Pumpkin Man's expression was on the verge of collapsing.
What is wrong with this year's contestants?!
Every single one of them was like this.
The organizers prided themselves on designing elaborate magical events, yet every competitor treated the rules like optional suggestions.
'We are professionals, okay? Give us some dignity…'
But the complaints died in his throat, because the battle inside the Demon Subjugation Hall had already begun.
"Requip: Heaven's Wheel Armor!"
In an instant, Erza's armor changed. Hundreds of ethereal swords shimmered into existence around her and then fired outward in massive waves.
The mechanical beasts surrounding her were struck mercilessly.
D-rank monsters disintegrated the moment a sword pierced them, and the "lucky" ones merely lost limbs.
C-rank monsters held out a little longer; only vital hits destroyed them.
A few displayed impressive reflexes and dodged, escaping with minor damage.
B-rank monsters, sturdier and smarter, dodged actively and even countered with magical defenses.
Erza calmly observed each one, her eyes analyzing patterns and reactions.
Once the last wave of swords finished its sweep, she charged forward, dual blades in hand, plunging into the largest cluster of monsters.
C-rank monsters spat fire. B-rank monsters unleashed torrents of water.
Erza countered effortlessly, switching into Flame Emperor Armor to nullify fire, and Adamantine Armor to block the full force of water blasts.
When needed, she even paired Adamantine Armor with a Flame Emperor sword, mixing weapon and armor sets fluidly, without hesitation.
The audience knew Erza was strong.
But Shining Sun suddenly felt their worldview shatter.
Unlike ordinary guilds, theirs required members to train in multiple forms of combative arts alongside magic-tool techniques. Requip Magic was practically mandatory.
They had always believed they were among the top users of Transformation Magic.
Until today.
Instantaneous dual-type Requip. Armor and weapon mixes from entirely different sets. Full change-outs mid-battle without pause.
Their jaws hung open.
Even the Fairy Tail members, who were used to Erza, felt dazzled by the rapid succession of armors:
Black Wing Armor
Adamantine Armor
Lightning Emperor's Spear
Flame Emperor Armor
Flight Armor
If not for the commentary reminding the audience this was a battle,
many would have mistaken it for the Fairy Queen's fashion showcase.
And beyond her Requip skills, Erza demonstrated true mastery of group combat.
She never lingered on a target. Every motion flowed into the next, strike, reposition, strike again, always maintaining control of the battlefield.
The only time she stood still was when she deliberately used Adamantine Armor to test the striking power of a B-rank monster.
Aside from that, she was a crimson whirlwind.
Her armor changes. Her precision footwork. Her relentless pace.
It was a spectacle.
Under this breathtaking assault, the number of monsters plummeted from over a hundred to under forty. Low-rank monsters were nearly extinct.
Then Erza stopped.
Facing a remaining small giant monster, she switched into:
Clear Heart Clothing
A revealing outfit, nothing but a chest wrap and red flame-pattern pants, her feet bare.
And with that simple motion, the entire arena shifted.
Lahar pushed up his glasses.
"It seems her testing phase has ended."
Yajima nodded.
"She's about to get serious."
Chapati nearly choked on air.
"W-Wait, Mr. Yajima, Mr. Lahar, are you saying Miss Erza wasn't serious up to now?!"
Lahar answered calmly:
"In essence, yes. What she has shown so far is nowhere near her full power."
"She has been gathering data, studying each species' abilities, habits, attack patterns, and defenses."
"Except for the S-rank monster, she has already grasped the weaknesses of every type in the hall. Now comes the clean-up phase, and the final battle."
Chapati pointed at the screen in disbelief.
"B-BUT, even if you say this is the final stage, look at her! Miss Erza is nearly unharmed!"
The close-up lacrima feed zoomed in on Erza's exposed arms and torso.
Not a bruise. Not a scorch mark.
Not even dust.
Of course, if one wanted to be extremely finicky, a few strands of Erza's hair were slightly singed at the tips.
But that only made things more terrifying.
After fighting for this long, after cutting through dozens of monsters of different ranks, she should have burned through a huge chunk of magic power.
Yet her expression was… relaxed.
Calm. Focused. Almost serene.
Was this truly a mage who had supposedly been "six years behind the times"?
No, she looked like someone who was six years ahead.
In the waiting area, Rhodes smiled faintly.
"It seems Erza has been training quite diligently these past six months?"
Wendy immediately nodded.
"Yes. On several missions, Miss Erza not only trained rigorously herself, she also pushed us to train harder."
At that, Wendy shivered a little and added under her breath:
"She was very strict."
Juvia raised her hand timidly.
"Juvia met Miss Erza a few times when she was training in the lake behind the guild. And Juvia also experienced things."
From her expression, the "things" were clearly painful sparring sessions that Juvia had not survived with dignity.
Rhodes glanced at Laxus.
Speaking of training maniacs, this guy was practically Erza's thunder-themed counterpart.
Magnolia's infamous weather event, "Laxus Season", had even returned a few times recently. Residents had reported winter thunderstorms striking out of nowhere.
Rhodes was just about to continue watching Erza's performance when he suddenly stopped mid-breath.
"It's here."
The others thought he meant Erza had begun her final assault, but nothing unusual was happening in the arena.
So they turned to him in confusion.
"What's here?"
Rhodes lowered his voice.
"That aura I mentioned before coming to the capital, the one connected to Zeref. Just now, it surged for a moment. It's weaker now, but still close. Somewhere not far from the arena."
Everyone tensed up instantly, focusing their senses.
Rhodes immediately summoned Warm and placed the little creature into Wendy's arms.
"I'll step out for a moment. If anything happens, tell Warm to bring me back immediately."
Wendy held Warm carefully and nodded.
"Okay."
Rhodes thought for a second, then created a perfect illusion of himself over his original position.
After that, a cloud of alchemical mist enveloped him, turning him invisible.
He slipped away from his spot soundlessly and flew in the direction of the aura, suppressing every trace of his magic.
Wendy, Laxus, and Juvia stared at the illusion Rhodes left behind.
If they hadn't seen him disappear with their own eyes, they would never have realized the one standing among them was fake.
Rhodes moved fast.
In just a blink, he had crossed half the district.
The further he flew, the more uneasy he felt, because this direction…
"Is the same path I used to infiltrate the restricted tunnels last night."
He landed on a rooftop, senses spread wide like a web.
The aura was still ahead, deeper, further, stronger.
He looked up.
Spread before him was the full grandeur, its shining stone buildings, towering spires, and bustling streets that glittered under magical lamplight.
"The Royal Capital itself?"
Rhodes clenched his jaw.
"Is the Black Magic Cult really planning to act inside the capital?"
Or worse, a possibility he had reluctantly considered earlier resurfaced.
Was it truly the Black Magic Cult?
Or could the royal family, be hiding something?