Elfman made the first move, his massive fist swinging rapidly toward Sol.
Sol leapt into the air, cleanly dodging the punch.
"You… used to have a little sister, didn't you?"
Elfman's expression shifted the moment he heard that.
"Sand Dance!!"
Sol waved his hand, conjuring a thick cloud of sand that obscured Elfman's vision.
"Rock Concerto!!"
With a sweep of his leg across the ground, Sol summoned a barrage of jagged stones that flew straight toward Elfman.
"Uwaaah!!"
"Elfman!!"
Mira's heart tightened with worry as she saw her brother get hit.
"You once failed a Full Body Take Over and went berserk. Your sister sacrificed her life trying to stop you, didn't she? Since then, you haven't been able to use Full Body Take Over again!"
"Beast Arm: Iron Bull!!"
Elfman transformed his arm into solid iron and hurled a punch at Sol.
Whoosh!
Sol burrowed into the ground and re-emerged from another spot like a giant mole.
Elfman chased after him, only for Sol's body to slither around his arm like a snake.
"Hello there."
"Gross." The sensation of being wrapped in something like that made Elfman deeply uncomfortable.
"NONONO. Triple No means—you're just too weak."
Elfman yanked hard. "Let go of me, you mud eel!"
"It's Gentleman Sol!" Sol snapped back, hopping off Elfman and kicking him in the face.
"Ugh!"
"Is that all you've got?"
Sol taunted, grinning smugly.
Elfman knew full well—this guy might act sleazy, but his magic and creepy martial arts were dangerously strong.
"I've got no choice!!"
He prepared to attempt Full Body Take Over, but the image of Lisanna flashed through his mind.
"AAAAHHH!!"
The magic broke down instantly.
"Hmm! Don't force yourself. Looks like your magic power is dropping fast. Prepare yourself!"
Sol rushed in and slammed a powerful kick into Elfman's gut.
"UWAAAGH!!"
"And now—Gentleman Sol's finishing blow."
"Plaster Sonata!!"
A massive sand-formed fist slammed into Elfman.
"GUAAAHHH!!"
Elfman was hurled across the field, landing with a battered crash.
Sol walked right over and stomped on him.
"This is the strength of the Elements."
Then he began kicking and stomping Elfman without mercy.
"Hahahahaha!!"
Everyone from Phantom Lord burst into laughter.
Jose grinned cruelly. "Yes! That's more like it! Make those Fairy Tail trash understand just how far beneath us they really are!!"
Seeing Elfman injured and brutalized, Mira broke down in tears.
"Elfman!! Kaien, switch him out! He can't go on! He—he's not ready!"
Kaien replied flatly, "What are you afraid of, Elfman? Didn't you say you were a man?"
"Is this really all you've got? Didn't you say you wanted to be a man who could protect his sister?"
"If you can't even tame a Beast King, what kind of man are you?"
"In the end, you won't be able to protect anything."
"So if that's all you've got, then walk away."
"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!"
A sudden burst of magic surged from Elfman's body.
Mira shouted in panic, "No!! Elfman, you can only Take Over your arm!!"
"Full Body Take Over: Beast King Soul!!"
Elfman roared. His entire body began to transform.
In moments, he had taken the full form of a towering Beast King, horns curled atop his head.
"NONONONONO!!"
Sol's face twisted in horror at the transformation.
"RAAAAAAHHHHHH!!"
Elfman attacked in a frenzy. The battlefield cracked beneath the sheer force of his blows. Sol's eyes rolled back—he lost consciousness instantly.
Reverting to his normal form, Elfman raised his fist high and let out a mighty shout:
"YEAHHHHHHHHHHH!!"
[Th-The match is decided!!!]
[Winner: Fairy Tail's Elfman!!]
"That was amazing!"
"That transformation was so cool!!"
"Fairy Tail's won two in a row! They really are the stronger guild!" …
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause.
"Elfman…"
Seeing that her brother was still conscious, Mira wept with joy.
"Elfman came to me once," Kaien said softly. "He told me about Lisanna… He even asked me how to better control his Take Over magic. He's been training for two years—he's had the strength to use Beast King for a while now. He just couldn't overcome the fear in his heart. But sometimes people need to be pushed. From now on… he'll be able to use it freely."
"Thank you… Kaien…" Mira's heart swelled with gratitude. She knew Kaien had done this for Elfman's sake.
"Phantom Lord!! Who's next?!!"
Elfman shouted arrogantly across the arena.
Kaien smirked to himself. 'Let you go up once, and now you're getting cocky.'
He immediately waved the substitution flag.
[Oh? Looks like Fairy Tail is swapping fighters again!]
Elfman stepped down reluctantly.
"Kaien, I can still fight!"
Kaien replied gruffly, "Look at you. You're covered in injuries. What are you gonna fight with? I only sent you out to fill a spot, not to be a main player."
Elfman's face dropped. "That's… harsh, man…"
"If you don't want harsh words—get stronger. Become someone worth sending out as a main player."
Elfman's eyes lit up with determination. "Yes, sir!!"
Watching from the sidelines, Makarov nodded with satisfaction. Kaien had only been with Fairy Tail for a year, but he was already deeply trusted by everyone, guiding the guild with strength and maturity. Despite his youth—he was truly dependable.
Makarov turned to glance across at Jose, smirking slightly.
'Two losses already, Jose.'
If this were a standard six-round 1v1 tournament, Fairy Tail would be one win away from match point.
Jose, seeing Makarov's smug grin, nearly exploded with rage.
"Useless! Useless! You're all useless!!"
Just one more hit—that was all it would've taken to end that fight. But that idiot Sol had to go and toy with the opponent. And now they'd been turned over.
And what made it worse? He lost to some nameless trash from Fairy Tail. That was the part Jose couldn't stand.
Sol was quickly carried off for treatment, and the field was restored by mages to its original state.
[Now starting the third match! Fighters from both sides, please enter the arena!]