But Sorano had already stopped listening to Lucy's attempts to dissuade her.
If Kabe had not suddenly barged in and ruined things, she would have gained at least three golden keys today.
Instead, not only did she lose all three, this bastard even twisted the knife by giving one away right in front of her and claiming the other for himself.
Did this guy even understand Celestial Spirit Magic? What did he take Celestial Spirit Mages for, thinking he could just "moonlight" as one whenever he felt like it?
Today, she absolutely had to fight him.
This was both to show him the true power of a Celestial Spirit Mage, and to use this spar as a chance to probe his real strength.
If this so called number one of the younger generation was just hype with no substance…
She would not mind taking all five golden keys from the two of them.
At worst, she could spare his life, drag him back to headquarters, and have Cobra interrogate him about her sister's whereabouts.
Seeing the crafty, calculating glint flashing in Sorano's eyes, Kabe could more or less guess what she was thinking.
He raised a hand to stop Lucy from speaking further and smiled.
"Enough, Lucy. I can understand how Sorano feels, seeing an outsider like me casually meddling with Celestial Spirits.
It just so happens that I've never had a proper fight with a Celestial Spirit Mage either.
So I'll trouble you to help us find a place to battle. I want to test my Celestial Spirit Magic.
And while you're at it, you can also learn how other Celestial Spirit Mages fight."
"Th this…"
Lucy hesitated.
After Kabe explained it like that, she could also understand why Sorano had reacted so strongly.
If it were her, she would not be able to accept just anyone randomly contracting Celestial Spirits either.
It was only because this person was Kabe, the idol she admired and respected, that she had not thought about it at first.
Now that she had calmed down a little, she took a deep breath and nodded.
"I understand. Follow me.
Let's go to the garden outside. The space there should be enough for you both to fight freely."
With that, Lucy stood up and led the way outside.
Sorano snatched up her keys, shot Kabe a provocative look by lifting her chin, and strode after Lucy in her high heels.
'Heh, stubborn little girl.'
Kabe chuckled inwardly. Unhurried, he drained his cup of red tea in one gulp, then rose leisurely and followed along.
...
Inside the spacious study on the third floor of the manor, a middle aged man with neatly groomed ginger hair finally set down his fountain pen and lifted his gaze from the scattered documents on his desk.
Letting out a long breath, Jude leaned back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes to rest.
After a short while, as if he remembered something, he opened his eyes and asked toward the door,
"What are Lucy and her guests doing right now?"
The study door opened, and an elderly man entered. After bowing slightly, he replied,
"Master, Miss Lucy has taken the two guests to the garden.
It seems Mr. Kabe and Miss Sorano are preparing to spar, so Miss Lucy can witness a true mage level battle."
"A spar? That young man who's said to be closest to the Wizard Saints?"
Jude frowned slightly and muttered to himself.
He was not a mage, and did not truly understand how powerful top tier mages were.
He knew of Kabe not only because of his recent fame, but more importantly because of the life saving favor he had shown Lucy years ago.
Now that he had the chance to witness Kabe in action, Jude felt a rare spark of interest.
Of course, he had no intention of going down himself. Instead, he moved to another room with a floor to ceiling window that offered a clear view of the garden, standing there with his hands clasped behind his back as he quietly observed.
...
On a grassy field roughly four to five hundred meters from the manor.
Kabe and Sorano stood facing each other, with Lucy positioned a short distance away. Unable to hide her worry, she reminded them,
"Kabe, Sorano, please be careful. Don't get hurt."
"Hmph. How could a fight between mages not involve injuries?
At worst, I just won't cripple him or make his death too ugly."
For some reason, Sorano was brimming with confidence. Holding the Gemini key, she did not even wait for Lucy to signal the start before summoning her spirit.
"Go, Gemini. Copy him!"
Sorano's summoning speed was astonishingly fast. Almost the instant her voice fell, a pair of small blue doll like figures flew forward and reached Kabe.
To an outsider, it was just spectacle. To someone in the know, it was skill.
Just that single move made Lucy sincerely admire her.
"Such a fast gate opening. She didn't even chant.
Even now, when I summon my most familiar spirit, Aquarius, I still can't skip the incantation step. Instant summoning is on a completely different level…"
Kabe, who had spent considerable time with Karen, naturally had a deep understanding of Celestial Spirit Magic.
Seeing Sorano's technique, he could not help nodding inwardly in approval.
'No wonder Brian chose her to be one of the Oración Seis.
In terms of magical power alone, her talent is enough to rival Erza and Mirajane.'
Even so, he did not move his feet at all. Instead, he deliberately extended his hand, allowing the charging Gemini twins to touch him.
That move instantly stunned both Gemini spirits.
After so many battles, this was the first time they had encountered an opponent who cooperated so willingly.
"Come on, little ones. Let me see if you can really turn into me."