Fire, wind, and lightning magical powers intertwined, forming a magical tornado.
Faced with this offensive, Capricorn didn't dare take it lightly, dodging sideways into the brush.
The tornado exploded on the tree where Capricorn had been, and the thick trunk collapsed with a deafening crash.
Lucy had long taken cover behind a large tree nearby, so she wasn't affected by the blast.
"Phantom, form change."
Awoo—
As soon as Ilina finished speaking, a low growl emanated from her.
"It's happening! The same situation as with the Golden Lion Knight Ren!" Chapati Lola exclaimed excitedly.
A black panther with glowing blue eyes and golden patterns on its body appeared beside Ilina.
"A magical beast can transform into armor? That's an interesting magic." Capricorn had retreated to Lucy's side, observing Ilina's transformation.
Ilina was now only wearing thin, soft armor close to her body.
If she were stabbed by Capricorn like before, it wouldn't be without consequences.
"Cana, that panther is similar to yours..." Ultear looked thoughtfully at the beast on the screen.
Cana examined the panther with interest, raised an eyebrow, and said, "It's quite similar, but the details are different from Black. And as you know, Black can't change forms."
Cana's panther, Black, could spew blue cold fire, and its limbs could ignite to increase explosive power and attack strength, but it couldn't become armor.
"Phantom, go deal with that Celestial Spirit Mage." Ilina herself was considered a Holder-Type Mage.
The main weakness of Celestial Spirit Mages, or Holder-Type Mages in general, is that they are usually weak physically.
To become an S-Class Mage, the Croix Knights must undergo rigorous close-combat training and pass a brutal examination.
She passed the examination by combining close-combat training with a bow arm and a short dagger, but she never expected to have her dagger taken by a martial artist goat.
"Miss Lucy," Capricorn glanced at Lucy with some concern.
Lucy's close-combat ability was only passable.
Panthers are generally very fast, and he worried that Lucy might not dodge in time.
Lucy drew the Fleuve d'étoiles from her waist, cracked the starry whip toward the ground, and said, "Focus on your opponent, Capricorn. If it comes to it, I still have Virgo and Loke."
"I'll deal with her as quickly as possible," Capricorn charged toward Ilina again.
But Ilina had grown wiser.
She knew she was no match for Capricorn in a melee, so she began using her bow to disrupt Capricorn's movements, relying on her agile footwork to dodge and weave between the trees.
For the moment, Capricorn couldn't subdue her.
Meanwhile, Lucy used the Fleuve d'étoiles to swing through the forest, evading Phantom's vicious pounces.
Yajima nodded and explained, "The current situation is a race to see whether the black panther Phantom can take down Lucy first, or whether Capricorn can subdue Ilina."
Although Ilina's footwork was indeed nimble, Capricorn's superior leaping ability gave him the upper hand.
Gradually closing the distance, Capricorn finally caught up with Ilina.
Forced to confront her opponent, the taciturn Capricorn went straight for a lethal horizontal slash aimed at her throat.
Ilina twisted her body at the last possible moment to avoid the vital strike, but her arm was inevitably grazed by the blade.
Facing Capricorn's spinning sweep, Ilina tossed her bow upward and dodged with a deep lunge.
Upon catching her bow, she attempted to counterattack, but Capricorn blocked the thrust with his dagger.
Capricorn swiftly rotated his blade, switching to a forward grip for an upward slash.
Ilina parried with her bow, only for Capricorn to immediately follow with a backhand stab.
The two exchanged blows in a rapid back-and-forth clash.
"Is Contestant Ilina really an archer?! Her close-quarters combat skills are incredible!" Chapati Lola gasped.
Yajima added, "For context, royal archers are typically elite troops with overall physical capabilities surpassing ordinary soldiers."
While Chapati Lola marveled, Lucy on the other side had already shifted tactics.
The Black Panther Phantom's relentless pounces were draining Lucy's stamina.
"Open, Gate of the Twins! Gemini!"
"What?! Again?! That's the fourth one! Her fourth Zodiac Key!"
"We still have no idea how many keys Contestant Lucy actually possesses!"
"Please, Gemini!"
"Piri piri!"
As Chapati Lola gasped in amazement, white smoke dissipated to reveal Gemini transformed into a perfect copy of the Black Panther Phantom.
"Just buy us some time, Gemini!"
"There are two panthers on the field now!" Raizel nodded approvingly at Lucy's adaptability.
"Smart thinking. Gemini can read the opponent's intentions and handle interception effortlessly, while Lucy conserves energy for opportunistic strikes." Layla glanced worriedly at the panting Lucy on the screen.
"But her magic power is running dangerously low."
Erza observed Ilina gritting through the pain on the field. "That Ilina won't last much longer either. Her abdomen and jaw are taking serious punishment, and her arm is bleeding."
She's undoubtedly tenacious—most would've surrendered by now.
Erza sensed a soldier's discipline in her demeanor.
Capricorn discarded his dagger, precisely anticipating Ilina's thrust.
He deflected upward against the black bow to create an opening, then delivered a palm strike to Ilina's flank that sent her stumbling back over a dozen steps.
Pressing his advantage, Capricorn crossed his arms to block her bow-wielding left hand.
A downward elbow strike knocked the black bow from her grasp.
Their fists collided, but Capricorn's superior strength sent Ilina flying backward to crash against a tree trunk.
Her punching arm hung limp—clearly severely injured. With one arm disabled, Ilina could no longer mount an effective defense.
Capricorn launched a soaring kick that connected with her jaw. Taking two steps forward, he pulled her back with one hand and delivered a straight punch to her temple.
Settling into a bow stance, he coiled his arm for a whip-like strike, gathering power through full-body extension and torque.
He threw another punch, striking Ilina's soft armor and sending her flying across the arena.
After enduring a full martial arts combo, Ilina still struggled to rise, but her arms lacked strength and her injuries were too severe. In the end, she couldn't get up and collapsed unconscious.
Across the field, Gemini perfectly replicated Phantom's movements, with both black panthers attacking in identical patterns.
Since Gemini could read Phantom's thoughts, breaking through the copy was impossible. But Lucy stood ready with her whip, making it difficult for Phantom to evade.
With Capricorn joining the assault, Phantom quickly lost combat capability and dispersed.
"Ilina is unable to continue! The winner is Lucy Heartfilia!" Chapati Lola yelled.
Fairy Tail Team A gained 10 points, bringing their total score to 16.
"We won!!!" Lucy and Gemini, who had returned to their original blue form, excitedly high-fived.
Capricorn didn't celebrate with Lucy. Instead, he cast an apologetic glance toward Ilina's unconscious form before bowing to Lucy and said.
"I shall take my leave now, Miss Lucy. Please convey my apologies to Contestant Ilina—I couldn't hold back on the battlefield."