Chapter 106: End of Day Two
"I can't put my finger on it..." Reve began, keeping his arms crossed as he prepares for the upcoming match of Crisdelin vs. Rogue. "For all of these combustible elements to be here, everything's been exceptionally calm."
"Elaborate, philosophy one." Waiston said, butchering his attempt to remain on the gunslingers level of intelligence. It caused Jaxon to look his way, confused and a bit annoyed at the attempt.
"I'm just saying." The gunslinger continued, now leaning against the railing of the stands that separated the audience from the arena. "There's the Council, and we all know how corrupt they are. And with their new leader Kemuri, somebody that no one knows anything about, I just don't see them remaining this docile. Then literally on the opposite side, there's Empyrean Dawn. Something is definitely up with them. There's no way they would just show up, a band of high level criminals, and not have a grander scheme in hand. But at the same time, if that's true, why would Lucius Kaiser out himself as a criminal like that? I refuse to believe that all of these criminals are under control by one man, and after seeing Marshall, and even Julia in action, I don't think they're here for repentance either."
"Maybe Kaiser is doing the right thing, but Empyrean Dawn are planning to take him out?" Skye asked. "Just speaking from a criminal point of view. They certainly still have their pride, but with the promise of freedom, I'd go along with it too until I found an opening. But that leaves the question of how strong is Kaiser himself? These new Wizard Saints really came out of nowhere..."
"Maybe Kaiser isn't even real." Takeru randomly added, causing the guild to look his way for a follow up. Instead, the Shadow Dragon didn't say a word after that.
"Whatever the case may be. With those two, along with all of the guilds here, I'm actually surprised this hasn't been more intense. There's so much potential here, but it's the calmest I've seen the Grand Magic Games. Surely I'm talking prematurely because Swing Day is tomorrow, but..."
"Wait, what's Swing Day?" Reiss asked. Reve side-eyed him, but eventually decided it was okay to tell him. "Swing Day is the third day, rookie. It's the middle day of the week long tournament, meaning it's the most important day. Your event and fight score that day can easily shift the momentum for or against you. Why do you think I haven't gone yet? White Eclipse A will definitely be taking first place in the event tomorrow. And then well...I don't know who will be fighting him, but big Adam over here will be making sure we get the other ten points during the fight portion. Swing Day is undoubtably ours."
Reiss blinked in surprise, to both the fact that Reve actually answered his question, and that Swing Day was an actual thing. Unsung, but it apparently existed as Reiss looked around, noticing that no one was paying as close of attention to the fights as they were on day one. Instead, they were discussing things amongst themselves, and Reiss quickly understood that he had to get his unprepared team on the same page for day three as well.
"Back to what I was saying." The gunslinger continued on. "Swing Day should fix my presumptions about this tournament. Not that I mind a calm, straightforward competition to begin with. But there's too many missing factors here. Like The Salamander still missing, and..Mermaid Heel and Quatro Cerberus. Every other guild has shown their cards, or are in the midst of doing so. I'm not convinced those two guilds have stayed the same since last year. If that was the case, they wouldn't be standing with us on this stage."
"Maybe they're just that. Just filler in the final spots of the Grand Magic Games." Jaxon speculated. "Impossible." Reve shot back with a rebuttal of his own. "If that was the case, that would imply that every guild in Fiore also remained the same over the year, and I know first hand that isn't true. In fact, there are plenty of guilds out there that didn't even sign up for this tournament, but I know if they did, they would have given the top ten a run for our money. Just look at Black Phoenix and Twilight Zone. Go But I digress, at the end of the day, we'll be winning this year regardless of what happens. Just be aware of your surroundings in the mean time. Especially with Empyrean Dawn here."
As the raven haired male turned a side eye up to a spectating Kaiser, the match between Rogue and Crisdelin officially began with Rogue making the first move — covering his arms in his patented shadows before swinging for Crisdelin herself. The council captain evaded by ducking underneath, keeping a grin on her features as the Dragon Slayer hopped backwards after missing his target. Crisdelin went in pursuit, swinging a plethora of punches all aimed for various spots of Rogue's body. As he evaded most of them, when the first of two landed, the Saber realized the hard way just what Crisdelin's magic was, and what she was capable of. Her right fist landed against his shoulder, and immediately he could feel it. His skin, muscles and even bones were cracking from the direct hit. "Wha...!?" He grabbed his left shoulder instinctively, causing him to remain open as the council captain followed up with a left punch to his abdomen, where the same feeling would happen. That final punch sent Rogue off his feet, landing on his backside before he quickly scrambled back to his feet to make sure she didn't follow up with her already two powerful strikes.
"Crush Magic.." Rogue stated, causing Crisdelin to grin once more. "Did he say Crush Magic?" Cana asked. "Like Gildarts?"
"Oh man..this just got interesting. I never thought we'd meet anyone outside of Gildarts with such magic." Said Laxus, sitting in the midst of the Raijinshu. Gajeel then tagged in, appearing for the first time since his event. "I'm sure Rogue still has it..."
"Well well welcome back." Laxus antagonized in such a coy tone. "I heard you had an embarrassing showing, but I guess it's a good thing you didn't run off from it."
"What did you day you bastard!?" Gajeel growled, only to have his anger quelled by Levy, holding him back from starting a fight.
"Crush Magic, huh? That makes this a lot harder than I assumed." Rogue admitted was the two squared off again. Crisdelin joined him, stretching out her right leg while keeping most of her weight on her left which remained behind her. "Mhm. That's right, my primary Magic is Crush or Crash Magic. Whatever you see fit to call it. As captain of the council's Disciplinary Unit, it's only fitting to hone a Magic ability that allows me to break criminals out of their behavior, don't you think, Shadow Dragon?"
Rogue managed a small smile of his own before returning a serious visage back to Crisdelin. "It's a good thing I'm no criminal."
"That's still to be determined." The captain winked before charging him, clenching both fists tightly as she came into melee range with her opponent.
"Come on Rogue! Kick her ass!" Sting shouted in front of the plethora of cheers coming from Sabertooth's gallery. Rogue lunged forward to gain some momentum, meeting Crisdelin's Crush Magic with a Shadow Dragon's Claw. The combination of the two caused a clashing shockwave, but as the two attempted to gain advantage over each other, it would be the Council Captain who comes out on top, literally cracking through the shadowy aura around Rogue's hand. Cheney pulled back, putting him in the defensive for a mere second as Cris swung again, aiming for his jawline. He leaned away, spinning now with the momentum gathered in an attempt to leg sweep the captain, but instead of avoiding it, Crisdelin literally kicked the incoming extended leg, clashing against Rogue's bare limb with Crush Magic.
Not only did she halt all of Rogue's momentum, but he was now in dire pain, releasing a cry that signified just that. Before he could gain any distance between them, Crisdelin was on the prowl, lifting Rogue by his collar and suspending him before her as she wound up her right fist — launching a powerful right fist into his sternum to send him flying. Rogue did just that, tumbling into the ground until finally he halted his unwanted momentum by clawing into the ground. Growling in pain, he looked up to see a confident Crisdelin Shepard standing across from him; right hand on her hip while the left arm dangled by her side. "You're not done, are you? Don't tell me I prematurely came out here to secure points only to go up against something one of the other captains could have easily handled."
"What was that!?" Rogue snarled. "Hey! Don't let her get to you!" Sting yelled. "Besides that..." Minerva stated, gathering his attention. "You're running out of time. Go ahead and finish this match." Her words came with a smile, and Rogue nodded with the same positive affirmation. "Right. Sorry to disappoint. Most of our bout was merely sizing each other up, but I promised a victory here, so that I'll make sure of! Shadow Drive!"
"Oh?" Crisdelin still remained as confident as ever as Rogue's hair and clothes began to waver upwards from the excess magic flowing through him. The shadowy aura he possessed covered him completely, creating an ominous atmosphere. Takeru scoffed. "Still using that third rate shadow technique? Third generations are annoying. Weak, so they delved in both the lacrima and natural training from their dragon parents."
"It's safe to say you're rooting for Crisdelin here." Reve noted.
"I don't care who wins. We've won this whole thing the moment we signed up. Remember?" Takeru fired back, paraphrasing Reve's own words against him. The gunslinger couldn't help but grin as he watched on, and as Rogue charged in his shadow form towards Crisdelin, she swung again, and again, and again, but each time she did, her fists went right through Rogue's body. That's when he struck, a powerful kick to her spine that sent her tumbling forward. As she turned around, Rogue appeared behind her again, this time with a powerful strike to her rib cage. In retaliation, she swung a back fist to him, but again it simply fazed through Rogue with no damage dealt — only to be hit once more with a strong kick to the abdomen that sent her sliding away.
"He's got her now!" Sting boasted. "Frosch thinks so too!" Shouted Rogue's little exceed partner, jumping up and down to cheer the Dragon Slayer on.
"Damn irritating...!" Crisdelin admitted as she regained herself. Searching for her target, she finally realized that Rogue was below her in his shadows, circling around her to corner her. "Trap me? I don't think so!" She yelled while raising a fist to the air, only to slam it into the ground. The impact of her punch caused the immediate area to break apart, creating a massive amount of rubble around her, but still no Rogue. As the smoke cleared, Crisdelin slowly raised up to a calming stance. "Excuse me and my previous notions. It seems that your antics managed to catch me off guard for a little while, but I'll be taking back what's mine now."
"She's not going to...is she?" Correll asked. Vivi then spoke, already placing her hands over her ears along with Xavi. "Lets just because safe...just in case." The rest of the Council team, and even Kemuri and Tiny followed suit, pressing their hands to their ears.
Jaxon then raised a brow. "Why are they covering their ears over there? Is she about to do something?"
"Like a sonic boom or something? Must be really powerful if they're taking precaution from all the way over there!" Skye admitted. She then turned to the rookies, shouting. "Cover your ears! Something is coming!"
And she was correct. As everyone on the vicinity covered their ears, Rogue appeared behind Crisdelin for what he believed was the finishing blow. "Roar...of the Shadow Dragon!"
He fired off a powerful torrent of shadows, a funnel of his magic rushing towards Crisdelin, but that's when the Council Captain took a deep breath of her own. That's when it struck. The Council Captain released a powerful, high pitched scream that shook the arena to its very core. The sonic scream was so powerful, that not only did the shadow dragon's roar disperse into nothing from its visible vibrations, but Rogue, who's ears were uncovered, convulsed in pain before quietly falling over face first and unresponsive. The glass around Kemuri's sky box shattered, and so did anything with any glass on it. Babies and little kids were crying while everyone else was just begging for it to stop. Finally, Crisdelin halted had shrieking, leaving everyone in a quiet wake of uplifted rubble and shattered glass until finally Chapati was able to make the announcement.
"L...Ladies and Gentlemen...Rogue Cheney is out cold...! Crisdelin Shepard is the winner of this bout! Ten points for the Council Team!"
"R-Rogue!" Frosch yelled, leaping over the barricade to run for his partner. "Fro wait!" Lector shouted, but it was too late for that. The exceed was already next to his partner, while Crisdelin hovered over both. With tearg eyes Frosch held the Dragon Slayer closely. "This your friend?" Crisdelin asked as Rogue slowly stirred awake though he had no ability to stand. "...Gross."
Before anyone could react, with widened eyes they watched Frosch go flying back into the stands from a kick by the Council Captain. With bared teeth Sting prepared to jump the barricade to handle the woman, but was immediately stopped by a tight grip from Minerva. "Surely if you go out there, we'll be disqualified. Marshall and Esmerelda were a little different from this situation, so remain calm."
Though she said those words, her facial features said anything but what she recited. Her and Crisdelin exchange glances, Minerva glaring and Cris grinning before she turned back to her downed opponent. "Don't take anything lightly, Dragon Slayer. You've got potential, or at least had it. I can sense it in the way you fight, but running into me was just unlucky. Especially since I went easy on you."
As Crisdelin walked away, Rogue was carried off the arena grounds, still attempting to gain his senses as he watched Crisdelin leave with the last laugh. Xavi gave her a slow clap as she arrived back with her team. "Not bad there, Captain. You've could have been more brutal, but a win is a win."
"Relax, Warden." The captain replied. "I know you've been itching to see a Hound unleashed, but I'll be saving that for the final day. And I already have a target in mind."
"That's true." Xavi noted. "But I want my entire team to unleash their full abilities. Lets show them what the Council is truly made of, okay? What about you Olivia-Chan? I'm most...infatuated with your upcoming performance."
The white haired female arched a brow, then turned from Xavi, keeping her arms crossed. "Tomorrow is mine. Don't worry. And don't watch if you can. Your advances are quite annoying." Her words caused Xavi to laugh.
"Up next! It's White Eclipse A's Kuro Crane!" Immediately Gray frowned, but as he did, it was Adam that caught his eye, causing him to frown even more. Two people that defeated him in both battle and event last year, rendering him useless to Fairy Tail overall. "And he's up against Twilight Zone's Kaden Carlisle!"
"Lets go, brother!" Aubry shouted. She was the closest to her brother in looks as both held brown hair, though Kaden's was much shorter. As he walked into the arena, giving everyone a wave, he turned to an entering Kuro who kept that childlike visage he always did. Keye turned to pay complete attention, a smile on her face — but she wasn't alone as she watched one of the rookies squirm her way to the front of her own group.
"I've always wanted to see him in action." The Sand Mage admitted, causing Reiss to blink a few times before giving a cheeky smile. "Oh yeah? Why's that?"
"Just because...!" She shouted, but her embarrassment was overshadowed by just that; her want to watch Kuro closely. Keye gave an uninterested look before turning back to Kuro. "Hey!" She called out, garnering his attention. He looked, and then gave a bright smile and wave to her, and she waved back.
"Kuro is so pure, man." Waiston noted. "I wouldn't believe he's one of our best just by his persona if I've never seen him in action."
Jaxon laughed. "You're exactly right. I'm sure that Mermaid Heel girl still remembers what he did to her last year. Beat her in one move. I wonder if he'll repeat that here."
"Don't think so." Reve said, keeping a realistic outlook. "Kuro surprised us all last year, but this time, I'm sure everyone is prepared for him. No matter how strong he's become."
"Yeah but wishful thinking, you know?" Jaxon shrugged before turning back to the two combatants who bowed before each other."
"Kuro Crane, huh? It's nice to finally meet you." Kaden said, slowly creating a grinning visage. Kuro simply smiled back. "Hai. It's nice to meet you as well. Lets have a great match! Don't hold back!" He exclaimed, preparing himself for battle. Jaden then reached for his side, pulling out a small keychain. On it, held a plethora of miniature masks. "Of course! I'm not allowed to give anything but my best. So I'll start off strong for you, and hopefully you can keep up!"
"Hopefully!"
Kuro's simplistic reply caused an arching brow, but Kaden remained poised as he unhooked one of the masks on his key chain. As he freed it from restraint, the mask grew in size until it was large enough to cover his entire face.
"Fighters ready!?" Kabo asked. As he did, Kaden held up his mask, and placed it to his face. "Begin-Kabo!" The Pumpkin Headed Host shouted, and instantly, the mask stuck to Kaden's face, causing his entire body to illuminate. His arms began to bulk, and his build began to grow and expand. In the next second, his frame towered over Kuro's and the only thing noticeable about Kaden was the mask that started it all.
"Whoa... I wonder how much strength he's holding right now." Selene pondered aloud. "Depends on if that mask heightens his strength, or if it has a cap of its own." Takeru replied, not really phased by Kaden's new appearance. "If it's the latter, that's poor magic, but if it's the former, then the sky's the limit."
Kaden raised his arms above his head, and attempted to slam both fists down on top of Kuro. As the Fire Make Mage dodged the opening strike, Kaden's hands created a deep crater from the impact, causing Kuro to gain more distance than he wanted to. That wasn't the surprise however. As Kuro landed, Kaden lunged towards him, closing the gap at a surprising speed.
"Huh!?" Was all Kuro managed as Kaden wrapped his arms around him in a bear hug, lifting him off his feet and squeezing tightly. The pressure caused Kuro to show signs of significant pain, calling out to no one as he grimaced in hurt. "Don't tell me this is it?" Kaden teased, squeezing harder and harder with each passing second. Only a few more of those would pass however before Kuro finally shrouded himself in his own flaming aura. The heat caused Kaden to hiss, dropping Kuro right then and there. On his way down from the drop... "Fire Make: Buzzsaw!"
Kaden's eyes widened as a large circular saw made completely of fire appeared just before him! Spinning, Kuro's creation threatened to take him out, but the masked mage held up his bulky forearms as a last line of defense. The buzzsaw attempted to slice through him, and though the burning weapon was doing a number on his limbs, overall Kaden was holding up until finally he was able to push the buzzsaw away completely. That didn't stop Kuro from talking advantage of that opening however, slamming a powerful flaming right fist into the mask that protected Kaden's face and granted him the super strength to begin with.
A cracking sound was heard, and a small fissure broke down the middle of Kaden's mask, ultimately causing it to break apart directly in half before falling to the ground. Instantly Kaden reverted back to his normal self, holding his face with his right hand. "Oh? So the mask is breakable? I wonder how much that costed him?" Reve asked, gaining interest on Kuro's opponent. "You broke my mask? No matter, I have plenty more." Kaden said, reaching for his next mask to aid him in his fight.
"Not if I won't let you." Kuro replies, appearing to Kaden's backside before he could even grab his next mask. "Fire Make: Tornado."
Kaden didn't have time to react. Just like last year, Kuro summoned a giant flaming tornado that overtook his opponent; spinning violently until it reached the far wall of the arena. As it dissipated from the collision, there was Kaden, laid out, heavily bruised and unable to move. Kabo had no choice but to call the match there. "Kaden is unable to continue. White Eclipse wins the bout!"
Takeru let out a low whistle as the crowd chanted and cheered. "No Devil Slayer magic needed, Kuro cleans house once again."
"Amazing!" Saraya shouted, clasping her hands together. Everyone else agreed, smiling from ear to ear as Kuro happily walked back over towards his team. On his way there however, a cold stare stopped him cold. He looked over, causing everyone else to as well. That's when he and Evanee Carlisle, the leader and Ace of Twilight Zone locked eyes. The pressure was immense, though Kuro didn't back down. Finally, she removed her gaze, and Kuro walked off. "What's her deal? Can't take a loss?" Cygnus pondered. "They've already taken their share since the first event. That had to effect her more since they share the same last name. They're probably siblings, her and Kaden." Reve speculated. He peered back over there, now noticing Evanee talking to the other members of her guild in-distinctively. "Either way. That's ten points for us, and just before Swing Day. Good job, Kuro."
The fire maker gave a thumbs up as Keye snuck up behind him with a hug, congratulating him as Blues the Water Dragon Slayer and Arana Webb the spider mage from Mermaid Heel took to the arena.
"Alright. We're all aware of the outcome here." Reve said unusually aloud, catching ears. "I'm going to head out for now. Until tomorrow."
"How disrespectful." Kagura chirped back, keeping her eyes on Arana Webb. "And tell me, Gun Mage; who exactly is the winner of this fight?"
As he, Takeru, and a few others began walking off, they stopped as Reve did, the gunslinger placing his hands in his pockets as he leaned back to look her way with a smile. "Blues of course. To be accurate, if it isn't you or that cat mage, everyone knows Mermaid Heel loses. In fact, even you two are kind of skeptical nowadays. At least the puppies have some dangerous threats on their team, but the Mermaids haven't improved since years ago."
"Is that so!?" Risley shouted, clearly upset. "Don't you look down on a chubby girl!"
"Yeah we're just as good!" Beth added.
"At what? You're not even the best all girls guild in this country." Reve broke the ice to them, but the mystery behind that sentence caused confusion since they were the only female group here. But alas, Reve would continue. "It's true that the top guilds are here right now, but that only applies to the top three; which in my opinion are White Eclipse, Fairy Tail unfortunately, and the third spot is up for grabs. Maybe Sabertooth. But on the rest of the list? There are guilds out there that I've seen, that would easily run through you guys, and no, not a single one of them were in the preliminaries. Even right now, all I see is last place for Mermaid Heel. Care to prove me wrong? Lets hope I come back here tomorrow with your guild holding ten more points than they do now. Show me something from you guild Kagura. Or maybe you're better off disbanding it."
Kagura only stared, but the grip of her fist hidden under folded arms was as tight as ever. As Reve walked away, she watched every step with fire in her eyes, wanting to slice the man's head off. That's when Skye caught her eye sight with her own cocky grin just before disappearing as well. "Arana! You better win here!"
"Right! I won't let them talk down to us like that! I won't lose!"
"It's like he has no ceiling on how much of a jerk he can be." Erza said, watching White Eclipse disappear. "Even if he felt that way, why would he announce it like that? There's no way he could be that pompous! It really drives me..." Without finishing, Erza walked off. "Erza?" Lucy called out in question. Gray interrupted her by placing a hand on her shoulder. "Let her go. Maybe she'll find what she's looking for. We're in Crocus, so I doubt she'll get into a fight or anything with the guy. She's smarter than that."
Lucy nodded, unaware of the jealous Juvia behind her steaming over the hand on the shoulder.
"But..that was really disrespectful." Gray noted to himself, looking over to see the empty White Eclipse section save for the rookies who watched intently. "Do they really think they're going to win so easily, that they can leave the arena before the matches are over?" His question caused him to grip the arena wall tightly, now becoming irritated at the rival guild as well. "No one deserves such humiliation! Sorry Bacchus, but let's go Arana!"
"Yeah!" Lucy and Wendy shouted. "Let's go Mermaid Heel!"
Slowly but surely, everyone then started cheering for the woman, causing Blues to grin. "Oh an opposing crowd? That's always Wild!"
"FOUR!"
Kagura looked on in silence, but she was becoming visibly upset. "Stop.." She said to herself. "Now we're being cheered for, not because of our skill but because you have sympathy for us?! We're one of the strongest guilds in Fiore! We won't be taken lightly! Haven't made any improvements!? That's what you think you Reve, you jackass! We've just been holding out until the downhill sprint of day three to finish...! Starting tomorrow you'll see Mermaid Heel! No...starting right now because Arana will win this fight! She will! She—"
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The bar door slammed open, catching everyone but one man by surprise as Erza Scarlet walked in, angry. She walked over, brown boots taking step by step until she stood next to that unfazed man at the bar. "Apologize." She demanded. He chuckled, swirling the small drink in his right hand. "To who?" That response caused Erza to grab his shirt by the front collar, pulling him close to her. "I said apologize! Apologize to Kagura and Mermaid Heel for discrediting all the hard work they do year in and out! That was a low even for you! Now go to their inn and apologize."
Reve only smiled. "Tell me, Erza. Who won?"
Silence brewed, and it only pissed her off more because she couldn't answer right away. "I figured the match wouldn't even last long enough for me to get a drink. So on your way here to lecture someone who you have no authority over, what did one of those big lacrima screens say? Hm? Was I right, or did a miracle happen as everyone rallied behind the little spider mage? Yeah, I could hear them even after I left the arena. But it wasn't enough, was it?"
"You bastard!" She raised a fist, only to stop as Reve spoke again.
"How about have a drink instead? Surely you're not going to get disqualified? Especially over Mermaid Heel. If Kagura was half as upset as you, I'd be talking to her right now, wouldn't I? Bartender." He tapped the bar a few times, and a drink slid his way. He caught it, pushing it towards Erza. "Now, lets do something we've never done, Titania. Lets talk."
"I don't know how long I can stand to be in the same room with you, let alone listen to your condescending dialogue." But alas she released him, cautiously sitting down as Reve took another drink. Erza placed the drink in her hand, glaring his way as he enjoyed his. "Well? What's there to talk about?" She asked. Reve, finally placing down his cup, relished in his savory beverage before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
"I guess I'll start with my life huh? Did you know that I, Erza...
Was once your biggest fan?"
