Five magic circles materialized in different locations. From their radiant glow, the five Executioners stepped out one by one, surrounding Erza.
The moment they saw each other, varying degrees of surprise flickered across their faces.
They weren't the only ones. The audience in the arena was equally stunned.
As Fiore Kingdom's Special Operations Unit, the Direwolf Knights' strength had already been made abundantly clear through the earlier battles. Elite mages from established guilds had been one-shot in their presence!
And yet, under such circumstances, the Fairy Queen had dared to launch ranged attacks at all of them simultaneously?
"Ooooh! It's Erza Scarlet! She's turned the [Pursuit] rule against them, gathering all five NPCs to her location!!"
Chapati's passionate voice rang through the venue. "While the other guilds scattered, she caught them off guard to claim all the neutral points and end the match in one stroke! Could this be—"
"The reason Fairy Tail remained motionless at the start of the match?!"
"However, this makes them a target for every guild's contestants. That's not exactly the wisest move."
Beside him, Yajima adjusted his chef's hat and smiled helplessly. "Unwise, but very much in Fairy Tail's style~"
He then glanced at an inconspicuous corner of the big screen.
There, Future Laxus, Future Gray, Cana, and Future Macao were spread out, seemingly not planning to fight together. Instead, they were leaving the battlefield to Erza and moving to intercept any other guild mages who might approach.
This approach clearly carried significant risk. Whether Erza was eliminated by the five Executioners, or the four teammates failed to hold off the other contestants, either outcome would be a devastating blow to Fairy Tail.
It required absolute trust among all team members.
And if it succeeded, Fairy Tail would shatter the largest point differential in Grand Magic Games history, claiming victory with overwhelming force!
To wash away the ridicule and scorn the left-behind members had endured for seven years, the latter outcome was undoubtedly more appealing and far more shocking.
"Taking on the entire Direwolf Knights alone... should I call her courageous, or recklessly overconfident?"
Guest commentator Pumpkin Head watched the screen calmly. "The collective power of the full Direwolf Knights isn't just additive, pumpkin."
If this had been a few days earlier, he would have been frustrated by Erza's Chase-like behavior of going against the game's intent. But now he showed no concern, his tone carrying confidence and a hint of smugness.
Heh. Pay the price for your impulsiveness, Fairy Queen.
This trap was originally meant for that troublemaking brat Chase.
Fairy Tail Stands.
"Oh my, she really did it. Erza."
Mirajane's beautiful eyes narrowed into slits as she smiled at the valiant Erza on screen.
"Now we just need to enjoy the show," Chase said, a smile also playing on his lips.
Just like in the original story where Pandemonium only required defeating 51 monsters to secure first place, yet she maxed out the challenge anyway, doing what ordinary people wouldn't dare was the essence of the Fairy Queen's charm.
Of course, now he could add Mirajane to that list.
And both of them were his girlfriends!
Mirajane immediately dropped her smile. She planted her hands on her hips, puffed out her cheeks, and turned her head away in mock anger. "Fine, keep watching. I hope you get mesmerized!"
"Come on. Don't underestimate the willpower of a card nerd!"
"What if she wears the Seduction Armor?"
"Well..."
"You hesitated!"
For a moment, Mirajane actually considered asking Lucy for advice on lingerie pairing. According to Happy, Lucy's style was incredibly bold.
She didn't want to lose to Erza, especially in the "charm" department!
"Chase and Mira-san really are so relaxed about this..."
Lucy, unaware she'd been labeled with a strange tag, stared at the screen with concern. "Will this plan actually work?"
"Hey Lucy, you're underestimating Erza!"
"Aye~ Those Executioners are no match for that monster!"
Natsu and Happy immediately jumped to defend her.
"I'm talking about Macao and the others! The others are fine, but how are they going to handle Jura?"
Lucy's question silenced the overconfident duo.
Even the surrounding guildmates and Makarov twitched at the corners of their mouths, belatedly realizing that Jura was practically a bug in the system.
Aside from Chase and Gildarts, no one in the entire guild could suppress him!
"Hey, don't forget. There's still a reliable man on the field, isn't there?" Chase smiled.
"Impossible. Even with ten times his magic power, Macao couldn't beat Jura!" Makarov said with certainty, deeply worried.
"I'm talking about your good grandson."
"..."
Crocus, the empty, desolate plaza.
Erza, clad in Heaven's Wheel Armor, faced off against the five Executioners. Cold wind swept between them, carrying a chilling tension.
The battlefield had been moved from the bustling streets to this location by mutual agreement, to avoid excessive property damage.
Without unnecessary words, the moment the cold wind suddenly died, a magic circle appeared beneath Erza's feet. She made her move decisively.
"Heaven's Wheel: Entangling Sword!"
SWISH SWISH SWISH!
The many swords hovering behind her spun rapidly, transforming into streaks of sword light as they shot toward all five Executioners simultaneously!
Such straightforward attacks naturally couldn't hit Executioners with extensive combat experience. They were easily deflected.
But their methods varied. Some leaped back, some swung their weapons to block, and some stood their ground using magic to construct defenses.
Erza's eyes flickered as she took in their magic and fighting styles.
In an instant, the five Executioners began their counterattack.
Isuke slid backward on his feet, dodging the swords while steadying himself. He thrust his hands forward and shouted, "Terrain Effect: Stun Zone!"
Magic circles lit up one after another. Various execution tools emerged from them—guillotines, heavy axes, spiked clubs—raining down like a storm on Erza at the center.
This was his terrain magic: by enchanting the surrounding terrain with magic power, he could produce various effects, including but not limited to lava, ice, and gale-force winds. Its attributes were quite comprehensive.
In Yu-Gi-Oh! terms, he was a walking Field Spell Card!
Though the Stun Zone's attack coverage was wide, its speed wasn't particularly fast. Erza remained calm, weaving between the various instruments with her twin swords. Her steel wings swayed behind her like a dancing crimson-haired fairy.
CLANG CLANG CLANG!
Sparks flew as blades and weapons clashed. Erza dodged the rain of tools while closing the distance to Isuke.
"Red paper represents the Fire God. Crimson Dance!"
Flames blazed with intense heat. Dense red papers suddenly swept in from the side.
It was Kamika, using her paper magic, which also possessed various attributes.
As a seasoned Executioner, Kamika's timing was impeccable. She blocked Erza's advance perfectly.
The net of flaming papers engulfed her in an instant. It was then split in two by a blue-green water sword.
Erza stood calmly amid the sea of fire, clad in Flame Empress Armor, wielding the Sea Emperor Sword!
***
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