In the backstage area Bisca sat in her locker room as she looked over her guns with a but of dissatisfaction despite her good work and hard effort she didn't make a winning return, not only that but she had many people backing her up.

*Knock-knock

Unsummoning her guns she turned to the door "Come in."

Taking the invite the door knob was turned and two people came in being Erza and her little girl "Mama!"

Bisca put on a smile as she scooped her girl up in a hug "You did well Bisca."

Bisca turned to the other guest with an unconvinced smile "Really?"

Erza nodded "Yes I knew you were the best to rely on."

"I don't know like I should had won that" Bisca kept up her denial unknowingly making the girl in her arms frown.

"Mama is great no matter what!" she yelled at her mother.

"Listen to her Bisca nobody expected you to win but nobody expected you to do great either, but you proved them wrong" Erza followed up encouragingly.

Bisca smiled "I guess but that doesn't mean I'm satisfied with the result."

"Nor do I expect you, well I still have things to attend to so I'll the two of you here" once she given the mother and daughter privacy Bisca turned to Asuka with a hopeful gaze.

"Did mama make you proud?"

The cute girl nodded "Very."

Bisca finally found a smile on her face "Then I'll make you prouder."

Asuka smiled and chuckled as her mother blew her neck.

(…)

Romeo walked through the hallways trying to evade as much attention as he could until he finally was face to face with the door that had Wendy's name on it, sighing as he gathered his courage the young man knocked on the door "Come in."

He entered seeing a dejected Wendy sitting in front of the mirror with a pair of heavy eyes staring back into their reflection "Hey great fight out there."

"No need to butter it up" she replied dismissively at him.

Romeo approached her cautiously as he placed a hand on her shoulder "At least it wasn't a loss."

This didn't make the blue haired girl feel any better as she sunk deeper into her arms not even facing her reflection "It might as well had been, I-I how am I supposed to be proud without a win?"

Romeo smiled letting out a relieved sigh and a chuckle, Wendy shook as she turned to him "What's so funny!"

"Sorry I didn't mean anything bad it's just something that happens pretty frequently here" Romeo defended though it calmed the girl a bit she still had a suspicious gaze fixed on him, feeling he had her attention he continued "Someone told me that if your not satisfied with what you did today then do better tomorrow."

"What if I fail tomorrow too?"

"Then do better and better each following day until you are satisfied and reach the top!" Romeo spoke up as he took her hand "Here let me show you the guy."

"Wah!" she screamed as he dragged her away out of the hallways and into the top seats to look at the action.

"It's about to begin soon" Romeo smiled.

Wendy was about to ask but refrained from doing so when she heard loud cheers directing her eyes to where everyone was looking she saw a hanging paper on the top with four ladders next to it, around the ring were Natsu along with Gray and Gajeel in a final addition of Elfman.

Evergreen stepped into the ring carrying a microphone as she cleared her voice getting people to shut up "First and foremost allow me to welcome my leader Laxus Dreyar."

She pointed at one of the top stands which got Wendy to look seeing the man alongside his two remaining followers standing next to him as he was sitting down holding his belt, Evergreen then turned to the four men in the ring "These four had managed to prove themselves good enough to challenge for Laxus's title but only one will get the chance unwilling to sit through a tournament we arranged this special rules match, see that paper in the air?"

She pointed at the hanging paper "Whoever grabs it first wins and gets a title shot on Laxus, without further or do let us begin this."

Juvia and Lucy entered showing the cards as Evergreen shook hands with the men before all three left.

DING! DING!

Natsu and gray both smirked as they rushed towards one another with the former inflaming his fist and the latter busting out an ice spear but right before they could clash a metal rod was shot hitting Gray away from Natsu "What?"

Natsu was soon after tackled by the mountain of muscle known as Elfman who had turned his arms and legs to that of a bear as he pinned the younger man down and began to headbutt him, meanwhile Gray managed to parry the metal rod away as Gajeel rushed at him getting Gray to swing the ice spear at him which broke upon contact.

Gajeel smirked as his skin was covered in metal as he also gave Gray a headbutt on his forehead making his head ring and fall back a bit, Gajeel then threw his metal clad fists at the ice user smashing his face and stomach with a barrage of blows until he shot his knee unto his stomach making Gray spit out a mass of saliva with widened eyes.

Gajeel turned around grabbing of the ladder but just as he was to set it up the mat froze making him slip and fall as Gray was up wiping the saliva off of his face as he smirked continuing to make more ice that began to cover Gajeel's metal body leaving him frozen in place, Gray then looked over to Natsu who breathed out a fire ball that hit Elfman off of him before Elfman could do anything his legs and lower torso were frozen in place by Gray "Your welcome."

"Didn't need help" Natsu said as the two resumed their hostility with Natsu breathing out a fire ball which Gray guarded against with an ice shield which he thrusted forwards trapping Natsu between it and the turnbuckle prompting the salmon haired combatant to inflame his body melting the ice shield away, Natsu then shot a flame kick at Gray which he blocked with an ice bat which he then stabbed unto Natsu's stomach followed by hitting him with it.

Gray swung again but Natsu opened his mouth getting the ice bat in his fangs as heat came out of his mouth melting the ice bat prompting Gray to back off letting go of the bat before he was about to launch something else before he was hit from behind by a reemerging Gajeel who punched his back with his metal fist, Natsu surprised was about to breath fire out at Gajeel but was caught from behind by Elfman who squeezed him tightly.

"These two can be quite distracted when they face each other's huh Juvia?" Lucy commented with an annoyed sigh.

"They are rivals after all" Juvia spoke with a giggle as she kept her eyes on Gray and had her fingers crossed.

Gray was turned around by Gajeel who again went for another headbutt but it was countered by Gray who generated ice to cover up his forehead, the ice then began to cool off Gajeel who was forced to rid of the metal covering his skin unless he becomes frozen completely again.

Gray made a staff of ice which he swung at Gajeel who breathed out a pile of smoke filled with sharp metal blades that easily cut the staff into nothing as it made it's way towards Gray who quickly surrounded himself inside an icy dome, the dome however was quickly cracking up from the metal blades prompting Gray to shoot a massive bunch of ice stars forwards countering the metal blades as Gray closed the distance between himself and Gajeel going for high knee kick that made Gajeel kneel down as Gray elbowed him in the face followed by throwing Gajeel towards Elfman.

Natsu in the meanwhile had managed to free himself from Elfman's tight hold as he breathed fire at the giant man who shielded himself against it and resisted the heat as he made his way towards Natsu smashing both of his fists at the top of his head, Elfman then forced Natsu up and kept smashing his monster fist against it before Natsu could counter Gajeel was thrown at Elfman "Your welcome."

"Didn't need your help" Natsu smirked as he breathed fire at Gray who made an ice shield closing the distance between the two of them as they locked up with Natsu breathing out his fire and Gray cooling off his body, meanwhile rather than interfere with them Elfman and Gajeel instead opted to fight amongst themselves with Gajeel covering his body in metal and Elfman shifting his body to that of a reptilian like beast as the two clashed and roared against one another.

"They actually learned rather than those two" Lucy commented looking at Natsu and Gray who still in their lock up.

"Gray isn't going to like this" Juvia suddenly spoke up.

Back to the fight Gajeel and Elfman continued to fight and send blows against one another but Gajeel opened his mouth for breath of metal shards smoke which Elfman's monster managed to protect him from allowing the larger beast man to let out a breath of white fire that burned off Gajeel away as Elfman opened his wings and rushed at both Natsu and Gray taking them both down before he bounded upwards catching the paper for victory.

DING! DING!

"Your winner Elfman!" Evergreen got inside as she waited for Elfman to descend and return to human form, the two shook hands as Evergreen raised his fist up in victory.

Natsu, Gray and Gajeel were completely frustrated as they screamed out in anger but soon enough Natsu chuckled "Guess I still need to get even more stronger to win next time."

Gray was about to call him out but found himself chuckling "You better otherwise I'll leave you in the dust."

Lucy sighed in relief as she feared she'll have to look out for Natsu yet again "Training starts now!"

Maybe she has to anyways.

"I see then I'll be better too" Wendy said with a beaming smile that Romeo returned.

Juvia saw the pleading look Lucy shot her with as Natsu was leaving off to train but Juvia pointed to her own man Gray who seemed as fired up as he was.

Both ring girls could only wish each other's luck when it came to dealing with frustrated fighters that wished to be better.