As the two fought fiercely, a shout suddenly came from a distance, and Ankh paused, quickly looking behind him.
Erza, clad in silver Featherblade Armor, had steel wings behind her, surrounded by floating iron swords. These swords were aimed at Laxus, striking with a dense, flashing barrage like lightning.
"Heaven's Wheel: Bladeworks!"
Laxus was already furious from the fight, and hearing Erza's yell, his eyes immediately turned crimson. He gathered his lightning power and threw a punch in that direction, roaring, "Get lost!"
Arrogant lightning twisted into the shape of a dragon's head. Erza, completely unafraid, ducked down, perfectly dodging the attack. Then, the sharp swords around her rained down.
The opponent's blades were real, and Laxus dared not ignore them. His entire body erupted with lightning, instantly deflecting all the iron swords.
But Erza seized the opportunity, rushing forward and landing several punches on Laxus's face!
Being hit with such a close-quarters combo, even someone as strong as Laxus was knocked back a few steps.
Laxus looked up at the majestic Erza, his anger turning into a sneer. "You're asking for death, and I'll grant it to you!"
Erza looked at the charging Laxus and, instead, smiled confidently. A dazzling light shone around her, and she changed into another set of armor.
As the light faded, Erza had changed her attire again.
She was now wearing armor with a pale, light-green base, adorned with lightning patterns.
At the same time, the longsword she held was replaced by a lightning spear, and her hair was braided into a pigtail, tied with a flowing ribbon, making her look quite heroic and spirited.
Erza's Thunder Empress Armor form.
Erza wielded the long spear in her hand, and Cyan lightning gathered on the spear's shaft. With a nimble thrust, the blue lightning was also fired.
Laxus's golden lightning arrived first, striking Erza, but it was instantly largely nullified by her armor.
And Erza's lightning spear pierced his chest. Although it only made a shallow cut, it was still a success.
"This is my 'Thunder Empress Armor,' specifically prepared for the exam. Your lightning is useless against me now!"
Erza glowed with blue electric light, speaking with confident defiance.
Laxus was completely enraged by Erza's words. He raised his fist without another word and engaged her in battle.
Meanwhile, Ankh, who had been ignored, blinked awkwardly... *Hiss*... You rushed up, yelled 'team combat,' and then turned around and started fighting Laxus yourself?
Looking at Erza, who was getting more excited with each blow, and Laxus, who was still seething with anger, Ankh, feeling extremely bored, sighed helplessly.
Well, now neither of them was paying him any attention.
Ankh's eyes shifted, and he turned his gaze to Cana, who was shakily standing up under the gravity. He raised his hand and muttered softly:
"Something is better than nothing."
Cana had just managed to stand up, tears streaming down her face as she thanked her lucky stars, when the effort of looking up suddenly lightened.
The gravity that had been pressing down on her suddenly vanished. Cana, who had been straining to look up moments before, due to inertia, performed a graceful, dragon-like head whip, almost twisting her neck!
"Ah—that hurts!"
Cana hugged her neck and squatted on the ground, head bowed, her eyes teary, looking at Ankh with a wronged expression.
Ankh nonchalantly dispelled the magic circle on his finger, beckoned, and said, "They're getting carried away with their fight. You keep me entertained."
Hmm... that sounded a lot like a ruffian.
Cana immediately became alert. She quickly pulled out cards from her pocket and, facing Ankh, launched a preemptive attack.
Ankh felt like laughing at the cards being thrown out.
Is that all?
Ankh moved like lightning, his fair hand a blur as he caught the thrown cards, feeling utterly speechless.
Cana's Card Magic contained a great variety of fighting styles and methods, but it couldn't be called top-tier in any single domain.
Compared to an average Mage, Cana was definitely a genius, but among the many strong Mages in the Fairy Tail Guild, especially within Fairy Tail's golden generation, she was a bit unremarkable.
However, this kind of magic would certainly be quite useful in certain special situations.
Cana waved her anxious little hand, and the cards in Ankh's fingers immediately exploded, but the extent of the explosion... well, it was negligible.
Ankh tossed away the card remnants, clapped the dust from his hands, and couldn't help but suggest, "Your path in magic is a bit unconventional. Instead of pursuing an unattainable extreme, you should try to master the basics of every aspect."
Cana paused, asking confusedly, "If I don't increase my damage like you all do, how am I supposed to fight?"
Good heavens, everyone here is a monster specializing in destruction. You really know how to pick people to compare yourself with... Ankh didn't answer her question. He quickly reached two fingers into Cana's backpack and pulled out two cards.
Before Cana could even feel scared, Ankh glanced at the cards, then pulled out two and threw them at her.
Ankh's technique was much faster than Cana's, and his moves were considerably more ruthless.
One card struck Cana, while another disappeared into the ground, and a third flew into the air, quickly beginning to take effect.
The card on the ground began to melt into the earth, and the ground beneath Cana's feet immediately collapsed. Caught off guard, Cana fell into the pit, her lower body completely buried by sand.
At the same time, in the sky where the previous card had flown, the heavy rain and dark clouds grew thicker, and the rolling thunder became more terrifying, threatening to strike down at any moment!
Cana, trapped in the pit, instantly showed despair in her eyes. Was she going to be eliminated by her own magic? Ankh smiled, waved his hand, and dispelled the two magic cards, then reached out and pulled Cana out.
Defeated by her own magic, Cana was a bit dejected. She knelt on the ground, her eyes red, not knowing what she was thinking... Ankh squatted down, speaking as gently as possible, "Card Magic isn't just about attributes and fortune-telling. Play more card games, and learn about 'combinations' and 'rules.'"
Cana looked up, her dirty little face streaked with tears, murmuring in confusion, "Card... games?"
Ankh smiled slightly, quietly placed his hand on the back of Cana's neck, and leaned his mouth close to her ear, whispering:
"I believe you can understand, after all, you are Gildarts's daughter..."
Cana's face instantly turned pale, her eyes filled with panic. Just as she was about to speak, she felt a sudden immense force on the back of her neck.
Ankh knocked Cana unconscious, gently supporting her delicate body and laying her on the ground.
Having said that much, he hoped Cana would figure out the development of Card Magic on her own.
As for Gildarts's matter, Ankh didn't think much of it. He just wanted to tell Cana that she wasn't the only one who knew this secret, to prevent her from developing a complex later on.
Once Gildarts, who was always out working, returned, and they talked frankly about the situation, wouldn't that solve it? No need to make it like a Korean drama... Having knocked Cana unconscious, her exam was also over. Ankh refocused his attention on the two fighting.
Although Erza had donned the lightning-immune Thunder Empress Armor, with only physical combat, she would find it difficult to defeat Laxus, a Dragon Slayer with astonishing combat power.
Moreover, in the original story, Laxus, as the Guild's strongest Mage after Gildarts, had more than just lightning magic as his fighting style, didn't he?
Erza, who had initially fought more and more fiercely, was gradually falling behind, while Laxus was growing stronger with each blow.
Cracks of overload and collapse had already begun to appear on Erza's Thunder Empress Armor. Laxus seized the opportunity and threw a punch.
Ankh's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly rushed into the fray, shielding Erza.