"Phew…"
Natsu and Gray were starting to show signs of exhaustion after the battle. Ever since the ambush at the summer resort, they'd been chasing their enemies non-stop for hours without so much as a sip of water. After a long fight, their stamina was nearly depleted.
Gray was in rough shape, having been one-sidedly pummeled by Juvia in the earlier fight. Natsu had it even worse, suffering through the torture of motion sickness on the boat twice. Both were pushing their mental and physical limits, only holding on for Erza and Happy's sake.
"Damn it… I'm out of energy…" Natsu groaned.
"Gray-sama!" Juvia rushed to catch Gray as he collapsed, her heart racing with excitement. Her face lit up, eyes practically turning into hearts. Oh, Gray-sama's in my arms!!!
Natsu tried to push forward to help, but his steps were wobbly, and he ended up collapsing onto Lucy.
"Natsu, you okay?" Lucy asked, worried.
"I'm fine! I've gotta go help Erza!" Natsu insisted.
Happy stopped him. "Natsu, you need to rest first!"
"Yeah, Natsu," Lucy added, her eyes full of concern. "We've still got Kira, Erza, and Dispel. They've got this!"
…
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the tower, Dispel was casually strolling through the halls when a striking figure blocked his path.
Click… click…
The newcomer had long, cherry-pink hair tied into two buns at the top, with strands flowing down her back and framing her face. Her appearance was plain at first glance, but two red moles under her eyes and bold red lipstick made her stand out. Around her neck was a strange black collar, and she wore a loose, white, chest-high kimono that looked soft and flowing. On her feet were tall, heavy, round red geta sandals, clacking loudly with each elegant step.
She held a red longsword across her chest, clearly a skilled swordswoman. This was Ikaruga, the heir of the Moonless Style and a member of the Trinity Raven.
"I am Ikaruga," she said with a polite bow. "Pleased to meet you."
"Oh, a swordswoman? That's rare," Dispel remarked.
The moment Kira saw Ikaruga, his eyes lit up. In all his years in Earthland, he'd met plenty of skilled swordsmen, but most relied on magic alongside their blades. He'd rarely encountered someone like him, who fought purely with swordsmanship.
That wasn't too surprising, though. Dispel couldn't use magic because he lacked magical power, but in magic-rich Earthland, nearly every strong fighter used it.
"I was only following Jellal's orders to stop intruders, but meeting you here? What a stroke of luck, Kira Dispel!" Ikaruga said.
"Huh? You know me?" Dispel asked, confused. Is she… a fan? Back when he roamed Earthland, people often mistook him for Kira. The thought of meeting an actual fan of his made him a little giddy.
But Ikaruga's next words shattered that fantasy.
"Eight years ago, you defeated my master with a single strike. He never recovered and eventually passed away in despair," she said coldly.
Dispel scratched his head awkwardly. "Uh, sorry to hear that, but I don't remember your master at all…"
Ikaruga's eyes lowered as she recounted the past. "To avenge him and restore the honor of the Moonless Style, I've been searching for you all these years. But I could never find any trace of you."
That's because I was on another continent, Dispel thought. So, definitely not a fan.
"My only clue was your appearance. I ended up tracking down Fairy Tail's Kira Hopelight. He's a magical prodigy, but his swordsmanship is average at best. Clearly, you're not the same person."
"So, you're one of the seven Jellal mentioned?" Dispel asked.
"Exactly. If you want to reach the top of the tower, you'll have to defeat me!" Ikaruga's hand rested on her sword's hilt. "Let's see what kind of swordsmanship someone who could defeat my master at age twelve possesses!"
Dispel's expression grew serious. "You might be a girl, but when it comes to swordsmanship and battles, I don't hold back!"
"I wouldn't have it any other way!"
The air fell silent.
Ikaruga's left hand held her scabbard, her right resting lightly on the hilt. Dispel's hand moved to one of the swords at his waist.
A metallic rasp echoed as both prepared to draw, yet neither moved. Their swords remained sheathed, not budging an inch.
In the next instant, thin sword marks appeared on the walls, floor, and ceiling around them.
"Impressive swordsmanship," Dispel praised.
"Remarkable. You countered my strike so effortlessly with just a hint of your sword aura," Ikaruga replied.
As she spoke, faint cuts appeared on her body—each in a vital spot, but shallow. Clearly, Dispel had held back.
"Let's end the warm-up!" he declared.
The first exchange was just a test. The second would be a true clash of blades.
The Moonless Style was known for its incredible speed and precision, able to strike enemies before they could even see the blade and sever nerves without cutting flesh. But Dispel's swordsmanship was on another level. His natural talent had forged a unique style. He could read any technique with a glance and had faced every kind of swordplay. He wasn't just versatile—he was a master of all aspects.
Speed, strength, precision, control, coordination—Dispel surpassed Ikaruga in every way.
Ikaruga attacked first, her heavy geta sandals somehow allowing her to glide forward several meters with graceful ease. It was hard to believe someone could move so lightly in such clunky footwear.
"Moonless Style: Multi-Sword Flash!"
Her sword moved faster than the eye could follow. In the original story, Erza couldn't even track Ikaruga's strikes, her armor shattered repeatedly. But against Dispel, it wasn't so simple. He stood motionless, calmly waiting for her attack.
As her sword flash tore through the air, Dispel's sky-blue eyes caught a glint of white light.
The Moonless Style was fast, but faster still was—draw technique!
"One-Sword Style: Infinity!"
Clang!
A sharp, piercing metallic clash echoed through the narrow corridor. The sword aura from their strikes sliced the walls on either side clean in half.
"You blocked it?!" Ikaruga gasped, stunned. It was the first time someone had parried her swordsmanship.
Dispel chuckled, secretly thrilled by the duel. "Not bad speed. Again!"
"Moonless Style: Yaksha Air Slash!"
Ikaruga spun mid-air, using the momentum to swing her sword in a crescent arc.
As the crescent moon slash soared, Dispel saw it clearly. With a flick of his wrist, he swung his blade down, unleashing his own crescent strike. "One-Sword Style: Moon Sever!"
Clang!
The crescent arcs clashed mid-air, one fading under the other's blade as the moonlight vanished.
"Good strength. Again!" Dispel called.
Seeing her attack fail again, Ikaruga unleashed her strongest move.
"Moonless Style: Garuda Flame!"
Her sword slashed again, now wreathed in intense flames, its cutting power amplified by the scorching heat.
"One-Sword Style: Fire Forge!"
Clang!
The flames were bound by chains of sword aura, the residual heat warping the air, but Ikaruga still couldn't gain the upper hand.
"Solid technique. Again!" Dispel said.
"Again? I can't!" Ikaruga stepped back, halting her attacks. Her voice trembled with frustration, bitterness, and sorrow. "All these years, I thought I'd surpassed my master. But I still can't beat you!"
Dispel nodded. "I'll take the compliment!"
"That was my strongest move, undefeated until now. But it wasn't enough to beat you. At least this puts an end to my years of pursuit," she said, her voice tinged with loneliness and regret.
"Hey, hold on!" Dispel scolded. "You're giving up already? If you don't even trust the sword in your hand, are you really a swordmaster? With that mindset, how can you win? How can you go far on the path of the sword?"