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[X784, Tower of Heaven]
— Erza Scarlet —
"Shit."
Sho's sudden voice had her perking up, snapping her from her rest. While there was a certain uncomfortableness of being trapped in a card like this, she still retained her five senses and was capable of seeing everything happening on the outside.
Which was why she was alarmed by the worried tone that Sho just made.
"Sho," she said quickly, pressing a palm to the card's shimmering surface from within, "what's going on?"
He turned slightly so she could see what lay ahead. Ahead of them stood a swordswoman, with rose colored hair a shade lighter than Natsu's. There was a dangerous glint in her eyes. From the amount of magic Erza could sense from the woman, she was a great deal stronger than Sho.
"My, my…" the swordswoman said, her voice laced with amusement as her gaze flicked to the card in Sho's hand. "To think I'd find Titania in such a precarious position."
Sho narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
The woman smirked, lifting a hand to push a strand of hair behind her ear. "You may call me Ikaruga. I am one of the Trinity Raven… servants of Lord Jellal for this sacred event."
Her words had both Erza and Sho stiffening.
"I won't let you hurt her!" Sho screamed as he palmed a few cards between his fingers.
"Sho, let me out!" Erza barked, fists slamming against the inside of the card's dimension. "You're no match for her alone! This isn't the time to play hero!"
"No way, sis! I promised I'd protect you!" Sho shouted without turning. "You have to save your strength! I'll get you to Jellal, no matter what!"
Erza's heart twisted painfully at his resolve.
Ikaruga, in contrast, looked almost bored. "Oh, don't worry," she said lightly, examining her nails. "Erza Scarlet will find no enemy in me. Our orders are to let her pass without resistance."
"You, however," She pointed at Sho. "This is as far as you go."
Erza barely had time to scream before Ikaruga moved.
The unsheathing of her sword was too fast for normal eyes. A flash of silver, the briefest glint of steel in the torchlight—and suddenly, Sho was screaming as shallow cuts appeared across his arms and legs like invisible thorns had lashed him.
"Sho!"
"Tempest Thunderbolt!" Sho gasped, flinging his cards forward in a last-ditch attack. But they didn't even reach her. A single casual swing and the cards were sliced cleanly in half, falling to the floor like confetti.
"Wha–"
"Sho, dodge!" Erza cried.
Erza's warning fell to deaf ears as Ikaruga blurred and reappeared behind Sho, her blade sliding into his back, straight through to the front of his stomach. He froze, mouth open in a soundless gasp.
"NO!"
She exploded in a torrent of red and gold light.
Inside the card, her magic surged with pure rage. She unsheathed her sword within the space and, with a thunderous cry, sliced through the barrier imprisoning her. The card cracked like a mirror, splintering into glowing shards before dissolving completely.
She hit the ground running, eyes aflame with fury.
"You'll pay for what you've done to him!" she howled, her blade swinging down with wrathful force. The clang of steel on steel echoed through the corridor as Ikaruga blocked with a single-hand parry, her expression cool and composed.
"I told you," Ikaruga said calmly, not straining even the slightest, "I have no interest in you. You are free to pass. But your companion's recklessness sealed his fate."
Erza's grip tightened. She wasn't hearing it. Not with Sho bleeding behind her.
Sounds of footsteps echoed through the corridors as two people arrived from the corner. Dannis and Simon appeared, followed with dozens of wraiths who all continued on past them through the hallway.
Ikaruga gained a look in her eyes. "Finally." She pulled away from Erza with a graceful disengage and turned fully to face the newcomer.
"Dannis Martell, Dark Swordsman," she declared. "I challenge you to a duel. Let us see which blade is greater."
Dannis' eyes narrowed as he surveyed the situation.
"Dannis, Simon!" Erza shouted in surprise. "Sho is–!"
Dannis stepped forward, his hand on his sword hilt "Very well then." He turned at Simon. "Take Erza to Jellal. I'll mark your shadow with a wraith. I'll come find you once I'm done here."
Simon paused. "What about Sho?"
Simon hesitated, then spared a glance to the injured Sho, who at this point had fallen unconscious. "Alright. What about Sho?"
At his word, one of the wraiths stepped forward and gently lifted Sho's limp form, cradling him like a child before turning away from the hall.
Simon nodded solemnly. "Understood." He reached for Erza's arm. "Come on. We can't waste time."
Erza hesitated, as she looked at Sho's body who was being taken away by Dannis' wraith before she closed her eyes and resolved herself. She knew there was nothing to worry about with Dannis. He will win.
"I'll wait for you at the top!" Erza said to Dannis as Simon pulled her into a run. Ikaruga didn't even spare them a glance as they ran past her, her eyes locked on Dannis.
As Erza rounded the corner, she heard the clash of steel as their duel began.
…
— Dannis Martell —
The moment the others disappeared around the corner—Erza clutched by Simon, Sho cradled in the arms of a silent wraith—Dannis shifted his stance.
His blade, long and simple, was held low and loose in one hand. Shadows flickered across the edge, coating it in a living sheen of darkness that pulsed with restrained menace.
Across from him, Ikaruga beamed.
"Finally, a proper opponent," she said, adjusting her grip on the hilt of her slender katana. Her posture was picture-perfect—high stance, sword angled downward, knees bent just enough to spring. "I must admit, I've been waiting for someone like you."
Dannis said nothing.
The wind inside the corridor shifted, dust motes swirling between them.
"Ah, the strong and silent type," Ikaruga smiled coyly. "Very well. Let the blades speak in our stead."
She launched forward.
Her first cut was clean—very clean. A rising diagonal slash, elegant in form and deadly in its intent. But Dannis caught it with a reverse grip, blade angled in a rising parry. Their swords met in a flash of steel and scraping force.
He stepped into the clash, letting her momentum carry forward—and sidestepped, shoulder checking her mid-spin. Ikaruga spun away, but caught herself, twisting back around with a snarl of excitement.
"Good reflexes," she said. "But I'm only getting started!"
She swept her sword forward with a whisper of magic, the edge shimmering with concentrated wind. Invisible slashes burst out in a fan-shaped arc.
Dannis exhaled slowly, his blade shifting in his grip. The dark coating along his sword thickened, reacting to the magical presence.
With precise counters, he deflected the wind slashes, reading the angle of air displacement and adjusting for trajectory like it was second nature. His footwork was immaculate—short steps, low center of gravity, knees constantly flexed. He moved like a predator conserving strength, always ready to spring.
Ikaruga frowned slightly.
Still, she pressed her advantage.
Her sword danced with artistry—thrusts and sweeps blending traditional Bushin-style forms with unpredictable flourishes. Her blade flicked like a snake's tongue, slashing at joints, aiming to disarm and disable rather than kill.
But Dannis never faltered.
Every strike she made was turned aside. His sword moved only as much as it needed to. Parry. Glide. Redirect. Riposte. He treated her with the dispassion of a surgeon measuring organs before dissection.
"No commentary?" she asked between strikes, frustration creeping into her voice. "No flair? No name for your sword? You're quite the boring swordsman."
He didn't answer.
She spun low, sweeping his legs with a horizontal flourish meant to force a leap. He responded by stepping over the blade and immediately sliding his own sword down along hers—trapping her edge in a crossguard bind. She yanked back and disengaged before he could capitalize.
"I know what you're doing," she hissed. "Trying to wear me down, waiting for a mistake."
He stared at her, eyes dark and unreadable.
"I won't give you one."
She lunged again.
Another barrage of air blades, this time in tight crescents aimed for his knees, elbows, neck. He walked through them like a ghost, his sword humming with darkness as it deflected every strike in near silence. His feet barely moved—just subtle pivots and micro-adjustments that kept his balance rooted.
Ikaruga growled now, breath catching as sweat began to bead along her forehead. Her movements grew sharper, more erratic—less like a dancer and more like a desperate duelist looking for a crack.
But there were none.
With a burst of strength, she leapt into the air and came down with an overhead slash laced with magic—intended to split him in half. He met her blade at a forty-five-degree angle, sliding along the edge and displacing the strike into the wall beside him with minimal effort.
A wall of stone cracked behind him. He didn't even glance at it.
"I…" she panted, stepping back. "I am not… your inferior!"
Dannis tilted his blade slightly, then moved.
A blur.
His blade swept upward in a precise arc. Her wrist was severed in one smooth motion. Clean. Surgical.
Her scream was raw and immediate.
She collapsed to her knees, clutching the stump of her right arm as her sword clattered to the floor, still dripping blood.
"Wh-why…?" she gasped, pain and disbelief in her eyes. "You… monster…"
Dannis stepped behind her without a word.
No hesitation.
He drove his sword into her back, straight between the shoulder blades, severing the spine and heart in one perfect thrust.
Her body shuddered, then went limp.
"You are a good blademaster," he said softly, voice like stone. "Thank you for the warmup."
With a flick, he drew the sword free, flicking away the blood that coated its blade.
He turned, sheathing his sword in a single graceful movement.
Closing his eyes, he followed the trail that was left by the wraith. Without looking back at Ikaruga's fallen form, Dannis walked into the dark.
There was no time for mercy. Not with the risk of Zeref's return. Once this is over, he will remember the name Ikaruga. But until then, he didn't waste time in putting her in his mind.
…
AN: It's back to back fights in this arc, which I'm really worried about. I hope y'all aren't too bored with the constant fighting.
Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, cheers!