HUM HUM HUM.
Almost simultaneously, several house-sized carnivorous plants burst through the ground, their gaping maws dripping with saliva, locked onto Erza.
Cosmos, who used plant magic, stepped forward and snapped her fingers.
The plants' stems bent with force, their fanged jaws biting down mercilessly!
A Requip magic circle flashed. A blade of light streaked past. Using Flight Armor's high mobility, Erza moved even faster, severing all the plants' stems in an instant!
Juice sprayed everywhere. Before the massive plant heads could hit the ground, they were yanked upward by a sudden reversal of gravity.
"Terrain Effect: Anti-Gravity Zone."
Watching Erza float weightlessly in midair, Isuke grinned. "Got you now, Fairy Queen."
Judging by the fish flag on his shoulder, this guy loved fishing—and he often treated his execution targets like fish on a chopping board, torturing them until nothing remained!
"Fairies should perish in the forest. Rising currents, nourish the plants."
Cosmos's voice sounded calm, but the scale of her attack was nothing short of enormous.
A shadow fell over them. A giant plant over a hundred meters in diameter had bloomed into existence.
Before Erza could recover from the weightless state, the deep flower core unleashed a terrifying suction force, pulling her in along with the floating debris and the severed plants!
The massive petals slowly closed. The battlefield fell into momentary silence.
The relentless barrage and nearly flawless coordination left the audience gasping in awe of the Executioners' terror, while also worrying for Erza.
But the next second, Erza proved with action that their concern was unnecessary.
A blade of light rippled across the surface of the closed giant plant. Then slashes burst forth from within.
Crimson hair fluttered in the wind. Amid the falling chunks of neatly sliced plant matter, Erza landed steadily, her speckled armor gleaming with cold light.
"To break free that easily..." Cosmos's pupils contracted sharply.
This was the first time she'd seen anyone escape her nurtured plants completely unscathed!
"She's an S-Class mage of that guild, after all. It would be boring if she had no skills!"
Beside her, the burly Nepa curled his lips into a cruel grin.
He seemed to have been waiting for this moment. He leaped forward, stirring up fierce winds. His clenched right fist was already covered in highly corrosive purple acid.
Erza's reflexes were sharp. She reached into the air and produced a heavy shield from Adamantine Armor, raising it before her.
"Acid Punch!!"
BAM!
The acidic fist struck the heavy shield dead-on. The force was weak, barely budging Erza, but her brow furrowed.
White smoke rose. Hissing sounds came from the shield's surface.
Like ice meeting an open flame, the splattered purple liquid was steadily corroding the Adamantine Armor's custom shield!
"Heh. No matter how sturdy the armor, as long as it's metal, against my magic it's—"
Before Nepa could finish his boast, Erza switched tactics instantly. She spun around and delivered a powerful flying kick, sending him flying.
Then, the shield transformed into the Lightning Empress Lance. Blue arcs of lightning crackled along its tip.
A lightning cannon shot out. Just as it was about to hit the airborne Nepa, a spinning sickle swung in from the side.
The moment they made contact, the powerful lightning cannon was steadily repelled and dispersed into nothing!
That captain's sickle can nullify magic? Erza narrowed her eyes, making a mental note.
In that moment of shock, danger came rushing in. The high-speed spinning sickle grew larger in her pupils.
With her incredible core strength, she arched backward. Though she narrowly avoided the blade's edge, a small lock of her hair was cut off!
"Terrain Effect: Lava Zone!"
The Executioners' attacks came without pause. Crimson lava shattered the ground, spreading rapidly toward Erza's position.
Erza leaped into the air, only to find countless blue papers filling her vision.
"Blue paper represents the God of Love. Blue Paper Sphere!"
The papers converged rapidly, forming an airtight blue sphere. Then they scattered and drifted downward.
Erza switched to the Faraway Robe, a kimono-like garment. Its fabric had excellent elasticity, allowing her to ignore the paper's constraints.
A Requip magic circle flashed briefly. Gale-force winds tore through the scattered papers. She hurled the Evil-Crushing Spear from Giant Armor behind her, targeting Kamika!
After this brief exchange, Erza had roughly grasped the five Executioners' magic types and combat characteristics. She had identified her priority target.
From dispelling the Blue Paper Sphere to throwing the Evil-Crushing Spear, there was almost no interval. As she'd anticipated, Kamika, whose paper-based combat strength was weaker, couldn't effectively dodge.
"Gray paper represents the Guardian God. Gray Paper Shield!"
Though she hastily pieced together a shield from gray paper, it couldn't withstand the Evil-Crushing Spear's high burst damage.
The paper shield was crushed by the spear's tip in an instant.
"How—is that possible?!"
Amid Kamika's incredulous cry, an explosion rocked the area. Flames burst in all directions!
"Spore Bomb! Lava Zone Love Song! Acid Impact!"
Simultaneously with the explosion came the combined magic attacks of Cosmos, Nepa, and Isuke.
More concerned with efficiency than aiding their comrade, the cold-blooded Executioners seized the opening during Erza's attack and bombarded her while she was in midair!
When the commotion subsided and the smoke cleared—
Kamika lay flat in a deep crater, already incapacitated.
Erza stood on the corroded, cratered ground, breathing slightly heavily. Her Adamantine Armor was covered in cracks, fragments occasionally falling off. It was severely damaged.
"Wh-What a beautiful magical offensive and defensive battle! With constant Requip switches and sharp, precise judgment—"
At the commentary booth, Chapati spoke with excitement. "Erza not only withstood the combined assault of all five Executioners, but even succeeded in defeating Kamika!"
Though the back-and-forth battle appeared evenly matched, the actual time spent was extremely short. The audience, who had been holding their breath the entire time, only now snapped out of their daze and let out gasps of admiration.
"But her magic power consumption is also severe. And her armor has taken considerable damage."
Yajima squinted, his expression grave as he let out a heavy sigh. "The real battle has only just begun."
Just now, he had learned the Survival Game's hidden rule from the Pumpkin Head.
And it was definitely not good news for Erza, or for the entire Fairy Tail team.
Following his gaze, the big screen showed Kamika's NPC score display fading away, only to reappear above Erza's head!
***
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