"What?!"
Looking at the monster now covered in pitch-black armor before him, Future Bacchus narrowed his eyes, sensing danger from the erupting magical power.
The next second, black wings beat against the air, and a tearing gale rushed toward him.
Having completed his Take Over, Elfman appeared before him in an instant, his sacred beast claws leaving streaks of cold light through the air!
Thanks to his formidable battle instincts, Future Bacchus reacted immediately. He shifted his stance, sidestepping the claws by a narrow margin, while simultaneously—
His tensed right palm struck from an unexpected angle, slamming hard into the sacred beast Elfman's jaw.
THUD.
A dull impact rang out, sending fragments of black and purple armor flying.
Wait—purple armor?
Future Bacchus's pupils contracted, a suspicion forming in his mind. He glanced at his left shoulder.
Sure enough, where the shoulder plate should have been intact, there were now several sharp claw marks!
"After you left last night, since we'd be facing each other, Chase made sure to brief us on your magic—Piguaquan," the sacred beast Elfman said, holding firm against the palm on his jaw and slowly lowering his head. "Since your attacks are unpredictable, I'll win with speed!"
This was the countermeasure he had devised after learning he would be fighting Future Bacchus.
Guardian Sacred Beast: Gale Belfast—a Take Over form he had "borrowed" from Rustyrose of Grimoire Heart's Seven Kin. It possessed incredible reaction speed and agility, with the added boost of wings granting greatly enhanced mobility.
It was currently his most well-rounded Take Over form!
Hearing this, Future Bacchus frowned. "Chase?"
What exactly did that bastard do to me after I passed out last night?!
He had no way of knowing that in another world, Chase—freshly promoted to S-Class—had already fought "him" on several occasions.
Giving Bacchus no time to figure it out, the sacred beast Elfman spread his black wings and retreated, using the momentum of the palm strike to pull his body forward. He then whipped out a powerful, heavy kick!
Seeing that he couldn't dodge, Future Bacchus used the force to his advantage, placing his hands on Elfman's leg and vaulting away.
This required immense skill—one misstep and the poor control could result in a heavy blow. But he pulled it off, landing steadily like a sheet of light paper.
"Not bad! You're even stronger than I expected."
Looking at his hands trembling slightly from the impact, Future Bacchus suddenly grew excited.
He set aside his earlier contempt, stepped forward, and slowly spread his arms like an eagle's wings.
That was the opening stance of Piguaquan!
"Come on!" the sacred beast Elfman said, beckoning with a grin.
"Haha! My soul's starting to tremble!"
With Bacchus's laughter echoing, the two—one relying on technique, the other on speed—charged at each other, erupting into an all-out close-quarters brawl!
THUD, THUD, THUD!
Shockwaves from their fists and palms radiated outward, making the audience's hearts race as they roared in approval.
"It's evenly matched! Elfman is actually holding his own against Bacchus!!" Chapati's passionate commentary rang through the arena.
"Cool! A real man's brawl!" Special guest Jason jumped up in excitement.
Fairy Tail Internal Communication Channel.
"Guardian Sacred Beast? Does our Elfman have that Take Over form?" Future Lucy asked in surprise.
"That's what it means to be a man! It's the ability from that glasses-wearing guy of Grimoire Heart's Seven Kin!" Future Elfman inside the card raised Rustyrose's black sword triumphantly, clearly already aware of it.
Future Macao and Future Wakaba, like two weathervanes, cheered: "Awesome! At this rate, he might actually win!"
"You two change sides way too fast!!" Evergreen, her teeth turning into jagged saws, shouted at them in exasperation.
Erza stood with her arms crossed, watching the fierce battle intently, her expression tinged with concern.
Though currently Elfman seemed evenly matched with Future Bacchus—and even held a slight advantage—
"Don't get too excited. That guy hasn't touched a single drop of alcohol yet."
Those words silenced the comrades who had been celebrating prematurely.
Future Bacchus's "Piguaquan" was a traditional martial arts magic that concentrated magical power into the palm for strikes, possessing both immense physical destructive power and magical penetration.
On top of that, he had developed "Drunk Piguaquan," which not only made his attack trajectories even more unpredictable but also multiplied his power several times over!
Soon, Erza's concerns became reality.
Realizing the sacred beast Elfman's strength, Future Bacchus pulled back from the brawl, downed the high-proof liquor from his flask in one go, and entered his drunken state. He then struck back with a Drunk Fist Seven-Strike Combo, piercing straight through Elfman's black armor and forcing him back into human form!
"Heh. Forcing me to use my drunken form means you're qualified to be my underling," Future Bacchus said, hands in his pockets, looking down at Elfman, who had taken a heavy blow and was kneeling on one knee. "Keep fighting and you'll only get hurt. Surrender while you still can."
"Surrender?"
Elfman wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and slowly straightened up, using his knee for support. "A real man's dictionary doesn't have that word!!"
"Second Origin, activate—"
Under Future Bacchus's stunned gaze, Elfman raised his right arm and let out a roar like a ferocious beast: "Beast King, Sacred Beast, Lizardman — Triple Take Over!!"
BOOM!
Wild magic power surged outward. Three Take Over magic circles materialized simultaneously, their overlapping dark purple light blazing brilliantly.
When the light faded and Elfman reappeared before the audience, he had become a thoroughly monstrous figure, his crimson eyes exuding a chilling presence.
Unlike Combination Take Over, which required sacrificing certain abilities, with the support of Second Origin, he now possessed the Beast King's destructive power, the Gale Sacred Beast's high mobility, and the Lizardman's superior defense and counter-damage!
Every attribute was maxed out!
"Come on—let's start round two of this beastly brawl!" Triple Take Over Elfman took a fighting stance, issuing the challenge himself.
"Haha! Wild! My soul is trembling!!"
Under the dual stimulation of alcohol and danger, Future Bacchus's entire body trembled uncontrollably.
Not from fear of Elfman's Triple Take Over, but from sheer excitement at what was about to happen!
BOOM!!
The two, now in their strongest forms, clashed once more, erupting into a brawl several times fiercer than before. Shockwaves raged across the arena!
If yesterday's battle between Chase and Jura had been a spectacle of ultimate magical grandeur and impact,
Then what unfolded before the stunned audience now was the most primal combat between "monster" and "beast"—brutal, visceral, and brimming with violent beauty!
"Wait—am I seeing this right? Elfman was this strong all along?"
Even both Makarovs were taken aback, their faces showing disbelief.
"A little negligent there, Third Master~" Mavis said with a cheerful smile, offering a gentle critique.
As for Future Mavis—well, she couldn't hold it in any longer and had gone to the restroom.
Team B Stands.
"More importantly—"
Looking at Future Gajeel and Future Porlyusica walking out from the tunnel, Mira's eyes filled with confusion, her brow slightly furrowed.
"Where's Chase? Why didn't he come back with you?"
***
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