Chapter 42

Pandemonium

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

"Magic"

Flashback

Location / Date / Time Skip

Day 2 Scores

Raven Tail - 36p

Sabertooth - 30p

Lamia Scale - 20p

Blue Pegasus - 17p

Quatro Puppy - 12p

Fairy Tail A - 12p

Fairy Tail B - 12p

Mermaid Heel - 9p

Night

"You haven't sensed anything?" Erza asked the small crystal flower growing out of the wall.

"No, nothing." Suishou spoke out of the plant. "We usually sense something at the games, but this year there's nothing."

"Do you have any ideas as to why that is?" The red head asked.

"We have a number of possibilities..." The plant replied. "One is that they simply aren't here this year, or they are and just not using their magic. Then again it could be a member of a team who hasn't had a chance to fight. Or it's an item or from a specific location; they could have placed some filters on it to keep the magic out."

"In any case, the fact that you haven't felt anything means that it's safe right now." Erza said.

"Really hope that's true." The flower declared as a petal fell off. "We plan on looking into the Games' investors tomorrow. For now, just be careful." Another petal fell off as the flower withered. "Oh, and Jellal says 'hi'." The flower turned to dust and blew away into the wind as Erza walked away.

"I wonder if the others are done partying." The red head mumbled as she stared up at the sky.

"I finally found you!" Erza turned to the side to see a hooded figure leaning over a railing. "It's been a while, Erzy..." She declared as she pulled her hood down, revealing a pair of cat ears.

"Millianna!" Erza cheered before the catgirl jumped over the stone work and the two hugged in joy. "You joined a guild?"

"Yeah, I joined Mermaid Heel." She cheered.

"Are Sho and Wally with you?" The red head asked.

"No way. They can't join our guild." Millianna teased. "They're still out traveling, but we still keep in touch." Tears were forming in both girls eye,s before they hugged again. "I wanted to wait until after we won the games to show my face, but I just could wait too see you again."

"You're so silly." The red head chuckled. "I have to say I'm very impressed by your guild member Kagura."

"Yeah, she's something else..." The cat girl nodded. "Even though she lost today, she might be even stronger than you."

"I would hope the chance to fight her some day." Erza replied.

"Well this is a tournament, so you might get your wish." Millianna teased. "But I don't think Kagura would fight very seriously. Not yet..."

"What do you mean by that?" The Knight asked in confusion.

"You saw how she refused to draw her sword, right?" Millianna asked. "She said she would only draw her Archenemy when she faces the person she named it for. The man she hates so much... she won't be satisfied until he's finally in the ground. She'll do whatever it takes to put him there. She'll only draw her sword to kill Jellal...

"Not that I blame her... You feel the same way too, right? I have never stopped hating him. He made us slaves all over again, he killed Simon. For all of those sins, he has to pay... That's the reason I joined Kagura's guild..."

Crocus Garden

The Guild master of Sabertooth, Jiemma, stood over his guild as the members stood at attention. "Your performance today was utterly pathetic. Don't tell me you've forgotten why we stand above the other guilds of the world? We don't talk to the insects, we don't acknowledge them, we merely crush them under our feet and move on.

"We are focused on something much greater than this tournament. We are the ones who stun the heavens, the ones who rouse the earth and the ones who silence the raging seas. That is the Sabertooth way. Sting..." The blonde flinched at the address and stepped forward. "I've decided to give you one chance at redemption. I don't ever want to see such a pitiful performance again."

"Thank you, sir." The boy bowed quickly before standing straight. "I'll do my best to live up to your expectations."

"Yukino..." The girl passed Sting and stepped forward. "Your battle to day was substandard. The victory might be yours, but I expect overwhelming force next time. And that girl... Your bet was for her life?"

"Yes sir..." She nodded. "I knew I couldn't do anything to her in public. And I wanted your approval before I did anything to her."

"...Very well." He said, standing up. "When the Games are over, you take her life. Also, my daughter has returned, so your place as the reserved member returns." The girl nodded and the guild master left the room.

The others followed after his lead, leaving Yukino alone. "Man, master is as intense as ever." Sting chuckled as he and Rogue walked down the hall. "Oh, don't pretend like you're not happy Yukino won." Rogue merely scoffed and walked to his room, eyeing the smirking blonde.

With Nicholas and Brianna

"Thank god we got out of before things got crazy." The Take-Over girl chuckled. "Seriously, what the heck is going on with Gray and those other two?"

"I'm not sure we want to find out." Slate chuckled. "And where the heck is Erza? Shouldn't she be back by now?"

"Who knows? Maybe she and Jellal are finally getting together." Nicholas smirked. "Seriously, I don't think I can take another week of the 'will they, won't they' crap between those two."

"Well, the second we get back, I call the first shower." Brianna declared. "I wanna get to bed early before the 'Snorin' Chorus' get there."

"Yeah, how anyone gets sleep between Natsu, Gray and Erza snoring like that is beyond me." The human male chuckled. The trio reached the Inn and came to a stop when they saw Yukino standing at the steps.

Before long, the group entered the inn and sat her down at the table. "Business with me?" Nicholas asked in confusion.

"Yes." Yukino nodded. "I just came from Sabertooth, and I want to talk to you."

"What could they want with me?" The Dragon Slayer asked. "What, are they trying to recruit me?"

"No, nothing like that." She replied as she reached into her pocket. "I just want to return these to you." She placed Vespa's and Hydra's keys on the table. "I remember that day you gave to me. They have been a great help to me, but when I saw you the first day, I made a decision. I would return them when the games are over."

"But the games aren't over." Brianna declared.

"For me, they are." Yukino explained. "I was merely holding the place until Minerva returned from a job. That will place the five strongest members of Sabertooth on the same team."

"Wait, you aren't one of the five?" Slate asked.

"I was merely a novice." The girl replied. "I could never hold a candle to Minerva. But I can at least do this, and return your friends to you."

"Look, I'm flattered, but I can't take them back." Nicholas declared. "When I first made the contract with them, it was under the condition that it would last as long as we on the run. When that wasn't the case, we departed with no issue at all. I gave them to you as kid because I knew you could bring out the best in them. And I don't plan on taking them away from you."

"Very well, then." Yukino stood up and bowed to the man. "Thank you for the hospitality. I hope we can meet again, under different circumstances." She left the room and returned to her guild.

"Surprised you didn't want them back." Brianna confessed, walking into the bathroom.

"I'm not about to go back on my word." Nicholas replied. "Besides, it seems like she needs all the friends she can get at the moment."

"You talking about those rumors of Sabertooth's Master?" Slate asked. "You don't think they're actually true, do you?"

"Honestly, I wouldn't put it past a guy like that." The male confessed.

"A guy like what?" The Exceed asked.

With Erza

Erza looked out over a railing at the city and sighed. 'Once again, fate has a sick sense of humor.' She thought. 'Jellal's true feelings are a mystery, and then there's Kagura...'

"What is it, Erza? Why are you out here?" The red head turned to see Gray walking over.

"It's nothing. What are you doing out here alone?" She asked as the Ice Mage leaned on the railing.

"I was in the middle of some weird negotiations between Juvia and Lyon, and I didn't get any of it." He confessed.

"What? 'Didn't get it?', you say?" She chuckled. "I wasn't there, but I believe I understand the gist of it." Gray turned to her with a sweat covered face. "I know you're not as stupid as you seem. You must see how Juvia feels. It's time you made up your mind, isn't it?"

Gray stayed silent and turned away from the red head. "Though, I shouldn't talk. 'Love' and 'hate' are weighty subjects. I have no right to lecture anyone."

"Did something happen?" Gray asked, only for the red head to turn and walk away.

"No..." She mumbled. "It's late. Shall we return to the inn?"

"One girl holds ten keys, and another holds two..." Arcadios mumbled as he stared at a wall filled with notes. "All twelve keys are here! Eclipse will be brought to full functionality!"

Day 3

Domus Flau

"Welcome to day 3 of the Grand Magic Games." Chaptai said as the crowd poured into their seats. "Joining us today is none other than the captain of the Magic Council's Custody Enforcement division, Marshall Lahar. And I can assume you'll be keeping a close eye on things today?"

"Correct." The lawman replied. "So if anyone breaks any laws, I'll see it."

"Well then, let's kick things off with a game we call Pandemonium!" The head announcer cheered, making the crowd go wild.

"I got this!" Natsu declared from his teams den.

"No way, you played the game yesterday." Gray replied.

"He's right." Erza nodded, turning to the stairs. "I'll play." Natsu stared in shock as the red head walked away, too scared to argue with her.

"I think I should go up." Cana said from Fairy Tail B.

"No way, I gotta redeem myself after yesterday." Gajeel retorted.

"Oh, get over yourself." Nicholas said, angering the metalhead. "I lost too, but you don't see me complaining. Now go out there and kick but, Cana."

"If Erzy is gonna go out, then I wanna play against her." Millianna said, earning a nod from Kagura. The catgirl raced onto the field and a picture of her appeared on the lacrima vision.

"Whoa, I remember her." Lucy declared.

"Yeah, me too." Natsu added.

"I guess she was the one in the hood." Gray surmised. "Looks like she finally joined a guild."

"Kuro..." Alexei mumbled as a green skinned man walked forward. He had sharp blue hair and a slightly longer neck than normal people, and his green skin was extremely off putting. He wore a green and brown striped shirt under a dark grey cloak and brown gloves on his hands. His pants were simple green and brown shorts and he wore blue and black shoes.

The Raven Tail emblem on his emblazoned on neck in black for all to see. "Do nothing to draw attention to yourself, do you understand?" The man nodded and turned to Flare, patting her shoulder before walking onto the field.

"I should go... for my fans." Hibiki declared, making the women in the audience cheer.

"I said I was gonna take this one." Orga declared. "I'll give them all a taste of my Black Lightning they'll never forget."

"Try to wait until we see what the game actually is." A slim young woman told him. She was of average height distinguished by her Eastern look: her long, straight and glossy black hair, reaching down to her lower back, while mostly left loose, being parted in the middle of her forehead and sporting two bangs framing her face and going down below her shoulders, her hair is also tied into a pair of bun-shaped Dango loops at both sides of her head, and a braid is present some inches below each of such loops.

She wore blue a strapless dress with a large slit in correspondence to her left leg, exposing her thigh, and comes secured to her body by a number of dark laces on the back and to her right side, exposing a part of her right breast's back side, and by a line of metal fasteners taking the shape of two horizontally-placed triangles with their bases linked together on her front left side. Such garment is dark in its back part where the laces are, and light-colored on the front. Her outfit is completed by a pair of shoulder-length ornamental gloves again bearing dual colors, dark on the arm and hand's lower part and light on the upper one, and dark boots reaching up to her middle calves.

"Minerva is correct," Rufus declared.

'It doesn't matter to me.' Sting told himself as Rouge stood in silence. 'If Natsu isn't competing, then I don't care who goes.'

"Jura is gonna play this one?" Chelia asked in surpise.

"It's what the hag wants, so yes." Lyon chuckled as Jura walked onto the field.

"Victory is mine." The Wizard Saint chuckled as a giant magic circle appeared above the arena before a demonic castle lowered down, shocking them all as the walkway touched the ground.

"Before you stands a castle filled with vicious monster." Mato explained. "100 terrifying beasts are lurking within the castles walls. Or rather, 100 magical projections to look like monsters are inside. They are sorted into five categories by their degree of difficulty: they're are 50 D class, 30 C class, 15 B class, four A class and one S class. Now let me show what a D class monster can do."

A projection appeared behind him and showed a large metal plated beast charging a statue, destroying it with ease. "The castle is filled to the brim with these vile creatures, and many more that are far stronger. Monsters of the higher classes are two times stronger than the ones beneath them. Not even sure that Wizard Saint could beat one of those.

"You will each take turns deciding the number of monsters you wish to fight. Call it 'a right-to-challenge.' Once you enter, you face off against the predetermined number you. Defeat them all, and you earn a matching number of points. And then the next competitor will select from the remaining number of monsters, and so on and so on. This will only end when all 100 monsters are defeated, or if you all run out of magic power, whichever comes first.

"But do remember that not all of these monsters are created equal. Whatever number you say, the rank of the monster will be totally random. And you earn points based on the number of monsters you defeat, not their ranks. Once you enter, you cannot leave until you complete your chosen number. And should you be defeated, you will keep all the points you earned from the last fight. But you will forever forfeit your remaining turns."

"So strategy is just as important as power..." Hibiki mumbled.

"Idiot." Orga said. "He said they'd be chosen at random, so how the hell could you use any strategy?"

"Now, let's draw lots to see the order everyone goes in." A box appeared in the mascots hands and everyone drew a straw.

A magic light turned on and showed Erza was number one. "Interesting... I had assumed victory in this event had relied entirely on what number I drew. Because this is no longer even a game." She chuckled as she walked towards the castle. "There are one hundred monsters in this castle. I choose to face all of them."

Her words shocked everyone in the arena as she entered the structure. The beasts charged her and jumped at her, their massive jaws opened to bite her in half. "Requip!" She instantly glowed and changed into her Heavens Wheel Armor before summoning a swarm of swords.

The blades flew through the air and rained down on the creatures, destroying anything they touched. She glowed again and donned her Blackwing Armor, flying through the air and slice through four more.

She sent a wave of energy at another swarm before a ball of fire flew at her. She moved to the side and it hit the wall, creating dust and smoke to cover her. Flying out of the debris, Erza sliced through the creature with her Flame Empress Armor while using her Sea Empress Armor sword.

The red head swung the blade and sliced through two more before summoning her Flame Empress Sword, creating an explosion. A hulking blue scaled beast appeared and unleashed a beam of water from its mouth, only to be destroyed by her Sea Empress Armor with her Lightning Empress Spear. A claw slammed into her and forced her against a wall, only to glow before zipping through the swarm.

When she finally stopped, she showed that she was in her Flight Armor with her Purgatory Club, destroying them all. "Incredible! She's already defeat half the monsters in the tower!" Chapati shouted, stunning the audience and the other participants.

Another horde charged her and she swung her blades, destroying even more before an A-Class monster slammed its fist down. The beast tilted its head before watching the arm crumble to pieces. It looked down to show Erza in her Adamantine Armor while holding her De-Malevo-Lance.

She thrust her spear and the impact pushed the beast out of the tower she raced after it. More monsters jumped up from the side and attack, only for her to throw her spear forward, puncturing all of them. Another A-Class jumped up and she changed weapons again, destroying it. Again and again, she repeated this strategy, destroying anything in her path until only four monster remained.

An A-Class monster jumped down and forced her to block as two B-Class jumped up from the side. She glowed before all three were sliced in half, her Clear Heart Clothing now being donned. A heavy footstep caught her attention as a hulking purple beast slammed its fist into her, sending both falling through into a chamber.

She held her blades up and blocked the beasts boot before it kicked her to the side. Erza jumped to the side and dodged the punches, slicing through the fingers and hands. With one final swing and a roar of pride, she sliced clean through the head, killing the beast.

As the rubble of the beast rained down around her, Erza raised her sword to the sky. "I-I don't believe my eyes! All alone, she vanquished a hundred monsters. She cleared the entire palace! Is this the true power of the guild that was known as the strongest in the land just seven years ago?!"

Fun fact, the entire fight in the tower was an anime original creation. In the manga, she just beat them all so the anime literally made it up... That is awesome! Sadly, I can't have Natsu storming the castle if Yukino won, so I had the small meeting with the old spirits owner. This does mean that the chapter is shorter, but there's nothing I can about that. For now, Erza wins and is the Queen of the Fairies for a reason.

Beta read by General Feng Xiang