SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 18 out, this is Chapter 19 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny and my OC.

Chapter 19: Battle of Fairy Tail

"It seems he isn't quite well yet." Lucy remarked, seeing Natsu struggle to walk.

"Will he be okay?" Juvia wondered.

"Just leave him be." Gray shrugged.

"It's the same as always." Warren joked.

"Warren." Gray greeted the telepath. "Long time no see."

"I managed to make it to the harvest festive." Warren stated.

"You are taking too many jobs." Gray scolded. "Warren Rock." He introduced. "He's a strong fighter who can use telepathy."

"The Raijin Squad?" Ulyo frowned, exiting from her meditative state after consulting her Talisman, the 'Mirror of Dreams'. "What is Laxus planning?" she wondered, preparing to leave the Prayer Room when a wall of runes trapped her within the hall. "Jutsu Shiki?" Ulyo took a step back. "Freed?"

"Please forgive my insolence, Ulyo-dono, no." the Caster mage apologized. "The Guild Guardian: the Guardian of Dreams. But for Laxus' plans to succeed, I must implore that you come with me."

"And what if I refuse?" Ulyo challenged.

"Then you leave me with no choice." Freed replied. "Dark Écriture: Shock!" he sent an electric shock into Ulyo's body.

"Freed, you…" Ulyo muttered

"Ulyo-dono, forgive me." Freed whispered, nullifying his rune wall and catching the unconscious Guardian. "Please be rest assured that none of the Raijin Squad have any intention of causing you harm. Laxus only needs you out of the way until he gains control of Fairy Tail."

"This is bad." Max gaped, Evergreen having turned Lucy into stone. "Everyone, please hurry and escape."

"What do you think you're doing, Evergreen?" Makarov demanded as the non-fighters fled the hall. "You wish to ruin the festival?"

"Entertainment is required for a festival, right" Evergreen chuckled, the curtain rising to reveal the rest of the petrified girls.

"You fool." Makarov glared. "Return them to normal at once."

"Hey, Fairy Fails." Laxus greeted, appearing in a crackle of lightning. "The festival has only just begun.

"Freed!" Gray spotted the Caster mage on the second storey. "Bixlow?"

"The Raijin Squad?" Marco gaped.

"Let's play, old man." Laxus grinned.

"Enough of this foolishness!" Makarov barked. "Restore all of them!"

"I wonder how many will survive this Fantasia?" Laxus shrugged, his lightning strike gazing the solidified Lucy. "These women will be my bargaining chips. If you violate the rules, I will break them, one by one. I told you, right? This is entertainment."

"This joke isn't funny, Laxus!" Makarov snapped.

"I'm serious." Laxus corrected.

"Let's see who the strongest Fairy Tail member is." Freed remarked.

"The rules are simple." Laxus declared. "The last one standing is the winner. Battle of Fairy Tail."

"That's fine by me." Natsu slammed his fist on the table. "Easy to understand. I'm all fired up."

"That spirit of yours is precisely what I want." Laxus remarked.

"It's a festival, Gramps." Natsu reminded. "Let's do this."

"But your lack of skill still annoys me." Laxus added. "Cool your head down." He advised, shocking the airborne Natsu.

"If you want these girls to be restored, you will have to defeat us all." Evergreen laid down the terms.

"There're only four of us and around of a hundred of you, right?" Bixlow reminded.

"Three hours is all you got." Evergreen added. "Beyond that, and they'll be reduced into dust."

"The battlefield will be all of Magnolia." Laxus stated. "If you manage to spot us, then the battle begins."

"Laxus…" Makarov hissed, growing in size. "Stop this foolishness at once!"

"That's why I told you to calm down." Laxus repeated. "This is the entertainment for the festival, right?" and vanished via a flash of lightning, leaving behind Ulyo's Guardian Ring. "Let's have fun! Battle of Fairy Tail… begin!"

"Ulyo…" Makarov retrieved the Ring. "They got to her too? That idiot! I'll stop you!" he swore, dashing out.

"Gramps!" Gray stopped in his tracks, seeing Makarov slam into an invisible wall. "What's going on?" he looked up. "These are… glyphs floating in the air?"

"Freed's rune crafting." Makarov stated. "Enactment magic, guess that explains how they got the drop on Ulyo."

"What's written on it?" Gray inquired.

"Those older than eighty or stone statues shan't pass." Makarov read. "Rune crafting takes time. It's not suitable for sudden matches, but is the absolute method for generating traps."

"For crying out loud, they planned this from the start." Gray muttered. "At this rate, we will have no choice but to handle it ourselves. I don't give a damn that he's your grandson. He had dared to lay a finger on Ulyo; I'm not going easy on him. I'll get Laxus." He swore and took off.

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.