Chapter 210

Rippling Effect

NO POV

Chapati couldn't help but shoot to his feet, holding his mike while his eyes were wide in shock. "Holy smoke! What in the world just happened down there?!" he yelled. "One minute, Willy appeared to have the upper hand; the next, Bacchus suddenly appeared behind him, and he got sent flying across the arena, slamming straight into the wall!"

Orga smirked while lightly chuckling. "It looks like Bacchus was able to take the kid out," he said. "This match is over."

Over at Fairy Tail Team A's section...

"Oh, no! Willy!" Wendy cried.

"What the heck just happened right now?!" exclaimed Natsu. "Willy got sent flying!"

"I don't remember Bacchus being that fast!" Gray also exclaimed. "And how was he able to get all those hits in?! I thought that he had to be drunk!"

Lucy squinted a bit and saw something that made her gasp. Bacchus was red in the face and was as drunk as wobbled about. "I know why!" she gasped. "He's already drunk!"

"Hey, you're right!" said Gray. "But how? Didn't Willy destroy his bottle so he wouldn't get drunk? Unless he was pretending and was hiding his true power."

"No. Bacchus is very much drunk," said Erza. "And we all saw Willy destroy his bottle. However, he isn't the kind who can magically force himself to get drunk, which leads me to believe of only one way how he could have done what he did."

"What's that?" asked Natsu.

Erza paused impressively as she kept her eyes on the battle, but before responding, she noticed Willy's body stir as he started to regain consciousness.

WILLY'S POV

When I was aware of my senses again, I found myself flat on the ground, struggling to breathe while my body felt all sorts of hurt everywhere. I coughed and gasped, struggling to catch my breath while pushing myself up by the arms, my vision blurring slightly and my hearing distorted.

Then, while mustering what strength I had to place a hand in the middle of my chest, I started casting my healing magic. The pain in my body was replaced with a warm and pleasant feeling as my physical strength gradually returned.

"Well, look at that! Willy's now back on his feet!" Chapati spoke out. "And from the looks of things, all the damage he's taken is rapidly disappearing!"

"It looks like he can use the same self-healing magic Sherria used," I heard Lahar speak. "Pretty impressive considering what he took."

"I have to agree," commentated Yajima.

After a few seconds, I stood back up to my feet, wiping whatever blood or spit I had on my lips as I turned back at my opponent. I saw Bacchus stanced up, ready to continue the fight, but I could also see that his face was flushed, his eyes were glazed, and he was wobbling slightly, which meant only one thing.

"He's already drunk? But how? I didn't see him drink throughout our fight. I destroyed should have been his only source of alcohol, and I doubt he smuggled any. So how did he pull it off?"

After pausing in thought for a brief moment, I had an idea.

"There's only one way. It's a hunch, but it's the only thing that makes sense."

Bacchus let out a whistle as he observed me. "Wow. So you can do that healing stuff, too, eh?" he said while hiccuping. "Guess you're about as stubborn as you are tough as Elfman."

"I appreciate the compliment, but you're the one who's got me thrown for a loop," I told him. "I didn't think you'd be the kind of guy to strategize in a fight considering that you were pretending to be sober a few moments ago."

Bacchus stared before letting out a gleeful cackle, followed by a hiccup. "That's right!" he confirmed. "I had a feeling you'd go for my bottle to cut me off, so before our match started, I took the liberty of guzzling some booze. Usually, I don't get drunk so early in the morning, but I figured I'd make an exception for this match."

I couldn't help but let out a gasp in surprise, not expecting to be correct.

NO POV

Over at Fairy Tail Team B's section...

"Hold on a minute, he was faking about being sober?!" exclaimed Gajeel. "He was drunk the whole time?!"

"I didn't think anyone was capable of something like that," said Juvia. She looked across to Cana. "Have you ever tried that before?"

"Like I could," said Cana. "I may get drunk sometimes, but I've never heard of anyone controlling when or where they get drunk."

"Regardless, now that Bacchus is drunk, Willy's facing him at his full strength," said Mira. "He may have been able to heal himself, but if he doesn't think of something quick, he won't be able to take another barrage of those hits, and he's used a lot of his magic already."

WILLY'S POV

"Damn it. I didn't expect to be right. But, then again, I should have seen something like this coming," I thought. "What do I do now? Since he's buzzed, his attack power and speed are off the charts, and I have nothing to defend against them. But even if I wanted to, he'll break through and knock me out again. I haven't had my back against the wall like this since my fight with Don Ghira. But, at the same time..."

I brushed some dust off my clothes and cracked my knuckles before punching them together and taking a stance.

"I'm not about to back down. Bacchus may be strong, but so am I. And unlike before, when I would hold back during battle, I think it'd be a good time to cut loose myself and see where it takes me. Time for me to show what I can do."

"It looks like Willy's raring to fight again!" Chapati spoke out. "But he had better be careful this time, especially considering Bacchus is now hammered like a nail into wood! Does he have a sound plan to win?"

Bacchus hiccuped and also stanced up as he called out to his guild.

"What are we, boys?!"

"WILD ! ! !" I heard Rocker and the other members yell.

I shot forward again while cloaking my legs with water attempting to kick Bacchus. But he shot forward with blinding speed, and I once again felt a shower of blows strike my body from seemingly everywhere like before, each having tremendous strength behind them. I was wracked with pain again, and I felt like passing out, but while staying strong, I managed to use my healing magic to numb the pain and heal the damage and tried my best to defend against the palm strikes.

However, despite this, Bacchus wouldn't let up as he continued to attack, using his speed and strength. I tried my best to block and parry his palm strikes, stopping a couple of hits while the others struck, refusing to give in.

"This doesn't look good for Willy!" Chapati cried anxiously. "Bacchus is way too strong and fast for him, and unlike with Bacchus's last match Elfman, Willy doesn't seem to have any defense against them! All he can do is withstand the overwhelming hits!"

I dashed toward him again and attacked with multiple rapid punches while he blocked and easily avoided them. Then I swung w/ith a roundhouse kick, only for Bacchus to lean back and kip back up, planting both of his feet smack into my stomach, making me cough out a glob of spit as I staggered from the blow. As I did, I sensed Bacchus coming again and quickly raised my hands to defend. Again, I felt hits strike my body at rapid speed, but I was able to stop three of them this time.

"Come on, kid!" Bacchus taunted with a slur. "No matter how much you tank my attacks and heal yourself, you'll eventually burn yourself out by running out of magic power. Elfman may have managed to do it, but something tells me you ain't the kind to take so many hits!" Give it up!"

"Keep talking, you drunk!" I shouted back while skidding backward as I dashed toward him. "No matter how much you talk or beat me, I ain't backing down! So how about you stop talking and fight!"

And with another loud yell, I dashed toward him again, my body surging with adrenaline while a slight blue spark crossed my vision.

NO POV

At Fairy Tail's section in the crowd...

"The hell is that kid doing?!" exclaimed Macao. "He's not gonna get anywhere if he keeps attacking that guy!"

"You think he might be drunk himself?" asked Wakaba worriedly. "Punch drunk, I mean?"

"All he's doing is attacking," said Jet worriedly. "And he can't even land a single hit."

"Not to mention he's not even using his magic to attack," added Droy as he munched on hot dogs. "All he's doing is getting the stuffing beaten out of him and healing himself."

"Don't worry. Willy has to have a plan in mind," said Lisanna. "Otherwise, he wouldn't be needlessly attacking like this."

Makarov hummed as he observed the battle unfolding before him with thoughtful eyes.

"Are you feeling worried, Makarov?"

Tu Chi's voice caught Makarov's attention causing him to turn towards her direction as she approached him from his side.

"Well, of course, I am," I told her. "It's only natural for me to be. Especially considering the circumstances, which reminds me. You said that Willy's magic power is stable now, correct?"

"Indeed I did," said Tu Chi. "Not just stable, but I think you'll find he's become a whole different person than before. After all, we didn't spend the last three months camping out in a swamp." She glanced at the rest of the Fairy Tail members. "And Lisana's got it correct. Willy isn't just attacking while taking those blows. If you look closely, you find out something interesting."

"With all due respect, ma'am, I fail to see what's interesting about watching our guildmate getting pummeled," said Max.

Tu Chi then smiled. "Then allow me to enlighten you, young man." She looked back towards the battle. "Say, Makarov, your eyes are just as trained as mine are," she said. "Tell me, how many strikes did Bacchus land on Elfman back in their match when he was drunk?"

"I believe it was around seven," was Makarov's reply.

"Now, tell me," said Tu Chi. "How many blows has Willy blocked thus far?"

Makarov then looked back at the battle and squinted his eyes, watching closely. Then, his eyes snapped open with a blink at what he saw.

As Bacchus attacked with his rapid blows, Willy blocked five of his seven strikes this time while the other three struck his body. At the same time, as his body healed, he noticed that it was also starting to give off a slight bio-electric aura.

"Hold on a second. Is he...?" he couldn't help but murmur.

WILLY'S POV

I've lost count of how many times I've taken Bacchus's attacks and how many attempts I've made to try and hit him. However, there was a reason why I've been doing this.

Despite Bacchus's palm strikes being powerful, fast, and unpredictable, I've slowly been able to sense and predict them, blow by blow, managing to block around five strikes.

"I just need one volley! One more!"

"Come on, Bacchus! Is that the best you got?!" I taunted. "I'm starting to believe you ain't living up to the hype! What, was all that strength and speed just a show?!"

"You really must be a glutton for punishment if you think you should be calling me out, kid," hiccuped Bacchus. "But if that's what you want..."

Bacchus shot at me again with incredible speed, but as he did, I could sense his rapid-fire strikes coming. Immediately, I quickly blocked and parried five of the blows, but one struck me right in the side and another right on the lower back, the force throwing me forward. I couldn't help but grunt as those places stung, but the pain quickly faded thanks to my healing magic as I flipped a few times before landing in a crouch.

I launched myself forward and attacked with a flurry of punches and kicks. Bacchus blocked and avoided the blows, jumped back to gain some distance, and then shot forward, intending to attack again.

"Now!"

In a split second, as quickly as he attacked, I blocked and diverted the first five palm strikes, and on the sixth and seventh, and spread my arms out, shunting both of his hands while closing the distance. Then with a loud shout, I swung my fist and planted a powerful punch smack on Bacchus's gut, and sent him flying across the arena and slamming him to the wall.

Surprise and shock were now evident on Bacchus's face as he stared at me. "N-No way!" he mumbled. "You... you got me?!"

I flashed a smirk. "Sure did," I said victoriously. "And boy, did that punch feel good!"

"I don't believe it, folks!" Chapati yelled. "Just when we thought it would be impossible, Willy's managed to do it! He's finally landed a mighty blow on Bacchus!"

Orga huffed. "Whatever. That was just a lucky punch."

"I wouldn't say that was lucky," said Yajima. "Willy seems to have taken all those blows to get a feel for the timing and pattern and predict when and how Bacchus would attack. Not only that but his strength and speed have also increased enough to match Bacchus's."

"Well, this is an unexpected development," Lahar said. "Perhaps this match will be less one-sided than I thought.

Bacchus got back up. "Nice punch, kid," he hiccoughed. "But let's see you do it again!"

Using his speed, he dashed towards me again, swinging his arms. I immediately raised my hands, crossed them, and blocked two palm strikes. Then I brought my hand behind me to stop the third, swiftly turned around to stop the fourth and fifth, and moved to avoid the sixth, and on the seventh, I shuffled it out of the way and swung my leg, giving him a roundhouse kick to the right cheek. The blow sent him backward and skidding along the ground, managing to stay standing.

"It took me a bit, but I've finally got you figured out, Bacchus," I continued as I brought my leg down while staring at him. "The speed of your palm strikes. The strength you put behind them. Even your unpredictability, thanks to you being drunk. I now know how to deal with them to an extent and can sense where and when your blows will come. You won't catch me by surprise anymore!"

Bacchus stared as he wiped his cheek, appearing to be shocked. Then, a twinkle flashed in his eye as a smile crept up his face. He then started to chuckle before entirely breaking out into hearty laughter.

"Well, I'll be damned! It's been a long time since I got a good smack on the cheek, and it's not something just anyone's been able to do!" he said. "You're just like Erza and Mira, quick to adapt and strong." He then flashed a slasher-like grin. "But now, you got my blood pumpin' and rushin'! So how's about two of us get even wilder?! My soul is shakin' and stirrin'!"

I flashed a smile back at him as I raised my hand with my palm facing up and beckoned him with my fingers, signaling him to come at me. In response, Bacchus shot forward, and I did the same, the two of us swinging with hands simultaneously, making our blows collide with incredible force. Then, using our respective speeds, we raced around the arena while attacking each other back and forth.

As our fists slammed multiple times in our flurries, there were a few times one of us got a hit. Bacchus struck me square on the side of my left hip after one, and I clocked him with an uppercut on another. After a third, Bacchus slammed a palm right into my cheek, and on a fourth, I gave him a swift kick to his back.

NO POV

Everyone in the Fairy Tail section couldn't help but be amazed as they continued watching the fight. Both Willy and Bacchus were fighting at an incredible pace, their afterimages briefly appearing before disappearing from seemingly all around the arena.

"This is crazy!" exclaimed Nab. "They're moving so fast; I can't keep up with them!"

"No kidding!" said Droy. "Even Jet's not that fast!"

"Hey! I object to that!" snapped Jet.

"It's unreal. Mostly in Willy's case," murmured Macao. "One minute, he's getting the stuffing beaten out of him; the next, he's going toe-to-toe with that guy."

"But how the heck is he keeping up with Bacchus?!" questioned Wakaba. "The guy's considered as strong as Erza, and yet he's evenly matched with him now!"

"It's because of his training," said Tu Chi. "That and a special technique he's been using."

The group looked toward Tu Chi as she smiled.

"Willy's been using a magic amplification spell to power himself up enough to match Bacchus in strength and speed," she explained. "However, this one is unique. One that only he can use. Unlike the norm, this spell can gradually enhance the user's magic power, physical strength, and speed during battle. However, the user must take damage to do so."

"Hold on a minute. You're saying that Willy let himself get beat up?" asked Levy.

"Correct, although I'm to believe he didn't expect Bacchus to be already drunk after the first volley he took," said Tu Chi. "Anyway, the spell is similar to squeezing a bottle of liquid; the more you squeeze, the stronger the pressure builds inside, hence why this spell is known as... Rising Pressure."

"Rising Pressure, eh?" repeated Makarov. "A peculiar name. And that would explain that strange blue aura surrounding his body. But I can't help but feel like there's something more than what you've just told us, Tu Chi."

Tu Chi chuckled. "How very perspective of you, Makarov," she said. "But rather than telling you, I think seeing for yourself would be more fun. After all, all things come to those who wait. And when you see what happens, I think even you'll be surprised."

Makarov could only sigh. "I hate it when you speak in riddles," he huffed.

WILLY'S POV

I continued to punch and block Bacchus's hits while taking any that hit me. I could feel myself growing stronger by the second and more responsive to Bacchus's attacks. In addition, I could feel something building up inside my body the more I fought, telling me that it was just about time.

At this point, I was panting even more, my clothes were slightly torn and tattered, and my skin was covered with dirt, sweat, and blood. Bacchus was in the same state, his upper armor crumbling and exposing his bandages, his pants also tattered, and his hair looked ready to come loose from its bun.

Bacchus then let out a roar as he came swinging, but I did the same. The two of us clashed rapidly again, sneaking a couple of hits on each other occasionally until swinging one final time with our right hands and hitting each other right on the cheek. As I recoiled from the blow while standing my ground, I noticed that Bacchus's last hit didn't carry as much weight as it used to. Not to mention, he had grown a bit slower, too.

"He's grown weak enough! Now's my chance!"

"This battle has been incredible to witness!" I heard Chapati shout. "Neither fighter is backing down, but it looks like both Willy and Bacchus are running low on steam!"

"I think this battle is about to reach its conclusion," said Yajima.

I focused on the building power inside my body into my right arm as I took another stance, getting ready.

"Bacchus, get ready!" I yelled as my body began to shine in blue. "You're as strong as you and everyone else said you were, making you worthy of your title as an S-Class wizard! However, I'm ending this right here and now by using this!"

I rushed forward using my speed, as did Bacchus, but as he tried hitting me with his palm strikes, I avoided them easily and placed my open palm right in the middle of Bacchus' stomach. As Bacchus froze in shock, the aura shrouding my body rapidly transferred to my hand as it shone brightly.

"You're not the only one who knows a palm strike technique," I told him as I unleashed my attack. "RISING PRESSURE! RIPPLE PALM THRUST!"

And with a mighty thrust of my palm, I released a powerful and explosive shockwave in the form of a ripple in the water. Bacchus was sent flying away, screaming before slamming into the wall with a mighty crash, kicking up dust from the impact.

Not long after that, my strength faded away as a wave of exhaustion and vertigo hit me. I felt tired as I doubled over, gasping for air, but I looked towards where I sent Bacchus, staying on guard while watching the dust.

When the cloud cleared away, Bacchus lay flat on the ground, eyes rolled to the back of his head and his body unmoving. The bell then sounded as Chapati's voice rang out.

"And that's all she wrote, folks!" he roared. "With that overwhelming counterattack! The winner of this match due to a KO is Willy Falconer!"

The crowd erupted into wild cheers and applause as I clenched my hand into a fist and proudly raised it high. I could see where the rest of the guild was, and everyone was cheering especially hard for my victory. And where Team Fairy Tail B was, they were cheering hard too, most especially Mira, who was jumping and cheering even more when she did when Laxus won.

Then, my eyes fell upon the commentator's table, and I could see that Orga wasn't as happy. He wore a look with his eyes wide open in surprise while his mouth grimaced in a scowl."

I then remembered back to Yukino the other night, and I couldn't help but point towards him while shouting at the top of my voice.

"Orga Nanagear! I'd be prepared to say your goodbyes to that belt of yours! Because I'm coming for you next! And I don't intend to lose!"

Orga slowly stood up, his eyes narrowing in a glare. I then turned on my heel and walked away, heading toward the tunnel at the other end of the arena.

"Whoa, baby! What a bold statement from Willy!" Chapati cried into his mic. "And after seizing victory from a match like that, who could blame him for being confident?! He has the opportunity of a lifetime! Come tomorrow, he will face the current champion Orga on Day Four of the games, and you can bet that it will be an even more incredible match! Until then, we'll see you tomorrow, ladies and gentleman!"

NO POV

Meanwhile, in an unknown room, Ivan was by himself handcuffed to a table. After the stunt he pulled during Laxus' match, he and the rest of his guild were taken in for questioning. Over the next few hours, the soldiers interrogated Ivan for information or any reason for his interference, but he didn't give them anything while feigning innocence. And so, the soldiers left the room, awaiting how to proceed with him.

But Ivan was more vengeful than he was worried.

You see, his interference during Laxus' match was because he hoped to find information through Laxus regarding what he called Fairy Tail's darkest secret, the Lumen Histoire. When Laxus refused to tell him despite not knowing about it, and with a few other choice words, Ivan tried to take him out, only to end up soundly defeated along with the rest of his team. Since then, Ivan had been filled with spite, even more so than before.

"Mark my words, Laxus, and you as well, Makarov," he spoke in his thoughts. "Once I've finished biding my time, and these soldiers let me free, I'll be back for you both! I won't rest until I wreak my vengeance upon every member of Fairy Tail, including the two of you!"

Then, as he sat there stewing in his hate, he suddenly heard the sound of the keys unlocking the door. Believing that the soldiers had come to interrogate him again, Ivan calmed down, putting on a civilized smile. But as the door opened, his smile quickly vanished, for the person standing in the doorway wasn't a soldier.

It was a mysterious male wearing a full-bodied black cloak.

Ivan recognized him, and as soon as he did, his face filled with fear and horror as the stranger entered.

"Hello there, Ivan," the male spoke with an icy demeanor. "I've come to collect the debt."

Ivan could only stare, his body frozen in terror, as the stranger calmly and quietly shut the door with them inside.

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Thank you very much for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter!

Dragomaster, signing off!