Chapter 31 Cana and Lily vs. Freed and Bickslow

Around the same time as the others, Cana arrived at the middle of her route with Lily flying behind.

"Well that was quick, I thought it would take longer for you to get here since I put that enchantment on the boat."

That voice… a chill crept down Cana's spine. It was him. She soon saw the sign above the door blocked by the barrier. Then he and his partner appeared. Freed Justine, leader of the Thunder Legion. A tall mage in a red piece of clothing with long green hair that had a lightning bolt design on one side. By his side was Bickslow, a man dressed in a black outfit with a mask covering his face. By his side were his minions (or as he liked to call them, 'babies'), souls that he'd enslaved to his will and put in wooden dolls.

"Well, it seems our opponent is to be you Cana… and the newest flying cat," Freed said.

"My name is Pantherlily," the black exceed said. "Or just Lily."

"Right," Freed said.

"Well things look bad for you today Miss Five Time Failure!" Bickslow said to Cana.

"Five Times! Five Times! Failure Five Times!" the minions joined in.

"You got beaten up pretty badly by me during the Battle of Fairy Tail," Freed said. "Sorry Cana but you're going to have to call this your sixth failed attempt."

Cana shook. She was going to fail again? No… not again. She'd failed too many times now. She had to become an S-class mage if she was going…

"Whatever it is you want to do after becoming S-class… I'm sure you could succeed with it even if you don't succeed in becoming an S-class."

Gildart's…her father's words echoed in her head. Even if she did fail in this…she could still do what she wanted, and that was to tell him he was her father. Cana felt the pressure lift off her shoulders as she recalled his words.

But she was still going to give it her all.

"I'm not giving up!" she said.

"Very well then," Freed said. "Let us fight. I'm not holding back."

He drew the rapier at his hip. His right eye light up as he prepared his magic, Dark Ecriture. With it he could write runes in the air similar to Levi's solid script magic. Cana likewise drew her magic card deck.

"Let's get going babies!" Bickslowsaid.

"Get going! Get going!" they mimicked.

"Battle mode!" Lily said as he grew to his larger form.

They were ready to do this.

"So you couldn't beat that guy one time huh?" Lily asked Cana looking at Freed.

"No," she said.

"Then I shall handle him," Lily said. "Let us see what sort of skills you have with a sword Freed!"

The now large exceed flew at Freed, who managed to call out an incantation.

"Dark Ecriture: Wings!"

A pair of lit up purple wings sprouted from Freeds back and he flew out of the way of Lily's attack. The exceed's large black sword. His largest sword had been destroyed by Gajeel during their fight in Edolas but he did have a smaller one that would stand in until he found a better one. He'd used this blade during a sparring match against Erza. Freed's rapier style of swordsmanship would be battered aside by Lily's sword if he tried to block.

Cana, meanwhile turned to Bickslow.

"Guess its you and me then bimbo!"

Cana growled at the name. "You like girls in bikinis? Well here have a bunch!"

She threw her card deck at the soul manipulating mage. From it dozens of girls clad in only bikinis appeared and began to look at him flirtatiously.

"Bickslow! Bickslow! Bickslow!" they chanted as they moved their bodies in a seductive matter.

He let out a wide open grin as hearts appeared in his eyes.

"Thunder Card!" Cana said.

She flung the card and Bickslow screamed as he was zapped. Now only Freed remained! The card mage turned and saw Lily had the Thunder Legion Leader on the run. Unable to face the exceed directly, Freed had resorted to keeping his distance and long range attacks.

"Dark Ecriture: Armor!" Freed said as he created magic runes in the air with his rapier.

A magical barrier surrounded him as Lily closed in with his sword raised. The exceed's weapon hit the barrier, doing no harm to Freed who began writing on the exceeds chest at high speed.

"Pain!"

Lily dropped his sword, clutching his chest where the rune was located. Cana remembered him doing the same thing to her in the Battle of Fairy Tail.

"You are certainly on par with Erza, so I have to take you out quickly," Freed said as he made another rune.

"Sleep!"

Lily collapsed, snoring and returning to his smaller form. Freed then turned to Cana who shook. She'd unleashed many attacks at Freed back in the Battle of Fairy Tail only for him to send them all back at her with his Dark Ecriture: Reflect. She couldn't use her cards to attack him. Then… that left her with one option. Hand to hand combat. That wasn't her specialty, but it was her only option.

She let out a cry of determination and charged at Freed who was caught completely by surprise by her reckless action. He didn't react in time to thrust at her with his sword before she took hold of its blade. Even if she didn't have to become an S-class mage to tell Gildarts he was her father she was still going to do her best. Her hands closed around the rapier and Freed's arm, while with her feet she kicked him in the stomach. He dropped the sword and she began punching as well.

Then a palm strike to the top of the head knocked him out. He collapsed on the ground.

Cana stood there panting. She did it! The bikini wearing alcoholic then looked over to her partner.

"Lily!" she ran over and picked him up. "Hey, wake up!"

The exceed opened his eyes. He looked around.

"You beat him? Good work, sorry I couldn't do so myself."

"You did your best," Cana assured him.

The exceed flew and they continued onto the next trial.

Well in case you are wondering why Freed didn't lose on purpose it is because the Battle of Fairy Tail is different from canon in this au. It wasn't the brutal rogue act like in canon. It was in good fun just to have a competition. Therefore, Freed doesn't feel the need to atone. Hope you enjoyed it.