In the arena, Natsu and Erza kicked things off with their usual pre-battle greetings and a bit of showy bravado.
Erza's fiery red hair blazed like flames, while Natsu's pink locks bloomed like cherry blossoms, perfectly complemented by his pristine white dragon-scale scarf. The sight of them fueled their fighting spirit to new heights.
"When was the last time we had a match like this?" Erza asked, her tone sharp but nostalgic.
"I was just a kid back then, but things are different now!" Natsu shot back, his grin brimming with confidence. "Today, I'm definitely gonna beat you!"
Erza's eyes snapped open, blazing with determination. "Guess I'll have to get serious, then! It's been a while since I've really tested my full strength!"
"No need to hold back—come at me!" Natsu roared.
"Requip!" Erza called out.
In an instant, she donned her Flame Empress Armor, a deep crimson suit designed to counter fire. Sure, it was a bit revealing in spots, but that didn't diminish its fire-resistant properties—especially since it was crafted by Kira.
Now clad in her Flame Empress Armor, Erza's hair was tied into twin tails. The armor, red with black patterns and orange accents, featured wings on the back and came with a matching fire sword.
As a wizard who used Requip Magic, Erza had more outfits than anyone else in the Fairy Tail guild. To store her vast collection of clothes and armor, she'd rented out five connected rooms in the girls' dormitory.
Erza's wardrobe came from two main sources. For her everyday outfits, she shopped at the trendiest, most popular women's clothing store, Heart Kreuz—H-K for short. She'd initially tried to get H-K to make her armor too, but since they were a fashion brand, not an armory, they refused. Erza nearly resorted to strong-arming them, but luckily, Kira happened to "pass by" and stepped in.
After some heartfelt mediation by Kira, they reached a compromise: H-K would design the armor, and Kira would forge it.
---
Kira' method of forging armor—or magical weapons in general—was somewhat similar to Wendy's enchantment magic, except it was applied to inanimate objects and took longer to complete. The effects might look similar, but the principles were entirely different.
Everything in the world has a true name, and those who master that name can wield its true power. This was the essence of Word Magic. "Everything" didn't just mean physical objects—it included man-made creations like writing, technology, and even ideas. That's what made Word Magic so powerful.
"Begin!" Makarov's voice boomed, his signature two-tailed hat bobbing as he took his place as referee for the match.
"Ooooh!" The crowd erupted in cheers.
Finally, it was starting! They'd been waiting forever, though no one was quite sure what they'd been staring at for so long.
"Raaaargh!" Natsu launched forward with his signature move, the Fire Dragon's Iron Fist, as direct and predictable as ever.
Erza deftly stepped back, dodging with minimal effort. Her retreat showcased her keen observation and masterful technique.
Natsu wasn't fazed by her dodge. If Erza went down that easily, she wouldn't be Erza! His fiery fist swung downward, carried by his forward momentum, while his right leg snapped up in a preemptive kick aimed straight at her face.
The second attack flowed seamlessly from the first, capitalizing on its momentum before the move grew stale. It was a double-pronged assault with a predictive edge. Against an ordinary opponent, even if they dodged the initial punch and jumped to avoid the follow-up, they'd likely get clocked by Natsu's "hamstring" kick.
Natsu's raw intelligence might not have been his strong suit, but his battle instincts were razor-sharp. In the original story, no matter the enemy, he could quickly spot their weaknesses and attack patterns, dodging or exploiting gaps in their moves with uncanny precision.
Raised by a dragon, Natsu fought like a beast—instinctive, unpredictable, and free of rigid habits. This let him adapt mid-battle, constantly refining his approach, which was one reason he seemed to "cheat" his way to victory so often.
After nearly a decade of brawling in the guild, Natsu and Erza knew each other inside and out. Every move, every feint, was anticipated.
Facing Natsu's combo, Erza calmly leaped upward, twisting her body mid-air. Her sword sliced through the air in a single, fluid motion.
Natsu's three attacks missed completely, leaving him balanced on one leg, struggling to stay upright. He couldn't attack again quickly and now had to dodge Erza's incoming slash.
In an instant, the tide turned!
Everyone in the guild knew Erza was terrifyingly serious in certain situations. Even now, she wasn't one to hold back.
Just when it seemed the match was decided, Natsu planted his hands on the ground, flipping forward to evade the sword. In mid-air, he unleashed a scorching blast of flames!
"So hot!"
"Hey, Natsu, you jerk!"
Erza dodged the fiery attack, but the onlookers weren't so lucky, getting singed by the stray flames.
Natsu and Erza's incredible perception, quick judgment, lightning-fast reflexes, superhuman physical prowess, and vast combat experience shone through in this opening skirmish. Though it was just a few simple moves without even making contact, it was enough to captivate the entire crowd. Even Lucy, who'd been lost in thought, was stunned by their skill.
"Wow, Erza's amazing!" Lucy gasped.
"So, what do you think? Pretty evenly matched, right?" someone asked.
"No way," Gray scoffed. Erza regularly took on two opponents at once—admitting Natsu was her equal would be like saying he was better than Gray, and that wasn't happening.
Kira chimed in with his analysis. "Heh, Natsu's just warming up, but Erza hasn't even started yet! Don't blink—this is about to get even better!"
The next moment, Natsu's fire fist clashed with Erza's sword.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Their second exchange lasted a full ten minutes, both going all out. Sparks flew as their relentless strikes collided, leaving faint scratches on Erza's armor and shallow cuts on Natsu's fists.
Even the sword of the Flame Empress Armor bore red marks from Natsu's blows, and the claws of the Fire Dragon King trembled slightly from the impact.
"Whoa, Natsu's flames are burning hotter than ever! He's improved!" Kira praised, earning a jealous "Tch" from Gray.
"No need to be so salty, Gray. Your ice magic's gotten stronger too!" Kira teased. "Hey, how about some ice to cool things down?"
"Don't you have ice magic too?" Gray shot back.
"Yeah, but you're the pro at making ice. Come on, help us out!"
"Ugh, fine!" Gray grumbled.
After Kira' persistent nagging, Gray reluctantly conjured four massive ice barriers, encircling the arena and shielding the spectators.
The temperature dropped instantly, but no one complained. Natsu's flames had turned the area into a sweltering, dry furnace—some ice was exactly what they needed to avoid getting roasted.
"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"
"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!"
Flames wreathed Natsu's body, unleashing extraordinary power, but Erza countered each move with precise sword blocks, nullifying his fiery assaults.
The armor was just a buff—Erza's true strength lay in her unmatched swordsmanship. No one in Fairy Tail could rival her blade.
Watching the intense duel, Gray suddenly thought of something he'd never considered before. "Hey, do the wings on the Flame Empress Armor actually let her fly?"
"Nope, purely decorative!" Kira replied, knowing the armor best since he'd forged it. "I don't know why H-K designed it that way, but Erza seems to love it."
"It's not just that set—most of Erza's armors have wings," Kira continued. "They're usually just for show, though a few can actually fly."
"And her armors are pretty revealing, right? I always thought it was weird—fire-resistant armor with so many gaps. No idea what the designers were thinking, but man, it looks good in a fight."
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