Blade light scattered across the earth, now covered in clean, smooth cuts. A dragon and a human faced each other across the battlefield.
The biting, chilling wind lifted crimson hair. Erza, clad in Exodia Armor and wielding the Purity Robe's twin blades, bore the glowing God Slayer Seals of Slifer and Obelisk on her forehead, lending her sharp eyes an air of valiant grace.
Across from her, a proud dragon stood tall.
Unlike ordinary dragons, this one seemed forged from refined steel. Its scales shimmered with a silver-white metallic luster. Its horns were long and sharp, like twin lances. Its gray-black wings were lined with jagged bone protrusions. Its claws were several times longer than a normal dragon's, gleaming like ten swords. The flail-like tip of its thick tail stirred fierce winds with each swing.
Its name was Nidhogg the Sword Armor Dragon. Its claws, fangs, wings, and tail were all natural killing weapons. Even in this dragon-dominated land, it was among the strongest!
"I never expected weak humans to have such magical swords."
Nidhogg looked down at Erza, its claw-blades scraping together with a sharp, piercing sound.
It had thought this would be like all the other so-called human "strong ones" it had encountered—easily cut to pieces. But after a brief exchange, it recognized Erza's power and grew intensely interested in this human who could seamlessly switch between full sets of equipment.
"Tell me. In that world over there, how many strong ones like you are there?" Nidhogg asked in a low voice.
"Strong ones like me?"
Erza paused, then shook her head with a smile. "Though I no longer need armor to hide my weakness, I'm still far from deserving the title 'strong.'"
She had never considered herself strong. In many ways, even Natsu surpassed her.
If Chase hadn't dismantled the Tower of Paradise and given her unlimited peace of mind, she would probably still be the fragile person who lacked the courage to take off her armor.
Nidhogg didn't understand Erza's state of mind, but it could clearly tell that this human woman wasn't lying. The look in her eyes couldn't be faked.
"Interesting! Very interesting!"
This discovery excited the dragon, which admired strength and despised weakness. "Then that world beyond the gate is one I absolutely must visit!"
The moment the words left its mouth, the Sword Armor Dragon raised its head in a roar and swung its massive right arm, unleashing several giant slashes at Erza.
Like a quenched blade cutting through ice, the slashes carved through the ground at incredible speed.
Erza's gaze sharpened. She swung her twin blades rapidly, deflecting, parrying, and knocking away the incoming slashes!
The previous exchange had also given her a clear understanding of this dragon's fierce and sharp attack patterns.
SHING SHING SHING.
The slashes struck the distance, effortlessly cleaving through standing hills—a terrifying display of power.
But having perfectly neutralized all attacks, Erza dared not relax. A Requip circle bloomed beneath her feet. Her twin blades transformed into the paired Exodia shields, flowing with divine power.
Almost the moment the shields locked together, metallic dragon wings tore through the air with a gale.
Nidhogg crossed dozens of meters in an instant. Its claw-blades converged into a massive piercing lance, thrusting down with violent force!
BOOM!
The strike was comparable to the Magic Condensation Cannon Jupiter. Though it didn't pierce the divine power-reinforced shields, the sheer force of the dragon sent Erza flying backward, smashing through countless trees and rocks!
Nidhogg beat its wings, its dragon eyes locked on the airborne Erza. Just as it prepared to deliver a finishing blow, the light of Requip Magic flashed.
The Sea Emperor Sword, Lightning Empress Lance, Purgatory Greatsword, Flame Empress Sword—
Dozens of high-grade magical weapons materialized around Nidhogg, forming a net that completely sealed its movement.
Every weapon's surface flowed with crimson and deep blue light!
Nidhogg's pupils contracted. Its broad back arched. Its silver-white wings folded. It entered a tense defensive posture.
It sensed danger from the divine power imbued in those weapons.
"Heaven's Wheel: Divine Entangling Sword Rain!"
Erza, now in Heaven's Wheel Armor, raised her sword and swung. The floating weapons trembled violently, streaking through the air in arcs of light, raining down on Nidhogg.
Nidhogg let out a low growl. Its claws wreathed in magic, its tail whipping wildly, it fought off the sword rain with brutal, draconic ferocity.
CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!
Sparks flew. Weapons shot out from the storm, scattering haphazardly across the surrounding ground.
With its terrifying physical performance and species advantage, Nidhogg had blocked every attack in seconds.
ROAR!
As the final greatsword spun away, the dragon crouched low, transforming into a massive, ready-to-strike blade that stirred fierce winds.
This was Nidhogg's signature killing move—a single strike capable of piercing mountains!
At the same time, Erza planted her feet on a broken rock to halt her momentum. Facing the true "Sword Armor Dragon's Sword Horn," she dared not be careless.
Dark golden light blazed. The Exodia Armor covered her once more. The Clear Heart Armor's twin swords crackled with light and lightning, gathering immense magic power.
Inspired by Dark Magician of Chaos and the Chaos Soldier, Erza raised both swords and merged them before her, perfectly combining the opposing light and dark attributes of the two armors. A chaotic halo surrounded her.
The broken rock shattered under the explosive force of her legs. Using that recoil, she charged fearlessly toward the poised Nidhogg.
"Chaos Demon God: Clear Heart Light Particle Sword!!"
Seeing the tiny human swordsman not only refuse to flee but charge head-on, Nidhogg roared in fury and shot forward with savage momentum.
Dragon and human crossed the distance in an instant, colliding with overwhelming force.
BOOM!!!
The explosion was deafening. A shockwave of annihilation spread in all directions, erasing everything within a kilometer!
After the massive blast, Erza flipped out of the rolling smoke and landed smoothly.
By now, the Clear Heart Light Particle Sword had shattered. The Exodia Armor, made of special materials, had exploded off her, revealing the black bodysuit underneath.
"Even the Exodia Armor couldn't hold up..." Erza adjusted her ragged breathing and looked ahead with a grave sigh.
Across from her, the dragon's imposing figure emerged from the smoke.
"Even with power far beyond ordinary individuals, humans are still humans. They can never match—"
Huh?!
Nidhogg strode forward confidently, but before it could finish, its expression shifted dramatically.
A crack rang out. The steel-like armor scales on its shoulder and back had split, crimson dragon blood seeping through.
"It seems you aren't unbeatable either," Erza said with a raised smile, switching to her crisis-only chest wrap (Purity Robe).
Nidhogg's expression darkened, but it didn't deny it. "I did underestimate you."
Due to slight genetic differences, it couldn't unleash magical roars like ordinary dragons.
Instead, it possessed an exceptionally developed, powerful physical body.
Its defense rivaled Asoubit the Rock Soul Dragon's, and its combat instincts were unmatched—a true "close-quarters warrior."
And yet this human had still pierced its scale defense. That meant her attack power exceeded that of ordinary dragons!
So Nidhogg set aside all its prejudices against humans, deciding to treat Erza as a fellow "dragon."
The cold wind swept across the silent battlefield, carrying a heavy tension.
But just as both sides, having gauged each other's strength, were about to engage in an even fiercer battle—
A crashing sound came from above. A massive shadow fell. A pitch-black dragon with curved demonic horns landed behind Erza, kicking up a cloud of dust.
A dragon had crashed the fight!
Both Nidhogg and Erza were startled.
Nidhogg reacted first, its voice filled with pity. "Your luck has run out."
Though it didn't recognize this newcomer or know why it was here, since it was a dragon, it was a "comrade" from the same faction.
In a one-on-one fight, victory might have been uncertain. But two against one—the human would surely fall!
Without a word, the black demon dragon opened its massive maw at Erza, gathering a terrifying energy orb deep in its throat.
Erza braced for trouble, raising her sword to counterattack—but then she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure on the dragon's back and stopped.
In that brief moment, the demon dragon's roar was ready.
The energy breath tore through space, passing directly over Erza's head and heading straight for Nidhogg!
The sudden turn was too fast for Nidhogg to react. Its armored body was pushed back by the breath, finally exploding into a small mushroom cloud of fire at the end!
As one of the stronger dragons, it somehow survived the impact. It slashed through the fire curtain with its tail, charging back bloodied.
"You damned creature! Which side are you on?!" Nidhogg roared in fury.
"On the side of my partner, who is also my lovely rival~"
The reply came as a sweet yet chilly laugh—one clearly not from the demon dragon.
Nidhogg jerked its head up to see a woman standing on the demon dragon's back, one who was both human and demon.
Her white hair stood high beneath curved demon horns. Satan wings slowly unfurled. Her figure was tiny compared to the dragon beneath her, yet she radiated the majestic aura of a Demon King Dragon Knight!
"Mira, it's you!" Erza's face lit up with joy.
"Oh my, sorry Erza. It took a while to demonize this big guy." Demon King Mirajane tilted her head with a smile.
When she'd charged through the Eclipse Gate with the main force, her goal had been clear: use the large number of enemies to fully leverage her Demon King Take Over, controlling surrounding beasts and monsters for large-scale group battles.
Unfortunately, the creatures of this primeval forest seemed to have sensed the coming danger and fled early.
So she had settled for a dragon weakened by the Thunder Force Rain—and that was how they'd arrived at this scene.
"Demonization..."
Nidhogg's face was a mask of disbelief. "You mean you controlled and dominated a dragon?!"
In this era, that should have been absolutely impossible for humans!
"That's right. Of course, it's also thanks to my boyfriend's help~" Demon King Mirajane pointed to the glowing God Seal on her forehead.
With her current magic power alone, demonizing and controlling a real dragon would have been difficult.
Even with all the buffs, one was her limit.
"Boyfriend?!" Nidhogg, a single dragon, was utterly confused and burning with rage.
Erza's face flushed crimson. That Mira! Couldn't she be more mindful of the occasion?!
She didn't have that thick skin.
"Quite the mess you've made, Nidhogg. Being cornered by two humans."
As they spoke, another dragon descended, landing beside Nidhogg.
Its scales shimmered with rainbow-like brilliance. Its wings were ethereal and translucent, like Atlas Flame's, showing only a rough outline rather than a solid form.
The balance shifted again—from one-versus-two to two-versus-two.
"Methpheon? Weren't you going after the human man who appeared first?" Nidhogg identified the newcomer.
Its name was Methpheon the Illusion Dragon!
"No chance. Someone who can brawl with Bahamut isn't the kind of human we know—he's a complete monster," Methpheon said with a shake of its head.
Nidhogg imagined that scene for a moment, then nodded firmly. "Indeed. Not human."
Brawling with their king, Bahamut the Nether Dragon King? Impossible for a human!
"Even if you're enemies, insulting Chase like that will make me angry," Demon King Mirajane said, her eyes narrowing.
Despite her words, the smile on her face revealed her pride and satisfaction. Even dragons fear my boyfriend's power!
"Mira, let's fight together for the first time in a while!" Erza raised her sword, pointing it at the two dragons.
Chase was fighting hard. As his girlfriend, she wanted to show her best, gain combat experience, and grow stronger—at least enough not to fall too far behind.
So she had to defeat these two powerful dragons.
Mirajane shared the same thought. Rarely, she too felt her blood burning. "You're on!"
ROAR!!
As the demon dragon roared to the heavens, the fierce battle between the Fairy Queen, the Demon Dragon Rider, and the Armor Dragon and Illusion Dragon erupted in full force!
***
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