[Third Person POV]
Erza was furious that this guy tried to attack Riser.
Ignoring the fact that Riser was a kid, Riser only insulted Ulick, definitely not something worth attacking someone over. Granted, back in Earthland, her guildmates would've absolutely started fights over something as minor as an insult; not a single one of them would hurt a kid over it, much less want to kill them.
Maybe if the person insulted was someone important, it could be understood. Riser told her about people to be wary of, with one group in particular being the Greek gods. Famously petty for cursing anyone who offends them.
They had calmed down in recent centuries, but dozens of monster species around the world had been created because someone was cursed for offending them.
Erza rushed her opponent, lifted the blade overhead, and swung down with immense force.
Ulick slammed his shillelagh into the ground, launching himself into the air and leaving a small crater behind.
Erza's sword struck the ground, cutting a deep gash into the street and sending pieces of the road flying in all directions.
Ulick smirked, seeing her destroy so much of the street.
The barrier Riser cast, which most supernaturals used, was similar to the mirror dimension in that it negated most damage to the surroundings, but "most" didn't mean "all." Riser was only a mid-class devil, so strong high-class attacks could leak through.
Also, legally, fines for damages were split based on how much was destroyed.
Even so, the law didn't always apply; the loser usually had to pay damages, regardless of who caused more damage.
If Ulick were stronger, he could force them to admit fault and pay up, something he hoped to use after his victory to put Erza in debt to him. But those beliefs had to align with reality.
Ulick grabbed a few loose stones and tossed them into the air, slamming his shillelagh at them, sending them flying like deadly baseballs toward Erza.
Erza cut down each stone that flew toward her. The stones lost their momentum the moment they were sliced in two. She moved so quickly that a normal person would've only seen the stones crack in half and dust kick up around her.
Seeing that he wasn't getting anywhere, Ulick switched targets.
Knocking the stones into the sky at an angle, he planned to let gravity take care of them and have them fall on her allies.
Should she try to stop them, he'd use the opening to attack her.
'A genius plan, as usual.' Ulick thought.
Erza's frown deepened, her brow furrowing deeply.
Requipping her Heaven's Wheel Armor, Erza guided multiple swords through the air, colliding with the stones Ulick had launched.
Her swords pierced straight through the stones, dropping them like flies and preventing Ulick from attacking her.
Erza followed this up by guiding other swords to hit the stone fragments back, giving Ulick a taste of his own medicine.
Ulick spun the shillelagh to block, each stone being dusted by the force behind his attacks.
Once the last stone flew toward Ulick, Erza followed.
As Ulick destroyed one of the many stones, he left an opening that Erza ruthlessly exploited, landing a deep cut across his side. The pain briefly stunned him, creating a gap in his attack and letting the last few stones hit him.
Moving to subdue him, Erza was about to knock him out when a loud screeching sound erupted from Ulick's throat.
His eyes, previously green, were now red with yellow pupils; his hair, previously curly, now stood straight and stiff, as if he had turned into a porcupine.
The shillelagh he held lengthened into a large staff.
The staff shot forward like a bullet. Erza blocked with her floating swords, but the force behind the attack broke her control and sent them flying out in all directions.
Erza dodged, but Ulick turned the staff slightly, knocking her into a wall.
Ulick was currently in his 'troll form', named that because his father was a troll. The troll form was merely him fully tapping into his father's bloodline. Ever since unlocking this form, Ulick had had a short temper.
The form greatly increased all his physical and magical abilities, but at the cost of his cognitive function. Basically, it turned him into a troll in all but appearance.
This form made him so strong that people feared messing with him. Trolls weren't intellectuals; angering them only had one outcome.
As a half-breed, Ulick was more reasonable than his ancestors, but was still prone to bouts of anger, even more so ever since he gained access to this form.
Rushing toward the redhead, Ulick swung his shillelagh like he was a caveman clubbing his prey.
Erza learned her lesson from his last strike and countered with her own might. Her two swords crossed as she blocked the attack.
Ulick didn't let up, pushing her back. Her feet dug trenches in the ground as Erza resisted his strikes.
Lifting the shillelagh again, Ulick planned to slam it down on her, bringing it down like the judgment of the gods.
Erza barely held on, brought to her knees as she resisted.
Luckily, she was ready to counter him. The swords Ulick had knocked away were now hovering around him in every direction. Behind him, above him, to the sides, anywhere he could go, a sword blocked his path.
The swords converged on Ulick. He tried to retract his shillelagh, but it was too late.
Erza controlled the swords perfectly, causing them to cut along his body or, in the case of a few of them, stab into his hand, making Ulick drop his weapon, screaming in pain.
Erza left the blades stabbed into the ground around him, creating a prison where leaving meant pain.
The pain from the injuries was slowly bringing Ulick out of his rampage; his survival instincts prioritizing escaping over fighting, not that he was able to fight right now.
Ulick's eyes soon returned to normal before going completely white, having finally passed out.
Erza withdrew her swords before Requipping out of her armor.
Turning to Riser, she saw he was almost done with his own fight, while Viola was still in the middle of hers.
Grabbing Ulick by the collar, she dragged him over to a bench while she watched Riser and Viola to make sure they didn't lose, giving minor first aid so he wouldn't die.
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Author's Note:
Thanks for reading; I'll see you next time!