As the explosion settled and the dust cleared, the two figures in the arena came into view, standing still for the first time since the match began.
"Who won?" a spectator whispered.
"Good always triumphs over evil—holy light magic's gotta take it, right?" another guessed.
"Mira's so gorgeous, it's gotta be her!" a fan cheered.
On the battlefield, Mirajane spoke first, her voice cool and composed. "Looks like even Satan's soul couldn't beat you…"
"Didn't you already know that?" Kira replied with a smirk. "Let's wrap this up—it's time to end this fight."
"What, you surrendering?" Mirajane teased, raising an eyebrow.
Since when did Mira have such a competitive streak? Kira thought. She must really want to win this tournament! But she's not the type to chase fame, so… it's probably the prize money, isn't it? Imagining the champion's reward, Kira chuckled. "Surrender? Not a chance!"
Mirajane nodded. "Figured as much! Alright then, let's finish this with my strongest form—Takeover…"
But Kira wasn't about to give her the chance. If I say we're done, we're done—no extra time!
"Soul Separation!"
His cold, commanding voice rang out as his Word Magic activated. A beam of energy shot from an unseen dimension, striking Mirajane with pinpoint accuracy and forcibly separating the Satan Soul from her body.
"What the—?!"
Mirajane hadn't anticipated Kira' Word Magic could do something like this. Caught off guard, the Satan Soul was ripped from her, and her body reverted to normal.
"You never used that move when we fought before," she panted, clearly drained. "Is that a new spell?"
Without the soul's power, Mirajane was struggling. Takeover magic constantly drained her reserves, and stronger demon souls burned through her magic faster. Even Satan Soul, the least taxing of her forms, required immense power to match Kira blow for blow.
Kira nodded openly. "Yup! It's a neat trick with Word Magic—my first step into separating enhancement magic."
Separating enhancement magic was a rare and advanced technique, previously only mastered by Irene and a future version of Wendy in the original timeline. Now, Kira had joined their ranks, his mastery of this spell placing him on par with the Spriggan 12.
Exhausted of both stamina and magic, Mirajane's legs gave out, and she collapsed. Kira, prepared for this, quickly stepped forward and caught her arm, saving her from a rough fall.
Raising his right fist triumphantly, he signaled his victory to the crowd and judges.
"The match is over! The winner is Kira!!"
Dispel stood, grabbing the microphone and announcing to the roaring crowd, "The first-ever [Fairy Tail Magic Tournament] has officially concluded, and the champion is Kira… ahem—Kira Hoplight!!"
"WOOOOH!!!"
"I knew that Kira guy was the strongest!"
"Of course! He's so handsome and has that champion vibe!"
"He did it! He didn't let me down!"
"Nice job!"
The arena erupted with applause, cheers, and shouts of excitement.
---
"Now, let's welcome the champion of this tournament, Kira Hoplight, to receive his prize!!"
Kira swore he tried not to grin as he walked up to the stage, but the thought of the prize money and trophy made it impossible to hide his joy.
One million… one million… he thought, already planning how to spend it.
Truth be told, one million jewels was just the reward for one or two S-Class missions, but who could say no to more money?
To polish his image, Kira had changed out of his battle-worn clothes into a fresh, stylish magic robe.
He wore a 30cm-tall black pointed wizard hat, partially covering his thick red hair, giving him a mysterious and powerful aura. A short black cape with golden trim, adorned with a blue-purple magic circle, draped over his shoulders, its hem decorated with shimmering seven-colored crystal tassels that sparkled in the sunlight. His new robe, made of the finest fabric, was soft and luxurious, primarily black with gold and purple accents. Compared to his usual bold and flashy style, this outfit was understated yet opulent.
With his dark, edgy attire, striking red hair, and handsome features, Kira exuded a charismatic, almost villainous charm—still dashing, but cooler than ever.
Down below, Cana sipped her drink and muttered, "Who the heck did he pick up this style from?"
Erza chimed in, "It reminds me a bit of Mystogan's vibe."
The others nodded, picturing Mystogan's signature mysterious look. After a closer glance at Kira, they added, "Well, it's similar, but not quite the same…"
Levy, wearing petite pink goggles and flipping through a book, remarked, "This outfit looks like something out of an old record—a mage's attire from ages past."
Gray nodded confidently. "Bet he got it from some novel."
The group agreed. They knew Kira' shop was filled with books, most of them useless, so it wasn't a stretch to think one or two might be about fashion.
Beaming, Kira accepted the golden trophy from Makarov and the one-million-jewel prize from the mayor, thinking, These past few days of fighting were so worth it!
As was customary, it was time for the winner's speech. Kira launched into his prepared remarks.
"First, I'd like to thank the mayor for his support, the guild master for his guidance, and my comrades for setting me up to shine…"
"As the strongest mage of Fairy Tail's younger generation, I think it's only fitting I took home this grand prize…"
"Mystogan, Mirajane, Erza, and even Laxus, who got knocked out in the prelims—they're all tough opponents, and their strength speaks for itself…"
"For anyone interested in magic items, head to Hope's Hut on Magnolia's main street. Top quality, affordable prices, three-year warranty…"
"As for the prize money? It's going straight into researching new magic items, of course…"
Navigating the swarm of reporters and enthusiastic fans, Kira realized just how tough it was to be a celebrity.
"Maybe this is what they call a happy problem…" he mused.
---
Back at the Fairy Tail guild, everyone was celebrating with drinks and chatter.
"It's finally over! Man, these past few days wore me out!" Dispel sprawled in a chair, sipping a drink and enjoying the food and service from a pretty waitress.
"You're complaining about being tired?" Gray scoffed from across the table. "All you did was sit in the judge's booth and watch! You barely even commentated properly—where's the exhaustion?"
Kira joined in, "Yeah, you're the worst commentator I've ever seen!"
"Hey, hey!" Dispel protested. "Compared to the other judges, I did plenty! Look at Master Makarov, the mayor, the reporters, or even this cat," he said, scooping up Happy. "Besides me, who else did anything but sit there?"
Lucy piped up, "Speaking of… you and Kira look identical. Doesn't anyone find that weird?"
Dispel didn't even turn around. "People ask, sure. I just tell 'em I'm from Edolas. It's not some big secret!"
"…"
"That's not important!" Dispel stood, flashing a sly grin. "What is important is… settling all the bets everyone placed!"
Erza's brow furrowed. "You guys were betting?"
She shot a glare at Kira, her disapproval clear.
Kira waved his hands defensively. "Don't look at me! I only found out last night. Ask Gray—or Happy!"
At that, Erza, Natsu, Lucy, and the others turned their attention to the two culprits, who were already trying to slip away.
Thud! Smack! Bang!
"Happy, you were betting behind my back?!" Natsu yelled.
"You dumb cat! You didn't invite me to something this fun?!" Lucy added.
"You gonna pull this again?!" Erza barked.
Kira: "…"
Natsu and Lucy were one thing, but Erza? Something's off here. Isn't she supposed to be the guild's disciplinarian? Why's she acting like this?
Noticing Kira' expression, Mirajane walked by and asked, "What's up, Kira?"
"Nothing, just… girls are hard to figure out."
"Hehe~"
Kira: "?? What's that supposed to mean?"
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American TV Series: Young Sheldon mike edition