The infirmary deep within the bowels of the Domus Flau smelled of antiseptic and ozone.
Wendy Marvell hovered over two beds, her hands glowing with the soft blue light of Troia.
"You two are hopeless," she sighed, wiping sweat from her brow.
On the left bed, Natsu Dragneel lay groaning, his face a pale shade of green.
"The world... it's still spinning..." he murmured.
On the right, Gajeel Redfox was staring at the ceiling with dead eyes. "I saw the afterlife... it was a wagon."
"Get up, you big babies," Gray walked in, leaning against the doorframe. "The individual battles are starting. You don't want to miss the show."
"I can't move..." Natsu wheezed. "Tell Erza... I leave her my lunch."
"Pathetic," Gray shook his head, though a small smile betrayed his relief that they were okay. "Blake and the others are already back in the stands. Let's go."
---
By the time the Fairy Tail members returned to their designated balcony, the crowd was already roaring for the first match of the afternoon battle phase.
"Welcome back to the brawls!" Chapati Lola announced. "The first match features the mimic of Raven Tail, Kurohebi, versus the wild dog of Lamia Scale, Toby Horhorta!"
The match began with a burst of energy. Toby, a man who wore his emotions (and his claws) on his sleeve, lunged forward.
"Paralyzing Claws: Mega Jellyfish!"
His claws glowed with bio-electricity as he slashed at the Raven Tail mage.
Kurohebi, a slender man in a skintight suit that masked his features, moved like liquid shadow.
"Too slow," Kurohebi hissed.
His body shimmered, mimicking the texture of the sand beneath him, blending in perfectly before reappearing behind Toby. He struck with a copied version of Toby's own magic, shocking the dog-mage.
"Ow! That's my move!" Toby yelped, rubbing his arm. "You're strong! What's your name, weirdo?"
"Kurohebi is merely a code name," the mage replied coldly. "My true identity is irrelevant to trash like you."
Toby's eyes widened. "A secret name?! That's so cool! Hey, I have an idea! Let's make a bet!"
Kurohebi paused, tilting his head. "A bet?"
"Yeah!" Toby pointed a claw. "If I win, you tell me your real name! If you win, I'll tell you my super-ultra-secret!"
"A secret?" Kurohebi's eyes narrowed behind his mask. "Information can be valuable. Very well. I accept."
The fight resumed, but it was clear Toby was outmatched. Kurohebi's Mimic Magic allowed him to adapt to every strike Toby threw. Within minutes, Toby was on his knees, panting heavily.
"I... I can't lose..." Toby whimpered. "My secret..."
"It's over," Kurohebi stated. He delivered a swift kick to Toby's jaw, knocking him flat on his back.
"WINNER: KUROHEBI!"
Toby lay on the ground, tears streaming down his face. "I lost... I'm sorry, Lyon... I'm sorry, Jura..."
Kurohebi stood over him. "Now. The secret. Pay up."
Toby sat up, sniffing loudly. "Okay... promise you won't laugh? My secret is... I haven't been able to find my other sock for three months! It's missing!"
He pointed to his bare foot.
The stadium went silent. Even the wind seemed to stop in confusion.
"That's... the secret?" Lucy asked from the balcony, dumbfounded.
"He's an idiot," Gray confirmed.
Kurohebi stared at Toby. Then, he slowly pointed a finger at Toby's chest.
"It is... hanging around your neck."
Toby froze. He looked down. There, tied loosely like a necklace, was his missing sock.
"WHA—?!" Toby grabbed it, his face lighting up with pure, unadulterated joy. "IT WAS HERE?! THE WHOLE TIME?! THANK YOU! YOU FOUND IT!"
Toby scrambled up to hug his opponent. "You're a good guy, Mr. Snake! Thank you!"
He held the sock out, ready to put it on.
RRRIP.
The sound was sharp and cruel.
As Toby reached for the sock, Kurohebi snatched it. With a malicious sneer, he tore the fabric in half, shredding the item Toby had been searching for.
He tossed the tattered rags into the dirt.
Toby froze, his hand still outstretched. His smile vanished, replaced by shock and heartbreak.
"Why...?" Toby whispered.
"I didn't do it for strategy," Kurohebi laughed, a dry, rattling sound. "I did it because the look on your face is delicious. The more precious something is to trash like you... The more I want to break it."
Up in the Fairy Tail stands, the air temperature dropped.
Natsu, who had just arrived, gripped the railing so hard the metal bent. "That bastard..."
Blake sat stoically, but his eyes were voids of darkness. "Cruelty without purpose. Raven Tail hasn't changed."
"That wasn't a fight," Erza said, her voice like steel. "That was bullying."
"Don't worry," Blake said softly, looking at the Raven Tail balcony where Ivan was smirking. "Karma has a way of finding people. Usually, it looks like us."
---
"Let's wash that bad taste out of our mouths with the second match!" Chapati announced, though he sounded unsettled by the previous display.
"Next up! From Team New Dawn, the Poison Dragon Slayer, Cobra! Versus... representing Mermaid Heel, the daughter of the ice... Ultear Milkovich!"
The crowd cheered, intrigued.
Cobra walked out, his maroon coat billowing. He stood alone, his ears twitching as he listened to the 'voices' of the crowd.
Ultear stepped forward. She wore the Mermaid Heel uniform, looking elegant and composed.
"I can hear you," Cobra grinned, tapping his ear. "Your muscles tensing. Your heartbeat. I know what you're going to do before you do it."
"Is that so?" Ultear smiled, a sad, knowing smile. "Then hear this."
"BEGIN!"
Cobra moved first. "I hear it! You're going right!"
He dodged a split second before a spike of ice erupted where he had been standing.
"Poison Dragon's Roar!"
A massive stream of purple, toxic sludge shot from his mouth.
Ultear didn't flinch. She swept her hands gracefully.
"Ice-Make: Rose Garden."
Massive, thorny vines of white ice spiraled out of the ground. They didn't just block the poison; they absorbed the impact, freezing the liquid toxin in mid-air.
"My mother's magic," Ultear whispered. "Beautiful and deadly."
Cobra jumped onto one of the ice thorns, sprinting toward her. "I can still hear your thoughts! You're planning to trap me!"
He leaped into the air. "Poison Dragon's Twin Fang!"
His arms turned into massive spectral snakes of poison, striking down.
Ultear crossed her arms. "Ice-Make: Shield!"
A thick, flower-shaped shield blocked the strike.
The impact shook the arena.
"He's fast," Makarov noted. "And his hearing gives him a massive advantage in melee."
"But Ultear is Ultear," Mavis noted from the railing. "She has experienced battles that transcend simple reflex."
Cobra landed and pressed the assault. For a moment, he had the upper hand. He weaved through Ultear's ice barrages, landing a solid kick to her side that sent her skidding back.
"I told you!" Cobra laughed. "You can't surprise me!"
Ultear stood up, brushing dust from her skirt. Her eyes shifted. The playfulness was gone.
"You rely too much on the sound of the future," Ultear said. "But ice... ice can be silent."
She slammed her palms together. The temperature in the entire stadium plummeted.
"Ice-Make: Rosen Krone!"
Suddenly, the ice wasn't coming from her. It was blooming from the moisture in the air all around Cobra.
Cobra's eyes widened. "Too many voices! The ice... it's singing everywhere!"
His super-hearing backfired. The cracking and forming of ice from a thousand directions created a cacophony that overwhelmed his senses. He clutched his ears. "Shut up!"
"Sleep," Ultear commanded.
A massive cage of ice roses slammed shut around Cobra, trapping him instantly. The thorns pressed against his throat.
Cobra struggled, but the cold sapped his reptile-like metabolism. He slumped forward.
"WINNER: ULTEAR MILKOVICH!"
Cobra groaned, yielding. "Damn... couldn't hear... too much noise..."
Ultear dissolved the ice, offering him a hand. "You fought well. New Dawn breeds strong warriors."
Cobra took her hand, grumbling. "Yeah, yeah. Just wait till next time."
---
"AND NOW!" Chapati's voice went up an octave. "A BATTLE FOR THE AGES! THE BATTLE OF THE BEAUTIES!"
"From Blue Pegasus, the current Miss Fiore... Jenny Realight!"
Jenny strutted out, blowing kisses. She wore a combat outfit, but she treated the arena like a runway.
"And from Team Fairy Tail B... the former cover girl of Sorcerer Weekly... The She-Devil... Mirajane Strauss!"
Mira walked out, smiling sweetly, waving to the crowd.
In the stands, the Corvus kids went wild.
"MAMA!" Celeste screamed, waving her flag so hard it nearly flew out of her hand.
"GO MOMMY!" Alphonse roared.
"Auntie Mira!" Arthur cheered.
Jenny met Mira in the center of the ring.
"It's been a long time, Mira," Jenny smirked, hands on her hips. "Seven years. In the modeling world, that's a lifetime."
"Oh?" Mira tilted her head, her smile never faltering. "Is it?"
"The new generation has taken over," Jenny declared dramatically. "I am the face of Fiore now! You are a relic of the past! So, I propose a challenge! Not a barbaric fight, but a battle of charm!"
"A pose-off?" Mira giggled. "That sounds fun!"
Suddenly, the arena transformed (courtesy of Blue Pegasus support magic).
"Theme: Schoolgirl!" Jenny shouted, transforming instantly into a cute uniform.
"My turn," Mira chirped. Poof. She was in a similar outfit, but with a shy, innocent aura that made the crowd swoon.
"Theme: Catgirl!"
"Theme: Futuristic!"
It escalated quickly. Soon, other girls were getting pulled in.
"Why am I here?!" Lucy shrieked as she was shoved into the arena wearing a bunny suit.
"Juvia will not lose!" Juvia posed aggressively.
Even Erza got involved, donning a gothic lolita dress. "If it is a competition, I must win."
The crowd was losing their minds. Blood was running from the noses of half the male population.
Blake sat in the stands, one hand covering Alphonse's eyes (though the boy was peeking through the fingers) and the other hand covering Arthur's.
"This is... educational," Blake muttered.
"Go Mama!" Celeste cheered, oblivious to the fan service, just happy to see the costumes.
Finally, Jenny stopped. She was panting. Mira looked fresh as a daisy.
"Fine!" Jenny snapped. "We settle this the old-fashioned way! The loser has to pose nude for Sorcerer Weekly!"
"Oh my," Mira's hand went to her cheek. "That's quite the stake."
"Transform!" Jenny shouted.
Her Machina Soul armor materialized. She donned a sleek, pink battle suit with thrusters and cannons.
"I'm not just a pretty face! I'm a warrior of Blue Pegasus!"
She aimed her cannons at Mira.
"Battle Mode: Engage!"
Mira stood there. She looked up at the stands. She saw Blake. She saw Alphonse, Celeste, and Arthur.
Her sweet smile shifted. It didn't disappear, but the warmth turned into something... heavy. Something primal.
"Kids," Mira called out, her voice cutting through the noise. "Watch closely. Mommy is going to win now."
"YAY!" The kids screamed.
"Satan Soul."
It wasn't the slow, dramatic transformation of the past. It was instantaneous.
A massive shockwave of dark magic exploded outward, blowing the sand into a vortex.
When the dust cleared, Mira floated in the air. Her hair was swept back, her ears pointed, her body encased in the crimson and black armor.
Her eyes were no longer the soft blue of a mother. They were the cold, predatory eyes of a demon.
"You said I was a relic?" Mira's voice was distorted, echoing with power.
Jenny froze. Her cannons were shaking. "I..."
"Darkness Stream."
Mira raised one hand. Dark purple hands of magic erupted from the ground, grabbing Jenny's mechanical suit.
Then, Mira vanished.
She reappeared directly in front of Jenny, nose-to-nose.
"Boo."
Evil Explosion.
Point blank range.
KA-BOOM.
A pillar of dark energy shot into the sky, piercing the clouds.
Jenny was blasted out of her transformation, rolling across the arena until she hit the wall, swirling eyes indicating a knockout.
"WINNER: MIRAJANE STRAUSS!"
Mira landed gracefully. The demonic armor dissolved into motes of light, revealing her in her standard dress again.
She turned to the stands, beaming like nothing had happened.
"Did you see, sweeties?" she waved.
"MAMA IS STRONG!" Celeste yelled.
"That was scary... but cool!" Alphonse nodded.
Blake exhaled, a proud grin on his face. "Never pick a fight with a mother."
---
The sun was setting, casting the arena in long, blood-red shadows.
"AND NOW! THE FINAL BATTLE OF THE DAY!"
"From Fairy Tail A... The Queen of Fairies... Titania Erza Scarlet!"
Erza walked out. She wore her Hakama pants and sarashi bandage, her Clear Heart Clothing. She carried only a single katana. Her expression was focused, calm, and utterly terrifying in its stillness.
"And from Sabertooth... Their defensive specialist... Jareth Iron-Skin!"
From the Sabertooth tunnel, a hulking man emerged. He was nearly seven feet tall, his skin a strange, metallic grey. He wore heavy plated armor that looked like it weighed a ton.
Jareth smirked, flexing muscles that sounded like grinding gears.
"Titania," Jareth boomed. "I have heard of your swords. But my skin is harder than diamond. My magic, Fortress Body, makes me impervious to all physical attacks. You cannot cut me."
Sting and Rogue watched from the balcony.
"Jareth is our best tank," Sting noted. "Even I have trouble scratching him. If Erza tries to brute force this, she'll break her sword."
Erza stopped in the center of the arena. She looked at Jareth.
"Impervious?" Erza asked quietly.
"Indestructible!" Jareth laughed, banging his chest. "I am the shield of Sabertooth! Break your blade against me and despair!"
"I do not have time to despair," Erza said.
She gripped her katana with both hands. She didn't equip the Purgatory Armor. She didn't equip the Heavens Wheel.
She simply channeled all her magic into the blade.
"Here I come!" Jareth charged, looking like a runaway train. "IRON BULL CHARGE!"
Erza didn't move until he was three feet away.
She stepped forward. One step.
It was a movement so fluid, so perfect, it looked like a dance.
"Yagami-Style: Crimson Cherry Blossom."
Schwing.
Erza appeared behind Jareth, her sword already sheathed with a soft click.
Jareth stood frozen in mid-charge.
"Hah!" Jareth scoffed, not turning around. "You missed! I felt nothing! My skin is—"
CRACK.
A sound like shattering glass echoed through the Domus Flau.
The heavy plate armor on Jareth's chest split cleanly in two.
Then, a thin red line appeared on his metallic skin.
His eyes rolled back into his head.
"Impossible..." he whispered.
A massive geyser of blood (or magical energy) erupted from the cut. The "indestructible" man collapsed face-first into the dirt, defeated instantly.
The silence was absolute.
Then, Erza looked up at the Sabertooth balcony. She locked eyes with their Master, Jiemma.
"Fairy Tail is not a guild you can look down on," Erza declared, her voice ringing clear without a microphone.
"WINNER: ERZA SCARLET!"
The roar of the crowd was deafening.
"ONE HIT!" Chapati screamed. "SHE CUT THE UNCUTTABLE!"
In the stands, Blake stood up, lifting Alphonse and Celeste onto his shoulders.
"And that," Blake told his children, "is why you always eat your strawberry cake. So you can be strong like Auntie Erza."
"Auntie Erza is the boss!" Alphonse agreed.
As the sun fully set, marking the end of Day Two, the scoreboard told a clear story.
The Scoreboard
As the chaos subsided, the points were tallied.
1. Team Fairy Tail A (Natsu) - 31 Points
2. Team Fairy Tail B (Gajeel) - 24 Points
3. Team Raven Tail (Kurohebi) - 19 Points
4. Team Blue Pegasus (Ichiya) - 18 Points
5. Team Mermaid Heel (Risley) - 16 Points
6. Team Lamia Scale (Yuka) - 15 Points
7. Team New Dawn (Racer) - 14 Points
8. Team Sabertooth (Sting) - 11 Points