While Kira was busy clashing with Natsu and Gajeel, the other teams were locked in their own struggles at the heart of the canyon.
Hot on Kira's heels, Freed was the next to arrive and had already set up several magical rune traps. Unfortunately for him, the first to fall into one was the person he least wanted to face but had no choice but to confront: Laxus.
With his ability to transform into lightning, Laxus was arguably the fastest in the guild. The only reason he lagged behind Kira and Freed was because he'd spent a little time on other matters.
"You want us to attack the other teams' crystals?" Rebby asked, shocked by Laxus's order. "Why?"
"Why?" Laxus sneered. "This is a rare chance to take them all out in one go. How could I pass that up?"
"What about our objective?" Ridasu asked.
Laxus's expression was brimming with arrogance. "Leave the Green Team's crystal to me. I'm more than enough on my own! As for you lot, take these two paths and destroy Mistgun's and Kira's crystals."
Seeing their hesitation, Laxus doubled down. "This canyon has these two paths for a reason—it's set up for us to do exactly this. If they don't see it coming, that just proves they're not on our level."
Say what you will about Laxus, but he was sharp enough to figure out the game's twist.
"Unless they're idiots, the other teams are probably doing the same thing—sending their strongest to attack head-on while the rest defend or sneak along the side paths. As long as we've got people on all three routes, we don't need to worry about our crystal."
"If you can't win, fall back and defend at all costs!" he added.
With that, Laxus transformed into a golden bolt of lightning and sped off. He couldn't sustain this move for long distances, but right now, he didn't care. He was thinking about Freed.
Laxus knew how powerful rune magic could be. If Freed managed to set up a [No Destroying the Crystal] rune at the Green Team's tower, the match would be over before it even started.
Time was tight—every second counted!
This competition didn't allow for favoritism. If the judges caught anyone holding back, they'd be disqualified. So from the start, Laxus had told the Thunder God Tribe to go all out and treat him like any other opponent.
After all, who was he? Laxus! The man determined to reform Fairy Tail! Did he need his crew to go easy on him? Still…
"Whoever came up with this competition is out of their mind!" Laxus grumbled as he sped forward.
The four left behind exchanged confused glances, their faces practically screaming "What now?" They weren't sure whether to follow, stay put, or do as Laxus said and sneak down the side paths.
"I'll head to the White Team's territory," Loki said, deciding to go for their crystal.
"Loki?" Rebby asked.
"Why?" Kiko added.
Neither Rebby, Ridasu, nor Kiko were particularly battle-hungry, so they all looked at Loki curiously.
Loki flashed a sly grin. "It's for the team's victory. Plus, I really want to see Kira eat dirt."
The crystal territories weren't far from the canyon's center. With his speed, Loki reached the White Team's base in under three minutes—but he was still a step behind Freed. By the time Laxus arrived, Freed had already set up several traps.
"Laxus?!" Freed gasped.
Seeing the man he admired closing in, Freed's heart raced, his hand trembling as it gripped his rapier. He'd told himself not to hold back, but how could he bring himself to hurt Laxus?
"Freed…" Laxus greeted, cautiously scanning the area for runes. They were invisible until activated.
"Sorry, Freed, but I've gotta win this!" Laxus declared, his eyes flashing with golden light. Lightning crackled around his hands and body, snapping and popping. He knew he had to take Freed down fast before the runes could fully activate, or his chances would plummet.
Zap!
To Freed, it was like a flash. By the time his brain caught up, the golden lightning was already upon him—too fast to dodge, too powerful to block.
Boom!
Laxus, back in human form, sent Freed flying with a single punch. The rapier—Freed's tool for casting rune magic—slipped from his hand, severely limiting his spellcasting ability.
Laxus glanced at the fallen Freed, a twinge of guilt on his face. This was his most loyal follower, and beating him up like this didn't sit right. But he quickly justified it: It's for the win.
As he turned to leave, purple-black runes sprang up around him. Without realizing it, he'd stepped right into a trap.
[Those using lightning magic cannot leave.]
Reading the runes' text, Laxus roared, "Freed, you?!"
"Sorry, Laxus," Freed said, avoiding his boss's gaze. "It's the rules of the game. I…"
You're the one who said not to hold back!
Thanks to Kira's influence, Laxus was still a bit rebellious but no longer as dismissive of his comrades as he once was. Compared to his original timeline self, his attitude had softened… just a smidge.
At that moment, Mira, Cana, and Wakaba arrived. With Freed's runes protecting their crystal tower, they had no worries about defense and decided to go all-in on offense.
"Well, well, Laxus, why're you just standing there?" Cana teased with a grin.
"Damn it, you—" Laxus was so mad he could barely speak.
"Never thought I'd see the day Laxus got stuck like this," Wakaba chuckled. "Let's go, victory's right there!"
"Wait! You three, stop right there!" Laxus shouted.
But they ignored him, running off without a backward glance, leaving Freed alone. Per Mira's plan, he had to guard the area to keep Laxus trapped.
"Freed, let me out of here!" Laxus demanded, his pride taking a hit as he gave orders to his loyal subordinate. He had no choice—the Yellow Team's territory was unguarded. If he didn't get back to defend, they'd lose.
"I can't," Freed said with a bitter smile, shaking his head. "The judges and audience are watching. If I let you go, it'll be seen as cheating, and we'll both be disqualified."
'I'm done for. Will Laxus abandon me after this? He said not to hold back, and I followed Mira's orders per the rules, but…'
Freed's face was a mask of worry, his thoughts in chaos as he backed away. Mira's orders were clear: guard the passage, keep anyone from getting through, and protect himself. As long as Freed wasn't defeated, the rune barrier would hold.
Laxus transformed back into lightning, slamming into the rune barrier repeatedly while unleashing blasts of lightning magic at it. Attacking Freed directly would've been smarter, but Freed had already moved out of range, and the barrier blocked his magic.
The rune only restricted those using lightning magic from leaving—it didn't stop them from casting inside. Laxus knew Freed's runes were nearly absolute, but if he could overpower the spell with enough magic, he could break free.
"If your magic power far exceeds the caster's, you can break their spell—even so-called 'absolute' runes," Laxus muttered, a proud smirk crossing his face. "Guess Kira's theories come in handy sometimes."
Meanwhile, on the Red Team's central route, Erza and Elfman were charging forward.
They'd left Evergreen to guard their tower—her eye magic could petrify opponents, making her a perfect defender with her near-instant-kill ability. Droy and Tono stayed behind too; their combat skills weren't up to par, and they'd only get pummeled facing Mistgun, Gray, or Lucy.
Halfway through, they spotted an unexpected figure running toward them.
"Jet?!"
"Why are you here?" Erza asked.
Jet skidded to a stop, his leather boots kicking up dust. "Erza? Elfman? What are you doing here?"
The three locked eyes for two seconds before shouting in unison:
"Are you trying to attack our crystal?!"
"Did you already hit the Yellow Team's crystal?!"