The attacker had already reached her.
His weapon swept directly toward her exposed neck with enough speed and determination to make his intention unmistakable. He wasn't trying to threaten her or force her to move away from the stage.
He was trying to kill her.
For everyone watching, the moment seemed to slow.
Fiona's eyes widened as the smoke shifted just enough for her to see the attacker's face.
She knew him.
"Loid...?"
The blade struck Erza's neck.
CLANG!
A deafening metallic sound echoed throughout the War Hall.
The blade shattered.
Fragments of steel exploded through the air as though the weapon had struck an indestructible wall rather than a woman's exposed neck. Several broken pieces spun across the stage and struck the floor, while the remaining half of the weapon trembled violently inside Loid's hand.
Erza hadn't moved.
There wasn't even a mark upon her neck.
