In the forests of Oak, a white butterfly flew over the debris of a stone tower lay scattered. Destroyed in the middle of the night, and left for several hours as a boy with long, messy black hair similar to a lion's mane lay on top of it. He was covered in dirt, dust, and more than a few cuts, but he slept like a baby. Uncaring for the battles steadily raging across town.

His snores were only halted as the butterfly tried to land on his studded nose, snatched out of the air as the boy creaked open a red eye. Raising a studded eyebrow, he unfolded the paper and read the message inside.

His irritation slowly turned to intrigue as he digested its contents.

"Okay, glasses." Gajeel snickered, turning his finger into an iron claw as he lightly scratched an answer into the thin parchment. Letting it slip from his fingertips as the paper folded itself back into a butterfly and flew back into the sky.

"I'll play your game."

Gajeel supposed he could put off his hunt for a little while.

West Oak Town

Electricity buzzed in the empty town as one of Boze's group was left twitching in the mud. Boze and his group continued seamlessly, chasing their target past a window he shattered without hesitation, leaving uneven glass beneath their shoes as they tried to keep up with his escape.

It felt like it had been hours since they started their manhunt.

And the effects were starting to show.

"Fuck this," one of Boze's men gasped, soaked in sweat. He stopped, hands on his knees as he tried to turn away, "S class ain't worth this."

"Then leave," Boze growled as he ran past, ignoring the heated look. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed someone else give up, their endurance caving after so much running.

That bastard just never stops...

It was insanity, the lengths Vera was going to avoid them. To attack them one by one. Boze's party had already been culled by more than half, and if something didn't change, it would keep happening. His supporters would fall until it was just him.

I guess Sue was right.

She had always complained about how the mages of this country relied too much on magic, how they'd lose to a good punch if things came down to it.

It's the reason she badgered Boze into picking up boxing back when he had been solely focused on learning magic and adapting to his shitty eyesight.

She said he needed to be in shape.

Considering he was the only one of his group that wasn't three minutes from keeling over, he owed her big time. He'd get her a cake or something; she liked the velvet ones at their bakery, but right now, it didn't matter. It wasn't enough to be in good shape.

Physically, Vera was in a different league. Maybe if Boze had Sue or Mira, they could chase Vera down, but out of his current squad, it just wasn't possible.

Boze would run out of steam first, and so would his group, so he had to do something else. They were being forced into this useless game of cat and mouse, and it had to end. He had to find a way to keep Vera in one place without running himself ragged.

Luckily, he had a way to do it.

It would just fucking hurt.

"Get out of the way!" Boze shouted as the chase pulled his group to a slope down Main Street. A straight line, curving slightly downward as his men turned back in confusion. Their questions were answered swiftly as they spotted him reach into a requip space and ducked out of the way.

Boze also saw Vera glance back mid-run, raising an eyebrow as Boze took out a magic gun, a model bounty hunters liked to use in Desierto. A heavy hand pistol that kicked like a dragon.

It was something he picked up the one time he and Sue took a mission to that shit hole of bandits and dark mages. A simple magic tool, unpopular in Fiore because he had to buy a new lacrimal crystal and store spells inside it whenever his current clip ran out of ammo—making it more expensive and less flexible than if he just sucked it up and used the spells himself.

But what he lost in money, he saved for in time. All it took was a little prep time, and he could make up for his average magic container. He had Nine free spells that wouldn't drain his magic power. Nine spells stored up before the lacrimal clip ran out, and he'd have to buy a new one.

"Come on," Boze murmured, closing an eye as he aimed through his shaded glasses. Pointing at Vera's head, he pulled the trigger as a neon purple magic circle flashed over the muzzle of his gun. The chamber kicked so hard he heard his wrist cry as it fired a blast of compressed magic sound. It was so fast and sudden that it sounded like a cannon shot.

But it was so obvious that it didn't matter.

Boze wasn't surprised when he saw Vera dodge the spell easily, tilting his head mid-run as it flew past his ear. He accepted it easily when Vera glanced his way, confused as if asking, 'That's it?' Before the wayward spell buried itself into a sign a few meters ahead.

The impact echoed for miles, making a sound so exasperated from what it should have been that it sounded like lightning had struck just a few meters away. The noise was so loud it shattered the nearby store windows and staggered his men, who failed to cover their ears in time. But Boze ignored them and focused on his target. The one closest to the blast zone.

"Sound Magic"

Boze watched Vera.

"Pitch Viper"

And grinned once he saw him stagger.

North Oak Town

Elfman saw stars.

Ugh...

He had tried attacking Mira with Lisanna the first time they snuck up on her, and it didn't end well. He got thrown through the wall into the same house Lisanna got thrown into, and now everything hurt. He heard some fighting in the background, starting in the kitchen and barreling somewhere upstairs like a tornado, but he didn't catch it.

Why am I... doing this?

His vision was still spinning after Mira punched him in the gut.

It hurts. He groaned, cradling his stomach as he struggled to get up. There was a distant bang, like a firework that got set off on the other side of town. It rang along with the bells in Elfman's ears. Elfman was pretty sure he vomited at some point, but he wasn't sure.

Why...

He hated this. Mira wasn't supposed to be like this. She always protected them back in the village. She wasn't supposed to be fighting them with that look on her face. Like she was excited. He remembered she was smiling before she hit him. Was she happy?

It hurts...

Elfman was terrified.

My stomach hurts so much.

He was terrified he'd start to fear his sister if he kept trying to fight her. If he had to take another punch, that felt like it was shot out of a cannon.

I don't want to fight her.

He was terrified of how it sounded like she and Lisa were trying to kill each other. They were fighting like pit bulls, and it scared him.

I shouldn't be fighting her.

It scared him more once he realized he had already done the same. During the ambush. He hit his sister. He punched her, and he couldn't un-punch her.

We shouldn't be fighting her.

He felt sick.

Why are we fighting her...

Elfman bit back a cry as he pulled himself out of the disheveled wreckage m he'd been thrown into. His head hurt, his back stung, and his nerves wanted nothing but to leave.

Why did I do this again...

Why did he have to fight his sister?

Because Lisanna wanted to, he lied to himself as the fiasco erupted upstairs. His eyes were wide as he saw the ceiling cave and jumped out of the way, shattered wood raining down as Lisanna fell, blood trickling down her head before her tail flicked out and she righted herself in the air, landing on all fours.

"Lisa!" he called, running up to her to check her injury. He reached out, blinking in surprise as she swatted away his harm harshly. "What!"

Elfman flinched back, trying to say she was bleeding, before she flicked her head up and scowled. Without saying a word, she tackled him hard, her shoulder digging into his chest as they flew through the front door, and the ceiling collapsed behind them. The rest of the house crumbled as he landed on his back in the street, coughing from all the dust that got kicked up.

"Thanks, Lisa," he groaned, pushing himself to see Lisanna's back facing him. She didn't so much as glance his way, instead keeping her focus on the rubble, and the figure slowly walking out of it.

"If you're not going to fight," Lisanna said, glancing back with a sharp glare.

"Get out of the way."

Elfman flinched as the words stabbed through his chest before a flash of anger replaced it. This was Lisanna's fault. He hadn't wanted to fight Mira. He'd wanted Siegrain. Someone who'd go easy on them. He didn't understand why...

"Hey! I came here because of you!"

Why were they going so far for this?

"You're the one that wanted to do this crazy plan!" Efman growled, tearing up as Lisanna looked away from him. Ignoring his outburst, she turned back towards the rubble, barely putting her hand between her face and the demonic fist aimed at it. He heard her grunt before she flew through rows of buildings, her departure leaving him alone with Mira.

"Hey Elfman," Mira waved, barely glancing at him before returning to look at the path she sent Lisanna crashing down. "Feel free to join whenever."

Elfman blinked as Mira started waking away. The memory of her leaving them in Magnolia flashed as his frustration at Lisanna faded. He remembered why he had agreed to this. Lisanna wanted to do it; he hadn't, and when she said she'd do it without him, he thought about letting her. But in the end, he couldn't. He had to go with her.

"Or don't."

Because he was a coward.

"It's up to you."

And he hadn't wanted to challenge Siegrain or Vera alone.

West Oak Town

Vera really hated sound magic.

So, he did have a weapon. Vera grimaced as he hunkered down behind one of the aisles of a small grocery store. After the blast, he'd stopped himself from tripping and jumped through one of the shattered store windows while Boze's friendly fire kept the grunts staggered and confused.

It was the first time Vera had got a moment's rest since the damn trials started.

This is bad...

And he was confident it wouldn't last long.

I don't know how many shots he has.

Vera was willing to bet Boze wasn't affected by the noise, or at least had a counter ready, so Vera wasn't in the clear. Boze had probably watched him dive into the store, letting him hide while his goons recovered so they could all swarm him simultaneously. He had no reason not to.

I'll be too exposed if I try to run.

If Vera tried to leave, Boze would just shoot, and his eardrums would suffer as a result.

"Dammit," Vera murmured through ragged breaths as he put a finger to his right ear and drew it back red. That explained the ringing, at least.

Change of plans, I guess.

Vera clicked his tongue as he brought his sword to his favorite jacket. Using the blade, he whittled off strips of fabric from the waistband. Using the glass of the cooling units, he kept the store entrance in his peripherals as he worked on ruining his clothes.

Four left...

Vera had gotten rid of two, and two quit earlier, leaving four people, including Boze. He would've tried to keep kiting them through the city, making it a one-on-one eventually, but if that wasn't an option, then so be it. He'd already lowered their numbers enough.

I can deal with 4.

Vera would deal with Boze and his headhunters in the next exchange.

North Oak Town

Mira glanced towards the west as she heard a loud, sharp bang. Loud enough that she expected some explosion to follow, but was surprised to see nothing changing in the distance. No smoke or fire. Like a lightning strike that didn't leave a mark.

It must've been nothing. She decided, glancing at her bother one last time. Elfman was still sitting on the ground, silently, downcast. She didn't know what he was thinking, but she wouldn't fight him if he didn't want to. This wasn't his kind of thing anyway.

"If you still need a target, I'd suggest Blue. He'll take it easy on you." Mira offered her some parting advice before she turned to follow the trail left behind by her little sister. Mira hadn't meant to hit her that hard, but Lisanna turned out to be a little more durable than she expected. And aggressive. So, her control might've slipped a tad.

Lisanna's doing way better than last time...

She'd come a long way since struggling to learn the basics of takeover magic.

I wonder if Blue gave her some tips.

Mira snorted as she walked through the first house she sent her sister through. She wanted to think it was her influence, since owing Blue wasn't on her to-do list, but she couldn't deny that Lisanna was doing better. She kept up her transformation consistently, and besides the first hit, where she dropped it for a little while, she hadn't let her concentration waver.

I should pick up some ice after all this.

Mira was proud of her little sister.

She's gonna need it.

That didn't mean she would just let her win, though.

Maybe I'll get Blue something. For helping-

"I'm sorry for hitting you earlier." Mira stalled as she heard a soft voice behind her. A gentle hand grabbed the back of her shirt as she turned and met with her younger brother's thin and downcast image. He was getting on in height, already eye level with her, so she could see he meant it.

"It's okay, Elfman." Mira grinned nonchalantly. "It's an exam. We're supposed to hit each other."

"No, we aren't." He murmured, and Mira found herself losing patience despite herself. She knew he meant well but didn't want to keep her sister. Especially since the chances of Lisanna attacking her while her back was turned were pretty high.

"I don't like it when you and Lisanna fight."

She didn't have time for this.

"Elfman," she frowned, grabbing his wrist, "I-"

"So please." He interrupted, and she blinked as his hand latched around her wrist. His body contorted as reptilian claws gripped at her wrist. Green scales blooming across his skin, and dagger-like teeth growing from his jaw. He stood a head taller than her now, his thin physique slightly built out to be more lean than before.

"Fight me instead."

Still, his eyes trembled, and his body quaked.

"I don't want to watch you walk away again." He said, and Mira couldn't help but believe it. Her eyes widened slightly as his grip tightened, and she tried to pry him off. Finding quick success, removing a claw before the rest dug into the jagged edges of her transformation like fish hooks and refused to let go. Slinking under the crevices, the yellow plates on her arm offered.

"Take Over Magic"

If she wanted to get out of his grip, she either had to rip off his arm or beat him senselessly.

"Lizard Man"

She had a feeling he knew which one she'd pick.

"Can't believe you're using a C-rank monster on me." Mira laughed as she watched her back. She didn't know how long Lisanna would take to get back.

"Hope you know this is gonna hurt, Elfman."

She had to get him off her before she got pincered.

"I know." Her brother said, and she reared her free hand. Controlling the strength as much as she could, she slammed her demonic fist into his chest, the hit echoing painfully as he groaned and shook. She felt his grip loosen an inch, before her knuckles itched and the plated yellow plates of her hands scratched. Leaving it slightly scuffed.

"It's okay if you hurt me." She heard him gasp in a pained and almost relieved whisper. She watched as he moved his free hand, but instead of trying to retaliate, he reinforced his grip. Ensuring he wouldn't let go while he was still conscious.

"This is gonna hurt you too." He grinned tiredly, and Mira found herself smiling. Rearing her fist, she aimed for places that wouldn't break too easily.

"Come on, sis..." He chuckled, "What're you waiting for..."

Mira really had the best little brother in the world.

"I won't move an inch."

Of course, he would want to fight her without throwing a single punch.

West Oak Town

Boze's finger hovered over the trigger as he heard violence escalating in the distance. His eyes narrowly glanced towards it before returning to where Vera had hunkered down. It was a small mom-and-pop grocery store; he knew the owners back in Oak Town.

He wondered what they would think if they knew he was considering demolishing their cherished store.

"Should we just fire spells from out here? There isn't a back door to this place," Elijah, who also knew of the store, asked to Boze's left. He'd been the furthest from Boze's shot, so he recovered quickly. Meanwhile, the other two, Jake and Adam, were closer and had to take a moment to get their bearings. They were still sitting, eyes closed, until the ringing passed.

That was the problem with Boze's weapon; it couldn't be used when he wasn't alone.

But it was also the only thing that got that bastard to stop running, so he quickly holstered it. He didn't need to fire it anymore. He just needed to make sure Vera knew he could fire it. And while he couldn't keep up with the prick in an all-out chase, Boze wouldn't waste any energy firing downhill.

If anything, the further Vera got from his group, the easier it would be to use his gun—less collateral to worry over.

Vera must've realized that.

Hence why, he was still somewhere inside the shop. Waiting. Sticking close enough that Boze couldn't fire into the shop without worrying about his teammates going deaf.

Boze clicked his tongue. Vera put him in a tight spot.

But it was still leagues better than the shithole he had been in just moments before.

"Don't bother destroying the building, " he ordered, sitting against an opposing wall as he watched the building. His hand rested on his gun, and he signaled to Elijah, "The worst thing that could happen is the prick slipping away in the chaos. Just help Adam and Jake out. We can rest until they recover, then go in all at once. There's no rush right now."

"But if he tries to run before-"

"Then I'll shoot him." Boze shrugged; "He can't outrun my magic, and besides, if he wanted to keep running, he would've cut through the walls already. He was doing it yesterday."

Boze subtly glanced at Elijah as the man slowly realized what he was implying.

"The fact that he hasn't must mean he's too injured to run. He's stuck there." Boze said, watching as Elijah grinned viciously. Nodding, the jaded man turned back to the others, a similar grin crossing their faces as he relayed that they'd rest a bit before finishing Vera off.

Thirty minutes...

That's all the time Boze could allow his group to rest. If that bastard caught his breath, it would be trouble, but the damage had already been done. It didn't matter how much endurance that bastard had. He'd been running since the trials started. A full day and a half.

In comparison, even if Boze's men didn't recover fully, they'd be in decent form in half an hour.

Vera wouldn't.

"Thirty more minutes," Boze sighed, his hand twitching as he heard his group relax and recuperate. That was good. He needed them to be confident. To think they couldn't lose. So that way, when they pushed into the store, they wouldn't hesitate and get taken advantage of.

In that sense, lying to Elijah about Vera's condition was a good move.

That bastard can probably still run. Boze scowled. He'd seen the prick shrug off worse than a busted eardrum. He should still be able to try escaping.

But the bastard hadn't moved an inch from the shop.

Vera was just waiting. Taunting him. Telling him that he wouldn't run anymore. Challenging him to waste time waiting for his team or enter the shop alone.

If Boze had to guess, Vera wanted to bait him into another duel, then take his gun or destroy it. Either way, once it was out of the picture, nothing would stop him from running away and hiding from the rest of his pursuers. Boze's weapon was the only thing keeping him bound to one location.

And Boze was planning to keep it that way.

"Like hell, I'd fall for that," Boze muttered as he settled down. His fingers grazed the hilt of his gun as he waited and caught his breath. He rested as much as he could while also keeping watch. Knowing that bastard was somewhere in there doing the same.

Thirty more minutes.

Boze wouldn't play Vera's games. He wouldn't be blinded by revenge from the last duel. He had the manpower so he'd use it. And he'd use it to win.

In thirty minutes...

He'd use everything at his disposal.

I'll win.

So that this next exchange would be the last one.

Central Oak Town

Hiding amongst the chaos of the other battles, a fire raged through the streets of central Oak Town. The scorching heat blazed in the air as a boy was sent flying into a nearby building. Crashing into a wall, their clothes were caked in soot and ash. They blinked in surprise.

"Ah..."

And slowly pried themselves out of the wall.

"I apologize," Siegrain said as he walked out of the rubble, dust falling off his clothes as he rotated his bruised shoulder blade. His back stung, and he had a light burn on his cheek from the flames' kiss, but nothing was debilitating. He watched as the girl smirked proudly.

"What for?" Sue asked coyly, her lightheartedness betrayed by the eager twitch of her muscles. She hadn't moved yet, hadn't tried to capitalize on her first blow, but the usual arrogance he would've suspected as a reason wasn't present. She was observing. Waiting. Trying not to rush.

She must've trained a long time to stay so composed.

"I thought you chose me for some mundane reason," Siegrain admitted. "But that was dismissive. I understand why you chose me now."

Siegrain saw her grin widen, and his fingers crackled with blue electricity. He could already tell. In the way, she stood with practiced discipline.

"You're a bad matchup for me."

This fight would be a lot more complicated than he originally thought it'd be.