For the record, I'm still undecided, both sides are bringing up good arguments. However...
Mini conversations don't make a time frame since talking in manga has always been wacky. We saw the POV of the Meteor then we saw Erza's and co's perspective. If the fodder only perceive the sight of a shooting star that means they have no real idea what the object was. No one even consider to panic or run away bcs they weren't fast enough to identify the object. Only Erza knew it was an advance version of Jellal's magic as she was the only one fast enough to react.
In atmosphere Deus Sema is just as fast as out atmosphere Deus Sema. There was no slow down in re-entry. Her magic would've still kept applying the pressure as she needed to pin point the exact location to drop the Meteor. It makes no sense to let go of a spell and let it come down by itself. The spell is an enhanced meteor and meteors get their power from the velocity it's going at. She had no reason to let gravity hinder the velocity of that attack and we see the attack is moving the same speed. Meteors do not even reach the melting point of rock upon reentry yet Irene's meteor was vaporizing the entire time (even upon reentry). The Earth's atmosphere wouldn't impact the velocity that meteor was hurled at in the first place. There would be huge sonic booms if the Meteor slow down that suddenly.
I get that mini-convo's can be inconsistent
but there's a big problem in assuming Deus Sema didn't slow down: the speed of Deus Sema would make no sense. Think about it, if Deus Sema really retained it's initial speed, then how did anyone manage to react to it? They couldn't have, meaning it must have slowed down. I really don't get how this is a bigger assumption than saying the mini-convo was inconsistent, because if Deus Sema really was that fast in atmosphere it should have smashed into the battlefield pretty much instantly.
You could pretty much sum it up like this: what makes more sense, Deus Sema slowing down upon atmospheric entry, or Erza managing to intercept a meteor that was traveling fast enough to pass planets and enter Earthland's atmosphere within seconds?
August got blitzed by Cana's Cards. I can throw out PIS low showings as well.
How was that a PIS low showing? I was even fair about it and mentioned that she got blindsided. My point was that if DF Wendy can blitz her, then Meteor August should be able to as well. Again though, with that being said, my point about Meteor is that he can use it to evade attacks and confuse her. Especially since Meteor August should be faster than Meteor Jellal.
Also, that lowball about Cana's cards is a lowball because August has already been shown to be able to dodge them with ease:
Keep in mind that August dodged those cards despite being blindsided by them. He even dodged them a second time later:
He goes on to dodge them a third time:
Also, even when August got hit by Cana's cards, it was because he had only just escaped Gildarts's grapple:
So yeah, he was never tagged by Cana's cards when he had the chance to dodge them, even when she tried to blindside him.
Irene did not care therefore she was not utilizing her full power.
Fair enough, but there's a massive difference between Erza and Wendy and August.
Just like Acnologia who got tagged by Tenrou FT characters, or couldn't catch a ship for multiple chapters. A Dragon's speed depends on the level of seriousness they are using which Irene thought the girls of nothing more than nuisances.
Errrr... reaction ≠ speed. And Acno getting tagged by Tenrou FT was down to a combination of things, including his large size. On the other hand, Irene was in human when DF Wendy blitzed her. She may not have been serious, but what happened happened, and Meteor August should be
far faster than DF Wendy. But as I've mentioned, August being able to blitz isn't the point, it just gives him an easy way to avoid Dragon Claw attacks.
Irene stomped the entirety of Sabertooth, which is way more impressive than stomping 3 featless characters who were below Tenrou level opponents a year ago and Jellal.
Dude, stop with the CS downplay.
Irene herself said that CS were were going to be troublesome in the North. Three "below Tenrou characters" would be outdated AF and would get stomped the second they faced a Spriggan Historia, let alone an actual Spriggan. Irene wouldn't consider them troublesome if they were that outdated.
Hell, even if we go with your CS downplay, August still stomped CS
and Jellal. As much as I love Sabertooth (RIP old name) the best mage they have their is Base Sting. He wasn't even S12 level prior to obtaining WSDM. In comparison, Jellal one-shotted a Spriggan with a mid-tier Heavenly Body Magic spell.
Also, where are you getting Irene solo'ing Sabertooth from? The battle up North was off-paneled, we have no idea what happened. If we're sticking to feats only, we shouldn't attribute the victory in the North solely to her.
I guess I'll stick to feats so she could just double her own stats via Enchantments.
When did Irene enchant herself? Genuine question, I can't remember her doing that.