Just as the battle between Kagura and Erza was about to ignite, Princess Jade and her two ministers were concluding their discussion within the illuminated halls of the castle.
"The facts have proven true, Princess. Everything the future person told you has come to pass. There's no need to hesitate anymore—quickly prepare for Eclipse Plan 2!" Defense Minister Daton urged anxiously.
"But, Your Highness, are you really going to abandon the original plan to defeat Zeref? Once this incident passes, who knows how long it will take for the Eclipse Gate to gather magic power again?" Arcadios, still reluctant to give up on the original plan, pleaded earnestly.
Princess Jade closed her eyes, deep in thought. After a moment of contemplation, she opened them again, her gaze firm.
With a heavy tone, she said, "No matter what, everything that person said has been verified. If Calvin's immense strength was the only thing, I might overlook it, but his ability to command seven summoned beasts, and the fact that one of them looks exactly like the creature from the photos of the Seven Deadly Sins, all point to one truth."
"Calvin is the leader of the dark guild, the Seven Deadly Sins."
"In fact, that person told me about today's matches in detail. He predicted that Calvin would single-handedly defeat the entire Sabertooth team, and now, that has come true. He also told me the outcomes of the other ongoing battles—the ones happening right now."
"We'll keep watching. If the results match what the future person said, I will not hesitate any longer. We'll proceed with the Eclipse Plan."
With that, Princess Jade made her stance clear, and both Arcadios and Daton fell silent, no longer arguing. They focused on the screen, following the remaining battles.
Arcadios, however, couldn't help but cast a worried glance at the screen. Knowing Princess Jade as he did, he realized her mind leaned toward the future person's words. She just needed one more push.
Well, whatever happens, I'll follow my ruler to the end, Arcadios thought.
...
Clang!
The sound of swords clashing echoed as the blades of the two skilled swordswomen collided, sparks flying. Their swift movements left traces of their blades barely visible to the naked eye, and each time the swords clashed, the sharp sound reverberated.
It was a thrilling, perfectly executed duel—between two women.
Kagura's long sword was already drawn, and her slender arms wielded it with incredible force. Each strike seemed powerful enough to split the sea, and every thrust seemed like it could pierce the stars.
Her swordsmanship was so fast that most couldn't even see when she drew her blade. Combined with the nearly unbeatable force of her strikes, it made people wonder if anything in the world could withstand her sword.
But there was something that could—the sword held by Erza. Despite Kagura's swift and decisive strikes, she had yet to break through Erza's defense.
Ezra blocked each of Kagura's attacks with perfect timing, and instead of using her usual impenetrable armor, she relied solely on the sword in her hand. Ezra wasn't wearing any armor at all.
Erza had considered using the Omega Armor that Calvin had given her. Still, after their brief exchange, she realized that no matter how strong that armor's defense was, it wouldn't hold up much better than a piece of paper against Kagura's blade.
Even the shockwaves from Kagura's strikes were powerful enough to flatten the surrounding buildings.
Erza had never encountered such a powerful swordswoman—not even Ikaruga from the Tower of Heaven could compare to Kagura's mastery of swordsmanship.
Kagura was thinking the same. She had never faced someone who could block all her sword strikes. While it seemed like she had the upper hand, Kagura knew Erza was simply biding her time, waiting for the right moment to counterattack. When Erza did strike, it would be with overwhelming force.
Kagura couldn't help but think, As expected of Erza, her strength is truly unfathomable!
Simon's sister, huh? She's far more formidable than her brother, Erza thought with a smile, feeling both the thrill of facing a worthy opponent and a sense of pride in seeing how far Kagura had come.
As their swords clashed again, the explosion of sound was louder than expected, sending shockwaves in all directions like a violent storm. The two stood face-to-face, swords between them, gazing at each other with mutual respect.
"You're incredible, Kagura. You're far stronger than I imagined," Erza said, her tone filled with admiration.
"You're the truly incredible one, Erza. You haven't even changed into your armor, which means you're still holding back," Kagura replied softly.
Ezra shook her head and said, "You're mistaken. I've been fighting with my full strength from the start. Don't underestimate yourself—you're incredibly strong. Simon was lucky to have you as a sister."
"Erza… you'd want someone like me as a sister?" Kagura murmured, dazed by Erza's words.
"We could keep going like this forever. Let's finish this with one final blow!" Ezra shouted, stepping back and gripping her sword with both hands, ready to strike.
Still caught up in Erza's earlier words, Kagura was momentarily lost in thought. But her battle-hardened instincts made her body automatically take a defensive stance.
Naturally, Erza believed Kagura was ready.
With that, she charged forward, bringing her sword down.
As the blade neared her, Kagura snapped out of her daze, but it was too late to react fully. The sword cut shallowly across her body, and blood sprayed into the air.
"Are you alright, Kagura?" Ezra asked in a panic, rushing to catch her before she fell.
Fortunately, Erza had sensed something was wrong and held back most of her power at the last moment. Kagura only suffered a superficial wound and wasn't seriously hurt. Otherwise, in her state, she might have been split in two.
But being held so closely by Erza caused Kagura's heart to race uncontrollably. Her face flushed, the redness spreading to her ears and neck.
Unaware of Kagura's inner turmoil, Erza, still worried, pressed her forehead to Kagura's, checking for a fever in the way one might check for illness.
Suddenly, Kagura found herself face-to-face with her idol at an impossibly close distance. Their gazes met, and the unexpected intimacy caused Kagura's heart to pound wildly.
Unable to handle the emotional overload, Kagura's eyes rolled back, and she fainted.
And so, the battle between Kagura and Erza ended with the Fairy Queen victorious.
However, the victor herself, as well as the audience, found the outcome quite puzzling.
Watching from the outskirts of Crocus, Ultear couldn't help but quip, "Jellal, your rivals sure are something else…"
Author's Note: I must clarify: Kagura is a soft girl—a soft girl!