Swap Magic is one of the easier types of magic to learn, about as common as Transformation Magic. But not everyone picks it up. Besides talent limitations, many mages stick to the idea that "mastery matters more than variety." Most mages focus on just one type of magic because they lack the time or energy to learn a second. So, those who can wield multiple types are either jacks-of-all-trades who lack depth or absolute prodigies. The divide is stark.
Kira, of course, falls into the latter category. No question about it. With his cheat-like abilities, he picks up anything in a flash. I mean, with a ton of magical gear at his disposal, it'd be a waste not to learn Swap Magic! With that mindset, it took him less than three days to master it to the point of using it effortlessly.
In wide-open terrain like this, straightforward attacks are a bad idea—too easy to get flanked. Against someone like Jellal, that could put you at a serious disadvantage. Luckily, Kira's not the type to fight head-on. His Word Spirit Pistols are super handy: high firepower, strong impact, versatile, and no recoil.
Bang! Bang!
With double the firepower and attacks covering both sides, Jellal was forced to crank up his speed. Even then, the bullets were getting dangerously close, and his cloak was already riddled with holes.
Suddenly, Kira stopped firing. Jellal paused to catch his breath.
This guy… he's not even specialized in this kind of magic, yet he's sharpening his focus and reflexes mid-battle. This all-around magic is such a pain to deal with, Jellal thought. There's gotta be a flaw… a weakness. No magic this versatile can be perfect! Is it his magic power? Speed? Firepower? Or maybe a cooldown?
Jellal was a natural genius, a rare talent in magic. At just twenty, he'd become one of the Ten Wizard Saints and a member of the Magic Council—proof of his skill.
Kira's sudden pause made Jellal wonder if this was a flaw in his magic, maybe a limit on how long he could use it before needing a break. If that guess was right, that pause could be the key to beating him! But he'd need to test it…
If Kira knew what Jellal was thinking, he'd probably burst out laughing and say, "Yup, you got it! That's my magic's weakness!" Then he'd deliberately leave that opening in the fight.
In reality, Kira stopped for a much simpler reason: Erza and Dispel had arrived.
"Jellal!!" Erza shouted.
The moment Erza stepped in, her eyes and heart were locked on Jellal. The other two identical-looking guys? Completely invisible to her.
"Hey, come on, at least say hi to me!" Kira complained. "If I hadn't held back, this guy would be down to nothing but his dream of reviving Zeref by now…"
"Kira, this fight…" Erza started.
"You want this fight to be yours, right? You don't want me or Dispel stepping in," Kira cut in.
Erza hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "I know it's…"
"It's selfish, but you want us to let you handle it because you need to settle things with him. That's what you're saying, right?"
Erza nodded again, silently. "If…"
"If you fall in battle, you want us to stop his Paradise Plan and take care of your little crew, right?"
Dispel, fed up, shouted at Kira, "Would you stop yapping already? Get over here and watch the show! You're not the star of this fight!"
"Alright, alright…" Kira jogged over to join Dispel, grabbing a seat. "The fight's all yours, Erza, but if things get dire, I'm not just gonna sit back and watch!"
"Thanks!" Erza said, stepping forward and stopping five meters from Jellal.
Kira and Dispel plopped down in chairs by the entrance, snacks and drinks in hand. Kira even pulled out an imaging magic crystal, ready to record the battle.
"What are you doing?" Dispel asked.
"Gathering live reference material," Kira replied. "I'm filming their fight. I'll turn it into a movie when we get back. I've already got the title: The Fairy Queen's Love Story."
"Sounds a bit cheesy," Dispel said.
"Yeah, I'm not thrilled with it either, but it'll ride Erza's hype. Maybe Tower of Fate or Shukaletto instead? What do you think?"
"Lemme think on it…"
Blue short hair versus red long hair. A disheveled man versus an exhausted woman. An evil mage versus a kindhearted swordswoman. A past first love versus a present enemy. The stark contrasts and intense emotions made this battle feel like something straight out of a drama.
"It's been a while, Erza!" Jellal said, no longer looking like the frantic mess who'd been dodging Kira's bullets. He now carried the air of a true boss. "You could walk away right now, you know."
Erza's voice was firm. "I'm here to free our old comrades."
"Do whatever you want," Jellal said dismissively. "But it's pointless. The Tower of Heaven is complete. In ten minutes, the Etherion will fire, and you, Erza, will die as the living sacrifice to revive Zeref."
"It's all been decided. This is fate!"
Erza took a deep breath. "Ten minutes… not enough time, huh?"
Jellal smirked confidently. "Exactly! Ten minutes isn't enough for you to beat me!"
"No, that's not what I meant."
"Huh?"
"I know your plan," Erza said. "Using the Etherion to gather the 2.7 billion magic power needed for the R-System—and me, as the sacrifice to revive Zeref."
Jellal scoffed. "So what if you know the real plan?"
Erza smiled. "You're pretty slow on the uptake. Too much time holed up in here messing with your head?"
At that, Kira leaned toward Dispel. "Hey, why does that line sound familiar?"
Dispel glanced at him. "Didn't she say something like that to you before?"
"Did she?"
Erza continued, "This isn't about me beating you in ten minutes to stop your plan. It's about you having to beat me in ten minutes to pull off your plan!"
"When I said ten minutes isn't enough, I meant it's not enough for you to beat me!"
Jellal's composure cracked. "You—?!"
Kira and Dispel's eyes lit up, their snacking speeding up. "Whoa, didn't see that twist coming!" Kira said. "That's our Erza, flipping the script like a pro!"
"Here we go!" Jellal roared, unleashing a spell. Several ghostly, wraith-like magical attacks shot toward Erza.
The wraiths were fast, but Erza was faster. She leaped, dodging them perfectly. A magic circle flashed in the air, and she reached into it, pulling out two massive broadswords.
Each sword was half her size, yet she wielded them like toys, swinging with ease.
Whoosh! Slash!
The giant blades cut through the air with a rough howl, their wind carving marks into the floor.
Erza closed in, relentless. Jellal fought while retreating, his movements almost leisurely, as if strolling through a garden.