A matchless sword aura shot out, a nearly thirty-foot-long crescent moon that seemed to cut through the void, causing ripples in space with a resounding roar. In the midst of this, a slightly disheveled figure swiftly retreated.
This figure emitted a golden radiance, streaking through space like a shooting star at an incredible speed, making it difficult for the eyes to follow. However, in the eyes of a certain knight, this speed was not enough to instill fear.
"Is this all you can do? Besides being a bit faster, I don't see anything impressive about you," said the knight in black and gold armor with disdain, not bothering to conceal his contempt, revealing his disdain.
Jellal remained silent, contemplating his strategy as he watched the knight. In their brief encounter, Jellal found himself at a disadvantage, a rarity on this continent where few could outmatch him in battle.
"I underestimated him; this guy is indeed skilled," Jellal thought to himself. Meanwhile, a faint glow emanated from his hands, preparing for a certain type of magic.
"You must be wondering why, despite my strength, you've never seen Carl summon me," the knight suddenly spoke, his tone carrying a mocking undertone.
"To be honest, I haven't thought about that..." Jellal thought somewhat helplessly, but he refrained from expressing it verbally, curious about what the knight wanted to say.
"You haven't seen my true form. It just shows your ignorance. You don't even recognize the famous 'Heavenly Knight,' the one who challenged the Ten Saints directly in battle," the knight continued, introducing himself as Envy, the representative of the Seven Sins. "I'm a bit late with the introduction, but blame your weakness for my lack of enthusiasm."
Facing the relentless mockery, Jellal didn't let it bother him. Listening to Envy's self-praise, Jellal couldn't help but raise a faint smile.
Heavenly Knight? Jellal himself was one of the Ten Wizard Saints, but he had willingly abandoned that title.
Suddenly, a surge of immense magical power emanated from Jellal, and seven magic circles appeared above the room, connecting with golden lines to form a grand magic array.
Jellal had purposely let Envy ramble on to buy time to draw this magic array. He looked at Envy with a cold and determined gaze, uttering a few words, "Accept the judgment of the Seven Stars, Seven-Star Sword!"
From the magic array above, seven beams of light shot out, converging on a single point—the location where Envy stood.
Seeing this, Envy raised an eyebrow, showing a hint of amusement but no signs of fear.
Just as the Seven-Star Sword was about to strike, Envy swung his arm, firmly planted his feet, and with swift movements, he raised his sword.
The seven beams split apart in the middle, breaking the magic array along with them. Envy nonchalantly returned to his original stance, a mocking smile playing on his lips.
"Here we go again. What kind of sword is that? It can even cut through my magic!" Envy exclaimed.
Envy then taunted, "You held back for so long, and your big move is this?"
Jellal took the opportunity to catch his breath. However, his eyes revealed a trace of confusion. The two had been exchanging blows, and while Envy seemed to be at ease, Jellal was certain that he hadn't faced the knight at full strength.
What puzzled Jellal was that, according to his understanding of Carl's abilities, summoning magic wasn't limited to the summoned creature alone; various magic cards played a crucial role. However, Envy had yet to use any magic cards during their battle.
"Why don't you use magic cards? The real power of summoning lies in the synergy between the summoned beasts and magic cards, doesn't it?" Jellal inquired, trying to taunt Envy.
Envy sneered, "Don't compare me to those weaklings. I won't use those meaningless magic cards!"
"Meaningless? Could it be that you don't have cards that match your own body?" Jellal sarcastically remarked.
"Hehe, you're not entirely wrong. My current body, the Heavenly Knight, indeed lacks many magic cards for assistance."
"Do you understand what that means?" Envy asked, a smirk on his face.
"It doesn't mean I'm weak; it means I'm powerful! Even without any assistance, I can surpass more than half of the Seven Sins. That's the significance of the Heavenly Knight!"