Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen?

Celestia193's Author's Note: Sorry about the long wait. Lots of stuff happened (mostly on my end) involving babysitting munchkins for two weeks, finishing up one collab, plot bunny hitting for another, then flying halfway across the country, and now I'm settled into my dorm at school. Busy, busy, busy. Anyway, this was a difficult couple of chapters to write (I split this one in two, since the chapter was getting massive) since we're dealing with a host of very powerful (over-powered) characters. It's hard to let some of them win and some of them lose, because these are characters that…I just want all of them to win. But, since that's not possible, we decided to knock most of them down. Sasuke and Itachi get to demonstrate their badassery, and Erza… Well, she has her Nakagami Armor. Enough said. But I hope you all like it! Because we can get into the serious power upgrades for Itachi and Sasuke in the next few chapters.

Chapter 21

Fugaku's blood runs cold as he watches the scene on the screen. He knew what that pattern in Sasuke's eyes meant. Fear, unimaginable fear had flooded through his son at seeing that woman, Minerva, nearly killing the Fairy Queen. But those eyes… "Sasuke…" For just a moment, they were full of nothing but fear and pain. And now, someone was dead as a result.

"Our poor baby." Mikoto whispers in horror. "He's just gotten a lot stronger, but at a terrible cost." Those eyes. No child should have those eyes. No one really should, but especially not a child who was barely of age. Especially not their Sasuke.

Bob listens to the parents worriedly. "Oh dear…what's happened to my little Sasuke?" This was a display of violence that he'd never seen from the boy before. "He looks so…different." In the way he moved, the way he looked at the world, at the woman he'd killed. It was as though everything changed in a split second.

Kenji sighs as he looks at Bob. "He's activated the Mangekyo Sharingan. It is one of our family's most powerful... spells as you would call it, but it can only be used after one suffers a great loss or at least believes they have." Seeing the red head like that, must have set him off. This had gone far beyond a crush.

"Oh my…" Bob frowns sadly at the sight of the boy on the screen, helping one of his competitors to walk. "At least Erza survived." Not that Bob doubted it, Fairy Tail had a knack for surviving just about anything. But Sasuke must have been terrified. "The boy's in love…"

"Yes, and may the gods and goddesses help whatever psychotic bitch attacks that woman next." Aiya shakes her head. "He's just like his grandfather." Kenji was perhaps the easiest going Uchiha save for possibly Shisui, but he could be scary when she was threatened.

And his father, though Fugaku wasn't going to say that out loud. He could be extremely scary when he wanted to. "At least Itachi has been spared the curse." At least, so far. But clearly, this world was more dangerous than its initially peaceful nature implied.

Akane sighs as she watches. "I can't believe it. I still remember Sasuke as the child with those adorable bubble eyes." And now, he was ripping some woman's heart out?

The audience is in silent shock at the sight of Minerva's disintegrated body. There was nothing left of her, and everyone was stunned by the ferocity that came, not from one of Sabertooth, but from a member of Blue Pegasus. Uncharacteristic was putting it mildly. They'd had a few minor deaths in the games, of course, but nothing even remotely like this. For this…well, there might very well be some rule changes in the future.

Even Chapati had to take a moment to tear himself out of his stupor. "Watch out, folks! It looks like Blue Pegasus is out for the blood of Tigers! By bringing down their queen, Sasuke Uchiha earns Blue Pegasus five points!" But there was no raucous cheering, just a kind of stunned applause as the points are added to the total.


Hobbling along towards the park, and trying not to use Sasuke for support, Erza ignores the pain in her throbbing left foot. She knew that she was seriously injured, but this battle was not over yet. There were still wizards to defeat. …Such as the one walking by her side, looking more worried than anything else. "Sasuke, I promise that I will be fine. There's no need to watch me as though you're afraid that I'll trip over a pebble and break something."

"I highly doubt that any pebble would be foolish enough to mess with you." His brother might be another matter though. "Humor me. You can consider it practice for when I win the bet later." That was bluster. Sasuke knew that the odds were tipped completely in Fairy Tail's favor at the moment, even after he found Itachi.

"You think so?" Erza laughs at the thought as she slowly approaches a bench to sit on. "Well, perhaps we should both try not to count chickens while we still have only eggs." After all, it was still anyone's game. Even if Fairy Tail had much more than just a title on the line if they were to try and win.

"Mhm." He watches as he sat down. If Itachi went after Erza, he didn't know how he'd react. Of course, Itachi wouldn't be aiming for a kill shot. "They'll sense our chakra soon enough." Still, she was badly injured and he might react on instinct. Fighting against him while fighting all of Fairy Tail just wouldn't be right.

Logically, he knew that he should just knock her out. He could do it without hurting Erza. She was in no condition to do battle, but she might also never forgive him. It wasn't an easy decision to make. So he waits. The time for action would come soon enough.

Erza looks up to the sky, a little surprised to see how low the sun now was in the sky. "We've been out here for hours." But it didn't feel nearly that long. Strange…

"Feels like an eternity." He really could have lost her. If he had been even a few minutes later. "You know, I love you." Sasuke looks at her warily. "That's the main reason why I killed her. Because she would have done it to you. And I'm still going to love you, even when I have to tear into your guild mates."

Erza's eyes widen a little as her cheeks warm. Then, she laughs. "Oh? And who says that it will be my teammates that you will end up fighting?" After all, she had a promise to keep, several, actually.

"Logic." He sighs wistfully. "There are only two members of my guild fighting and Itachi knows that I'm likely going to be useless against you. He'll probably have a go at you." It irritated Sasuke to know this and that his brother was only doing what he should, if he wanted to win. "We are competitors after all. it's nothing personal on his end of things." He didn't want Erza and Itachi to hold a grudge against each other after this competition.

"Useless?" Erza raises a single scarlet eyebrow, the blush on her cheeks gone. "Why do you think that?" She had seen him fight, so she couldn't see how his efforts would be useless. Maybe not effective, if he relied on elemental attacks, but hardly useless.

"Training is one thing, but this is different." Not when she was hurt like this, he couldn't do it. "I couldn't give you a proper fight because I don't want to hurt you." Anymore than Minerva already had.

"I see…" She nods slowly. "That is very courteous of you." But she would just see how long that courtesy would last when she personally turned up the heat on this competition. "But you needn't worry about me. I am not nearly as fragile as you seem to believe."

It wasn't about being fragile. "Erza, I've seen you fight and win against a hundred monsters by yourself." He knew that she was strong. "I know you're strong, but those injuries of yours are serious. That bitch and those rabid cats should have never been allowed to enter this competition in the first place. They enjoy it." He didn't feel like it was necessary to elaborate. "Sadists. The lot of them, except for possibly the Dragon Slayers, who are just quieter versions of Natsu."

Well, she had fought with far worse injuries on many occasions. "It is just my foot. I believe that I will still prove a match for whomever decides to challenge me." Besides, she expected that the rest of her team would be similarly injured. There was no chance that she would just sit back and let the others do the fighting for her. But for now…I suppose it's simply best to wait until Sting reveals himself." Then, the final battle would begin.

"I think...you might actually be the most stubborn woman that I've ever met." He shakes his head. "And that includes my mother."

"Why, thank you." Erza beams at the remark. "I do try to remain steadfast and loyal to my cause, my ideals, and to those I care about."

He shakes his head and places his hand on her shoulder and just over the top of her breast as he pulls her closer. "You're also the most adorable one." Sasuke couldn't help, but kiss her at that moment.

Erza smiles into the kiss, maneuvering herself carefully as she slides her arms around Sasuke's neck and sidles into his lap. "And you are among the most persistent men I've ever met." And that was saying something, when you looked at just who was in her guild.

"I hope persistent isn't your charitable way of saying annoying." He smirks at her as he wraps his arms around her and deepens the kiss.


Back in Domus Flau, Chapati's wide eyes accompany Yajima's hearty chuckle. "Ah…to be a young stallion again. The boy is certainly a brave one to be trying to catch Miss Erza."

Many pairs of Uchiha eyes were still fixed to the lacrima screens, and Izumi sighs wistfully. "My little cousin…all grown up and kissing girls in the middle of a battle…"

Aiya shakes her head and looks at Kenji. "He takes after you." The boy clearly needed to sort out his priorities. This was the middle of a battle and Izumi was just as bad!

Mikoto rubs the back of her head sheepishly. "Well I suppose that is one way to demonstrate good sportsmanship." Maybe, she would get red headed grandchildren? Oh that would be adorable!

Fugaku twitches. "I take it that this is not a usual occurrence during these contests." He glances at Shisui, only to be distracted by…wait, was that tongue? …Well, judging by how…vigorously this makeshift competition was being conducted, it would seem that his son's lover, or soon to be, didn't mind looking like she was about to be ravished in front of tens of thousands of spectators. Perhaps his wife would get her grandchildren soon, after all.

"I've never seen two people make out in the middle of the final battle before." Shisui chuckles as he shakes his head at his other cousin on the screens. "And you thought he was shy."


Sasuke was well as Shisui would say, in his happy place. Thoughts of the impending battle against the rest of Fairy Tail were far away in his mind. The only battle that existed at the moment was the battle between their tongues and in that fight, they were both winning no matter who ended up taking control of the kiss.

Right now, Erza was fairly certain that she was winning, her tongue currently dancing circles around Sasuke's. After all, she'd gotten Sasuke onto his back, and had, with some careful shimmying, straddled Sasuke's hips. It was nice, really, and he didn't even seem to mind that she was covered in blood. Not that she minded the blood soaking him, but… What was she thinking about again?

Sasuke groans into the kiss and was rather tempted to tear those bandages off. Only the distant gasps and other exclamations from the audience dimly registering in his mind, kept him from doing so. For now, he would just content himself with enjoying the feeling of her lips against his and Erza straddling his hips.

Her weight pressed into her knees, Erza places her hands on Sasuke's chest, breaking the kiss for a moment as she pulls away to look at him, leaning over him as she caught her breath. Disheveled would be putting it mildly, but she did rather like the rosy hue tinting his pale cheeks. "Hm…" She runs a single hand through his messy hair. "I rather like this look on you." Flushed and panting, and his eyes…VERY focused on her.

"I rather like the look of you too." And he really wanted to yank that 'top' off of her.

Well, well. Erza smiles slyly. "Then perhaps we might spend some time together after we've both recovered from the battle."

Battle? What battle? "Yeah. That sounds good to me." Oh right. This battle. It was kinda hard to think about the impending clusterfuck that was about to happen when well something else was...also decidedly hard. He was going to need a cold shower. Damn it. Where was that Ice Stripper, anyway?

Erza sighs, fingers dancing through raven locks and across a muscular chest as she glances up into the sky. The sun had set, it was starting to get dark. Which meant, that according to Mavis' calculations, Sting should be appearing right about…

BOOM! A giant white firework goes off overhead, shaped like the Sabertooth emblem. "Sting." And it was coming from the direction of a plaza not too far from here.

"Have I mentioned how much I really hate Sting recently?" Because, he really, really fucking hated him. "Alright. I guess that's our cue." Sasuke sighs as he gently nudges her off of him and gets up.

"Yes, it is." Erza takes up her sword once more, using it as a crutch, or a cane to edge towards the source of the flare without forcing too much weight onto her foot. "It seems that there has been a slight change of plans." The team would no longer be meeting at the park, but at Sting's location. That meant that the others had been slowed. They were injured.

He nods as he walks with her towards Sting. "Be careful." Blondie was alone and desperate. He wouldn't go easy on someone who was injured like Erza. That was for damn sure.

"You should be careful as well." Erza smiles at him as she spots her battered and bruised teammates approaching the plaza as well. "You say that you would be useless in a battle against me, but I do not believe that is true. After all, from one warrior to another, it would be disrespectful to go into battle and not give it your all."

"I always am and we'll see what happens." Sasuke's eyes were now focused on her teammates. It seemed unlikely Erza would take a shot at him for the moment, but the other members of Fairy Tail well that wasn't nearly as certain.


The Fairies were not the only ones approaching Sting's location. Knowing that the rest of the competition would gather at the sight of such a flare, Itachi follows suit, arriving just on the edge of the plaza to see the wounded Fairies approaching Sting, along with Sasuke. He eyes his brother warily, noting that both he and Titania looked a little disheveled. "Really?" He shakes his head, muttering under his breath as he waves to his brother, beckoning him over.

Sasuke shoots Erza an apologetic look before he cautiously makes his way over to Itachi. After all, any of the Fairies or Sting (aka the Cockblocker, forget about his stupid Dragon Slayer nickname) might take a shot at him.

"Sasuke…" Itachi shakes his head, before poking his little brother square in the forehead. "Now is not the time to be ravishing your Fairy Queen."

"I wasn't ravishing her." It was more like the other way around. "It was just kissing." And some straddling.

"Of course it was…" Itachi rolls his eyes, before directing them back onto the wounded Fairies, who had decided to face down Sting as a team. "Now, I believe that we will require a plan to deal with Fairy Tail, as I doubt that Sting stands much of a chance against them in their current state."

"We rush them while they attack Sting." They were probably going to gun for the Dragon Slayer first because Blue Pegasus was an allied guild.

"Yes, that seems prudent, however, I believe that you should leave Titania to me." Itachi couldn't see that battle going well. "The best course of action would be to split them up and deal with them one or two at a time, and perhaps leave the dragon slayers for last. Your Chidori will be ineffective against Laxus, therefore, you should take Gajeel. I will take the two S-Class wizards."

"Deal." Sasuke nods as he waits for the right moment to strike. "Besides, Iron Mouth will be fun to deal with."

All…did not go according to plan, however. And the battle that never even started…ended with Sting on his knees, surrendering to Fairy Tail. The dragon slayer's sentimentality had proven to be his downfall in the face of five wounded, but steadfast Fairies.

That…did not play into Itachi's plan. He had hoped to use the ensuing battle to unbalance the Fairy Tail team and draw them off individually. But without the fight with Sting…they were calm, focused, and still together. "…That was unexpected." He hadn't foreseen the dragon slayer's pride breaking so easily. They needed a new strategy. Or at least a new way to draw them all off.

"Well they outnumber us, but it doesn't have to stay that way." Sasuke had an idea. "Shadow Clone Jutsu." One punch and a clone was gone, but good luck with them when it came to finding the real one. "Hit them with a Genjutsu."

"Excellent strategy, Sasuke." His little brother was growing up, and Itachi couldn't be prouder. "I will be sure to knock your Fairy Queen out gently." At least…that was the plan as he turned his Sharingan on her.

Sasuke pretends not to hear that. Nothing would set Erza off faster than that. Itachi had just made things harder for him than they needed to be. "Fireball Jutsu: Phoenix Flower Style!" Beating them with raw power likely wasn't going to work. They just were going to have to fight smarter. Not harder and a few dozen fireballs with kunai hidden in them, well they could serve as useful diversionary tactics, even if they were far from knock out blows, if they landed.

Erza's eyes widen at the sight of two red eyes on her, and a strange sensation that she knows far too well washes over her. Her sight was quickly growing dim. "Do not look into their eyes! It's illusion magic!" She shuts her left eye in a hurry, brushing her bangs over it to reveal only her right, the artificial one, lessening the foggy feeling as she draws her sword.

While Gray and Juvia avert their eyes, Laxus and Gajeel close theirs completely, noses twitching. After all, a dragon slayer didn't need to rely on their sight.

Gajeel's nose twitches the most, an irritated glare appearing on his face, ruined only by the absence of a blood red gaze. "Oi Juvia! Ice Stripper, get on with it!" Like hell were they going to lose here!

"On it!" Gray's hands come together as a wall of water erupts around them, freezing the instant he touches his hands to it, blocking the flaming projectiles from coming any closer.

That was fast. "So you can actually do something besides stripping?" Sasuke had been beginning to wonder. "Amaterasu!" Suddenly one of his eyes begins to bleed and black flames erupt, launching themselves at the wall. "I would dodge, if you don't want to be burned to death." He just wanted to deal with that wall. He wasn't trying to actually hit them.

"Damn it!" Gray's eyes widen in panic as his ice wall melts before him. Grabbing Juvia by the back of her tattered dress, he drags her out of the way of the flames, racing back several meters and throwing up snowflake-like ice shields between them and the black fire. Whatever that was, it wasn't good.

Laxus raises an eyebrow at the sight of the melting wall in front of him, opening his eyes for just an instant as his teammates scatter to find better positions. "Well, this is new." He'd never seen black flames like that before. Heard about them from Natsu, sure, but never seen them. "But you don't strike me as being like that crazy god-slayer. I don't wanna deal with that." Holding out a hand, lightning sparks around Laxus' arm, blasting forward and shattering the thirty foot wall of ice into a thousand flaming pieces.

"That's accurate enough." Itachi Flickers behind Laxus and punches him in the back. That should force him to look at him. "The craziest thing my brother has ever done to date is getting tattoos and kissing the competition in the middle of battle." All he needed was eye contact and he could trap him in a Genjutsu. The Sharingan had a wonderful way of amplifying the power of Genjutsu.

"That so?" Laxus knew that voice, which meant that his nose went right back to work. "Good to know." And he whirls around, punching lightning straight into the place where Itachi's scent was coming from. "Next time, don't attack someone from behind!"

The Itachi that he punched, explodes. A clone. "I figured that you'd have some ability attached to your nose." These Dragon Slayers were such annoying creatures. At least the Tailed Beasts made sense in a way. "Let's try that again." He hurls a fireball at him from the front, having Flickered in front of him. The clone had been designed to attract his attention and disperse scent.

Laxus' nose twitches again, and he whirls around to punch straight into the fireball, blasting it apart with a burst of lightning. The smell of smoke fills the air, irritating Laxus' nose and throat. "Ugh…smells like Natsu in here…"

Could they never be serious about anything? "It's about to get worse, I'm afraid." He hurls pepper bombs at the man. Itachi knew that he'd be facing dragon slayers in the arena and thus, he'd come prepared to deal with those annoying noses of theirs.

As the first bomb explodes, nothing seems to happen. Laxus' nose twitches, and he frowns. "What are you playing at this time?" He'd heard something hit the ground, but…

Oh…fuck.

As the hot, painfully spicy scent hits his nose, Laxus pinches it, trying to ward away the pepper. "You've gotta be kidding!" That was so…immature! That's something that Gray would do to Natsu when they were kids to knock Pinky out when the pre-teen dragon slayer REALLY crossed the line.

Fuck, and the Pegasus was so quiet that… Laxus cracks an eye open, peering through the cloud of hot and spicy smoke, his second eye being forced open to help as sparks shoot through the air, protecting him as his eyes start to water. Best to get out of here, and fast. But first, he had to avoid those… …Eyes.

Itachi follows him. Finally. Eye contact. "Go to sleep." One of the application of a Sharingan's genjutsu was that it could paralyze, or render a victim unconscious, temporarily. Though that's really all he needed.

Laxus feels a haze come over him, likely the same thing that Erza had tried to warn them about earlier. Damn it. "You're…pretty tough, huh?" He'd spent too much time, magic, and stamina fighting Jura. He was already struggling to stand. His legs were going numb.

"And you're pretty stubborn." Itachi shakes his head. "Forgive me, but it seems that you're skull is unusually thick." He adds more chakra into his Genjutsu. "Go to sleep. You'll likely have an awful headache tomorrow."

"Yeah…no…joke…" And honestly, it was alright. He'd done what he could, and he REALLY wanted to get away from this damn pepper. "Get'em Iron Mouth." And despite his best efforts to stay standing, Laxus falls, his fur-lined coat falling over top of him.

Well that was one down. If Laxus was any indication this wouldn't be easy. Fortunately, Sasuke's lightning was strong against Gray's ice and Juvia was so devoted to Gray that taking him out meant that the water mistress would as well.

"Gihi…" A sinister laugh echoes from the shadows around him as they writhe in waves on the ground, the image of sharp teeth fleetingly visible. Followed by the sudden appearance of a dozen giant black iron rods.