CHAPTER 501: REINFORCEMENTS ARE COMING!

"Whew," Elfman exhaled a puff of white air, steam rising from his lips as the heat of battle faded. His body returned to its normal form, though his jacket had once again been reduced to tatters.

Another one ruined.

He scanned the rooftop for a way down, but paused.

In the distance, the gleam of silver armor caught his eye.

More troops.

Elfman clenched his fists, his breath quickening again.

"I have to get to my sister. Fast." He leapt down from the building, ignoring the burning ache in his arms.

If those soldiers reached her while she was still locked in battle...

If she ran out of Magic...

It’d be too late.

He darted forward, then stopped again.

"Hmm?"

From even farther beyond the soldier lines, a strange, hulking object was slowly advancing. The shape was unfamiliar, unnatural. He narrowed his eyes, watching.

But there was no time to dwell.

On the battlefield below, Mira and the ’Erza’ faced each other in the ruins of what was once a proud plaza.

Now it was nothing but shattered stone and dust-choked air.

’Erza’ was barely standing. Her once-shining scarlet hair hung loose and matted, her armor dented and cracked. Blood trickled from her forehead.

Still, she held her spear forward, teeth clenched.

"For eternal Magic..." she hissed, her voice ragged, trembling. "I cannot...let you...take the Dragon Slayer!"

Across from her, Mira’s own form flickered.

Her Satan Soul had faded, replaced by her usual self, wounded, breathing hard, but eyes burning with resolve.

Her arms trembled slightly from fatigue. The lack of support from Rhodes and the blue buff had taken its toll. Without that magical clarity and reserve, Mira had been forced to fight through sheer instinct and determination alone.

It had been over half a year since she’d recovered her magic.

She had almost forgotten... how draining Satan Soul truly was.

Especially when the enemy refused to fall.

But when she looked at her opponent, she didn’t see an enemy.

She saw Erza—no, someone who could have been Erza. With that same tenacity, that same ruthless strength.

But none of that mattered now. What mattered was her family.

Mira’s voice was calm, quiet, but every syllable rang like steel.

"You may not be her... but you do live up to the name Erza."

"Even so... if you lay a hand on my family, I won’t forgive you."

Her body shimmered with dark energy once again.

"Take Over: Demon Halphas!"

Dark feathers spiraled upward, and Mira’s body transformed.

Her skin flushed with infernal markings. Massive wings burst from her back, and blackened claws shimmered with otherworldly energy.

The pavement cracked beneath her as the heat of her magic seared the air.

Across from her, ’Erza’ raised her spear high.

"Ten Commandments Spear!"

"Final Form-Holy Spear: Saint Ten World!"

A beam of golden light erupted from the tip of the spear, piercing the heavens. The sheer pressure made nearby soldiers flinch even at a distance.

Both women knew it was now or never.

Mira flared with violet-black energy, her wings flapping once. The flame beneath her feet swirled into a burning vortex.

This ’Erza’ in front of her was too strong. If she didn’t defeat her, not only would saving people be impossible, but even her brother and Gajeel would be in danger.

For the people relying on her, and the ones waiting to be rescued, Mira knew she had to win, no matter what.

The two women moved at once, colliding head-on in a flash of raw magic.

The shining tip of the holy spear met the hellfire-coated demon claw, and in the instant they clashed, their amassed magic exploded with ferocious force. A blinding storm of white holy light and searing crimson flames swallowed everything around them.

The street cracked. The plaza trembled. A violent shockwave roared outward, blasting stones and dust into the sky.

Nearly a hundred meters away, Gajeel had just floored Lily with a crushing punch when he felt the ground shudder beneath his feet.

A new fissure split the earth. Lily, still groggy from the blow, rolled toward the edge, but Gajeel reached out and caught him by the wrist.

"That red-haired women," Gajeel muttered, glancing back. "She’s that powerful in this world too?"

He squinted toward Mira’s direction, only to be blinded by the radiance of the clash. The sheer light stung his eyes, and before he could say anything more, a rain of shattered rubble slammed against his iron scales with loud metallic clinks.

Lily, now dangling halfway into the crevice, blinked in confusion. "To fight Erza evenly... who is that woman?"

"Ge-hee~" Gajeel laughed, hauling him up. "Scary, huh? When we get back to the guild, do yourself a favor and don’t piss off that big sis."

Lily, still dazed from being slammed into the dirt twice, nodded instinctively.

Then he froze.

’Guild? What guild? What’s this guy even talking about?’

Meanwhile, Elfman stood high above, eyes narrowed as he tried to make out his sister through the swirling smoke.

"Sister..."

But before he could see clearly, the building beneath his feet groaned ominously. After suffering multiple blasts and collapses, it had finally reached its limit.

Cracks spiderwebbed up from the ground to the roof, and with a heavy rumble, the entire structure began to cave in.

"Ah, man..." Elfman muttered.

He leapt onto a large slab of debris as the roof gave way, riding it down into the rubble. While he wasn’t seriously hurt, he ended up covered in dust, hair frizzed, and looking more like a walking chimney sweep than a warrior.

"If only I could Take Over a raptor or something," he thought, brushing soot off his face. "Then at least I’d have wings."

The clash between Mira and the other Erza had lasted only a few seconds, but it had felt like an eternity.

When the light finally faded, their positions had reversed.

The armored woman knelt in place, her spear now reduced to a broken staff with no tip. Her hands trembled before she crumpled to the ground, defeated.

Mira staggered a few steps forward, returning to her normal form. She clutched her left side, ribs bruised, but she was still standing.

"Whew," She let out a soft breath, swaying slightly. "Looks like all that special training wasn’t for nothing..."

"Sister!" Elfman’s voice rang out as he burst through the rubble. He rushed to Mira’s side and caught her before she could fall again.

"We’ve got to move! More soldiers are on the way!"

"Mm—"

Mira glanced back. One was the unconscious woman who looked like Erza, and the other was Byro, his giant octopus body collapsed, head buried deep in the wreckage.

Logically, she should take the old man, after all, he might have valuable intel, but some strange instinct nudged her toward the red-haired woman instead.

Even though she knew this "Erza" was probably a stubborn one, the feeling wouldn’t go away.

Before she could linger on the thought too long, Gajeel came striding over, dragging Lily along and grinning broadly.

"Doesn’t matter how many of ’em show up," he declared. "I’ll escort you out, no problem!"

Mira looked at the proud Iron Dragon Slayer and smiled. If he wanted to bring the black cat with him, so be it.

"Alright then, I’ll leave it to you," she said with a gentle chuckle.

They hadn’t gotten far before the sound of thundering footsteps filled the air again.

More soldiers.

Though fewer than before, the formation was still tight, and they were clearly trying to cut them off.

"Troublesome..." Mira muttered.

Suddenly;

Boom! Boom! Boom! Whoosh—!

A series of heavy explosions rocked the area, followed by cries of confusion and heat.

"What’s going on?!"

"Hot! So hot!"

"Enemy ambush!"

Flames erupted in the soldiers’ rear ranks, knocking many off their feet. Chaos erupted. The neatly arranged formation was crumbling fast.

Mira and the others exchanged confused glances.

"What now?" Gajeel muttered, scanning the battlefield.

Just then, a massive object covered in flames vaulted over a nearby rooftop and crash-landed among the soldiers with a fiery roar. Over a dozen troops were sent flying on impact.

Mira’s eyes widened. "That’s...a Magic-Powered Four-Wheeler?!"

Elfman gasped as recognition hit him. "It’s that thing I saw on the roof earlier! Is it... reinforcements?"

The bizarre vehicle screeched to a halt in front of them, tires smoldering as it completed a perfect drift. The burning wheels hissed and sputtered out.

A door flung open. A blonde girl leaped out, paused in shock at the sight of them, then lit up with joy.

"Mira! Elfman!" she cried.

All three stared, surprised.

"Lucy?!"

At the same time, the front door opened, and a familiar pink-haired boy pushed his goggles up to his forehead.

He jerked his thumb toward the back seat. "Get in."

Mira’s jaw dropped. "Natsu?!"

Gajeel blinked, confused. "Fire Dragon?"

Elfman’s brain stuttered as he looked from the wheel to the boy. Something felt... very wrong.

Then it clicked.

"Wait, Natsu’s driving?!"

...

Bonus @1600