"Erza!" Xio and Simon, who were trapped in the corner, exclaimed in despair.
Opposite them, Ikaruga sheathed her sword gracefully. She was wearing a gorgeous kimono, with a contemptuous smile on her face.
"Is this the strength of Titania? It's really disappointing." Ikaruga shook his head slightly. "Your armor is indeed strong, but in front of my Mujetsu Style swordsmanship, it is just a paper toy."
Erza struggled to hold herself up. Her vision was somewhat blurred, and severe pain was tearing at her nerves.
"Why..." Erza murmured in a low voice. "Why can't my sword touch her..."
She looked at the broken armor on her body and suddenly understood something.
All this time, she has been wrapping herself in armor. She is afraid of injury and loss, so she seals her heart with thick steel.
"I was wrong..."
Erza stood up slowly. There was no confusion in her eyes anymore, and what remained was a kind of clarity.
"It's everyone from Fairy Tail, it's Lu Chongwei, it's Natsu, it's Lucy..." Erza's voice became louder and louder, showing the power of persistence. "It's them who made me understand that true strength is not to seal yourself with armor. It is to open your heart, to trust your companions, to feel the warmth and bond!"
Buzz--
A dazzling magical light lit up Erza.
In the shocked eyes of Xio and Simon, the heavy Purgatory Armor on Erza disappeared!
She gave up all defenses. She only wore a simple white bra and red bloomers. Each of her hands held an extremely sharp demon knife.
"Without the armor, you can't even block my blow." Ikaruga sneered and pulled out the sword again.
"There is no need to block." Erza's eyes were as bright as fire. "I will cut off everything with this extreme attack!"
"Arrogant!"
Ikaruga roared angrily, turning into an afterimage and rushing in front of Erza.
"Mujetsu Style·Yasha Senku!" Countless sharp sword energies were like dense nets, completely covering Erza.
"Demon Sword·Crimson Sakura!"
Erza did not flinch. She faced the sword energy in the sky and waved the two swords in her hands without reservation!
Clang--!
An extremely clear sound of gold and iron chiming echoed through Observation Room. The figures of the two people passed each other in mid-air.
Time stands still at this moment.
Click.
Ikaruga The long knife in his hand suddenly cracked and a small crack appeared. Then, the crack spread rapidly and the whole knife was broken into countless iron filings!
Poof!
Ikaruga spat out a mouthful of blood, and a cross wound deep enough to the bone appeared on her chest. Her eyes widened in shock, and she fell heavily to the ground, completely losing her ability to fight.
Erza gasped for breath. She turned around, walked quickly to Xio and Simon, and helped them up.
"Erza... you win..." Xio was so excited that tears filled her eyes.
"Now is not the time to be happy." Erza looked solemn. "Etherion is about to fall. You must evacuate immediately."
"What about you?" Simon asked hurriedly.
"I'm going to find Jellal, and Lu Chongwei." Erza clenched the demon knife in his hand.
Simon looked at Erza's determined eyes, and what Lu Chongwei said to him before setting off suddenly came to mind.
"Don't worry, I will protect her."
Simon calmed down his breathing. He understood that he could not stop Erza.
"Xiu, let's go!" Simon grabbed Xio who was still talking. "We have to believe them and go to the boat to wait for them to come back!"
The two turned around and ran outside, while Erza rushed to the top floor without hesitation.
The top hall.
The battle has entered a fierce stage.
The roar keeps coming!
The golden flames raged in the hall like a wild dragon. Lu Chongwei's offensive was like a violent storm, and every knife carried deadly heat and terrifying power.
"Damn it! This guy's magic power is like a bottomless pit!" Jellal dodged the slashes in embarrassment, with cold sweat covering his forehead.
The meteor magic he was so proud of seemed to be stretched thin under Lu Chongwei's airtight attack.
"Is this all you have?" Lu Chongwei smashed the magic shield in front of Jellal with a knife, doubts flashed in his eyes. "Ten Wizard Saints, is your strength so weak?"
Jellal gritted his teeth and said nothing. He quickly formed seals with his hands, preparing to launch a large-scale magic counterattack.
"No chance."
Lu Chongwei's eyes turned cold. He held the handle of Ryujin Jakka's knife with both hands and poured all his magic power into the blade.
The golden flame compressed and turned into a terrifying light blade ten meters long!
"Ittō Kasō!"
Lu Chongwei shouted angrily, and with the power of destroying the world, the light blade struck Jellal fiercely!
The speed and power of this blow had completely blocked all Jellal's escape routes. Jellal's eyes tightened, feeling the threat of death.
At this critical moment!
"Space Distortion!"
An elegant voice suddenly sounded in the hall. A white figure appeared out of thin air in front of Jellal. He waved his hands, and the space in front of him violently deformed, forming a black hole-like vortex.
"Boom--!"
Lu Chongwei's Compressed Flame Slash struck the vortex hard, and half of it was swallowed up by the deformed space! The remaining aftermath knocked the white figure back a few steps.
Lu Chongwei put away his knife and stood, looking coldly at the sudden obstacle.
"Jellal Fernandes." Lu Chongwei called out the person's name.
"Oh, it's really dangerous." Jellal Fernandes patted the dust on his clothes, still wearing that unbeatable smile on his face.
"Lu Chongwei!"
With an urgent shout, Erza rushed into the hall.
She was stunned when she saw the scene in the hall.
Jellal, and Jellal Fernandes, who look exactly the same, were standing together at the same time!
"What... what's going on?" Erza looked at the two people in shock. "Isn't Jellal Fernandes a member of Magic Council? Why is he here to protect Jellal?"
Lu Chongwei didn't look back, just sneered.
He raised Ryujin Jakka and pointed the tip of the knife directly at Jellal Fernandes.
"Don't you understand, Erza." Lu Chongwei's voice echoed in the hall. "This guy has been our enemy from the beginning. Get ready for war."
"Jellal Fernandes! Why are you here to protect Jellal?"
Erza's eyes widened and she looked at the two people in front of her in shock. She clenched the hilt of the sword in her hand, her knuckles turning blue from the excessive force. The feeling of anger and betrayal and humiliation rolled violently in her chest.
"Oh my, it's really dangerous."
Jellal Fernandes patted the dust on his clothes, with that unbeatable smile still on his face. There was no trace of panic in his blue eyes, but the pride of a successful conspiracy. He looked at Erza up and down like a prey.
"You are actually in the same group!"