After the Tower of Heaven incident, the identity of "Jellal" became a wanted target by the Magic Council. To avoid unnecessary trouble, Mystogan specifically asked the guild to keep his identity under wraps. Otherwise, the Council might send people to tail him just because of his face.
Everyone agreed without hesitation, including Kira and Dispel, though the latter had already subtly woven hints of it into his novels.
Without explicitly revealing his identity, ordinary folks had no clue what Mystogan looked like. Even his magic was only revealed yesterday, and people thought that was the extent of his power. But after watching Gray and Cana's match earlier, the clueless spectators felt their entire understanding of magic shift, sparking intense curiosity about the true strength of Erza and Mystogan, Fairy Tail's two S-Class wizards.
On the stage, Erza looked at Mystogan, her tone earnest. "I'm really looking forward to our fight today!"
Mystogan paused for two seconds before replying, "If I recall, we already clashed yesterday."
Erza shook her head. "Yesterday didn't settle anything, and for whatever reason, you didn't go all out."
"I'm not interested in pointless fights," Mystogan said. "You probably noticed yesterday—my magic doesn't affect you much. If I could, I'd just forfeit."
"That's a shame. The rules don't allow surrendering like that," Erza said, a slight smirk curling her lips. "With all these people watching, giving up would disappoint them, wouldn't it? Plus, the Guild Master might give you an earful later."
Mystogan nodded silently, conceding the point. If he threw in the towel, the crowd might start yelling for refunds, and Fairy Tail's reputation could take a hit. That'd be a big mess on his hands.
"You've been running around for years, caught up in Edolas' schemes. This is a rare chance—why not cut loose for once?" Erza's words carried a challenge, her easy smile and light tone masking the fiery battle lust burning inside her.
It's a rare opportunity, so let's fight with everything we've got!
In all of Fairy Tail, Mystogan had never had a proper, no-holds-barred fight with anyone. The closest was yesterday's match, but they'd held back, and the tournament rules kept it from being a true brawl.
"Guess I've got no choice," Mystogan sighed, drawing a magic staff from behind his back and planting it in front of him, his eyes locking onto Erza.
"The third match of the Fairy Tail Magic Tournament quarterfinals: Erza vs. Mystogan—begin!"
"Wooooh!"
As Dispel announced the start, the crowd erupted, and the two fighters kicked things off with a clash of sword and staff.
"Requip: Black Wing Armor!"
Erza donned her sleek, black armor, moving like the wind as she sped across half the stage, her Black Wing Sword slashing toward Mystogan.
Clang!
Mystogan angled his staff to block, effortlessly parrying the incoming strike.
His hands didn't tremble, his stance didn't waver, and his eyes remained calm and steady. The seemingly wooden staff hid a core of iron-hard mineral, and as he blocked, a spell activated. "Dream Mirage!"
Normally, Mystogan used Mistfall Slumber to put guildmates to sleep when he entered the guildhall. Dream Mirage was even stronger, but today, his usually foolproof sleep magic failed for the first time.
Prepared for it, Erza steeled her mind and willpower, resisting the invisible spell's pull. Her bat-like armor granted her high-speed flight, and she zipped behind Mystogan, her sword slashing upward from below.
"Using movement to fight off drowsiness? Impressive!"
Fighting Mystogan had its perks—he'd sincerely compliment any move you pulled, polite as ever.
Erza, caught off guard by the praise mid-battle, thought, No wonder he's a prince—so refined… Wait, is that why he avoids fighting? So he doesn't have to talk?
Her sneak attack didn't land. Mystogan, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, read her move perfectly without turning. He swung his staff backward, striking the flat of her sword to deflect it, while his other hand drew a second staff, aiming for Erza's head.
"Getting distracted in a fight? That's not like you," he said.
Up close, Erza realized just how formidable Mystogan was. His familiar voice stirred memories of Jellal, shaking her focus and weakening her swing. Then, his two strikes came from tricky angles—bottom left and top right—challenging even her battle-hardened instincts.
But Erza quickly regained her composure. Pressing her left hand to the ground, she flipped sideways, dodging both staffs in a near-impossible maneuver. She landed, thrusting her sword into the ground to halt her momentum, her movements fluid and practiced, not a breath out of place, as if she'd drilled it thousands of times.
"Sorry about that," she said, looking up with a serious glint in her eye. "From now on, I'm getting serious!"
"That was incredible! This is what an S-Class fight looks like—speed, reflexes, attacks, and dodges all on another level! Nothing like the magic-and-effects bombardment we saw earlier!" Dispel shouted.
"Hey, you didn't say that about the last match!" someone in the crowd yelled.
"Making moves that thrilling? Erza truly lives up to her 'Fairy Queen' title!"
The crowd buzzed with awe, but on the stage, the fight didn't pause for a second.
Mystogan crossed his two staffs in front of him, speaking softly. "Dance of the Maple!"
His low voice carried an almost hypnotic power, drawing in the audience. Countless crimson maple leaves swirled from a magic circle, scattering across the arena as a gentle breeze carried them everywhere.
It was early summer, but the scene felt like deep autumn—cool, crisp, with fading flowers and dancing maple leaves. A serene, carefree calm washed over the crowd, urging them to drop everything and lose themselves in the endless sea of leaves.
"What is this?!" Dispel shouted, reveling in the moment. "This is a spell Mystogan's never shown before! Look at that beauty! These crimson leaves make me feel like it's autumn…"
Except for a few with strong mental fortitude, the audience forgot their earlier excitement, letting go of all thoughts to bask in the tranquil scene, murmuring, "So beautiful…"
Even some Fairy Tail members fell under the spell, entranced by the illusory Dance of the Maple.
Kira watched, nodding approvingly. "That's some high-quality magic. Only Mystogan could pull it off. His talent for this stuff is unreal."
Glancing at the dazed Lucy, Natsu, and others, he thought, If I snuck in a punch right now, they probably wouldn't even snap out of it…
Clang!
A sword's cry shattered the illusion, ringing through the arena! Erza's twin blades tore through the mirage, kicking up dust as she launched herself at Mystogan in a low, rapid flight.
The crowd snapped awake, the maple leaves vanishing as if they'd never existed.
"What was that magic?"
"Some kind of illusion spell… I totally forgot we were watching a match!"
"I swear I saw a beautiful girl waving at me…"
"Don't get me started—I was holding her hand, then woke up and it was all fake…"
The audience chattered, their eyes returning to Mystogan on the stage, knowing he'd cast the illusion.
One spectator stared at Mystogan's staffs, muttering, "I can't wait to see what other magic he's got…"
The person next to them rolled their eyes. "You're excited about the magic? Sure, buddy, I won't call you out."
"I'm gonna learn magic too!"
"…"