Chapter 57: Battle of Fairy Tail, The Beginning of the Duel (3)
"That's perfect! Simple and easy to understand! I'm fired up!!"
"Natsu!"
At Laxus's declaration, Natsu—already back on his feet—slammed a table aside and declared his intent to join the Battle of Fairy Tail.
Laxus looked at him with mild amusement, his voice light.
"Natsu… that carefree attitude of yours… I don't dislike it."
"Natsu…"
"It's a festival, isn't it, old man?"
"Let's go!!"
"Hey! Have you already forgotten how badly Laxus beat you before?!"
Even as Warren shouted, Natsu charged for the stage. He didn't care about the details—all he heard was that they would settle who the strongest in Fairy Tail truly was.
Once, it had been Ciel and Gildarts. But with them absent, Laxus was demanding the next strongest be chosen.
For Natsu, the answer was simple: beat Laxus here and now.
"That was when I was a kid!"
"That was last year!!"
"I was younger then!!"
"…But weakness is something I've never liked. Calm yourself, Natsu."
"RAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
"Natsu!"
Natsu lunged, closing the gap in an instant—only for a bolt of lightning to slam down before him. He couldn't resist. His body convulsed, charred, and collapsed to the floor.
The Thunder God Tribe sneered. Evergreen, stepping forward, spoke for them.
"If you want your friends returned to normal, then defeat us."
"There's four of us. You've got nearly a hundred, don't you? Ooooh, so unfair to us~~."
"You've got three hours. Fail to defeat us in that time… and those statues will turn to dust."
"The battlefield is this entire city. Find us, and the battle begins immediately."
At that, Makarov's fury boiled over. He unleashed his magic, his booming voice shaking the hall.
"They dare?! To take family hostage and force them to fight each other?! How are they any different from Phantom Lord then?!"
It was that thought—that insult to Fairy Tail's pride—that truly enraged him.
"You insolent brats!!!"
"Now, now… don't get so worked up. Just enjoy the festival entertainment."
"Damn you—?!"
"Ugh!"
"So bright!!"
[Battle of Fairy Tail… begins!!]
A blinding surge of thunder illuminated the guild hall, and when the light faded, Laxus and his guard were gone.
Their voices echoed in the thunderclouds: the game had begun.
"We have to save the girls!!"
"Catch Laxus!!"
"No—crush him!!"
"Does he think we're weak?!"
"Bisca… I'll save you, I swear."
One by one, the guild members charged out to fight.
Makarov too tried to follow, only to slam into an invisible wall. No matter how he struggled, he could not leave. Gray stopped in his tracks, stunned to see the old man pressing against empty air.
"Urghhh!!"
"What the—letters in the air?"
"This is… Freed's runes?!"
"Runes?"
"A form of barrier magic. Once inside, rules are set. Violate them, and you cannot pass. He's etched runes all around the guild… look."
As Makarov spoke, glowing script shimmered into view.
[Rule: Those over 80 years of age, and statues, are forbidden from leaving.]
Gray scowled. "So it's just… first come, first served? Whoever writes the rule wins?!"
"Not quite. Etching runes takes time. It's no good in fast battles… but as a trap, its power is absolute."
"Then only the Master's locked inside? Even you can't break it?!"
"The rules of rune magic are absolute! 'Age restriction'… and a 'substance restriction' stacked together? Freed's gotten frighteningly powerful…"
"So they never intended to let the old man fight."
Laxus had planned this from the start—removing Makarov, forcing the guildmates to fight among themselves.
Though he claimed it was four against a hundred, Gray knew this was a setup—riddled with traps. But there was no time to hesitate.
"Then we'll handle this ourselves!!"
"Gray!"
"No matter if he's your grandson, I won't hold back. He's got something else planned, I can feel it—but it doesn't matter. I'll be the one to take Laxus down!"
As Gray ran out with the others, Makarov sank deep into thought.
Why… why was Laxus doing this?
Foolish though he was, his power was real. With Ciel and Gildarts gone, was there anyone who could truly match him?
Perhaps Erza… but she too was a statue.
"Hmm?"
Makarov's gaze turned. From behind a pillar, Reedus emerged, trembling.
"S-sorry… I… I'm just so scared of Laxus…"
"Reedus!"
"I'm fine. More importantly—do you know the house of Porlyusica, in the eastern forest?"
"Oui?"
"She might have a cure for the petrification. Can you go to her?"
"Oui! If it's for something like that, I'll go right away!"
Relieved that at least one person had stayed behind, Makarov quickly sent Reedus off on the errand. If the petrification could be lifted, their comrades would no longer be hostages—and Erza could fight again. That alone was critical.
But just as Reedus was about to leave, Natsu—who had been struck down by Laxus's lightning—suddenly jolted upright.
"Whaaa!!"
"Natsu!"
"Huh? Where'd Laxus go?! Eh? There's nobody here! Old man, what the heck's going on?!"
Makarov's eyes narrowed as he looked at the boy. He recalled Phantom Lord, the reports of the Tower of Heaven… and the power Natsu had displayed there. If that was his true strength, perhaps he really could defeat Laxus.
"The battle's already begun! Laxus is somewhere in this city! Go find him—bring him down!!"
"You got it!! Just you wait, Laxus!!!"
Pumped full of excitement, Natsu bolted toward the exit. Makarov and Reedus both watched him go, their hopes pinned on his fiery determination.
But then—
"Guhhh?!"
"What the—?!"
"Eh?!"
"What the heck is this?!"
Natsu slammed into the barrier and was repelled, just like Makarov. He couldn't get outside either. The fiery dragon slayer had been reduced to a useless piece on the board.
The shocked cries of everyone echoed inside the guild hall.
....
Some time later, within Fairy Tail…
Letters of Freed's rune magic shimmered across the air, displaying the ongoing results of battles outside.
[Max vs. Warren → Winner: Warren]
[Krov vs. Nigi → Draw, both incapacitated]
[Wak vs. Joey → Winner: Wak]
[Mickey — Four consecutive wins!]
[Wakaba vs. Macao → Battle in progress]
The duels weren't between the Thunder God Tribe and Fairy Tail, but between Fairy Tail members themselves—forced to fight by the runes.
Makarov trembled with rage, shouting at the projections.
"Stop it! Stop this, all of you!!"
"The entire city's laced with rune traps… everyone caught inside is forced to fight. This… this is the 'Battle of Fairy Tail' that Laxus spoke of."
"Damn it!! I wanna fight too!! What the hell is this invisible wall?!"
Natsu banged against the barrier again, flames blazing, desperate to join. But no matter what he tried, the runes kept him locked inside with Makarov.
Unable to stand it anymore, Makarov karate-chopped Natsu on the head.
"Idiot! Your comrades are being forced to fight each other—and you want to join in?! There's a limit to how foolish you can be!!"
"Barging in—what exactly do you think you'll accomplish, you blockhead?!"
"It's the ultimate tournament to decide who's the strongest, isn't it?!"
"In what world is this a tournament? You're talking about comrades shedding blood! This is just… just a slaughter!"
"Slaughter, fight, same thing, right? When have we not fought each other?"
"How can you even say that?! This isn't a scuffle—our comrades' lives are on the line! If this continues, they'll all be dead! Can't you see that with a shred of common sense?!"
"....."
"If the time runs out, the ones turned to stone will crumble to dust. They'll never return."
Makarov's words landed heavy.
The time limit was three hours. If it was exceeded, the petrified comrades would die.
A blood-soaked battle, with hostages on the line.
Laxus had crossed a line too far.
And yet—Natsu only grinned, defying the weight of it all.
"No matter what, Laxus wouldn't go that far. He's an annoying bastard, yeah, but he's still family—he wouldn't kill them. It's gotta be a bluff."
"Natsu…"
"This is just a battle festival… but still, why the hell can't I get outside?!"
"I can come and go as I please."
"Wait—what if I'm over eighty? Is that it?!"
"There's no way… I don't think…."
For the first time, Makarov faltered.
Even now, Natsu believed in Laxus. Believed he wouldn't take it so far. While Makarov himself—Laxus's own grandfather—couldn't stop doubting him. Was he the one in the wrong?
His thoughts were cut short when new letters appeared in the air.
[Time Remaining: 2:18]
[Remaining Participants: 42]
Only forty minutes had passed, and already more than half had been eliminated.
Then came the shocking results.
[Evergreen vs. Elfman → Winner: Evergreen]
[Bixlow vs. Gray → Winner: Bixlow]
[Freed vs. Reedus → Winner: Freed]
Gray—who he'd believed in. Elfman—who'd fought so hard. Even Reedus—entrusted with the vital task of retrieving Porlyusica—had fallen to Freed.
"This can't be… Gray and Elfman, both defeated…?"
"Damn… Gray, you too…?"
"The Thunder God Tribe has started moving."
"....."
[Remaining Participants: 39]
Makarov clenched his jaw until it creaked. The ones he'd counted on the most, even his backup plan in Reedus, had been crushed.
Laxus truly meant to fight them all. Truly meant to spill the blood of his family.
It was unforgivable.
And yet—Makarov, trapped inside, powerless—could do nothing but rage at his own helplessness.
....
Meanwhile, at the northern checkpoint of Magnolia's forest…
The stationed guards wiped cold sweat from their brows as they eyed the bizarre sight before them: Mystogan, dragging along that strange coffin.
"So… you're telling me you're with Fairy Tail?"
"…And this coffin—what is it?"
"…It holds the body of a fallen comrade. I'm only trying to return him home, even if it's late."
"Liar! What kind of lunatic would stick their comrade in that thing and parade him around?!"
"Right! On top of that—Master Bob's '100 Gravure Poses'… as figures?! That's practically desecration!"
"...."
The checkpoint soldiers gagged and averted their eyes after peeking at the coffin. Everyone knew of Blue Pegasus's eccentric master Bob, but who in their right mind would plaster that across the coffin of a supposed comrade?
If it had been Mirajane's Gravure Collection placed there, people would still have talked, but Bob?! To them, this wasn't mourning—it was mockery. Their suspicion only deepened.
"Out with it. That thing's stuffed with contraband, isn't it?!"
"Confess you're terrorists now and we'll let it slide. Honestly, we don't even want to touch that monstrosity."
"Yeah, if you come clean now we'll just conf—uh… huh? So…sleepy…"
"...."
Unable to endure their accusations any longer, Mystogan's shoulders shook with frustration. He raised a hand, releasing waves of sleep magic that dropped the soldiers where they stood.
From up in a tree, Ciel nearly fell from laughter, clutching his stomach.
"Pfft—hrrk—Bwahahahahahaha!!"
"…Ciel. You think this is funny? I'm the one treated like a suspicious criminal everywhere I drag this damned coffin!"
"This is the first time I've seen the ever-silent Mystogan talk this much."
"This isn't something to laugh about!"
"Ku-fu-fu… once we reach Magnolia, it'll all be over. I'll handle things from there."
"…Fine. But mark my words—I'll watch you crawl out of that coffin with my own two eyes."
All the way to Magnolia, Mystogan endured jeers and mocking stares, lashing out with sleep magic whenever he couldn't take it anymore. His mana reserves were already wearing thin.
Every step only fueled the fire of revenge he held for Ciel—the one who had forced this humiliating ordeal on him. He swore he would see the moment Ciel emerged from that ridiculous coffin.
Just then, a white owl—Mukuro, Ciel's familiar—landed silently on his shoulder. Meeting the bird's crimson gaze, Ciel's laughter faded. His face hardened with solemnity as he dropped down from the tree and urged Mistgun forward.
"What is it?" Mystogan asked, catching the shift in tone.
"Mystogan… we must hurry. Something unusual is happening inside the town."
"Unusual?"
"There's some sort of rune barrier active. And Fairy Tail members… are fighting each other. I need to send Mukuro again and gather more information."
"…Understood. Then we move quickly."
Seeing the rare seriousness in Ciel's expression, Mystogan set aside his anger for now. With grim focus, he dragged the gaudy coffin onward through the northern woods, pace quickened toward Magnolia.
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