Here is the thirty-eighth chapter in this story released in accordance with my upload schedule for this story. Just like with Asta's fight with Erza there really isn't much to say here because this is it, the Battle Royale and the Grand Magic Games has come down to Asta v. 3 Fairies and this is the battle so cue your chosen music and enjoy the culmination of the Battle Royale and the Grand Magic Games. That is all that I have for the administrative stuff I have for y'all and while there are no questions that need answers, or that won't be answered in other responses, there is are 2 guest reviews that needs a response and an announcement to make, so I will do that now. Do keep them coming as your support is the best motivation for me to keep producing chapters at this kind of rate.
To KGBeastboy (guest), thank you for your review and ideas, I will now address them as best I can. In regards to Gajeel, anything that may be coming in this chapter I won't address as it's coming up so you'll find out soon enough what happens. As for Mimosa, she'll get her moment and the praise that comes from it soon enough, the Grand Magic Games just have to end though she did play a strong role in the team's success and sustainability so that they were all in peak form for the Battle Royale and could break out Charmy for it, though there were other plans for Charmy that were ruing by Gray beating her. Do keep reading and enjoying my work.
To Fire turtle (guest), I've never even heard of that Black Clover theory so no it will not be applied. When it comes to things like that I only use them if they are unequivocally confirmed by the canon and as far as I'm aware this is not confirmed. You will have to wait and see what happens in this chapter as the final battle is now at hand. Do keep reading and enjoying my work.
That is it for this pre-chapter note so it is time to sit back and enjoy the thirty-eighth chapter in Black Bull Banishment.
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to these two great animes.
Chapter 38: Winner Take All
"Folks, it's here, the culmination of the Battle Royale and the Grand Magic Games is now upon us." Chapati said his voice hushed as it carried over the speakers in Crocus with Asta continued to grin at Laxus, Gajeel, and Gray as they across the non-square square from him. "4 remain, Laxus, Gajeel, and Gray of Fairy Tail and Asta of the Black Bulls. These two Guilds have been the talk of the Games with Fairy Tail trying to reclaim their spot at the top after the tragedy that befell them 7 years ago and the Black Bulls, a Guild only 2 years old, coming out of nowhere to be the shock of the Games."
There was a pause during which none of the four men still standing did or changed anything as they let the moment play out. They weren't even really listening, they were just focused on what was to come, on what had happened to lead to this moment, and what was at stake though of course Chapati would remind them when he continued.
"Now, after many battles and victories, some against each other, these 4 stand alone with Fairy Tail on 66 and the Black Bulls on 65 points." Chapati said his tone still hushed. "That means one thing; the winner of this battle will win the Grand Magic Games!"
"I take it you won't stand down." Laxus said finally breaking the silence and clearly ignoring the commentary, though it seemed that Chapati and the others realized this and shut up, as his voice carried across the area to Asta. "You're injured, it's clear from all the blood on you, and it's three on one. There is no shame in surrender if you can't win."
"Nope, if you want to win this then you're going to have to do it fully and beat me." Asta said his grin never falling. "Unless you want to stand down, you're injured to and I can feel it in your ki that you're all feeling the pain of your injuries just as I am. I can fight through pain though, can you?"
"More than you know." Gray said. "So we won't back down now, not when only one person stands in our way."
"Yeah, just because you beat Erza doesn't mean you'll beat us." Gajeel said as he broke out into a grin of his own. "We've got our own tricks to stop you that you've not seen yet."
"Oh I don't doubt it." Asta said. "Because so do I."
"We already saw what you did." Gray said though the fact that Asta's expression never changed did unsettle Gray a bit because if Asta beat Erza without using all his tricks then this was a lot worse than they thought it was. "That Takeover Magic you have, it's just like Mira's only not as complete so it's not perfected and we already know about your Requip Magic that gives you those Wave Magic edged swords. We're ready for you and besides, do you know what this mark on my chest means?"
"That you're part of Fairy Tail." Asta said slightly confused as Gray thumped his chest. "I have my Guild Mark on my chest too, I know what they mean."
"It means that I won't lose to the same person twice." Gray said. "You beat me in Hidden, so did Rufus, now I've beaten Rufus which just leaves you."
"Well, there's always a first for everything, I know I'm not arrogant enough to think I can't lose to the same person more than once so it can happen." Asta said his grin broadening as he hefted his swords while Slayer moved slightly in the air. "But I'll let my swords do the talking for me. Come at me Fairy Tail, let's end this and decide who wins the Grand Magic Games."
"Go!" Laxus shouted the moment Asta laid down the gauntlet so that none of them tried to continue talking and instantly lightning crackled around him while Gray slammed his fist into his hand and ice began to fill the air around him. "Just like we planned. Hit him hard and hit him fast."
At that the fight was on and Laxus blasted out a bolt of lightning at Asta while Gray sent a line of ice his way. Asta just grinned though, he'd read their ki and knew the attacks were coming before they were even fired off so he let go of Dweller and Destroyer and moved them into position to intercept the attacks as he brought Slayer down and into his hands as he backed up a few paces to give himself some extra room. The results were as expected.
Destroyer flew up and intercepted Laxus's lightning on the blade, absorbing it with its Causality Break effect and in essence acting as a lightning rod to keep the magic away from him as Laxus growled, he'd seen that the strange looking sword could absorb magic back in Hidden but he wasn't sure if it could do so directly. This confirmed it and put him on the back foot for a moment but he wasn't done and sent more lightning at Asta though it was more of a distraction at this point just like the opening strike had been.
As for Dweller, it spun fast in the air and slammed edge first into Gray's ice cutting through it and destroying the magic as it normally did before pressing towards Gray and forcing him to leap to the side and away from the rest of his teammates to avoid it before he then engaged the sword with more ice as it harried him, ice that it cut through as well. It was unnerving to Gray as Asta's control over a flying sword, and in some aspects the style in general, was just like Erza's and with it's Wave Magic Gray couldn't freeze it unless he hit the handle but it was spinning too fast to accurately manage that.
However, all that Asta was doing was just a ploy to keep Laxus and Gray busy for a moment while Asta dealt with the first threat. Clearly the ranged attacks were meant to distract him and keep him on the defensive while the final attacker, Gajeel, closed in to engage Asta in close combat as that was the best way to fight Asta when you didn't use a non-magical weapon.
That was exactly the plan as when the trio had come up with how to fight Asta they'd decided that the best course of action was to occupy him so that Gajeel, who had the most force in close combat with his Iron Dragon Slayer Magic, could get in close and punch Asta with a metal fist. Failing that, well there was a second reason why Gajeel was their best fighter against Asta right now as even with the Wave Magic on the edges of the blades they figured that if Gajeel could get a hold of them it wouldn't matter.
Naturally Asta was aware of the attack thanks to reading Gajeel's ki and sensing the rush attack while the other two fired off ranged moves. That was why Asta had sent the smaller swords out to occupy them as they were better defenses against Laxus and Gray's magics and brough down Slayer to grab it and bring it up in front of him with the flat of the blade just as a now metal covered Gajeel cocked his fist back for a punch.
"Your reflexes are good but I've seen that trick before, I won't fall for it like Ichiya did the other day." Gajeel roared as Destroyer absorbed another blast of lightning that was trying to arc around and hit Asta in the back while Gray leapt out of the way of another slice from Dweller. "I'm the best here to face you!"
At that, rather than punch Asta, Gajeel unclenched his fist and leapt at Asta, mouth and palms open and fully in Asta's field of vision, not that Asta needed his vision to see thanks to his ability to read ki. Asta had no idea what Gajeel was going for but he again backed up a few paces to give himself some more space and twisted his sword so that it was blade first with the intention of swinging through but there wasn't time or space for that as Gajeel grabbed the edge with both hands, the metal covering his body vanishing as the spell he used was nullified by the contact, and he brough his mouth down in the blade.
"After all, your swords are just hunks of iron and I eat iron!" Gajeel roared as he proceeded to take a massive bite out of Slayer his grin showing that he thought he'd just won it.
He might have won it if Asta's sword had been a normal one but it wasn't so the moment that Gajeel enthusiastically chomped down on it his teeth chipped and broke as whatever magic he used to consume his element failed thanks to the Anti-Magic sword. The result was a howl of pain from Gajeel as both Laxus and Gray stared at the failure, that had not been expected as they figured he could at least bite into it past the blade which would have occupied Asta enough for Laxus and Gray to aid Gajeel in beating him.
"And my swords negate magic, you're an idiot if you think you can eat them!" Asta roared into Gajeel's face as he pushed through a swing that tossed a still surprised Gajeel back and away from him. "Thanks though, you'll be the first to fall!"
There wasn't much leverage with how Asta had blocked Gajeel's attack so the Iron Dragon Slayer was only sent back a few feet and landed on his feet where he slid over the stones, his hand going to his mouth as blood came out of it thanks to the damage he'd done to his teeth. Gajeel's eyes were wide and stunned as Asta spun through the swing, got his footing, and then leapt off the ground with enough force to crack it as he kept his other swords moving to keep the other two off his back as he ended Gajeel.
"This is where you lose!" Asta roared as he grabbed Slayer in both hands and held it high above his head, Destroyer swinging in to intercept another lightning attack from Laxus that was coming in from the side, while Gajeel just looked up in shock at what was coming.
Then, before anyone could react, Asta let out a primal roar and brough his great sword down onto Gajeel's chest hard and fast, hitting him in the upper right peck and driving him down and into the ground with such force that the ground cracked and cratered around him and dust and debris filled the air. Within the dust cloud Gajeel spluttered, blood spraying from his mouth and his eyes wide as Asta pressed Slayer down into him before flipping over his opponent to land on his ass in front of Gajeel.
For his part Gajeel was on his back, arms and legs splayed, mouth open showing several broken teeth, and eyes white with a long, bloody, cut from just below his shoulder to just above his waist while more blood trickled out of his mouth. There was no question, Gajeel was out cold and the point had gone to Asta reducing the number of fairies to two and tying the score up at 66 though if there was an announcement about it the remaining three didn't hear it.
Both Laxus and Gray stared at the failure of their initial plan in shock but for Laxus at least it only lasted a moment before he recovered as you couldn't let shock get you in a battle, especially not against an opponent like Asta. The move had been impressive but it had also taken a lot of Asta's focus and Laxus saw an opening as that strange shaped sword was too far out to intercept, not that it would be strong enough to intercept a spell like this, so Laxus wasn't going to pass it up.
"Lightning Dragon's Roar!" Laxus bellowed as Asta began to get up.
"Not going to work!" Asta shouted having sensed Laxus turn to face him as he was getting up and remaining on one knee as the near beam of lightning blasted from Laxus's mouth and at him. "I think it's time you at least stop distracting me."
As Asta spoke he swing Slayer so that the flat of the blade hit the Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic with a resounding gong and redirected it away from him. It wasn't nullified so it just flew straight into a wall and exploded when it hit sending a plume of dust into the air and leaving a crater in the wall though it was far enough away to not be an issue to the combatants. Besides, Asta wasn't paying attention to that however as he leapt to his feet and spun before he let go of Slayer as it was pointing at Laxus.
The moment that he did, Asta took control of the great sword with his mind and sped it up as it flew threw the air like a missile and right at Laxus. Laxus realized that he didn't have time to move so instead he braced himself as best he could before the point slammed into his sternum and he was blasted back by the sword and slammed into the curved wall around the area with enough force to crack it and send up some dust around him. Laxus let out a cough of blood that splattered on the sword but he ignored it as he reached up to the blunt edges to try and throw it off him but it had him pinned for the moment.
Asta had a feeling that that wouldn't take down Laxus, the man was easily the strongest of the three, but it would at least keep him focused and out of the fight for a few moments which would be more than enough to for Asta to deal with Gray. He had a plan for the Ice Mage and was already on his feet and running at Gray.
However, by this point Gray had recovered from his shock and was already prepared. He'd noted that Asta had none of his swords now and that the normal looking one wasn't hounding him anymore so he had an opening and Gray wasn't going to squander it as he squared up to Asta as Asta charged and slammed his fist into his palm as ice filled the air around him.
"Ice-Make: Ice Wall!" Gray shouted as he cast his spell and fell to a knee the ice shooting out from the ground and at Asta as he ran in a large wall that would freeze Asta and give Gray the chance to end Asta, or Laxus if Laxus got that sword off him. "You won't beat me again!"
At least that was what should have happened but Asta had already sensed the movements in Gray that indicated that he was about to cast a spell and brought Dweller in from behind him so that it flew point first and into the ice as it was formed before Asta causing it to explode as the magic was nullified just as it reached Asta. It was the bigger threat than Gray and as Asta ran through the fine shards of ice that were all that was left of the spell he already had his finisher planned as Gray rose and backed up eyes wide at what had happened and the fact that Asta had gone for the ice not him with the sword.
"I watched your fight earlier by the way, it was very impressive." Asta said with a grin as Dweller flew into his right hand and filled with Anti-Magic as he held it low and across his body as he closed in on Gray in much the same way Gray had done so to Rufus. "Gave me an idea for something new so thanks."
As Asta spoke Destroyer flew out of nowhere and into Asta's other hand so that he had both swords in a cross pattern and low to his body in the exact same positions as Gray had had with his ice swords when he'd beaten Rufus. Asta was always looking for inspiration and Gray had shown him that so it was time to return the favor with his new move as he reached Gray and grinned at him, his posture again mirroring Gray's from his win over Rufus right before slashed Gray across the gut as Gray was processing everything.
"Black Ice!"
Asta roared the attack as it hit and Gray screamed in pain as he was blasted into the air, black Anti-Magic transferring from where it had been stored in Dweller to coursing over Gray's chest from the point that Dweller had struck him, his eyes wide as Asta leaned forward in a crouch his swords out to his sides. The move was inspired by how Gray had beaten Rufus as it made Asta realize that he could potentially impart Anti-Magic onto someone if he hit them with Dweller while it was filled up and this was the perfect test to see if it worked, which given the flare of black from Gray showed that it did.
Gray remained in the air for a moment before the Anti-Magic faded having done its job and negated what magic he had left draining Gray, it would take a while or some kind of magical recovery ability before Gray's magic refilled, and he fell back to the ground crashing into hit back first as consciousness faded from him. Gray's last thought as he hit the ground with a soft thud was that he'd let Fairy Tail down by losing to Asta a second time and that it was now all up to Laxus to beat Asta as he passed out and lay there unmoving.
Of course, this entire time Laxus wasn't idle, he'd tapped into his raw physical strength and as Asta was closing in on Gray he'd managed to throw the great sword off him and fall to a knee at the base of the wall panting from the effort it had taken as the sword was a lot heavier than he'd expected. The sword itself clattered to the ground showing Asta's focus was on Gray as he delivered the finishing blow, which was good for Laxus as he panted, blood running down his chin but far from out of it as he grinned.
In a sense this was what Laxus wanted, a final decisive battle with him and Asta for the Grand Magic Games. Gajeel and Gray were down, that put the Black Bulls on 67 points, a one point lead, but Asta was the team leader so worth 5 points. That ensured that this wouldn't be a tie and Laxus was eager to test his strength against Asta.
Sure they were both beat to hell but that was because both had won tough battles against monsters of the battlefield in Jura and Erza respectively. Now it was just them and Laxus would get to truly test the man who'd beaten Titania in battle and a sword battle no less.
Of course, Laxus wasn't stupid, you couldn't reach S-Class in Fairy Tail without having brains to back up your power, and he'd already realized something. All along they'd known that Asta had some preternatural detection skill that allowed him to anticipate and counter attacks, that had been known since Hidden. However, it wasn't perfect, Erza showed that overwhelming speed could manage it though Asta could also adapt to it if given the chance, so there was a way around it even if it was a dangerous thing to face.
Laxus wasn't sure if it was magic or not but it was fast enough to deal with his standard Lightning Magic and lightning was fast, though Asta did have a Lightning Wizard in his Guild so it was a magic he knew which could also be a factor. Regardless, Laxus would just have to go even faster than what he'd been showing and as Gray hit the ground Laxus activated the perfect spell for it.
Which was good because he'd not been able to use magic for a moment after tossing off the sword which had been part of why Laxus had remained on one knee panting as he recovered. Thankfully it hadn't lasted long enough to save Asta from this as Laxus covered his body in lightning just as he pushed off the ground and at Asta as Asta rose from his victory over Gray.
"Lightning Dragon Secret Art: Roaring Thunder!" Laxus roared as he reached Asta in his Lightning Body before Asta could do more than look up and note that Laxus was there with his fist cocked back.
Asta had sensed that Slayer had been thrown to the side and that Laxus was on a knee but before he could exploit that, and as Gray was passing out confirming his elimination from the Battle Royale, Laxus had shown a speed that could almost rival Luck's in his counter and was on Asta just as he noted that an attack was coming. As Asta did, Laxus's fist drove forward and slammed into his jaw, a large, arching burst of lightning being released that caused Asta to scream in pain from being electrocuted before he was blasted back as Laxus landed on the ground in a crouch right where Asta had been panting and looking at Asta.
It was a heavy blow and Asta spasmed as he was tossed back and through the air, it was certainly stronger than that lightning spear that Erza had used, but he fought through it. As he did black tendrils appeared from Destroyer and interacted with the Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic coursing through Asta, removing it in sparks of yellow that came off Asta's body and mitigating the damage while Asta was still in the air. That gave Asta the strength to flip in the air and land on his feet in a crouch as he slid back over the concrete with his swords to his sides as looked at Laxus grinning while blood ran down his chin.
"I'll admit, I was expecting that to take you down, it did take down a Wizard Saint after all." Laxus said as he rose to his full height. "Seems like you negated some of the damage though, impressive."
"Turns out magical lightning that can kill a dragon is still magic." Asta said rising as well before he spat out a gob of blood onto the ground and continued. "So my Demon-Destroyer Sword can absorb the effects of it."
"I see, that's fine with me." Laxus said noting the information for future use. "You beat Erza, I beat Jura, it's fitting that this will come down to us. I won't lie, I'm eager to see what kind of strength it takes to defeat Erza, I've never faced her myself, and if I stack up to it."
"Well you'll get that chance." Asta said grinning as the black lines appeared on his face and his right eye turned red. "I can't hold back with you so just like Erza you're going to get my full power."
"Ah the demon comes out, good, it will make this a lot more fun." Laxus said grinning as lightning sparked over his body and he began to swell while Asta finished his Black Asta transformation, a look that Laxus had seen while watching Asta's fight with Erza though it was more startling to see it first hand as none of Mira's Takeovers looked this dark. "Guess it's my turn to let it all out."
With that Laxus roared as lightning blasted out from his body and his shirt ripped from his body leaving him shirtless but Asta wasn't focused on that, though he did note the intricate black tattoo on the left side of his chest along with his Guild Mark in black on his left abdomen, no he was focused on the change itself. Laxus seemed to get bigger and stronger, his canines became more pronounced and a scale like pattern appeared on his arms. It was similar to the change that the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth had done though it didn't seem as natural as theirs did for some reason.
It only lasted a moment but lightning was coursing everywhere from it, though Laxus made sure it wasn't going to hit his Guildmates, and when it was done he was grinning at Asta, the magic pouring off him as he pushed his Lightning Dragon Slaying Magic to the max. That was just what Asta need and he grinned back before he pushed off the ground and flew over it at Laxus, the strong magic drawing him in as he filled Dweller with Anti-Magic.
There were no more need for words, this was it, the culmination of the Battle Royale and the Grand Magic Games and the final two combatants were now going at it, the last two standing from their respective Guilds. This was it and both men knew it, it was winner take all and they couldn't give an inch as they fought with all their had for their friends and Guilds to see whose Guild would become the next number 1 Guild in Fiore.
Asta was going to press all he had and unleashed a pair of Black Slashes at Laxus but Laxus was already ready for that attack, he'd seen it enough to know to avoid it, and coated his body in lightning and shot up into the air. He'd noticed something while watching Asta fight Erza but he needed to test it for himself to confirm it now that he was facing the demon himself it was a good chance to.
Laxus's theory was proven correct when Asta shot up and after him in an unnatural move though he didn't seem to notice or be bothered by it as he send more Black Slashes at Laxus. Laxus easily dodged them however and turned to blast out a Lightning Dragon's Roar but Asta spun in the air and cut through it in a black blur and roared as he closed in on Laxus.
Even with the speed that Laxus could go with Lightning Body, he realized that it was only a matter of time before Asta caught up to him due to what was going on. He'd deduced that something about this Takeover form was drawn to magic, which given that Asta's swords could negate magic was not a good thing, and it seemed that speed wouldn't evade it.
That was fine with Laxus though as he came to a stop in the air high above and coated his fists in lightning. If Asta was going to come to him then fine, he was going to show Asta that that wasn't a good idea as it gave Laxus the perfect opportunity to dodge and counter him.
"Lightning Dragon's Iron Fist!" Laxus roared as he punched the moment he could.
There was another reason why he went for this and not Roaring Thunder again, that damned strange sword that Asta had called his Demon-Destroyer Sword though why it was called that Laxus had no idea beyond the fact that it destroyed magic in some way. That destruction was because it could absorb the effects of magic so Laxus wanted a move that caused sheer blunt damage which Lightning Dragon's Iron Fist did.
Well it would have but at the last moment Asta sensed Laxus's ki and got Destroyer up to intercept it on the flat of its blade so that Laxus punched a hunk of metal bruising his knuckles and causing the lightning on his fist to be absorbed by the sword. As that happened, Asta snarled and brought down Dweller to slam into Laxus's shoulder and blast him to the ground but Laxus got his lightning covered left forearm up in time to intercept it so that the sword only cut through the magic there and bruised his arm and nothing more.
Still, the simultaneous blows had the effect of blasting both men away from each other with Asta flipping over in the air and Laxus falling to the ground. However, Laxus didn't hit it the ground as he coated his lower body in lightning once more and shot to the side and then upwards and at Asta as he flipped in the air. Asta was able to right himself however thanks to Laxus's magic drawing him in, which he didn't fight for that reason, and he shot down and at the older man as Laxus shot up at him with lightning coating his right fist and forearm again.
This time when they clashed Laxus ignored the swords and willingly took a blow to his side from the normal looking one but that was all so that he could drive his fist into Asta's gut as hard as he could manage and wind him before blasting him back as he spun through the air from the hit. The one bad thing though was that it took a few moments for Laxus to have access to his magic again.
Meanwhile Asta seemed fine, easily taking the blow and responding with several slashed of his strange black magic. Laxus was still unaware that Asta didn't have any magic and was working on the assumption that he was using some combination of Wave and Takeover Magic, which Laxus had to dodge as he landed on the ground his knees bending to take the force of his landing.
He managed it and dust was billowed into the air from the impacts of Asta's attack on the ground which covered Laxus and gave him a great opening as his magic returned to him. The moment it did he blasted out of the dust, clearing it, with lightning covering his body again and flew right at Asta.
The last two exchanges had taught Laxus a few things as he tore towards Asta while Asta flew down towards him. The first being that taking a hit directly to his body could nullify his magic for a few moments, not long but long enough that it could be problematic, so he had to avoid that. The second, and this was more from the whole fight, was that if he wanted to win this he'd have to use close combat, which wasn't great as clearly Asta was skilled in that aspect of fighting thanks to his swordsmanship.
Still, between the way that that Demon-Destroyer sword could absorb magic and how Asta's swords cut through magic in general, the best course of action for Laxus was to get in close and win that way with brute force. Well, the best way was to not use magic but their only team member who was skill in non-magical combat was Erza and Asta had already beaten her so this was how Laxus was going to win as he closed in on Asta, fists and arms coated in lightning once again.
This time, though, when Laxus reached Asta he didn't punch but rather twisted and evaded flying past Asta using the enhanced mobility and speed that Lightning Body gave him though he still felt the air on his body from the slashes he evaded them. Asta snarled and twisted in the air to fly up at Laxus who zigzagged through the air for a moment before he turned and flew at Asta again.
What happened next simply looked like, to those watching with baited breath in the Colosseum, especially in the Fairy Tail and Black Bull boxes, streaks of yellow and black flying through the air in a dance that occasionally crossed paths as they got higher and higher, that was how fast the two combatants were going. For Asta and Laxus, however, they were fully aware of what was going on and were in essence engaging in a dance as they flew around lightning and Anti-Magic propelling them above the square thing as both tried to land hits on the other.
It wasn't working well for either, however. Laxus couldn't seem to break past Asta's defense to find a weakness he could exploit while Asta couldn't land a blow as the moment Laxus realized his run had failed he used the enhanced speed and mobility to twist out of the way of the slashes and any Black Slash that was sent after him was also dodged thanks to the same skills. It was a stalemate in a sense as both tried to figure out how to break past the other but for Asta he knew that his time was running out.
This was the second time that he'd used Black Asta that day, which currently was his max unless he used it early enough to push for three changes, and there was a finite amount of time he could remain in this form and that time was nearing its end. He also didn't have Nero to seal in the fatigue and pain so he had to think of something and as Laxus twisted away from another swipe the idea came to him and he grinned as he banked in the air a black blur to all and looked at Laxus who was turning as well though more in straight lines than a curve. There was one thing Asta still had to use and it was time for that, well when the moment was right that is.
As such, when the pair charged again, this time Asta threw his swords at Laxus and took command of them making them spin in the air as they flew towards his opponent. Naturally Laxus easily dodged them with a swift barrel roll and closed in on a weaponless Asta who was being drawn to his magic but that was just was Asta had expected. He needed Laxus to think that he had the upper hand at the moment and crossed his arms over his chest to take the lightning coated punch there.
Laxus's fist slammed into the Asta's right forearm so the one covered in Anti-Magic which had the benefit of nullifying it but the sheer blunt power of it stung Asta's arm and blasted him away from Laxus. That was fine with Asta though as he sent his other swords after Laxus to distract while Slayer flew into the air from where Laxus had tossed it to the ground earlier and at him as he finished flipping in the air and came to a halt before he shot at Laxus again.
As Asta did he held out his right hand just Slayer reached him and he grabbed before quickly taking it in both hands while sending Destroyer and Dweller to hound Laxus. Laxus, however, easily evaded them and shot at Asta again lightning crackling over his body.
This time, however, he had to dodge the great sword which had a bigger range but Laxus was fine with that. If Asta was breaking that out then something had to be up which meant that Asta had to be getting desperate hence the need for greater range so all Laxus had to do was keep the pressure up and he'd break through Asta's defense eventually. That did mean also dodging the other two swords that would go for him after he dodged Asta's attack but Laxus could do that as he zipped through the air and made another run at Asta who'd already turned to do the same.
Again the pair kept this up for a few more passes as Laxus tried to reach Asta before breaking away at the last moment to evade the attack from Slayer while also avoiding the spinning and slashing swords that Asta wasn't carrying though he was much faster than them so once he evaded them he had a clean line of attack on Asta. It wasn't hard to dodge either, that great sword had greater reach but it was slower so it was easier to dodge. Plus Laxus knew that if he kept this up Asta was sure to tire which would be the opening he needed.
However, all this was part of Asta's grand plan. Thanks to being in his Black Asta form his battle senses were sharper, his mind clearer, and he could think things through better as his focus was solely on the battle at hand, in addition to the speed and strength boost. That was why he'd been able to deduce how to beat Erza when they'd dueled and now why he'd realized how to beat Laxus only with Laxus he needed to lull the man into a false sense of what was going on before springing the trap.
That meant surpassing his limits and pushing his transformation to the very edge of how long he could hold it for as he kept up the charade of trying to hit Laxus with Slayer a few more times. This was just the kind of fight Asta loved though, it was the same with his battle with Erza, the chance to push past his limits and win against a strong opponent was why he was fighting so hard to win, it was what he and the Black Bulls were going to get out of being in Fiore and now it was time to do just that as he swung and missed Laxus again while sending Dweller and Destroyer after him.
Laxus quickly zipped away from them and Asta like he'd done several times at this point. That was exactly what Asta needed as he banked up into the air and turned so that he was above Laxus before diving at him fully letting his Black Asta form be pulled towards Laxus's magic as Laxus evaded the other swords that had continued to follow him before he shot up at Asta.
This was it, Asta knew it and he clenched Slayer hard as he poured Anti-Magic into it and swung. As expected, Laxus zipped to the side to evade it and see if he could land a hit which meant he was only just evading it. However, this time as Asta swung he pumped his Anti-Magic into Slayer and condensed and pushed it to the edges as he roared.
"Black Divider!"
Laxus didn't have time to realize what was happening before Asta's great sword suddenly enlarged to several times its normal size, the edges and point turning jet black as tendrils of blackness whipped off it while the body looked gray with more black tendrils going to the sides as if pushing something there. It was a move that Asta hadn't used against Erza so a complete unknown, and a huge shock to those watching in Fairy Tail's box as they thought they'd seen all that Asta had to offer in that fight which only added to how strong he was if he could hold something back from Erza, and one that Asta now used with ruthless efficiency.
The Lightning Dragon Slayer didn't have a chance to evade it, the sudden increase in range meant that his initial dodge, which he'd perfected to be just enough to evade while still being able to strike an opening, was negated. Plus, thanks to all the magic coursing off Laxus, the speed of Asta's swing was increased as Slayer was drawn to Laxus.
The result was that the sword slammed into Laxus's left side right above his Guild Mark and hard enough for an audible crack to be heard and drove him down and into the ground before he could process it. The force of his impact cratering the ground and sending dust billowing into the air.
However, Asta knew that that wasn't enough, the blow was more a glancing one than a direct one and had been to Laxus's side not his chest or head. He was a tough guy so he'd still be in it.
Asta confirmed this when he sensed the consciousness, and pain, in Laxus's ki so he flew down, Black Divider still active, and into the dust landing with both feet on the ground and his sword in both hands held high over his head. His actions cut away the dust to show Laxus on his back in the crater and looking up at Asta eyes wide as Asta roared and brought the sword down.
"This is it!" Asta bellowed. "We win!"
Laxus was too imbedded to get up and the blow had stunned him, and broken a few ribs he was sure, so he couldn't move or use magic for a precious few seconds which was all the time that Asta needed. As such all Laxus could do was look up in shock as the sword came down on him and know that this was over. The last thing Laxus managed to think before the sword struck him in the very center of his body from face to waist was that this wasn't just some kid, this was a demon, a demon who'd taken down 4 members of Fairy Tail to win it all for the Black Bulls.
For his part Asta was just roaring as he delivered the brutal, but necessary, finishing blow and drove Laxus further into the ground with the hit that caused even more dust to billow up and around them completely covering them from and visuals. It stayed like that for a moment but when it cleared the result wasn't in any doubt.
At the bottom of the crater with a red line splitting his face and along his sternum was Laxus, mouth open and eyes white clearly out cold. With that confirmed, Asta removed the sword from Laxus's body and staggered back, his control over his other two swords slipping and they fell from the sky to fall to the ground with a clatter.
There was a hush in that moment as the shock of the whole situation and the sudden ending to the Battle Royale was processed by everyone watching it. Standing there, panting and still in his Black Asta form though his great sword had returned to normal now, was Asta as he looked down on the bested Laxus before him. Elsewhere in the square Gajeel and Gray were out cold and on their backs meaning that there was only one person left standing in the Battle Royale. Finally Chapati found his voice to make the announcement.
"Laxus is out! With that it's official, the Battle Royale is now over and the last standing combatant is Asta!" Chapati said awe in his voice as Asta stepped back a little more as his Black Asta form fell with the confirmation and Slayer slipped from his limp hand to clatter to the ground. "That means that with 68 points to 66, the winner of the Grand Magic Games and Fiore's new number 1 Guild is…"
Asta was well beyond his limit but he'd held on to the very end, surpassing all his limits in the process, but now that Laxus was down and it was official that he could finally stop fighting to go on. Asta did just that and the moment he did all the pain and fatigue from the injuries he'd taken over the course of the Battle Royal, exclusively from Erza and Laxus, final hit him. Still, he had to celebrate so he raised his arms over his head and let out a cry of joy at winning it.
However, as his hands went above his head he began to fall back as consciousness slipped from. Still, he managed to hear the final thing that Chapati said before he passed out and hit the ground as the Grand Magic Games officially came to an end with the declaration of the winning Guild.
"…the Black Bulls!"
Well there it is, the Battle Royale and the Grand Magic Games are finally over and the sole remaining fighter was…Asta! With that and his victories, and those of the other Black Bulls, they've won the Grand Magic Games and are now the number 1 Guild in all of Fiore. Course there's no time to celebrate, there are several injured combatants who need immediate medical attention but the whole Kingdom will be reeling from the stunning upset that was the Black Bulls and the victories Asta himself managed to pull off in order to bring home the title for them and all that will come with such a title. For those who noticed and are wondering why, the reason why Asta beat Gajeel in pretty much the exact same fashion as he beat Vetto in the Underwater Temple, other than that it worked well for how Gajeel lost, is a deeper VA reference that I like to make from time to time in my crossovers when they present themselves. In this case it's because Vetto and Gajeel share an English VA and there will be other subtle references coming up, especially when Fairy Tail and the Black Bulls finally have a proper meeting as there are several members of Fairy Tail who share a VA with characters from Black Clover. Also, I know that Laxus shares a VA with Dante but I opted not to mirror that fight in anyway because Asta has not met Dante and that does mean that for any characters who share a VA with an unmet character I will not be referencing that so Lucy sharing a VA with Loropechika won't be referenced either as the Black Bulls haven't met her due to being banished before they could even visit the Heart Kingdom. Anyway, that is all that I really have for this chapter, next up is the aftermath of this final battle, so I will leave this 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