The first test ended, and Cana and Laxus left the center of the arena together.
After returning to where the guild members were watching, Laxus snorted coldly, "Hmph, how boring." With that, he tilted his head, his expression dripping with disdain for the entire proceeding.
"The second assessment begins now: Mirajane versus Erza." Master Makarov didn't pay attention to the difficult S-Class Mage. As soon as he and Cana left the arena, he immediately announced the next match.
Following the Master's announcement, Mirajane, wearing a confident and slightly vengeful smile, walked to the center of the arena with Erza. Facing each other from a distance of over ten meters, Mirajane stopped and provoked her rival, "Hmph, Erza, today I will definitely get my revenge from last time."
"Last time?" Erza was momentarily stunned, then retorted with a confident sneer, "Give up on such fantasies. Things from dreams cannot be realized in reality."
"You really dare to say that, Erza." After Mirajane activated her Take Over: Satan Soul, her form shifting to a more demonic appearance, she pointed a finger at Erza and said arrogantly, "Today I'm going to make you cry."
"Then you can try, Mirajane." Not to be outdone, Erza's armor also changed in a flash of light, completing her requip in an instant. She now stood ready in one of her many powerful armors.
At this moment, seeing that both of them were ready, Master Makarov, standing at the edge, immediately announced loudly, "The second assessment, Mirajane versus Erza, begins!"
As the Master's words fell, the two titans of Fairy Tail simultaneously rushed towards each other, their movement a blur of speed. Much like in their usual skirmishes, Mirajane did not immediately condense magic power in her hands, and Erza did not initially draw a weapon. As the two closed the distance, they immediately raised their hands and interlocked their fingers, beginning a test of raw physical strength.
"Eh? I thought the assessment would be different, but I didn't expect them to be the same as usual." While watching Mirajane and Erza fight in the arena, Gray's voice suddenly rang out beside Statiw.
Turning his head, Statiw said in surprise, "Eh? Gray? When did you get back? I didn't see you before the assessment started."
"I just got back." Gray kept his eyes locked on the center of the arena. "There was a small problem with my mission, so I stayed two extra days to complete it. I rushed back as fast as I could." He then added, "Oh right, I just heard the Master say it's the second assessment. Has Cana finished hers? What was the result?"
"Hmm~." Statiw organized his thoughts slightly. "The result wasn't very good. Cana was defeated by Laxus after a very short exchange. As for becoming an S-Class Mage this time, I don't think it's very likely. The strength she demonstrated, while clever, was completely insufficient to contend with an active S-Class Mage."
"Is that so? What a pity." Gray said very calmly after hearing Statiw's words. He understood Cana's strength well and wasn't surprised by the outcome. This was the view shared by most in the guild, including Cana herself.
Just as the two were chatting, in the center of the arena, Mirajane suddenly shouted, "Take this!" Then, in the next second, she leveraged her weight, leaning back and falling to the ground, using the momentum to kick Erza, who was locked in the struggle with her, high into the air.
After being launched skyward, Erza did not show weakness. She immediately requipped into her Heaven's Wheel Armor. The armor featured angelic metal wings on its back, composed of numerous swords, which allowed for flight. It also granted the ability to magically control and project these swords at enemies from a distance.
Now clad in the Heaven's Wheel Armor, Erza held a longsword in her hand while several others floated and spun around her. As she fiercely pointed her sword toward Mirajane, the floating blades instantly transformed into streaks of light and shot downward. At the same time, she herself dove behind the projected swords, rushing towards Mirajane and shouting, "You're the one who's going down!"
Mirajane, seeing Erza requip on the ground, had already anticipated the attack. She moved with incredible speed and grace, her hands a blur as she gently stroked the air or delivered precise kicks and punches, either dodging or parrying every single projected sword; not one managed to land a clean hit.
However, Erza had also known that Mirajane would be prepared. After all, the two were so familiar that they could predict each other's movements perfectly. This battle was less about trickery and more a pure competition of fundamental qualities: strength, speed, stamina, and sheer fighting will. Therefore, Erza's goal wasn't to trick Mirajane but to overwhelm her with force and speed.
The strategy worked momentarily. Although Erza struck with the blade, Mirajane's demonically enhanced durability and protective magic power turned the sharp cut into a powerful, blunt impact, smashing Mirajane back.
After being sent into the air, Mirajane flipped mid-air, and a pair of large, leathery bat wings instantly unfurled from her back, halting her momentum. She then brought her hands to her waist, condensing a sphere of ominous black magic power between them. With a cold smile, she shouted at Erza, "Now take this!"
In the next second, the condensed black energy fired like a magical cannon blast, directly engulfing Erza's position on the ground. The explosion kicked up a huge cloud of dust and debris. However, as the smoke cleared, Erza was revealed holding a massive, ornate shield in front of her, having successfully blocked the full force of Mirajane's attack. She had also deftly deflected a subsequent diving kick from Mirajane, who had followed her blast.
After sliding back a considerable distance on the ground, Erza stabilized herself, and the situation once again returned to a tense standoff.
The entire series of offensive and defensive exchanges happened breathtakingly fast. To those with slightly weaker perception, it was merely a blur of movement, glimpses of a struggle between two powerhouses. Yet, what was truly shocking was that in the next moment, Erza made a proposal to Mirajane: "That's enough warming up. Can we start getting serious now?"
"What—?!" A collective gasp went through the crowd. Everyone who had thought the display of power was already terrifying now realized the two combatants had merely been testing the waters.
"Hey, hey, hey, Statiw. Are Mirajane and Erza really that terrifying?" Gray, who had also heard Erza's words, now had beads of nervous sweat on his forehead as he sought confirmation. On the other side, Natsu was also profusely sweating, uncharacteristically quiet.
"I'm not entirely sure about Erza's full capabilities," Statiw admitted, "but Mirajane indeed has an even more powerful and terrifying transformation that she hasn't used yet. The power of that form is extremely formidable; from what I understand, if she's not careful, its power could risk devastating Magnolia itself." He then speculated, "However, Erza has, after all, been Mirajane's rival for years. I think she must also possess power capable of matching even that."
Ignoring the conversation between Statiw and Gray, Mirajane simply nodded in response to Erza's suggestion. "Alright."
With that, she began to gather a much denser, more ominous aura, preparing for a truly powerful transformation.
However, before she could even begin, Master Makarov, himself covered in a cold sweat from the potential danger, had already extended a giant hand between them to stop the proceedings. "THAT'S ENOUGH! The assessment ends here!…"