As the winners of the first and the second group, Erza and Elsa would be fighting each other in the quarterfinals. It was a long due promise between the two girls. Despite being in the higher realm, Erza would never underestimate her friend. Of course, she would not also go easy on her.
"... The first battle of the quarterfinals: First Year Erza Valentine, versus First Year Elsa Menzel. May both contestants proceed to the stage!"
The referee declared loudly at the centre of the arena.
"Erza, good luck!"
"Elsa, good luck!"
Erza stood up, and suddenly asked to her side: "Linda, do you hope that I'll win, or hope that Elsa will win?"
"Eh…" Linda was stumped. She scratched her head, and said: "If you win, I'll certainly be happy, and if Elsa wins, I'll definitely be happy as well." Having spoken to this point, Linda's eyes suddenly began to sparkle: "However, if I have to choose between the two of you… I hope you will win."
"Oh? Why?" Erza asked with a faint smile.
"Of course that is because I am betting on you to become the final champion of this tournament." Linda answered honestly.
Erza stared wide and nodded blankly. She was speechless.
Under the gazes of several thousands of people, Erza walked to the centre of the arena, and stood opposing Elsa.
The current Elsa had an ice veil covering her face, making Erza unable to see her features even though she was very close. She had been wearing the veil since the qualifying round. No one had any idea why she did so, but there was no rule which forbade her from wearing a veil.
The two girls silently faced each other… They were finally going to fight for real. It was supposed to happen in the New Students Championship, but unfortunately, the incident occurred.
Next, Erza extended her right hand forward as a red light flashed, and grasped onto the hilt of Heavenly Flame Sword. The tip of the sword, in which a fierce phoenix was embedded, naturally drooped down, piercing the ground beneath her with a loud explosion. A gust of thick and domineering imposing force also surged and spread like waves in all directions.
"Shall we?"
"First Year Erza Valentine against First Year Elsa Menzel… Battle start!!"
*Bang!!*
Heavenly Flame Sword was pulled out by Erza from the ground, bringing along small pieces of broken rock that flew in the air as it released an unrestrained powerful yet dignified imposing aura. Both her hands firmly held onto the sword.
'Ignite!'
In an instant, the profound energy aura on Erza's body suddenly increased explosively at an incomparably shocking rate. Her hair quickly turned red and wings of flame appeared on her back. The audiences were excited and cheering loudly as they saw Erza entered her flame form. It was simply beautiful.
Erza horizontally gripped the sword in front of her. With a loud shout, she suddenly smashed towards Elsa.
*Boom!!*
The oppressiveness of this strike made Elsa choose to not block it as she floated far away with wings of ice on her back. Following a booming sound, the pitiful stage suffered a large amount of destruction once again. Erza, who had hit empty air, did not stop at all. She leapt up as another strike shot straight for Elsa's chest.
Elsa quickly took out a ribbon and put it on her body.
"Ice Phoenix Ribbon!!" Several elders exclaimed in shock as they recognized the treasure. It was a famous divine artifact owned by Menzel Clan.
Facing against Erza's oppressive strike, the Ice Phoenix Ribbon did not retreat one bit as it made Erza's strike miss again. Then, it suddenly scuttled along Heavenly Flame Sword and tightly wrapped around it.
Right when the Ice Phoenix Ribbon's tearing force was unleashed, Heavenly Flame Sword suddenly released a soul-shaking phoenix cry. A tyrannical force suddenly exploded, and shook the Ice Phoenix Ribbon open.
Erza's gaze was as sharp as a sword as Heavenly Flame Sword abruptly smashed down.
'Phoenix's Fury!!'
Elsa's Ice Phoenix Ribbon unfurled forward with the intent to meet Erza's overbearing strike. But weirdly enough, a dangerous aura suddenly came from behind her. Shock was revealed in her eyes as she realized that there was simply not enough time for the Ice Phoenix Ribbon to defend her rear. She had no choice but to quickly cast 'Ice Wall' to construct a thick ice crystal barrier.
Erza unexpectedly casted 'Hundred Sword Petals' on Elsa's back. It was the smaller version of 'Thousand Sword Petals'. She did it very quickly and Elsa noticed it a bit too late.
*BOOM!*
*PING!!*
The ice crystal barrier was completely shattered in an instant. As though a storm, an enormous thrusting and explosive force rammed Elsa flying. Without waiting for Elsa to regain her balance, Erza had already sent a follow up attack.
Bella sat with wrinkled brows. As expected that once the fight began, Erza was the one who took the initiative. She was really worried for her sister. The intensity level of that last strike's energy fluctuation was enough to make Elsa receive internal injuries.
Phoenix's Fury was like a heavy hammer that fell on Elsa's shoulder, and directly numbed her entire left arm. Her internal organs had also suffered light injuries under the energy assault but she did not panic. Instead, Elsa was very calm.
She slightly concentrated and instantly became as cold and pure as ice and snow. With a slight fluttering spin, she stabilized her balance. Like a streak of white lightning, the Ice Phoenix Ribbon charged at Erza.
*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!*
Each and every strike from Erza all brought along an ear-splitting explosion. Directly engaging against a divine sword with a frontal attack was the most foolish decision. However, when facing against Elsa's ribbon, Erza's sword had actually met its match.
The Ice Phoenix Ribbon was as soft and flexible as water, and as nimble as a snake. When exchanging attacks with Heavenly Flame Sword, its overbearing power actually did not collide with the sword.
Instead, the Ice Phoenix Ribbon used its nature to form a large pulling force, drawing each of the sword's attacks towards empty air every single time. At the same time, an increasingly cold energy silently enveloped towards Erza. Then, with a "crack" sound, a thick layer of ice solidified on both her shoulders.
The ice-cold energy bore into the heart with a bone-chilling coldness, as if countless numbers of knives had stabbed into one's body. Erza's gaze went cold. After a low growl, a cluster of scarlet coloured flames suddenly combusted on her body, and rose to a height that was close to ten feet in the blink of an eye. Under the scarlet fire, the ice-cold energy was rapidly dispersed. The layer of ice was also quickly melted.
Meanwhile, Heavenly Flame Sword had also been completely wrapped up in the scarlet phoenix flame, and became an enormous flame sword. It brought along dancing sparks as it directly assaulted forward once more.
"She is actually able to ignite such an intense flame! Looks like her flame mastery have improved a lot in these past few months."
"It's only the lowest level phoenix flame…" Reynold did not finish his sentence as he suddenly opened his eyes wide at this moment and was struck speechless.
'Ice Phoenix Frozen Lotus!'
An innumerable amount of ice crystals from all directions came flying to Elsa's front, and condensed together to become a fantastical light blue ice lotus. The ice lotus slowly rotated, and then suddenly dispersed. Each flower petal had transformed into seven ice crystals that flew at Erza. Each ice crystal was as thin as a cicada's wing, and was as clear as pure gems, yet it was also bone-piercingly cold!
'Phoenix's Fury Flame Lotus!!'
With Erza's body at the core, a flame lotus that was at least five times as large as Elsa's ice lotus blossomed from the soaring heat wave like a flame gigantic flame beast opening its mouth, and completely swallowed up the ice crystals flying there. None of those ice crystal were able to approach Erza because they had already disappeared completely.
*Boom!*
Erza sent the remaining flame lotus to Elsa direction, but it was quickly blocked by an ice barrier.
The surrounding audiences were all stupefied… The battle intensity was above their expectations. They thought that Erza would easily pass this round. However, Elsa unexpectedly was able to give her a good fight.
Elsa really looked like a different person compared with herself a year ago. There was no way Harry would be able to beat the current her. No one knew what kind of practice she did in this short one year to improve by this much.
"That's…"
"Ice Phoenix Ancestor!" Violet exclaimed in shock.
All of a sudden, there was a big Ice Phoenix standing behind Elsa in incorporeal form and Violet was able to recognize the figure. It was actually one of the legendary figures in Black Snow Empire, the founder of Saint Beast Academy, Ice Phoenix Ancestor!
Violet's gaze immediately turned towards the Menzel Clan seats… Did this mean that Elsa was actually a mixed blood or was she a beast in human form!?