Contest

As he woke up the following morning, Strider heard what appeared to be several people talking outside. He slowly roused from his bed, gently moving his left arm every which way. His range of motion was returned and he could move it around freely for the most part. His shoulder still felt achy, that wasn't anything new to him.

Quickly getting ready, he headed out to see what the commotion was. Bisca seemed to have let Mira, Cana, Lucy, Erza, and Juvia into the penthouse and they were all enjoying a feast of a breakfast before the tournament began.

Strider smiled as Mira looked up at him, smirking slightly. Their experience was still heavy on his mind, as was the one with Bisca.

"Ladies," Strider greeted them.

"Hey. Feeling better?" Cana asked.

"Much. I can finally move around," he said, demonstrating.

"Ready for the fight?" Lucy asked.

"He's probably the most ready," Bisca sighed.

"You never know. Today might be the day I get my a—" he began but quickly quieted as he saw Asuka sitting on the table and looking curiously at him. The girls gave him a warning look as well. "I might finally get beaten down."

"You can do it!" Asuka cheered for him.

"Thanks, Asuka," he said, ruffling her hair. "Where's Wendy?"

"Still sleeping," Asuka said.

"Carla mentioned she trained really hard yesterday, so I wanted to let her get a bit more rest. Still got some time before the fight," Bisca said.

"Good choice. I think she's going to surprise a lot of people today," Strider said.

"What did you teach her?" Juvia wondered.

"I wouldn't want to spoil it, I'm afraid. Better if she just demonstrates for everyone at once," Strider said cheerfully. "By the way, has Gildarts made it here yet?"

"Yeah, just this morning. I think he's getting some rest as well before the fight. Good thing the king is such a good guy, letting him enter even though he was late," Cana said.

"Ready to show off what you learned too?" Strider asked.

"You know it," she said in a sing song voice, smiling brightly at him.

"Might wanna watch your back today, Strider," Lucy declared, seemingly more confident than he thought her to be.

"Bring it on," Strider said, grinning.

"Does anyone know how many people are in the fight?" Bisca asked.

"Something like two or three hundred. They've been expanding the size of the arena for the last few days to accommodate everyone. Pretty much every guild that stuck around after they got eliminated in the first round is participating," Mira said.

"Fodder," Cana said smugly. She was sure that'd she rack up several points.

"That's not nice," Mira sighed.

"I'm certain that many of our own will make it to the top one hundred at the very least. In fact," Erza said, getting up. They all looked and saw the passion in her eyes, her aura are fiery as her hair. "It would be an insult if anyone but a Fairy Tail Wizard got that title! NO MATTER WHAT, ONE OF US WILL WIN!"

"Got that right!" Lucy cheered, punching the air.

"I think that's pretty much a guarantee," Mira giggled. "Anyways, we better get ready, ladies."

"Thanks for breakfast, Strider," Lucy said as she headed out with Erza, who was still fired up.

"Yup. See you later," Cana said, quickly kissing him on the cheek before running from a fired up Juvia. Mira gave him a sweet smile before she left as well.

"You want to get some more sleep, sweety?" Bisca asked Asuka, who was rubbing her eyes.

"A little," the little girl said, smiling as Bisca cradled her gently in her arms. She put her to bed before heading out to the balcony again, sitting next to Strider.

"Be careful during the fight today. You say that you're feeling better, but I know you put on a face for others," she said seriously.

"I really am feeling better, though. I can move my arm fine now. My shoulders still a bit aching, but that's to be expected," he said.

Bisca sighed, gently pulling down the fabric over his shoulder to expose the vicious black mark. She touched it as gently as she could, but Strider still reacted.

"Does it hurt that bad?" She asked.

"Unfortunately," Strider sighed. "A cursed blade will do that to you."

"What happened during that fight?" She asked.

"I'll tell you about it when I tell the others. I imagine it's going to be the first question on everyone's mind," Strider sighed.

"Can't blame us for that," she said softly. "It's been hurting you since as long as I've known you. Try not to put too much pressure on it."

"Your wish is my command," Strider said with a little laugh. Bisca smiled, scooting a little closer and kissing him along the neck before moving to his lips. She ran a slender finger down his cheek, breaking the kiss to admire his features. With a smile, she got right back to it.

-o-

"Champion of Fiore. Sounds pretty nice," Strider said as he headed downstairs with Bisca, Asuka, and Wendy.

"What're you going to do with the money if you win, Wendy?" Asuka wondered.

"That's a good question," Wendy said thoughtfully. Truth be told, she hadn't thought of what she'd do with it - in fact, it was likely that none of them had.

"You should get some toys!" Asuka said.

"I think I will," Wendy said.

"I know I'm getting a house or something," Strider sighed.

"You can stay with us, right Momma?!" Asuka chirped.

"Ah…I don't know about that, sweetheart," Bisca said, blushing madly. Strider managed to stifle the laugh that was threatening to spill over.

"Why not?" Asuka wondered innocently.

"It's…just complicated," Bisca said. "Oh, here's your toy gun!"

"Yay!" Asuka exclaimed happily, shooting at Wendy with it. The Dragon Slayer laughed happily as she evaded the shots.

As Bisca looked at Strider, she saw him wink at her, making her blush even harder.

-o-

As they met the others, Strider noticed that Gajeel, Gray, and Natsu were all smiling ear to ear.

"You guys look happy," Strider said.

"I'm definitely winning today," Natsu said smugly.

"As if, Flame-Brain. You got no shot against me," Gray retorted.

"Huh? I kicked both of your asses yesterday," Gajeel said.

"WHAT?! AS IF! YOU COULD BARELY LAND A HIT!" Gray shouted.

"BARELY?! I MISSED ONE ATTACK! YOU MISSED HALF OF 'EM!" Gajeel yelled.

"IT'S CALLED A TACTIC!" Gray shouted.

"WHAT?! YOU'RE NOT THAT SMART, GRAY!" Natsu chimed in.

"Idiots," Erza sighed, face-palming.

"They're just getting excited," Strider laughed.

"Strider! You ready?!" Gildarts shouted as he approached, grinning.

"Gildarts, good to see you again. You know I am," Strider said.

"Hey Gildarts!" Natsu exclaimed, pointing at him. "You're mine today!"

"Ha. We'll see, Natsu. I'm looking forward to seeing how strong you've gotten," Gildarts said with a small smile. As much as he wanted to see Strider in action again, he especially wanted to see the strides that Cana and Natsu had made.

"Hey, Natsu! You ready?" Lisanna asked, coming up behind him.

"Oh hey, Lis," Natsu said, grinning. "Hell yeah! I'm gonna kick Gildarts' as—" he began before Lisanna suddenly pressed a hand to his mouth, sighing.

"Asuka's here. No swearing," she said.

"His…butt!" Natsu corrected.

"Can't wait to see it," Lisanna said, smiling. She looked to the elevator and squealed in excitement as she saw Elfman and Evergreen come down.

"You two finally shack up?" Strider asked. Bixlow grinned along with him as he saw them turn red.

"A real man doesn't…" Elfman trailed off.

"Whatever you say, big guy," Bixlow said.

Slowly, everyone else finally settled into the lobby as well, making small talk and waiting for Master Makarov.

"The Contest to determine the champion is finally here! I wish you all the best of luck! BRING HOME ANOTHER WIN FOR FAIRY TAIL!" Makarov yelled. The raucous reply shook the whole building.

-o-

As they went to Domus Flau, they found they were the first ones there. It caused a slight stir amongst the guild; punctuality wasn't their strongest suit. However, they were soon joined by Blue Pegasus. Jenny quickly broke away from her guild and rushed at Strider, hugging him tightly.

"STRIDER!" the blonde bombshell screamed.

"Glad to see you too, Jenny," he laughed, hugging her back.

"Mira said you were training people yesterday! Why didn't you train me?!" she demanded bossily.

"If I had known, I certainly would've. I assumed you'd be training with the rest of your guild," Strider said.

"Ugh. If I had known, I would've ditched them! Thanks for nothing, Mira," Jenny grumbled, arms still around him.

"Sorry about that," Mira said, not sounding very sorry.

"Perhaps next time," Strider said.

"Promise?" Jenny asked.

"I promise," he nodded.

"Good," she said, resting her head against his chest. The motion drew a few glares from the others; Strider did his best to be as nonchalant as possible.

"Ugh, stop being so dramatic," Mira sighed.

"Whatever. Anyways, are you guys all ready?" Jenny wondered.

"You know it," Mira replied.

"I'm always ready," Strider mused.

"Now, I know you wouldn't hurt me," Jenny said seductively, clicking her tongue as she ran a finger down his chest.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Strider said, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Jenny smiled but soon shivered as she saw a few pairs of eyes dig into her back. Turning around, she saw that Juvia, Erza, Mira, and Cana were all giving her stabbing glares.

"Crap…" she grumbled.

"About the size of it," Strider chuckled.

"Hey Jenny! Looking forward to the new issue," Bacchus said with a grin as Quatro Cerberus joined them.

"Ugh. My shoot is tomorrow," she grumbled.

"Looking forward to it?" Strider wondered.

"Barely," she grumbled.

"Shouldn't have made that bet," Mira giggled.

Mermaid Heel was next to join. Kagura smiled at Strider and Erza, approaching them alongside Millianna.

"Feeling pumped?" Strider asked.

"You know it!" Millianna cheered, clawing the air in front of her.

"I look forward to seeing your swordsmanship again," Kagura said to Erza.

"As do I," Erza said, smiling. She was excited at the prospect of fighting Kagura again.

"They're gonna be tough," Strider mused as he saw them stare each other down.

"Don't think you can take them?" Lucy wondered.

"Erza and Kagura are far better swordsman than me. Ever see how fast they move? It's almost supernatural," Strider said, brushing Anglachel's grip with a finger.

'Wouldn't you agree?' he asked his sword.

'Many are. None are deadlier, Númeanórean. Wield me in this battle and that shall be shown,' Anglachel whispered back.

'They're innocents,' Strider snarled back at it.

'Few are innocent. All will fall,' Anglachel replied.

"Your sword is pretty interesting, now that I think about it," Jenny said.

"Hmm? How so?" Strider asked, looking down at her.

"I dunno. Just…something about it, I guess," she said. She moved to touch the hilt but suddenly stopped, deciding against it.

"Is that the only one you have?" Erza wondered, eyeing it.

"I've a few more, but I'm most used to him," Strider said.

"You speak as though it's a person," Kagura mused.

"Well, we've been together so long it almost feels like a…companion," Strider said, a bit uneasy.

"I suppose I can understand that," Kagura said, stroking Archenemy's hilt.

"Where did you find your other swords?" Lucy asked interestedly.

"I went on a few treasure hunts a while back. When you look around, you tend to find something interesting. Weapons are common, but the best ones take some time to come across," Strider said.

"You were a treasure hunter?" Mira asked, surprised.

"For a while," Strider said, smiling. He enjoyed those few extraneous adventures that he went on. They removed him perfectly from everything else that was going on. "There's probably still something out there in Fiore that's left to find. Might try to go on a hunt here."

"That could be fun," Cana said, hugging him from behind. She looked around and smirked at Jenny who smirked back; Strider could almost feel the electricity they traded.

Moments later, Lamia Scale joined. Strider and Gildarts grinned as they saw the man they were raring to see again.

"Gildarts. Strider. I look forward to the fight," Jura said with a smile.

Everyone else in the large room went quiet as they looked at the three powerhouses. Strider was already a known quantity to every Wizard at this point, as well as the audience - he was loved by them all. Jura was likely even more popular than Strider - his status as a Saint and his stunning power was known to everyone in Fiore, regardless of where they lived. And then there was Gildarts, the Ace of Fairy Tail, who was held to a standard equivalent to the Saints. He was, as most understood, the most powerful wizard in the most powerful guild.

As they looked at each other, other Wizards could feel their energy trying to burst out. It sent a shiver down their backs as they began contemplating their chances of winning.

"NOOOOOOO!" Makarov suddenly yelled, turning bone white. Everyone turned to him, confused.

"What's wrong, Master?" Erza asked, worried.

"Those three…fighting…each other…" Makarov grumbled.

"We can take 'em!" Gray and Natsu said in unison, overwhelmingly confident in their chances.

"Jura, Gildarts, Strider - whatever you do, please don't destroy the city," Makarov pleaded as the three men deadpanned.

"We're not that bad, are we?" Gildarts asked.

"I don't think so…" Strider said, thinking on any significant damage he had done. "In fact, I'm pretty good about making sure not to break things.

"The city will survive…mostly," Jura chuckled.

"Guilds, please make your way to your gates," a voice said over the loudspeaker.

"Good luck," Jenny said as she gave Strider a quick kiss on the cheek and sashayed away. Strider grinned as he watched her go.

-o-

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME! The Contest to determine the Champion of Fiore is upon us! The winner today will go on to represent Fiore in Contests that will be held all across Ishgar! Whoever wins today will have the chance to go and become the CHAMPION OF ISHGAR!" Chapati roared into the microphone. The crowd cheered wildly, their stomping shaking the area.

"The contestants are filing in right now. There's Blue Pegasus, being led by Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki, flanked by his trio, the Trimens - Ren, Eve, and Hibiki!" Chapati yelled. The group drew a loud cheer from the women in the crowd. Eve and Hibiki waved and bowed while Ren simply walked along, to cool to acknowledge anyone. "And of course, we have the beautiful Jenny Realight!"

Jenny smiled and waved, blowing kisses here and there as she took the applause she got - as loud as the initial.

"The lovely ladies of Mermaid Heel are making their way in now. Kagura Mikazuchi is not only a fan favorite, but considered to be one of the top contenders to win this tournament!" Chapati said. Whenever she had to fight, Kagura was determined to remain serious. She had a look of determination that cut through the others; resting her hand on her sword, she vowed to make her Master and Guild proud.

"The wildest guild around is making their way in. Led by Bacchus Groh, Quatro Cerberus placed dead last during the games, but he certainly made an indelible impact. I'd suggest everyone watch out for him!" Chapati said.

"Lamia Scale is definitely trending towards the top as well! With Lyon Vastia and Jura Neekis, a Wizard Saint, the other guilds certainly have their work cut out for them!" Chapati yelled. Jura, as expected, drew the loudest cheer yet. Everyone was clamoring to see him in action again.

"And of course we can't forget the fierce Sabertooth! No slouches in that guild, folks. Sting Eucliffe, the Master of Sabertooth, was given a special exemption to compete during the Contest despite his status as Master of a Guild. Accompanied by Rogue Cheney, Olga Nanagear, Rufus Lore, and Yukino Agria - they've held the title as the top guild in Fiore for five years in a row for a reason! Don't expect them to slouch!" Chapati exclaimed.

"And here's Fairy Tail! The winner of this years games! They certainly put their best foot forward this year, folks! With the addition of their newest Wizard, Str—" Chapati managed to say before he was suddenly cut off by a massive cheer. The people went wild as they saw Strider and Gildarts enter, the latter being a special treat for them.

-o-

"STRIDER! STRIDER! STRIDER!" roared the crowd.

"I LOVE YOU, STRIDER!"

"ME TOO!"

"HOLY FUCK IT'S GILDARTS!"

"HE'S STILL ALIVE?!"

-o-

"Someone's Mr. Popular," Mira giggled.

"Seems like you are as well. Perks of being a model?" Strider wondered.

"More or less," she sighed before waving at her many fans.

-o-

"Looks like all of our Wizards are finally in! Welcome, one and all, to the Contest of the Champion! Today we will be determining the strongest Wizard that Fiore has to offer - and soon, they'll be determining the strongest Wizard that Ishgar has to offer! You, Wizards, represent the best guilds in our Kingdom! Best of luck to all of you and may the best Wizard win!" Hisui said, presiding over the fight. She scanned the arena and her eyes soon fell on Strider, a light smile on her lips.

'Good luck, Strider,' she thought.

"The rules are simple! You fight until only one person is left. The Champion will win a prize of 50 million jewel, the title of Champion of Fiore, as well as the other perks that come along with the title. Second place will win 25 million jewel. And third place will receive 10 million jewel. I wish you all the best of luck. May the best Wizard win!" the princess shouted. The crowd cheered, almost drowning out the gong of the bell.

-o-

The frenzy began almost immediately. Few wasted time as they got entered the fray. The area had been considerably expanded to accommodate all the Wizards that had decided to enter the fight; and countless Rune Knights and defensive spells had been set up to make sure the fighting wouldn't spill over to the crowd.

Over the din of the fight, Strider locked eyes with Jura, who smiled at him. Their eyes traveled a bit to the side and came upon Gildarts, who returned the grin.

Strider decided to make the first move. He sent a massive telekinetic burst into the middle of the fighting which summarily stopped much of it. The burst kept going until it reached Jura who set up a rock wall - one that was more massive than any he had conjured before. Wizards and civilians alike stopped to gape at the sheer size of it. Strider was a bit surprised as well; the wall was several feet thick and rose a solid thirty feet into the air, cutting a massive swath through the arena. Several wizards that were unlucky enough to be caught in its path were sent hurtling every which way; others were scrunched against it, caught between a rock and a hard place as Strider's telekinetic burst pressed them against it. As the burst dissipated, a few of them fell unconscious.

-o-

"WILL YOU LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT WALL, FOLKS?! JURA'S DEFINITELY BEEN TRAINING HARD!" Chapati yelled excitedly.

-o-

Suddenly, the wall simply burst into countless pieces. Strider saw Gildarts run towards it, punching it with all his might. In a burst of white light and suddenly, it began to crumble into so many cube shaped blocks. Jura smirked as he saw what happened, he knew about Gildarts' Magic all to well. As the cubes fell, Gildarts was smacked head on with an Iron Rock Fist that launched him clear across the arena. He landed on his feet, grinning and stretching a bit. He'd waited for this moment longer than he could recall.

-o-

"I didn't expect Gildarts to be here," Jellal said.

"So that's the Ace of Fairy Tail? I think this is the first time I've ever seen him," Ultear said.

"Is he really as strong as everyone says?" Meredy asked.

"From what I understand, it's probable that he's stronger. His Magic is unfortunate since it forces him to almost constantly hold back. This is probably one of the times he can cut loose without worrying," Jellal said.

"Think he can beat Strider?" Meredy asked.

"That remains to be seen," Jellal said, although he doubted it.

-o-

"Those three…" Makarov grumbled, rubbing his temples. He wasn't sure the defensive spells would cut it.

"I think they'll be alright, Master," Bisca said.

"It's everything around them that I'm worried about," he grumbled.

"What do you think, Master Mavis?" Bisca asked.

"I think they'll be as careful as they can," she giggled, playing with Asuka. "Although I believe Gildarts might be the one who forgets, if anything. He's quite an amazing Wizard, though."

"You think so?" Bisca asked.

"Certainly. I've met very few people in my life as strong as him. He could probably be a Wizard Saint by now," Mavis said with a smile.

"If only he'd stop messing around," Makarov sighed.

-o-

Gildarts and Jura were locked in a fight with each other. Each punch or magical attack was enough to send Wizards flying. Those unlucky enough to be caught up in their attacks were deftly eliminated. Soon enough, everyone started clearing a path whenever the two got close.

Suddenly, the two powerhouses felt their bodies wrench apart, thrown back by an invisible force. Looking around, they saw Strider smiling at them. Anglachel was drawn and cut an imposing figure across the field - the darkest cut against the golden ground. Strider raised his sword and brought it down, mixing it with his telekinesis. A slash of magic cut across the field towards Jura, leaving a distinctive mark on the ground. Jura quickly brought up a rock wall, but lost control of it and Strider shot another burst of telekinesis at him, tipping the wall over. Jura broke the wall at the last second, smiling.

The Saint then launched himself at Strider - as did Gildarts at the same time.

"I gotta tell you, I've been waiting for this since Tenrou Island," Gildarts said as he got close to Strider.

"Let's see what you've got, then," Strider said.

The crowd cheered as they saw Jura and Gildarts try to take on Strider at the same time. The telekinetic barriers he set up were enough to repel Jura for the most part; however, Gildarts' Magic broke them. Strider set them up fast enough, however, that Gildarts kept punching the barriers instead of hitting him. Suddenly, Strider disappeared from both of them in a wisp of black smoke. Jura and Gildarts immediately responded by going back to back.

"WE SAW THIS DURING THE FIFTH CHALLENGE, FOLKS! STRIDER IS SIMPLY GONE!" Chapati roared.

"Smart," Strider said as he appeared and punched Gildarts square in the face. He started a kick before teleporting and finishing it on Jura. The symphony of his barrage continued as he laid into Jura and Gildarts with ease, hitting them with telekinetically-magnified blows as well as slashing them with Anglachel a few times. He made sure to keep a tight reign on the blade; he would limit his damage as much as possible.

He kept teleporting the short distance that separated them, sometimes starting and finishing his attack on one of them, sometimes starting his attack on one, finishing it on the other. His movement was quick and excited the crowd, who looked on in shock and awe.

-o-

"It's an impressive attack," Mavis mused.

"Wow! That's so cool!" Asuka said, cheering for Strider.

"And I thought Hyberion was scary sometimes," Makarov said.

"Stuck up is more like it," Mavis grumbled.

-o-

Finally, Strider stopped and walked in circles around them, smiling as he traced his sword behind him. Gildarts and Jura returned the smile, bleeding a bit but feeling their excitement rise higher and higher. Suddenly, Strider stopped. In the distance, he saw Wendy transform.

The moment was enough to give several of the Guilds pause. They looked on to see the bluenette suddenly cut a much more imposing figure, her purple hair cutting a menacing swath as she covered a distance in a flash.

"WHAT?! NO WAY! WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" Sting roared in shock. Rogue was at his side, just as stunned.

"I thought only we…" he said quietly.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Gajeel demanded comically.

"WENDY?! WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?!" Natsu said, his jaw almost hitting the floor.

"That impossible," Erza whispered, pausing to see the youngest member on her team.

With her purple eyes full of stunning determination, Wendy was monstrous in the arena. The power of her attacks was significantly amplified and she put it to good use.

"SKY DRAGON ROAR!" she roared. The attack caught nearly a dozen wizards in its wake, sending most of them flying. The ones that weren't eliminated seemed shaken and were soon taken care of by the little girl. The crowd cheered in the wake of her ferocity, while the Wizards watched, rooted to the ground.

"Jeez…Strider wasn't kidding," Cana said, mouth slightly agape. "He really did train her!"

"That's…Wendy?" Shelia asked, shocked to see her friend. Wendy was shyer than her, but she could tell that that Wendy was away for the moment; Dragon Force Wendy was something entirely different.

"Since when can she enter Dragon Force?" Laxus asked as he gave a Wizard from Twilight Ogre an uppercut, sending him flying.

"I've no clue," Freed said, impressed. He wrote a Spell on another Wizard, exploding him backwards into one of his teammates and eliminating them both. "Certainly not during the Games. I imagine Strider helped her."

"That little girl is something else," Evergreen said, smiling.

"YEAH! GO WENDY! KICK THEIR ASSES!" Gildarts roared excitedly as she eliminated two more Wizards.

"Looks like she's taking advantage of everyone's shock," Strider chuckled, looking around. Hardly anyone moved a muscle as they watched her graceful moves.

-o-

"That's amazing," Bisca said, stunned.

"She's always been impressive," Makarov said proudly.

"Gajeel, Laxus, and Natsu certainly have a lot of work ahead of them. Wendy just outpaced them all," Mavis said, smiling wide. She knew that Natsu had entered Dragon Force once; however, he still lacked the ability to do so as he wished.

"YAY WENDY!" Asuka cheered for her friend. Wendy paused her attacks to look in the direction of the little girl and waved.

-o-

"FOLKS, WENDY MARVELL IS SHOWING US WHAT A DRAGON SLAYER AT WORK LOOKS LIKE! I'VE NEVER SEEN HER SO FIRED UP - LOOK AT THAT! SHE'S ELIMINATED NEARLY A TENTH OF THE COMPETITORS BY HERSELF!" Chapati roared.

-o-

Suddenly, a burst of black wind headed towards Wendy, catching her off guard. She narrowly avoided the attack, looking for the source. She smiled as she saw Shelia.

"Good luck, Wendy!" Shelia said, black wind dancing around her.

"You too, Shelia," Wendy replied happily. The crowd cheered louder as the two cut into each other.

"She is something else," Gildarts said happily.

"Indeed," Jura said, smiling. He had been fond of the Dragon Slayer since she joined them against the Oracion Seis, and it was obvious to him now just how powerful she had gotten.

Suddenly, cards flew over the two Wizards before launching at them in a circular formation. Neither had time to react before they suddenly exploded. As the smoke cleared, both were unscathed but had their clothes torn a bit.

Cana's eyes were full of determination as they locked in on Gildarts, who smiled a bit. As much as he wanted to fight Strider, this was the reason he came back as quick as he could. Throughout the match, he had been watching Cana's performance out of the corner of his eye. She was deft in her movements, easily able to send up cards as barriers and quickly shoot through them in attack formation. She had notched several eliminations already and was none the worse for it. Flanking her were two beautiful women; one's hand crackled with electricity while the other had fire dancing around her. The two kept most attacks at bay, breaking off here and there to easily knock an inattentive Wizard around.

"If you'll excuse me," Gildarts said, taking his leave of Jura and Strider. They let him go before continuing to survey the battlefield.

-o-

"Round Two's gonna be different, Natsu," Sting said, grinning as he put up his fists. Natsu grinned back at him before leaping, his fist encircled with flame. The two collided hard, sending out a shockwave that tripped a few Wizards.

Seeing an advantage, Rogue quickly notched a few eliminations for himself before suddenly rocketing back. Gajeel grinned as he looked at him, cracking his knuckles.

"Can't wait to see what you did to train," he said menacingly. Rogue melded into the shadows and lunged at Gajeel, who put his arms up in defense. As Rogue launched at him, Gajeel let him connect before suddenly grabbing onto him and throwing him aside. Rogue landed deftly on his feet, carefully considering his strategy.

-o-

"NO! NOT THE FACE!" Hibiki placed as Mira smiled. She complied and opted to kick him hard in the stomach instead, her Demonic foot reaching deep.

"Aerial Phoze!" Ren shouted.

"White Fang!" Eve chimed in. Mira stood in place, easily withstanding the two attacks with ease. She suddenly rushed both of them, eliciting them without trouble.

"Oh, no! Renny!" Sherry cried before locking into a fight with Mira.

-o-

Erza and Kagura were off to the side, battling fiercely. Absolutely no one wanted to come close enough to accidentally have their heads lopped off; most all the Wizards opted to stay clear out of their way.

The two warriors smiled as they laid into each other. This time around they were able to focus on giving the other the time of their life, just for the fun of it.

"Your training seems to have paid off," Erza said as they both launched back for a moment to catch their breaths.

"As has yours. It's impressive that you've improved so much in just a couple of days," Kagura said.

-o-

Jet and Droy went flying as Araña and Risley knocked them out. The two ladies were set upon by Levy who took great advantage of their momentary respite.

"Iron!" Levy wrote in the air in front of her. Two iron blocks fell, Araña was crushed under one.

"Gravity Change!" Risley yelled. She tossed the iron block out of her area of effect like it was a feather.

"Impressive," Levy said as Risley grinned her thanks in response.

-o-

"Ice Make: Eagle!" Lyon yelled, sending his attack at Gray. Gray effectively dodged it before cutting a path towards Lyon with his Ice Bringer.

"Looks like you've been training," Lyon mused.

"You bet. I kicked Flame-Brain's ass yesterday, and now it's your turn," Gray grinned.

"Please. I know all your tricks, Gray. And once I beat you, Juv—" Lyon began before the two Ice Make Wizards were suddenly launched back by Juvia, who strode towards them menacingly.

"No one shall take me away from my beloved," she said, launching attack after attack at Gray and Lyon. The two were put on the defensive; Juvia was enough to give them a lot of trouble.

"This isn't gonna be easy…" Gray grumbled, thinking back to his first encounter with Juvia. He knew better than to doubt her threat level.

-o-

"Think Gray's got this?" Meredy wondered.

"I think he might," Ultear said. "What about you?"

"Juvia is really strong. I think she might eliminate Lyon at least," Meredy said, smiling.

-o-

Evergreen and Elfman were fighting off several Wizards side by side. Evergreen's grace meshed well with Elfman's brute force.

"Watch where you're aiming, you oaf!" Evergreen yelled as Elfman almost hit her with an attack.

"Me?! Watch where you're going!" He retorted.

"It's not my fault you're too brutish to even looking where you're attacking!" She replied.

"Ugh…" Elfman grumbled. He was about to launch another attack before he suddenly stopped himself. Lisanna looked at him, smiling.

"Lisanna? What're you doing?" He asked, blinking.

"I want to see how strong I've gotten. No better way to see what taking on my Big Bro," she said.

"I…I can't do that," Elfman said, feeling his heart beat faster. Lisanna smiled, knowing what was going through his mind.

"It's alright, Elf," Lisanna said softly. "There's no reason to be scared anymore. I'm fine, see? Besides, I've gotten a lot stronger. I'd be more worried about you losing!"

"I…" Elfman began again.

"Just do it," Evergreen said softly.

"What?" Elfman asked, surprised.

"You're going to have to get over it eventually. I know you're sorry for what happened, but like Lisanna said, she's fine now. The only person who's ever blamed you is yourself. Now get over it and fight!" she yelled, shoving him forward. Elfman gulped as he put his hands up. Lisanna shifted into her Cat Soul and smiled as she leaped at Elfman. He was surprised by the speed and ferocity of the attack and narrowly avoided it.

Meanwhile, Evergreen kept her attacks up on other Wizards. Anyone that got to close to the siblings, she took care of immediately. Seeing her, Bixlow went over to help.

-o-

Mira's Satan Soul continued to wreak havoc. In hardly anytime at all, she had eliminated Risley, who was fighting Levy; Macao and Wakaba, who complained humorously about the friendly fire; and Millianna, who grumbled that she didn't get a chance to fight Erza or Kagura.

As she paused, she narrowly avoided Yukino, who had summoned Libra and Pisces to attack her. Mira smiled as she saw the look of determination in Yukino's eyes.

"You sure about this?" She asked in her demonic drawl.

"I am," Yukino nodded. "Libra, go!"

Libra was swift as she covered the distance between them, launching a powerful kick at Mira. She simply brought her arms up, easily deflecting it before launching several black spheres at the Celestial Spirit. Libra was soon on the defensive, finally ending up where she started. Yukino clenched her teeth; she knew that Mira wouldn't go down easily.

-o-

"Been a long time since we really fought, huh, Ever?" Bixlow asked with a grin as he and Evergreen both paused, breathing heavily. Combined, they had eliminated many Wizards that hoped to take advantage of the two siblings' ongoing battle.

"A very long time. Training just wasn't the same," Evergreen said, smirking as she prepared to attack.

"Let's see who's gotten better, huh?" Bixlow asked, summoning his Tiki dolls.

"Just don't go crying to Laxus after I beat you! Fairy Machine Gun!" she yelled. Countless bullets launched towards Bixlow, colliding with the Tiki doll barrier he set up.

-o-

"So…beautiful…" Lyon said weakly as he was finally eliminated by Juvia. She had decided on focusing her attacks mostly on Lyon while defending as best as she could against Gray, who kept trying to penetrate her defense. Juvia, taking a leaf from Strider's book, had focused on setting up a continuous barrier of water that she could raise and lower at will. It was enough to either stop Gray's attacks; or when it froze, it was easy enough to conjure again.

"You're getting tired," Gray said, noticing her heavy breathing.

"It's nothing," she said.

"If you say so. ICE BRINGER!" Gray shouted, launching towards her. Instead of setting up a barrier, Juvia deftly dodged the attack instead.

'She can't keep this up for much longer,' Gray said, continuing his attacks on her. Finally, after so many attacks, he landed one. Juvia began to hurtle to the ground before she suddenly stopped. Looking up, she saw Strider smiling down at her.

"Impressive fight," he said.

"My love…" she whispered, caressing his cheek.

"Get some rest, Juvia. You did a great job," Strider whispered. Juvia smiled before finally passing out, drained.

As Strider stood up and looked at Gray, he saw the Ice Wizard looking at him with solid determination.

"You ready to go?"

-o-

"THUNDER DRAGON ROAR!" Laxus yelled. Olga was encompassed in the lightning. With a grin on his face, he finally fell back. He'd had an exciting fight against Laxus, but knew that he was outmatched - at least for now.

"Impressive," Rufus said as he engaged Laxus immediately after, sending a Thunder Dragon Roar back at him. Laxus was unable to eat it as it was his own attack; the attack buffeted him backwards.

"This is gonna be annoying," Laxus grumbled as he got back up.

-o-

"Looks like you trained pretty hard," Natsu said, wiping away some blood.

"Same for you," Sting said, grinning. He had activated his Dragon Force by now, as had Rogue.

"Doesn't matter, though! I'm gonna win this!" Natsu shouted, leveling his fist against Sting. The White Dragon Slayer matched it. The shockwave caught a few other Wizards in its attack, knocking them out. Still, the two Dragon Slayers stood staunchly opposed to the other.

"HA! As if!" Sting said, laying into Natsu once more.

-o-

"Not bad, baby girl," Gildarts said as he shrugged off some more attacks from Cana. She had been unrelenting in her assault against him. Gildarts was ecstatic to see how much stronger she had gotten. Despite knowing the outcome of the fight from the onset, he still wanted her to try her best.

Cana quickly found out why her father was the Ace of Fairy Tail. Each attack seemed to do almost no damage. She had managed to destroy his cloak as well reduce his clothing to tatters and inflict some marks, but he still stood resolute against her. She knew that the odds were against her, however, she was enjoying the fight. Soon, she stopped, breathing heavily.

"I'm so proud of you," Gildarts said, smiling at his daughter.

"Thanks, Dad," she said, returning the smile.

"Remember to keep training. You'll beat me in no time," he said.

"Yeah…we'll see," she replied.

Finally, Gildarts ended the match with a powerful blast that sent Cana flying. Strider, sensing the attack, quickly excused himself from his fight with Gray and caught Cana as she flew through the air. She smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek as thanks.

"Beyond excellent," he said as she teleported back to the Fairy Tail dugout.

"Thanks for what you taught her," Gildarts said, smiling at Strider who nodded in return and smiled back. He moved back to Gray, who was thankful for the short respite.

"Don't think I'm gonna go down easy," Gray said, getting in close and launching several attacks at Strider in quick succession.

"Wouldn't dream of it. You're no slouch, Gray," Strider said.

"Damn right I'm not," Gray said, grinning as he suddenly curved his arms up and landed an attack on Strider. Strider launched back, breaking some of the ice off and quickly letting go.

"That's really cold," he said, surprised that his hand was tingling.

"A special ice blend just for you," Gray said.

"I'm honored," Strider grinned.

-o-

"You did good," Elfman said as he finally knocked Lisanna out. He was surprised by how strong she had become. Her agility far exceeded his; overtime he attacked, she managed to evade with stunning grace. While he only needed a few attacks to finally knock her out, they left him winded. Lisanna smiled as she teleported back to the dugout.

Looking over, Elfman saw that Evergreen had just beaten Bixlow. She expended a significant amount of Magic in the fight; she was breathing heavily, seemingly ready to fall soon as well.

Suddenly, both were blitzed by another figure. Mira smiled as she attacked both of them, having finished with Yukino. She was still in her Satan Soul and, obvious to Mira and Evergreen, barely tired.

"Oh crap…" Elfman said in a small voice.

"Got that right," Mira smirked before rushing them. The two were unable to put up a fight; they were deftly eliminated.

-o-

"Good effort," Strider said as he finally knocked Gray out.

"Yeah…thanks," Gray said, panting. Looking over, he saw that Strider was heading towards Erza and Kagura. He grinned, knowing that he put up a good fight.

'Watch out, Strider. This isn't over yet. I'm definitely gonna kick your ass someday,' Gray thought.

-o-

As Strider approached Kagura and Erza, they stopped their fight. He could see they were both panting heavily. Since the match began, they had focused exclusively on each other. And while countless other Wizards were out by now, the two were resolute in their battle.

"Hope you girls don't mind me joining in," Strider said, brandishing Anglachel, priming his telekinesis.

"I need you to buy me some time…" Erza whispered to Kagura.

"Right," she nodded. Kagura rushed Strider, who launched locked blades with her. As with the training, Strider was quickly on the defensive.

-o-

"Look at that, folks! Strider is being pushed by Kagura Mikazuchi!" Chapati yelled. The crowd cheered loudly for Kagura.

-o-

"I thought he'd be able to take her pretty easily," Lisanna said, nursing some bruises.

"Strider is a stronger Wizard than her, but Kagura's swordsmanship is far more refined than him. Her speed and litheness far outclassed his. If this battle was based purely on swordsmanship, I've no doubt Kagura would beat him," Mavis said.

"You think so, First Master?" Romeo wondered.

"Certainly. Strider's strongest point is his Magic. While he's above average as a swordsman, there are at least two examples of better ones on the field. When he uses his Magic, however, it's another story," Mavis said.

-o-

Strider knocked Kagura back with his telekinesis, wondering how to best handle her.

'You rely to heavily on your Magic, Númenórean,' Anglachel whispered in his mind. 'Were this a battle of swords, she would've slaughtered you by now. We shall address your training after this ordeal.'

'What, you're going to train me?' Strider scoffed.

'You've lacked training your swordsmanship for years now! It is not enough to be able to slaughter; you must be able to slaughter effectively,' Anglachel said.

Strider sighed, his eyes drifting to Erza. He noticed that she had begun summoning countless swords like she did during the Day Three's event. She had summoned close to 150 before launching them at Strider. At the same time, Kagura rushed him again. Strider focused on Kagura while the swords simply stopped coming towards him. Erza was surprised; she was sure that at least one would've found its way through. However, the distraction didn't seem to effect him.

The swords suddenly split into multiple groups. Several launched at both Kagura and Erza, who managed to evade some but were hit by some nonetheless. The remaining swords flew around the arena, interrupting several battles. The contestants thinned out even further, leaving less than a quarter of the original amount.

Kagura and Erza attempted to get up but were unable to. They smiled as Strider approached them.

"It seems we still have our training cut out for us," Erza said.

"You'll get there. I'm just glad this wasn't purely a sword fighting contest," Strider said earnestly.

"Win this for us," Erza said softly.

"Your wish is my command," he said, bowing slightly to them before taking his leave.

-o-

"Jura," Gildarts said, approaching him again.

"Gildarts. As much as I've wanted to fight Strider, I've wanted to try my hand at the Ace of Fairy Tail just as much. One on one," Jura replied. Gildarts nodded. Jura launched a wall at him, which Gildarts crushed easily. The two closed the distance between each other as they locked their hands. The earth around them began to shatter, shaking the entire arena..

"Ladies and gentlemen, Jura and Gildarts are locked in battle and it might just go through the arena!" Chapati said. The crowd erupted into a cheer as they looked on.

-o-

As Mira turned around, she found that she was staring down Levy, Freed, Bacchus, and Ichiya. Of all the contestants, Mira seemed to be the one least troubled by the battle. She hardly had a scratch on her and her breathing was even and light.

"I don't quite get it," Freed suddenly said.

"What's that?" Mira wondered.

"You removed yourself from the fighting for years. How are you still so able?" he wondered.

"Never ask a woman her ways," Mira smirked.

"Sorry, Mira," Levy apologized as she teamed up against her. Mira shook her head, smiling at the girl. She had no problem kicking Ichiya, Bacchus, and Freed's asses up and down the arena, but she liked Levy.

Suddenly a hole opened under Levy. She fell through, landing with a thud.

"Is this acceptable, Princess?" Virgo asked Lucy.

"Lucy?! I didn't even know you were here!" Freed said comically. Lucy glared daggers at him before exasperating.

"Virgo! You were supposed to attack Freed, not Levy!" Lucy whined as she apologized to Levy, who was knocked out.

"It's fine…Lu," Levy said comically.

The four stared at Mira, who just giggled. She soon stopped, however, as Rogue and Sting entered the fray. Their fights against Gajeel and Natsu had been interrupted after Rogue had accidentally sent Gajeel flying into Natsu. The Fire Dragon Slayer, of course, could not let that slide. Looking back, they saw the Iron and Fire Dragon Slayers destroying the arena with their most powerful attacks, grinning as they lay into the other.

"Six on one? Not very fair," Mira said, although she didn't sound to concerned.

"I agree. Might as well make it fair," Strider said as he came on over.

"Man…now this is unfair!" Ichiya said dramatically.

"I dunno about that. Could be fun," Bacchus grinned.

"You're the only one that thinks that," Rogue sighed.

"How about three on six!" Jenny suddenly interjected, finally entering the fight and surprising everyone, even Strider.

"No fair. He's like an army of one!" Lucy comically whined, pointing at Strider.

"Strider! They were mean to me!" Jenny complained, hugging him as she pointed at the men across from them.

"That's a lie!" Freed shouted.

"Now, that won't do," Strider said in a mock threatening voice.

"…Man," Ichiya said.

"Not going down without a fight!" Sting yelled, leaping at Strider. Strider was about to react when Mira suddenly zipped past him, knocking Sting back. She suddenly swirled around and cut towards Ichiya and Bacchus who had no time to respond. They were easily eliminated. The attack put Sting and Rogue on defensive; while they knew that Mira was known as the She-Devil, they hadn't seen enough of her to get a gauge on her strength.

"Guess you're more than a pretty face, huh?" Sting asked.

"Much more," Mira answered, her tail smashing on the ground. "Careful. I wouldn't want to scratch up that pretty face either."

"I wouldn't antagonize her, Sting," Rogue said.

"Yeah…I got that," Sting grumbled.

Freed transformed into his dark metallic armor, staring at Mira.

"Round two?" she wondered.

"Yes," Freed nodded. The two took to the air, clashing against each other with ferocity.

"You guys got a plan?" Lucy asked Sting and Rogue.

"Wing it!" they both shouted in unison. Lucy deadpanned and quickly hopped back, knowing where this would go.

Despite being in their Dragon Force mode, they had both sustained severe damage throughout the fight. Strider grabbed Sting as he approached and drove him headfirst into the ground - hard - before telekinetically smashing Rogue down as well. Rogue attempted to become a shadow but found himself unable to.

"If it exists, I can control it," Strider reminded him, driving him further into the ground. Finally, Rogue passed out after all the pressure he had applied.

-o-

"Damn it," Sting grumbled as he joined his teammates again.

"You okay, Rogue?" Yukino asked worriedly.

"Yes, thank you," Rogue sighed.

"It appears that for our next training session, we should approach Strider," Rufus said.

"You gotta be kidding," Olga said.

"Not at all. He seems to be open to helping people. It's evident that if we wish to ever beat him, we'd have to learn more about him as well. No better way than training," Rufus said.

"We might have an opportunity during the Guild Exchange coming up," Yukino said.

"Yes, I was thinking the same thing," Rufus nodded.

-o-

"Don't worry Princess, I'll protect you. With a dance!" Virgo said as he jumped in front of Lucy, doing a dance for Strider. He patiently waited for her to stop before politely clapping.

"Wait, you mean you enjoyed that?" Lucy deadpanned.

"Of course. That was marvelous, Virgo," Strider said, complimenting the Celestial Spirit.

"Why thank you, Master Strider," Virgo said with a bow.

"Master?" Mira deadpanned as she joined them again, having finished with a tired Freed.

"Would you like to punish me, Master Strider?" Virgo asked, curious.

"Virgo!" Lucy yelled, going red. Mira just giggled at the forward nature of the spirit.

"How would you like to be punished, Virgo?" Strider asked, amused.

"However you wish," Virgo replied.

"Hmm…Lucy? What do you think?" He wondered.

"Oh my gosh, don't involve me in this," Lucy whined, turning redder.

"Let's see. How about…this?" Strider suggested, aiming his hand at Virgo and shooting a telekinetic burst at her. Virgo's head went back and she kept that position for a while before shooting back upright, squirming in ecstasy.

"What just happened?" Lucy asked, wide eyed.

"That…was…amazing!" the spirit exclaimed giddily.

"Glad I could help, Virgo," Strider said.

"That's it for me, Princess. I'll see you and Master Strider later," Virgo said, red from the feeling Strider sent through her.

"What exactly did you do?" Lucy wondered.

"Punished her, apparently," Strider said, grinning.

Lucy suddenly felt a kick connect with her. Jenny lept and kicked her square across the jaw, knocking her out.

"Oweeee," Lucy said comically as she went flying.

"I did it!" Jenny squealed in delight, happy that she eliminated someone. The joy was over quickly as Mira sent Jenny flying.

"Should've seen that coming," Jenny lamented. Strider managed to catch her before she hit the ground.

"Like I said during the Final Event, I'm happy to catch you," he said, smiling. She smiled in return and gave him a kiss on the cheek before teleporting back to her team. Strider finally looked at Mira, who smirked.

"Hey," he said, smiling.

"Hi there," she giggled. "Having fun?"

"More than I thought I would, to be honest. You?" Strider asked.

"Same. Maybe not as much fun as-" she broke off, clicking her tongue and licking her lips.

"I agree with that," he grinned. "Maybe later."

"Definitely. But, you seem to still be pretty upbeat. I think I'll let you tire yourself out a bit more," Mira said, quickly zooming out to find other prey.

-o-

Strider observed who was left. Mira was flying around, quickly swooping in eliminating people. Gajeel and Natsu were tiring each out close by. Jura and Gildarts had their own portion of the arena to themselves where they could wreak havoc as they wanted. Wendy, like Mira, was quickly eliminating others.

Suddenly, Wendy locked in on Mira. She sent a powerful Sky Dragon Roar that took the beautiful She-Demon by surprise. Mira quickly landed, her eyes locked on the Dragon Slayer.

"You've done really well, Wendy," she said kindly.

"Thanks, Mira. Sorry about that," Wendy answered.

"Don't worry about it. Figured it'd come sooner or later. I'm not going to go easy on you, though," Mira said.

"Me neither!" Wendy shouted, launching herself at Mira at an intense speed. Mira deftly dodged and hit Wendy with her tail. The tiny Dragon Slayer brushed it off and launched at Mira again, bombarding her with punches and kicks that came at an astonishing speed. Mira quickly disengaged from the fight and and changed into a different Satan Soul, Sitri. She would have to use much more power if she wanted to win this.

-o-

"Holy crap, Wendy's taking on Mira!" Elfman shouted in shock.

"I don't know who to cheer for," Lisanna whined.

"That little girl is something else," Cana said, smiling as she watched Wendy go to work. Even in her Sitri Soul, Wendy was giving Mira a hard time.

"Who do you think is gonna win?" Bisca wondered.

"Dunno. Could go either way, honestly," Lucy said, deciding to cheer for Wendy.

"Erza? You know Mira best," Bisca said.

"I'm afraid I'm not sure either," Erza said, smiling. "Wendy's certainly a lot stronger than I apparently thought and she seems to still have enough energy to give Mira a hard run. But Mira's known as the She Devil for a reason."

-o-

"I…am gonna…kick…your ass," Gajeel sighed as he punched Natsu across the face. Natsu grinned as he stumbled back, spitting out some blood.

"Not…if I…kick…yours first," Natsu replied, punching Gajeel right back. The two had slowed down considerably, hardly able to move. They had expended much of their Magic by now, reminiscent of their first fight. Their clothes were in tatters and they relied on the last of their adrenaline to push them through.

"I'm impressed," Strider said as he come up on them from the side.

"Strider! Wait…your turn. I'll be…right with ya'," Natsu said, grinning.

"Ha! Wait for me. Salamander is…just about…done," Gajeel grinned as well, landing another hit on Natsu. Natsu tumbled backwards, Gajeel falling on top of him. He got off to the side, breathing heavily.

"I won that," Gajeel said.

"What?! As if! I…beat you," Natsu said.

"You…fell first! I win! End…of story!" Gajeel answered.

"Like…hell," Natsu said, trying to get back to his feet. Gajeel followed. As the crowd saw them, they cheered even louder. The two were putting on another great effort, both refusing to end it. Smiling, Strider withdrew from the fight. Looking askance, he saw that Laxus was looking at him with a smirk. Strider rushed over to the Lightning Dragon Slayer, who put up his fists.

"Been waiting for this for a while now," Laxus smirked. "One on one."

"Ready?" Strider wondered.

"Born ready," Laxus said. He sent a powerful burst of lightning at Strider, following up with bombarding the area around him. Strider was hit by a few bolts, but was otherwise unscathed.

'Looks like his attack got faster,' Strider thought, impressed.

"I figured there's one way to beat you," Laxus said.

"Oh? What's that?" Strider wondered.

"I need to be able to hit you faster than you can think about deflecting it," Laxus said. Strider smiled and nodded.

"That's one way. But there's a problem with your theory," Strider said.

"What's that?" Laxus asked, gearing up to attack again. He brought his hands up, but suddenly found himself unable to move them. With that, he was unable to attack.

"The problem that every Wizard in Fiore seems to face," Strider mused. "Your attacks require you to call them. Either verbally or using your body in a certain way - in this case, your arms and hands. I can stop you from moving which stops you from attacking. What will you do now?"

"…Fuck," Laxus grumbled. He hadn't ever given any thought to what Strider said. Using his Magic how he did was second nature to him. But as he found his body locked up, he saw the devastating effect not being able to use his Magic when he most needed it could have.

"Don't worry about it to much for now," Strider said with a small smile. "Every land I've visited that has Wizards has the same problem. Because everyone needs to call their attack, it's not a big problem - everyone's on even terms. But when you can't call it - that's when you really notice your limitations."

"Any advice on that?" Laxus asked, trying to break free. Unfortunately, it was no use - his body refused to react.

"I'll see if I can think of some lessons. Until then, just thinking about it. Theory is as important as application," Strider said before turning his fingers down. Laxus crashed into the ground, cratering it before his body went back to join the others.

-o-

"Damn it," Laxus growled.

"More than you could handle?" Makarov wondered.

"Way more. For now, though," Laxus said.

"You've something to strive for, at least. That's something," Mavis said, smiling.

-o-

Mira and Wendy were both finally beginning to show signs of wearing out. They were amongst the last remaining. Strider had gone around eliminating any stragglers that were still looking for a fight. Jura and Gildarts were now fighting Gajeel and Natsu respectively.

-o-

"You've grown, Natsu," Gildarts said, smiling. Natsu seemed to have regained some of his energy and had shifted into Lighting Flame Dragon Mode. He knew he didn't have long in it - it took far to much power to sustain - but was resolved to give it his all.

"Thanks, Gildarts," Natsu said, grinning as he landed an overhead kick on him. "Better keep up! I'm not down yet!"

"I can see that," Gildarts said, feeling the same rush of pride for Natsu that he did for Cana. "You might still have a long way to go, but I have a feeling you'll get there soon."

"Better not be going easy on me!" Natsu said as he landed on his feet, panting heavily. Though he wouldn't admit, he was close to falling. The opponents were varied and he had expended himself heavily against them all.

"Wouldn't dream of it, kid," Gildarts grinning. Natsu launched a Fire Dragon Roar at Gildarts, who met it head on, punching it. The punch kept going and going until it finally reached Natsu. In a flash of bright light, Natsu was finally laying on the ground, eyes barely open. Still, Gildarts saw he was grinning.

"Next time…Gildarts," he said.

"Ha. Definitely, Natsu," Gildarts said happily. He was sure that one of these days, the day would indeed come.

-o-

"I'm impressed," Jura said as he waited for Gajeel to get up.

"Yeah? 'Bout what?" Gajeel asked, gritting his teeth. In his match against Jura, he learned what it meant to be a Wizard Saint. While he had overcome difficult obstacles before, Jura was something entirely different. He was monstrous in the absolute sense of the word. Facing him was like facing a giant monolith, imposing and immovable.

"Your skill and strength. I can see why Makarov is proud to have you in his Guild. I've no doubt you'll continue to get stronger," Jura said.

"Heh. Don't talk you've won just yet. I still got some fight left in me," Gajeel said, grinning.

"Yes, I can see that. Very well," Jura said, smiling. He finished their short bout with a well placed Iron Rock Fist. "Well done indeed, Gajeel."

As Gajeel was teleported back to the dugout, he couldn't help but grin at the praise.

-o-

"You two alright?" Lisanna asked Natsu worriedly while Levy quickly helped prop Gajeel up.

"Yeah. I'm good," Natsu said in a pained voice.

"I'm fine, blue," Gajeel said, appreciative nonetheless.

"Splendid job, you two. I'm proud Fairy Tail has such fantastic members," Mavis said brightly. The two Dragon Slayers couldn't help but grin wider than they were at the praise from the First Master.

"Just Jura, Gildarts, Mira, Wendy, and Strider are left," Makarov said.

-o-

"You've grown so much, Wendy," Mira said, smiling.

"Thanks, Mira," Wendy said. She was happy to be squaring off against such a powerful opponent.

-o-

"I imagined that Strider would be the most impressive in the tournament, but I think Wendy might have eclipsed him," Makarov said, inspired by her showing.

"Go, Wendy! Win it for Fairy Tail!" Mavis exclaimed cheerfully.

"YAY WENDY! YOU CAN DO IT! GO GO GO!" Asuka cheered adorably.

"She's almost as scary as Mira now," Lucy said.

"She's certainly standing taller than anyone else," Erza said proudly. She saw a bit of herself in the little girl; and she still had a long time to grow even greater.

"What a man," Elfman said, flinching as Evergreen slapped him.

"She's a woman!" the Fairy Wizard corrected him.

"You know, I wouldn't be surprised if she makes it to S-Class next year," Lisanna said.

"Hell, she might just become the youngest S-Class we've ever had," Laxus said approvingly.

"Go Wendy!" Carla cheered. Wendy paused to wave back at her happily.

"Kick their butts, Wendy!" Happy yelled.

"HEY! You didn't cheer for me!" Natsu said comically.

"Go, Wendy!" Happy cheered again as Natsu deadpanned.

"You can do it, Wendy!" Lily exclaimed.

"WHAT?! WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I NEEDED THAT, FURBALL?!" Gajeel yelped just as shocked.

"What? She's beaten more people than all of you Dragon Slayers combined!" Lily told him. Natsu and Gajeel turned red in embarrassment.

-o-

"You can do it, Wendy!" Lector yelled.

"Hey! You're supposed to be my partner!" Sting chided him.

"Yeah, but she's totally kicking everyone's butt out there! She beat more people than you, Sting!" Lector yelled back.

"Come on, Wendy! Sorry, Rouge!" Frosche exclaimed, dancing adorably as Rogue cried comically.

-o-

Mira was rocketed back by another well placed attack from Wendy. Hitting a hard surface, she saw that it was Strider. He helped her back to her feet, smiling as he saw Wendy levitating before them.

"You really taught her a lot in one day," Mira said.

"I barely did a thing. This is all her," Strider said, his voice brimming with pride. Mira smiled, giving him a moment…before suddenly landing an attack on him. Strider was knocked back a bit, bewildered.

"Sorry," Mira said earnestly. "I figured that it'd be hard to get a hit on you otherwise."

"That hurt," Strider grumbled, nursing his cheek. "Well, thanks for not hitting my shoulder at least."

"I'm not that cruel," Mira said seriously. Whatever the circumstance, she wouldn't want to strike him in a way that she knew would be mind-numbingly painful.

"Thanks nonetheless," Strider said. "Still, I suppose it's time we end this."

"And here I was hoping you'd wear yourself out," Mira sighed.

"This isn't even the longest fight I've been in," Strider said with a slightly wild grin. Mira had never seen him look like that before, and it made her slightly uneasy. She saw him as someone who didn't mind fighting, but wouldn't seek out a fight. However, as he stood before her, he looked like someone different. His black hair whipped around in the wind, which had just picked up, his cloak billowing behind him. His eyes were trained on her, full of passion but glinting with something else. She saw his sword repel all light that attempted to touch it, vicious and menacing as it yearned for a fight. Through it all, she could feel the power that radiated outward from him. It was something that she could sense was always there, but hadn't ever paid attention to before. But now, staring each other down and ready to spring, she could see why other warriors should fear Strider.

His imposing figure, his radiating power, his black blade, and his cutting look. It all came together to form someone made for fighting. Mira gulped as she knew what was coming.

She felt her body seize up.

"DRAGON SLAYER SECRET ART: SHATTERING LIGHT: SKY DRILL!" Wendy yelled, sending the attack at Mira. It connected head on; at the same time, Strider applied some more telekinetic pressure to Mira. As the smoke disappeared, she was back to her usual form, smiling weakly. He caught her as she began to fall.

"Sorry about that," Strider whispered, gently brushing some hair from her face. Looking up, she saw the pained look on his face. She shook her head, gently caressing his cheek.

"Don't be. I'm not even that hurt," she said. "Just a bit tired. Guess I wore myself out more than I thought. Need to get back to training."

"Get some rest," he whispered.

"Mhm. Win it, okay?" She asked.

"Your wish is my command," he said, smiling. Mira returned it before leaning up and giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek. The crowd cheered in response.

-o-

"Mira…" Juvia glowered as Mira appeared.

"Wo-o-ah, let's save it until after she's better," Cana said, quickly moving in to hold the Water Wizard back. Lisanna followed, giggling.

-o-

"Wendy," Strider said as the Dragon Slayer landed down, just a few meters from him.

"Hey, Strider. What do you think?" Wendy asked tentatively.

"I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am," Strider said. Wendy's smile widened as she saw the look in his eye; she could tell he meant it. To her, it was like hear the praise of a big brother.

"Thanks," she said softly.

"Not at all. However this ends, I don't think anything is going to change the fact that you certainly had the most impact," Strider said. He had tracked her progress throughout; no one was as ferocious as the tiny Dragon Slayer.

-o-

"FOLKS, WE ARE DOWN TO THE TOP FOUR! STRIDER, JURA, AND GILDARTS - I DON'T THINK THAT'S A SURPRISE. BUT WENDY MARVELL?! THAT SURE IS A SURPRISE!" Chapati roared. The crowd cheered their loudest yet for the Dragon Slayer. Strider laughed as he saw her blush a bit.

-o-

"Wendy made it to the top four. That's amazing," Erza said happily, surprised at how well she did.

"Regardless of who actually wins this, I'd definitely say she has won the respect of every Wizard here," Evergreen said, smiling. The others nodded in unison.

-o-

Jura and Gildarts both approached Strider and Wendy, beaming at the young girl. She saw the respect and pride in their eyes as they smiled and bowed to her.

Suddenly, Strider noted that Wendy's breathing was growing more and more laborious. It had been hours since the fight started. Since she had only learned how to use Dragon Force a short while ago, he saw that it was beginning to take its toll on the girl. He saw her waver and suddenly rushed over, fear gripping his heart tight.

"Wendy! Are you okay?!" he asked as he caught her, worried.

"Yeah…just tired," she said, smiling at him. Instantly, the effects of her Dragon Force wore off. Her eyes went black to their blue color, as did her hair.

-o-

"Wendy…" Carla said, worried.

"Someone get Porlyusica, quickly!" Makarov barked. Jet immediately sped off.

-o-

"Is she okay?" Frosche asked, starting to tear up.

"Of course. She's just tired, Frosche," Rogue said, comforting his friend.

-o-

"You were amazing. You have no idea how proud everyone is of you. Of all the Dragon Slayers, you were the last one standing," he said, smiling.

"They were going easy on me," Wendy said softly.

"No one was going easy on you. If anything, I think you might have been too hard on them," Strider chuckled. Wendy smiled, her eyes fluttering open and closed.

"Strider?" she asked, her eyelids finally setting closed.

"Yeah, Wendy?" Strider asked softly.

"Is it okay if I go to sleep for a bit?" she asked, resting her head softly on his shoulder.

"Sure. I'll take you to the Guild," he said. Softly, she nodded, happy and content. A second later, she was out cold - the Dragon Force taking its toll. Strider gently carried her over to Fairy Tail, where Porlyusica was waiting anxiously.

"She's really tired and needs rest," Strider said softly as he gently handed her to Porlyusica. Wendy was still smiling as she breathed peacefully. The others looked on happily and proudly at the warm scene.

-o-

"With that ABSOLUTELY AMAZING showing by Wendy Marvell, folks, we are down to three - Jura Neekis, Gildarts Clive, and Strider," Chapati said, wiping his tears.

-o-

"We should be glad she's not awake to kick our asses," Gildarts said.

"Indeed. That was absolutely splendid," Jura agreed.

"No doubt about it," Strider chimed in. Finally, the three men set their sights on each other.

"Looks like it's just us," Gildarts said. Suddenly, like it was on Tenrou Island, Gildarts power erupted. The arena began to shake and the skies started to darken as if in fear. The people quieted down, looking on in awe.

-o-

"What's wrong, Natsu?" Lisanna asked.

"This is how Gildarts beat me on Tenrou Island," he said. Everyone watched carefully.

-o-

Jura clasped his hands together; a white light began to erupt from him as well as it did when he attacked the MPF.

"No more holding back," Jura said, a determined look on his face.

Strider rolled his neck, his eyes and mouth erupting in a bright and blazing blue. His power seemed to have no other manifestation, but as strong and attuned to Magic that Gildarts and Jura were, they could feel it. It was almost destabilizing, rolling over them like rogue currents out at sea.

'It's time for you to take that necklace off,' Anglachel suddenly whispered in his mind.

'Quiet,' Strider snarled back at it.

'As you wish,' the sword replied darkly.

"Don't hold back now, Strider," Gildarts said.

"As you wish," Strider replied, his voice just as dark as the sword's. He slowly raised his hand, and with it, Jura and Gildarts began to levitate. They looked on in surprise but quickly moved into defensive stances as Strider rushed them. Gildarts' body was sent flying towards the edge of the arena before Strider pulled him back. He was about to deliver a clothesline strike when Jura put up a wall between them, saving Gildarts. He suddenly sent up a dome around Strider. Gildarts took advantage of the momentary lapse and punched the dome head on, hoping to startle Strider and land a hit. As he reached it, however, the dome suddenly burst outward, showering Gildarts with sharp-edged of rock. Jura managed to raise a small wall in the nick of time to save himself from the brunt of the attack. Strider launched back a bit, eyeing his opponents.

"Damn. Thought I had him there," Gildarts sighed.

"Certainly not that easily. It might be difficult to just get close to him," Jura said.

"Damn shame Yoruichi isn't here. She could probably sneak up on him," Gildarts mused.

"She seems to be fond of him, so I'm not too sure about that," Jura chuckled. He sent several rock fists at Strider, increasing his velocity with each one. Each was sent towards the outside of the arena, crashing into the wall and bursting.

"Well…time to try something else," Gildarts said. Suddenly, he punched the ground. A fissure suddenly exploded and ripped towards Strider. Rocks launched at him and Jura followed up by sending several rock fists through the smoke, hoping to land a hit. Strider defended against the attack as best he could, but Gildarts' attack seemed to get through his barrier, sending him back. As the dust cleared, Strider had moved at least ten meters, his arms up in defense. Putting them down, he was impressed by the sheer damage that Gildarts had caused.

'Not bad. Not surprising either. He managed to get through my telekinetic barriers earlier today. Going to have to make them a lot stronger. Such a unique Magic,' Strider thought.

-o-

"Looks like they managed to land a hit," Bisca said.

"However, they expended more power than he did. Even with that, it didn't seem to damage him," Mavis said.

-o-

"My turn, I guess," Strider said, pivoting his left foot back. He raised two fingers, and with them, all the rocks that Gildarts had sent up suddenly began to levitate.

"Ah crap," Gildarts grumbled as he saw where this was going. Like gunshots, rocks of every size launched at Jura and Gildarts. Jura managed to put up a wall but several massive boulders knocked it down. Both powerhouses were bombarded by the rocks, managing to break most of the large ones with ease but finding themselves cut by the small, sharper ones. The crowd looked on in surprise as the rocks collided with the opposite wall, digging their impressions in deep and giving them an idea of the power behind the attack.

"A thousand cuts is a painful way to go down," Strider said as he got in close, giving them an eerie blue smile. With a couple of well placed telekinetic bursts, the two powerhouses were launched back. Suddenly, their bodies stopped in midair. Gildarts and Jura found themselves unable to do anything - even move. Strider made a slight motion and their two bodies rocketed at each other, colliding hard. Each headbutted the other, drawing some blood from their foreheads. As they regained control, they found Strider still close by, as though egging them to attack again.

"Well…" Gildarts said as he got up, stretching a bit. "I know what I need to learn next."

"Likewise," Jura grumbled, although still smiling.

'Do not draw this battle out longer. Its charm has long worn off,' Anglachel said.

"I guess we shouldn't draw this battle out too long," Strider said with a slightly apologetic smile. The two powerhouses had an idea of what that meant and braced themselves. With a powerful flick of his hand, Strider telekinetically drove their bodies into the ground, digging deep. Gildarts and Jura felt the pressure begin to expand on them, as though the weight of the world was upon them. Finally, they passed out, their bodies teleporting back to their respective guilds. Strider cheated his sword, smiling a bit as he stood alone in the arena, the wind billowing around him.

The crowd took a moment to ingest what they had just seen before erupting into a cheer.

"STRIDER! STRIDER! STRIDER!" they roared.

-o-

"FOLKS, HE'S DONE IT! STRIDER HAS WON THE CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS! STRIDER IS THE CHAMPION OF FIORE!" Chapati yelled, so loud that his voice carried all over the city.

-o-

Fairy Tail hit the roof as people saw their magic burst through their dugout. Mira and Erza, and Cana and Lucy hugged each other tightly while Juvia jumped up and down for him. Bisca held the cheering Asuka tightly, brimming with pride and happiness at his win. Natsu, Gajeel, and Gray roared in cheer while the Thunder Legion clapped. Wendy, finally coming to, hugged Carla in delight as well.

-o-

"Well, that was fun," Shelia said happily. "To bad you didn't win, Jura!"

"Second or third place is nothing to scoff at," Lyon said, happy that Jura had brought Lamia Scale that honor.

"You're still probably not happy," Ooba said wisely.

"Not until I manage to beat him at least once," Jura said with a smirk.

"Maybe one day, if you keep up your training. You've still got some learning to do, child," the aged Guild Master said, opening a single eye.

-o-

"Man, if only we attacked him in the beginning," Sting grumbled.

"Still might've not been enough. Certainly not against Jura, Gildarts, and him," Rogue said.

"You still want a piece of Iron Rock Jura?" Olga mused.

"Next time, perhaps," Rufus said, politely clapping along.

-o-

"Woo! Go Strider!" Millianna meowed happily as her teammates cheered for him as well.

"What do you think, Kagura?" Risley asked with a smirk.

"What do you mean? I think it was impressive. Nothing more," Kagura replied.

"Mhm. I saw you two coming out of the Tunnel of Love, by the way," Risley said. Araña and Millianna looked agape at Kagura while Beth blushed - although not as much as Kagura, who turned a bright red.

"Ugh…" she sighed, squirming a bit.

-o-

"Folks, thank you for joining us for this absolutely marvelous event. Please excuse us for a moment as we determine the ranking. As Jura and Gildarts were eliminated at the same time, we need to decide how to go about this," Chapati said. He began talking to the other judges as Strider was teleported to his guild, smiling.

-o-

"Hey," Strider said. His Guildmates all rushed him and took him down. Mira was the first to wrap her arms around him tightly, not daring to let go. He returned her hug and continued to accept them all around.

"THAT'S RIGHT! THE STRONGEST GUILD IN FIORE HAS THE STRONGEST WIZARD IN FIORE! TAKE THAT!" Makarov yelled.

"Way to go, buddy," Gray grinned as he slapped Strider on the back. Strider returned the grin and high-fived Natsu before picking Asuka up and levitating her further to his shoulder. She hugged his head, eliciting and exalted sigh from Bisca and Mira.

"Excellent work out there," Erza said, smiling as she hugged him from the side.

"Thank you. It was pretty fun," Strider said.

"That's two out of three slots for Fairy Tail. We're definitely the champions," Levy said happily.

Wendy rushed and hugged Strider who knelt down and hugged her back.

"You did it!" she exclaimed happily.

"Only because I didn't have to fight you. You were the best Wizard out there today. Like I said, I'm very proud," he said, eliciting a bright smile from the small Dragon Slayer.

-o-

Finally, Chapati and the judges came back with their decision.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we've finally settled on the results. In first place, our Champion - STRIDER!" Chapati roared as the crowd erupted in a massive cheer.

"In second place, we have a tie - JURA NEEKIS AND GILDARTS CLIVE!" Chapati said. Jura and Gildarts looked surprised.

-o-

The crowd erupted for the two powerhouses as well.

"They went toe to toe with him!" someone else exclaimed.

"What do you expect? Jura's a Wizard Saint and Gildarts even tried a century quest!" someone else replied.

-o-

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure announce third place…WENDY MARVELL!" Chapati roared. The crowd erupted in their loudest cheer yet for the youngest Dragon Slayer who looked on in surprise that she was placed in third.

"But, I was fourth," she said.

-o-

"WENDY! WENDY! WENDY! WENDY!" the crowd roared excitedly. She had claimed quite a few wins during the event.

-o-

"You deserve it, Wendy," Strider said as Fairy Tail clapped and cheered for Wendy. She turned a bright red from embarrassment and resolved herself by hugging Asuka, who was extra excited her friend won.

-o-

"The ceremony for our winners is tomorrow. We hope to see you there!" Chapati said.

-o-

Fairy Tail waited for Strider, Wendy, and Gildarts, all of whom had to speak to the judges about what they were to do for the party and ceremony that night and tomorrow. Finally, they went back to their guilds.

As Fairy Tail walked back to their hotel to rest and prepare for the party tonight in the winners' honor, they were met with cheers from everyone they passed. Strider smiled and wave as he balanced Wendy on his shoulders, who also smiled and waved to everyone.

-o-

Finally, Wendy, Strider, Asuka, and Bisca got to the penthouse room…followed in by Mira, Erza, Lucy, Cana, and Juvia, who simply refused to leave. Strider simply turned and raised an eyebrow at them.

"We still have some time before the party. Thought we'd freshen up here," Mira said.

"Don't you all have your own rooms?" Strider asked.

"Yeah, but the bathroom here is amazing. I just wanna soak in the hot tub," Lucy said.

"Ha. As you wish, then. I'm going to get some rest, first," Strider said.

"We'll wake you up," Bisca said. Strider nodded his thanks before heading to his room, telekinetically shutting the door behind him.

-o-

As he got settled in his bed, Strider ran a finger along the necklace he always wore. He attempted to lift the black stone set in the middle of it; and as always, it simply clung to him, not moving a centimeter.

'You will remove it,' Anglachel whispered. 'You will have to someday.'

"Quiet," Strider hissed at the blade, telekinetically shutting the lights off.