— — — — — — —
"Requip: Purgatory Armor!"
"No one who has seen this armor has ever left the battlefield standing."
Ikaruga charged at Erza with incredible speed.
Crack—!
Erza's armor shattered upon impact.
Seeing this, Sho trembled in despair. "We can't win... Erza can't defeat her..."
Regret overwhelmed him. He cursed himself for bringing Erza into this reckless fight against Jellal.
They hadn't even faced Jellal yet and were already being held back by this powerful woman. Worse, Erza was injured—was he just bringing more trouble upon his sister?
"So this is your strongest armor? Now do you understand? No matter what armor you wear, my sword will cut through it all. Give up."
Despite the pain, Erza struggled to her feet, taking a deep breath. She dismissed her broken armor and instead donned a simple outfit—just cloth, with no magic resistance at all.
"What is this? I can't sense any magic from that attire!"
"It's just fabric."
"You're telling me it has no magic enhancement?!"
"I've taken so many of your attacks already, and you still underestimate me?"
"Erza! What are you doing?! You still have plenty of powerful armors! You should be stronger than this!"
Erza smiled softly. "I'm not as strong as you think, Sho. It was my weakness that kept me wrapped in armor all these years. I never had the courage to take it off."
"I used to think armor could protect me, but I was wrong. I built thick walls around my heart, isolating myself from others."
"Fairy Tail taught me otherwise—that true bonds between people are warm, close, and unbreakable."
Turning to Ikaruga, Erza's eyes burned with determination. "But don't mistake this for desperation. The technique I'm about to use works best without armor. And... I haven't fully mastered it yet."
Ikaruga scoffed. "You haven't even mastered it? Using an unfinished technique against me? You truly underestimate me."
"No, it's the opposite. I respect your strength—enough to use a technique so powerful that I'm still struggling to control it." Erza replied.
"Oh? Now you've piqued my interest." Ikaruga readied her blade.
Erza adjusted her breathing.
Whoosh—!
Flames ignited along the edge of her sword.
"Yasha's Empty Flash!" Ikaruga unleashed a swift, deadly slash.
"Flame Breathing: First Form—Unknowing Fire!"
Erza countered with a blazing strike.
BOOM!
Their attacks collided in midair, sending shockwaves through the tower, shattering walls and splitting the ground beneath them.
"Impressive!" Ikaruga grinned, finally taking the battle seriously.
"Limitless Yasha's Empty Flash!"
Ikaruga unleashed a barrage of rapid slashes—the same attack that had previously shredded Erza's armor with ease.
"Flame Breathing: Fourth Form—Blooming Flame Undulation!"
Erza spun, her sword creating a fiery vortex that neutralized Ikaruga's flurry of strikes.
Closing the distance, Erza launched a relentless assault. This time, Ikaruga found herself on the defensive, struggling to keep up.
"Impossible!" Ikaruga's confidence wavered. "You're not even wearing enchanted armor—how did your speed and strength increase so drastically?!"
Watching this reversal, Sho's despair transformed into excitement. "Yes! That's the strong Erza I know!"
Screech—!
Their blades clashed again, but Ikaruga was forced backward, skidding along the ground, her wooden sandals leaving deep grooves in the floor.
Gathering all her magic power, Ikaruga poured it into her blade. "Garuda Flame!"
A massive wave of fire erupted from her sword.
"Flame Breathing: Fifth Form—Flame Tiger!"
Erza lunged forward, her flames taking the shape of a roaring tiger, its fangs bared to devour its prey.
BOOM—!
The two attacks met, sending a fiery explosion through the battlefield, tearing apart walls and shaking the tower's foundations.
"Aaaah!"
Sho, who had been cowering in the corner, was blown off his feet by the shockwave.
When the dust settled, both warriors stood amidst the rubble, the ground beneath them cracked and scorched.
Ikaruga narrowed her eyes. "What kind of swordsmanship is this?! How did your strength and speed increase so much?!"
"It's called Flame Breathing—a technique taught to me by Uchiha Kitaro but I infuse my magic into it."
Erza recalled the moment she heard about Kitaro's legendary swordsmanship. When she learned that he had single-handedly wiped out an entire Phantom Lord division using only his blade, she could no longer suppress the urge to challenge him.
The result? She was utterly defeated. No, "defeated" wasn't even the right word—she had been completely overwhelmed, unable to land a single meaningful strike.
Kitaro's swordsmanship was beyond comprehension. Yet, instead of simply crushing her spirit, he had given her advice—brief yet profound. For the first time, someone had guided her in swordsmanship rather than leaving her to figure it out alone.
Even a few words from him had opened her eyes to an entirely new way of fighting.
As a final gift, Kitaro had taught her the breathing technique that enhanced her body's abilities, along with the sword forms that accompanied it.
From the moment she began practicing, she felt the difference. Her physical abilities soared beyond her natural limits. She realized this was no ordinary skill—it was a secret art of immense power.
The more she trained, the more she understood just how extraordinary Kitaro's swordsmanship truly was.
But she was still far from mastering it. It was a path that would take a lifetime of dedication.
Ikaruga smirked. "Uchiha Kitaro, huh? So it was him. I never expected him to possess such incredible sword techniques. Now that's a man I'd love to cross blades with someday."
Slash!
A deep wound appeared on Ikaruga's body. Blood sprayed as she collapsed to the ground.
.
.
.