Sword Art Online is widely considered one of the staples of isekai anime, even if it only loosely fits the genre's criteria. The story leaped right into action when Kazuto "Kirito" Kirigaya found himself trapped in the game world of Aincrad, with only one way out: to fight his way through all 100 floors without dying and clear the final boss. He could only count on his swords and his friends to complete this dire quest.
Meanwhile, Fairy Tail's characters can do more than shoot fireballs or blizzards from their hands. Wizardry takes many shapes and forms across the land of Fiore, and Erza Scarlet is a wizard with an entire arsenal of swords and suits of armor. If Erza and Kirito ever crossed swords in a friendly but serious duel, who would come out on top, and how?
Sword Art Online: Kirito's Swords & Techniques
Sword Art Online's Kirito started at level 1 like everyone else in Aincrad, but didn't stay there long. He had the patience and caution to level up steadily without taking huge risks, and many other players died while he persevered. More importantly, Kirito learned to use two swords at once, and his dual-wield attacks in these MMO games are devastating. It's often Kirito who deals the final blow to huge dungeon bosses, and his offensive power is greater than that of any other player in Aincrad. He has the speed, dexterity and technique to stave off any foe in battle, whether it's a monster or another player. While his tactical skills are mediocre, Kirito is an effective team player when he's got a full party, especially when Asuna Yuuki is around.
As the protagonist swordsman, Kirito has gotten his hands on many remarkable swords in these virtual reality games. Elucidator is one of his most notable weapons from Sword Art Online's Aincrad arc, a sharp and deadly black blade that can cut through just about anything -- especially after his friend Lisbeth tinkered with it a bit more. Dark Repulser was another major sword, but it got destroyed during his duel with Heathcliff and wasn't used again. Then in Gun Gale Online, where Kirito got a new (and female) avatar, he found a lightsaber-ish weapon, the Kagemitsu G4. It could cut anything, even bullets in midair, though it would soon overheat or run out of energy and need to recharge. Kirito even obtained the holy sword Excalibur, which requires two hands to wield.
Fairy Tail: Erza Scarlet's Swords & Techniques
Erza Scarlet's magical powers are based on controlling space in Fairy Tail. In practice, this magic is used to access an alternate dimension where she stores her impressive stockpile of armored suits and swords. In battle, she boasts incredible strength and endurance to overwhelm her enemies, with her speed and agility being well above average to make her a well-rounded fighter. A few of Erza's armored suits have special properties, depending on her opponent's attributes.
The Flame Empress armor suit can halve the damage Erza takes from fire-based attacks, while the Lightning Empress armor halves all damage from electrical attacks. Her other suits provide different qualities, such as the Black Wing armor granting her the ability to fly, or the Heaven's Wheel armor which works best against multiple opponents. Inversely, Erza can shed all armor and wear her Clear Heart Clothing, which sacrifices defense in favor of enhanced offense. Many of Erza's best victories were achieved while she was armor-less.
Erza uses a wide variety of swords in Fairy Tail battles, despite few having any special or magical attributes to them. Instead, she relies on her physical prowess to deliver devastating attacks, though her Heaven's Wheel armor allows her to summon 200 swords at once and fling them at her enemies from afar.
The Showdown: Kirito Vs Erza
Erza will use her default armor at first to face Kirito head-on, fighting him with a fairly mundane sword to test her opponent. The two are evenly matched with one sword each, so Kirito will draw Dark Repulser to back up Eludicator and go on the offensive with his distinct dual-wield technique. His speed and ability are enough to land a few blows, but unlike Kirito, Erza has formidable defenses. At worst, Kirito's two-sword style will break her default armor and force her to don another suit.
Kirito's attacks are fierce but mundane, so Erza will choose a non-elemental suit, and the Black Wing armor will give her an advantage with its ability to fly. She can now swoop around the battlefield at great speed and regain the initiative, and it's all Kirito can do to defend himself from such an onslaught.
The Fairy Tail warrior still isn't making much progress though, so she will switch to Clear Heart Clothing and launch one final attack. Despite getting used to Erza's balance of armor and offense, Kirito won't be ready for her all-or-nothing attack, and Erza will break through his defenses at last and even break his swords. She will position her sword at his throat and demand surrender. The mighty Sword Art Online protagonist has lost.