"A joke? As a man, some things can't be joked about. Since the words are out, you'll pay the price. I'll tear you in half."
Full Body Take Over: Beast Soul!
Elfman opened with Beast Soul, transforming into the King of the Beasts.
"Rooooar!"
Elfman charged at Bacchus in a frenzy, every savage strike missing its mark.
"No good. The Beast King's strong, but too slow. Against average foes, it's fine. But against a strong person like Bacchus, it's useless." Mirajane watched the fight, brows knitting tight.
Boom!
Elfman took a kick to the back and slammed face-first into the ground.
Bacchus said, "Nice power. But it means nothing if it never lands."
"Damn it!"
Beast Soul: Were-Tiger!
Elfman switched, shifting into a towering Were-Tiger form. His speed jumped, yet he could only barely keep up, the gulf in skill was massive.
A few exchanges later, Elfman went flying again.
[It's a complete one-sided match!]
[Elfman has no answer to Bacchus!]
"Elfman-nii…"
Seeing this, Lisanna couldn't help worrying.
Evergreen comforted her, "It's fine. He's a man, after all."
"Elfman hasn't landed a single hit." Gray spotted the key.
Every Beast Soul boosted Elfman's physique. But without contact, none of it mattered.
"Is it because of that weird movement?" Lucy noticed the odd motions too.
Erza explained, "Bacchus' magic gathers mana in his palms—very orthodox. His real edge is a martial art that makes the most of it: Chop Hanging Palm, a palm-strike style with unique stances. Worse, he's refined it into his own Drunk-Chop Hanging Palm."
"Drunk? You mean actually drunk?" Lucy blinked.
Tipsy brawling in Fairy Tail usually ended in chaos.
Erza nodded. "Exactly. A drunk fighter's strikes are impossible to predict, and they hit even harder—his strongest move. But the problem is, he hasn't touched a drop yet."
"So… he's toyed with Elfman without even getting serious?"
Worry crept across their faces.
Takeshi smiled. "Relax. Elfman won't go down that easy. He'll win."
While they spoke, Elfman crashed down once more.
[Can Elfman stand again? By the way, the mascot-referee is on leave. I am just filling in for today.]
"A leave?"
"Just swap whoever's inside the suit." The crowd muttered.
Bacchus said, "Give up. You were never my match, and after losing seven years, you're even further behind."
Provoking Takeshi's monster side would be unwise.
Elfman rose slowly, grinning through clenched teeth. "Quit? While Natsu and Gajeel fight for everyone, how could Elfman the man ever surrender? The real fight starts now."
"Ooh, now that's a man. Then I'd better get serious too."
Bacchus lifted the gourd and gulped alcohol. "Guess it's time to finish this."
...
"He's drinking!" Gray stared, stunned.
Erza's face darkened. "Here it comes."
...
Elfman said, "I didn't want to use this. I can barely control it but a man stares danger down. Don't die on me."
"Hah?" Bacchus tilted his head.
He'd pummelled Elfman without a scratch—now Elfman warned him?
"Interesting guy."
Full Body Take Over: Beast Soul – Nine-Tailed Fox!
Boom—
Crimson Chakra cloaked Elfman and he shifted into a fox form—only two tails, not nine.
"This feeling…"
Fairy Tail's Tenrou Team sensed it at once.
Far weaker than Takeshi's Nine-Tails form, yet unmistakably the same aura.
Erza and the others turned to Takeshi, who raised his hands. "Elfman wanted to grow stronger after seeing my Nine-Tails form, so he tried to Take Over some of it—failed, of course. I sealed a fragment of that power inside him for emergencies. Not against the rules, right?"
"…"
They were speechless—how was this not cheating?
Takeshi winked. "He's got talent, I only helped a tiny bit."
"Useless!" Bacchus roared.
He dashed in and struck Elfman seven times in an instant.
"Hah!"
Certain Elfman was down, Bacchus turned and then froze.
"What?!"
The supposedly fallen Elfman stood unharmed, licking a claw like a true beast.
Next instant—
Boom!
Elfman stamped the ground and flashed before Bacchus.
Bacchus's eyes widened. Before he could react, Elfman's beast claws pressed against his chest.
Boom!
"Uwaaaahhhhh!!"
Bacchus felt a terrifying force erupt and his body was instantly sent flying.
Boom!
Bacchus slammed into the inner wall of the Grand Magic Games stadium, leaving a massive crack.
Eyes wide, Bacchus stared at Elfman in disbelief. "Th-this power… it makes the very soul tremble."
Bacchus charged at Elfman.
Elfman licked his claws, toying with them, paying no heed to the onrushing Bacchus.
Bacchus reached him and swung. Elfman dodged, and as Bacchus kept attacking, he evaded every strike with ease.
"He dodged?!"
The onlookers were stunned—the tables had turned. Moments ago, Elfman couldn't land a hit. Now Bacchus couldn't touch Elfman.
"He's got quite the memory for grievances." Takeshi chuckled as he watched.
Clearly, Elfman remembered being mocked by Bacchus and was now repaying the humiliation in front of everyone.
"But isn't his drunken style supposed to be unpredictable?" Lucy asked, puzzled.
Takeshi smiled. "There's no such thing as 'unpredictable' when your perception and stats completely outclass the opponent. You don't need to predict—you just see and sense."
"Bastard!"
Bacchus realized Elfman was toying with him.
Smack!
Elfman's tail whipped across Bacchus's face.
"Gah!"
Bacchus lost balance and began to tumble. Before he could fall, Elfman appeared at his flank and kicked his waist.
"Ahhh!"
Howling, Bacchus hadn't hit the ground before Elfman's tail coiled around his leg.
Bang... Bang...
The tail flung Bacchus against the floor again and again.
With a final swing, Elfman hurled Bacchus skyward, overtook him mid-air, spun, and planted a kick in his gut.
"Uwaaaahhhh!"
Boom!!!
Bacchus cratered into the arena, carving out a huge pit. Unconscious, he lay in the hole.
[The victor… is decided!]
[Winner: Team Fairy Tail B's Elfman!]
[What a comeback! A sensational reversal! The once-defenseless Elfman now leaves Bacchus helpless!]
"What?!"
Members of Quatro Cerberus stared, dumbstruck, as their ace crashed.
"Nice going, Elfman!"
"Way to go!"
The Fairy Tail crowd erupted in cheers.
The red hue faded from Elfman as he returned to normal and raised an arm with a roar.
"Oooooohhh!"
The stands thundered with applause.
When the cheers died, Elfman's eyes rolled back and he collapsed.
Infirmary.
"Will Elfman-nii be all right?" Lisanna asked anxiously.
After checking, Porlyusica said, "He's fine. He simply pushed beyond his limit. Ten to fifteen days of rest and he'll recover—though he's out for the rest of the tournament."
"Phew... That's a relief." Mirajane exhaled.
Takeshi explained, "I told you it'd be fine. That energy carries potent healing—his wounds vanished mid-fight. But wielding it demands willpower. Elfman's Take Over already trains that. Right now, he can only handle two tails. Greater magic power and will might let him take more, without such backlash."
At first, he'd only indulged Elfman's request, never expecting him to tame the Nine-Tails Chakra.
Chakra and magic power are similar yet distinct, mixing them could trigger rejection.
To his surprise, the magic source didn't resist Chakra—it even fused eagerly. So he kept pouring in Nine-Tails Chakra until the source brimmed. Thus, the Take Over was completed.
Of course, Nine-Tails' will is fierce. Just as Naruto could be overwhelmed, so could others.
Fortunately, Elfman's earlier failure with the Beast King had taught him control. Handling two tails now, he kept his mind intact.
Gray muttered, "That's not 'a bit' stronger—that's a billion bits."
Though Elfman was an elite, Gray and Natsu had always edged him out. Today's display eclipsed even Gray, sparking a twinge of envy.
Takeshi said nothing. Elfman was his brother-in-law, a little extra help never hurt.