"This... this match should be over, right?" Jabu Dirola stammered on stage.
At this moment, he couldn't definitively determine if Kagura had lost the ability to continue fighting, especially since the cards around Kana on the stage hadn't shown any signs of the match ending.
However, at this moment, the ice pillars in the sky began to vibrate violently, and cracks gradually appeared.
Bang! With a loud bang, the ice shattered, and countless shards flew everywhere.
And within the ice, a dark magical power echoed in the air like surging waves.
Kagura's hand was tightly on the scabbard, slowly pulling the blade, her eyes revealing determination and resolve.
As she whispered, "Unyielding to Heaven, Slash Form."
The next second, Kagura's figure shot towards Kana like lightning, her speed dazzling.
In the blink of an eye, Kagura had already rushed in front of Kana, her blade suddenly drawn, striking down with a fierce momentum.
Facing Kagura's swift attack, Kana showed no fear.
She quickly gathered all the cards in front of her, forming a solid barrier at an extremely fast speed.
At the same time, she unleashed all the magical power from the cards, making the entire card shield emit a dazzling light.
When Kagura's blade met the card shield, a fierce collision occurred between the two, and a strong white light erupted from the venue.
Just a few seconds later, a huge crescent-shaped slash broke through the card shield and rushed towards the audience with astonishing power, only to be blocked by a transparent light shield and bounced directly into the sky.
Kagura glanced at Zorn on the stage, a hint of determination and resolve flashing in her eyes.
She took a deep breath, and her figure shot out again, as fast as lightning. The sword in her hand gleamed with a cold light, instantly slashing towards Kana.
Gravity Magic was cast again, and a powerful force enveloped Kana, slowing her movements.
Kagura had clearly used all her strength; she knew this battle was crucial for her.
"It seems we're going to win! To force Kagura to draw her sword, the opponent must be truly formidable!" The Guild Members of Mermaid Heel cheered excitedly, their eyes filled with confidence and hope for victory.
However, Kagura was not affected by their words, focusing entirely on fighting Kana.
Kagura said nothing, her gaze focused and resolute.
She raised her hand and struck out with another sword, its momentum incredibly sharp, carrying a powerful sword qi.
This sword directly struck Kana's gauntlet, emitting a crisp clang.
Kana, however, was not flustered; she reacted quickly, directly kicking upwards.
Kagura nimbly flipped and jumped away, avoiding Kana's attack.
Then, she swung her sword again, and countless crescent-shaped slashes rained down from the sky, dense like raindrops.
Kana displayed excellent flexibility and reaction ability; she dodged back and forth in the open space, cleverly avoiding most of the slashes.
For the slashes she couldn't avoid, she didn't hesitate to punch them with force, exploding them one by one.
Every collision between her fist and the sword qi caused strong energy fluctuations, and the surrounding air seemed to tremble.
"Be careful~" Kana's mouth curved slightly upward; this battle was quite good.
As the last sword qi dissipated, Kana stomped her foot, and her figure instantly vanished from the spot.
Kagura's eyes widened, and she inwardly cursed. She keenly sensed a strong aura coming from behind her; Kana's attack had arrived! She quickly turned, holding her long sword horizontally across her chest, ready to meet the blow.
However, Kagura still underestimated Kana's strength. Just as she had taken her stance, Kana's straight punch slammed heavily onto the blade.
The immense impact made her involuntarily let out a scream: "Ah~ damn it~"
Kagura's body flew backward uncontrollably; she gritted her teeth, trying to stabilize herself.
Just then, she suddenly realized that if she didn't take action in time, she would fly even further.
So, she reacted quickly, wanting to plunge the blade into the ground to stop her backward flight.
But just as she was about to plunge it into the ground, Kana approached her again.
Facing this sudden change, Kagura didn't hesitate for a moment, decisively applying all her Gravity Magic to herself.
The heavy pressure instantly made her body incredibly heavy, pressing her heavily onto the ground.
Despite this, Kagura didn't stop her movements.
She quickly poured magical power into the blade, then powerfully struck out with a slash; this slash carried a fierce momentum, directly forcing Kana to retreat from her close proximity.
"Ha~ ho~ ha~ ho~" Kagura panted heavily; this continuous attack and use of magic, her teenage body really couldn't keep up.
"Have you ever thought about applying Gravity Magic to the blade, maintaining it, and then striking out?" Kana looked at the panting, sweating Kagura and said seriously.
"Hmm?" Hearing this, Kagura froze, her eyes filled with surprise and confusion, unconsciously looking at Kana. He thought, "What's going on? Is this woman actually going to teach me combat techniques?"
"Want to try it?" Kana prompted again, with a hint of expectation on her face.
Kagura, as if hypnotized, subconsciously placed her hand on the hilt and applied Gravity Magic to the blade. Instantly, the blade became unusually heavy, and Kagura's arm also sank sharply.
"Yes, just like that, and then swing it out with force!" Kana shouted excitedly.
Kagura heard this and immediately used all her strength to swing a sword forward.
However, because he couldn't control his strength well, this strike didn't hit the target but was directly pressed to the ground by gravity, completely off course.
"You need to practice hard~" Kana nodded in satisfaction and said slowly.
It must be said that Kagura is indeed a talented swordsman. With just simple guidance, he can quickly grasp the trick.
The reason Kana knew this was because she had seen Zorn demonstrate this Gravity Slash in front of her, and its powerful might left a deep impression on her.
Now seeing Kagura also mastering this technique, she felt very relieved.
"As expected of Kana, during a battle, she still has the presence of mind to guide others!" Erza also smiled as she watched.
"I bet it's Zorn's influence," Natsu grumbled, leaning on the railing.
"Hmm? Where's Zorn~" Gray looked around but didn't find Zorn.
...
"Where are we going? Why did you suddenly take us away?" Sorano Aguria pulled Yukino aside, complaining with a puzzled expression.
"Yukino, do you want to become a Star Spirit Mage~" Zorn ignored Sorano's question, instead squatting down and asking Yukino gently with his warm smile.
"Oh, can I, can I?" Yukino's beautiful big eyes instantly sparkled, her face full of anticipation and excitement, eagerly agreeing.
"Don't worry, your bond with the Star Spirits is just as deep!" Zorn looked at Yukino, his eyes firm and serious as he replied.
"But... is it okay for the match to just end like this?" Future Lucy frowned worriedly, a hint of anxiety in her voice.
"Don't worry, leave the rest of the match to them; I believe they can do it," Zorn smiled, reassuring Future Lucy, while his gaze showed trust in his companions.
Then, he turned to Yukino and said softly, "We must now find the remaining Zodiac keys; only then can we open the Eclipse Gate!"
"And the remaining keys, only she can get them!" Zorn said, gently placing his hand on Yukino's head, gently rubbing it, his eyes filled with deep care and expectation.
Future Lucy seemed to understand some things upon hearing this.
After all, Yukino, seven years later, held the last two Zodiac keys and also possessed the thirteenth crucial key—Ophiuchus.
To be continued~
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