A Terrific Battle

Mirajane unleashed **Dark Hand**, swiping at Bacchus.

Bacchus answered with rapid palm‑strikes, shattering every dark claw that came his way.

Lucy gasped. "He broke Mira's magic!"

Erza explained, "He compresses magic into his palms—a traditional style—but what makes him lethal is the martial art he pairs with it. It's called **Pi Gua Zhang**, a palm form he's refined into the unpredictable *Drunken Split‑Palms*."

"Drunken—as in fighting while drunk?" Gray asked.

Erza nodded. "Exactly. When he's had alcohol, his moves become erratic and their power spikes. But he hasn't taken a single drink yet."

Lucy blanched. "So he's not even serious?"

Gray swallowed. "Won't Mira—"

Su Yan cut in, smiling. "Relax. Right now Mira's the one pressing him."

On the field Mirajane fought savagely, forcing Bacchus back.

"**Dark Spark!**" 

Black bullets rained; Bacchus could only parry. Mira's power after Take‑Over was greater than most imagined. She'd trained hard, hoping once to surpass Su Yan, and had long ago soloed foes like the Beast King.

"Open up!" Bacchus finally roared, flaring magic to shove Mira away. But she merely gathered more power; sand swirled into a tornado around her.

"**Super‑Sadistic Madness!**"

Sweat dotted Bacchus's brow. *So the 'soft' barmaid is this strong… Looks like I'll need to go all out.*

He unleashed a blur of palms—*boom!*—barely holding the storm at bay. Mira's next attack was already coming: both hands glowed with dense darkness.

"**Soul Destroyer!**"

*BOOOOM!* 

The shock wave engulfed Bacchus. When the smoke cleared he lay in a crater, defeated.

Mira strolled over, picked up his untouched wine gourd, and smiled. "Too much drink is bad for you." She tossed it aside.

[**Announcer:** Bacchus is down—match over! Winner: **Mirajane Strauss, Fairy Tail Team B!**]

The arena erupted. Day one had shown the world Su Yan's overwhelming might; day two was proving how deep Fairy Tail's bench really ran. Quatro Cerberus's trump card had fallen to a Fairy Tail woman in straight combat.

Lucy stared. "Miss Mira's that powerful?!"

She'd heard Mira's "dark" past but never seen her fight. The gentle barmaid was gone; the demon queen had returned.

Gray whispered, "Yep. The Mira I remember is back." Years ago Mira had terrified him and Natsu as much as Erza—except Mira skipped the lectures and went straight to fists.

Su Yan chuckled; this was the Mira he knew—the one who'd so often challenged him and, in doing so, forged an unbreakable bond.

[**Commentary**] 

Chapati: "Spectacular! Tense, explosive, a brilliant bout!" 

Yajima: "Indeed—Mira was once one of Fairy Tail's top wizards." 

Jason: "Cooooool!!"

Spectators buzzed: 

"That cute girl is scary in battle!" 

"She's S‑Class—'Demon Mirajane'!" 

"Fairy Tail really *is* strong!"

In two short days the audience's old image of the "eternal last‑place guild" had been shattered.

---

**Fairy Tail Team B Area**

Gajeel wiped sweat. "Sheesh… I always thought of Mira as reception. Note to self—never tick off the front desk."

Wendy bounded up. "Miss Mira, that was amazing!"

Mira blushed. "It's been a while since I cut loose—I'm a little shy."

Laxus grinned. "We're sitting in first for now. Let's see how Su Yan's side does next."