After the competition portion ended, it was time for the duels to begin. The first match was between Black Snake from Raven Tail and Toby from Lamia Scale.
Black Snake was a tall, lean man with a sharp, long face and a sinister gaze. His messy black hair gave him a lazy look, and his expression rarely changed, always maintaining a slight smirk.
As for Toby, his appearance was quite eye-catching. Shirtless except for a sock hanging around his neck, he had a dog-like face that made him look rather foolish. His intelligence matched his appearance.
As the match began, Black Snake quickly took the upper hand with his unique and sharp Mimicry Magic. Toby was swiftly defeated, failing to earn any points for the Lamia Scale.
After the match, Raven Tail's score shot up to eighteen points, just behind Fairy Tail's A and B teams. Compared to yesterday's zero points, today Raven Tail appeared quite formidable.
On the other hand, Lamia Scale's performance was lacklustre. Despite having Jura and Lyon compete, their score remained at eight points, tied for last place with Mermaid Heel. This infuriated their guild master, especially since their matches for the day were over, leaving them hoping for a better performance tomorrow.
If Mermaid Heel won in the duels, Lamia Scale would be the only team at the bottom.
The first match's one-sided nature made it uninteresting, aside from the participants' comical bet. However, the second match promised excitement as it pitted Erza against Pascal.
As the only ace of the Four Hounds, Pascal was well-known in Fiore, and his dominant performance in the competition section heightened the audience's expectations.
Erza was no stranger to fame either. Fairy Tail's impressive showing reminded everyone of the Fairy Queen's former glory.
Fairy Tail's strongest female wizard against the Four Hounds' ace—how could this not make the audience's blood boil?
"Go, Erza! Take down that guy!"
"Go, Fairy Queen!"
All of Fairy Tail was cheering for Erza. Since her return from training, no one had seen her current strength, but Erza never disappointed them.
Erza walked onto the field with a serious expression, noticing the unusually calm Pascal. She found it unexpected.
Normally, Pascal would be taunting and teasing, but today he was serious.
"The opponent is you, Erza. Perfect, we can settle our previous unfinished fight today," Pascal said calmly, draining a bottle of liquor and assuming a strange martial arts stance.
Seeing no flaws in his stance, Erza grew more serious.
"You're very serious today, unlike your usual self," Erza remarked.
"Of course. After that humiliation, how could I be happy? But facing you, my soul is trembling with excitement!" Pascal charged forward, his hands glowing with magic as he used his unique martial art, Drunken Palm.
Erza didn't slack off, summoning two knight swords with her Requip Magic, parrying Pascal's strikes with fierce slashes.
Though his hands were powerful, they couldn't match Erza's sharp blades. Faced with her relentless and fierce swordplay, Pascal didn't try to clash directly but evaded instead.
His elusive movements made Erza's strikes miss, but she wasn't surprised, knowing his style well.
After forcing Pascal back with a sword swing, Erza unleashed her true strength. In an instant, she donned a new set of armour.
"Black Wing Armor!"
Clad in pitch-black armour with bat-like wings and wielding a long sword, Erza's speed and attack power increased dramatically.
"Scary!" Pascal yelled mockingly, narrowly dodging each of Erza's seemingly fatal strikes with his drunken movements.
Despite Erza's fierce onslaught, Pascal wasn't just evading. At one point, he slipped into her strike zone, so close that Erza could smell the alcohol on his breath, making her frown slightly.
Pascal's hands shot towards Erza's chest with lightning speed. His flushed face indicated his improper intentions as he aimed to grab rather than strike.
Caught off guard, Erza instinctively lifted her leg and kicked at Pascal with all her might.
Seeing her kick, Pascal quickly calculated the impact point, breaking into a cold sweat. In milliseconds, he decided to retreat, avoiding her attack.
Twisting and pivoting, he spun past Erza's side, trying to slap her butt on the way. However, he underestimated her. Her quick reaction left a shallow cut on his cheek, drawing blood.
After forcing Pascal back, Erza didn't pursue, staring at him coldly. She had figured out his intentions.
Few could see through Pascal's move, but those who did curse him silently.
"Your defence is flawless, Erza. You haven't weakened at all in seven years," Pascal said with a twisted smile, the high-proof alcohol making his soul tremble again. He returned to his usual nonchalant demeanour.
"And you're as despicable as ever," Erza replied coldly. Pascal laughed loudly in response.
"How about we make a bet, like the last match?" Pascal suggested.
"Pointless."
"If I win, you'll spend the night with me!" Pascal's lecherous expression made him even more detestable.
Erza remained calm, her eyes flashing coldly. Though someone outside the arena was fuming, she agreed, "I understand your desperation to win. If I win, Calvin will decide my condition."
Pascal shuddered, knowing Calvin's cunning. But he forced a smile, "Agreed!"