Chapter 201

Semi Finals Begin!

At the call of Mato and the gong, Fuzen suddenly shot forward and closed the distance to me in a split second. Reacting immediately, I ducked in time for his fist to graze the top of my head. I quickly countered by sweeping my leg underneath his own to trip him up, only for him to jump to the side, flipping and landing on the ground in a crouch, and launch towards me again, attacking with another punch imbued with a black aura.

Seeing that and knowing he was using his magic, I launched myself into the air, firing water from my feet, quickly gaining distance. However, like a lion chasing its prey, he pursued and attacked me with a flurry of punches imbued with his magic while I avoided them, not taking the chance to block.

"Not bad. You're as agile as I remember when we first met," Fuzen spoke as he continued his assault. "But surely you can do more than just avoid me."

I jumped into the air getting out of his range. Water enveloped my hands as I held out my arms and released powerful streams of water.

"WATER DRAGON WING ATTACK!"

While giving my arms a swing, the streams of water twisted and bent, turning into shockwaves as I hurled them towards him. But, Fuzen swiftly evaded, flipping back a few times while hopping backward. As I landed back on the ground, I took a deep breath as water filled my cheeks.

"WATER DRAGON ROAR!"

I fired a powerful whirlpool-like torrent from my mouth towards his location. Fuzen dashed to the side, going on the move, avoiding my breath attack. I then directed it, making it follow him, not wanting to give him a chance to escape.

Then, Fuzen jumped into the air and, while looking in my direction, held up his hand, which began to spark with lightning.

"PLASMA SHOT."

A bright streak of purple lightning shot out, and I leaned to the right just in time to avoid it as the attack shot past, striking the ground.

"He can use lightning magic?!"

Fuzen didn't let up as he unleashed three more blasts toward me. To counter them, I conjured up a pair of water swords and, in three swift swipes, cut the blasts cleanly in half. Following up, I turned my blades into large stars and hurled them toward him. However, just when they were about to hit Fuzen, he stood on top of his hands, spinning himself around, and with a kick from each of his legs, blocked the stars while destroying them. Afterward, he used his arms to launch himself back to his feet and charged at me, his hands with a black magic aura.

Thinking quickly, I repeatedly leaned my body and ducked to avoid the incoming array as he attacked with another barrage of punches.

NO POV

"Oh, my! The match has barely started, and things are already getting intense!" Chapati spoke through his microphone. "Fuzen relentlessly attacks with multiple, rapid blows forcing Willy to go on the defensive!"

"COOL!" Jason cheered wildly.

"This certainly is different from Willy, considering that he was able to defeat Mattan so easily in his last match," went on Chapati. "Could he be teasing his opponent again, or has he met his match with Fuzen?"

Yajima thoughtfully hummed as he continued to watch the match.

"Come on, Willy! Fight back!" Elfman yelled. "Stop dodging and knock him out already!"

"He can't exactly do that, you know!" Lucy pointed out.

"He hasn't even tried to throw a punch at him," said Gray. "All he's been doing is dodging and attacking from a distance."

"Most likely, he's trying to stay back, so he doesn't fall prey to Fuzen's magic and trying to figure out what kind he uses," said Erza. "And considering that Fuzen was able to force Bora to surrender, Willy can't afford to take any chances."

"You act as if that Bora wasn't that weak," said Gray. "I mean, Natsu beat him no problem a while back."

"That may be so, but considering the seven-year gap, even Bora had to have grown significantly stronger during that time," Erza spoke with a frown. "And yet Fuzen was able to defeat him while landing a single hit while using insults as a weapon."

"You think he did something to Bora to make him surrender aside from that?" wondered Lucy. "That would make sense."

"Who can say," replied Erza. "All we can do is watch and hope Willy figures out his opponent."

WILLY'S POV

I continued to dodge Fuzen's punches, trying my best not to get hit, until Fuzen swung with a right hook. Then, seizing an opportunity, I ducked while shooting water at the bottoms of my feet, launching myself back, allowing me to gain distance.

"This is getting me nowhere. Not only does this guy keep closing the distance whenever I try to get away, but he also can counter my long-distance magic with some of his own. I'll never get a hit at the rate this is going. In that case..."

I planted my feet and punched my fists together.

"WATER DRAGON GEYSER WALL!"

I raised my fist and slammed it into the ground, making a geyser erupt in front of me. Then, I jumped into the geyser and used another spell.

"WATER DRAGON CLONES!"

While inside of it, I created six more clones of me and, along with them, jumped out of the geyser and quickly surrounded Fuzen.

"What is this?! Willy has somehow split into seven different copies of himself!" exclaimed Chapati. "He's got Fuzen surrounded and outnumbered!"

"An interesting strategy," said Yajima. "With all those copies, even someone like Fuzen might have difficulty telling which one's real."

"SO COOL!" concurred Jason. "Seven more of Willy is seven times the coolness!"

"So you're trying to confuse me using numbers, eh?" Fuzen spoke as he looked around. "A clever tactic, but you can't hide from me forever. Eventually, I will get you."

My clones and I each charged at Fuzen, and two of them were quick to start throwing punches and kicks. But he skillfully deflected and dodged each one without taking a single hit. A third came from the side while swinging his leg coated in water, and a fourth dashed at him from behind, water covering his hand and changing into a sharp edge.

"WATER DRAGON TALON!"

"WATER DRAGON BLADE!"

But as both of them swung, Fuzen immediately raised a hand, catching Number Three by his heel and stopped number four by his wrist just before he hit him in the chest. Then, his body began to radiate with lightning as he called out the name of another spell.

"PLASMA CHARGE."

Both clones were shocked by overwhelming electricity, enticing screams from them until they exploded into water. The remaining clones and I were a bit surprised but didn't back down as Fuzen turned his attention toward us.

Fuzen then launched himself at another clone and, before he could even defend, kicked him right across the face making him stagger, and finished him off with a powerful uppercut knocking him to the ground.

I then joined the other clones as we surrounded him from four sides and attacked him simultaneously. Fuzen crossed his arms, making lightning radiate throughout his body, building power while shouting out the name of his next spell.

"PLASMA WAVE!"

He threw out his arms, and his body exploded with lightning, releasing a powerful shockwave that spread throughout the area and completely consumed me and the clones. I couldn't help but scream in pain as the force of the attack blew me back until I hit the ground, tumbling while the remaining clones disappeared.

As I tried to get back up, my body suddenly seized up as it crackled and sparked electricity while a subtle numbness spread throughout it.

"Crap! I can't move! That last attack must have paralyzed me!"

But right then, Fuzen suddenly appeared in my line of vision. Before I could even move, he swung with a fist coated with his magic and landed a blow square in my stomach, knocking the wind out of me. As soon as he hit me, I felt that same ominous feeling spread throughout my body Fuzen smugly chuckled, his mask looking at me.

"I told you I was going to get you eventually. Your clones were convincing, and you would have been able to confuse a normal opponent, but sadly, they weren't enough to fool me."

The response I could muster was a cough and a gasp while trying to pull away, but the masked man grabbed my shoulder with his other arm preventing me.

"I don't think so," Fuzen spoke in an ah-ah-ah manner. "I've finally managed to have you in my grasp, and now I think it's time to feast. I've been waiting for this for a while now, so allow me to help myself."

At that moment, he dug his fist a bit deeper, and that same draining feeling overtook my body as I started to grow weak at the knees. But then, Fuzen hummed in confusion as he took his fist away.

"What is this?" he wondered. "I'm not absorbing anything."

I then let out a chuckle. "What's wrong? Can't find whatever it is you're trying to absorb?" I looked up at him flashing a smirk. "Maybe that's because you're that easy to fool after all."

NO POV

At first, Fuzen was puzzled, but then, Willy's body began to distort until it lost form completely, turning into a puddle of water.

Fuzen was taken aback. "What? That was a clone as well?"

Then a shadow loomed over him, causing him to look up in time to see his opponent falling straight toward him with a water-coated leg raised.

WILLY'S POV

"WATER DRAGON TALON!"

While coming from above, I swung with an ax kick, slamming my foot smack on top of Fuzen's head, the ground buckling from the impact. As Fuzen staggered, water generated from my hands as I went on the attack without restraint, rapid firing my close combat spells one after the other.

"GUSHING ELBOW!"

"BLADE!"

"IRON FIST!"

I kept punching, kicking, and elbowing my opponent, not wanting to give him any room to breathe as he took one hit after the other. Then, while letting out a roar, I let my magic surge through my body as I used a more powerful attack.

"DRAGON SLAYER SECRET ART! AQUA LOTUS IMPLODING TORRENT BLADE!"

Water erupted from my hands as I punched them together and, while aiming, swung my arms in a circle notion releasing a powerful tornado of water. Fuzen was blasted across the arena floor until he crashed straight into the arena wall with a mighty boom and an explosion of water.

"Incredible! After getting the drop on Fuzen, Willy's managed to land an overwhelming assault and sends him slamming into the wall!" Chapati cried in excitement. "That had to hurt!"

"Now that's using your head," said Yajima. "Willy used his Geyser Wall not only to hide but also to launch himself into the air. And when Fuzen's guard was lowered, struck down from above."

"That was an awesome attack!" crowed Jason.

When the dust settled down, Fuzen sat slumped against the wall that now had a large impression, appearing to be unconscious. Mato then rushed over to him over. From the looks of things, he seemed to be down for the count, but I knew it wasn't that easy. I then walked closer until I was a few yards away.

"Hey, you. How about you quit the act and get up already?" I called out. "I know you're still conscious."

Mato was surprised. "Now, hold on there! There's no need to get so hostile!" he squeaked. "At least give your opponent a few-."

But he was interrupted by Fuzen getting back on his feet, seemingly unphased. I could see that his mask had become cracked, most likely from the impact of my last attack. Then, as he stood there, it split in half, both pieces falling to the ground.

Sensing that the fight was still on, Mato quickly dashed away while I remained where I stood. Fuzen was silent for a long pause, but then I heard him chuckle as he looked at me, showing his face. He had a tan skin tone almost the same as Elfman's, red hair in a buzzcut, gray eyes, and a scar across his right cheek.

"Well done, Willy," he spoke. "Those attacks of yours did quite a bit of damage. You even went as far as to "bash my face in" and break my precious mask, as you previously stated. Normally, one would be a bit peeved for such an action, but to tell you the truth, I'm glad you did that."

"And what reason would that be?" I asked suspiciously.

Fuzen's eyes then glinted as he gave me an evil grin. "Because you've got me excited. More excited than I've ever been in a long time. And for that, I've decided to return the favor in full - by crushing you with no restraint."

After that statement, magic power surged throughout his body in the form of a violet haze as it rose into the air like smoke. As it did, I sensed an overwhelming amount of evil coming from him, enough to make my blood turn cold and even a bit nauseous. I couldn't help but instinctively take a step back.

"What is this?! It's like his entire body's become a cesspool of evil! He makes Don Ghira look as tame as a kitten!"

Then, from above him, numerous ghostly apparitions began to appear. They all were hooded, had long, sharp fingers, and had glowing red eyes.

NO POV

Gajeel, Juvia, and Mira's eyes were wide with shock. They could also sense Fuzen's magic aura, and they not only found this unsettling, but they also found this familiar.

"Do you see that?" Juvia murmured. "That magic...!"

"There's no way...!" growled Gajeel. "It's just like his!"

Mira could only stay silent as her eyes stayed solely on Fuzen while an ominous feeling crept into the pit of her stomach.

Makarov was also shocked, his old eyes wide in disbelief.

"No! It's not possible!" he spoke in a hushed tone. "I know this kind of magic anywhere!"

"Anyone else getting a sense a deja vu?" asked Wakaba. "Or is it just me?"

"No, it's not just you. I feel it, too," said Macao. "And whatever that is, it's giving me bad memories."

The others in the balcony box didn't speak.

Even Mavis was surprised as she stared at the ghost specters, realizing and knowing what magic this was.

"That's Shade Magic!" she gasped.

Ivan was wearing a victorious smirk.

"Only now does Makarov and his children realize the terror Willy's facing. And I'm sure as they will find out, it's not just me who bears a grudge against them and has been waiting for a chance to get revenge. Go on, Fuzen. Show everyone your power and our hatred for Fairy Tail, and exterminate Willy Falconer!"

WILLY'S POV

I couldn't help but start to feel a bit nervous as the ghosts danced around Fuzen, their eyes glowing ominously while faintly giggling, but I didn't back down as I defensively stanced up.

"Well, well, still trying to be brave?" Fuzen spoke out. "I'll give you credit for standing your ground, but know that even the bravest of souls have fallen to my magic, and the same thing will happen to you!"

"Oh, yeah? We'll see!" I barked back. "No matter what kind of magic you have, I won't lose to you!"

Fuzen chuckled as he gave his command. "Now, my soldiers! Attack! Make this boy your next victim!"

If you liked what you read and are new, don't be afraid to leave a review!

As always, thank you for reading this chapter! And I'll see you at the next one!

Dragomaster, signing off!