut him! You didn't even know if it was the real one or not and you just swung? Aren't you supposed to be friends?!"
Erza parried a wave of mud coming from her side. After a brief silence, she said, "Well... as long as I cut the right one, it's fine."
Angel: "..."
Clang!
A sharp, metallic ring echoed near Angel's ear, snapping her back to reality.
"Don't space out!" Racer kicked away a white blade that was about to strike Angel, leaving his teammate with a cool view of his back. "This is 'Titania' Erza! She's not like those losers we usually fight!"
He knew Erza specialized in weapon combat, which made her a bad matchup for him. He decided to lead Angel to hunt the others, leaving the most troublesome enemy to Cobra.
Cobra was the only one who could stall Erza for now.
His "Hearing" magic allowed him to eavesdrop on Erza's inner thoughts and movements. He could prepare in advance and dodge her strikes with the same effortless grace as a master of "Observation Haki."
The moment they engaged, it became a rhythmic cycle of attack and evasion. Their movements were so fluid that the close-quarters combat looked less like a fight and more like a choreographed dance.
Erza quickly realized how formidable her opponent was and immediately shifted her strategy. I guess it's time to test those sword techniques I learned from Dispel...
With her mind set, the edge of her dual blades seemed to dim slightly. But when she moved again, her speed increased by 30%, and her power surged by 70%!
Ever since Erza had picked up "a few" pointers from Dispel, her swordsmanship had reached a new breakthrough. Her overall strength had spiked, making her even more dangerous in a melee.
The sudden shift in her style caught Cobra off guard. So fast! And the power is insane! I've never heard a sword style this sharp or this strong!
Every slash was blindingly fast; every gust of wind from her blades was lethal. One wrong move and he'd be losing a limb.
Cobra didn't dare hold back. He focused intently on listening to Erza's heart, cold sweat dripping down his face as he ducked and weaved. Even if I can hear her thoughts, I barely have time to react. And her swordsmanship is weird!
The movement of her blade is so pure! It's like she's not even thinking—she's moving on muscle memory alone. She only decides the direction and power of the strike a millisecond before it happens. There's no mental noise for me to track. No wonder Brain holds her in such high regard...
Because Erza's experiences had been slightly different in this world, the battle was now veering far away from the original script.
Erza hadn't been bitten by the poisonous snake Cubellios. Instead, she was relentlessly hounding Cobra, maintaining the upper hand without breaking a sweat!
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