"Okay! Well done! Nami, you were amazing!"
Watching her little sister Nami cut down two enemies in quick succession, Vivi's face flushed with excitement. The blood in her veins boiled with adrenaline.
If not for the fact that she knew her own strength was too low—that forcing herself into battle would only drag everyone down—she would have charged in without hesitation.
"No, no, I'm not that strong…" Nami scratched the back of her head in embarrassment, speaking with modesty.
Truthfully, even she was startled by what she had just done.
It was the first time she had drawn upon the power of the Taurus Celestial Spirit Armor since obtaining it.
She knew exactly how weak she used to be. To think that the same Nami who once could barely defend herself had now easily taken down a senior Baroque agent in seconds… the leap in strength was beyond comprehension.
And all of it was thanks to one thing—
Joining Fairy Tail.
Being able to join Fairy Tail is the greatest stroke of luck in my life, Nami thought to herself.
But just as her thoughts began to settle—
A sudden change struck.
With the sharp whistle of something tearing through the air, a spiked, hedgehog-like projectile shot straight at her.
"Nami—!" Vivi's alarmed warning hadn't even finished when—
"Water Flow Sever!"
Juvia's clear voice rang out. She flicked her wrist, unleashing a massive blade of water that sliced through the air, blasting the distracted agent Zala off her feet.
"Water Whip!"
"Water Rise!"
"Twin Fangs of the Flow!"
Each incantation followed in swift succession.
"…Ah? Is it already over?" Juvia blinked in surprise.
Her casual flurry of techniques had completely overwhelmed Miss Doublefinger—Zala, a Baroque Works senior agent with a bounty of 35 million.
As Mr. 1's partner, Zala's strength was far from weak. Her Thorn-Thorn Fruit carried deadly potential.
But unfortunately for her—she had met Juvia.
Water magic naturally countered the thorn powers of her Devil Fruit. Against Juvia's element, Zala had no chance.
The outcome was decided in minutes.
In the blink of an eye, four of the nine senior agents of Baroque Works had fallen.
Nami had claimed two. Juvia, two as well. Added to the strange "booger man" whom Sugisawa Yuuto had dealt with earlier… only four remained.
…Or so Vivi thought.
Her sharp eyes swept across the battlefield. Three top agents were locked in combat with Erza. That left one unaccounted for.
Yet no matter how she searched, she couldn't find them.
Until—
"Vivi, relax a little. Come and have some afternoon tea."
Sugisawa Yuuto's voice called lightly from behind her.
She turned—and froze. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
Because there, across from Yuuto, sat the missing agent… Miss Goldenweek.
Calmly sipping black tea. Eating rice crackers.
"M-Miss Goldenweek… President Yuuto, sh-she… she's…"
"You mean Marianne? She's my new friend." Yuuto smiled faintly.
"…Huh?" Vivi was stunned.
Yuuto… friends with a senior Baroque Works agent?
"Marianne is a quiet, well-behaved girl," Mirajane added warmly. "She's also a very talented artist."
Even Mirajane seemed to have taken a liking to her.
"…Wait…" Vivi's mind spun.
She remembered the intelligence reports she'd gathered while undercover. Miss Goldenweek's paintings could manipulate emotions—twisting enemies into allies.
Could it be… even President Yuuto and Mira have fallen under her influence?!
Her heart skipped a beat.
"Vivi, come have some snacks. We made plenty," Mira called with a gentle smile.
"…Alright." Vivi nodded slowly, but inside, she had already made up her mind.
If her suspicion was true, then the burden of breaking free from this spell fell on her.
Elsewhere, among the crumbling ruins of weathered stone—
"Damn it! He went down so easily… to think he was considered one of us senior agents. Useless trash."
Mr. 3 gritted his teeth in frustration.
When the nine of them first launched their assault, he had thought their victory was assured. No matter how powerful the enemy, numbers should have guaranteed their success.
But reality was merciless.
The enemies' strength was far beyond what they had imagined.
Eight against three at the start—reduced in an instant to just three against three.
And they still hadn't even faced the strongest among them.
This was no longer a battle they could win.
As he rolled his eyes, desperately considering escape routes—
"Erza, let's help too!" Nami shouted.
"No need, Nami. Juvia. The two of you should rest and recover. Leave these three to me." Erza's tone was calm and unyielding.
"What?! You dare to face us three senior agents alone? Don't underestimate us!"
The flamboyant figure of Bentham—the okama martial artist—suddenly burst forward.
"Okama Kenpō—Swan Dance of Splendor!"
His kick carried such force it could shatter stone beasts, whistling as it cut toward Erza.
But Erza did not flinch. She raised her twin swords, blocking the strike head-on, and immediately launched a counteroffensive.
The blades of her Heaven's Wheel Armor rained down from all directions.
"Okama Kenpō—Summer's Memory Waltz!"
Bentham spun at high speed, his body whirling like a giant top, repelling countless flying swords.
Yet no matter how strong flesh and blood were, they could not withstand steel and magic.
When his rotation slowed, his body was already covered in bruises and blood.
Even so, he refused to fall. His feet planted firmly on the ground, he stood tall, chest heaving, determination unbroken.
Erza's eyes softened.
"You are the first worthy opponent I have encountered in this world."
Her voice carried true respect.
At first, she had been unsettled by his outlandish appearance—half man, half woman. But now, she could feel his unwavering spirit.
A warrior who never yielded, no matter how battered, deserved respect.
"It is my honor to be acknowledged by my enemy." Bentham's lips curved into a bloodied grin. "Then, accept it—my ultimate form! Swan Dance of Final Elegance!"
"Come!"
Erza's blades gleamed as she raised them high.
If Bentham intended to give everything, then she would meet him with her full strength as well.
"Heaven's Wheel—Pentagram Sword!!!"