Lucy's eyes went wide. "Wait—you use Celestial Spirit Magic, too?"
Yukino smiled. "Indeed. How many Zodiac keys do you hold, Miss Heartfilia?"
"Ten," Lucy answered. "Why?"
Yukino produced a purple key. "There are twelve Zodiac keys—ten with you, two with me. I wager all twelve against your ten. Winner claims all keys."
Lucy stammered, "That's—unequal!"
Yukino held up her purple key higher. "And this is the Thirteenth Key—said to summon a spirit beyond the Zodiac."
Lucy's jaw dropped. "A Thirteenth Key? The one legends say calls an unknown spirit?"
"Understand its value?" Yukino asked. "If that isn't enough, I offer my life as stake."
The crowd gasped. Some spectators turned pale; others muttered, "Has she lost her mind?"
Levy grasped Lucy's arm. "If you lose, all your keys—and your career—are gone."
Natsu snarled in anger. "You can't gamble with friends like that!"
Lucy squared her shoulders. "I refuse your bet. My spirits are partners, not prizes."
Yukino's smile didn't falter. "Very well—then let us begin."
"Open the Pisces Gate… Pisces!"
Two immense celestial fish, one black, one white, leaped from Yukino's magic circle.
"Fish—!" Happy squealed.
Lucy called out, "Open the Scorpio Gate… Scorpius!"
Her spirit Scorpia twirled a scorpion-tail mace, whipping up a sandstorm that struck one fish.
"Only one spirit can block a Pisces," Yukino taunted. "Use another for the second!"
Lucy's hand went to her keyring. "Open the Taurus Gate… Taurus!"
A mighty bull spirit thundered in beside Scorpia. Two gates, two spirits—Lucy's first ever dual summon.
The spectators erupted. "She opened two gates! Twice the power!"
Carla gasped. "Lucy can handle two at once!"
Even Erza and Gray exchanged impressed looks. Driving two spirits stood among the guild's top feats.
Yukino assumed a graceful stance. "Impressive—but you're not the only one." She drew another key. "Open the Libra Gate… Libra!"
A veiled woman with scales like an ancient balance glided forth, tray of weights in hand.
The arena buzzed. Two spirits for both mages.
Lucy gritted her teeth. "Scorpia! Taurus! Combine—Sandstorm Axe: Aldebaran!"
Her bull spirit's axe fused with Scorpia's whirlwind, spinning a serrated vortex toward both Pisces.
Yukino's Libra raised a hand. "Balance Shift! Target locked."
Gravity pressed Lucy to the ground. Her two spirits went still in mid-air—she couldn't move.
"Too heavy to summon magic," Yukino declared. "This match is mine."
Lucy struggled beneath the weight. Yet even fallen, her eyes blazed.
The final outcome—two mighty Celestial Spirit Mages, their rivals now laid low. The question hung over the arena: who truly was the unfortunate one?