Levy's P.O.V
How the hell did I get myself into this mess?! I screamed in my head. It was very uncommon, almost impossible, for me... Fairy Tail's little bookworm to curse. But what else did you expect me to do when I'm standing in front of Evergreen on a battlefield with the rest of the guild betting that she will win the fight?! Even Jet and Droy!
~ A few hours ago ~
"Listen brats!" Yelled Master Makarov. He was on the stage with all the S-class mages behind him. "We are having a fighting tournament," he announced making the guild go wild.
Fighting tournament? It looks like I won't be competing this time... or that's what I thought until Master said the following: "There will be one for men and another one for women. S-class mages won't be participating, and everyone must take part in them."
W-what?! But I'm not good at fighting! I whined in my head. I noticed that Gajeel had a smirked on his face. Of course, he does! He loves fighting. I've been sitting at his table ever since we returned from Tenrou Island, spending almost all of my free time with him.
"The winner of the tournament will choose one of the two S-class mages of their same gender to fight against. If you win that battle you will be promoted to S-class... see it as compensation for last year's S-class exam." The guild burst into cheers once the Master had finalized his announcement.
Oh, Mavis! I prayed in my head. I'm ruined.
~ Present time ~
The men's tournament finished an hour ago with Gajeel as the winner. I was very happy for him... not to mention I gained a lot of money on the bets I placed on him. The majority, except for Lily, Cana, and me, voted for Natsu thinking that it would end the same way it happened during the war against Phantom Lord. Master postponed Gajeel's fight against the S-class mage after the female tournament ends, because of his injuries.
But what matters right now is that for a strange reason I had advanced to the semifinals! I couldn't believe it. When the female tournament began, I thought that I would be the first one to lose... but I didn't. I won every single one of my fights, with only a few scratches on me.
It wasn't that difficult; I've known almost all of the members of the guild since I was a little girl, and I've had already memorized their magics, strengths, and weaknesses. So, I was able to choose the correct word to neutralize all of my opponent's magic spells and attack their weak spots. But now it was a whole different story! Not even knowing Evergreen's weak points I was going to be able to win, she was a member of the God Thunder Tribe for Mavis' sake! She is way out of my league! However, watching her cocky smile, as if she had already won the battle made something in me snap... anger began to boil inside of me. I was scared, I had never felt like this. The desire of showing her and everyone else that they weren't better than me was new, but it made me feel... stronger?
"Let the battle begin!" Announced Master.
As soon as the words left his mouth Evergreen attacked me with her Fairy Ray taking me by surprise and sending me flying a few yards away.
"Arg!" I groaned from pain, before rapidly standing up and conjuring: "Solid Script: Fire."
She swiftly dodged it and then attack me with her Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun. However, what she or nobody expected was that I was capable of eluding it with a succession of backflips. During the training Gajeel gave me, for the S-class exam, he discovered that with my short height and slim figure I had the perfect qualities for using this kind of tricks during a fight. I had so much fun training that part, that I decided to take professional lessons... which really paid off. We continued like that for a while, sending spells to each other and dodging them. It was the hardest fight I've had so far... if I don't count the ones in Tenrou Island and the one against Gajeel.
We both fell on our knees panting hard. We used too much magic, I don't think I'll be able to continue for too long, especially not with the injuries I have, I thought grimly. I had never been too good at withstanding pain, especially since I get bruised fast. But in this fight I had another disadvantage, my attacks weren't as powerful as hers which means that she wasn't as hurt as I was.
"I've had enough!" She exclaimed, taking off her glasses and flew towards me.
Fuck! She will turn me into stone! I already lost, well the good side was that I put a good fight and got to the semi-finals, I smiled sadly accepting my defeat... until someone in the crowd shouted angrily at me surprising all of the presents.
"Shrimp what the hell are you doing?! You can't give you like that!"
I opened my eyes in shock. H-he was right! I couldn't give up like that, I'm a Fairy Tail's mage after all! We never give up!I exclaimed in my head. My gaze now was filled with determination but still facing the ground because I wasn't planning on turning into stone.
Just when she was about to attack me, I moved my fingers and rapidly wrote: "Solid Script: Mirror!" Reflecting her own attack, which turned Evergreen into stone.
Just like Perseus did against Medusa... reading gives you a lot of good ideas. I thought to myself happily.
"The winner of the second semi-finals of the female tournament is Levy Mcgarden!" I smiled happily at my victory. "She will be competing against Lucy Heartfilia in the finals. Let's take ten minutes to rest," my smile vanished as I heard Master's words.
Fight against Lu-chan? I gulped nervously, I won't be able to win! I exclaimed in my head while walking towards master Makarov.
"Levy, my child, what is the problem?" He asked gently.
"Could we talk privately?" I asked shyly, he nodded and guided me to his office. He sat on his desk and waited for me to start. "I can't fight against Lu-chan!" I finally said.
"Why is that?" He asked raising his eyebrow. "I know that you are both best friends and all, but that doesn't mean that..."
I rapidly cut him off: "That's not what I meant!"
"Then what is it?" He insisted, confusion written all over his face.
"I'm not strong enough!" I pouted "Lu-chan will defeat me in a minute!"
"Isn't that what you thought before your fight against Evergreen?" He questioned me, making me blush. I nodded slowly as an answer. "But you won," he pointed out.
"Only because I reflected her attack," I argued back. "My magic isn't as powerful as the others."
"Is that a problem?" I looked at the Master as if he was crazy. "Have you ever asked yourself why I chose you to participate in the last S-class exam?"
"I always thought that I would never take part in them," I confessed. "But I was very surprised and happy about it. However, I always thought that it was compensation for what happened during our war against Phantom Lord"
"That's a nonsense child!" Master Makarov scolded me with a stern gaze. "You've always had a brilliant mind! While fighting you always plan and think before you act. Maybe your magic isn't big, but your mind is. You fight with precision and use the magic of your opponent and the surroundings in your favor. You have gotten stronger since Gajeel pined you to that tree because you had been training to not let your guildmates down again, that's why I chose you. You are a talented mage Levy Mcgarden, don't let anyone or even yourself, make you think the opposite." He scolded me. "And if you are not convinced yet let me remind you that you defeated two members of one of the strongest teams in their own game. Evergreen with her eye magic and Freed with his Jutsu Shiki!" He praised me.
Justsu Shiki?... I mumbled in my head, thoughtfully.
"Thanks, Master!" I exclaimed happily running to hug him tightly. "Now I know what to do!"
"Really? Well then let's go," he said jumping off his desk. "It's time to continue with the tournament," we walked towards the guild's battlefield. Everyone was already there excited to see the fight between the two strongest female mages... not counting Mira or Erza, of course. I stood a few meters in front of Lu-chan, we gave each other an encouraging smile.
I can do this... at least I hope I can...
"Let the battle begin!"
"Leo, Virgo I summon you!" Lu-chan called out two of her most powerful spirits.
There must be a compliment there somewhere, I thought to myself with a wry smile.
"Solid Script: Wind!" I cast lifting myself in the air evading the hole attack that Virgo dug under me. "Solid Script: Shield!" I chanted, protecting me from the Regulus Impact from Loki. "Solid Script: Bolt!" I used. Making both of the spirits to look at me confused because nothing hit them but understood everything when they heard Lu-chan's scream of pain.
"Princess!" They both shouted at the same time running to her aid. Lu-chan can have a high amount of magic but she has a lot of openings when her spirits aren't around her, I analyzed in my head. "What is happening?!" Both zodiac spirits shouted at the same time when they were trapped by my Jutsu Shiki.
"You fell into my trap! That's what happened." I announced to everyone's confusion, except for Freed who noticed what I've done. "I had been writing those runes ever since I stepped into the battlefield without anyone noticing," I told them. When I saw Lu-chan was about to force their gates close I stopped her. "Don't even try it Lu-chan! They can't return to the spirit world; my spell won't allow them. Not until I say the opposite." I put a hand in my hip and pointed at her with the other one, with a confidence I didn't know I possessed. Maybe it was the fact that Lu-chan paled or that I heard a lot of gasps of surprise or that I Gajeel laughed, not mocking laughter but an amused one or even all of them. "This fight will be between you and me! Solid Script: Daggers." I cast against my best friend who defended herself with her whip... but she wasn't able to hit all of them and ended up getting slashed by a few, "Solid Script: Stone." She dodged it. "Solid Script: Fire! Solid Script: Bolt! Solid Script: Iron!" Those hit her and left her very injured on the ground. "Solid Script: Bomb!"
"Ah!" She yelled. I felt bad for hurting her... but this was a fighting tournament, after all, she did not hold back against me, so I cannot do that to her.
"Princess!" Both of her spirits shouted.
"Levy, get us out of here!" Demanded Loki angrily.
"It's our work to protect our princess." Added Virgo, just as angry.
I also felt bad for them. I knew how deep their bond was and that seeing their master being hurt without being able to do something about it must be killing them. But I couldn't release them.
"Sorry guys but I can't. If I let you free, she'll have the advantage. But she still has enough magic to summon another spirit, isn't she able to have three gates opened at once?"
"Yes, she can." They both answered at the same time.
"Then don't worry, she will be fine." I smiled brightly at them "After all Lu-chan is strong." I assured them before using backflips to elude the arrows that Sagittarius sent towards me. "Solid Script: Reflection!" I cast, returning his attack to himself. Sending him back to the spirit world. "Solid Script: Thunder! Solid Script: Bolt!" I electrocuted her first. "Solid Script: Fire!" Burning her after. "Solid Script: Ice!" Freezing her afterward. If I continue with these different attacks, her body won't be able to handle it, I thought. " Solid Script: Hole!" She fell into it. "Solid Script: Bolt!" I used it once last time, knocking her out.
I released her spirits from the Jutsu Shiki. "Princess!" They ran to her side as Team Natsu did.
"Our winner is Levy Mcgarden!" Master announced with a proud smile towards me. "Let's continue with the battles against S-class mages..."
~ An hour later ~
"Arg!" I groaned in pain, sitting up on the bed. "What am I doing in the healing room of the guild? What happened?"
"You are here because you were knocked out by Demon Girl during your fight against her," answered me in a deep voice.
I turned around meeting the intense gaze of Gajeel's red eyes. I remembered his fight against Laxus, he ended up giving a better fight than I did but lost at the end. We locked gazes for what seemed an eternity to me before I finally decided to break our eye contest, my look rested on his body... more specifically his bare chest. He was so handsome that sometimes I had to beg Mavis that he didn't notice my stares. It wasn't like this before... but ever since he offered to train me, I haven't been able to keep my eyes on him. I had always held the desire to eat him with my eyes but as soon as I noticed what I was doing I ended up blushing and gazing in the opposite direction... but this time I didn't. Maybe because of all the adrenaline from the battles. Maybe it wasn't letting me think straight, but I didn't care because I was really enjoying the view, I had in front of me.
Gajeel's P.O.V
Color me surprise. The shiest human being I had ever met was undressing me boldly with her eyes. I couldn't help the smirk creeping on my face and do the same that she was doing, which wasn't that difficult cause her upper torso was exposed except for a bandage that covered her small breasts. Not that she has noticed.
I didn't know when it happened, or how, but the only thing that mattered was the craving I felt for her. The craving of having her under me, moaning and all sweaty in that exact moment... and by her look she wouldn't care that much.
"Thanks," I broke the silence making her look at my eyes with confusion. "I won enough money to pay two months of rent with the bets I placed on you today, especially the last two," I explained.
I heard her heart miss a beat and then began to bump faster: "You bet on me?" She asked almost in a whisper, clearly moved by my gesture.
"Gihi! You are a tough one, Shrimp." My smirk never changed but my tone was dead serious. "I never doubted that you would win, after all, I was the one that trained you!" She broke into a fit of giggles, which was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard. I am turning into such a pansy... fuck you Fairy Tail! This is all your fault! I grumbled in my head. "Now Shorty." I began with a husky and low tone, getting off the bed and slowly approached her. I rapidly climbed above her, putting my hands on each side of her head. She gulped hard making me chuckle and blush. "Why were you staring at me as if I was a delicious piece of meat?" I teased her, blowing in her ear.
"Was I?" She gasped... but surprises me again when she locked her arms around my neck pulling me closer, so my lips were only millimeters apart from hers. "Or were you?" She teased me back, her lips brushing against mine with each word.
Something in me snapped and I roughly took possession of her lips.
Today you won't escape from me Shrimp.