The night after the quarterfinals, Kira hears that Loke got a serious beating from his ex-girlfriends. When he limped back, his legs were shaky, but he didn't retreat to the Celestial Spirit World. Even though he's out of the tournament, Loke says he's sticking around to see who takes the crown.
That same night, Kira notices Gajeel being quietly summoned by Makarov. The two lock themselves in a room for nearly an hour, doing who-knows-what. It spooks Kira at first, but then he remembers—this must be around the time Gajeel's undercover with Raven Tail. Makes sense.
Also that evening, Kira swings by Lucy's place, planning to casually drop by and maybe nudge her about some debts. But at her door, he hears some questionable noises coming from her and Natsu. Bad timing, apparently. He's not sure what they're up to, but he figures it's probably not too scandalous. Still, he records it—just in case. The guild can analyze it later.
On his way back, Kira spots Mystogan sitting alone on a stone bridge by the river, striking his usual lonely, brooding pose, staring at the moon. Kira decides to leave him be.
The next day: the semifinals!
The crowd's roars shake the sky.
Only two matches today, but each one has everyone buzzing with anticipation.
Kira vs. Mystogan: the renowned "Sage" against Fairy Tail's most enigmatic S-Class wizard. And Natsu vs. Mirajane: the rising "Fire Dragon" of the past two years against the "Demon" who's stepped back from combat missions recently.
Will it be "the Sage's first defeat" or "the mystery unveiled"? Will the "Fire Dragon keep burning" or the "Demon make her comeback"? No matter the outcome, it's prime gossip material.
Step, step…
Kira and Mystogan stride onto the arena, one on the left, one on the right—one cloaked in black, mysterious and reserved; the other in white, radiating charm, confidence, and charisma. The crowd's hyped for their clash.
"Will we see that Maple Dance again today?"
"Mystogan's fights are so flashy, I'm rooting for him!"
"Kira is the coolest! Look at his battles—always so calm, like he's not even trying yet!"
"I know about that Hope's Workshop he mentioned. It's where they sell those things…"
"What things?"
"You know… those things."
"Oh! No way, really? That's awesome!"
The chatter grows louder, and Kira' face darkens. More and more people are whispering about him selling shady magical tools. It's embarrassing, and the culprit behind it all…
He shoots a glare at Droy on the judges' platform, who's holding the mic, seemingly zoned out. No, not zoned out—he's eavesdropping on the crowd and smirking!
That shameless jerk, tarnishing my reputation and my grand, noble image behind my back. Ugh!
"You seem pissed," Mystogan observes. "What's up?"
Kira replies coolly, "Nothing. Just suddenly feel like punching Droy's face in."
Mystogan pauses for two seconds. "Well… throw a couple extra punches for me."
"Huh?"
"Let's get started!"
Kira nods, thinking, Well, well, so this is the real Mystogan. All cool and aloof on the surface, but secretly egging me on to beat up a former teammate. Hah… must be Droy's fault for doing something dumb!
"Deal!" Kira agrees.
Mystogan breathes a quiet sigh of relief: Good, he didn't catch on. Go ahead and fight, you two. I don't care who wins or loses—just beat each other up!
His bandaged hand reaches back, deftly pulling out a staff and planting it into the ground. "Skyscraper!"
Mystogan knows Kira doesn't usually strike first unless it's a special situation. That way, he can analyze his opponent's magic and counter with something that has the advantage. Plus, Kira' spells often let him turn the tables even when he acts second.
Sure, Kira crafted those staves, but after all this time, Mystogan, the user, knows them better than the maker. The magic circles etched into the staves were designed by Mystogan himself, meaning Kira didn't have a hand in their creation. He doesn't fully know what combinations or spells the staves can produce—and frankly, he doesn't care to.
Illusion magic is highly effective. Not everyone's like Erza, half-immune to it. Any creature with emotions has fears, and Mystogan's mysterious aura is deliberate—it plants the seed that he's a tough opponent.
But that trick doesn't work as well on people with iron wills, like Fairy Tail's members.
"No need for probing moves like that!" Kira says, releasing a wave of mental energy that silently shatters Skyscraper.
Undeterred, Mystogan crosses his staves, unleashing three spells at once: Dreamscape, Maple Dance, and Penglai Strike. Reality blends with illusion, truth tangled with deception.
A boundless dreamscape engulfs the arena, Kira' eyes seeing Penglai's winds swirling with autumnal maple leaves. He glares, his will tearing through the illusion like breaking glass. But the sensation lingers—crimson maple leaves carried by an immortal breeze.
Crack, crack…
Deep in his consciousness, Kira' mental force shatters three or four layers of illusory realms, snapping him back to the arena.
It feels like it took forever, but it's only been two seconds. Kira stands firm, his gaze steady, his breathing even, his stance unshaken. Mystogan, meanwhile, is raising his staff for the next attack.
"Five-Layer Magic Circle: Kagura!"
Same old tricks, Kira thinks.
He counters with a single word of spirit magic: "Disrupt!"
The five magic circles shatter instantly. Kira looks at Mystogan, waiting for his next move, but Mystogan pauses, his deep voice asking, "You're not attacking?"
Kira crosses his arms, flashing a confident grin. "Nope! You're a sneaky one, probably waiting for me to slip up!"
He's not wrong. Mystogan is waiting for Kira to act. His offensive magic isn't his strong suit, and his flashy spells don't work well against Kira. Dreamscape? Kira' willpower laughs it off. Sleep magic? Never worked on him. Penglai Strike? Its wind is weaker than Kira' casual "Tempest." Maple Dance? Mental illusions don't faze him. Mirror Water? Needs an attack to reflect. Inner Kagura? Can't catch Kira' tricky magic. Kagura? Couldn't even trap Erza, let alone Kira. Miroku? That's his only shot, but it only works if Kira attacks first.
Mystogan sighs in resignation, gripping his staff tightly and switching to melee. There's no point wasting magic power on spells that won't work.
"Hey, what's going on?" The crowd starts grumbling. "Another melee fight? Why not use those cool magic attacks from earlier?"
"We paid for this! We came to see dazzling magic battles, not some barbarian brawl!"
Mystogan: "…"
Kira: "…"
"Alright, alright," Kira says. "For the guild's sake, let's give them a show!"
Mystogan nods. Truth be told, he's not eager to fight. His battle with Erza the other day burned through what little fighting spirit he'd built up over the years. If it weren't for preserving the S-Class reputation, he would've surrendered yesterday.
Today's opponent is Kira, and Mystogan knows he's outmatched. Conceding here wouldn't be too embarrassing—making it to the semifinals as an S-Class wizard is respectable enough for Fairy Tail.
But since the crowd's demanding a spectacle, and Kira seems up for making it exciting, Mystogan figures he'll play along for a bit.
"Bring it!"
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