Erza Scarlet vs. Azuma

Erza Scarlet vs. Azuma is a fight fought between Fairy Tail S-Class Mage Erza Scarlet and Grimoire Heart Dark Mage Azuma. 
==Prologue==
Juvia Lockser shows the power of her rage when she hears Meredy say that she will kill Gray Fullbuster. When Erza gets over her initial shock of Juvia's power, she leaves to look for Wendy Marvell and Gray by Juvia's request. Meredy attempts to go after her but is stopped by Juvia, starting their one-on-one battle.Fairy Tail Manga: Chapter 229, Pages 2-8
Erza runs in the rain, looking for Wendy. Suddenly, a voice from a tree calls out her name, glad that he could meet the great warrior, Titania. Azuma shows himself and claims that he had taken care of the little girl. Both of them suddenly sense an incredible amount of Magic, Bluenote Stinger's, and Azuma states that the war is over and no one will be left on the island.Fairy Tail Manga: Chapter 231, Pages 10-11, 20 
==Battle==
thumb|left|200px|Erza battling Azuma
Erza first battles in close combat with Azuma in her Flame Empress Armor as the battles on Tenrou Island start to heat up.Fairy Tail Manga: Chapter 234, Page 18 Erza then wields two axes in her Black Wing Armor and charges towards Azuma. However, Azuma dodges this, catches one of Erza's feet in his branches and follows up with Bleve. Erza recovers from the explosion, requips into her Morning Star Armor and using her two sabers, fires Photon Slicer. Azuma gets hit. When the explosion clears, a smile can be seen on his face. Erza asks him what's funny and he replies that he's been waiting for someone strong like her and that he'll have fun. He adds that he fights in pursuit of those that are strong. As she requips into her Heart Kreuz Armor, Erza replies that she doesn't care much about strong people, all she needs is the power to protect her comrades, and as long as she has that strength, she doesn't care if she's weaker than everyone else.Fairy Tail Manga: Chapter 235, Pages 6-10
The branches of the trees move about and Azuma declares that they're out of time. He reveals the nature of his brand of Lost Magic, Great Tree Arc, to Erza, and how the true power of that Magic is rooted in the Earth. Azuma informs her that the reason he came to the island first is to control the island's Magic Power by Hades's orders. Much to Erza's shock, the Tenrou Tree at center of the island collapses. The Mages of Fairy Tail all over the island start dropping to the ground from Magic loss, except Erza. Tenrou Tree's power gives protection to everyone bearing the crest of Fairy Tail on the island. With the great tree down, the life protection it afforded Fairy Tail has been lost and will continue draining energy from Fairy Tail. Azuma tells her that her comrades' lives are on the line and asks her if she has the necessary power to save them. Erza looks at him with a fierce face.Fairy Tail Manga: Chapter 235, Pages 11-18
Azuma reveals that Erza's Magic remained so that he may be able to fight her and promises that he'll return the Magic of the others if she defeats him. Confidently, Erza requips into her Heaven's Wheel Armor, declares that with her comrades' lines on the line, she'll win and then attacks Azuma with Blumenblatt. Azuma's branches block Erza's blades and he retaliates with Folium Sica. Erza attempts to block these as Azuma follows up with Ramus Sica and Tree Fist. Erza reverts into her Heart Kreuz Armor and dodges the thick branches of trees that attempt to damage her. She then uses one of the branches to spring back as she requips into her Flight Armor and manages to slash Azuma multiple times with her enhanced speed.Fairy Tail Manga: Chapter 236, Pages 4-11Fairy Tail Anime: Episode 114 
When Erza heads back to him for another hit, he strikes her down with branches and attempts to stomp on her with a foot-shaped root which she blocks with her Adamantine Armor. She also consequently blocks multiple leaf blades with the same armor. Afterwards, she requips into the Lightning Empress Armor and her staff misses Azuma. While she chases him around, he is able to sneak a punch, sending her flying through multiple roots. The two Mages acknowledge each other's skills. Erza, in her Heart Kreuz Armor once more, starts a hand-to-hand battle with Azuma, with both being able to land a number of punches and kicks. Azuma captures her with a branch and then it explodes. Erza recovers and throws a spear at Azuma, landing a hit, and then, while wearing her Giant Armor, manages to grab his ankle and throw him down. He strikes back with a large root, smashing her on another. She requips into her Purgatory Armor and chases after him, but he is able to defend himself with a hard root, catching her off-guard. Azuma grabs Erza's foot from underneath and then she gets hit by Tower Burst.Fairy Tail Manga: Chapter 236, Pages 12-13
She reverts once more into her Heart Kreuz Armor and wonders what she should do. For a moment, she thinks of her newly-bought Seduction Armor but immediately waves off the thought of using it. Erza decides that in order to defeat him, she has to collect all of her Magic into a single offensive attack without wasting any on defensive power. She requips into her Clear Heart Clothing, stating that she has no need for armor and only her sword. Erza charges forward, collecting all her strength into Demon Blade Benizakura and swearing that she cannot lose for her guild's sake. Azuma urges her forward. As her attack is about to hit, she suddenly gets wrapped up in branches. Azuma releases the Magic of Tenrou upon her with the spell Terra Clamare. Erza collapses on the ground from the blow.Fairy Tail Manga: Chapter 236, Pages 13-19 
The almost-unconscious Erza hears the distant voice of Jellal Fernandes, telling her not to lose. Her eyes open, she coughs and then gets up with the help of her sword. Azuma is shocked by the sight. In order to protect her comrades, Erza rises with unbending determination. She chases after Azuma and is able to slice up all the branches he uses for defense, dodges the ones for attack and almost lands a hit on his neck. Erza charges forward then Azuma dodges and kicks her away. She springs back, slices the branch he stood on and uses that same branch to defend from his leaf blades.
thumb|left|200px|Erza and Azuma resume battle
As Azuma brings forward multiple branches, she speedily slashes them away, but then he is able to bind her once more with roots. As he states that her name is who she is and is something that he cannot forget, she recalls the moment when she and her Tower of Heaven friends were young and Jellal gave her her last name, Scarlet, based on the color of her hair. She also recalls the last time she saw him, being taken away by the Magic Council and he suddenly turns around and refers to the color of her hair, meaning he remembered her last name. This gives her the strength to move her body though she is still unable to break free. Azuma casts Terra Clamare once more.Fairy Tail Manga: Chapter 237, Pages 4-12
 
As she starts to think that it's the end, she sees Natsu Dragneel's face, asking her if she's giving up. She also sees the faces of her other friends in Fairy Tail following Natsu's. Erza apologizes and tells herself that she has forgotten that it's not that she's been protecting everyone, but that she had always been the one being protected. The images of her comrades surround her and push her onward to Azuma. Azuma is overcome with shock as he realizes that the Magic of Tenrou Island that he must be controlling is protecting Erza. As Erza comes toward him, he comments that the strength of their guild is not in the "individual", but in the "sum". Before Erza delivers her final attack, he notes that their guild is one incredible guild. Her blade hits and slices across Azuma's body, defeating him.Fairy Tail Manga: Chapter 237, Pages 13-18
==Aftermath==
thumb|left|200px|Azuma's final moment
Both Azuma and Erza fall to the ground. She notices how little sprouts seem to appear on Azuma's body. He tells her that it's the side-effect of overusing his Magic and that he has returned everyone's powers to them just as he promised. Erza asks him if he knew Jellal and he replies that he did. When Azuma asks her if he was important to her, she doesn't answer, which makes Azuma apologize and tell her that it must have been Ultear Milkovich's doing as a plan to get the council to temporarily turn their eyes away from them. Erza inquires why they need Zeref so much. Azuma informs her that it's to get closer to the source of Magic. He completely merges with a tree before he could answer Erza's follow-up question of what they would do once they got closer to that source.Fairy Tail Manga: Chapter 238, Pages 2-5
Meanwhile, all the fallen Mages of Fairy Tail recover their strength and move back into battle.Fairy Tail Manga: Chapter 238, Page 6
==Manga & Anime Differences==
*In the manga, Erza is only able to slash Azuma once while in the Flight Armor, but in the anime, she slashes him multiple times.
*The anime lengthened the battle considerably, adding the following armors in the fight: Adamantine Armor, Lightning Empress Armor, Giant Armor and Purgatory Armor.
*The manga did not have the hand-to-hand square-off like in the anime.
*In the manga, Azuma defends from Erza's follow-up slash (while in her Flight Armor) and then proceeds to hitting her with Tower Burst. However, the anime added many scenes between the Flight Armor scene and the Tower Burst scene, in which Tower Burst was used while Erza was in her Purgatory Armor.
*After being hit by Tower Burst, Erza reverted to her Heart Kreuz Armor in the manga, but in the anime, she remained in tattered pieces of her Purgatory Armor.
*Many scenes were added between Erza's recovery and the second casting of Terra Clamare.
==References==
==Navigation==
Category:Fights