Ultear nodded and explained, "You could say that. No matter how weak the lower-level monsters are, Erza is still human. Without armor that offers strong defense, she could still get worn down and injured. It's better to clear out the lower-level monsters first with minimal magical power consumption, then go all out against the higher-level ones."
On the screen, a red monster spewed a massive pillar of fire from its maw, blasting the stone pillar where Erza stood.
Rubble and dust filled the Demon's Temple, completely obscuring her from view.
Gray frowned. "It breathes fire? And that's only a C-Class?"
Ultear shook her head. "Erza has the Flame Empress Armor, so it shouldn't be a problem."
Kagura added, "Actually, there's no need to worry about any of these monsters' elemental attributes. She has an armor for all of them."
Amidst the surprised murmurs of the guild, Raizel continued, "Of course, that doesn't include things like time or space, but she has all the conventional elements covered."
Facing the flames spewed again by the C-Class monster, Erza swung her greatsword, effortlessly splitting the fire in two.
At this moment, Erza was clad in the red, fire-resistant Flame Empress Armor... but the greatsword in her hand was blue and green.
Panther Lily's eyes widened. "She actually repelled the flames with a water blade! What is that...?"
"That's the weapon that pairs with the Sea Empress Armor!"
"Contestant Erza has defeated five C-Class monsters in just a few moves!" Chapati Lola screamed.
The cheers of the audience soared to the skies.
Boom!
Erza grew more and more fierce as she fought, wielding the Sea Empress sword in her left hand and the Flame Empress sword in her right.
High-pressure water blades and searing fire slashes erupted continuously, devastating monsters while simultaneously tearing up the interior of the Demon's Temple.
"What?! This is..."
"Is she dual-wielding water and fire element?!"
However, on the screen, Erza was half-crouched on the ground, panting heavily, with several minor injuries accumulating on her body.
A towering, blue B-Class monster loomed over her.
Erza immediately switched to the Sea Empress Armor, now holding the Lightning Empress spear in her grip.
With a swift, thunderous strike, she blasted the B-Class monster into dust.
Ur nodded in satisfaction. "Facing a water-attribute monster, she uses the water-resistant armor to defend and lightning to counterattack."
Mavis looked at Erza with deep approval. "Incredibly quick judgment and the supreme confidence to trust her own decisions. She has truly grown into an outstanding Mage."
Ignoring her injuries and the stinging pain of taking a direct hit, Erza called out: "Flight Armor!" But what she held in her hand wasn't the usual lightweight shortsword—it was the massive, destructive greatsword of the Purgatory Armor.
Relying on the cheetah-like speed of the Flight Armor, Erza became a blur, violently sweeping past over a dozen lower-level monsters.
As she slammed her greatsword into the ground, the shockwave decimated the beasts in an instant.
"This... this is truly astonishing! She's already taken down half the monsters this quickly!"
"As expected of Erza! Go, Erza! Finish them off!" Natsu was vibrating with excitement, though he felt a pang of jealousy that he wouldn't get a chance to fight in the temple himself.
"Her movements are fluid and flawless. Completely impeccable," Jura muttered, gaining a newfound respect for Erza's strength.
"But still..."
"Isn't this a bit too much for her...?" Gray and Lucy couldn't help but worry as they watched Erza panting heavily.
The number of monsters was plummeting, but Erza's magical power was dwindling just as fast, and her injuries continued to pile up.
"Despite being covered in wounds, Erza keeps defeating them! But wait—an A-Class monster has appeared, blocking her path!"
This A-Class monster was a towering behemoth, standing a full ten meters high. Its entire body was crimson with jagged white patterns.
Its face bore a ferocious mask, and its two fists were unusually thick and heavily armored.
Boom!
The A-Class monster slammed down a devastating punch, and rubble and dust once again swallowed the camera's view.
"Is Erza okay?!" Bisca yelled, sweat beading on her forehead.
Kagura, gripping her sheathed sword, stared at the screen with absolute certainty.
"No. She'll use the force of that blow to her advantage."
As soon as Kagura finished speaking, the A-Class monster's massive arm began to crumble.
Through the dust, Erza had already requipped into the Adamantine Armor, boasting the ultimate defense.
But she was using the heavy lance from the Giant's Armor, stabbing it into the ground to anchor herself against the blow before leveraging the beast's momentum to shatter its arm.
"..." The pumpkin-headed mascot was stunned speechless.
The A-Class monster was physically kicked out of the main hall by Erza, crashing onto a massive suspension bridge.
She threw the giant spear like a javelin, piercing through several approaching monsters in a single, brutal throw.
"Morning Star Armor!" Erza wielded twin swords, unleashing a flurry of radiant slashes against the back of the staggered A-Class monster.
Requip. Requip. Requip.
Erza became a tempest of steel and magic.
She kept switching armors flawlessly, combining their unique traits with the terrain and executing beautiful, devastating combo attacks.
Half of the Adamantine Shield for defense, switching seamlessly between longswords, spears, and axes for offense.
The counter ticked down.
The number of monsters continued to plummet. More and more spectators were left with their jaws dropped, their hands pressed tightly to their faces in sheer disbelief.
Chapati Lola completely forgot to commentate.
Raizel watched Erza, a wave of immense pride washing over him.
'Let the world remember the heroic figure of the Fairy Queen, Erza Belserion!'
"What a terrifying Woman!!! Rapidly changing armors one after another! And she's truly defeating all the monsters!" Chapati Lola finally found his voice. "Although her injuries and magical power consumption are severe! Only four monsters remain!"
The screen showed the final survivors: two B-Class monsters, one A-Class monster, and the elusive S-Class monster.
Erza had switched back to her standard Heart Kreuz armor, leaning heavily on her sword, gasping for air.
"However, the remaining ones are all elite monsters." Wendy clenched her fingers tightly, silently praying for Erza.
Facing the roaring A-Class beast charging toward her like a freight train...
"Requip!"
Erza finally switched to her most overpower, offensive set—the Clear Heart Clothing and the legendary katana, Benizakura.
With a single, blinding slash, she split the A-Class monster cleanly in half.
Without breaking momentum, she dodged the desperate lunges of the B-Class monsters, weaving through the air and slicing them to ribbons before landing lightly on a massive iron chain.
As the two B-Class monsters dissipated into magical dust...
"Finally... finally, only one remains! The S-Class monster! What kind of terrifying beast could it be?!"
The camera zoomed in on the sole surviving monster.
"Huh..." Chapati Lola was stunned.
It was a tiny, two-horned, one-eyed little creature. With its big eye and round body, it honestly looked somewhat cute.
"As expected, the S-Class monster is you." Erza muttered.
"What?! It's so tiny!!"
"It really does look like a cute mascot..." Wendy said, resting her chin in her hands.
"But why do I have such a bad feeling about this..." Gray frowned, a bead of sweat running down his neck.
On the screen, Erza discarded the single-blade stance.
She drew a second katana, shifting into a dual-wielding posture.
"Why did Erza-nee switch to dual blades?" Romeo asked, leaning over the railing.
"She changed from her strongest single strike to a two-sword style, even though the opponent is so small," Happy noted, equally puzzled.
Kagura's eyes narrowed. "It means she's getting serious."
Panther Lily nodded grimly. "Yes, look at her expression. Her focus has noticeably spiked. That thing is dangerous."