The tip of Erza's Thunder Spear split apart, releasing a concentrated beam of energy that shot straight toward Laxus.
Laxus had initially planned to absorb the lightning, so he stood his ground without dodging.
But the outcome was completely different from what he had expected.
He realized this thing wasn't lightning at all!
"What's going on! Contestant Laxus has been hit head-on!"
Natsu was baffled. "What's happening? Wasn't that lightning? Why didn't Laxus absorb it?"
Lucy and Gray also looked at Raizel with confusion.
Raizel provided the explanation. "That wasn't lightning at all. Or rather, only the outer layer was. The inside is pure Light-based energy. The outermost lightning was just a misdirection."
Ultear added, "Erza modified her Thunder Spear a long time ago... after she lost to Laxus last time."
Gray racked his brain, recalling Erza and Laxus's previous battle and said, "Wasn't that several years ago? She's been hiding it for this long???"
Kagura shrugged and said, "She wasn't hiding it. She just rarely uses the Lightning Empress Armor, that's all. We all know that."
Laxus, completely unprepared, took the full brunt of the attack and was visibly shaken.
After getting back on his feet, he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"So it was a misdirection. I knew you wouldn't make such a big mistake."
"You're still too overconfident, Laxus."
Erza raised her Thunder Spear, pointing the tip at Laxus.
Laxus smirked.
This was what made the fight interesting!
"With strength like mine, of course I can be confident."
As he spoke, Laxus's upper body swelled to twice its size, his shirt tearing apart from the sudden expansion of muscle.
His Magic Power began to surge violently.
Dragon scales started to appear on his upper body and face, while golden lightning arcs and red flames danced around him.
The intense pressure from the lightning and flames distorted the space around him.
"It's here! Lightning Flame Dragon Mode! COOL!" Jason screamed.
Erza also changed into a set of armor with a pink base, her ears adorned with wing-like accessories.
"She's changed too! The Armadura Fairy! The strongest armor, named after the Guild 'Fairy Tail'! COOL!"
"Lightning Flame Dragon's Roar!"
Erza responded by slashing out several green energy beams with her twin blades.
The roar shattered the sword beams instantly and continued toward Erza.
'Is the power still not enough?' Erza thought to herself after dodging the roar with a series of desperate side flips.
The Fairy Armor's offensive power still wasn't enough to break through the dual-element roar.
"Lightning Dragon's Breakdown Fist!"
After his roar, Laxus closed in, initiating close-quarters combat.
"A duel of twin blades against fists? COOL!"
With the advantage of reach, Erza managed to hold her own.
Though Laxus had the upper hand in physical combat strength, Erza's twin blades, being slightly longer, still posed a significant threat to him.
"Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd!"
Laxus condensed lightning in his palm into a massive halberd.
Unlike before, he didn't throw it directly but used it as a melee weapon.
This was a new application of his elemental lightning transformation—constantly replenishing it with
Magical Power to materialize it, compensating for his usual lack of weapon usage.
Laxus raised the Heavenward Halberd high with both hands and brought it down with tremendous force.
Seeing this formidable strike, Erza dared not block it directly.
She swiftly switched to her Flight Armor to evade the attack with enhanced speed.
She began engaging Laxus in guerrilla warfare.
However, Laxus had trained specifically for this, wielding his long halberd with impermeable defense.
Though Erza held the advantage in speed, she couldn't land a decisive blow.
"Raging Bolt!"
As Erza closed in, arcs of electricity surged around Laxus, releasing a powerful high-voltage wave that paralyzed her mid-step.
"Thunder Palace!"
A massive cluster of lightning gathered above Erza, forming a dense thundercloud that crashed down upon her.
Erza had intended to rely on her speed to dodge, but she was still suffering from the paralysis effects of Raging Bolt and failed to evade in time.
The thunderbolt struck Erza squarely.
"A direct hit!"
As the dust settled, Erza was seen crouching on the ground.
She had already switched to her Adamantine Armor, merging two white shields into one massive barrier above her head, with a complex green magic circle enveloping her.
Barely, she managed to defend against the attack thanks to the Adamantine Armor's ultimate protection.
"That green barrier is the Adamantine Barrier, renowned for its exceptional defense," Ur explained.
Jason immediately shouted, "COOL! Continuous Requips! Switching between speed and defense!"
Observing Erza's movements, Makarov remarked, "But it seems the effects of Raging Bolt are still lingering. Erza's movements appear somewhat stiff."
By then, Erza had Requipped into her Robe of Yuen, wielding a large glaive, but her actions were slightly sluggish, leaving her barely able to defend herself against Laxus's onslaught.
"Huff—huff—huff—"
After exchanging a blow and stepping back, Erza was panting heavily.
In contrast, Laxus was in much better condition, with only slightly labored breathing.
The two had just clashed glaive against halberd for over a dozen rounds.
'My Magical Power and stamina are running low. I have to risk it all,' Erza assessed.
"Requip!"
Erza changed into her Clear Heart Clothing, with only bandages covering her upper body and loose hakama pants.
She wielded the Demon Blade Benizakura in one hand.
Seeing Erza Requip into this attire, Laxus knew she was abandoning all defense to stake everything on this one strike.
Watching Erza charge toward him, Laxus didn't dare to hold back.
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Roaring Thunder!"
As the Roaring Thunder approached, Erza switched to Dual Blades, abandoning all defense to take the hit head-on to deliver her own attack.
SLASH! BOOM!
Two deep wounds appeared on Laxus's chest, blood streaming freely.
Erza, standing firm with her blades planted on the ground, slowly collapsed...
"Contestant Erza is down!"
"Three, two, one!"
"The winner is Contestant Laxus! COOL!"
"Contestant Erza fought valiantly, constantly Requipping and attempting different strategies. Her final all-out strike also inflicted significant damage on Contestant Laxus!"
The damage was indeed severe.
With Erza's full-force attack, Laxus's upper body was drenched in blood.
"Today's match ends here! Let's look forward to tomorrow's battles! Please exit the arena in an orderly manner, everyone!"
The members of Fairy Tail did not leave immediately.
Wendy hurried over and began treating both of them on the spot.
Erza had taken a Dragon Slayer Secret Art head-on and was nearly drained of Magic Power, but since she had no match scheduled for the next day, she could rest and recover fully.
Raizel observed that Laxus's injuries were quite serious.
"Will this affect him?"
Laxus didn't react at first, pausing briefly while Wendy worked before answering.
"You mean tomorrow's match? There might be some impact, but it doesn't matter."
SMACK!
Cana gave Laxus a hard slap on the back.
"Don't worry, I'll be the one fighting you tomorrow."
Laxus gasped sharply in pain. "Ouch, I'm injured! Why are you hitting me so hard—I suspect you're trying to aggravate my injury to gain an advantage tomorrow."
"Oh, you caught me," Cana grinned.