Chapter 107: Swing Day Begins!
"My...what?" Erza asked in confusion and a little bit of shock. Reve nodded as he called for another drink, handing it to Erza who was unaware that she even finished all of her first. Two more slid down, and they took their share as Reve continued. "I was your biggest fan so many years ago. But then, you vanished. In fact, nearly all of you did. That was almost ten years ago. Nine or ten..."
The timeline caused revelation in the Fairy. It was when they vanished during their first encounter with Acnologia. Her eyes widened as Reve commenced with his story. "I was an orphan you know. My parents? I don't know a thing about them. Don't think I ever will nor do I want to, but I wasn't even dropped off at a foster home or anything. I got the baby in the basket treatment. Luckily, a family not only found me, but took me in like I was their own, and they raised me."
"And just like that, your story took a brighter turn than mine." Said Erza with a small smile, raising her glass to her lips. "I was also an orphan. A baby in a basket as you called it, and it didn't get any easier from there. I remained an orphan as I grew up, even when I found refuge in a welcoming village. That place burned to the ground and I was taken away to a place...where they forced us to work as children. That's where I met Millianna and..."
"And..." Reve questioned. Erza shook her head after the flashbacks of those days played. "And the others outside of Fairy Tail that I know. That's where I met this old man named Rob. He was a Fairy Tail member, or used to be.. he saved my life as we tried to escape that place. So it was then I knew where I wanted to be once we did escape."
Reve smirked. "Fairy Tail. It seems like everyone there has a story. Like you're running some type of misfit operation there." That caused Erza to chuckle a bit herself. "Maybe so, but I wouldn't change it for anything. Alright, I'm getting ahead, so continue with your story."
"A back and forth huh?" Reve asked as two more drinks slid down the bar to them. "Sure. It suits us anyways. So, I was raised by a wealthy couple, but no matter how long I was there, I couldn't get myself together. Sitting around doing normal things just wasn't for me. That's when I met you, Erza."
Her eyes lit up at the words, almost blushing at the admiration Reve was showing. It was unheard of to come from him, and even she could tell as he downed his next drink quickly before continuing.
"I was ten when you became famous, or infamous. I was at home, and you were here in Crocus, driving away an entire hoard of traveling idiots that thought they could overtake an entire capital. But before the guards could even arrive... you took them clean out, and at such a young age too. It was at that moment I knew I wanted to be a mage. No one else inspired me to." He gave a small smile to his empty glass. "I've never told anyone the beginning motive to my journey..but you were it. I admired you so much. But then, you disappeared."
She sighed, noticing his stopping point, meaning it was her turn to continue. "After we escaped, a lot of us went our separate ways. Mine was to Fairy Tail of course. And now that you mention it, I do remember that attack on Crocus so long ago. So that's what made you want to be a mage, huh?" She made a face, background sparkling as she looked at Reve like someone who was proud to be an idol. "Wipe that look, Scarlet!" The gunslinger comically yelled back. "Let me catch up. So, I knew for sure that I wanted to be a mage. So o set myself a goal. For three years I would train. I would try to stay out of trouble and train for the next three years until my body was prepared. Even without magic, I would join no matter what. By that time, news of you and the others have dwindled down to barley anything, but that wasn't going to discourage me."
Erza cocked a brow, halfway inebriated but still pretty coherent to realize what Reve was dancing around. So, she asked. "Reve. Were you...about to join Fairy Tail?"
"The guild where my biggest aspiration resided? Of course. I knocked, and some no name answered the door. He held a broom and wouldn't let it go. I always remember that weird part."
"Max." Erza replied embarrassingly.
"Anyways. He answered and let me in. But from there, everything went south. I didn't see a single person I knew nor heard of. No Laxus Dreyar, Clive Gildarts, Mystogan...and no Erza Scarlet. So when I asked where any of you were..."
"...How long had it been at that time?" She asked, tapping her glass solemnly. "A year and a half without word they said. But that wasn't even the worst part."
"Hm?" She raised a brow again, curious to the climax of this story. What she heard next, the shift in her eyes were evident — she felt absolutely horrible when he told her.
"I was going to wait. I was planning on waiting for you and the others, no matter how long it took. I made a vow to be a mage. I wanted you to teach me. I wanted the Erza Scarlet to guide me." He laughed at how pathetic he believed he sounded. "But...your guild agreed unanimously... that they weren't taking in any new members until they could figure out what to do. So, I left. I left and I never came back."
"...Reve I'm.."
"Sorry? That's true. I thought there was no way the invincible Erza could really have gone missing. There was no obstacle she couldn't overcome. It looks like I put too much weight on your shoulders, huh?" She didn't have an answer. Her eyes returned to her newest drink, and from guilt, she chugged it. "We don't turn down anyone in Fairy Tail. But you have to understand that we were in a rough patch those years."
"No need to justify it, Erza." Said Reve, sliding his newest drink to her. "Because of that, I met my real home, and my real family. I wouldn't have fit in with Fairy Tail at all. I was destined to start from scratch, and that's how I found Calium. That's how I ran into all of my brothers; Waiston, Zalen, Kuro, Jack and Sidney. White Eclipse would have never formed without me nor them. That means Cygnus and Luke would have been a Fairy or something. That means Adamantine would have been still wandering aimlessly. You guys probably would have ended Arc and Taya's life for being demons. Takeru would have been locked up somewhere. But we gave all of these misfits a home. Skye, Jaxon, even the ones I don't see anymore like Heather and Kairi, or Zain and Nami. My family, me and the boys did that. And we built our guild around one single concept: being the best in Fiore. It took some years, but this year is our time to see our fruition."
"Admirable." She admitted. "But that's still something you have to earn."
"Is that so?" He smiled, turning to her as she returned the gesture, but then she dropped it to continue the conversation.
"White Eclipse may allow anyone to enter their home, but you guys also have a habit of losing members because you feel as if they can't keep up with the majority, am I wrong?"
Reve's smile turned into laughter. "Guilty. It's no secret. Those who can't pull their weight don't deserve to be with us. It's nothing personal, and they're aware of the agreement when they first join our guild. The initiation you see us do is simply the pretty picture of White Eclipse. After they, they're made aware of the stipulations of living in this guild."
Erza frowned. "That's unjustifiable. Fairy Tail has plenty of members who lack physical strength but contribute in many other ways."
"Well, we're not Fairy Tail. We're White Eclipse." He fired back, swirling the drink in his hand before sliding another to Erza. "And exactly what do they contribute that's so useful? Don't get me wrong. I treat all of my members like family from day one until they're no longer here, but each member knows what's at stake everyday they wake up."
"Watch your mouth." Erza spoke, addressing the comment about Fairy Tail's background members. "There's not a single unimportant member in our guild. Yes we have a select group that take part in more important things, but that doesn't discredit anyone else in Fairy Tail!"
"Right because that Nab guy is going to be great backup when you need it most, huh? Or the kid with the flames is on the right path to take over when his dad who is just as bad is gone, right?" Reve took another sip, and if looks could kill, Erza's glare would shatter that glass in his hands. "You remember the first person I fought in your guild? The other gun mage, Alzack? I beat him effortlessly, and back then I was a joke of an S class mage compared to who I am now."
"You also nearly killed me back then." Erza brought up, remember the sniper rifle she took to the chest. Reve gave an agreeing look. "That's true, but I knew you'd be okay. No one else did though, which is why even my own guild was upset at me."
A heavy sigh released from Titania. "Our philosophies are like light and dark, night and day. I can't condone any of your thinking."
"And yours makes me vomit." He smirked. "But that was done by design as well anyways. I've always known how your guild operates. And when I got older, I always knew that I wouldn't thrive in such an atmosphere. I needed something to push me every day, and I luckily ran into a group of boys who felt the same way, and some adults that believed in our guild philosophy."
"Believed, or just simply condoned?" Erza asked, causing Reve to arch a brow.
"To believe in something is to be behind it full heartedly. To condone something is to look the other way through it's progressions no matter the outcome. Which one was it, that your guild master and friends did, Reve? I've heard Calium tell you guys... Choose your own path, and I'll make sure you stay on that path. He said that, correct? So did he really believe in kicking out his own kids because they weren't as strong as you wanted them to be, or did he simply turn the other cheek in order to make sure you, his very first member, stayed on the path you carved for yourself? You've lost more members than you planned on getting rid of, and it wasn't because they couldn't keep up. Does that really make sense to the design you had?"
He wasn't expecting this. Now he was befuddled, unable to give an answer to Erza's question without hesitating for an answer. "I'm sorry." Erza continued. "But White Eclipse became the perfect rivalry for Fairy Tail because of these things. Your guild philosophy, your demeanor, and just your want to be better than a guild that wants nothing more than to just be a family. It's why we'll never get along, and why we'll always be at each other's throats. I can't not allow White Eclipse to prosper under such circumstances just as you vowed to be better than us by taking us down. Maybe if you guys changed your ways, it would be a different story.."
"Oh no. This is the story we've written, and I'm completely fine with it. My guild has made more enemies than friends because of our stance on everything, but I feel like Fairy Tail's influence has a lot to do with it as well. But in the end, we're right where I wanted us to be. I'm glad we're both getting this clarification out though."
"One thing is for sure." Erza stated, causing Reve to look over inquisitively. That's when Erza gave a kittenish smile. "These drinks were amazing! Thanks for providing them!"
He grinned, then laughed. "It's going to hurt my wallet, but at the same time it's a great change of pace seeing you so loose and free."
Laughter was shared, slowly dropping to two people staring directly at each other silently until finally, Erza cleared her throat, veering eyes away.
"But this has been a great talk, Reve. I'm glad to know more about you. And this was enlightening, learning all of this about you. I'm sorry you were turned down by us, but like you said, the results came out in your favor."
"Don't think you're off the hook so fast, Erza." He replied as she happily downed her current drink. She couldn't really notice at this point, but her stack of cups was a lot taller than Reve's at this point. That's because at some point he stopped, simply sliding his drinks to Erza. And somehow thanks to their back and forth conversation, the usually tyrannical drunk as much calmer this time. But still, it was evident in her flushed features that she was indeed drunk, and Reve was well aware. "Just because I told you these things, and learned about you doesn't mean we can go easier on each other."
"I don't...I don't plan on it..!" She replied, stammering. Reve grinned, standing up and placing the payment of the tab on the table. With that, he leaned closer and closer to her, causing Erza to look on in surprise though she didn't back away. The atmosphere became heavy as she could hear her heart throbbing against her chest. "Wait...Re..." Her drunken words carried no weight as he slowly moved forward, the two nearly nose to nose as Erza closed her eyes to invite him in. That's when...his lips moved to her right ear, and a familiar tone settled into her ear drum. "See? You're already off guard. Get it together Titania. I won't stop at nothing to win this year. As it stands right now, you don't stand a chance against me, so prepare one of those Fairy Tail miracles, because you'll need it against me."
He patted her on the head in a condescending manner, walking off to leave Erza in her own humiliation. She was livid, quietly seething with a clenched fist until Reve could hear the bar being smashed from behind him. He never stopped walking, but Erza shouted to him.
"You're the scum of the earth, Reve Volver! Fairy Tail will win the games again! I'll make sure a person like you never seeks his goal! And when we fight, and when I win, you'll still apologize to Kagura, and everyone else you've affected! Do you hear me! I swear on it!"
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"Erza isn't back yet." Lucy sighed. "She'll be here eventually." Gray replied, Juvia hanging off his arm. "I'm sure she went to go confront that scum bag and his guild."
"Well, more importantly, we need a plan for tomorrow." Laxus chimed in, seated next to Mirajane. "The third day is important. We need to take both the event and fight. We need a clear victory situation. Now, I can go again tomorrow if anyone is having doubts."
"Don't be silly Laxus." Mirajane voiced. "We have plenty of people able to take on tomorrow, right?"
Laxus grunted, turning his head to place it in his palm. "I'm not doubting anyone's ability. I'm also not doubting smh of our competition's ability. Day three is important. It's really important. It's the downhill race to the finish. So if I can't compete again, who is stepping up?"
"I can do the event." Cana spoke up, putting her bottle down on the table surface. "You sure?" Gray asked skeptically. That's when Cana gave a thumbs up. "When have I ever failed one of these things!? My track record is clean, so leave it to me!"
"So can I fight?"
All eyes turned to her. They didn't know what to say at first as Cynthia raised her hand. "You?" Laxus asked, just to make sure he heard correctly. Cynthia nodded, gulping once as she had to look the Lightning Dragon Slayer in the eyes. "I...I don't know, kid. Are you sure you can handle such an important day?" He asked. Cynthia managed another nod. "I can do it. I've been itching to show my worth!"
That caused a sigh, still unsure, but it wasn't his decision to make as the door swung open with an inebriated Erza standing in the way. "Of course you can go next, Cynthia!"
"Huh? Erza?" Lucy pointed out. "You sure? And are you drunk?" Laxus asked. "Yes! And maybe." She replied. "Cynthia has been waiting patiently, and we know what she's capable of! We can use her to go next without wasting any of our other heavy hitters! That's what Swing Day is about! Making sure we guarantee those twenty points before the second half of the week! Ten from the event, and ten from the fights! Cynthia will beat whoever she is up against, and we'll also win the event! We aren't letting White Eclipse! Not now! Not ever! Understand!?"
"I'm not going to disagree because she's drunk." Gray said, gulping. Mirajane simply let out a small pitch of laughter. "Well that settles it then. Cynthia will fight tomorrow!"
She pumped her little fists as Wendy congratulated her. "I won't let you guys down!"
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"You've lost more members than you planned on getting rid of, and it wasn't because they couldn't keep up. Does that really make sense to the design you had?" Erza's words had him thinking as he strolled through the city of Crocus on this early evening. It caused him to stop and look towards the sky that blended perfectly between light and dark. That's when he had his first flashback of when one of his closest members left...
{Flashback}
{"Are you sure?" He asked her as the brunette hoisted a bag over her shoulder. "I don't know, Reve. Do you have anything to say to make me stay?"
Her and Reve stood before each other, exchanging glares before Heather finally shook her head, beginning to walk off. "I didn't think so. Kinda sad, leader." The sarcasm of that last word rolled right off the tongue. Reve bit his tongue on calling her out on it, but he spoken openly on the situation at hand. "Heather. You're one of my strongest members. Why're you choosing now to leave? This has been nothing new, so why now?"
She immediately turned another glare towards him. "That's it? I'm one of your strongest members? That's your reasoning for me staying?" She asked. Reve arched a brow, completely confused to what to say. "What? You are! You're part of this family and—"
"Oh look, he's making progress! Will he do it?" She spoke like a game show host, goading the gunslinger into hopefully admitting what she wanted to hear. "You're part of this family, but that doesn't change how things are run here and if you're that upset that...—"
Heather held up a hand. "He couldn't do it, ladies and gentlemen. The great gunslinger, Reve Volver can't find any other reason to keep his guild mates around besides the fact that he needs them to prove he's the strongest."
"Where will you go?" He asked as Heather placed a hand on the doorknob. She stopped in her tracks to answer. "Me and Draco will just travel until we find someplace we like."
"Draco!? We just recruited him and he's leaving too!?" That one took Reve by surprise. "Yeah." She replied. "He wasn't a fan of how things were run here either, so we decided this together. You've done nothing to give me doubt that we're right, either. But I love this place, and the family I made here, so I'll give you one last shot, fearless leader. Give me reason to stay that I have already named."
Reve froze. Not a single answer. That caused Heather to laugh softly before turning the knob. "Draco! I hope you're ready because I can't stand being her a second longer." That's when she turned back to Reve with a disappointing look. "Good luck, Volver. Learn what a family is next time before you recruit anyone into this home."
As the door shut, that was the last spotting of Heather Viperosso.
[One Week Later]
Reve stood in the midst of a vacant room, holding a note that he found on the bed. One hand running through his hair, he sighed as it read:
"Reve,
Sorry, but I couldn't do this face to face for obvious reasons, but you're aware of what I'm about to say anyways. I couldn't bare to see the look on Skye's face if I did this in person, especially after she lost Adam not too long ago, but I can no longer stay in White Eclipse. I've gone to look for a new home; one that isn't so demanding in training and keeping up with one another. There's only so much a person can do, Reve, but you never seem to understand that. You say we're a family, but you put everything first over that ideal. I'm sorry to hinder your roster, or whatever you had planned for the upcoming games, but this place just isn't a home for me right now. And yes, Heather leaving did have a lot to do with that. No hard feelings though. I understood what I was getting into when I joined this guild, but that doesn't mean I didn't have the right to change how I felt about this home. It's no longer a home for me. Give my regards to everyone else, and good luck to your future endeavors, shooter! I'll always be yours and Skye's sister!
Kairi Ayres."
As he stood there in the empty room, he slowly crumbled up the piece of paper, sliding it into his pocket as he walked out with the door closed behind him. It felt strange yet surreal — how he defined losing Heather and Kairi within a week, but the gunslinger treaded on.
{End Flashback}
Still staring up at the sky, Reve then gave a small smile. "Regret kinda sucks, huh?" He asked himself. "Kairi is in Twilight Zone now, and Heather... I still haven't a clue where Heather and Draco are. I'm sure they're fine, but it's just weird. I know where every former member is except those two. She really had disappointment in her eyes when she left that day. All because I couldn't say what she wanted to hear.. Things like that make this more important than ever. To come up empty after losing so much? I can't allow it. I won't..."
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"I can't apologize enough." Arana said, bowing in her seat. The humiliation of defeat after Kagura vouched for her stung deeply. "Don't let it get to you." Kagura replied so stoically. She was seen leaned against the far wall, eyes burning a hole into the ground as the others turned to her worryingly. "We're not done. Not by a long shot. If they think Mermaid Heel hasn't gotten any stronger over the year, they are sadly mistaken. We'll show them."
"It looks like we're just in time then."
As the other girls looked over, gradually turning their frowns upside down, three shadowy figures stood near the door. "Sub us in, Kagura-senpai. We'll make sure Mermaid Heel is skyrocketed back to the top."
"Then I'll be able to see my beloved Gray-Sama again! I've waited far too long!"
"...More importantly, we'll be able to cut down everyone who's looked down on us so far. Their actions will not go unpunished."
Even Kagura gave a positive expression, nodding once as she removed herself from the wall. "Of course. With our newest recruits, we'll take back the honor that scum of a gunslinger stole from us. You ladies ready?"
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"Swing Day, as they call it."
Crisdelin walked around the room until she reached her seat. She then sat down, propping her feet upon the table the Council Team sat before. "Apparently this day tomorrow is more important than even day five. Everyone will be bringing their best to conquer the day."
"So we should too, correct?" Correll asked. "It's a good thing you already went then, puppy." Crisdelin said, reminding the Council Captain of his failures. It caused him to ball up a fist, but he couldn't do anything else past that. Crisdelin then turned to Olivia. "Olivia. I need you to take on tomorrow's event. I believe that you're best suited to get it done. After that, I'll leave the third day fight up to... you Exene."
The woman in question huffed, placing hands behind her head. "What a bother. I'll make it quick then, so hopefully I don't kill the poor soul."
"With that out of the way, we have one more issue to solve." Crisdelin then slapped some files on the desk; a thick stack containing names from two certain guilds. "Kemuri told me today ladies. The case of White Eclipse and Fairy Tail are reopening. He also said...that we'll make our move on them after the games. The plague they brought to Fiore a year ago will not go unpunished, especially with rumors that both Acnologia and Zeref are still alive."
"That's no rumor." Said Xavi. "Did you not see that monstrosity in the air? And who did it go after? Fairy Tail and White Eclipse and that demon guild of Tartarus. As long as they're roaming free, so will that monster Acnologia."
"Right." Cris agreed with a nod. "So that's why..it's time to bring them down. Oh, and let's not sleep on Empyrean Dawn either. We're to keep a sharp eye out for them as well."
"Was that a council order, or a Family order?" Xavi asked with a grin. Cris merely grinned back without answering the question; giving him the information he needed. "Big bro Kemuri always has his hands full. Lets do this then everyone. Starting with Swing Day, let's complete our objective!"
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"It's time for the downhill sprint to the finish line, boys!" Mizaki Izumi shouted, raising a glass which caused everyone to do the same. "We gave them our greetings, now let's show them the true power of Empyrean Dawn! Woool!"
"Stop drinking so much, nee-chan." Marshall pleaded before drinking his own share hypocritically. "You're the worst drunk."
"I'm up next!" The blonde haired woman Nina Roulette shouted. "I'm fighting and that's final! You guys said I could and I will! I've been dying to ever since Julia went! Now it's my go!"
"Relax, fists for brains." Mizaki waved her off, taking another drink. "You're killing my buzz! You're up next, we know! Boss man made it official!"
"The next two days, and then the final day are surely ours to win." Said Hubert, pushing up his glasses to caused a glare in them. Marshall looked over, then released a "tch" before turning his sights to the pinkette of the group, Zinnia. "Zin-Chan! You sure you don't want to compete instead? It's an automatic ten points if you do!"
She turned side eyes to him. "As much as I'm just glowing from your want to see me in action, Marshall..." She said sarcastically. "For the one hundredth time, some of us have an actual job to do while we're here. Do you ever listen?"
"No, he's too busy drooling over you like a rabid dog." Mizaki, calling Marshall out as she literally tossed her mug off to the side, shattering heard in the distance. "Stupid! Pick up your jaw!"
He snapped back to reality, Marshall turning to his sister with a confused look before shrugging and taking a swig of his own mug.
"...Aye! Whatcha doin' over there, kid?" He asked Ano, who was sitting in a corner with his drink and a notepad, reading over it with a flushed face. Ano didn't answer, instead he kept drinking as he read to himself what was on the pad. Marshall then chucked his glass Ano's way, but it shattered before it could reach him by the mouth of...Marshall himself? "I'm fast as fuck."
Everyone started laughing. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Mizaki asked, but instead of receiving an answer from him, Hubert indulged. "Your brother. You should know this answer by now."
"It's a rhetorical question, genius." She fired back, flipping him off. As everyone continued their conversations and unruly actions alone in the bar, Ano finally stood up, walking over to an unsuspecting Julia. Reading over his notes once more, the kid placed both hands upon Julia's chest as he recited what he remembered. "Hello Julia. You have nice breasts." He squeezed with textbook execution. He had everyone's attention from the bold actions, and once Julia realized what was happening, she shrieked, pulling herself away from Ano and covering up with a flustered look. "What are you doing!?" She asked, but instead, Ano pulled out his notepad and started scribbling. "Flustered, defensive.. not quite the reaction expected." He then looked up at her. "Julia. How do you feel?"
"D-DONT ask me that!" She shouted, but as Ano went back to writing things down, a drunken, angry Nina stood behind him. "Oi, brat. The hell did you just do?"
With everyone else laughing, Marshall waved the white flag for the kid. "Relax, Nina. Ya know he's sheltered. He doesn't know any better! It's for science!" Ano, who was too drunk to be phased by anything at the moment simply walked off as Nina glared at him the entire way. "Shut up, psycho. No one asked for you to come to his rescue." It didn't take much to trigger Marshall, depending on which "mood" he was suddenly in, yet Nina hit the lottery today as Marshall stood up with his sword unsheathed, standing nose to nose with the equally volatile member. "What'd you call me you bitch?"
"Bitch!?" Nina was locked and loaded and Marshall was at the ready to decapitate her, and no one was planning to stop them. In fact, they were all instigating, cheering them on to get one of them to swing first.
That's when familiar footsteps were heard entering the bar, halting everything completely. It was Kaiser with a shadowy figure behind him. The red haired Wizard Saint stepped into the midst of the room, all eyes on him as if they were never drunk to begin with. "You've all done great so far. Our first phase is complete."
"Phase one done!" Mizaki repeated in a hum as Zinnia sat down next to her. "Dancho, fight me to the death." Marshall interrupted, causing Mizaki to punch the back of his head to keep him quiet. Kaiser smiled, continuing onward. "Now we move on to prepare for phase two. Marshall was simply the beginning, but I'm relying on the rest of you to make as much chaos as possible without being arrested or disqualified. Of course I'll pose as if I'm losing control of your following. The shaky leadership will cause them to keep close eyes on you over the next few days. That's when Zinnia and Ano will begin phase three."
"You sure two is enough?" Firenze asked. "I assure you Zinnia and Ano will be more than enough for Crocus's weakened security by that time. But that's a separate issue. Phase two is where we focus first. Nina, are you ready?"
"You know it!" She grinned, pumping her fist in the air.
"Good. Go wild. Don't stop pummeling your opponent until you're separated from them. Now, who's doing the event?"
Hubert spoke up. "I'm guessing it's me." But Kaiser shook his head. "No, that's a waste of phase two. Let Firenze take the event. We need you in a fight, not an event."
"Fair enough." He nodded.
"Now, lets make sure to show them what Empyrean Dawn is truly about." As he spoke, his hair began to shift colors. From red to a light blue, everyone was grinning at the transformation.
"Leave no stone unturned, Empyrean Dawn. By week's end, we'll flip Fiore upside down on their heads."
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The members of Black Phoenix were all enjoying each other's company. Drinking and lounging about like any group of mages would. Asuka slid over during the commotion, standing over Misaki Star who was enjoying her tea. "Hey Misaki! Whenever you want that rematch, I'm game. I'll take it a bit easier on you this time!"
"Didn't she kick your ass last time, dummy?" Alexander asked, causing Asuka to tackle him immediately without any warning. With the two of them scrapping on the floor, Tristan merely smiled before turning back to Esmerelda, still recovering from her fight with Marshall. "How're you feeling?" he asked her. Esmé nodded, but kept her eyes on the bar surface before her, clenching her fists tightly from the mere question. "I'll get revenge on that guy for embarrassing me like that. I'll live, but I won't be okay until I do so."
Tristan could only sigh, placing a hand on her head once before walking off to the other side. "Of course I'd expect such an answer from you. Which is why we'll make sure it happens. Three more days, and then I'll join you guys to make sure you get your rematch with Marshall. Because I know you won't rest until you do."
"Misaki!" Asuka shouted again, standing on Alexander's head after a triumphant struggle. Chiara and Ethan stood to the side, the little girl taunting Alexander as he struggled beneath Asuka's foot while Ethan simply watched with a water bottle in his hands. Misaki took the latest sip of her tea before turning an eye to the proud Asuka. "There are more important matters to intend to, Asuka, and I'm up next tomorrow in the events. I can't waste any energy on you. And aren't you fighting as well?"
Once remembering, Asuka laughed, rubbing the back of her head. "Oh yeah, I forgot! Well then, next time!"
"All of that for a simple rain check?" Diamond huffed, rubbing the migraine in her head. Chiara was too busy with Alexander, still under Asuka's foot. "Do you concede!?" She asked him, giggling, causing Alexander to groan in annoyance as he continuously tried to escape.
"It's time, guys! Tomorrow, we get serious!"
"Serious, huh?" Ethan asked Asuka. "I think we've been there."
"Oh no, Ethan." Leon interrupted. "You have to dig a bit deeper for the second half of these games. You're loss against Elfman was unfortunate, but we know you have more in you than that."
Listening to a veteran of the guild, Ethan nodded once as Leon walked by. "It's kinda amazing that Leon is so strong, so cool." Asuka added. "I'm told that if Tristan wasn't Ace, it would have been Leon. We got some serious firepower in this guild! Starting tomorrow, we're never losing again! Lets do it, Black Phoenix!"
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Normally they would be celebrating another day alive, but for some reason at this moment, Quatro Cerberus stood in the midst of silence. Most were still drinking, but the looks on their faces showcased anger, quietly bubbling over. Bacchus was seen next to Blues and Kuro Chi, the rest of the guild behind them as Goldmine stood quietly in the back, watching his brood. "We don't hold back on anyone, but Reve calling out Arana like that was just a gaslight for Blues to take her down; making Mermaid Heel look like a joke. Now we have to take responsibility for that."
Blue was brooding as well, a tight grip on his drink as he replayed the fight in his mind. "That was the wildest I've seen her too. Arana pulled off a great fight. She was really instigated into it, only to still fall short. We're here for a wild time, not to break any spirits. I hope she's alright, but White Eclipse..."
"I'm not a fan of what happened either." Nobarly answered. "But a win is still a win, and we need to ride the momentum."
"He's right." Rocker added in. "We're already behind, but with this, we can use the next three days to put us in a good spot. Whether luck, skill, or all of the above, we have to capture as many wins as possible."
"It doesn't change what happened!" Bacchus shouted, slamming his empty mug down. "I know every win matters, but we don't need some smug prick from an overrated guild to light a fire in us to get them! We're Quatro Cerberus, dammit! I can't allow that shit to stand! If that means we have to go back to being the bad guys when it comes to them...Kuro, you're up tomorrow."
Kuro Chi nodded. "Of course. I'll take the event."
"Good. After that, I'll be taking the fight. Like you guys, let's keep winning. WILD!"
"FOUR!"
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"Ah man. It's like we're still in the top, but I feel like we're being overlooked." Said Sting, stretching in his chair before slumping back down in it.
"Did you have to bring the guild master's chair with you?" Orga asked. His question went unanswered as Sting sat up again. "Attention should be on the top, so why does the gunslinger hog the spotlight all the time?"
"Is the spotlight really that important if we're in a good position?" Minerva asked, uninterested. "Of course! Sabertooth is a guild that is known for taking the spotlight! It's ours for the taking, so let's take it! It's one thing to be great. It's another to be great and everyone chanting your name, because when that happens, your recognition soars! That's when more people want to join your guild, be part of your family, the works!"
That made Minerva release a small smile. "I guess it can't be helped then."
Rogue nodded in agreement. "More importantly, we can't let Fairy Tail or White Eclipse ahead of us any longer."
"He's right." Yukino chimed in with Rufus behind her.
"Don't worry!" Sabertooth's guild master rose from his seat, grinning. "I have a plan for tomorrow! Sabertooth will take the top spot once again!"
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"So any idea yet, Reiss?" Tyson interrogated as Reiss sat before him, leaning back in his seat with an annoyed face. "We used Micaiah early, and she was our event Ace, so now what? Swing Day is obviously important, and now we don't have a sure win for the day."
"I know I know! Get off my case!" The captain shouted back, waving him away. "I won't get off your case! You put us in this, so think of a plan! We have a bunch of random mages on our team, unsure of what anyone is capable of, and ever since the third day has been spotlighted, a lot of us don't even want to have that burden on our shoulders, just take the event!"
"I can't! I'm a fighter!" Reiss returned fire as Tyson groaned irritably. "We're all fighters! That doesn't give you the right to skip out when things are getting hectic!"
"I know what it means! But trust me, I have an idea!"
"And what's that?" Tyson asked egregiously. "Since I just asked you five seconds ago if you had a plan, tell me what it is."
Reiss liked around, hesitating until finally, he pointed Riley out. "Riley's up! She's doing the event."
"Oh? Volunteering me without consent?" She asked, stopping dead in her tracks. That's when she leaned her head back, a shadow covering just over her green eyes. "Be careful with that. You'll end up in debt to me."
Blue lines came over Reiss's head. "Did I say Riley? I meant Ilaria."
"You called, Ralo-kun?" She appeared from below him, smiling innocently. "How did you get there..." Tyson asked, both him and Reiss confused and a bit scared. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to do my best at tomorrow's event!"
"See." Reiss said with some relief. "We just needed to ask the right person."
Tyson grit his teeth as Reiss let loose nervous laughter. He then began walking off. "I'm fighting tomorrow. I already know you want to go last because you think you have to be the center of attention, so there's no need for a debate here. Just to get it over with."
Reiss only nodded. "Sounds good! We'll be rooting for you, big guy!"
Riley continued her walk until she found who she was looking for. Seated next to her, Riley folded one leg over the other before leaning back in her seat. "What's your story kid? How did you find White Eclipse?"
The person she was talking to, Sophie, slowly turned to her stoically. "I don't remember. I just knew it was a place I had to come to." She said in a monotonous tone.
"Robot much?" Riley joked, smirking at her own comment as she filed her nails. "We need to loosen you up some, Sophie. Want to go shopping with your new big sister? Lets get you out of...whatever this is."
Sophie hesitated. "Shopping?"
"Yeah! And some food because I'm starving."
"Food...crablets?"
Riley arched a brow. "Uh...sure! Whatever you want. It's on the boys we're going to flirt with when we get into Crocus anyways. You coming?"
As Riley walked out, Reve walked in, a hand brushing against his shoulder causing him to look over and see a winking Riley Lawson as they crossed paths. With her gone, Reve shrugged it off and entered the inn to speak to his guild. "Alright. So we're aware of what's going on tomorrow, right?"
"Of course!" Skye shouted with everyone in agreement. "Good, so I don't have to go over it again. But I do have to reiterate how important tomorrow is. That goes for you rookies too, so listen up!"
"I thought we were on our own?" Reiss asked. "You are, but that's how important tomorrow is to us. It's without a doubt that you'll be going up against one of the leaders tomorrow, so an upset on your part would be nice."
"Great, even more pressure for me." Tyson murmured.
"We have to win, event and fight. The third day has always proven to be so pivotal. We have a full proof plan, but even then it takes flawless execution for us to succeed. Of course I'll do my part tomorrow, but is my fighter ready as well?"
Luke gave a thumbs up. "No sweat. No one is beating me. I'll show them what White Eclipse is made of!"
"What about you, rookies?"
"Ilaria and Tyson are good to go! Don't be surprised if we take first in the event tomorrow either!" Reiss's vote of confidence caused the Soul Binder to blush in front of the veterans, rubbing the back of her head as Tyson sat there confidently.
"Alright good. Like I said, I don't have much to go over. I already drilled it in your brains earlier today. Don't stay up too late and let's dominate tomorrow. Sounds good?"
"Hai!" The guild cheered, even the rookies, who for once felt like the belonged. Reve walked off, entering his room and closing the door behind him as he fell onto his bed. Staring at the ceiling, a few of Titania's words still haunted him. "We both planted seeds in each other's heads. Only difference is, hers were sparked by no motive at all. Are White Eclipse's standards really too harsh...?"
"Hey, has anyone seen Kuro? I wanted...to congratulate him on his win today?" Saraya asked. Lance then slid in with a coy look on his face. "Oh? Ya got the hots for him or something?"
Immediately her face heated up. "N-No! I just wanted to speak..."
"I don't know! Your face says otherwise! You're like a cherry tomato right now!" Lance prodded, poking fun as Saraya hid her face from the embarrassment while others laughed. "He ran off." Waiston answered. "Keye left first, then Kuro ran after her. That was about an hour ago."
"Oh..."
And there he was, running as fast as he could, panting heavily as he turned through alleyway after alleyway. It wasn't until he spotted her standing by herself in the park. It was dark outside, leaving the park empty with the exception of Keye and Kuro now. "Keye!" He huffed, jogging over to her. "You know you cant be out here alone! Come on, let's go back to the inn. Keye? What are you staring at."
She pointed to the pitch black sky. Kuro was unable to see it at the moment, but as he held up a small fire to aid his vision, his brows furrowed. "What is that? Is that a bird?" He asked once he finally noticed the giant black figure in the sky flapping its wings. "It's way up there even for a bird, and it's circling." After watching it for a few seconds, he turned back to the female. "Hey, let's go inside, okay? We have to get ready for tomorrow."
Keye turned back to Kuro, nodding once. "Okay."
And as the two walked off, hidden in the alleyways was a hooded figure watching them very closely...
End of Day Two Rankings:
Fairy Tail: 33
White Eclipse: 30
Empyrean Dawn: 27
Twilight Zone/The Council: 22
White Eclipse B: 20
Sabertooth: 18
Quatro Cerberus: 16
Black Phoenix: 14
Mermaid Heel: 7
