The atmosphere outside of the arena was just as fired up as inside of it. People were talking and reenacting the events they have just witnessed.
The Fairy Tail guild was no different, their good moods known to everyone around them.
"I still have chills!" admitted Lisanna and shivered.
"That certainly was a great display." Freed nodded with a smile.
"No matter how many times I see him do it I can never get used to it." said Lucy.
"You make it sound like you see it every other day." laughed Cana.
"Honestly? I might as well."
Cana left it without a response.
Mirajane looked at Laxus and frowned. "What's up with you?" she asked him.
He looked at her, a bit startled. "Nothing." he shrugged her off and adjusted his coat. "Just lost in thought."
"Right."
Makarov was laughing out loud and yelling about how great his guild was, which only made Laxus even more irritated.
"Let him." Mira told him, "As annoying as it is it's better than having him sulk again."
"It would have been even better if he didn't do it at all." he said but agreed deep down in his heart. Seeing his grandfather being miserable was far beyond the point of bearable. Any more would simply break his heart.
On the opposite end of the lobby was Fairy Tail's team, which was trying to cut through the immense crowd and meet up with Natsu, who was not returned to the team stands after the event.
"That really was something!" Wendy beamed like a child. "I forgot to breathe a few times!"
"Well said." Elfman nodded eagerly. "That was truly a manly performance! Just listen to the crowd!"
"He totally bought them." grinned Gray. "Some of them, at least."
"Yes." Erza smiled as she passed by a group of children trying to replicate Natsu's Roar attack on each other. "It is much more pleasant to walk these hallways now."
"Did you see the look those guys from Raven had?" grinning Elfman poked Gray with his elbow.
"I know, right?" smirked Gray. "It made the win even sweeter."
"Knock it off." Erza told them with a gentle frown. "There is no need to be so petty."
Gray looked at her and raised his eyebrows. After a few seconds the knight could no longer keep up the face.
"Okay, it did feel good." she admitted and looked away to hide her cocky smirk, much to the entertainment of the men. She felt very proud and happy of her lover's achievement.
"I bet Sis is in bliss right now." said Elfman as he cut through a group of people. "She has a bone to pick with the guy they sent out today."
"First it was that dragon dude, now this guy. You'd think she attracts other Take Over users." Gray pointed out.
"She did wish to prove hers was the superior one when she was younger, maybe it's destiny."
"Is that why she'd kick your ass every day?"
"I'd appreciate if you let me forget about it."
"Not a chance."
While the boys bantered, Erza tried to spot Natsu out in the crowd. Her lips curved into a smile on their own upon spotting his messy pink head in the crowd by the toilets.
"Natsu!" she called out to him.
Natsu spotted her waving arm in the crowd and smiled like a kid. "Yo!" he greeted her cheekily.
Erza walked up to him and hugged him, which he returned, although with not as much enthusiasm, mostly out of concern for her ribs, his own crying quietly.
The rest of his team soon followed through.
"That was incredible!" Wendy squeaked.
"Way to leave a mark." smirked Gray.
"You were outstanding back there." Elfman nodded. "A deed truly worth of Erza's man."
Natsu grinned and scratched the back of his head while Erza looked away with a blush.
"Still not used to us knowing?" Gray mocked her playfully.
"If it's any consolation: the whole guild knows by now." Elfman followed with a grin.
Erza moaned in embarrassment.
"What's the big deal about it?" Natsu asked innocently.
Gray wrapped his arm around his neck. "You see, for years we were so used to this tough, cold Erza, that learning she can be just as much of a girl as the rest of chicks in our guild is a bit hard to take in." he explained.
"It will pass soon." added Elfman.
"For your own sake I hope this 'soon' happens within next few minutes." Erza threatened with daggers for eyes.
The boys gulped nervously and dropped the subject.
"What did you think of the competition?" she turned to Natsu. "Any impressions?"
Natsu frowned a little and scratched his cheek. "That bald guy was strong, I could tell." he admitted. "He gave me chills for a moment."
"Sounds about right." smiled the knight.
"What about that Saber guy?" asked Elfman. "He kept chasing you."
"Yeah, I'm not sure what his deal is." Natsu shrugged. "I think he wants to piss me off on purpose, so he keeps yapping whenever he sees me."
"Well, it worked." Gray raised his eyebrows. "He cut through your fire like butter."
"I was surprised, too. I felt like no one really gave it their all." nodded Natsu.
"Oh, he can go beyond that hellfire he showed there?" Elfman asked under his breath.
Wendy gently patted his back with compassion.
"That's to be expected. It's only the second day, revealing all cards would cause difficulty later on." said Erza.
After a very torturing attempt of cutting through the crowd, Erza has finally spotted her guild in the distance.
Lucy, being the one to spot her, beamed and waved her hand high in the air. "Erza! Here!"
This got the attention of the rest of the guild, who reacted accordingly by burying Lucy and overtaking her to get to the group quicker.
"That was incredible!" Lisanna praised Natsu.
"Well done." nodded Freed.
"Way to go, my boy!" Makarov roared. "I knew you could do it!"
"Stuff it, old man." irritated Mirajane groaned in the back.
"Thanks." Natsu bowed his head gently.
"That was truly a masterful performance." admitted Juvia.
Gray blinked. "Wow. You didn't say that about mine."
Juvia's face grew red. "I..-Of course I did! I-"
"Watch it, or else you'll have to go through her." he added and pointed at Erza with his thumb.
The redhead blinked and frowned gently, before scooping a bit closer to Natsu, her eyes on Juvia.
The rain woman could not form a sentence, much to Gray's amusement. "Relax, I was just kidding." he said and patted her on the shoulder.
"I gotta throw up." deadpanned Gajeel, which earned him a smack from Levy.
"Now that we got first place in the event, whoever follows has to deliver as much, if not harder." Laxus said loudly, effectively breaking all banter and chatting. "I doubt you could see it, but pretty much all the other guilds looked like they wanted to kill us by the end of it. No matter who one of you will have to fight, you have to deliver." he added, directed at the team.
Erza's face grew serious. "That was the intention from the beginning." she said.
Laxus nodded. "Good. I'm just making sure."
Wendy sighed anxiously. Natsu noticed it and squatted next to her.
"You can do this." he told her. "I heard you kicked some ass during training. Just carry it over to the real thing. What did I tell you before we left?"
The girl gulped, but gave him a nervous smile. "If you're scared, smile. That will scare it away."
Natsu grinned. "Exactly." he said and tousled her hair.
Lucy watched her team with a sad look in her eyes.
"What is it?" Erza noticed it.
Lucy snapped out of it. "Huh? No, nothing!" she said with a high pitched voice.
"Very well, then." the knight replied with a gentle frown. She did not buy it, but decided not to dig any further. For now.
Makarov cleared his throat. "Well, now that I could finally throw it out of my system, it's time to get serious." he announced.
"You were the only one not being serious, though." told him Gray, which the elder ignored.
"It is just how Laxus said. By besting the likes of Jura, the target on our back has become larger than ever. From now on it'd be for the best to expect hell, no matter whether it's a battle, or an event. The hard part has only just begun." Makarov said. "We will prevail! Our name has stayed in the gutter for far too long! Do your duty, as we will do ours!" he raised his voice along with his arm.
The guild chanted alongside him, which earner them a couple weird looks from the onlookers.
A very loud sound of clapping echoed across the hall, accompanied by a gentle chuckle, one that danced on the line between pitiful and mocking.
Laxus' forehead has developed a popped vein upon looking to the side, where the sound was coming from, his fists clenching on their own.
"Beautiful speech, father." Ivan said with a smile and ceased clapping. He was accompanied by Leord, who looked anything but thrilled to be here. "I'm very sorry about your leg." he added with a fake concern in his voice.
Makarov furrowed his brow and gripped his cane harder.. "What do you want, Ivan?" he asked.
Ivan blinked. "Nothing, really. Do I need a reason to see my family?"
"You have long lost the right to be considered as such." Makarov told him coldly.
Ivan sighed. "You got me, that's not why I'm here." he announced with a nonchalant tone and smile. "I came to congratulate on your splendid performance. You have acquired quite a mage." he gently licked his lips and gave Natsu a short glance.
The Dragon Slayer ignored Ivan's praise and instead focused on the boy behind him. His eyes, that expressed complete disinterest all this time, have now expressed pure disgust, almost as if his own Master repulsed him.
"Spare your breath, you have no right to speak." Makarov saw through the bait. "You went out of your way to find people who hold the slightest of grudges towards my kids. You'd exposed the guild's secret to turn people against us. What more do you want?"
Ivan smirked. "I'd like you to remember, that I haven't done anything to put those people against you. I have merely listened to those who have suffered because of your guild and gave their voice more volume. If anything, you have turned your beloved town against you by committing crimes left and right."
Makarov gripped his cane so hard his hand shook. "You mean you granted speech to former criminals and bandits, who have clearly broken the law." he said with a growl.
"Ah, yes. I am quite sure our Emilia was a notorious criminal at the ripe age of twelve when Miss Scarlet cut her down and left her to die like an unwanted dog." retorted Ivan.
Erza bit her lip and clenched her fist, but did not break. Ivan stared her down in an attempt to push her over the edge, but she stood her ground. Natsu, who noticed her behavior, gently reached out and grabbed her hand into his, giving it a firm squeeze, one she granted back.
Ivan spread his arms to the sides an frowned in irritation. "As right you are about Svenar and Albert, please do not attempt to make me look like a complete villain, father." he told him firmly, filling the last word with poison. "No one would have listened to me if your guild's conscience was truly crystal clear. Fairy Tail has enough dirt under its nails to bury itself in it, and I have merely exposed it to the people who granted you shelter for years, blinded by ignorance."
Ivan's words cut deep into the hearts of Makarov and the older members, who simply could not deny his words. They remained quiet in frustration.
"Are you after the guild's destruction, then?" Makarov asked him. "Is it revenge?"
Ivan smirked. "Why would I be after something I have achieved a long time ago?" he asked.
Makarov's cane broke under the strength of his grip, but that did not intimidate his son.
"You lost your home, your island, your name is knees deep in mud. You lost Gildarts. What more is left?" he asked with a smirk. "Just leftovers and rejects of the society."
Makarov raised his arm to stop several members of his guild from lashing out on Ivan. Leord twitched behind him, most likely to defend his Master if needed.
In the crowd, Lucy gently squeezed Cana's hand, who returned it.
"As of right now, I am merely after two things. A chance for my kids to settle the score with your spawn..." not intimidated Ivan continued and put his hand on Leord's shoulder "And what has belonged to me since over a decade ago." he finished and looked at Laxus.
The Dragon Slayer shot his grandfather a short, confused look. He looked deeply unsettled. Laxus then scowled as his father approached him. The men stared at each other for a very short, but intense moment, which was broken by Ivan.
"I look forward to our future meeting, son." he said. "You have something very important to me. As my son, I expect you to grant my wish. We're family, after all." he smiled and put his hand on Laxus' chest.
Laxus clenched his fist, gentle sparks of thunder crackling around it. "I do not consider filth as family." he told him shortly.
Ivan clicked his tongue and sighed. "Your tongue is just as sharp as your grandfather's." he said with mocked pain in his voice and retracted his hand. He then chuckled and turned around. "Well, I did what I wanted to do. We shall definitely meet later on in the Games. I look forward to the competition and best of luck, Fairy Tail. Let's go, Leord." he signalized his guild member and walked away.
The teenager looked at Fairy Tail. His eyes, despite the natural boredom written into them, expressed something that could be taken as an apology. He then followed his Master and soon both vanished in the crowd.
Fairy Tail was left quiet and frustrated, their celebration cut short. Laxus had a very deep frown glued to his face, mixed with confusion. He touched his chest where his father put his hand and examined it.
Erza took a deep breath and cleared her throat. "We should hurry. The second half of the day should begin soon." she said and turned to her team.
Her words snapped the other members out of their trance, as they all agreed and started to move again, the participants towards their stands and the spectators to the balcony.
"Fucking prick." Mirajane scoffed under her nose and followed the rest. Even Lisanna didn't try to scold her for her language.
"Best of luck, you guys!" Levy cheered in an attempt to lighten the mood up. "You can do it!"
"Kick their ass, guys!" helped her Lucy.
"Elfman, I'll turn you into stone if you lose!" threatened Evergreen.
Gajeel, Juvia and Carla joined in on the cheering, which effectively boosted the team's mood. Laxus, on the other hand, walked down the corridor, deep in thoughts.
"Meet me once today is over." Makarov told him quietly. "We have to talk."
Laxus frowned. "About what?"
Makarov anxiously closed his eyes, full of dread. "About the truth of our family."
"Welcome back ladies and gentlemen!" Lola exclaimed in excitement once the break was over. "Please take your seats and get ready for more excitement!"
"After the very competitive event the battles have been put under a bit of a pressure." Yajima said with a smile.
"I am sure the organizers of the Games will not fail us, both the commentators and spectators alike!"
The guilds were back in their designated places. Fairy Tail's mood was still influence by the unfortunate meeting.
"Don't think about that right now." Natsu told his team. "He wanted to throw you off. Don't give him what he wants."
Gray turned to him. "Didn't you try to roast that Saber guy after he talked shit?"
"We were both in an event. I would have done it anyway."
Kabo walked out to the middle of the arena and cleared his throat.
"Welcome to the second half of the day!" he greeted cheerfully. "The time has come to start the Battle section!"
The crowd welcomed the referee with a loud applause, excited to see what kind of battles would follow the already amazing event.
Kabo snapped his fingers to materialize a table above his head. "Here are the match-ups for the day!"
Letters started to roll on random, before they settled after a short while.
Raven Tail A vs Lamia Scale
Fairy Tail vs Quatro Cerberus
Raven Tail B vs Blue Pegasus
Mermaid Heel vs Sabertooth
"Not seeing them today, eh." Gray muttered under his breath through the cheering crowd.
Natsu looked at the table. "Should be easy." he said with confidence.
"I feel like we are underestimating them just a bit." sweatdropped Wendy.
"Some of us are." Erza frowned at her team." Cerberus is a very strong guild. They have a reputation of-"
"Whoever gets to fight must win in less than 5 minutes." Natsu told his team, ignoring the knight. "Otherwise you will have to be punished."
"5? Make it 3." grinned Gray, with Elfman nodding.
"I would if we had Laxus instead of you."
Wendy chuckled nervously and looked to0 her right. Her face went pale withing a second. "Um, guys...?"
The men turned around to the sight of a very irritated Erza. Gray and Elfman coughed and muttered under their noses as they looked someplace else. Natsu, on the other hand, turned to her. "What, you want to get in?" he asked her, oblivious.
The knight looked like she was contemplating hitting him, but stopped herself at the last moment. "No. Take it seriously." she said shortly and turned away with her hands crossed over her chest.
Gray sighed gently. "I wish I had this kind of power..." he muttered to himself. Elfman could only nod.
Meanwhile down in the arena, Kabo cleared the table and was just about to announce match number one. "The first match of the day is...!"
The letters rolled once again, revealing the names.
Albert, Raven Tail A
vs.
Toby Horhorta, Lamia Scale
A very loud roar of excitement shook the entire arena as Albert threw his arms high in the air in celebration. "My turn has finally come! I have been itching for a fight!" he announced to the whole arena, his voice somehow louder than both the commentators and Kabo, and jumped down from his balcony, leaving his teammates behind. All of them have long plugged their ears.
"Stay focused." Lyon told Toby. "We have no idea what he can do, but seeing the level the rest of his guild has shown he is definitely not a pushover."
"Don't hold back." told him Jura.
"I won't!" Toby yelled and ran down the stairs to the arena.
"Oh. It's him." Lucy deadpanned in the guild balcony.
"You know him?" asked her Carla.
"Yeah, we met him on Galuna. He's really weird, but his magic could work here." the blonde replied.
"What do you think?" Gray asked Natsu.
The Dragon Slayer thought for a moment. "Hard to tell, I don't know this other guy. But this Raven dude is tough. It was hard to fight him."
"Yeah, but you were also half-dead. He may not be as tough as you thought he was back then." Gray pointed out.
"Most of my blades are as sharp as a weapon can possibly get." Erza threw in. "Natsu used one of those. Even if we count his condition in, he shouldn't have had this much trouble." she said, much to Gray's surprise.
"If he wasn't back then, then he probably is now." Natsu added. "That guy with wings, his speed was much better than before. They did some training as well."
Back in Raven's stands, Ellia leaned over the railing. "This should be easy." she said.
"We of all people should not show overconfidence too lightly." Emilia reminded gently. "We have no idea what this man is capable of."
"Said the chick that decided to wait until the last seconds of an event to do something." Ellia raised her eyebrow.
"Do not mistake confidence with cockiness."
Svenar leaned his arm on Leord's shoulder. "What do you think, Leo?" he asked him. "Is it gonna be easy?"
Leord looked down. "Albert's durability is one of his strong points, however, even that can be broken. If his opponent uses magic that is not entirely focused on a physical trait, then he might have some trouble."
Svenar whistled. "I think that's the most words I've heard you say at once in a year." he said.
Leord gave him a very cold frown.
"Relax. I'm just kidding." Svenar grinned his sharpened teeth and playfully poked Leord's chest with his finger.
Both mages have already met in the arena. As Kabo explained the rules, they stared each other down.
"I am in a good mood." Albert announced with a wide smile. "As a proof of that, I shall give you one free blow. Strike me as hard as you can and if I can withstand it, I will retaliate with the same. We shall see who can take more!"
Toby's eyes widened a little in surprise. The sound of Emilia's hand slapping her forehead echoed across the arena for everyone with hearing sensitive enough to catch it.
"Oh! It looks like this match is turning out to be somewhat unique!" Lola noticed. "Raven Tail A's Albert is willing to test his durability against Toby!"
"Is he mocking us?" Lyon narrowed his eyes.
"No, he doesn't appear to be this kind of a person." Jura pointed out.
"Maybe he's just stupid?" asked Sherria.
Toby clenched his fist. "You making fun of me?" he asked.
Albert blinked. "Certainly not! Seeking out the toughest of challenges and breaking them with my own fists - that is the way I've been living my whole life!" he said with pride. "Tell you what, if you manage to render me incapable of responding to your attack within ten seconds, I will do whatever it is you desire from me!"
"You mean like a bet?"
"Exactly! However, the same goes for you! If you can not survive my attack, I will request something from you!"
"Now this is new." Yajima said, impressed.
"We have ourselves a bet, ladies and gentlemen!" Lola announced to the crowd. "The stakes have become much higher!"
"Deal." Toby said, much to Albert's joy.
"Referee! Ring the gong!" he roared so loud Kabo, who was standing just a meter away almost fell down.
The mascot awkwardly motioned for the bell to ring and thus the match began. Kabo quickly ran to the side to let the mages fight it out.
"Now, come at me!" Albert said and puffed his chest out. "Give me all you have!"
Toby howled and brought out his long claws.
"There they are! Toby's Paralysis Claws!" Lola announced in excitement. "Rumors say one tiny scratch can rob an elephant of its movement within seconds!"
"Oh? That true?" Albert whistled and looked at Toby. "I knew it'd be interesting!"
Toby bent his knees and dashed at Albert, before flexing his muscles as hard as he could. His claws went through the giant's skin like throgh butter, but the wounds themselves were incredibly shallow.
Albert took a step back from Toby'c momentum and looked at his chest. He had five long cuts that went from his left shoulder down to his right hip. He put his hand on the wound and ran his fingers over his blood.
Toby smirked. "Now you won't be able to move!" he declared with confidence. "I told you not to make fun of me! Give up!"'
Albert smeared the blood on his fingers, his lips mouthing something.
"Hey, you hear me?" Toby called out to the giant yet again, confused by his behavior.
Albert's lips stopped moving and his hand clenched into a fist. He released a deep sigh and shook his head gently, almost as if he was disappointed. "It's been ten seconds already and yet I feel no different..."
Toby's eyes widened in shock. The cuts on his opponent's chest were closing themselves before his eyes, small traces of steam emitting from the already healed wounds.
"Figured." Gray clicked his tongue from his stands.
Laxus frowned. "Now this is new." he muttered.
Toby took a step back. "I...How..."
"It appears my magic is too fast for your poison to do its thing." Albert sighed and cracked his neck. "A pity, to be sure. But, a bet is a bet."
He clenched raised his clenched fist high in the air, as if to let everyone get a better view. His skin broke from underneath, as the bones of his own wrist and forearm expanded and wrapped themselves around his fist like a glove. "Here I come, Toby!" he announced.
Before Lamia's mage could even guard himself he was struck in the stomach by the hardened fist of Albert. The light in his eyes went out as quickly as a turned off lightbulb and his already limp body was carried in the air by the immense strength of the punch. With one final push his limpless body went flying through the air, before it rolled on the ground and came to a standstill good ten meters away.
Kabo ran up to the fallen mage as quickly as his short legs allowed and waved his hands over his hand after just a split second of a look. Just like that, the match was over.
The crowd's roar of excitement masked the sound of Lyon's fist hitting the railing of his stands, frustration getting the better of him.
"That was fast." Commented Sting to his team.
"Seems like their whole guild can not be simply shrugged off." Orga said and sent a glance at Raven Tail.
Toby rolled over to his back and simply stared into the sky, devastated. Albert walked up to him and stared him down intensely.
"A man must keep his word." he said.
Toby sighed. "He must." he replied. "What do you want from me?"
Albert kneeled down and smiled. "I want you to take this lesson and become even stronger. Grow as a man and as a mage. That is your punishment." he told him and extended his hand.
Toby stared at him, dumbfounded, but grabbed his hand and allowed the giant to effortlessly lift him off the ground to his feet.
"What a manly thing to say!" Lola said. "Despite being enemies, Albert decides to help Toby out! We don't see that too often!"
The crowd absolutely loved it, Raven's name being chanted all over the arena.
"I wish to meet this man sometime during this tournament." Elfman announced with a gleam in his eye, a single tear running down his cheek. "A man through and through."
His team could simply look at him with pity.
"Well, that was something." Lucy blinked. "I expected it to get far worse-"
She was interrupted by ice nearly breaking the stands of Lamia Scale.
"What the-"
"I knew this would happen." Gray scratched his cheek back in his stands. "He probably thinks Raven is mocking his guild."
"They're not?" Wendy asked him, surprised.
"Well, the last time I saw this dude he tried to kill us, but he looks genuine." he shrugged.
Erza frowned and watched the two men walk out of the arena together. Gray had a point. As hard as pushing away the animosity between the two sister guilds was, some of Raven's members seemed to have a lot more going for them than it would seem.
"Hey. Did you notice?" Natsu knocked her out of her thoughts.
"Hmm? Notice what?" she asked him.
"His healing. It's gotten much faster than it was before." he told her.
Erza blinked, slightly taken back. "Really? It didn't seem that way to me."
Now it was Natsu who blinked in confusion. "Really? Guess it was just me." he scratched his head and turned to listen to the conversation behind them.
Toby stared at Albert in awe, but replied with a smirk. "Yeah. I will."
The giant grinned in joy and raised both his and Toby's arms high in the air as the crowd cheered.
"What a moment! Never in the history of Grand Magic Games have we had such portrayal of kinship!"
"Well, I wouldn't go that far..." troubled Yajima threw in.
Ellia smiled and leaned over the railing. "How much would you want to bet that he's dying inside? He probably wanted to throw hands for days."
Svenar grinned. "You think so, too?"
"He sounds and looks genuine." Leord added from the back. "Albert is not that kind of a person to just mock someone in front of an audience."
Svenar's smile faded. "You barely talk to anyone, so how would you know what kind of a person he is or is not?"
The teenager sent him a cold look. Svenar's eye twitched.
"No, really, tell me." he raised his voice and turned around to walk towards Leord. "What else do you contribute other than following Master like a dog and giving us attitude whenever you so desire?"
Svenar put his hand on the young man's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Leord looked at the hand and then at Svenar, his face expressing pure boredom. Neither of the remarks have gotten through and it only made the Take Over mage angrier.
"Drop it, Svenar." Ellia told him. She sounded tense, something very unusual for her. "Did you forget your pills again?"
"Now that I think about it, I don't even know what you can do." he ignored the girl and said with a growl. "They all keep treating you like some prodigy. Master gets off to you on every meeting, you act like you are so high above all of us that you don't even see us. I tried being nice but everything has its limits."
Leord frowned gently upon Svenar's increased grip. His hands that were almost always deep in his pockets were now sliding out of them.
Emilia quickly dashed across the stands and got in-between both men, Nemesis already drawn and separating them from one another.
"That's enough." she said to both of them. "Svenar, no one blames you for feeling frustrated after what happened today, but control yourself. You embarrass both yourself and the rest of us."
Svenar stopped sending death glares at Leord under her arm and looked at her. Her eyes were tense but strict. She gently motioned them to the side, which he followed. The crowd that was near their stands was scared, some of them leaving their seats to get someplace safer.
Seeing his mistake, the man scoffed gently and threw a very muffled apology, before walking away. Emilia took a short breath and sheathed her weapon.
"I wasn't going to do anything." Leord told her truthfully. He sounded weird, like someone wrongly accused of something.
"He was, and that would force you to respond." she told him. Her voice was now softer, almost comforting.
He nodded, slightly relieved. In the meantime, Albert has returned back and laughed on top of his lungs, happy with his victory,
"Good job, big guy." Ellia told him, glad that she had something else to focus on. "You defeated a very mighty foe from Lamia."
"Do not mock, Ellia! His poison would pose trouble, had it been me from years ago!"
As the rest of his team congratulated the giant on his victory, Leord remained in the back. He shot a quick look at Svenar and frowned, now heavily anxious about the rest of his guild. Did they have the same opinion of him? What was going through their heads?
Too scared to ask, he took a deep breath and raised his head. Thinking by himself was too much effort: not that anyone would care about his feelings. Shutting them down and just rolling with the flow was the best possible outcome for everyone.
"Well, then, after the rather quick but very interesting match number one, it is time for our second encounter!" Lola announced.
The letters rolled once again, before forming into the second match-up of the day.
Elfman Strauss, Fairy Tail
vs.
Bacchus, Quatro Cerberus
Elfman breathed out through his nose and straightened his back. "Time to work." he announced.
"Ah, man." Cana scratched her cheek. "This is gonna get ugly."
"Don't say that!" scolded her Lucy.
Mirajane looked composed.
"You're not worried?" Juvia asked her curiously. "You look really confident."
"He worked his ass off." she said plainly. "Whether it was worth the time is up to him. I know what he can do and I'm sure he can pull it off if he plays if out well."
Lisanna nodded with a wide smile. Juvia merely smiled. She just had to believe in the trust between these siblings.
"Go wild out there, big boy." Gray told him as they smashed their hands together in a handshake.
"Stay focused. Bacchus is extremely dangerous, especially if he has alcohol nearby." Erze gave him advice. "No matter what, do not let him drink. It will increase your chances."
Elfman nodded.
"One more thing." she added. "He's always been bad at receiving damage. Try to inflict it as soon as possible to increase your chances."
Elfman nodded again.
Natsu walked up to them. "You transform into monsters, right?" he asked innocently.
Elfman blinked, slightly taken back. "Now that I think about it, you've never seen my magic." he said quietly after a while. Good thing Ever taught me not to take everything as an insult to my honor as a man. he thought. "Yeah, I do."
"He uses palm strikes. Try using something hard, something that can withstand it."
"Will do."
With that said the giant walked down to the arena. Back in Cerberus' stands, their entire team was yelling and chanting, but at this point no one in the arena was even mildly phased by it.
Soon enough the men met down in the arena, now separated only by the referee.
"You're a big guy." Bacchus whistled.
"So I've been told." replied Elfman.
The drunk smirked. "Ya know, those guys before us had a good idea. If we're to pummel one another, might as well make it more interesting."
"I am not interested in wagers." said Elfman. "I didn't come here to play."
Bacchus laughed. "C'mon, don't be such a mood killer!" he waved his hand.
"All right, I'll bite. What would you propose?"
Bacchus scratched his chin and looked out into the crowd. His face lit up with brilliance and gave in to a very suggestive smirk.
"Your sister...Older sister. If you lose, I'd like to get to know her a bit more...personal." he said with a low growl. "Or maybe both older and younger at once...?"
The ground beneath Elfman's feet has cracked from the sheer pressure of his foot. His fists were clenched and eyes wide open in fury.
"What a vulgar proposition!" Lola pointed out. "What will Elfman do?! Will the seemingly innocent theme become personal?"
"What a brute." Juvia said with disgust as Lisanna wrapped her arms around herself defensively.
Mirajane, on the other hand, didn't seem too moved. She stared at Elfman, almost in anticipation.
"I will make you shit out your own tail, you stray." Elfman snarled so aggressively that Kabo felt threatened.
Bacchus blinked in confusion, before shaking his head. "Nooooo." he said slowly and raised his hands. "No, no, no! That's not what I meant!" he said defensively and waved his arms to push the point further. "Look. I love women, booze, fighting and money. Your big sis is a very big fish that I've wanted to fight for as long as I can remember. She can fight AND is a woman, can probably down a mug or two, too. A very good looking woman, may I add. When I said personal, I meant 'throw hands with' personal. I may be bold but I would never ask someone to bet their family in such a way!"
Elfman's face relaxed, but just a bit. "And Lisanna?" he asked.
"She could give us something to drink afterwards...I guess?" Bacchus scratched the back of his head.
Elfman sighed through his nose. "Deal." he said.
Lisanna was lost for words, her mouth stuck slightly agape.
Bacchus beamed. "I knew you'd help a brother out!"
Elfman snorted. "Help you? I have just condemned you to a fate cruel than death." he said with a grin worthy of the devil himself. "If you win, that is."
Mirajane replied to this statement with a sinister smirk of her own.
"I guess this is what being alone with Mira for three months does to you." Lucy deadpanned at the similarity between the siblings.
"Yeah. He's always been the more timid one, Even Lisanna used to be more impulsive than him." added Cana. "Maybe it's what he needed to get stronger."
Bacchus grinned. "I know what I'm signing up for, buddy." he said and cracked his back. He lowered himself down and took a fighting stance, before speaking out to the referee. "Ring the bell, imp."
Elfman put up a guard himself. Kabo respected the eagerness of both mages and ran off, waving his arms in the air in a signal.
The sound of the bell has spread across the arena, as the crowd started to loudly cheer for the upcoming brawl.
"Here we go, a match between two striking type mages!" announced Lola. "Bacchus has been a part of the Games in the past! We're all familiar with his very unorthodox style, how will Elfman manage to overcome this bizarre method of fighting?!"
"I'll blush." said sarcastically Bacchus under his nose and dashed forward.
Elfman's eyes widened a little: his speed took him by surprise. However, it was still not enough to render him helpless and with a calm mind, the giant lowered his left arm to block a strike to his stomach with his left elbow. It was strong, strong enough to send a faint wave of pain through his arm across his torso. However, it also gave Elfman an idea of Bacchus' physical strength which, to his surprise, was much greater than his frame would make one believe.
Elfman pushed Bacchus' arm aside and threw a very quick and stiff right straight at the drunk, who barely managed to dodge it by sidestepping to his left. He circled around Elfman and successfully struck his right thigh, which knocked him off balance onto his knee. With Elfman's face now within striking distance, Bacchus attempted to hit it, only to have his head blown backwards by a short uppercut.
Bacchus staggered back a few steps and looked at Elfman in shock, his chin bruised and his lip bleeding.
Despite that he cracked a grin and wiped his chin off. "Quicker than you look, eh?" he asked.
Elfman stood up, his right leg shaking, and put his guard back up, still in his human form. "Stronger than you look, huh?"
"Ha!" Bacchus cackled. "I knew you'd be fun!"
"It appears they are measuring each other up." noticed Yajima. "It appears neither of them used magic in this exchange, just brute strength, but I can not be too sure."
"Do we have ourselves a magicless duel, Mr. Yajima?" asked him Lola.
"I find that unlikely." said the elder. "Bacchus' magic is very simple. He focuses it in the palms of his hands and strikes his opponents. The more magic his puts in them the stronger his attacks become. Predicting whether he's using it or not can only be determined by the damage caused by his hands, and Elfman's is barely noticeable."
"He's right." Erza confirmed to her team. "I saw him level up buildings with just one hit. That exchange just now was him measuring how much strength he can spare using."
"Spare?" frowned Wendy. "What does that mean?"
"It means he had to know how much magic he can use without risking killing Elfman." Gray responded grimly. Erza's silence was more than enough of a confirmation.
Bacchus cracked his neck and moved his right arm in a circular motion. "What do you say we cut this warmup short?" he asked Elfman.
The giant tightened his guard. "Be my guest."
Bacchus charged with an excited cackle, his speed much greater than before: he stopped playing around. Elfman's body glowed and soon his body was that resembling of a humanoid tiger. With his speed greatly enhanced as well, Elfman's clawed fist cut through the air just above the drunk's head, who ducked it and got inside of Elfman's defenses, before punching him in the stomach.
The giant grit his teeth but did not falter and responded with a very compact right hook. Bacchus jumped back to avoid it and as soon as his feet touched the ground he kicked it to get back inside. His hand struck Elfman's guard, but before he could counterattack Bacchus circled around him and struck his lower back with his elbow.
Elfman's body curved from the impact as he gasped from pain, but his suffering did not end there. Bacchus took the opportunity and spun around, only to deliver a devastating backfist to Elfman's liver.
His muffled gasp of agony was loud enough to be picked out by the audience, who cringed at both sight and the sound. As Elfman fell to his knees, the commentators tried to somehow follow the quick and wild exchange.
"I am not quite sure what just happened, Mr. Yajima!" admitted Lola. "Elfman is on his knees in pain, but I didn't get to see which strike did the trick!"
"His liver was struck." Yajima explained with sympathy. "A very dangerous blow that can break the most powerful of mages. It robs you of the ability to move and breathe at once."
Gray punched the railing. "Get up, Elfman!" he roared. "This is nothing! Don't let it end like that!"
"This is bad." Erza said nervously. "This is how Bacchus fights. He may appear very dull and inconsiderate, however his mind is as sharp as a warrior's can get. His knowledge of anatomy and human weak points is but one of his many weapons."
"And you didn't tell him that before he went down because...?" Natsu asked her with raised eyebrows.
"Because it wouldn't matter." she said coldly. "Even if you anticipate the attack and know where it will land, if you lack the needs to stop it you won't be able to change anything. If he had focused on defending his vital points, Bacchus would find a way around that. If Elfman tried to defend himself from that, he would have gone back to his roots. An endless circle, until Elfman's battered body falls to the ground."
Bacchus whistled and watched Elfman try to get a hold of himself. "Y'know, you can always give up." he told him. "They give us this option for a reason."
Elfman clenched his fist. "I'd rather die."
Bacchus' face grew serious. "They all say that." he said coldly. "Until they are actually about to die."
The drunk took a step towards Elfman but was interrupted by something attaching itself to his foot. Upon looking down he spotted elfman's tail wrapping itself around his right foot.
Elfman clenched his right fist and threw a backfist of his own. Due to being immobilized, Bacchus had no other option than guarding it as his raised arms took the force of the punch. The sheer strength of the strike lifted his feet off the ground and sent him fly a good few meters to the side, his forearms sore and shaking.
"Payback." smirked Elfman and stood up.
Bacchus lowered his shaking arms and grinned. "Oh, it's on." he licked his lips and reached down to his bottle.
Erza's eyes widened in terror. "Do not let him drink!" she yelled unexpectedly.
Elfman ignored the advice. "Hey, now that I think about it, I've yet to tell you what will happen when you lose."
Bacchus froze. "I supposed so. What do you want?"
Elfman grinned. "If you lose, your guild has to be renamed to 'Quatro Puppy' until the end of the Games!"
The Quatro Cerberus guild froze in shock. Soon the crowd started to laugh, which only increased fueled their terror.
"It appears the bet is officially on." Yajima said with a gentle chuckle.
Bacchus exhaled through his nose. "Well, I guess it's only fair after I've asked someone to bet their sister." he said. His voice sounded choked up.
Now that everything's been settled, this time it was Elfman's turn to be on the offense. He sprinted towards already drinking Bacchus on all fours like a real tiger and, upon leaping, attacked him with his sharp teeth.
With his bottle now empty the drunk released a joyful sigh and, with the bottle still in his hand, jumped over him. He tried to swiftly counter but Elfman was already back on his two feet. Their hands collided and showed, that even if their speed matched, Elfman was still physically inferior.
He grit his teeth in humiliation upon being pushed back and switched from his tiger form to his Beast Soul. This managed to even the strength gap a bit, but expanded the speed gap, which Bacchus took full advantage of soon enough.
Both men started to wildly throw hands, haymakers and over-swinged strikes flyinf left and right. Elfman had, surprisingly, more luck hitting his shots than he had before, but that was probably because his power has greatly diminished from the already combined damage he was receiving. After a while their hands connected one more time in another power struggle.
The drunk allowed himself to be overpowered and used Elfman's strength against him by shifting his position to circle around him. He then took a deep breath and delivered several quick and powerful strikes to his back.
Elfman gasped and feel onto one knee. His lower back, kidneys, and stomach struck from behind cried out in agony, rendering him unable to grasp a proper breath.
"How many times did he hit him?!" Gray gasped in shock. "It wasn't even a single second!"
Erza was silent, her hands crossed on her chest. She watched the fight with a worried frown glued to her face. Back with the guild, Elfman's sisters did not look too confident either.
"This is unexpected." Mira bit the nail of her thumb.
"Get up, Elfman!" cheered Lisanna. "Get up and show him what you can do!"
The words of his sister have reached Elfman's ears. With his fists and teeth clenched he stood back up through the pain and tried to come up with a new strategy, which turned out to be for naught. All but one could form into anything reasonable, and even this one was insane.
"Haven't tried it outside of that one time, but..." he wiped his bloodied lip. "Not like I have any other option."
Bacchus has now developed a very strong hickup, the alcohol finally kicking in. "If ya got time to mumble to yourself, then you got time to fight, too!" he cackled and dashed forward.
Elfman's body glew in white light yet again but Bacchus did not stop. He retracted his right arm, the magic in his palm focused at extremely dangerous levels.
His palm strike connected with something hard and slippery. Once the blinding light died out Bacchus noticed that his hand was stopped by an arm coated in green, plated set of armor made out of scales.
Elfman's lizard-like eyes were looking at him from behind his guard, uncertain and afraid.
"Trying to stop me with one arm? Bold of you!" Bacchus noted Elfman's other arm being tucked away behind his back in a mocked outrage. Elfman was being pushed back but did not panic, unlike previous times. Bacchus could notice his left shoulder stiffening, which was a dead giveaway for an attack.
Well, no matter. the drunk thought Not like he will hit me any-
Bacchus' expectations have been subverted by a powerful punch connecting with his right cheek, his consciousness being kept in place by the thinnest threads of willpower. He stumbled aside in an awkward run to prevent a fall and, while still rocked, looked at Elfman in shock.
The giant's body looked exactly as it used to juset a moment ago, like that of a lizard's. The only thing standing out was his left arm, which was that belonging to the tiger form he'd used not so long ago.
The crowd went wild at this sudden change in the pace, which was onesided in Bacchus' favor thus far.
That is..." Erza gasped.
Mirajane's grin, that usually looked like that belonging to a demon, was now full with pride and joy.
"Mr. Yajima, what are we looking at?" dumbfounded Lola seeked the elder's advice.
"It appears Elfman has managed to mix two different forms of his Take Over." said calmly the elder. "I never thought of it as possible, though."
"Hey, Svenar..." said Ellia "Can't you do it, too?"
"No." Svenar replied shortly. "I've yet to meet a Take Over mage willing to even try it. The amount of concetration and risk is too high to even take it seriously."
"You sure you're not just jealous?"
"I have no need to be jealous of a failed technique that could kill me."
"Oh, so it's a dud?" she asked in disappointment.
Svenar shrugged. "Hell if I know. It could work, but one mistake can cost him a limb. If he's lucky, that is."
The two men measured each other up in the arena, neither too eager to make a move. Knowing that waiting was pointles, however, Bacchus took on the offensive and closed the distance.
Elfman changed his legs into those of a tiger and swiftly jumped out of the way of the attack. He then bent his knees and launched himself straight at Bacchus, who was off balance and could not evade. Elfman's entire upper body was now that of the Beast as he tackled Bacchus so hard the man was launched in the air.
The drunk landed on his feet with a gentle flip and jumped to the side just in time to avoid being crushed by a giant arm that had belonged to Elfman's Ape Form. Bacchus walked around Elfman and struck his right side, only to feel his hand stop on hard scales.
Cursing under his nose, Bacchus wanted to make some distance again, but his legs were immobilized by a fat tail that belonged to a snake, which was followed by a heavy punch from Elfman.
Fed up with this gimmick, Bacchus grit his teeth and, through the pain, struck Elfman five times within a second, hitting nearly all of his vital points.
Elfman grunted from pain and attempted to jump back with his tiger legs, but as he attempted to Bacchus grabbed his tail and pulled him back, right into a devastating palm strike that flattened Elfman's face and crashed him into the ground. With a solid kick to the ribs Bacchus has pushed Elfman away from him, as the giant rolled away like a used up toy.
Whilst Lola commentated on the fight to the excited crowd, Bacchus wiped his lips and spat to the side. "Just how much magic did you burn out this last minute, eh?" he asked Elfman.
The giant groaned and stood up to his feet. He cracked a weak smile. "It's that obvious, huh?"
"Caster Magic requires its user to sacrifice a certain amount of magic with each use, on top of using up magic to sustain the form." Bacchus said clearly despite his drunken state. "You just used, what? Five different forms, six? All in barely a minute. You must have just burned most of your tank out."
"Even if that's the case, you know I'm not supposed to tell you, right?" Elfman chuckled weakly. He was low both on magic and endurance. His vital points were screaming in pain, even standing was difficult.
Bacchus looked at the screen, which showcased a clock ticking down. Ten more minutes.
"Give up." he told Elfman. "There's nothing you can do. You fought well, as both a man and a mage. But a true man knows when to give up."
Elfman smiled, his body glowing. "Yeah, he does. He also knows when that time has come, and this is not the time to give up."
Lizard Man stood before Bacchus, his arms raised and his tail wrapped around his torso for extra protection. "My body or your hands...let's see which breaks first! This is a fight to see which one of us breaks first! Come at me, Cerberus!"
"Is he insane?!" gasped Levy. "He can barely stand...And yet..."
"He's giving everything he's got." Laxus stated grimly. "He knows this is his only chance to prove himself. He's willing to die there if that's what it takes."
Bacchus grinned widely. "It's stuff like this that makes my soul quiver!" he roared and thrown himself at Elfman.
The giant's feet sunk into the ground under the weight and amount of strikes that have been thrown at him, his scales bending and cracking, but not breaking. Bacchus has completely given up on defense and gave Elfman everything he had, or at least that's what his crying organs and muscles told him. Although the strikes were blocked, each of them sent shockwaves deep into Elfman's core that collectively built up more and more dull pain that might as well be worse than a clean hit. Regardless of that, Elfman has clenched his teeth and patiently awaited the bell as Bacchus continued to pound away.
The drunk was laughing all this time, his drunken state finally reaching its peak potential, reason no longer in his head. He still showed some signs of tactical thought, such as trying to find gaps in Elfman's defenses, or using feints and fake-outs, but mostly he was focused on aimlessly hitting wherever he could reach.
The armor around his hands was starting to break, the skin underneath purple and bruised, His fingers were long red from blood and torn skin, but it was almost as if he couldn't feel it.
"Bacchus continues to relentlessly attack Elfman! What an incredible pace, it's almost as if his stamina had no bounds!" said Lola.
Erza bit her lip so hard she broke the skin. This statement was so true it was frustrating. A tired Bacchus was a sight as mythical as dragons. Elfman's body was already battered, the scales that were sticking out like spikes all broken at this point, like icicles knocked off the roof with only their root remaining out of a hammer's range. His arms, torso and shoulders had so many cracks he looked like a shattered hard-boiled egg, blood oozing through them from where his skin gave in to the strikes.
The previously excited crowd has become progressively more quiet with each passing minute, distraught by the onslaught happening before their eyes, until the arena has become so quiet everyone could hear the dull sound of Bacchus' hands crashing on Elfman's scales, mixed in with his laughter and Elfman's grunts.
Mirajane and Lisanna watched their brother fight his best, the latter's cheeks long wet from tears. Mira tried to keep a composed face, but silent fury that was written all over her face could be read by everyone around her. She had no right to hold a grudge, this statement was as obvious as one could get, but what sort of a sibling would not want to tear the world into pieces at the sight of their beloved younger sibling being hammered into the ground like a nail?
Elfman was rendered in a bizarre state of half-consciousness. His eyes were wide open and his body reacted to changes in Bacchus' offense, but his mind was as quiet as a forest in the night. Thoughts formed at the speed ten times slower than they were supposed to, and they were by no means useful.
Maybe I should drop my right arm a little lower...? Then he'd hit my stomach and knock me out. Wouldn't look like I gave up on my own, would it? I don't want my friends to think I'm a quitter...But...Damn if he's strong. I think I passed out a few times, how did I not fall?
The scales on his right arm have finally given up and broke, revealing an opening in his armor.
Now that I think about it, I've been watching him all this time...Why? It's not like I can beat him, no one believed that since the beginning. Even I knew it, and yet I tried to trick myself into thinking I could.
Elfman's right knee has given up and brought him down.
Wait...What the hell am I thinking?! Am I...letting fear get to me?
The scales on his forehead have been blown away.
That's right, I was scared ever since I stepped in here. I knew who this man was and I let it get to my head. I was about to give up from fear! A true man doesn't let fear control him! But neither does he deny he's scared! Fear is nothing to be ashamed of! Letting it win is!
"...watch them...all times..."
Huh? a weird voice echoed in his head, but a familiar one.
"Adapt...find their weakness..."
Elfman frowned. He was starting to remember something and the image was clearing up bit by bit.
He looked back at Bacchus and noticed something odd about him. Suddenly multiple gears fell into place and started to grind in harmony, realisation filling up Elfman's mind. He felt like someone poured cold water on his brain to make it work again.
Cackling Bacchus took a wide swing with his right arm, only to be blocked. But this time was different, for Elfman has actually blocked the strike on his own accord. The shocked drunk blinked before feeling his face flatten from a counter-punch that sent his head flying backwards along with his entire body.
"What?!" Master Goldmine stood up from his seat in shock.
Not just him, the whole arena was shocked at the sudden development.
"Counter! Elfman finally answers and puts a stop to this onesided fight! But can he keep it up for longer than a single lucky punch?!" Lola stood up from his seat and exclaimed.
Bacchus staggered on his feet but did not fall. He looked at Elfman and wiped his lips with his shaking right hand. His eyes were slightly misty, a testimony to just how much he did not expect to get hit.
"What in hell..." Gray grabbed his head. "Don't scare us like that, you moron!" he yelled at Elfman. "We thought you died down there!"
"He may have evened the odds out with this punch. For now." Natsu wondered out loud. "That guy was on the offense for the past few minutes, he never expected to be hit back. He took the full strength of this punch with no protection."
"I've finally remembered what Sis told me a long time ago..." Elfman wheezed out. "Watch your opponent and find their weakness. And I found yours, dog. No matter how unorthodox your style is, there is still a limit to how many moves you can have. And you've been hitting me so much that I've seen them all twice by now!"
Bacchus grinned. "And here I thought you were about to tap the ground any second now." he whispered. "We still have some time, Elfman! Let's go out one last time!"
"Come, then!" Elfman roared on top of his lungs. "Try and take me down! I won't break that easily!"
"What is he doing?" wondered Cana. "That guy can barely walk! He should be the one attacking!"
"He can't." said shortly Laxus. "Look."
Cana looked closely and felt her face lose color.
Bacchus' legs were wobbly, that was true. However Elfman's did not work at all, rendered useless by all the sustained damage. The only thing keeping him on his feet was his tail, which he plunged into the ground like foundation of a house.
Bacchus didn't notice it, or chose not to notice, and rushed Elfman with a barrage of hands. His strikes were so quick sometimes he appeared to have multiple arms. The armor on his arms was chipping away bit by bit, his skin breaking and bleeding from repetitive hits.
Elfman defended them all best to the ability of his battered form. He did, however, counter attack in the split moments of recognition of Bacchus' moves.
His lizard fist opened a gash on the drunk's face after it just barely missed its mark. Bacchus replied with a kick to Elfman's left leg for which he was repaid with a vicious uppercut to his gut.
"A vicious ending to the match! Will the attacker break through, or will the defender prevail?!" Lola yelled into his microphone having long abandoned his seat.
Both men threw their best at each other as time was running out. The crowd was going wild, the guilds were cheering so hard their throats were torn. They were both at the peak of their limits but refused to stop even for a second.
After having another of his attacks blocked, Bacchus lost his patience. He jumped high in the air and focused all his magic into his right arm.
"Let's see you block this, Elfman!" he roared and fell down on the immobilized Elfman.
The entire arena shook to its very core, the ground splitting into pieces. Both men were swallowed by a cloud of dust, making it impossible to see what happened.
"Elfman!" Lisanna called out to him with despair, a sensation shared by her entire guild.
"A devastating blow!" Lola said as he held onto his desk from the tremors. "The entire arena has been affected by Bacchus' attack! What has become of Elfman?"
The tremors have ceased after a few more seconds and the dust settled shortly after, revealing the outcome.
Both men were still standing. Elfman's arms, on top of his scales, were coated in heavy, black oily stone, with which he caught the blow. Bacchus' face was stoic, but splashed with disbelief.
Elfman's arms dropped to his sides, broken and of no longer use. He stared deep into his opponent's eyes, who met his glare. Both men were bruised, exhausted and totally spent. The last seconds of the fight went by in complete silence in both the arena and the crowd, before the bell signalizing end of the match echoed across Domes Flau.
"Draw!" Lola yelled just before the crowd exploded. "Both fighters prevail and score 5 points for their guilds!"
Lisanna hugged her sister, who returned it back. Makarov was screaming on top of his lungs how proud he was, while the rest of his guild celebrated in a not that much different way.
Erza watched Elfman being carried away on a stretcher with pure shock written on her face. It did, however, give in to joy and pride to have someone like him as a comrade.
"I don't think anyone else would be able to take that much punishment and still make it to the end." Gray shook his head with a smile.
Bacchus kicked a pebble aside and walked back to his guild on his own feet. The screams of cheering coming from his juniors filled him with pride. He may have not won, but he definitely didn't feel like a loser. He was fulfilled, satisfied with what just happened.
"I think we may need to do some fixing this evening." Yajima pointed out kindly. "The arena has seen better days."
"And we still have two more matches today! Can they top what we've just witnessed?!"
"I certainly hope they do not copy its devastation."
After a very light clean-up of the rubble and blood, the screen rolled letters once again, moving on to the next duel already.
Arya, Raven Tail B
vs.
Eve, Blue Pegasus
"Him, huh." mumbled Gray as he watched the giant man make his way to the arena. He wasn't fond of the memories he had of him.
"Show them your strength, Eve." Ichiya said whilst posing.
The two mages met at the center of the arena.
"You're quite big." Even said with a smile. "Shall we bet on something, too?"
"Yet another path of destiny written in my book." replied Arya and ignored the question.
"So you believe everyone has a book full of predetermined events?" asked Eve.
"Indeed." boomed Arya. "Yours is to fall by my feet."
Even smirked and readied his stance. "No, thanks. I chose my own fate, and it is not losing here!." he said, his arms covered in frost.
Arya raised his right hand and put it up in front of his nose. "The ink is dry." he stated.
Kabo signalized for the ringing of the bell and as soon as he cleared away from the mages, Eve unleashed a blizzard that was meant to freeze Arya.
The snow crashed against the giant like waves on rocks, his wind dispelling the blizzard with such ease one could think he was blowing on dust. Eve repositioned himself and tried to attack him from above, but Arya bested this attack as well and trapped Eve in a pillar of wind.
With a squeeze of his hand Eve's whole body was sliced and diced by the currents, as well as robbed of its magic power. After a couple of very brutal and long seconds, Arya called his attack off and allowed Eve to fall to the ground, shredded and defeated.
"What a display of power! Raven Tail B's Arya defeats Eve within a minute! What an exciting day we've had thus far!" Lola said.
Blue Pegasus watched their friend being tended to by medics with solemn glares. Not a single word of support could get through their shock.
"That's rough." Sting narrowed his eyes in sympathy. "Poor guy, never stood a chance."
Erigor stared at the arena with a blank glare. Zancrow noticed it and budged him with his elbow. "You think you could have done that, too?" he asked him mockingly.
Erigor swatted his elbow away. "I never would have let him unleash his snow." he stated shortly and walked away from the God Slayer, much to his irritation.
Back on Raven Tail's balcony, Rorge whistled loudly. "I know you've never intended for B team to be of any use, but damn, Master. You have to admit that was something."
Ivan smirked. "My dear Rorge, even the simplest of pawns ought to be stronger than your enemies. 'Tis a fact to any respectable man in power."
"So you say."
"He's gotten stronger as well." Erza noticed with worry in her voice.
"I don't think you'd be able to just walk over him like you did back then." Gray told her.
"Definitely not."
A couple minutes later, after yet another clean-up, the table rolled once again, for the last time this day.
Kagura Mikazuchi, Mremaid Heel
vs.
Yukino Agria, Sabertooth
Kagura's team sent her off with wishes of good fortune and quick victory. This time she took the stairs.
"You're on, Yukino." Sting said. "Remember, we do not fail."
Yukino nodded. She had short, white hair and a white robe with several knots hanging from it. Beneath the robe was a belt holding several keys in place. "I understand. I will not disappoint our guild."
"It's not the guild you're not supposed to disappoint." Rogue told her quietly. She chose not to answer.
"After her exciting performance during the event, Kagura makes yet another appearance!" Lola said with enthusiasm. "As we can all tell, she is already a crowd favorite!"
"Her opponent is not to be underestimated either." said Yajima with a smile. "Celestial Mages are a very rare sight."
"You mean Saber has a Lucy, too?" Natsu frowned.
Gray blinked. "You do know there is more to her than just her magic, right?" he asked rhetorically.
"Uh...yeah. Sure."
"Celestial Mage, huh." Makarov stroke his beard. "I wonder if she possesses any golden keys."
"She's from Saber. Of course she does." scoffed Laxus.
The two women met in the arena and eyed one another up.
"The rumors of your strength reach as far as our guildhall, Lady Kagura." Yukino said gracefully.
"As much as I'd like to respond to your kind words the same way, I can't. It'd be lying." replied Kagura.
"That is of no trouble." smiled Yukino. "I am quite certain my impression will leave a mark on your mind for some time." she said to the silent Kagura. "It appears the previous bouts had a certain pattern to them."
"Would you like to follow this pattern?" Kagura asked.
"I am not exactly interested in wagers or bets." said Yukino. "Perhaps we could settle on a simple, entirely up to the loser request at the end of the match?"
Kagura readied her stance and lifted Archenemy. "I can agree on that."
The bell has been rung and thus the match has begun. Yukino immediately jumped back to make some distance and pulled out a golden key, which she sliced the air with. Soon the space behind her was filled by a giant mass that formed itself into two eels, one of them black and the other white of color. They were so big that one could worry they would run out of space in the arena and trespass the seating area.
"Big!" pointed out Lola. "What is this?!"
"One of the Twelve Zodiacs, Pisces." Yajima said with awe in his voice. "They say their key was lost, for no one has seen them being summoned in generations."
"Pisces..." Lucy gasped. Her hand subconsciously wandered towards her key holster.
"I've thought you had all of them." Cana said to her.
"No, I have ten." Lucy whispered and shook her head. "I've never thought I'd see Pisces in my life."
Kagura was not intimidated by her giant enemy and gripped her blade tighter. She swiftly jumped out of the way of the black eel's head, which he tried to crush her with. She landed on its neck and started to run up, only to be forced to jumped yet again, this time from the white eel. She landed on the ground and jumped back, the place she just stood in shattering into pieces like an egg under the pressure of black eel's tail.
Yukino has skillfully used her spirits as shields and stayed out of Kagura's range, but was also unable to inflict any real damage on Kagura, who continued to effortlessly dodge her attacks.
This has rendered both women in a very bizarre form of stalemate that has lasted minutes by now, where neither could really damage the other. Kagura would jump and dodge and run, while Yukino would shift her position to always have Pisces defending her from the devastating blows of Archenemy.
Despite the fact the spectacle was in no way similar to the previous examples of action, the crowd was not bored. They still found enjoyment in watching a relatively small human try her chances with a two-headed beast.
Kagura danced in the air between two beasts and spotted an opening. At last, she could reach her opponent. As she kicked the black eel and launched herself at Yukino, Archenemy was long ready to strike.
Yukino, despite Kagura flying towards her like a bullet, was not phased. She lifted her key again, almost as if she intended to block the upcoming sword with it. The key was glowing gently.
Kagura took a swing and, to her surprise, felt her neck bending backwards from a kick. She flipped in the air and landed on her feet several meters away, her chin bruised. To her surprise the two beasts were gone, replaced by two humanoids, one male one female, standing by Yukino's side. It didn't take her long to put the pieces together and deduce that these were the very same beasts she had danced with just now, just in a smaller form.
"So you've reverted them into humans to parry my blow." she said and stood up. "You've only suspended your defeat for a few more seconds."
Yukino smiled. "the tales of your arrogance as almost as true as those of your strength." she said and a second later Kagura's knees bent under her and smashed her into the ground.
To her surprise the ground behind her split open and a woman with dark skin and a scale on her right hand jumped out.
"Another spirit!" said Lola.
"Libra, also one of the Twelve." Yajima informed everyone.
"She summoned it under the ground and waited for the perfect moment." Rufus smirked. "I should memorize this strategy."
"She's got her." Orga added with confidence.
"You think?" Sting asked, uncertain.
Kagura took a deep breath. She blinked slowly and watched Yukino's spirits approach her to finish the match. She gripped her blade and couldn't help but crack a small smirk. "Last chance. Surrender." she told the white-haired girl and closed her eyes.
Yukino blinked in surprise but quickly recomposed herself. "I can not. I am not fighting for my own sake. Failure is not an option."
Kagura's eyes snapped open. "Then allow me to show you just how terrifying gravity really is."
Yukino, as well as all three of her spirits were smashed into the ground with so much strength Pisces have vanished from the sustained damage and Yukino's left shin had developed a fracture. The girl struggled to breathe and attempted to strike Kagura one more time with Libra, but the spirit was just as useful as she was.
Kagura stood up casually and patted dust off her shoulders. She then walked up to Yukino and pressed her blade to her neck, still pinning her with gravity.
"I will release the pressure on your left arm." Kagura said. "Use it to tap the ground. If you use it to strike me, I shall double the pressure."
Yukino bit her lip to stop the incoming tears. Although reluctant she slowly patted the broken ground three times and put an end to the match.
Sting's fist cracked the railing under its pressure, silent fury shaking the Dragon Slayer. His teammates were quiet with grim faces.
Kagura dispelled her magic and turned around to walk away, but before she did, she spoke out. "My request to you is rather simple in nature, but might prove to be hard to carry out."
Yukino looked at her from the ground. "What is it?"
"Start fighting, as well as living for yourself. Take your own life into your hands and don't let anyone pollute it. That is my request of you." the swordswoman said and left the arena, leaving crying and defeated Yukino to herself.
Her tears may have been born from the defeat, but their release was not. In that moment Yukino couldn't help but both curse the woman who had just defeated her, and be thankful to her.
For this request was both as harsh as it was eye opening.
End of Chapter 40. To be continued in Chapter 41: Day Three: Pandemonium.