The Second Round

Meanwhile, on the winding Knight's Path, another fierce battle had reached its climax.

Freed lived up to his reputation as Laxus's foremost follower. His Dark Ecriture magic was intricate and bizarre.

An endless succession of rune traps imbued with the effects of "pain," "slowness," and "fear" formed an inescapable net throughout the forest. Any other mage would likely have been unable to take another step.

Freed wanted to eliminate Erza right here, so that even if Jiang Bai won, he wouldn't make it to the next round.

But he was up against Erza.

Titania's fighting style had always been simple and brutal.

"Requip: Heaven's Wheel Armor!"

Amid a golden light, Erza donned her most offensive armor.

"Heaven's Wheel: Circle Sword!"

More than a hundred magic swords materialized out of thin air and swept indiscriminately across the entire forest ahead like a raging storm of steel.

Before absolute power, every ingenious trap was as fragile as paper.

Trees were sliced clean through, and countless deep furrows were gouged into the ground. Most of the rune traps Freed had laid were destroyed in the first exchange.

"Damn it!"

Freed's face paled. He quickly retreated, his hands rapidly forming seals.

"Dark Ecriture: Absolute Domain!"

A huge purple runic magic circle unfolded before him, forming an impenetrable barrier.

Erza didn't even look at it. Her armor changed once more.

"Requip: Adamantine Armor!"

She donned armor with supreme defensive power and gripped a massive shield in both hands. Like an unstoppable heavy chariot, she slammed into the runic barrier.

"Boom—!!!"

Under Erza's outrageously terrifying strength, the Absolute Domain that Freed was so proud of held for less than three seconds before shattering piece by piece like glass.

The powerful impact sent Freed staggering backward. Before he could regain his footing, a cold sword blade was already resting against his neck.

Erza held her longsword, her scarlet hair flying in the wind and her gaze firm and sharp.

"You've lost, Freed."

Freed froze. He stared at the blade inches from him, his face filled with frustration and defeat.

He had lost the duel between knights, but he didn't know how the battle on the King's Path was going.

"Damn it... I lost... but Lord Laxus..."

The two fought their way onward and finally reached the Trial Platform halfway up the mountain.

As Makarov had said, a pack of ferocious-looking magical beasts occupied the place, and in their midst stood two magic devices that needed to be supplied with magic power.

Erza withdrew her longsword and glanced at the magical beasts watching them hungrily, then at Freed, who was still brooding over his defeat.

"The battle isn't over yet."

She spoke in a low voice, then charged again, rushing into the pack of magical beasts alone with her sword.

"Our task is to activate the devices! Don't forget your duty!"

Freed stared at Erza's agile, powerful figure from behind for a moment, then tightened his grip on his rapier.

That was right. The battle wasn't over yet.

He didn't know whether Lord Laxus had won, but as long as there was a sliver of hope, he had to fulfill his duty as a knight!

The two briefly joined forces and quickly wiped out the magical beasts.

Erza walked up to one of the devices, placed her hand on it, and began channeling magic power into it without hesitation.

She looked back at Freed, an unquestionable command in her eyes.

Erza hadn't taken Freed's earlier actions to heart—or rather, they weren't worth taking to heart.

"Freed, fulfill your duty. Whatever the outcome at the summit, we have to complete our task."

Freed was silent for a moment before finally straightening his back.

He stepped forward and placed his hand on the other device.

"For Lord Laxus's glory, and for the guild's rules."

He, too, began channeling magic power into the device.

The two streams of magic power flowed in at the same time.

In the next second, two pillars of light shot into the sky.

At the summit, on the King's Altar.

Jiang Bai, who had been resting with his eyes closed, felt a tremor beneath his feet.

The ancient altar fully activated, and its intricate magic circles shone with dazzling light, completely engulfing him.

Space began to twist, and the stars wheeled through the sky.

When Jiang Bai opened his eyes again, he found himself on a vast, barren plain.

A desolate yet powerful aura filled the air.

A towering figure sat atop a huge rock not far away.

Gildarts was holding a flask and tipped his head back to take a long swig. When he saw Jiang Bai appear, he grinned, showing a row of white teeth.

"You finally made it, kid. A little faster than I expected."

He leaped down from the rock, and his imposing, weighty aura, like a mountain, instantly enveloped the entire plain.

"The second round of the test starts now."

Gildarts loosened up, his gaze turning deadly serious.

"Thirty minutes. If you can last thirty minutes against me without falling, you pass. Show me everything you've got. Let me see whether you're truly qualified to shoulder the guild's future."

Jiang Bai looked at the man before him, the strongest in the guild, and finally abandoned his lazy demeanor.

He stretched, and his joints let out a series of loud cracks.

"Thirty minutes? That's too long."

A supremely confident smile curled Jiang Bai's lips.

"Let's make this quick, old man."

"I'm in a hurry to get back to sleep."

Before his words had even faded, he vanished from where he stood.