(BGM suggestion: "Erza vs Erza")
Magic surged in waves, colliding with thunderous intensity. The violent winds stirred by the clash howled across the battlefield, tearing up grass, scattering gravel, and lifting clouds of dust into the air. It felt as if even the earth itself was ready to split.
Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the storm of power settled.
With a flash of light, Erza launched forward her standard armor gleaming under the sun. She held her sword at the ready, cutting through the remaining gusts with swift, fluid motion. Every step was decisive. Clean. Sharp.
Chase didn't move.
A faint magical circle rotated at his fingertips. In one motion, he flicked a card forward. It sparkled mid-air with white light before bursting open.
From within the light, a figure leapt out tall and graceful, clad in shining silver armor, wielding a gleaming sword in her left hand and a deep crimson shield in her right. Her landing was precise, her stance unshakable, and she stood directly in Erza's path, her blade raised without hesitation.
Clang!
The moment their swords met, sparks scattered like fireworks.
"A summoned spirit?!" Lucy blinked.
"No... that's " " The Queen's Knight!" someone from the crowd shouted, recognizing the armored woman holding off Erza.
"How fitting," Levy murmured. "Knight versus Knight."
"Smart move, Chase. Since Erza's magic is Requip-based armor and sword combat, sending out a knight of your own to match her head-on... that's textbook counterplay," Macao commented, nodding approvingly.
"Queen's Knight, huh?" Erza narrowed her eyes as she pushed against the opposing blade, testing the summoned warrior's strength. "Your power's not the same as before."
The Queen's Knight responded with a calm smile. "That's because Master's magic has grown stronger, Lady Erza."
"Then how about this!"
Without warning, Erza's left hand flashed with magic. She drew a second sword from her Requip dimension and brought it swinging in a wide arc aimed straight at the Queen's Knight's exposed side.
Reacting instantly, the Queen's Knight raised her crimson shield in defense.
But It was a feint.
Erza twisted her body mid-swing. Instead of striking with the sword, she lifted her right leg and drove a powerful kick into the Queen's Knight's abdomen.
Thud! The blow rang out with a heavy thump. Though the Queen's Knight's armor absorbed some of the impact, Erza roared and pressed her strength through, forcing her opponent to stagger backward. Her boots dug into the earth, pushing the Queen's Knight several steps back before she could stabilize.
Sensing an opening, Erza reversed her grip on one of her swords and prepared to charge again.
But then
She froze.
Her battle instincts flared. Something was coming fast.
A golden flash dropped from above like a comet, casting a sharp shadow over her head. The next attack had already begun.
Boom!
A thunderous impact struck from above, splitting the ground open as dust and debris shot skyward. Rocks flew in all directions, and thick smoke quickly spread across the battlefield.
Within the swirling haze, Erza flipped backward several times, her movements smooth and practiced. Landing in a low stance, she raised her sword and locked eyes with the figures emerging from the smoke.
From within, golden light gleamed.
Standing tall in radiant gold armor, a muscular warrior stepped forward, sword in one hand and shield in the other, taking his place beside the Queen's Knight.
Erza's sharp gaze narrowed. "Queen's Knight. King's Knight… then next must be…"
Behind the two knights, Chase held up another glowing card.
A flash of white light erupted.
And just as Erza predicted, a third figure appeared a younger knight, graceful and poised, dressed in ornate armor. The Prince's Knight.
Because once Chase summons both the Queen and King Knights, he can summon the Prince Knight without expending a drop of extra magic power.
Erza sighed quietly, her grip tightening.
"If all three are on the field, then this armor won't cut it."
Having fought against the trio before, she knew them well their formation, their rhythm, their deadliness.
Which is why…
"Requip Black Feather Armor!"
Crimson light burst around her as a magic circle spread beneath her feet. Her normal armor vanished in a flash, replaced by a sleeker, darker ensemble. Her new armor shimmered with a cold black sheen, the wings behind her shaped like those of a bat, feathered and powerful. Her ponytail flicked upward, sharp and defiant.
"Black Feather Moon Flash!"
With this armor, Erza's speed increased dramatically. Her figure blurred across the battlefield, a low-flying shadow streaking toward the three knights with astonishing velocity.
The Prince Knight, standing at the front, stepped forward with discipline. He raised his heavy shield, bracing himself for the clash.
But he had underestimated the Black Feather Armor's full power its devastating destructive potential.
CRACK!
Her black sword cleaved through the shield like paper. The massive guard shattered into shards that sparkled midair like broken glass.
At that very instant, danger closed in.
Blades glinted to her left and right the Queen Knight and the King Knight struck simultaneously, their blades slicing through the air with deadly precision, locking Erza in a triangle of death with no easy escape.
Yet
Erza didn't flinch.
She tapped the ground with her foot, launching herself upward in a high arc. While midair, magic circles lit up around her legs.
With a burst of power, her armored boots shifted transformed into two shining swords.
She crossed them mid-air and blocked both incoming strikes.
Clang!
A powerful explosion of force rippled through the area as steel met steel. Erza remained suspended for a brief second, wings spread wide, her expression calm and fierce.
Three summoned knights.
Three elite blades.
And the one woman standing against them all was Erza Scarlet.
Sparks flew as steel clashed against steel once more.
"Requip Flying Armor!"
A white light flashed across Erza's body as her gear shifted again. Her longsword vanished, replaced by lightweight leather boots that shimmered with agility-enhancing enchantments.
With her animal-ear-themed headpiece perched atop her head, Erza planted her feet atop the swords of both the Queen Knight and King Knight. In one swift, elegant motion, she vaulted into the sky, springing off their blades with explosive speed.
Powered by her Flying Armor, her figure turned into a streak of shadow as she darted past the three summoned knights.
Her target: Chase himself.
Having felt the subtle fluctuations of magical energy, Erza instantly realized Chase was chanting preparing a trap card.
As an S-Class mage in the same guild, she was well aware of the intricacies and vulnerabilities of card magic. She knew exactly how critical the moment before a card is activated can be. If she could close the distance quickly enough, she might be able to disrupt him before the trap could take effect.
The landscape blurred around her as she surged forward, magic flaring behind her.
Chase was directly ahead now.
She gritted her teeth and gripped her sword tightly, ready to strike
But just then, Chase calmly raised a card, holding it lightly between his fingers.
A pulse of dark energy burst from the ground.
Withered, yellowed bone wings unfurled from the swirling magic circle, and with a menacing roar, a massive, cursed dragon burst forth. Its twisted form surged up with terrifying speed, eyes glowing with malice. Flames flickered inside its gaping maw.
The Cursed Dragon.
Its jaws opened wide, and a swirling inferno of burning black fire surged forward right at Erza!
The flames washed over her like a tidal wave, utterly consuming her form in the air.
BOOOOOM!!
An explosive wave of heat tore across the plains, shaking the earth. Winds of scorching air howled out in every direction as flames licked the skies.
That was the Cursed Dragon's ultimate move
Hellfire!
"Erza?!" Lucy screamed, shielding her face with her arms as the heat reached even the distant crowd. Her heart pounded in fear as she stared into the blazing inferno.
Compared to the night they fought Lalabai, the duel-soul of Chase's card magic now felt even more terrifying more alive.
The summoned monsters, the spell chains, the seamless defense and counterattack he was on another level.
But even as Lucy trembled, a familiar calm voice sounded beside her.
"Don't worry, Lucy. Since it's a fire attack…"
Mira was smiling.
The reflection of firelight shimmered deep in her clear, beautiful eyes, and her expression remained completely calm.
The other Fairy Tail members were equally composed, their excitement steadily rising instead of fading.
Lucy found this hard to comprehend but the answer was displayed clearly by Erza's actions on the battlefield.
Whoosh!
A gleaming vertical slash carved cleanly through the raging sea of fire, splitting the hellish flames apart.
Standing proudly amidst the blaze, Erza now wore brilliant crimson armor. The Sword of Poseidon gleamed with a pale emerald hue in her grip the iconic blade of her Sea King Armor.
Her armor radiated resilience, unfazed by the heat that licked at her from all sides.
"Exactly!" Loki shouted from the crowd, his eyes sharp. "To counter fire-based attacks, she switched to Flame Empress Armor with high fire resistance. And to strike back, she's using the Sword of Poseidon it naturally suppresses fire!"
Perhaps because the battle was just too captivating, Loki didn't bother keeping his distance from Lucy this time.
"She can do that?" Lucy's eyes widened, filled with awe as she stared at Erza's glowing silhouette in the flames. Her understanding of magic combat was being torn apart and rebuilt.
"Just wait. This is only the beginning," Gray said quietly, his voice calm and steady.
As they spoke, the three summoned knights under Chase's command had already reformed their formation and were charging back at Erza in unison, weapons drawn and shields raised.
Erza closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, calmly syncing her breathing with the rhythm of the battlefield.
When those powerful eyes reopened, a magic circle spun at her back, and two pairs of white, wing-like blades burst forth.
"Requip Heaven's Wheel Armor!"
"Heaven's Wheel: Blinding Blade Dance!"
Blades flashed in a chaotic flurry sword lights crisscrossed the field like a storm. Four figures surged and clashed in the heart of battle.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A rapid barrage of crashes rang out as weapons splintered and armor shattered.
With expressions of admiration and respect, the three knightly spirits smiled just before their bodies scattered into shimmering points of light, gently fading into the sky.
Erza landed softly, breathing steadily. She glanced down at her hands. Both swords had been destroyed. Her armor, too, was cracked and crumbling from the impact.
But she smiled, quietly acknowledging her comrades' effort and then turned her gaze forward.
"Now... the next one is the Cursed Dragon."