The Fairy Contender

by Insane Dominator

One day, Nic Pularis is drawn into a sub-dimension, where he encounters Legendary Pokemon. He is entrusted with Plates by Arceus, and send to the land of Fiore, where he encounters Natsu, Lucy, Gray, and Erza. He must go through multiple perilous journeys with his Pokemon and Fairy Tail, and triumph and endure hardships to master all eighteen Plates and save the universe. OCxErza.

72. All Bets Are Off

Chapter 72 – All Bets Are Off

Here's Day 2 guys! I didn't really change much in terms of the games, but enjoy nonetheless.

To Recap:

With Wendy mysteriously gone, Team Fairy Tail had Elfman step in as a replacement and managed their way up the Sky Labyrinth, while Vanessa and Happy located Wendy and Carla in the Palace Gardens. Fairy Tail managed to barely qualify by coming 8th, and the next day the Grand Magic Games began, revealing the remaining teams being Quatro Cerberus, Mermaid Heel, Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, Raven Tail, Fairy Tail B, and Sabertooth. In the first round, Hidden, Sophie and Gray both were humiliated by Rufus of Sabertooth and Nullpudding of Raven Tail, earning hardly any points, but Nic bounced back for Team A with a single strike against Flare of Raven Tail in the battle round. After Ren of Blue Pegasus and Orga of Sabertooth won their fights, Jellal, disguised as Mystogan, battled against Jura. To prevent him from going overboard, Ultear and Meredy intervened and made Jellal pass out, leaving Team A with 10 points while Team B had 1 point. Carla then awoke, having a horrible premonition.

---

Chapter 72 – All Bets Are Off

Nighttime in some pub in one of the canals of Crocus. It sounded like animals rampaging, and some called it gladiators in an uproar, but other could say the damned haunted that bar.

"*hic* Way to kiss our winning spot goodbye losers." Cana slurred as her face was red from intoxication. "Seriously *hic* since when did we start getting pathetic?"

"You're one too talk." Elfman chided. "You weren't even there!"

"All the local pubs had lacrima vision so we can see. Besides *hic* Nic just had to go and save your guys' asses again." The drunken brunette nearly fell over if it wasn't for Vanessa's Braixen pushing her back up, with her mentioned trainer sitting at the same table Juvia and Elfman sat at.

Meanwhile, Nic was conversing with Erza at the bar. "This was an eventful day."

Erza nodded. "That's putting the matter lightly."

Natsu held up a fist. "Well that won't be a problem anymore! Tomorrow I'm gonna knock some numbers into that scoreboard!"

"Aye sir! Natsu's gonna burn some booty!" Happy cheered.

Gajeel heard from the bar and smirked. "Heh, if Salamander's gonna step in, I'll just have to step in as well."

"This is the perfect chance to show everyone the results of your training. This couldn't have come at a better time." Lily side-noted.

Lucy's eyes looked around the bar, noticing some people absent. "Uh…guys, where's Gray and Sophie?"

Levy caught note and looked behind her shoulder. "Now that you mention it, I haven't seen them since the games."

"Well can you blame them? You saw how miserably they had it." Macao noted from another table close by.

"They'll show up eventually I hope." Vanessa said. "Sophie looked pretty upset…maybe I should go and check on them."

Lucy put a hand to her shoulder and stopped Vanessa from getting up. "Don't worry, those two are as tough as nails."

While they were talking things out, Juvia's mind went off in its own little space. 'Oh Gray…' Her mind flashed the image of Gray and Sophie in the same apartment, with the lights off. Her mind went out of range as she could only think of the unmentionable.

"Oh, Sophie." Gray said in a low tone.

Sophie's cheeks were flushed. "But Gray, what about Juvia?"

"Forget her; you're all I need, you're all I ever need." Gray said. He pinned Sophie to the bed. "Sophie…"

Sophie began to feel her mind race as Gray had her pinned. "Oh, Gray~."

"GRAY! How could you do such a thing to my new love rival and not me?!" Juvia screamed to the ceiling, startling the people at her table.

"Love-what?" Sophie despondently sighed as she and Gray had just entered the bar.

Gray groaned. "Man her imagination is a killer."

Erza noticed their entry and looked piqued. "Oh, Sophie, Gray."

"How are you doing?" Nic asked as Sophie walked over and took a seat right beside him. "Are Wendy and Carla holding up okay?"

Sophie nodded and grinned. "Yeah. Those two are still bedridden, but Porlyusica said they should be fine by tomorrow." Sophie slowly cascaded her frown as she thought back to earlier with her performance. It wasn't so much the humiliation as it was with Rufus. That image of his face alone was enough to make her look like she was gonna shudder in anguish.

"Sophie? Sophie?" Natsu's voice brought her out of her thoughts, and Sophie snapped her head to Natsu.

"Hm? Sorry, what were you saying?" She asked. She noticed that Team Natsu, Vanessa, and Braixen were present around her, seeing how out of it she was.

"You've been staring off like that for over thirty seconds." Lucy informed. "Is it about your loss?"

Sophie shook her head. "No, not really. I'm just a little…startled."

"You mean from that Sabertooth guy having the same Magic as you?" Vanessa questioned. The site of Sophie looking away answered her question.

Natsu questioned himself as he looked up. "Huh, now that I think about it, how does that guy have the same Magic as Sophie? Coincidence maybe?"

Nic looked over and saw Sophie being more hesitant than before. He was good with reading cues, and this one was no exception. He could tell that something bothered Sophie, and it wasn't the fact she only scored 1 point. "Sophie, if there's something to say, just say it."

"If it's about our opponents, we can use whatever information we have against them." Gray noted.

"A bit harsh with blackmailing, don't you think?" Braixen questioned.

Sophie finally gave in and sighed. Her eyelids her halfway shut as she gazed down at the table. "…okay, you guys deserve to know." She took a slight pause as everyone around her got quiet. "If I was honest with myself, I could never have been more unsatisfied with how Rufus was present."

"Rufus? That member of Sabertooth?" Lucy questioned.

"Seems you have a connection with Rufus, am I wrong?" Erza asked.

Sophie glanced away. "No, you're right. Rufus and I have…a connection of sorts." She looked up and out at everyone, her gaze turning less melancholy. "The one fact is what you all need to know. Rufus, he's really…my cousin."

All eyes widened in deep shock, with Natsu and Happy's mouth hanging open.

"WHAAAAAAAT?!" The two shouted.

"You're kidding, right?!" Lucy exclaimed. "That Rufus guy is really your cousin?!"

Sophie nodded in guilt. "It's the truth. Our fathers met up on the occasion. Rufus and I, we never saw eye-to-eye with things." She was recalling her childhood when they would go to the library or even go to playgrounds. "Rufus and I were what you could say be the opposites of a spectrum. While we did learn our Memory-Make Magic at young ages, and from the same books, he had a completely different point of view than what I had. He always used memories as a tool, but I have memories as a treasure. He was rather excessive in his memories and more theatric than what my side of the family could tolerate. He was never the one to seek adventure and make new memories; rather, he always held onto the past and forgot the least important stuff on purpose…" Her gaze went shut. "That's why he never made any friends, and he embraced isolation to study his Memory-Make."

Vanessa blinked after a minute of silence filled the group. "Whoa…that's heavy."

Nic looked down at the floor, his gaze despondent. "Now it makes sense. You were frustrated that you and Rufus saw the other again, yet he didn't acknowledge you as such."

Sophie just remained quiet as her answer.

Natsu patted her back, making her eyes widened. "Hey, quit your worryin' huh? You'll get a chance to beat him the next time!"

Sophie looked up at Natsu and the gang grinning away, her concerns being lifted. Just their grins alone was enough to make her grin herself.

"There's something we wanted to see!" Happy pointed at her smiling.

"What?! You again?! No you pig again!"

A mocking laughter was heard and was meant for Cana. "Oh come on sweetheart, don't think you can beat me with some good ol' liquor?"

"I'd rather be satisfying a younger guy who isn't such a jackwad."

Everyone's attention drew towards where the yelling and arguing was held, and it turned out to be Cana lashing out and rejecting a familiar figure that she, Nic, and Sophie remembered all too well, and it wasn't a pretty site.

It was Bacchus, and he was trying to get his game on with Cana…again.

Bacchus offered her a drink. "Come on, just a few drinks to pass the time?"

Cana put her hands over her head and turned away. "Do you ever learn? Or is that brain of yours dead?"

Immediately, Nic, Erza, and Sophie all got up from their seats, recognizing the drunken beast known as Bacchus. The guys all gathered around as Macao did too.

"Hey you!" Macao ordered. "She said to leave her alone-!" He was cut off when a sly palm sent his face into the wall, making him slump down.

"Dad!" Romeo shouted in worry.

"Bacchus?" Erza questioned. "I should've known you'd be causing some trouble in any pub."

Hearing his name and the voice that it came from, Bacchus hiccupped and slumped over rather close to Erza. He smirked. "Erza Scarlet? Long time no see. *hic*"

"You haven't changed a bit." Erza noted.

"Wait, you know him?" Lucy asked, walking up close.

Bacchus laughed uproariously and couldn't himself. "I heard you al traveled through time, man what a riot. You missed out on some hell. Huh?" He looked over to Erza's side, where Nic and Sophie were present.

"Bacchus Groh of Quatro Cerberus, S-Class Mage." Sophie's eyes narrowed. "I remember you and your style from memory."

"*hic* Well, I remember you as well, blonde chick. *hic*" Bacchus then turned towards Nic, but when he did, his cheerful drunken self seemed to have snapped to a halt. Bacchus frown and seemed to have stepped back some. "Nic Pularis?" He said wearily.

Nic crossed his arms. "Yes, it's been some time." He replied. "I see you're still as volatile in proximity as before."

Erza glanced over towards Nic, surprise in her eyes. "You met Bacchus too?"

"Yeah, and what about you?" Nic looked at Bacchus, but was talking to Erza. "You've met Bacchus before?"

Erza's fists clenched. "Yes. As Sophie stated, he's an S-Class Mage of Quatro Cerberus. His fighting style is formidable to say the least." She said as she eyed Bacchus. "He and I met on jobs, and of course we got into battles…there was never a clear winner."

Lucy's eyes widened. "Wait, you mean he's a strong as you?!"

A sudden laughter erupted from a table, bringing everyone's attention back to Cana. She was seemingly enjoying herself as she shook her head. "Oh man Erza, that's a riot!"

"And why do you say that?" Erza questioned.

Cana kept a cheeky smirk as she tilted her head towards Nic. "Because ol' Nic here's beaten you by a mile! Remember?"

Erza looked at Nic in question, but all Nic could do was cross his arms and keep his eyes closed, nervous somewhat.

Sophie herself looked nervous as she shuddered. "The horror. The unexplainable horror that day was. We met Bacchus on that mission in Dahlias, and then Nic accidentally got drunk…" She trailed off as she remembered Nic becoming a savage beast, rampaging.

Bacchus hiccupped as he looked away. "I learned a hard lesson. The hell I'm never messing with that guy as long as I live."

Erza's eyes widened. "You mean Nic beat you Bacchus? This is quite unexpected."

"You should've seen it. Ol' drunk Nic rampaged like some wild animal. Not only was half the western part of Dahlias was destroyed by him, but man did Bacchus just have no prayer!" Cana exclaimed. "Bacchus's palm techniques were just trash, and boy did Nic break every bone in his body."

Lucy's mouth gaped. "EH?!"

"NIC THRASHED BACCHUS LIKE NOTHING?!" Natsu screamed.

"Even when he's on the same level as Erza?!" Happy yelled in revelation.

Bacchus laughed at the bitter remembrance and turned away. "H'oh boy. That dude can't handle his liquor, and man…" He began walking away. "I never thought my spirit could be so crumbled compared to that animal. Instead, how's about we rampage in the ring instead, eh Erza?"

"We'll see." Erza commented wearily, but then she caught on. "Hold on, you mean you're in as well, Bacchus?"

"*hic* How'd you guess? At first I wanted to set this one out and have the rookies take up the show, but after the display Warcry gave, my heart's looking for vengeance." His eyes narrowed as he looked back at her. "I'm a reserve member, and I'm gonna stir up some heapin trouble."

"Not as much trouble Nic was when he teared ya a new one." Cana snickered.

"Cana, we get the message." Nic said, slightly embarrassed and part guilty from that event he couldn't remember. He was drunk, so he couldn't recall thrashing Bacchus even if he tried. Still, hearing it all right on the spot was a little nerve-racking, especially with Erza looking at him with shock since he thrashed Bacchus better than she could before.

As Bacchus left for the door, he turned back one more time. "Know what we say in our guild? We'll always be…?"

"Wild." Nic, Erza, and Sophie mumbled in unison.

"At least you bunch can still chuckle!" Bacchus roared as he stumbled out the bar, toppling some as he exited.

After Bacchus left the scene, Erza turned towards Nic. "Is it true? You fought Bacchus and broke his bones?"

Nic put his hands in his coat pockets and looked uneasy. "…yes, but I was accidentally drunk. At least what Sophie and Cana explained."

Erza turned ahead. "I see." She smiled, which surprised Nic. "Good. I was hoping he would learn his lesson."

Nic just grinned as he and Erza looked at the closed door, all while Cana fell over from her drunken stupor.

---

Porlyusica looked at Carla, who was now awake and sitting on a stool. The old healer saw how distraught Carla's eyes were. "Tell me more of this vision of yours."

Carla touched her own head and her gaze was set still yet shaken up as it was to the flooring. "It's all just a bit confusing because it was but pieces." Carla did her best to recap what she could get.

"There was a huge gate…and Crocus itself…"

"Is there anymore?" Porlyusica asked.

Carla's gaze looked dead at her, and her gaze was of one emotion – fear.

"I saw something, something that I was never meant to see…I saw Crocus breaking apart, a battleground that shattered into bits…and I saw a dark monster, and it had four others right beside it…all glowering down…at Nic."

---

"Good morning fans! Welcome to day two of the X791 Grand Magic Games! I'm your main commentator, Chapati Lola! And right beside me is Mr. Yajima, and our new guest, from Sorcerer's Weekly, Jason!" Lola announced.

"This is gonna be so cool!" Jason screamed, his excited demeanor skyrocketing.

"My, let's see what today's events bring, yes?" Yajima said with a smile.

"That indeed Yajima, now let's see how the contestants are holding up the Chariots contest!" Lola announced.

Day 2, and the contest for the day was Chariots, where one member from each team is represented to race through the open Crocus streets while on Chariots. If they fell off or quit, they get no points. It was basically a race among moving chariots, and the ones competing were Risley, Ichiya, Yuka, Kurohebi, Bacchus, Natsu, Gajeel, and Sting. The fans in Domus Flau were watching through the lacrima screens in the colosseum, and Fairy Tail was just groaning at the sight before them.

"Remind me again why we picked him of all people." Gray groaned.

"He was absolutely insistent." Erza said with crossed arms.

"Did he expect to fight Chariots or something?" Elfman questioned.

Nic had hands in his pockets. "Why are we not surprised?" He sighed.

In the far back, Natsu was barely putting one foot in front of the other. His face read the expression that he was sick., and it looked like he was gonna keel over. But lucky for him he wasn't alone…Gajeel and Sting both were right beside him, feeling less than okay.

"Uh oh folks, I don't know what's going on back there, but Natsu, Gajeel, and Sting are as slow as snails!" Lola exclaimed in shock.

"No…why do I have Salamander's weakness?" Gajeel murmured weakly, his face looking sick.

"Urgh…" Sting as slightly ahead by a few inches, but he was but a heaping mess.

"I'm not sure what could cause such a disturbance." Lola turned towards Yajima. "Mr. Yajima, what do you think is wrong?"

"I could be wrong, but I say they have a similar case of motion sickness." Yajima answered.

Vanessa glanced over to Lucy. "I didn't know Dragon Slayers got sick."

Venusaur looked unappeased. "Certainly not what we expected, that's for sure."

Lucy sighed and looked despondent. "It just gets worse, trust me."

Lector of Sabertooth crossed his arms. "Well this spells rotten luck. This contest explores Sting's only weakness."

Rogue looked at the lacrima screen and had his eyes set at Sting. Rufus looked at Rogue with interest. "I don't recall any others getting sick. Perhaps it's a trait among Dragon Slayers."

"Perhaps." Rogue said quietly. 'I'm glad it's not me down there.'

Mira turned towards Laxus. "So, does that happen to you too Laxus?"

Laxus turned away. "Just don't tell Natsu, I'll never be able to hear the end of it."

"Anyways folks, let's just get back to the front, where we actually see Kurohebi of Raven Tail in the lead, with Ichiya of Blue Pegasus in 2nd!" Lola announced, getting the crowd up and roaring yet again.

In the front, while Kurohebi was in front of the others, Ichiya was barely ahead of Yuka and Risley, and Bacchus was behind them, still barely sober.

"Fell the burn! Man!" Ichiya exclaimed. "I must look good for My Honey!"

"I'm surprised someone of your stature can keep ahead for so long." Yuka commented to Risley as she was tied with him.

Behind them, some ways away, Bacchus hiccupped as she seemed rather slow. "*hic* Hey, can't you all pipe down *hic* and let a man work off his booze in peace and quiet."

Yuka took a harsh sprint forward and managed his way in front of Risley and Ichiya. "Try using Magic in this! Wave Boost!" Yuka put his arms behind himself and let out a mass of shockwaves that spiraled back, surrounding Ichiya and Risley.

Risley smirked. "Don't underestimate me, shortstuff!" Risley suddenly began to charge ahead and changed directions…running on the side of the Chariots. "Chubby power rules!"

The crowd went wild for Risley as her Gravity Change Magic, and they went even more nuts as Ichiya made his own counter onscreen.

He inserted two vials into his nostrils. "Very well, try this! Fleet-Foot Parfume: Zero Distance Inhalation!" Bu using that, Ichiya ran past a shocked Yuka. "MAAAAAN!"

Bacchus, still very much behind, smirked at the competition ahead. "Oh wow, they're going all out huh?" He mused to himself. "It just gets my soul as shaken and stirred." He raised a foot. "Well, guess I should put some effort into this too!"

Bacchus put all his weight down on his raised foot and stomped down. That single stomp shattered the chariot Bacchus was underneath as the shock traveled to the other chariots, making them go out of line and pile over the other, rendering them immobile. The contestants in front flew and landed on the chariots that were misplaced, groaning as Bacchus had a triumphant smirk.

"Amazing folks! With brute force, Bacchus threw the chariots out of line!" Lola shouted.

Erza's eyes were glued to the screen. "I don't believe it. He was stronger than before."

"We've seen Stomp used before, but this takes the move to an abominable level." Mawile noted. "How distasteful."

Bacchus passed the guys that were getting up and crawling over the chariots, sending regards as he ran ahead with great speed. He laughed as his body was like a Steelix that used Autotomize because he was moving so fast and was light on his feet, slithering past Kurohebi and running off the chariots and reached the goal, sliding on his knees with a rousing applause.

"And Bacchus scored Quatro Cerberus 10 points!" Lola announced.

"My soul's all shaken and stirred, babe!" Bacchus roared.

Goldmine smirked. "Now that's how it's done. Way to show them that you're wild."

"WILD!" Team Quatro Cerberus roared.

The rest of the competitors were then lead by Kurohebi as he made it in 2nd place. "Kurohebi takes 2nd place, earning Raven Tail 8 points! Followed by Risley in 3rd, Yuks in 4th, and Ichiya takes 5th! And now that just leaves the three-way battle for last place."

Back in the competition, Natsu was in super slow motion with puffy cheeks, and Gajeel covered his mouth. "What the hell? I was able to ride vehicles just fine." The Iron Dragon Slayer muffled.

Sting swallowed as he smirked back. "I guess that means *hurgh* that you're a real Dragon Slayer now." He said as he looked at a struggling Gajeel. "You're the real deal now…welcome *gurgh* newbie."

Gajeel growled as he mustered the strength to ram into Sting, but not knocking him over, and sandwiching in Natsu as a bonus. "Newbie?!" His cheeks then puffed.

The crowd was laughing it up at the three was just making fools of themselves, much to Fairy Tail and Sabertooth's embarrassment. Both guilds just stared at the big screens and couldn't help but just be in baffling shock.

"Well this is unfortunate." Mavis chuckled.

"Yes, yes it is." Makarov nervously agreed.

"Grraaaaah! Gotta keep moving! All the way to the finish!" Natsu shouted through his gastric and mental pain on the moving chariots. He and Gajeel both growled and grunted through the pain as they both never stopped advancing through crawling.

"Talk about uncool." Sting grunted. "You're just making fools of yourselves."

"Hraaaaah!" Natsu and Gajeel both yelled as their faces looked in pain, much to the spectators and their guilds' shock. In truth, them going through that pain was quite admirable, though Sting thought otherwise as they kept crawling.

"Whatever. I don't need this win so I'll let you two have it. Sabertooth's just gonna keep getting those points up anyways." Sting pointed out as he stayed still.

Gajeel smirked as he looked back. "One point is enough to move your guild to 2nd place pal, and don't you forget that!" He looked back ahead and kept crawling. "Hrraaaahhhhh!"

"Hyaaaahhhh!" Natsu screamed as he kept on crawling.

Sting just blinked. "I don't get it. Can you explain something to me?"

Natsu and Gajeel looked back, and the entire crowd was hearing their conversation through lacrima.

"You're nothing but crap, so why did you bother entering the tournament? Seriously. You're nothing like the Fairy Tail I knew as a kid. You always did whatever you wanted whenever the hell you wanted, so what happened to that guild? They never cared what others said because it was always them against the world."

Natsu kept his eyes set forward, slowly crawling. His face was the warrior's face; one that was set on victory, no matter what the cost. "The reason we entered…is for our friends!"

Sting was left speechless, but as Natsu's words echoed, the Fairy Tail members that were left behind for seven years began to feel their hearts pull as Natsu kept belittling.

"The ones…who waited for us! For all the years we skipped through! Who fought through the pain! And the misery they endured! Their hearts hurt!...but even so, they stayed strong…and they kept our guild together!" Natsu nearly fell on his face, but caught himself and kept crawling. "WE'RE DOING THIS FOR ALL OF THEM!" He fought through his troubled stomach as veins sprouted from his forehead. "And we're gonna sure…that everyone here knows…THE FAIRY TAIL GUILD NEVER GAVE UP, NO MATTER WHAT! SO I'LL NEVER QUITE FOR AS LONG AS I'M IN IT TO WIN IT FOR ALL OF THEM!"

"Natsu!" The members that were left behind had tears of touched souls. They couldn't help but cry at Natsu's speech and he and Gajeel just kept on pushing themselves. They never stopped crying, and the rest of Fairy Tail looked on proudly and some having tears as the two kept on going. Nic and Erza both smiled with proud and thoughtful eyes, and Lucy in the stands with the others was so moved she was almost crying.

"HRAAAAAHHHHH!"

"They did it! Fairy Tail A's Natsu has crossed, earning 2 points!" Lola announced.

Natsu slumped down and fell to his side. "Now we're getting somewhere…" He mumbled, his motion sickness worse than ever. Gajeel followed behind and thudded as well, having a smirk.

"And Gajeel scores 1 point for Fairy Tail B!" Lola added.

"That was awesome." A spectator acknowledged.

"Yeah, those guys definitely got the moxie." Another said.

A spectator sniffled. "That got me right in the feels."

"They're from Fairy Tail, right? You know I might as well start rooting for them." Another said.

The audience clapped, proud for Natsu and Gajeel as they made it across. "That's the way to rock Fairy Tail! You just earned yourself a new fan!"

"And Sting of Sabertooth forfeited, giving his team 0 points." Lola added.

As Sting walked through the tunnel, his head was low and he looked distasteful. "You're really doing this for your friends?" He questioned in thought and remembrance to what Natsu said. He just kept on going and his gaze looked displeasing. "You know that's nothing more than crap."

"Now folks, let's check that scoreboard!" Lola announced.

Sabertooth – 20

Lamia Scale – 20

Blue Pegasus – 17

Raven Tail – 16

Fairy Tail A – 12

Quatro Cerberus – 12

Mermaid Heel – 9

Fairy Tail B – 2

"It looks like both Sabertooth and Lamia Scale are tied for 1st Place!" Lola exclaimed.

"So cool!" Jason yelled.

---

Natsu was lying in bed, safe and sound as his face was still pale and had a bucket nearby. "Oh, my stomach just wants to hop out of my mouth." He grumbled.

Lucy turned towards Porlyusica. "Is he really gonna be alright?"

"Why wouldn't he? It's motion sickness." Porlyusica noted with annoyance. "He just needs bedrest."

Lucy turned towards Wendy as she was asleep. "What about Wendy?"

"She's coming along slowly, but she's still down." Porlyusica answered.

Carla just stared.

"At least you're okay Carla." Lucy said, unable to read Carla's expression. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine." She answered in a flat tone.

"Great!" Lucy walked out, but not before looking back at them. "I'll be sure to check up later, okay?" She then walked out with a smile. Once she was gone, the mood in the room went to being rather melancholy.

Porlyusica turned towards the Exceed. "You didn't tell her?"

Carla looked down. "How could I? She'd never believe me." Her gaze cascaded down. "In fact I can hardly believe what I saw."

Porlyusica turned away. "It's probably for the best anyways. Something like that shouldn't be spoken of…especially with how Nic was involved."

---

With Chariots out of the way, the competition moved on towards the battles, with Raven Tail's Kurohebi partaking yet again against Toby of Lamia Scale. The battle seemed to be heated, with the Raven Tail Mage dodging Toby's elongated green claws.

As the two seemed to be duking it out, Nic had hands in his pockets and looked away from the battle, noticing Raven Tail and its members looking placid at the moment, but he couldn't be sure what to expect out of the ring, especially with what happened yesterday.

Flare was covered in bruises, and she was shaking as she glanced at Nic and shuddered away, much to the armored man's warnings. Nic's sunglasses concealed his eyes, which showed remorse. In a way, Flare kind of made him feel guilty. It's not that he didn't wanna feel it, but when he saw Flare, something ticked off inside of him.

"Nic?" Nic heard Erza and he turned towards her. "Are you okay? You seem a little grimace."

He knew lying wasn't the way to go. But he wasn't sure how to approach the matter. Knowing Erza, and what he went through in regards to experience, he decided that it was okay to tell her.

"Do you ever feel like that you have your own reflection? Like that someone was you?" He asked. His gaze cascaded down. "I guess, when I see that girl…"

Erza glance over and looked at a shuddering Flare, covered in bruises from the beating she was given by the armored man. It took a minute, but Erza made the connection. She had her eyes widened just a little as she realized the reason Nic was uncomfortable: Flare was abused, and so was Nic is the past.

Now it made sense. Knowing that, Erza couldn't deny that she felt a little uneasy herself, but she knew Nic was tough, yet his heart pitied Flare, no matter how malevolent she seemed to be. She knew that Nic was abused and never had much of a fight, but he was past that now, and knowing how Nic has grown to rely on himself, she knew that her lover can endure Flare's bruises.

"Nic…" Erza softly smiled at him, which caught him by surprise. "You truly are a pure-hearted person, you know that?"

Nic looked ahead, now focusing back on the battle. His worries and past dwindled away as Erza's comfort made him feel better. He smiled softly. "Thanks."

"Aroof! You sure are strong!" Toby admitted on the battlefield against Kurohebi.

"You're not so bad yourself." Kurohebi admitted in a slithery tone.

"I wish I had a name like Kurohebi! It translates to Black Snake!" Toby noted.

Kurohebi slumped forward. "It's just my Mage name."

"YOU LIED?!" Toby, in his usual viciousness, ran ahead and slashed at Kurohebi, but he dodged all of the green claws. "If I win…you tell me your real name!" He shouted in between his slashed.

"That's fine!" Kurohebi shouted as he dodged. "And what if I win?"

"Aroof!" Toby slashed and missed. "Then I'll tell you my secret that nobody else knows!"

Kurohebi smirked and his eyes widened as he dodged again. "Alright, it's a deal!"

"Oh? Looks like they've struck a friendly wager." Lola announced.

"So co~ol!" Jason screamed.

In Quatro Cerberus's balcony, Bacchus spectated. "A little gamble, eh? Interesting."

Fairy Tail and the spectators all watched on as Kurohebi and Toby parried and slashed. Kurohebi was light on his feet and kept himself away from the claws. He was moving and used his Mimic Magic some more, copying Max's Sandstorm through unknown means. The crowd was getting a little crazy, and then Kurohebi let loose a powerful blast of spiraling sand. When it settled and the dust subsided, Toby was down for the count.

"And there you have it! Raven Tail wins!" Lola announced. "That brings Raven Tail to 1st place with 26 points!"

"That was impressive." Erza bitterly admitted.

"So there's Magic that works the same way as Mimic or Copycat. You don't see that too often." Nic commented. "Although…it seemed that Raven Tail seemed to be holding back."

"Well considering that they've been mainly harassing us, that's a given." Elfman noted.

Lamia Scale seemed sulked while Raven Tail had a placid look, though you couldn't really tell. Kurohebi looked down at a mournful Toby as he twitched on the ground.

"Alright, now you owe me a secret." Kurohebi recalled.

Toby sniffled as he laid on the ground. "…it's…it's my sock. I can never find it." He admitted. "It's so frustrating because it feels like it's right under my nose. For months I've been looking, but I still never found it."

Much to Kurohebi's disbelief and slight pity, the very same sock Toby was mentioning…was right around his neck. Lamia Scale just shuddered and the crowd was just baffled at the immense cluelessness he had.

"I'll spin out." Obaba growled.

"Hm." Kurohebi pointed at his own chest and Toby looked in confusion. His glance went down and his eyes widened and he realized that his sock was there. His joy and shuddering disposition, making him look like a fool, but a happy fool nonetheless.

Erza was so moved as she was near tears. "It's so touching, I'm so happy for him."

"Really? You're moved by a sick joke like that?" Gray asked. He turned towards Gray, but Nic was the same. He had a placid smile as he had a hand in his pocket still, holding onto his phone tucked away.

"The emotion is so cool!" Jason shouted.

Kurohebi towered over the happy Toby as he extended his arm down. Many had guessed that it was a sign of respect, but they were wrong, when the next second he completely snatched and shredded the sock right before Toby's eyes, earning a howling shock of terror.

"AROOOOF! NOOOOO!" Toby screamed.

Erza was held back by Nic as he kept her from getting over the balcony to thrash Kurohebi, and many were left in shock as Kurohebi added insult to injury as he turned and left a sobbing Toby in his pity.

"You should have never told me." Kurohebi noted. "The more precious something is to someone, the more I wanna tear it before them."

"You, spin instead." Taking pity on Toby, Obaba instead spun the guy next to her.

"Okay, even I know that was just wrong." Mawile noted, giving a contemptuous glance as a laughing Raven Tail.

Up near the greatest of spectators right next to a throne, a man in armor looked over his shoulder as a soldier approached. The two nodded and the soldier turn his back into the darkness. The armored man then looked back at the games, mainly keeping an eye out for Lucy.

"Let's move on to the next round!" Lola announced, getting the shock away from him. "Our next match shall be Quatro Cerberus's God of Wine – Bacchus!"

Bacchus entered the ring, holding up a bottle. "Yeah." He mumbled.

"Facing off against Fairy Tail Team A!" Lola added.

"So it's one of us, huh?" Erza questioned.

"If Natsu is picked, I'll just go and slap him up." Gray said.

Back up with the armored man next to the throne, in said throne, a stout man seemed appeased. "Ah, it's just as I had expected."

"Yes, just as you had wished, your majesty." The man answered.

"Such the pairing; the wild Bacchus versus the graceful Erza Scarlet."

The man's eyes widened as he seemed surprised. "Uh, pardon, did you say Erza?" He asked. "I'm…sorry but I arranged for a different fighter in the ring."

Lola then made a call no one had expected, not even Fairy Tail in general. "Elfman Strauss!"

"M-me?!" The big guy exclaimed.

"It's Elfman's turn?" Mira questioned.

A grim aura surrounded Macao, Wakaba, and Happy as they all frowned. "Well, we're screwed."

Erza looked up to the nervous Elfman. "Relax, just believe in your heart and victory will be yours."

"Uh…yeah." Elfman nodded, and he quietly and stoutly entered the tunnel to make it down the ring.

In the throne, the man fumed. "You fool! I wanted to see Erza! Not Elfman!" He exclaimed to the armored man.

The armored man bowed as he shuddered. "F-forgive me, my lord."

The night of Day 1, and the armored man was at the end of a red carpet that made way up to the king's throne. He bowed before him. "Your majesty, do you have any requests for the matchups tomorrow? I shall humbly arrange at your will."

"Hmm…" The kind pondered as he sat on his throne. "How about adding Bacchus. I'd like to see him do battle." He answered.

"Of course, and of his opponent?"

"How about that one from Fairy Tail A. The one that can transform. Er…El…uh…"

The man thought he had the idea and cut him off. "Why of course. I promise a battle that you shall not forget." He stood up. "If his majesty has other requests I shall take my leave."

"Very well, get some sleep Arcadios. We have a big day tomorrow."

The man, now revealed as Arcadios, turned and walked out of the throne room and turned down towards the dark corridor, smirking.

"Sleep is the furthest from my mind, not while we're so close."

Arcadios had his eyes cascaded by shadows, disclosing his hidden shame. "I've failed."

Down in the ring Bacchus was lying on his side, nonchalant and smirking as Elfman stood up. It was clear one side was stronger than the other, but Elfman couldn't back down. His swallowing didn't help.

"Say, let's pick up a little tradition and pass down a little bet like those guys did." Bacchus suggested.

"What?" Elfman asked.

Bacchus motioned his eyes at Lisanna and Mira both. "You got some smoking hot sisters. It'd be a shame to not have them as some prizes." His smirk grew dark as Elfman grew uneasy. "If I win, they get to spend the night with me."

The Strauss girls both shuddered at the sickening implication.

"Both of them?! That's seriously messed up!" Happy shouted.

Cana grew annoyed from up in Team B's stands, spectating there at the time being. "That guy's just made my list."

Elfman had dark eyes and his body was shuddering. The prospect of both his sisters in the clutches of such a man was what drove him insane. This, however, didn't seem to bother Bacchus. "Alright man, what do you want if you win?"

"Listen pal." Elfman growled.

"Hm?"

"A real man doesn't tolerate that level of disrespect." His fists clenched harder than before, and veins popped out. His white hair began to flare. "You're about to get schooled!"

"Aw, so you accept the wager do ya? Well you might as well make your call later on while you have the chance." Bacchus put his bottle down to the ground. He turned back and his smirk was still there. "Well then, to the better man."

---

Back in the infirmary, Natsu arose with a stretch. "Aw man, I slept like a log!" He groaned as he sat up in bed. "Now that was what I call a nap." He looked over to his side, looking at Wendy's bed. "Hey, still…" He suddenly grew still and confused as he was the only one in the room. "Wait, Wendy? Carla? That's weird…" His nose suddenly twitched, and immediately he got back to his feet, a stern look on his face.

He turned towards the doorway. "Somebody was here. I can smell them." With his scarf around his neck, he barged the door open and used his nose as a tracker. His nose twitched as he made way down the hall, passing by other doors. He silently crept around a corner, where the scent was much stronger than before.

Right there, over the long path above the stands, four guys with masks were hauling unconscious women, which were of Carla, Wendy, and Porlyusica.

"Hey!" Natsu shouted. "Stop!"

The four all looked back and screamed. "Oh crap! We must have woken him up! Get moving!" One yelled and ran off.

"I said don't move!" Natsu yelled, running faster than their pacing.

One guy looked back. "What the hell?! After that display, I didn't think he was this crazy fast!"

"Oh yeah?" Another turned around, pulling out two guns while the others carried the girls away. "Let's see him outrun a bullet-!"

Said guy was suddenly punched in the face, immediately unconscious as Natsu's strength nearly broke his mask in two. The Dragon Slayer raged ahead, the heat given off scaring the guys that ran.

"What do we do?!"

"How the hell should I know?! Dump the two!"

"No!" The third yelled. "We're supposed to grab the girl in the infirmary!"

Natsu's eyes widened as he heard them.

"They're all technically female!" Another exclaimed. "Does that count as anything else?!"

"I don't know-!" The second guy froze as he felt a hot and raging breath right behind them, and fire was unfused in with a fist driven back.

"Who hired you guys?!" Natsu demanded.

The man all screamed like sissies as Natsu pounded them in a fiery explosion.

---

Elfman's upper attire had torn sleeves as he was on a knee and panting. He had a few bruises on his body as Bacchus had not even a scratch. Bacchus just towered over an exhausted Elfman with a smirk of malicious intent. "Say, looks like I'm getting my wild night after all."

"This is just sad. The big guy can't even keep up with that guy." Gray said, pitying Elfman as he had taken one blow after another, bringing him to now. "I'm still shocked that Nic took down that guy when he moves like that."

In the stands, Lisanna looked uneasy as her brother was losing. "You think he'll be okay?"

Evergreen was standing right beside her, smirking with confidence. "Don't worry, your brother never fails to come up in a pinch."

"Elfman, go get 'em!" Happy cheered.

Elfman ran ahead, picking up his pacing. "HRAH! Beast Soul: Weretiger!" Elfman glowed and his body transformed into that of a humanoid feline with yellow fur and dark spots. His claws were large and he slashed and raked at Bacchus, but the enhanced speed seemed to have done but little effort as Bacchus maintained a smirk and ducked, constantly evading Elfman's attacks.

"That Take Over seemed to having increased his speed." Mira said.

"But Bacchus is just too fast." Sophie said. Her eyes narrowed. "I remember his style all too well, back in Dahlias. That special technique is what Bacchus has learned that's dubbed as Drunk-Chop Hanging Palm. A unique style of martial arts that uses Palm Magic with a skill known as Chop Hanging Palm."

Nic was explaining the same thing to the others over on the other balcony. "Bacchus used that technique all too well back in Dahlias, and he was never touched."

Erza and everyone looked back as Elman was struck by a palm upwards and Bacchus pivoted and thrusted his elbow into Elfman's gut, sending him to the ground.

"Yes, and what from we may know…is that it's amplified with that small gourd f alcohol." Erza noted, seeing Bacchus smirked as Elfman got up and missed his strike. "His style gets more unpredictable when he drinks…only he hasn't had a drop to drink."

Bacchus shot a lam into Elfman's gut, sending him to the ground again. "What are we boys?"

"WILD!" Quatro Cerberus yelled.

Elfman's Take Over vanished as the man was left still on the ground, struggling and grunting as Bacchus's assaults accumulated to an intense point.

"It looks like his Take Over has won off, and Elfman is back to being a best of a man!" Lola shouted.

"And he's lost a great deal of Magic Power." Yajima added.

"What an awesome fight! COOL!" Jason yelled.

"Can Elfman get up?" Lola asked through the microphone.

Mira and Lisanna were both heavily on edge as their brother was on the verge of defeat. The thought of having to spend the night with Bacchus horrified them. They had to keep their hopes up.

Elfman got back up, but barely. Bacchus looked back at him with a scoff. "Ah, back on your feet?"

"Listen you dog. I never told you what I wanted." Elfman said with a tired tone.

"What?" Bacchus looked a little confused.

"Our bet; what you do when I win." Elfman clarified.

Bacchus seemed in a good mood, so he gave no reason not to comply. "This is gonna be the only time this opportunity comes up, so tell me what you want if you win."

Elfman smirked. "I want you and your guild, to be called 'Quatro Puppy' for the rest of the games."

Bacchus had to snort out a laugh while Team Quatro Cerberus' jaws dropped. "WHAT?!"

Cana snickered up in the stands. "I think that suits them."

"It is pretty silly." Mira noted.

"Krokorok thinks the little puppies would look more ridiculous with their names being that too!" Krokorok yelled.

Bacchus returned the smirk as he reached for his little gourd that hasn't moved in the dirt since the start. "Okay pal, deal." He popped open the cork as everyone watched him tilt it up. "Let's wrap this up." He then began to gulp down large quantities, making the gourd empty. As he drank, a small pressure shifted through the area, in which Gray was able to feel.

"You guys feel that?" He asked.

"Yes, and I'm afraid he just got serious." Erza informed.

Nic's eyes narrowed beneath his sunglasses. "This is bad."

Bacchus's face was red as he smirked. His stance changed as he eyed Elfman. 'Let's see this guy knock down this drunk, shall we?'

"Beast Soul…"

Elfman began transforming and Bacchus rushed ahead in a flail. "Pointless!" A sudden flurry of blows shot Elfman like gun bullets as Bacchus laughed as he passed Elfman, feeling the wind of his speedy assault.

"I didn't even see that coming!" Vanessa admitted, her eyes wide as she felt Bacchus's aura enhance.

'Seven strikes in the blink of an eye.' Erza thought. 'That's the fastest I've seen of him in a long time.'

"That sure looked faster than before." Mira admitted. "However…"

Bacchus hiccupped as he looked over his shoulder at Elfman. "How's that-?!" He suddenly felt a sting in his hands and the plated near his wrists shattered and the hands themselves were bleeding. "My…hands?!" He glanced back at Elfman. "What did you do?"

Elfman had long white hair and a black scaly grown. All around his body was black spikes and thick, green scales. He had sharp teeth and long claws.

"Lizardman!" Elfman finished. "If I can't hit you, go ahead and hit me all you want!"

The entire crowd was left uneasy and speechless as Elfman made the claim.

'It's like Elfman is using the Rough Skin Ability.' Nic noted, his eyes showing shock along with Gray and Erza. 'Elfman's making a big risk.'

"That guy's making a gamble. And it looks like he's all in." Cana muttered.

Elfman ushered Bacchus with his hands as he smirked. "Alright, c'mon! Go nuts and hit me with everything you got! I wanna see those arms bleed!"

Bacchus raised a brow and smirked. "Man, this guy is wild."

"It looks like Elfman is giving out a challenge! Will Bacchus accept and throw his chips in too?" Lola asked.

"I hope Elfman knows what he's doing." Mirajane said.

"We all hope." Sophie said. "I know those thick scales are tough for someone to get through, but we best not underestimate Bacchus.

"Bring it on!" Elfman shouted.

Bacchus laughed. "I like your style man! Alright, but don't say I didn't warn ya!" Elfman covered up as Bacchus charged ahead with a battlecry.

The battle of endurance and stamina had begun. Bacchus spiraled and landed blow after blow in a voracious frenzy. The impact after impact was like that of a full speed Rypherior landing sever attack after attack. Scales and blood shed as Elfman was as stiff as stone, taking the blows that sent scales and Bacchus's own plates chipping off.

The audience couldn't help but gasp at the awe in front as Elfman and Bacchus were in a vicious duel of endurance, and Vanessa covered her mouth as she saw nothing like it. She saw Close Combat used once or twice, but that was nothing compared to the bullet-like blows Bacchus was throwing, and Elfman was taking it all.

"Be a man!" Evergreen screamed as she was too excited to notice that she was choking Freed.

"And thus the blows rain down! This is no ordinary fight, blue a pure showdown of endurance and will!" Lola announced. "Who shall remain standing?! Bacchus, or will it be too much for Elfman?! Who shall be left standing?!"

After what felt like an eternity, both Elfman and Bacchus both felt their bones broken. Bacchus's arms up and down were bare and bleeding, and his pants were torn. Elfman however had chipped scales. Elfman and Bacchus both fell to their knees as they panted and had no less than bruises over their bodies.

"Your names…Elfman…?" Bacchus questioned in between breaths.

"…yeah…" Elfman exasperated.

Bacchus showed a huge smile at he began to uproariously laugh as his feet were underneath. His laughing was but a shrill taunt to Fairy Tail as his satisfaction grew. "WILD!"

"And Bacchus is up to his feet!" Lola shouted.

All of Fairy Tail grimaced at the defeat and felt bitterness and pity for Elfman.

Suddenly, Bacchus lost his balance. "I gotta admit pal…you…" He suddenly fell onto his back with a roaring thud, a huge smirk on his face. "…are a real man."

All of Fairy Tail grew smiles as the mood did a 180 and Elfman looked up at the fallen Bacchus. Evergreen was so happy that she almost squeezed Freed's head off.

"And what a turn-around! The Drunken Falcon has fallen to the beats of a man! The winner is Elfman, and scores Team Fairy Tail A 10 points!" Lola announced.

Elfman heard the call as the crowd cheered. He raised his fists high into the air and let out a primal and manly scream that raged through the entire atmosphere, and the crowd roared louder in response.

"And that's the roar of pride! Fairy Tail is making its comeback folks!" Lola shouted.

"SO COOL!" Jason screamed.

"That was amazing!" Lucy said.

"He did it." Juvia said with a grin.

"I must admit, that left me speechless." Magnezone confessed.

"Tch, the big guy's a real man after all." Laxus commented.

Up above the stands, Natsu and Wendy saw the fight after being rescued. Wendy was up and well again, and she couldn't help but feel all excited.

"Yay Elfman!" She cheered.

"The big guy sure showed them!" Natsu cheered.

"This is all nice and all." Porlyusica said, not giving any enthusiasm about the win as their priority came first. "Natsu, about these hooligans…"

Natsu recalled the memory all too well.

The four were all tied up in rope and a guard had them in custody. After teaching them a lesson, they were handed over to the Rune Knights.

"We were just doing our job! Raven Tail hired us!" One kidnapper confessed.

"Yeah, yeah! We were just supposed to get the girl who was in the infirmary!" Another admitted.

"You can explain all the details back at headquarters." The guard said.

"Raven Tail…" Natsu growled. "They just crossed the line."

"Was there." Wendy caught on.

Porlyusica caught on. "Actually, there was the girl before you."

Their eyes widened when they all realized their intended target. They turned to the stands and all eyes were set on one girl: Lucy.

---

"The operation failed." The soldier informed.

"You fool." Arcadios scolded with little patience. "Did you not tell them what the girl looked like?"

"My apologies."

"No matter. We do have a Plan B." Arcadios turned away. "At least the kidnappers still believe they were hired by Raven Tail. We shall use Fairy Tail and Raven Tail's rivalry to our advantage." His grin turned into a dark smirk. "And in the end, we shall have a Celestial Mage yet."

He turned back ahead down the dark corridor, the soldier following. "The Eclipse Project shall soon meet its destiny…" He lightly chuckled as he disappeared away.

---

"You have impressed us with your manly spirit, Elfman. Your tenacity and uncanny ability to withstand the greatest of damage and beatings is among the best that Fairy Tail has ever known. This victory was important, and you've given us great momentum."

Erza's praise was but to a bandaged Elfman in the infirmary. Elfman was nothing short of a mummy, and was out of the games for the duration of his injuries from Bacchus. Accompanying her was Team Fairy Tail A, Wendy, Lucy, Carla, Lisanna, and the Thunder God Tribe.

"I've never heard of such a high praise from Erza in a long while." Lucy commented.

"Well the big guy sure earned it." Gray grinned.

"You were awesome out there today man." Natsu complimented.

Elfman opened his eyes. "thanks guys, but really you should just stop. I was just doing what I could." He then winced when a wash cloth was applied to his cheek by Lisanna.

"Still, despite your injuries that was worthy of recognition." Nic commented with a grin.

"Thanks Nic." Elfman acknowledged. "Thanks to you all…but Wendy's gonna have to tag back in there."

Wendy smiled. "Right, I'll do you proud!"

"This is all very nice, but you mustn't lose focus. Get back to the games; after all, knowing is half the battle." Porlyusica informed.

Nic nodded in understanding, plus since the next match was gonna involve Mira, Lisanna tagged along and they all exited, leaving just the Thunder God Tribe with them.

"Don't worry man, we'll hand back here." Bickslow said.

"After what happened, I'll set up an Enchantment to keep out intruders." Freed said.

"Thanks, sorry I made you guys do this." Elfman said.

Evergreen smirked down at him. "It's fine, but I do think you should change your strategy next time."

Bickslow suddenly grabbed her shoulders. "I'm sure Evergreen will cuddle with you if you want!"

She was pushed down by Bickslow and atop of Elfman, and both angrily looked back at Bickslow. "Cut it out!" They both yelled, heavily embarrassed and flustered.

Freed snickered.

---

Walking down the corridor, Natsu didn't seem so appeased. "We've gotta take care of Raven Tail."

"Agreed. It's like they're lowering our numbers." Erza noted.

Carla stopped in her tracks. "Actually, I'm not entirely convinced.

Everyone turned around in slight surprise.

"And what makes you say that?" Nic questioned in slight disbelief.

"The fact that Raven Tail hired a group of kidnappers that failed in the end. Their intent was for Lucy but ultimately got the wrong person. Their actions raised a red flag, and what makes matters worse is that they have a mage that can instantly drain Magic."

"You mean the same one that attacked you and Wendy last night?" Lisanna questioned.

"I wonder what they would've don't to Lucy if they caught her?" Erza questioned.

"Let's try and not picture the alternative." Nic insisted. "The fact that Carla brought up does be=ring some concern. If Raven Tail did have someone like that, they would've used him or her to make the kidnap easier; instead they deployed a scapegoat, but the question is why?"

"Maybe to draw away any suspicions." Gray answered.

"The organizers want all participants nearby in case if they were called, so it's likely the audience would be suspicious." Lisanna added.

"I think you're giving them too much credit." Wendy said, brushing off the excess worry.

"Well however it's done, they just want someone hurt in the end." Lucy said with a distasteful tone.

Nic glanced at Erza. "If they're after us in and out of the colosseum, we can't go anywhere alone."

"Yes." Erza looked at everyone else. "Until further notice, everyone is to remain in groups of a minimum of two."

Carla crossed her arms as she looked down, pondering as she looked at Nic. Seeing him was bringing up that horrible premonition. It wasn't pretty however she saw it. The remembrance of Crocus breaking apart and five monsters glaring down Nic was something that still scarred her mind. She continued on with the others in still silence towards the stands to meet up with the others and to root for Mira.

---

"It's time for the third match of the day folks!" Lola announced. "It's time for a beauty battle! From Blue Pegasus, it's the bombshell known as Jenny Realight! And Fairy Tail B's dazzling Mirajane Strauss!"

The crowd roared in excitement as the two young women entered the ring, with Mira taking a polite pose while Jenny maintained a sassy yet sexy hand to her hip.

Lisanna and Lucy entered the stands to meet up with the others. "Hey guys, we're back!" Lucy stated.

Vanessa looked at them. "Oh, hey guys. How's your brother, Lisanna?"

"He's down, but he'll pull through." Lisanna answered.

"Looks like you're in time. That Jenny chicks about to go up against Mira." Cana informed, moving herself to the stands. "I remember Jenny. Seven years ago, she was named the 'Number One Mage I Want to Be My Girlfriend' in Sorcerer's Weekly."

"Rumor has it that she saw Mira as a role model, so much that she wanted to be just like her." Lisanna noted.

Romeo turned towards them. "But since you guys haven't aged in seven years, Jenny's technically older than Mirajane…"

Lily took notice of Carla approaching. "Oh, I see that someone has recovered."

Happy looked over and saw Carla approaching. "Carla!" He cheered happily.

Carla stood up on the edge on the balcony and looked back. "I was told that all non-participants are to remain here during the matches, so that brings me to here."

Happy sprung forward with happiness. "I was so worried for you~!" Unfortunately he was then met with cement and stone as Carla shifted and dodged Happy's affection.

'I can't keep myself down on my dream.' Carla looked back at the battle. 'Right now I have to cheer my guild on!' She turned ahead and looked determined. "Come, Mirajane! Fight…"

Caral's face was then stricken with sheer horror as her tail dropped. "Wha…" Her body shuddered. "…what's going on?"

Master Makarov had hearts in his eyes as he was panting like a dog. His mouth hung open as he couldn't contain himself.

"Master, get a hold of yourself." Romeo insisted.

On the battlefield, sheer chaos was unleashed, all the men in the crowd were whistling and left admiring as Mirajane and Jenny were both in swimsuits and showing off their unique curves. All the men just went wild, while the females were left in question.

"What kind of battle is this?!" Natsu and Gray exclaimed at the same time.

Erza eyes narrowed.

Wendy's eyes were shaking. "What is, Mira…"

Nic's eyes underneath his sunglasses showed only mild surprise, and yet little interest in the appeal. He just looked at Erza with a raised brow.

"Hey boys~." Mira cooed as he sat up on her knees.

"Hi~." Jenny swayed as she was in another swimsuit.

The men nearly had nosebleeds as they were panting like dogs.

"I most certainly wasn't expecting this." Juvia admitted.

"Uh…yeah." Lucy said, uneasy as well. "I hope this is a rule only to them."

"What a treat! Two bodacious babes and pinup models that excel at Transformation Magic! This is surely the stuff that dreams are made of! Again, lady's man Yajima and Jason of Sorcerer's Weekly Magazine is here!" Lola shouted.

"I'm feeling like a young man today!" Yajima grinned.

"This is so hot and cool!" Jason screamed to the heavens, unable to control himself.

Lola leaned into the microphone. "I can't wait to see what they'll turn into next-!"

"Not so fast!"

All heads turned to where the voice of defiance came from. Three shadows emerged from the Mermaid Heel section.

"You don't expect these bimbos to hog all the attention now, do you?" Risley asked, her Gravity Change making her body slimmer.

"We've got beautiful chicas as well! That's what Mermaid Heel is all about!" Arana announced.

"This is embarrassing." Beth said.

Once again, the men all went crazy.

"Now hold on!" Another voice announced. Two figures fell from the Lamia Scale stands. "What's the point of running around in swimsuits if you don't have the love?"

Sherry and Chelia both emerged in their own swimsuits, and the men went wild again.

Levy raised a wrinkled brow. "Wow, that takes guts…I guess."

Mavis slid over to the females gathered. She smiled wide. "Why are you all just hanging on the sidelines?"

"Are you implying what I think you're implying?" Vanessa asked, more than a little shocked.

Lisanna pointed to herself. "You think we should go down there?"

"For real?!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Are we just supposed to have swimsuits handy or something?" Cana questioned, earning raised brows from the other females.

Mavis chuckled. "No, silly. But you never know what will, so you should be ready for anything." She swung her arms up, and as if by magic raining bikinis fell from above, like rain. "I brought one for all of you!"

Makarov, Macao, and Wakaba all shuddered in expectance as they witnessed the unquestionable wisdom of the First Master. They said no words, but allowed the madness to happen, much to their own pleasure.

Erza snickered. "I see no reason to hold back any longer either."

"Huh?!" Wendy exclaimed in disbelief.

Sophie already had on her swimsuit, smirking. "I suppose can indulge myself a little."

"Whatever floats your boat." Gajeel groaned.

In no time flat, girls were sprawling all over the ring in swimsuits. Even Carla and little Asuka with Bisca present were in the ring. Girls were posing and bending over, causing severe nosebleeds to many spectators.

Mira kept her smile. "The situation has gotten pretty out of hand. Wouldn't you say?"

"Oh yeah, but the fans are loving it." Jenny insisted.

Erza was in her black bikini, down on all fours and stretching her lower back. She grinned as she saw something that pleased her. She actually saw Nic put his sunglasses on his V-neck, and he leaned over the balcony and rested his chin on his arms, grinning softly and having a bit of a dreamy look in his eyes. The look he was giving was of enamored feelings and loyalty. No matter where Erza went in the ring, Nic's gaze followed, but not perverted, but far from it. It was the look of loyalty.

Nic could have admired the whole show of girls; he could be watching from Cana, to Jenny, to Arana, to Bisca even, but through it all, Nic was paying attention to Erza, and she loved every minute of attention her boyfriend and lover was giving her.

Her smile widened as she adjusted and had hands to her knees and had her round behind in the air. Her red ponytail was to the side as she faced Nic and gave him a wink.

Nic settled into his spot and had all eyes on the girl of his dreams. Gray and Natsu were getting all the eye candy they could, the former near a nosebleed, but Nic knew loyalty and followed it. If he was honest with himself, his eyes were on the one girl he'd want to look at all day and night.

Lola was giving out random calls of girls changing their uniforms. From school swimsuits, to bikinis in thigh-highs, to bondage gear, to glasses, to cat attire; and through it all, each girl stood out from the other.

"I didn't know Vanessa appealed this well." Braixen noted, seeing Vanessa with a grin as she was in her teal bikini.

"I don't even know what to describe this bandwagon." Sliggoo admitted.

"The bandwagon of fanservice." Braixen said with a sweat drop.

"Now or a blushing bride challenge! Ladies grab a lucky guy and squeeze into wedding dresses!" Lola announced with overzealous excitement.

In no time, Mirajane was in a beautiful gown with a bow at the waist. "Thank you for the help, Master."

Master cleared his throat, in a suit of his own size. "If it means a win for my guild, I shall do what it takes."

Jenny was in her own bridal gown and she was paired with Hibiki, much to the others' pleasure. Jenny smirked. "Well you're not such a bad man, are ya?" She cooed.

"Maybe we're not so as incompatible as the other would expect." Hibiki insisted.

There were so many beautiful women in bridal gowns with rose decorations patterned all over, especially Sherry's when she paired with Ren. Cana and an abundance of Mermaid Heel women were all single; and Vanessa and Sophie were included.

"Oh Nic."

Nic turned around in the ring, and before him was the vision of beauty. His stomach suddenly didn't feel so good as he suddenly got nervous at the sight of Erza in her wedding dress. Her bridal gown was a ball gown that was long enough to allow her white slippers to be seen. The waist was hugged tight, as has her bust. Her beautiful and long red hair fell down the way it always has. Her white gloves covered up her forearms, and one hand held a sword with a cute yet huge white bow, while the other carried a bouquet of white roses.

Erza was surprisingly nervous as well. Her body was nearly trembling at the sight Nic, much to his own surprise as he was in a black tuxedo with a dark purple vest and bowtie, accompanied by nice black dress shoes.

They looked at each other in the eyes and found themselves blown away by the other. They couldn't help but be drawn to the other's appeal. Though they had only recently become official, they never really thought much about marriage. They were both still too early for the concept, but the thought of marriage was but a blissful and frightening one.

"You look…beautiful." Nic could find no other words to describe her. She was as she was called.

Erza smiled as she cozied herself right next to Nic, holding her bouquet as their shoulders and arms touched. Their blushing and mature, vibrant looks and smiles got the most appeal and whistles amongst everybody else, and the other girls couldn't complain otherwise.

It eventually came to a close, and Lola came to another announcement. "Now let's get to another swimsuit-!"

"STOP! I CAN'T TAKE ANYMORE OF THIS!" The outraged voice bellowed through the stadium, and all were still at what was heard. All eyes diverted upwards towards one of the statues that overlooked the colosseum, and the person behind the yelling was Lamia Scale's Obaba.

"What is this?!" Lola shouted.

Obaba spun her finger as she pointed down at them. "Foolish young people! I'll show you! Watch, and learn what it means to be a real woman!"

She sprung down from the statue head and onto the colosseum, her cape flowing and prying off. All eyes and anticipation exploded as Obaba's tiny feet touched the floor. She was, to put it lightly…an abomination. Her body was so frail as she swayed her hips and whistled.

All time and essence turned pale and everything that was but blissed died. Mouths gaped as flies hung over many heads, and reality came back to them. The entire colosseum was dead silent for but a whole minute.

"…and with that crash course of reality, the mood has returned to Earth Land." Lola sighed, grimacing over his scarred memory over the image. "Parties over folks. The other teams have begun clearing out."

"…cool?" Jason groaned as his head was against the wall.

All of the boys picked and girls exited, leaving just Jenny and Mira again, the two smiling at the other still.

"That was entertaining, but now it's down to you and me again." Jenny reminded.

"Aw that's a shame. It was fun while it lasted." Mira teased.

"We need to wrap this up so that we can move onto the final match! So let's initiate the final beauty challenge!" Lola announced, feeling better and in the mood again.

Jenny looked away, glints in her eyes. 'Yes! Sorry Mirajane, but I have a little trick up my sleeve that will ensure me victory.' Her smirk grew cheeky as a snicker emerged. She turned back towards Mirajane, full of confidence. "I have a little proposition; a bet just like everyone else. It's a tradition today, don't you agree?"

Mira tilted her head, smiling still. "I'm game, so what do you have in mind?"

Jenny pointed at Mira with a prideful smirk. "Loser poses for Sorcerer's Weekly, naked! And as a bonus if I win, I get a little date with Nic Pularis!"

"AAHHHHH!" Many men screamed as they had nosebleeds, falling over in unconsciousness. Those who were conscious in the end picked up on the second part and have devilish glares down at Nic.

"That's crazy!" Lucy exclaimed.

Vanessa pinched the bridge of her nose. "It always comes to something this drastic in the end, doesn't it."

"Well this just got nuts." Gray smirked. "Guess a little treat's gonna come our way…"

He trailed off when a fiery aura flared nearby, catching his attention. Both he, Wendy, and Natsu all recoiled and shuddered as Erza was giving off a volatile aura and had er arms folded as her body tensed and shuddered. Her teeth gritted as she thought if Mirajane lost, then Nic may very well end up thrown onto a bed by Jenny.

"If she thinks she can get away with this, then she's wrong." Erza was on the brink of drawing a sword. "Mira, don't lose!"

Nic just had hands in his coat pockets and he remained silent in embarrassment.

Mira tilted her head. "…okay."

"WHAAAAAAT?!" The crowd exclaimed.

Jenny devilishly smirked. 'I got her right where I want her. Mirajane's been the apple of the public's eye for quite some time, so she may have more fans in the crowd compared to me, but the ones calling the shots are those judges up there.' She thought back to last night, where she had a conventional dinner at a restaurant with Yajima and Lola. 'So I've done some digging, and it seems they're into younger girls, which is just too perfect for me, and as an added bonus, getting around the famous Luminous after his accomplishments will increase my popularity even more. It's obvious who they'll pick.' Jenny spread her legs as energy began to flow.

"Sorry for being naughty, but this is just too perfect." Jenny flashed, and she was in her combat form. Her long blonde hair was wilder than before, and had red gloves and shoulder pads, including high thighs. She had a frilly crown-like headpiece and wore a skin-tight white and blue battle suit with red edging. "You think you can handle this form?"

Mira was flaring her own energy. "Nah, I'm not too worried about it; in fact, since we're all making bets today, let's continue the trend and finish off this with a battle of strength." She flashed, and then just like that, she was surrounded by flames, as she now had unkempt white hair, huge golden horns, a black cape over a white cloak over her white and dark blue suit. Her gauntlets had sharp claws. She smirked maliciously at Jenny, who just had a blank expression, as she was just too stupefied.

"What the heck is that?!" Natsu shouted.

"It's one of Mirajane's Take-Over forms." Erza explained. "It's known as Sitri, her strongest Satan Soul."

"I agree to the terms you've set, so I'd appreciate it if you return the favor." Mira growled as a dark shadow was over her.

Jenny quivered in fear. "Wait, are you serious?!"

"…yes."

In less than a second, a violent slash sent Jenny soaring, as Mira screeched as she passed behind her. The shock from the attack left everyone in shock, and Blue Pegasus despondent as Jenny flew in the sky. The crowd roared as the excitement did a 180 and beauty thus became brawn.

Jenny hit the ground and reverted back, as did Mira, the latter with a smile.

"And Mirajane wins!" Lola announced. As the crowds roared, Nic and Erza both heaved sighs of reliefs, thankful that Mira came out on top.

"Yay!" Happy cheered.

"Wait a go, Mira!" Lisanna cheered.

Natsu smirked. "And that's how it's done!"

"Wasn't this a beauty contest though?" Gray wondered.

"For the most part anyway, but Mirajane bent the rules." Erza said, still in a thankful mood that Nic didn't have to spend a night with the devious blonde that was Jenny.

Mira smiled as she waved at Jenny. "Sorry about that. But if it makes you feel better, I'll buy an issue when it comes out."

Jenny slumped to the ground and mourns that she lost the bet and would have to go nude. She began sobbing like a baby, and yet it didn't sit right for a certain someone.

A sudden pair of footsteps hit the ring and Fairy Tail and the crowd itself watched in curiosity as Nic was stepping out towards Jenny.

"Hold on folks, something's going on." Lola speculated.

Jenny kept on sobbing, and Nic still didn't have his sunglasses on; they were on his V-neck still, and had a frown. He took in a small breath as he undid his coat and put it around Jenny's shoulders, making her eyes widen and stop her crying.

"Huh?" Jenny looked up at Nic, seeing his mournful but sincere smile.

"Sorry, but I'm already spoken for." He said. He helped her up. "But that doesn't mean I have to be cruel."

Jenny smiled as Nic helped her to her team's tunnel, clapping going around as Nic was being kind compared to the harsh brawling happening. When he got her to her tunnel. He took his coat back and pivoted, putting it back on and clicking the Poke Ball buckle.

As Nic walked back, Jenny spoke out to him in a sincere voice. "Erza's a pretty lucky girl."

Nic's eyes closed as he smiled. "More like I feel the luckier one."

"Isn't that a chivalrous act." Lola announced. "Despite the loss, comfort was given!"

"This is SO COOL!" Jason screamed.

Nic hopped back up the balcony and over to stand back up with the others, staying rather quiet as questionable gazes of Natsu and Gray glowered before him.

"The hell was that for?!" Natsu exclaimed. "She's an enemy!"

Nic glared over to them, making both back off. "We're not Raven Tail." He reminded them. "Besides, I was aware she was trying to tease and flirt…but that doesn't mean I should relent or not acknowledge her as a human being, right?"

Wendy smiled. "Well when you put it like that, it's actually a very nice thing to do."

Nic put his hands back into his coat and looked down with a half-grin. From his actions, he would understand if a certain redhead wasn't as forgiving.

A sudden pair of warm lips got his cheek. His eyes opened when the smell of strawberries filled his senses and noticed how soft the lips were. Natsu, Gray, and Wendy al looked curiously as Erza pulled back from her kiss, leaving Nic embarrassed and slowly looking to face Erza.

She knew of his nature. It wouldn't be nice of Nic to leave someone, especially a girl that acknowledges him, crying that they wouldn't at least get to meet him face to face. It was enough Toby had his sock destroyed, but alas this was another story. Once again was being shown Nic's loyalty through actions, as he was sincere in helping an upset damsel back to her team. She could live with that.

"You have a soft heart Nic." She smiled wider. "I love that."

Nic blushed a little more as he smiled back, flipping back on his sunglasses and getting ready for the last fight of the day.

---

Walking down the dark corridor, Arcadios was making one step before the other. "Chief Arcadios!" The knight turned and saw a small yet old minister-like man. He had the attire to back it up and a mark over his nose.

"Defense Minister Darton, what are you doing here?" Arcadios questioned.

"You've got some explaining to do, and don't play dumb with me." Darton demanded. "Now explain…why are you apprehending a Celestial Mage?!"

Arcadios took a moment of silence. "…now Darton, we need one to ensure the Eclipse Project is at full power."

"But it's not ready!" Darton countered.

"On the contrary, it's actually been ready for quite some time."

Darton's eyes widened. "Wait, you mean you already gained the Magic necessary? And you didn't inform me?!"

"I can understand your concern on the matter, your opposition on the Eclipse Project is in bold, but do not take this matter so personally. I in fact kept this as a secret from everyone to ensure secrecy and funding. Needless to say we need a Celestial Mage to make this plan a success." Arcadios turned his back, his cape shifting with him. "But at this point, nothing can be undone."

"Are you some kind of monster?!" Darton shouted.

Arcadios snickered. "If that is what must be done, then so be it."

He looked up at an enormous gate. The huge structure was at least a hundred feet tall. It was outlined in massive mechanics and had a sun-like center. It had twelve huge slots that reached out on the upper part of the gate, with gold vertical lines on the bottom half. A small staircase was at the very bottom.

"If this mission requires a young girl's life, then so be it." Arcadios maliciously smirked.

---

"Let's move on to the final match of the day! Our fourth match will be Mermaid Heel's Kagura Mikazuchi, against Sabertooth's Yukino Agria!" Lola announced.

Orga turned towards his team. "We gotta get this win so we get some points on the board, since someone screwed up on the Chariots before."

"The fact that it involved moving vehicles couldn't help." Yukino said.

"You just make sure you know what you gotta do." Sting informed her.

Yukino nodded. "Yes." She stepped out into the battlefield, ignoring the crowd roaring. Her eyes glanced over at Nic Pularis for a moment before she swallowed and kept on walking.

"Do your best Kagura." The hooded woman said.

"She's up against Sabertooth…" Risley said with worry.

"Relax. Kagura won't let us down." Arana insisted.

Kagura stepped out, entering the ring. "I know where my sword must follow."

Both Mages stepped forward, meeting each other in the middle of the ring.

"Looks like Sabertooth's up." Gray noted.

"Right. Observe her carefully." Erza warned, but she still felt uneasy watching Kagura.

"Many of you fans know Kagura as one of the top female Mages in Fiore in Sorcerer's Weekly." Lola announced. "And although this is her debut battle in the games, Yukino will make her mark for Sabertooth! Let this final match finally get under way!"

The gong went off and the fans were cheering.

"Let us both hold nothing back." Yukino said.

"Likewise." Kagura said, stern in her voice.

"Before we begin, allow me to say. In the previous rounds, wagers have been casted. Shall we do the same."

Kagura was still unfazed. "Sorry, but I do not gamble on such mal terms. Wagers have no value to me."

Yukino's eyes narrowed. "Then what are you afraid of?"

Kagura's glare hardened. "If you're steering me into that course, then I guess it'd be rude of me to not hear what you have to say." She respinded.

"Then let us wager on a more drastic measure." Yukino paused. "Our lives."

All shock and jaws dropped through the stadium, and all teams were at a loss at Yukino's inclination.

"Their lives?" Erza parroted.

"That's a foolish gamble." Nic said. "Either she is overconfident, or she is underestimating her chances."

"Is she having her carrots peeled in the wrong places?!" Beth exclaimed.

"She's gotta have a death wish or something!" Risley retorted.

Kagura readied herself as she put a foot back. "If you really do want to take that course of action, then I guess I must parry. Very well."

Once again, shock echoed through the arena.

"Thing's just got a whole lot serious here folks!" Lola announced.

"SO COOL!" Jason screamed.

Yukino pulled out a gold key and swiped it. The action caught the attention of Lucy.

"Hang on! You mean she's a Celestial Mage just like me?!" Lucy exclaimed.

"And that's…" Sophie's eyes widened.

"A…Zodiac." Cana mumbled, still surprised as she recalled being a part of the rebellion to save all the Zodiacs.

Arcadios's eyes widened. 'I had no idea there would be another Celestial Mage amongst us.'

"Open: Gate of the Fishes – Pisces!"

From a flash, two giant fish emerged. One was black and one was white. Both were hundreds of meters long and slithered through the air like flying fish, howling. Both aimed and went to attack Kagura.

"Giant fish!" Happy squealed.

"Is that another form of Pisces? Because I don't recall them looking like that before." Sophie said.

Nic looked on with heavy weight in his eyes, carefully examining Pisces and Yukino alike. How she had a Zodiac in her possession was very abnormal.

The black fish went to attack in a dive, but Kagura jumped and easily dodged. She then flipped in midair as the white fish swerved in from the side and landed on her back. Kagura dashed along her back and evaded the black fish once more.

The audience watched as Kagura continuously jumped and dodged. Their eyes were glued to her as she moved so little and yet so nimble.

"She's good." Natsu noted.

"Yes, she's very efficient in dodging." Erza admitted.

"If all you're gonna do is run, then I should weight you down." Yukino held up another golden key, which shocked Lucy, Nic, Cana, and Sophie even more.

"She can open two gates at once?!" Lucy exclaimed.

"And it's another Zodiac…" Cana noted.

"Open: Gate of the Balance – Libra!"

Appearing before Yukino was Libra. It was another Zodiac the others met in the Celestial World and the party. Libra was all better and healthy. She adjusted a stance as the men grew hysterical over her slender form.

"Libra, can you shift the target's gravity down?" Yukino asked.

Libra moved her scales as she did a dance. "Yes, as you wish." A sudden blast of gravity hammered Kagura, making her feel rather immobile as Pisces began to swirl around her.

"No way! That lady Spirit uses the same Gravity Magic that I do!" Risley exclaimed.

"Now Pisces!" Yukino ordered.

Both huge fish swerved up and howled. They arched down and went to attack Kagura. Kagura, however, kept her serious demeanor as she stared up. There was a massive dust cloud as Pisces rammed the ground, but all eyes lifted up when Kagura was actually above and high in the air.

"WHOA!" Natsu screamed.

"No kidding. That was one hell of a jump." Gray noted.

"Libra, adjust the gravity sideways!" Yukino announced.

"As you wish! She won't escape this time!" Libra did another dance and adjusted her scales. A blast of gravity blasted Kagura from her side. Kagura grunted when she hit one of the large statue's forehead, making a crater as pressure was weighed down onto her.

"Pisces!" Yukino exclaimed. Pisces then emerged from the ground again and swerved through the skies, swimming after Kagura.

"Aw yeah! That's the power of double summoning two Zodiacs!" Lector shouted.

Pisces went to attack, but Kagura's eyes sharpened and Pisces suddenly stopped moving. Instead, the huge fish duo twitched as they felt heavy. They both fell to the ground, and Libra suddenly found herself on her knees as her gravity was heavy.

"I…can't move!" Libra muttered.

"Those things are bigger than Gyarados and can fly, and yet they were brought down that fast?!" Mawile exclaimed.

"She must have used gravity." Venusaur said.

"Gravity is so painful!" Krokorok shouted. "Gravity's got nothing on Krokorok! I DEFY YOU GRAVITY!"

Eventually the gravity weighed Pisces so down that the two fish fell onto Libra, making her immobile and unable to move.

Yukino saw the predicament and knew the best solution was but to withdraw. "Libra. Pisces. Please return and help your comrades in the repairs." On her call then and there, both Zodiacs returned to their world. Kagura landed on the ground in front, but Yukino seemed calm.

"You're not too bad, but I guide my own faith." Kagura noted.

"Then I guess I should pull this out…" Yukino presented a third golden key, having a black snake coil around it. "Behold – the Thirteenth Gate."

Nic, Cana, Sophie, and Lucy's eyes widened.

"Thirteenth Gate?" Nic questioned. His eyes narrowed. "No, that's not possible; if that were the case, then it can't be official."

"Yeah, you have to be right. Lysandre enslaved and bloodied all twelve Zodiacs, this thirteenth one…" Lucy trailed doff. "…I only heard rumors of it, but I never expected them to be true." Her eyes narrowed.

Sophie swallowed. "Thirteenth Gate…"

Cana's eyes narrowed as well. "This has gotta be a joke. The twelve Zodiacs are official, so what is this one?"

The arena was suddenly engulfed in a dark mist, and the sky had a black cyclone like Jellal's Sema spell yesterday. As the key glowed, the air got heavy.

"Your luck has run out." Yukino warned.

"Luck? I don't believe in luck." Kagura countered, reaching for her sheathed blade. "My life up to now is the choices I've committed."

"Open: Gate of the Serpent-Bearer – Ophiuchus!"

Emerging from the black mist was a huge snake. Ophiuchus had large red eyes and markings on its head. The upper part of her body had dark scales while the lower section was more technological and inorganic. Plates were all underneath, and had an artificial lower jaw.

"HOLY COW!" Natsu and Gray screamed in unison.

"That's as gotta be as long and huge as Hydrus." Nic recalled how the crew was up against the huge sea serpent known as Hydrus back on their sea voyage.

'The Thirteenth Gate. This girl is impressive indeed.' Arcadios smirked.

This isn't good. Not only are there two Celestial Mages, but they both are Zodiac wielders.' Darton thought nervously as Ophiuchus hissed and closed in on Kagura.

Kagura poised her sheath and watched as the huge snake closed in. She pivoted around and closed her eyes.

"Drudge Sword: Archenemy…" Her eyes opened. "Sheathed Longsword Technique!"

Ophiuchus passed the Mage as she dashed on ahead, and the serpent in full was sliced into bits.

"What?! But how-?!" Sting exclaimed as Ophiuchus vanished and everything cleared up.

"She never drew her sword!" Erza gasped. "How can she do that?"

Yukino gasped and was left still in terror as her ace was used up, and Kagura appeared in front of her.

The hooded woman had a grin. "Kagura's got this in the bag."

'But…how?' Yukino was left in mortal peril as Kagura's vicious eyes pierced right through her soul, her fiery blaze never hindered since the beginning.

"Your bet was foolhardy." Kagura chided. Her sheath in hand, she swung and ended up behind Yukino as the white-haired Mage fell over onto her back, much to everyone's shock. Kagura, however, just had her eyes closed and stood triumphantly. "There was a time, when mermaids feasted upon tigers."

The crowd was left baffled at first, but then they all roared as Kagura walked away full of pride.

"M-Mermaid Heel completely annihilated Sabertooth's Yukino! Mermaid Heel earns 10 points!" Lola stammered.

"Wait a go, Kagura!" Beth cheered.

"I wasn't worried. She could handle herself." Risley noted.

"That Celestial Mage was most impressive, yet she still fell." Arana said.

"This is a major shocker! Sabertooth hasn't scored any points today!" Lola announced.

"Their Master won't be pleased about that." Yajima noted.

"This is the coolest thing to have ever happened!" Jason screamed.

"Mermaid Heel's Kagura." Nic repeated. He looked to Erza, who seemed just as perplexed as her.

The redhead narrowed her eyes as Kagura walked away. 'I had no idea there was someone like her. Kagura Mikazuchi.'

'I…I have lost…?' Yukino shuddered as she laid on the ground, tears starting to rise up. "I…I've tarnished Sabertooth."

Kagura was meters away before she stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Your life is now in my hands, don't forget that."

Yukino nodded as tears went down the sides of her face. "…yes."

"With that last battle, let's check the scoreboard!" Lola then displayed the scoreboard for all to see.

1st Place: Raven Tail - 26

2nd Place: Fairy Tail A - 22

3rd Place: Sabertooth - 20

3rd Place: Lamia Scale - 20

5th Place: Mermaid Heel - 19

6th Place: Blue Pegasus - 17

7th Place: Quatro Puppy - 12

7th Place: Fairy Tail B – 12

"Everything has been scrambled up folks! One team of Fairy Tail is ahead while the other is tied with the now dubbed Quatro Puppy!" Lola announced.

Yajima nodded. "They've sure risen their game."

"YEAH! How'd you like that Sabertooth?!" Makarov mocked, doing a mocking and pathetic cheer on the balcony.

Sting's fist clenched so tightly that part of the balcony cracked away. "Yukino…"

Rocker's hair drooped. "They really…changed it!" He turned shaking towards Bacchus. "Hey man! Please tell me they're just fooling around! We're really Quatro Puppy?!"

Bacchus turned away with an uproarious laugh. "The big guy and I made a man to man agreement in there, so yeah." He raised one of his casts that was his arms. "Alright, we're drinking tonight! WILD!"

"And that wraps up the second day of the Grand Magic Games folks! See you all for tomorrow's next contest!" Lola announced.

Jellal was walking away with his team, and he looked down at the ground, uneasy. 'This is odd. It's the end of day two, and yet this dark power isn't present. Are they onto us already? Or are they hiding out this year?'

---

Once again walking down the corridor, Arcadios smirked maliciously once more. He felt pleased knowing there was a Celestial Mage amongst Fairy Tail known as Lucy Heartfilia, but he never expected all the Zodiacs together, and bound by Yukino, handling the remaining official two.

"So Sabertooth harbors their own Celestial Mage." He said aloud. "The Eclipse Project will be a success."

---

And so I'll cut things off here. I wanted to get more done and get the nighttime conversation out of the way, but instead I'll move to Plan B. I'll have to alter my course of action and make these next chapters get pushed back by one. I have to reconfigure a strategy for next chapter since now that one will be the night of Day 2 with the beginning of Day 3 and Pandemonium, according to what I have in mind.

I'm sure many of you are anxious to be ready for the reappearance of Minerva, this time being calmer and less arrogant. I also have a special OC that I planned to mess things up a little, and said OC will play a role in the games, rest assured.

I also changed up the beginning scene so Cana disliked Bacchus greatly, given the X791 Arc incident; besides, I never really liked the idea of the two together. I hate that picture. Speaking of which, for those who read One's Road to Remembrance, I have a new chapter up there as well.

Please Favorite, Follow, & Review this story and/or chapter if you guys enjoyed the 2nd Day and what went down, and how I made more NicxErza moments.

---

Next Time: Friends and Foes Alike