The searing heat and cold mingled, turning the entire competition arena into a blend of icy blue and fiery red. When the fog formed by the cold and flames dispersed, and the dust settled, everyone saw the figure of Zanpakutō standing in the air.
With ice wings spread behind him and Ryūjin Jakka in his hand, blazing with intense flames, he looked like a war god, exuding a formidable presence.
"Damn, where did this monster come from?" Jura's normally calm face showed a rare troubled expression. He hadn't encountered such a challenging battle in years.
The scale of this battle had surpassed most people's imaginations. Even the normally self-assured members of Sabertooth could no longer maintain their composure.
"Hmph! These two guys are terrifyingly strong," Orga remarked, trying to sound indifferent, but the slight tremble in his voice revealed his true feelings.
"It's no surprise that Jura is this powerful, but that masked guy... he's added another shocking memory to my collection," Rufus said with a wry smile, knowing deep down he wasn't a match for either combatant.
Sting gritted his teeth in frustration. "Fairy Tail... just how many monsters do they have?"
Zanpakutō hovered momentarily before descending to the ground, pointing his blade at Jura. Instantly, countless ice birds formed out of thin air, all charging towards Jura.
Unfazed, Jura raised his hand, causing numerous cubic blocks to rise from the ground. He shot them down with precise control, smashing each ice bird to pieces. Zanpakutō's probing attack was rendered completely ineffective.
"In a battle like this, there's no point in using such low-level attacks," Jura said with a faint smile, finally moving from his spot and charging towards Zanpakutō with unmatched momentum.
As the fifth-ranked Wizard Saint, Jura's prowess extended beyond magic; his physical combat skills were also extraordinary. His body, infused with magical power, could overwhelm most mages with sheer strength alone.
Jura concluded that Zanpakutō was not adept at close combat, based on his reliance on ranged attacks since the beginning.
This assumption was reasonable, but as Calvin's summon, Zanpakutō had no such weakness. Calvin's summons were all exceptionally capable in close combat. Modeled after Sōsuke Aizen, a supervillain proficient in all Shinigami arts, Zanpakutō was no exception.
Faced with Jura's ferocious approach, Zanpakutō didn't flinch. He swung Ryūjin Jakka, sending a towering blaze towards Jura.
Jura had no intention of testing the flames' temperature. He swiftly stomped the ground, summoning numerous large rock pillars to block the fire and obscure Zanpakutō's view.
Taking advantage of the brief distraction, Jura maneuvered a rock pillar under his feet, gliding through the rock maze like a swift snake. He quickly positioned himself behind Zanpakutō.
Without hesitation, he launched a punch.
The punch seemed simple but packed immense power. As it neared, Zanpakutō realized it was too late to dodge.
In response, Zanpakutō raised Hyōrinmaru, conjuring a barrier of ice spikes. These spikes were not just for defense but also for counterattack.
However, Jura, enveloped in a layer of magical energy, ignored the ice spikes and powered through them. Under his assault, the spikes shattered like brittle biscuits. Zanpakutō appeared momentarily stunned by Jura's aggressive advance.
In a flash, Jura's fearsome fist was about to land on Zanpakutō's face.
At that instant, many members of Fairy Tail couldn't help but cry out, some even closing their eyes, unwilling to witness defeat.
Jura's fist connected with Zanpakutō's masked face, but then his expression turned to surprise.
"No sensation? What is this...?"
In a split second, Jura's fist passed through Zanpakutō's head. As everyone gasped, Zanpakutō's form dissipated like smoke.
"An illusion?!" Jura realized, but it was too late.
A surge of pain struck him. He felt something biting and tearing at his body, yet he saw nothing.
To the audience, Jura appeared to be thrown back by an unseen force after hitting Zanpakutō's illusion. They, too, saw nothing causing this.
"Shatter, Kyōka Suigetsu."
In the next moment, the scene shattered like glass. Jura and everyone present saw this.
They then realized Jura's odd movements were not his own doing.
A large skeletal snake was biting Jura with its fanged maw, and it seemed that Jura had been charged and bitten by the snake after his initial attack.
This skeletal snake was none other than the previously ignored Hihiō Zabimaru.
Jura, enduring the pain, unleashed a surge of hardening magic, prying open the snake's jaws and escaping its grasp.
Taking advantage of the snake's momentary confusion, Jura quickly summoned a rock cage, trapping Hihiō Zabimaru.
However, it was clear that Jura had sustained significant injuries. Two severe wounds on his chest and back, caused by the snake's fangs, were bleeding profusely.
He would have been torn to shreds if he had not protected himself with magic.
Even so, Jura's injuries were too severe for him to continue fighting.
"Incredible! When did you cast that illusion?" Jura asked, gasping for breath, blood trickling from his mouth, yet showing little regret.
Zanpakutō's form reappeared, holding a green-hilted katana instead of Hyōrinmaru or Ryūjin Jakka.
In response to Jura's question, Zanpakutō simply raised the katana and gave a small shake.
"I see. This sword's ability... Each blade with a different power. A fascinating magic indeed. I have no regrets losing to you," Jura said with a wry smile, his sturdy body finally collapsing.
"Jura is down and unable to fight. The final match of the day is won by Fairy Tail B team's Mystogan!"
With the pumpkin announcer's declaration, the intense battle finally ended.