Here is the thirty-second chapter of this story released when I wanted it to be in keeping with my self-imposed upload requirements for this series. The Battle Royale has begun and while it may take some time before the major battles start the Guilds still have to start somewhere and implement their strategies while getting some points as fast as possible before the big fights start so it's time for that as all but one Guild sets out and puts their plans into motion as they wait the final Guild to join the fray. That is all the administrative stuff though and while there were no questions that required answering there are two guest reviews that requires a response which I will do now. Do keep the reviews coming as I enjoy hearing from those who enjoy my work.

To KGBeastboy (guest), thank you for your review and enjoying my work as well as the suggestions. The mimosa ones are certainly ones to consider when the time comes, been a while since I saw the mention of kudzu vines but I know of their nature thanks to a class in college and they're a subtle reference to Mimosa's English VA also voicing Ibara Shiozaki in My Hero Academia in a way. As with suggestions for Noelle's new spells over time I can't promise all will make the cut but I will use them as inspiration when the time comes. As for the other suggestions though I'm not sure. I am a big fan of, wherever possible, honoring and respecting canon first and foremost and while I can justify new spells for Mimosa and Noelle due to the changes in their magics, this will be especially true with Mimosa when the time comes, the others are a lot harder for me to justify as I'm not a fan or, or comfortable with, as to me it comes off as a little disrespectful to do so. I will consider it but I can't make any promises on that front with Charmy's Food Magic. It works for the cousins because their change is Fairy Tail lore and part of the crossover but the others. As for Luck, I have no plans or intentions on changing his magic to Dragon Slaying Magic, that change is for Noelle only in the Black Bulls and only because of the nature of her spells that allow for the final criteria to be met for her magic to change so I don't think I can do that, sorry. The final spell applies more to the non-canon stuff though it also isn't an equip spell which is what Luck excels in. There are just some things that can't work either with my plans or personal style so I hope you understand that. Do keep reading and enjoying my work.

To Brayden (guest), thank you for your review. To clarify you're query as I may not have been clear in the past there is nothing to worry about there. Due to my established time distortion between the worlds of Black Clover and Fairy Tail, Black Bull Banishment will take place over the course of 6 Earth Land years from x789 to x795 which cover the 6 months of the time skip in Black Clover as one year in Earth Land is one month in the Clover Kingdom. The current year is x791, the events of the Alvarez invasion occur in x792 and the events of 100 Years Quest begin in x793, two years before the Black Bulls can head back due to how the key works so Black Bull Banishment will go through the end of 100 Years Quest and then have at least one, if not two, original sagas dealing with canon villains coming back post 100 Years Quest to make up the time before they return about a week before Dante's attack on the Black Bulls. My long term plan with this series, if all works out, is to have a sequel where several members of Fairy Tail return with the Black Bulls and aid with the Spade Invasion arc. In such a sequel, Wendy would be as she is 12 right now in x791 so she'd be of age to get a grimoire. As for a four leaf, as of right now I do not intend on giving one to any member of Fairy Tail. So far they are very rare and seem, at least based on how Zagred phrased it when he was planning his 500 year long scheme, to be a once in a generation thing where each race has one as he said something along the lines of who in the next generation will have the four leaf and Patry's body is illuminated afterwards. Therefore the human one, and I am including Fairy Tail in this, is Yuno. If there is canon precedent that contradicts this and is revealed before then, which is possible, then I may reconsider it for the members of Fairy Tail though I won't reveal who'd get it. Do keep reading and enjoying my work.

That is it for the pre-chapter note so it is time to end it so that y'all can sit back and enjoy the thirty-second chapter in Black Bull Banishment.

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to these two great animes.

Chapter 32: Opening Strategies

"The weather is nice so I'd say this is a great day for a battle, or many battles as is the case today." Chapati said as the event began and the Black Bulls rushed off in different directions in accordance with their plan. "Wouldn't you two concur?"

"Quite and it would appear that most of the teams in the Battle Royale have decided to split up into smaller groups which should provide us with several small skirmishes in the early going." Yajima said. "That will really separate the Guilds and make the next wave of battles really interesting."

"Good luck." Mato said. "You'll need it pumpkins."

"And it looks like that Sabertooth has opted for a full 5 person split with each individually powerful member going of on his or her own." Chapati said as the Black Bulls moved, which helped tell them a bit of what was going on. "While the other teams have seemingly broken up into groups of two or three for the most part though a few are going for the individual approach. I wonder which strategy is best?"

"Ours obviously." Asta said as he and Noelle rushed off in the direction that he'd sensed the ki he was looking for and they began to drone out the commentary. "It's going to be what carries the day in the end."

"Don't be too hasty Asta." Noelle said a little self-conscious of being alone with him again, it had been a while as over the last two years in Earth Land Mimosa and sometimes Nero were often with them as well but she put that aside as the familiar comfort of working with Asta and the strength she drew from him washed over her instead. "Remember we've got to keep an eye out for our targets. You can sense their ki right? My sense of smell is better but I'm not sure it's accurate yet as I'm still getting used to it and I'm not sure what I'm smelling is right. Like I can tell where people are but outside the Black Bulls there are only few whose scents I can pick up and that's more due to the effects of their primary magic."

"Well so long as you can smell 5 in one place then that's accurate." Asta said. "Because for some reason they've not moved yet."

"Right then I wasn't wrong." Noelle said her confusion lessoning a little with Asta's confirmation. "I can track them pretty well because Juvia smells like clear, fresh water, I'm much more attuned to my own attribute now rather than any others hence why I'm sure it's her. The scents with her that I can tell are three male and another female so that breakdown has to be them as the only teams with that male to female ratio are us and Fairy Tail but short of gender I can't really differentiate yet."

"It's them alright." Asta said. "I got a good read on Erza and Laxus's ki from the third day as both were ones I focused on during their big moments and I'm sure I know Juvia and Gray's from Hidden. By process of elimination the last one has to be Gajeel. They're all there but what are they doing?"

"I don't know." Noelle said as they ran. "They're…"

"What is going on with Fairy Tail?" Chapati asked over the speakers, the mention of Fairy Tail getting their attention so they tuned it to get some sense though there would be lacrima visions throughout the city to aid them as well though they couldn't let that distract them. "For some unknown reason Team Fairy Tail are just standing there as if they're in a trance. That is not what we were expecting from them."

"That's odd." Noelle said. "Are they waiting for an attack? Rufus has that long ranged targeting spell so that could be it or they're seeing who'd be stupid enough to attack them all at once. Even you'd be hard pressed to beat all 5 though."

"Good thing that's not the plan then." Asta said. "Though I doubt I'll get more than one or two one on ones with Fairy Tail."

"Well, I guess their strategy is their strategy no matter how bizarre it is." Chapati said interrupting Asta as he continued to comment on the strange start that Fairy Tail was going for. "It looks like there are some other battles going on already as Kagura of Mermaid Heel scores the first two points of the Battle Royle by taking down Lamia's Scales Yuka and Toby. Things will start to heat up soon because there are a few other clashes on the brink of happening folks and you don't want to miss a thing in this thrilling conclusion to the Grand Magic Games!"

"No we stick to the plan for as long as it holds out." Noelle agreed as they used her nose and Asta's ability to read ki to keep track of not just Fairy Tail but other threats as they moved towards their selected waiting area. "The rest is up to the others as they move."

Asta nodded and they fell into a quick rhythm so that they were in place for what was to come. The team's strategy was a simple one that began with a three pronged move utilizing Asta and Luck's location skills, with some aid from Noelle for the former to help her practice it, to either encounter a specific opponent or get into position and await one themselves who they expected to target them.

For Asta and Noelle their goal was the latter of the two. They had a location in mind, they'd used a map of the city and Nero's birds' eye view to find it, where they'd set up their trap for whoever came for them. Noelle would serve as bait and lure out the big threats they knew were coming for them be it due to her own actions getting Minerva's attention or Asta's skill ensuring that he'd likely draw the attention of at least two of Erza, Jura, Laxus, and Kagura. Likely they'd either try to track Asta directly or go for Noelle expecting him to be nearby, which he would be and awaiting the right moment to strike.

All would come down to who was going to appear first. If it was Minerva then Noelle would engage, she may have won the last time but she knew the older woman would come for her, she clearly couldn't take losing, and Noelle was more than happy to put her in her place for a second time. If it was another though then Noelle would hold off for Asta as it Noelle would likely struggle against the other big names. She was putting a lot of trust in Asta but he was her primary battle partner, she'd long since trusted him implicitly and that wasn't going to change anytime soon because she knew that he'd not let her down.

As for the others, Charmy was to head off on her own and find a suitable base of operations to set up her food and sheep. She could handle things alone, and given the nature of some of her spells it was better for her to be on her own to avoid getting caught in them, so they didn't worry about her and with their communication devices they'd be able to find her if they needed some mana replenishment after wins, providing they won of course. Regardless, Charmy was their secret weapon who was ready to act when needed, providing she wasn't distracted by food of course.

Lastly, Luck and Magna were to head out for their own target, a special one that was selected for them for various reasons and who Luck would use his mana sensing skills to find as soon as the Battle Royale began. They were also tasked with getting a few points along the way once the points system was announced so as to add some cushion for them and that was just what they planned on doing before reaching their goal.

It was a solid plan and one that was about to start because as Asta and Noelle neared their point, they'd had to go wide as there was currently a clash going on nearby between Lyon of Lamia Scale and the three members of Mermaid Heel who'd gone after him, they heard the announcement. It was just what they wanted to hear and they smiled at it knowing what was to come.

"And just as Lyon Bastia takes down Lislie to complete the three on one victory for Lamia Scale boosting them to 38 points and just as that battle ends we've got another exciting match about to start up so talk about timing!" Chapati said excitedly over the speakers. "The Trimens of Blue Pegasus have just crossed paths with Luck Voltia and Magna Swing of the Black Bulls and this fight is going to be just as good as the one we witnessed."

"Good luck guys." Asta said with a grin. "You got this."

Noelle nodded as they hurried to their starting position. It was time for them to boost their score a little and add some insurance because once Fairy Tail moved all bets were off and the true Battle Royal began in earnest.

"And just as Lyon Bastia takes down Lislie to complete the three on one victory for Lamia Scale boosting them to 38 points and just as that battle ends we've got another exciting match about to start up so talk about timing!" Chapati voice said interrupting Charmy from her the nums that she was enjoying and getting her to looked over to the lacrima vision she could see near where she'd set herself up. ""The Trimens of Blue Pegasus have just crossed paths with Luck Voltia and Magna Swing of the Black Bulls and this fight is going to be just as good as the one we witnessed."

"Win boys!" Charmy said as she leapt up and onto the table she'd set up in the street with cotton pom poms in her hands and began to cheer while three of her sheep cooks did so behind her and several more continued to cook her food. "We got this. Go Luck, go Magna!"

Charmy had done her job perfectly, it was tailored for her after all, and found a nice relaxing area in Crocus near where some food was and made several Sheep Cooks to set up her table and supply her with a ready stream of delicious food as she feasted and watched the show on the lacrima vision where she was. As she did she created more Sheep Cooks to not just scour the area for even more food but to scout out just in case someone decided to try and sneak up on her to take her food.

She was the secret weapon of the team for this match, why she'd been brought in for it, and she was ready to do her job. Well, she was ready after she enjoyed another round of food and supported Magna and Luck as she ate of course. Things had started well for Charmy and she was fully enjoying her role in the Grand Magic Games as she cheered and ate while watching the first battle her friends had.

The moment the Battle Royale had begun Luck and Magna had set off in another direction to Asta and Noelle. Charmy had no set destination, just a good spot to set up their fallback camp, prepare mana recovery food should they need it, and to be available for whatever came up that they'd not planned for, but the other four did have set destinations.

Asta and Noelle could find who they needed with ki and Noelle's newly enhanced senses and set up in the general area so they knew where to go to await the battles that were coming for them. Meanwhile Luck and Magna could find what they needed with Luck's mana sense and unlike the other two their target was a specific one, Olga of Sabertooth.

The reason for this was twofold; Magna wanted a chance at redemption after losing to him on the first day and Luck had sensed his strength on the third day while watching Erza dominate Pandemonium so wanted to test himself against a fellow Lightning Magic user. Add in that Olga actually scored higher than Luck on the MPF and he was on paper stronger than Luck so Luck really wanted to go after him to test that. It would be a great warmup for Luck as he could face a really strong foe and then move onto other powerhouses like that Lightning Dragon Slayer in Fairy Tail.

As they ran, Luck licked his lips in anticipation at the battles to come and used his mana sense to find and track Olga's location. He'd gotten a good read of the man on the third day and now he was using that to taken them to him, via a trio of weaker opponents so that Magna could have some fun as well and earn the Squad a few extra points that would help in the end though Luck's focus was the thrill of the battles he was going to have today.

"How far out is he?" Magna asked as they ran and Chapati announced that Fairy Tail were just standing there. "We don't have to worry about Fairy Tail at the moment, or focus is Sabertooth so ignore the announcer and focus on Olga."

"Still a good distance, will take a few more minutes to reach him as we have to go at your slow speed." Luck said with a laugh. "Plus he's with another guy right now, just as strong by the way so likely a guildmate…never mind he's left. That's annoying, I wanted to face both of them."

"Should we keep an eye on him as well?" Magna asked. "Every member of Sabertooth is strong, easily Senior Magic Knight level."

"Nah, he's strong but it's not the kind of battle strength I like." Luck said shaking his head as he was sure that the other person he'd sensed had been that Memory Mage, Rufus, and the man's style wasn't the kind of raw power that Luck wanted to face today. "Quick, left into the next street, there's a little detour we need to make."

"Detour?" Magna asked before he grinned as he realized what Luck was getting at. "Oh, ok yeah lets show the others that we're the first to get some points here and boost our score. Every little helps and this whole thing could come down to a single point so we should get as many as we can."

Luck just grinned in response as they turned down an alleyway before bursting into another street and turning to slide along the ground as they faced off with the trio of people before them who looked a little surprised at their arrival. Luck had sensed the trio and knew at least one of them was from his MPF makeup event. From what Luck could tell they weren't strong enough to give him a challenge but still it would be points and those would help in the end.

For their part the trio, the Hibiki, Eve, and Ren of Blue Pegasus stopped and looked in surprise at the two Black Bulls who'd crossed their path. They'd been heading through the city trying to find the trio of Mermaid Heel girls who were going to stick together and engage them in battle as they were sure they'd win that and get three points for Blue Pegasus while losing no one but they'd not found them yet. They wouldn't because as the two groups locked gazes the announcement came in.

"And just as Lyon Bastia takes down Lislie to complete the three on one victory for Lamia Scale boosting them to 38 points and just as that battle ends we've got another exciting match about to start up so talk about timing!" Chapati said his voice coming from all around them thanks to the magical speakers set throughout the city. "The Trimens of Blue Pegasus have just crossed paths with Luck Voltia and Magna Swing of the Black Bulls and this fight is going to be just as good as the one we witnessed."

"Well damn, there goes our primary target." Hibiki said as he fell back behind Eve and Ren to set up Archive and get in touch with the Master and Jenny to reassess their strategy while the other two protected him and gained some points from the current chart toping Guild in the process. "Looks like we got these two as compensation. Careful, the blond is an S-Class Wizard who scored high on the MPF. Hold off long enough and I'll have a strategy for him though."

"Don't worry, we won't let the Guild or the Master down." Ren said as he and Eve took battle stances while Magna's grimoire glowed and flipped open so that the handle of his flame bat appeared as it rose from the pages in it. "We'll get two points from these two and get right back into the running."

"Hey Luck, these chumps aren't too strong, are they?" Magna asked. "If I recall one has an attribute I'm good against and the others are either weak or at least a good warm up for later."

"Yeah these three aren't worth my time." Luck admitted. "None would give me the battle I want and it would be over before I could even enjoy it."

"Alright then go on ahead and find Olga." Magna said with a grin as he hefted his bat into his hands. "I'm going to enjoy this batting practice and then join you against him."

"Right, I'll beat him before you even arrive." Luck said with a grin as his own grimoire opened and his lightning boots formed, the air crackling with blue lightning. "See you in my dust Magna."

"Wait, you don't…" Ren began but before he could finish Luck shot off running right between Ren and Eve and then brushing past Hibiki who was forced to use his magic as a shield just in case before any of them could blink and disappearing off in the distance. "…huh."

"I think that was to show us that we had no chance against." Eve said as Hibiki went back to work now switching his focus to Magna and imputing the new date he got on Luck in the process. "That was fast. Really shows how strong Elfman is to actually beat him."

"Don't forget that Magna held his own against Olga." Hibiki warned as he tried to formulate a strategy but the style of Fire Magic Magna used was alien to him and Archive was struggling to address it especially because it had no idea what the book Magna was using was. "This won't be easy."

"Nah, it's simple, I'm going to beat you quick." Magna said grinning as his grimoire flipped to another page and a fireball appeared in his right hand as he transferred the bat to his left for when he needed it later. "See, Luck's my rival and he's deemed you not worthy so I can't take more than is necessary to beat you and get some points for the Black Bulls, gotta keep up with him after all."

"You won't." Eve said as the snow built around him and he extended his arm. "White Out!"

"Flame Magic: Annihilation Massacre Fireball!" Magna roared as he tossed the fireball at the blast of snow that was sent at him and designed to blanked the area in it and bury Magna where he stood. "Into Flame Magic: Risky Stolen Base!"

The fireball shot at the snow as the flames formed around Magna's feet and he shot forward and to the side to evade the approaching blizzard so that if Eve moved the attack it would hit his teammate which he wouldn't do. That was just part of the move though, the main part was the Annihilation Massacre Fireball which Magna put in more power then usual to ensure that it worked though Eve was smaller and had less magic and muscles than Olga did so on extra strong fireball should do the trick.

It did. Magna's spell as expected vanished before the snow could hit it and the snow blanketed the area where he'd just been. Then, as it ended and Eve still had his arm out stretched while Ren got his own spell ready now that Magna was near him, the Annihilation Massacre Fireball reappeared and slammed full force into Eve's chest where it exploded.

Eve let out a wail of pain before he was tossed back and hit the ground hard, rolling over it for several feet so that he was well behind Hibiki when he came to a stop on his back, the front of his shirt and tie gone and smoke rising from the charred patch of flesh on his chest as he lay unconscious on the ground. Magna grinned as he got around Ren and prepared to attack Hibiki.

"And Eve is down, it's official he is out!" Chapati said. "That is one point for our top placed Guild, the Black Bulls! It may only be one point but their lead has gone up and every point matters in the Battle Royale."

"Hibiki, run!" Ren said as he finished his spell and swung his arms. "Find the Chief and regroup, I'll take him down. Fire can't stand to Air. Aerial Forze!"

"That's what you think." Magna said as he turned from his planned attack on Hibiki, the flames still on his feet, and rushed to the side to avoid being pulled towards Ren by his spell and looped back around him as his grimoire flipped to another page and a different fireball formed in his hand as he ran. "Flame Magic: Time Bomb Exploding Scattershot!"

At that Magna threw the fireball at Ren while the Air Magic attack missed him and Ren's back was turned which ensured that he didn't see the spell as it vanished before it reached him. Neither did Hibiki who'd used his friend's warning and attack to quickly turn and flee towards where he knew Jenny was thanks to Archive as he'd only get in Ren's way and not be of aid in this fight. Ren had it, Hibiki knew it because of one of Ren's spells was perfect against a Fire Wizard, and he left the area as Magna came to a stop and Ren turned to him hand outstretched for the next spell.

"You missed but I won't." Ren said not realizing the nature of the spell Magna had tossed at him. "Aerial."

Suddenly a dome appeared around Magna locking him in it and removing the oxygen from it so his bat flickered and died out as he began to suffocate and his ears hurt due to the pressure change that Aerial caused. However Magna just smirked as he powered through it and responded to Ren's statement.

"I didn't miss." Magna said his breathing labored from the lack of oxygen. "It should hit right about…now."

Ren didn't have time to react before the series of small fireballs appeared around him and blew up at the same time. He let out a grunt of pain as he was burned by the attack, his suit now in tatters, and fell to knee as his concentration broke freeing Magna who just walked forward. All Ren could do was grimace as he glanced up at the smirking street punk coming towards him in too much pain to do focus on a spell and even if he could that speed boost spell that Magna had, combined with his ranged skills, would likely ensure that he could evade and counter whatever Ren threw at him.

"Not bad but if I'm to catch up to Luck then I can't let someone like you who has an attribute that I'm not great against beat me and that's not to mention catching up to Asta, the little runt really knows how to inspire us." Magna said as his grimoire flipped to a new page. "Flame Magic: Grand Slam."

Again the handle of his bat appeared and Magna grabbed it, choked up on it as he stood over Ren in a sideways stance before he swung it. It was a little brutal but he needed to know that Ren was knocked out and this was the quickest way. Before Ren could even respond to his words, Magna slammed the fiery bat into the side of Ren's head sending him tumbling unconscious to the side and giving the Black Bulls a second point to put them on an even 50.

"There now to catch up to Luck." Magna said as he dismissed the bat and hurried off after Luck hoping that his best friend hadn't started already. "Now where did you get off to you battle mad freak?"

Hibiki managed to get away down a side street and clear of the battle knowing that Ren would cast Aerial and beat Magna so they'd at least get one point out of the encounter. After how Eve was beaten so convincingly in a single blow they knew that they'd be in trouble and of the three of them Ren was the strongest offensively so it made sense that he'd stay while Hibiki, who was the strategist of the team, got to safety and regrouped with Jenny and the Maestro.

Blue Pegasus had started the Battle Royale in last so they needed a lot of points to come back into it. As such they'd gone for a simple plan where Ichiya and Jenny went off on their own, the former had the power to stand with some of the strongest in the other Guilds so would be the one who went after the other team leaders and powerhouses while the latter could use her the sex appeal to win. Meanwhile the boys would stick together and go after lower tiered opponents like the Mermaid trio, the two weaker members of Lamia Scale, and Magna before building up to someone like Gajeel as the big one to face.

However, if something went wrong then they'd have to regroup and fall back to a backup plan which meant that Hibiki needed to survive to do so. He may not be strong offensively, the MPF showed that his magic power was low, but there were few present who could match the strategic advantage that his Archive Magic provided him. That would be the key to regrouping and when Ren won then they'd have an extra point so it would be a good…

"Oh and down goes Ren." Chapati's voice came through the speakers. "With one swing of his bat, and a timed fireball explosion, Magna has defeated the second of Blue Pegasus's Trimens and is now heading off. Our last place Guild is down to two members and are looking like they may be the first to be knocked out."

"Two?" Hibiki said as he turned into a new street that should be where Jenny was wandering looking for men to seduce and then defeat. "How's…Jenny!"

Hibiki's question had been answered as he saw the beat up and unconscious body of his guildmate and lover on the ground covered in cuts and bruises with her cloths ripped in several places leaving plenty of her amble bosom exposed though her nipples were still covered. She'd been beaten but he had no idea how. This wasn't good and Hibiki started to head towards her but he didn't get more than a few paces before the magic slammed into him and he collapsed. He didn't even had time to figure out what kind of magic had hit him as he was unconscious before he hit the ground leaving only Ichiya active for Blue Pegasus.

"And another crushing blow there." Chapati said as the slight clack that certain kinds of female boots made on stone rang out through the street though no one could hear them but their owner. "But then again she is the best in Sabertooth so it should be expected. With those two quick attacks Minerva gains two points to put them on 35 as they try to return to the top in the Battle Royale."

Minerva didn't listen to the idiot announcer as she casually walked past the downed body of Hibiki and continued on her path to where she had to be. In the wake of her father's defeat and expulsion from the Guild they'd worked on their plan to win the Games and it was going to be a good one especially because she was going to lay the foundation for Sting to win it at the end when everyone else was beaten and exhausted so he could swoop in nice and fresh to win it and keep them as Fiore's Number 1 Guild.

Right now Rufus should be in position to launch his attack on Fairy Tail the moment they moved. They'd debated between Fairy Tail and the Black Bulls when it came to the opening statement they made but they decided that Fairy Tail was better. Not only did Minerva want Noelle Silva all to herself as the bitch needed to be put back in her place after the humiliations she'd caused Minerva in the Naval Battle, and this time she'd not have water around her to aid her so Minerva knew she'd win, but they had to contend with Asta and after what Rufus had said in hidden he was the true threat on the battlefield right now.

Not only had Asta anticipated and reflected the spell back at Rufus in Hidden, something that was very hard to do especially when you didn't know about the spell beforehand, though that moron from Raven Tail had gotten in the way, but he had some ability that allowed him to see through Rufus's Afterimage and counter it. That alone was enough to rule out going for the Black Bulls at the start and letting the other Guilds lose to them while injuring them so that Sabertooth could take down the wounded with ease.

However, that wasn't the only thing that Rufus had divulged that made Asta a threat. No, the true threat Asta posed was in his magic or more specifically his lack of it and what he could do instead of magic.

Rufus's Memory Magic was a powerful form of magic and even with it he'd not been able to memorize Asta's magic in Hidden even after he used it a few times which had surprised him, though he had been able to use Asta's footsteps and heartbeat to track Asta so that he could use his spell on the boy. That was until Asta saw through Rufus's Afterimage and used his power on the Memory Mage that Rufus realized that Asta didn't wield magic, he wielded Anti-Magic.

That had unnerved even Minerva when she'd heard of it during the planning for the Battle Royale as it was a force that was the antithesis of magic, nullifying any that it touched and making spells useless in a way that even Wave Magic couldn't replicate. When you added in what Asta's swords could do in addition to nullifying magic and his other skills and it was clear why he was a threat.

As such they had to have a plan for him hence the decision to target Fairy Tail first and not the Black Bulls though they expected at least two Black Bulls to seek them out which would make their lives easier as they could claim two points from the current leader in the standings and already Olga should be in position for that. That would be a big boost to them in the long run as only Fairy Tail, the Black Bulls, and Jura were significant threats to Sabertooth remaining at the top of the Guild rankings.

The rest of the field they could handle as they saw fit as they weren't threats to Sabertooth just as Minerva had shown. Really the only other concern was Fairy Tail as they expected to get enough points that Jura wouldn't be an issue. They would manage this by either taking Fairy Tail out in a single blow or if they evaded it, which they might, then they had a secondary plan for them as well.

That plan was simple as Rufus would engage whoever came for him where he was holed up reading magic books and using his Memory Magic on them, Olga would first deal with the Black Bulls coming for him and then handle Laxus as the two Lightning Slayer Magic users were pretty much destined to clash, and Rogue would handle Gajeel. That just left the issues of Juvia and Erza if they evaded the attack. Juvia was, in Minerva's mind, the weakest of them and could be dealt with at her leisure while Erza was for her to handle and it was via Erza that Minerva would take down the top tier Black Bulls as well.

It wasn't hard to figure a few things out and Minerva had been watching closely all week and had been able to make those deductions with ease. The first one was that after her attempt on Lucy, Fairy Tail would try to go for her which meant Erza would probably be after her at some point.

The second was that there was clearly some issue that Kagura of Mermaid Heel had with Erza that Erza was likely unaware of so the strongest in Mermaid Heel would seek out Erza to settle things as well adding to the power in the clash and add another factor and person for Minerva to use to win. Plus it was clear that like her, Kagura and Erza were team leaders for their respective Guilds so that was 10 points for her as she fully intended to use all her tricks to beat both but all that led into the final thing, Erza herself and where she'd be.

Right now Fairy Tail were for some reason still together and not moving, that had to be a ploy as part of their strategy and Rufus wouldn't attack until after they made their move so Minerva would leave them to it. As such, when Fairy Tail moved and should Rufus fail to hit Erza, which was likely, she'd go for her own target and after all that Minerva had seen there was only one person who would force Erza to seek out a specific person on the battlefield, Asta.

That boy was an enigma but he was also a powerhouse, he'd shown it in Hidden and reinforced it with how easily he'd beaten Ichiya, and Fairy Tail would want to go for him with their best so Erza. Add in the whole swords thing and she was one of the few who could properly match him in battle as her swordsmanship came from hard training not magic.

That meant that wherever Erza ended up Asta would be and that meant that likely Noelle would be there as well because those two seemed to work together in the Black Bulls. That was just what Minerva wanted, all she needed to do was find one of the two Black Bulls and bide her time before attacking, the two points she'd gotten were just a nice little bonus.

Of course she'd need some insurance for the ensuing chaos just in case and as she made her way to her target she saw just that insurance when a scantily clad, cat themed, girl got distracted by some actual cats that were in an alleyway and turned her back on things. Yes, she given her connections to Kagura and Erza she would do perfectly as well as pass the time so with a sadistic grin formed on her face Minerva struck. Millianna didn't know what hit her before she was taken in an act that Minerva thought would ensure she won everything she wanted as her plan began to come together nicely.

Olga stood in the circular square he'd decided to set up in and waited for the battles to come to him. There was a circular building in the center but he wasn't in or on it as he just stood in the ring around it and sensed the approaching magic. As the Lightning God Slayer he had a good sense for his own element and that was what was approaching but as Fairy Tail still had yet to move it had to be the other one he wanted to fight, that Lightning Wizard in the Black Bulls, Luck Voltia.

The boy had shown his power in the MPF test and Olga really wanted to test it himself as while he had more power there was just something about the kid that told Olga he'd be a good challenge. Not only that but a win would give Sabertooth a needed point while taking off arguably the second, or at the very least third, strongest Black Bull from the board so he wasn't going to back down from the fight at all.

Lastly it would be a great warmup should Rufus fail to take down Laxus, which given that the spell Rufus used was lightning based and Laxus was the Lightning Dragon Slayer, was pretty much guaranteed to not take Laxus out. That would mean that Olga got to face off in a Slayer Magic showdown, he just had to handle Luck first.

That moment came only a few minutes after Olga had set up in the area as Luck leapt down from the sky, lighting encasing his arms and legs now with horns on his head and at Olga. Olga quickly turned and leapt back and away from Luck, black lightning swirling around him as Luck crashed into the ground with enough force to crack it and send blue lightning everywhere before rising and grinning manically at Olga.

"Found you." Luck said still grinning. "You're defiantly strong so I'm looking forward to this. Shame Magna isn't here to watch me beat you but oh well he'll see the results when he arrives."

"I was expecting you and maybe that Magna guy." Olga admitted as he got ready. "I may have beaten him but he put up a good fight, better than I expected in fact as he caused me a few burns in it. Your Guild has shocked us, beaten Rufus and Minerva already so we're not going to take you lightly."

"Good because I want your best, it's not fun otherwise." Luck said his maniacal grin broadening at that, he'd hurried here as soon as he could and now he couldn't wait for this fight to start. "Magna may join us but he'll be too late to do anything."

"Folks, our first big battle of the day is about to start as Sabertooth's Olga Nanagia and the Black Bulls' Luck Voltia have met in what is sure to be an exciting matchup of Lightning Magic." Chapati's voice called out over the speakers. "Already Blue Pegasus is down to their final combatant, Mermaid Heel has only two left and two of Lamia Scale are out so things are heating up which…hold on."

"I knew they'd have something in store." Yajima said. "They wouldn't stand idle for long after all, it's not their style."

"And now it's all started." Mato said excitedly. "Things are going to really heat up now. I can't wait!"

"That's right, at last Team Fairy Tail has sprung into action." Chapati said. "This is truly the next stage of the Battle Royale."

It really was but neither Luck nor Olga cared as they had their own battle to engage in as they prepared for combat. However, one thing couldn't be ignored, Fairy Tail was now on the battlefield as they began Operation Fairy Stars as Mavis called it. It was time for the attack of the fairies as the intensity of the Battle Royale kicked up a notch and entered its second phase of the day.

I think that that's a good place to end the chapter on I feel, a nice set up for all that is to come with some of the lesser battles noted and the one with the Black Bulls seen where Magna got some redemption for his loss. Now several of the lower ranked competitors in the Battle Royale are all out, only the big players and team leaders remain and Fairy Tail has now entered the fray as well so things are really heating up. The Battle Royale hasn't been the easiest thing to plan out so do bear with me going forward as there's going to be a lot of POV changes, several chapters to give various things justice, and a lot going on but soon it will all steady out, you'll see. Right now I expect the next chapter to be out in 3-4 weeks due to IRL stuff but just getting this out when I did is ahead of schedule so bear with me, soon I'll be able to get back to a more reasonable and predictable schedule once the fall hits and I am forced to put my primary story on hiatus when I catch up to the anime material it is based off, something I didn't expect would happen. Anyway, that is all that I have for this chapter so I will leave it off here. If you liked this please favorite, follow, leave a review, or let me know in a PM and I will try to answer any questions posed in reviews and PMs as best I can. Until next time.

Stringdog