A twinge of regret—he couldn't die in his homeland. A pang of failure—he hadn't stopped his father's plans. A whisper of guilt—he failed to protect the guild…
Yet, despite it all, Mystogan's heart was strangely calm. In this moment, memories flooded his mind: his kingdom, his mentor, his father, his duties, his comrades… Twenty years of life flashed before him like a carousel of lights.
He heard the shouts of his guildmates echoing from the guild hall, saw the white clouds above, the leaves stirred by the wind, the battered guild building, the fading defensive magic array, and the looming, fully-charged Jupiter Cannon…
And then, a flash of brilliant white swordlight.
Swish!
A slashing strike, seemingly from nowhere, cleaved through Jose's dark magic blast, sending a gust of wind past Mystogan, fluttering his mask and cloak.
Who was that?
The swordlight stunned everyone.
Jose, Mystogan, Mirajane, Lucy, and the guild members watching from inside were all floored by this unexpected turn.
"Who's that?!" Jose exclaimed.
Reinforcements at this stage? Was this Makarov's doing, calling in backup? Or did that Kira kid have another trick up his sleeve?
Laxus? No, his magic was lightning, elemental, and he was on a mission!
Kira? No, his magic was Crash, excelling in close combat, and he was on a mission too!
That attack was pure swordsmanship—a flawless slash!
Jose had studied Fairy Tail's intelligence thoroughly. No one in the guild had sword skills like this! Even Erza's blade work wasn't on this level!
A familiar voice rang out: "What's an old creep like you trying to do to our kingdom's prince?"
Jose followed the voice, spotting a figure a hundred meters away, standing in the sun's glare, face obscured. But he could make out a katana in the figure's right hand.
Jose's heart skipped a beat. A slash that precise and powerful from that distance?
"Who are you?" Jose demanded, a suspicion forming but too wild to believe.
"Who am I? Just a nameless swordsman who can't stand seeing injustice!" the figure replied.
As he stepped closer, his features became clear, and everyone's eyes widened in disbelief.
Messy red hair, a flowing white outfit dancing in the wind, captivating sky-blue eyes—an exact match for a certain familiar guildmate in appearance, voice, and overwhelming strength. Even their clothing, tone, and demeanor were eerily similar.
Jose's mind raced with questions: "Kira Hopelight?! Weren't you at Phantom Lord? Why are you here?! What's with that outfit? Since when did he have sword skills this insane? I've never heard of this!"
"Don't get the wrong guy! I'm not that ridiculously handsome dude from your guild! I only stepped in because I happened to be passing by!" the figure shot back.
Inside the guild's tavern, Lucy's face lit up at the sight. "It's Kira! They're saved!"
"So strong! He cut through Phantom Lord's headquarters and cannon with one strike! Kira has sword skills like that?!"
But Mirajane frowned slightly. "No… that's not Kira!"
"Huh? You're saying that's not him?" Lucy asked. "But it's clearly Kira, just in different clothes…"
"No way!" Mirajane insisted. "That move just now? That's the work of a master swordsman. Kira doesn't know swordsmanship!"
"Really?"
Mirajane nodded. "Yep. Kira is incredible with magic and often uses magical tools, but his physical and sword skills are average at best."
"Maybe we just didn't know? His magic's so strong, he doesn't always get a chance to show off other skills, right?"
Mirajane chuckled and shook her head. "You don't know him. If Kira had sword skills like that, he'd have made sure everyone in the guild knew about it!"
"Especially since he'd definitely challenge Erza to a sword duel in front of everyone!"
"Uh… really? Heh, heh…"
The Kira lookalike raised his katana, pointing it at Jose's weathered face with a polite tone. "Hey, you old, ugly creep who looks like he crawled out of a monster's dung pile—mind stopping your attack and crawling back into whatever sewer you came from?"
His tone was courteous, but the words were anything but.
Mystogan, staring at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure, cautiously asked, "Are you…?"
But his question was cut off. "A prince of a whole kingdom, and you let yourself get beat up like this in a foreign land? That's just pathetic! What have you been doing all these years—playing house? Your strength hasn't improved one bit!"
Mystogan's eyes flashed with disbelief but quickly softened as he exhaled in relief. "So it's you… Why are you here?"
This fight's in the bag!
The figure didn't answer, instead strolling closer with his katana resting on his shoulder, eyes fixed on Mystogan, completely ignoring Jose's darkening expression.
"You can't even beat a guy like this and call yourself a prince? Maybe I should take the throne instead! If you decided to come here, you should've had the resolve to get stronger and the determination to sacrifice everything for change!"
Sword aura swirled within three feet of him, restrained yet potent, like an unsheathed blade—sharp but hidden, honed through countless battles. It was the presence of a true swordsmanship master.
No one in Fiore had ever heard of such a person. Jose, uncertain, demanded, "You're not Kira Hopelight. Who the hell are you?"
"I'm Kira!" the figure declared.
Jose's anger flared. Kira? Another Kira?!
He didn't know what connection this Kira had to the other, but that face, that attitude, those actions—they all screamed enemy.
Dark magic surged in his hands as he activated the Jupiter Cannon. "You little brat! Die! Dark Spiral!!"
Facing the oncoming attack, the figure remained calm, sheathing his katana and resting his hand on the hilt. "You think your puny magic can show off in front of me?"
As if sensing the attack, he stepped to the right, slightly turning his body, effortlessly dodging Jose's dark spirals. He wove through the barrage with fluid, graceful movements, not a single motion wasted. Then he faced the descending Jupiter Cannon's beam.
In an instant—draw, slash!
A white-gleaming slash erupted from his blade. The pure magical energy of the cannon, as if given physical form, was knocked off course by the strike.
"He deflected the Jupiter Cannon with a single slash?!"
Jose was stunned. If he hadn't seen it himself, he'd never believe someone could redirect a magical cannon with a sword.
Mystogan was equally shocked, because…
"Idiot! That direction is—"
BOOM!
A deafening explosion followed. The Tenrou defensive magic array collapsed under the combined force of the cannon's beam and the airborne slash, leaving the already battered guild fully exposed!
"What are you doing?!" Mystogan shouted in panic.
"Huh… what's wrong?" the figure asked, his dead-fish eyes suggesting he was completely oblivious to what he'd done.
The situation was a mixed bag. The bad news: the guild's defenses were gone, leaving it more vulnerable. The good news: the guild members inside could now join the fight, and the Jupiter Cannon needed an hour to recharge.
With the barrier down, Fairy Tail's members poured out.
"Gehahaha!" Jose cackled, seeing the magic array vanish. "You actually did me a favor, kid!"
"Now it's simple. Scream for your coming deaths, you filthy fairies!!"
Swish!
Another flash of swordlight sliced through the air behind him. Jose's laughter stopped abruptly. Sensing something, he stiffly turned to look at his guild.
A thin, diagonal slash cut through the air with a piercing screech. Phantom Lord's six-legged mobile fortress split in two!