Haku was an adorable little girl.
At least, she normally was.
Right now, Lyon found her face utterly detestable.
How old was this brat, anyway? Sherria was only fifteen!
Sherria scratched her head awkwardly.
"Um… my love belongs to Lyon-sama."
"What?!"
Before Lyon could object, Haku was the one who lost her temper. She pointed at him and shouted through gritted teeth,
"You romantic rival!"
Lyon stared at her speechlessly.
Were children these days all growing up too quickly?
Sherria was like this, and now this little menace was the same…
Then Sherria tilted her head curiously.
"Besides, when you first came over, weren't you calling for Wendy? Why did you suddenly start chasing me?"
Just before the battle began, Lyon had finished assigning roles to the mages Lamia Scale had brought as reinforcements when Haku suddenly came racing toward them.
She had been shouting, "I want to see Wendy-chan!" so Sherria assumed she was one of Wendy's friends and went over to greet her.
Then…
Haku immediately changed targets and began harassing her instead.
"Well… I only just discovered that even love at first sight can be surpassed by an even stronger love at second sight~"
Haku gazed longingly at Sherria like a lovesick puppy.
Her eyes accidentally drifted across Sherria's chest, and her face immediately flushed as she raised a thumb.
"Compared with Wendy-chan, Sherria-chan has a much more mature charm!"
Sherria covered her chest with a red face and hurriedly turned away.
Lyon lunged forward, ready to punch the brat.
"Stop talking like some creepy middle-aged man, you little pervert!!"
"Stay out of this, romantic rival!"
Haku's expression changed instantly.
She raised one hand and pointed toward Lyon. Invisible magic invaded his body in an instant.
White Tiger Dragon: Haku.
A moment later, Lyon transformed into an adorable stuffed toy and dropped to the ground with a soft plop.
"Lyon-sama!"
Sherria panicked and rushed forward to retrieve him.
Haku dropped onto all fours like a tiger pouncing upon its prey.
Her body moved with speed that resembled teleportation, and she snatched Lyon away before Sherria could reach him.
The stuffed Lyon tried to struggle, but his tiny cloth limbs were completely useless.
This was why intelligence mattered so much in battles between mages.
When someone knew nothing about an opponent's unusual magic, they could easily lose before understanding what had happened.
Lyon was hardly weak, yet Haku had transformed him into a helpless toy before they had even properly exchanged blows.
Haku proudly held up her captive and smiled at the anxious Sherria.
"Sherria-chan, how about we make a bet?"
"If you win, I'll return him. But if you lose, you have to go out with me!"
"Deal!"
Sherria was so focused on saving Lyon that she did not even consider Haku's ulterior motives.
She swept both arms forward, sending a powerful black gale surging toward her opponent.
Haku puffed out her cheeks.
"But I didn't want the contest to be a fight… Oh well. Since that's what Sherria-chan wants…"
A high-speed blur tore straight through the storm.
Haku broke through without the slightest resistance and appeared directly beside Sherria.
Startled by the face suddenly filling her vision, Sherria immediately increased the output of her God Slayer Magic.
Haku had seemingly forgotten her mission entirely in favor of chasing after cute girls.
The other members of the Dark Dragon Slayer Knights, however, remained focused on their objectives.
Unlike Haku, they had chosen to confront Ishgar's most troublesome mages.
...
Ankh frowned at the two opponents blocking their path.
Behind him, Erza and Kagura held their swords ready, equally vigilant.
Misaki was even taller than Erza. She studied the three of them, covering her mouth with one hand as she laughed softly.
"I've heard a great deal about you, Fairy God of Death."
"I've never heard of you at all," Ankh replied honestly.
When they descended from the sky to reinforce the battlefield, Ankh had cleared out a wide area and handed Kyoka over to Mirajane.
Incidentally, the despairing Kyoka had attempted one final act of resistance.
Erza arrived and resumed their interrupted fight, ending Kyoka's life with a single decisive slash.
Ankh and the others had originally intended to guard Mirajane while she completed the Take Over, but these two extraordinarily powerful mages suddenly appeared.
They introduced themselves as Dragon Slayers from the Dragon Eater guild Diabolos—Suzaku, the Sword Saint Dragon, and Misaki, the Azure Dragon.
"At last. I have finally found you, Ankh of Fairy Tail."
Suzaku's expression remained solemn.
"Fight me."
"Huh?"
Ankh stood protectively in front of Mirajane, who was still absorbing Kyoka's power, and looked at Suzaku as though he were insane.
Erza immediately stepped forward.
"You have no right to challenge Ankh!"
Kagura's gaze fell upon the unusual long blade at Suzaku's waist. She drew Archenemy and spoke coldly.
"You came for Ankh-nii's swordsmanship, didn't you? Then you'll have to get past me first."
Suzaku's eyes darkened.
"In that case, I'll dispose of the small fry before facing him."
Anger surged through Kagura.
But in the very next instant, a razor-sharp killing intent rushed toward her.
By the time her eyes registered the attack and her hand reached the hilt of her sword, someone was already standing in front of her.
Clang—!
The clear ringing of colliding steel echoed through the air.
Ankh had drawn his weapon without expression, intercepting Suzaku's blade despite no one seeing when it had left its sheath.
Erza's pupils contracted.
"So fast…"
Kagura stared gravely at the equally surprised Suzaku.
He had not been boasting.
His quick-draw technique was so fast that neither she nor Erza had managed to react in time.
Suzaku looked at Ankh's raised blade blocking his own, and fighting spirit began burning within him.
For the first time, emotion entered his otherwise calm voice.
"My judgment was correct."
"Your swordsmanship is no weaker than mine."
Sword Saint Dragon: Suzaku.
Ankh said nothing.
He swept his weapon sideways and forced Suzaku back.
After inheriting the power of the God of Combat and Skill, Ankh's body had naturally absorbed all kinds of fighting techniques.
Swordsmanship was no exception.
Still, this man called Suzaku was genuinely powerful.
He truly deserved his place among the strongest team on another continent.
Misaki, who had watched the exchange from the side, smiled.
"Suzaku is a master swordsman, Ankh. Your little sisters don't appear capable of defeating him."
"You should probably face him yourself."
Ankh raised an eyebrow.
Erza and Kagura, however, were far less willing to tolerate the provocation.
Kagura stepped forward with a cold expression, tightened her grip around Archenemy, and slashed toward Suzaku without hesitation.
Suzaku calmly used his quick-draw technique again.
This time, Kagura had pushed every one of her senses to its limit.
She reacted in time, changed her movement midway through the strike, and actively met his blade.
The exchange was still difficult for her, but she was gradually adapting to his rhythm.
Suzaku finally showed a trace of interest.
He began unleashing quick-draw strikes in rapid succession, trading blow after blow with Kagura.
Erza, meanwhile, fixed her gaze upon Misaki—
The woman who had been making smug comments from the sidelines.