Powerful magic collided, the resulting gale force winds seeming ready to tear open the earth's surface, whipping up grass roots and gravel.
The moment the storm subsided and the gravel fell back to earth...
With a flash of cold light, Erza, clad in her normal armor, made the first move. Her sword swung cleanly as she charged at Chase at incredible speed.
Chase stood motionless, a magic array spinning at his fingertips as he tossed a card toward Erza.
The card flashed a white light and from it leapt a figure clad in steel armour, sword in the left hand and a crimson shield in the right. Without fear, she met Erza's charge.
CLANG!
Sparks flew as the sharp sound of clashing swords rang out.
"Is that... Queen's Knight?"
"I see. Erza's magic is 'Knight,' so he's using knights to counter her. Clever move, Chase."
Someone from the guild recognized the female knight locked in stalemate with Erza.
"Queen's Knight. Your power seems greater than before."
Erza gripped her sword tightly, counteracting the continuous pressure, her gaze traveling along the blade to the newcomer.
"Master's magical power has increased, little Erza." Queen's Knight smiled calmly.
"Then what about this?!"
Erza raised her free left hand, grasping another sword from the magic space, and swung it directly at the Queen's Knight's flank.
Queen's Knight's eyes narrowed. She quickly raised her crimson shield to block.
However...
THUD.
A dull thud rang out. Erza, who should have swung her sword, suddenly changed tactics. Raising her long, steel-booted right leg, she kicked Queen's Knight squarely in the abdomen.
Although Queen's Knight's armor absorbed the initial impact, as Erza grunted and suddenly pushed harder, she was sent stumbling backward, struggling to regain her balance.
Erza reversed her grip on her sword. Just as she stepped forward to press the advantage, she suddenly seemed to sense some danger and looked up sharply.
A shadow plummeted from midair, followed by a fierce golden blade.
BOOM!
The descending strike crashed into the earth. In an instant, gravel flew everywhere, rolling thick smoke billowing up.
Deep within the smoke, Erza distanced herself with several cool backflips, holding her sword horizontally before her as she gazed ahead.
There, golden armor shone brightly. A powerful man, also bearing sword and shield, stood alongside Queen's Knight.
"Queen's Knight, King's Knight... then next comes..."
Erza's eyes narrowed as she looked toward Chase in the rear, holding aloft a card.
Sure enough, after a flash of light, another armored man appeared.
When Chase summoned King's Knight alongside Queen's Knight, he could summon Jack's Knight with zero magic consumption!
"With the Three Knights gathered, this armor isn't quite enough."
Erza had fought the Three Knights more than once. She was very familiar with their combat style.
So...
"Requip! Black Wing Armor!"
A crimson magic array lit up. Erza's armor transformed into a slightly cool black hue. Bat-like black wings sprouted from her back, and her high ponytail waved with a majestic air.
"Black Wing: Moon Flash!"
Donning Black Wing Armor, Erza's speed dramatically increased. Flying almost flush with the ground, she reached the Three Knights in an instant.
Jack's Knight, standing at the forefront, stomped heavily and raised his heavy shield high, attempting to block Erza's slash.
However, the characteristic of Black Wing Armor was increased destructive power per strike.
The heavy shield barely held for half a second before being shattered into countless fragments by the sharp black blade!
At the same instant, cold light flashed on Erza's left and right. Queen's Knight and King's Knight attacked in unison, their swords raised high, striking from sharp angles, sealing off all possible escape routes!
Erza was unafraid. She lightly tapped the ground with her feet and leaped high. Magic arrays lit up on her legs as her heavy steel boots transformed into two long swords, forcibly blocking the attacks from Queen's Knight and King's Knight.
CLANG!
Sparks flew as sword met sword.
"Requip! Flight Armor!"
A white flash, and the swords transformed into light leather boots.
With cute animal ears herself atop her head, Erza stepped onto the blades of Queen's Knight and King's Knight, using them to launch forward.
Under the Haste of Flight Armor, her form blurred into a shadow, bypassing the Three Knights and heading straight for Chase in the far rear!
Through magical fluctuations, Erza keenly sensed that Chase was currently chanting a trap card.
As fellow S-Class members, she knew well how tricky Chase's card magic could be. She wanted to close the distance immediately, denying him the chance to calmly "lay cards"!
Surrounding scenery rapidly receded. Chase in Erza's field of vision grew closer.
Just as she tightened her grip on her sword, she saw Chase unhurriedly reveal the card pinched between his fingertips.
Withered yellow bone wing spread. The evil, hideous Curse of Dragon shot forth from the glowing magic array, its open maw already accumulated with blazing flames.
Overwhelming flames swept forth, completely engulfing Erza's small form before crashing into the plain behind, erupting in surging waves of heat!
That was Curse of Dragon's ultimate move—Hellfire!
"Erza?!"
Watching the area engulfed in flames, Lucy felt the sharp rise in temperature around her and cried out in shock.
Compared to the previous battle against Lullaby, Chase's Card Magic—Duelist Soul—had grown even more terrifying in her mind.
"Don't worry, Lucy. Since it's a fire attack..."
Mira smiled gently, flames reflected deep in her beautiful eyes, appearing quite calm.
The other guild members were equally unmoved—in fact, their excitement only heightened.
Lucy found this hard to understand, but Erza on the battlefield decisively provided the answer with her actions.
SWISH!
A vertical blade of light sliced the insubstantial flames in half. Erza now wore flame-red armor, wielding the verdant long sword of Sea Emperor Armor, standing proudly amidst the blazing fire!
"That's right! For fire attack, use Flame Empress Armor with high fire resistance, combined with Sea Emperor Sword, which counters fire!" Loki picked up where Mira left off, added.
Perhaps because the battle was so exciting, he surprisingly didn't avoid Lucy, the Celestial Spirit mage, as he usually did.
"That's possible?!"
Lucy stared blankly at the sharp-eyed Erza, refreshing her understanding of magical combat.
"Save your amazement for later. Their battle's just beginning." Gray commented flatly.
In the brief interval of their conversation, the Three Knights Chase had summoned had already formed ranks and charged at Erza.
Erza slightly closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to adjust her rhythm.
When those beautiful eyes reopened, two pairs of white steel wings had appeared behind her amid spinning magic arrays.
"Requip! Heaven's Wheel Armor!"
"Heaven's Wheel: Entangling Sword!"
Blades of light rained down, sword shadows swirling wildly as four figures crossed paths.
BANG BANG BANG.
The sound of swords and shields shattering rang out.
With respectful, admiring smiles, the Three Knights' bodies dissolved into specks of light under the assault.
Erza glanced down at her own dual swords and armor, also shattered into pieces, and returned their smiles with a slight one of her own.
"Next... Curse of Dragon..."
***
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