Chapter 293: Team Reorganized
"Eeeeyaaaahhh!!"
Lucy screamed in agony, hurtling toward the edge of the water sphere; just as everyone thought she would burst out, she snapped back in front of Minerva.
"That woman! She could've knocked her out of the field—why drag her back…?"
"To make Lucy suffer longer."
"The winner's been clear for ages, hasn't it?"
"Stop—aaaahhh!!"
Moments later, seconds before time ran out, Minerva used Space Magic to teleport Lucy out.
[Match over! Winner: Minerva!!]
The massive sphere of water burst into a torrential downpour, raining heavily upon the stone floor of the Domus Flau. Lucy's battered, bruised body plummeted toward the hard ground like a broken doll, completely devoid of consciousness.
"Lucy!!"
Natsu and Gray rushed to her side in an instant, their faces pale with shock and mounting fury. They slid across the wet arena floor, catching her fragile frame just before she could violently impact the earth.
Gray gently shook her shoulder, his voice trembling with a mixture of fear and rage. "Lucy, you okay? Hang in there!!"
There was no response. Her golden hair was plastered to her bruised face, and her breathing was dangerously shallow.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Natsu carefully laid his partner down and roared at Minerva. His fists ignited in roaring crimson flames, the sheer heat evaporating the puddles of water around his feet.
"I did nothing improper; I followed the rules—every last one," Minerva said airily, looking down at them with a sickeningly smug smile. She adjusted her elegant dress, acting as if she had merely swatted a mildly annoying insect.
"You—!"
Natsu lunged forward, the ground cracking beneath his immense leg strength. But before he could reach her, several Sabertooth Mages stepped out from the shadows of the tunnel, placing themselves firmly between him and their lady.
Suddenly, a blur of motion intercepted the fiery Dragon Slayer. Ren flashed in, his hand catching Natsu's burning chest, physically blocking his reckless advance.
"Enough," Ren commanded, his voice eerily calm but carrying a heavy, suffocating weight. "She's right—she played by the book. Next round, we do the same."
He slowly turned his head, shooting the assembled Sabertooth mages a cold, predatory glance. The air temperature in the arena seemed to plummet, causing the hair on the back of Orga's neck to stand up.
"Looks like I've been too easy-going; even strays think they can bark at me," Ren stated, his eyes locking directly onto Minerva's.
"I was too soft before. From here on, we keep to the letter of the law."
At Ren's chilling words, Natsu gritted his teeth so hard they nearly cracked. He bit back his volatile rage, extinguished his flames, and stalked away to help Gray carry Lucy.
Ren gave Minerva one last frigid look, etching her arrogant face into his memory, then turned and left the arena floor.
"Ren… those guys…" Natsu growled under his breath as they walked through the dark tunnel.
"Patience," Ren replied smoothly, though his own magical power was churning violently beneath the surface. "They want rules? We'll give them rules."
Ren's anger simmered deep within his chest. Minerva could have easily ejected Lucy from the Naval Battle at any second, yet she consciously chose to torture her. And that stubborn blonde girl had flatly refused to surrender, enduring the agonizing abuse for the sake of the guild's pride.
He'd originally entered the Grand Magic Games solely for the promised S-class missions. Scoring big on day one had just been a calculated move to lighten the load on his teammates so they could actually enjoy the festival.
To Ren, the tournament points meant absolutely nothing. If he were a mere point-grabber, he would have competed in every single event and crushed the opposition flawlessly.
But Minerva had crossed a sacred line today. If they met again in the arena, he was going to show her the true meaning of absolute terror.
Back in the arena, Orga watched the Fairy Tail mages disappear into the shadows. "What now, Milady? Seems we've riled them up."
"No matter," Minerva scoffed, waving her hand dismissively, though a faint bead of sweat traced down her temple. "Ren is strong, but with the right strategy, he can be beaten. The rest of them aren't even worth a thought."
Minerva shrugged her shoulders elegantly. Ren's power was undeniably fearsome, yet she reasoned that his high-tier spells devoured a massive amount of mana.
Furthermore, the final round of the Grand Magic Games wasn't a series of single combats—it was a chaotic, large-scale survival battle. Clever tactics and spatial manipulation could still seize first place from the brutish fairies.
[Today's events are officially concluded!]
Chapati Lola's voice boomed through the lacrima speakers, attempting to cut through the heavy tension gripping the stadium.
[Let us take a look at the overall standings!]
[Overall standings:]
[1. Fairy Tail A—43 pts]
[2. Fairy Tail B—41 pts]
[3. Mermaid Heel—36 pts]
[4. Sabertooth—35 pts]
[5. Lamia Scale—34 pts]
[6. Blue Pegasus—27 pts]
[7. Quatro Cerberus—22 pts]
Inside the Grand Magic Games Infirmary.
The sterile scent of medicinal herbs and antiseptic filled the small, dimly lit room.
"Will Lucy be all right?"
All the members of Fairy Tail Team B, along with Team A, crowded anxiously around the small medical cot.
"Thanks to Wendy's healing magic, her life isn't in danger," Ms. Porlyusica said, stepping back from the bed with a heavy sigh.
Wendy stood near the headboard, wiping exhausted tears from her eyes. Her small hands still glowed with the fading remnants of her Sky Dragon Slayer magic.
"Those bastards… I won't forgive them!!" Natsu growled through clenched teeth, punching the stone wall of the infirmary hard enough to leave a dent.
A weak, pained groan shifted the attention of the room. "Everyone… sorry…"
Lucy forced her heavy eyelids open, wincing as a sharp pain flared across her ribs. She looked at her guildmates, her brown eyes filled with deep regret.
Yukino Agria, who had come to visit alongside her new friends, stepped forward with a sorrowful expression.
"It wasn't your fault, Lucy-sama," Yukino explained softly. "Lady Minerva's magic is called Territory—an Absolute Territory. It is a powerful spatial magic that lets her instantly swap or move anything inside her designated range."
Yukino looked down at her hands. "She could have kicked every single fighter out of the water sphere at will from the very beginning."
"So… I never stood a chance," Lucy managed a weak, self-deprecating smile, her voice barely a whisper. "I was just a punching bag for her amusement…"
Even now, battered and bruised, her spirit was still trying to fight back the despair.
"Wrong," Erza cut in sharply, her armored boots clicking against the stone floor as she stepped up to the bed.
Erza's eyes were filled with immense pride and an underlying, burning fury. "Your spirit was superb, Lucy. You never gave up. Her magic was simply perfectly suited for that specific match."
Comforted by the Titania's words, the exhaustion finally overtook Lucy's battered body. She closed her eyes and drifted peacefully back to sleep.
"She's out again," Happy whispered, wiping a tear from his furry cheek.
"Those damn jerks make my blood boil!!" Gray hissed, crossing his arms tightly as cold mist began to radiate from his skin.
The heavy wooden door to the infirmary suddenly creaked open. Makarov strode in, his small face unusually grave and serious.
"A and B teams, are you all present? Good—I've got news," Makarov announced, folding his arms behind his back.
The guild master looked around at the bruised, angry faces of his children. "The tournament organizers just ordered the two Fairy Tail teams to merge into one."
"Merge?" Erza asked, raising a delicate eyebrow.
"Yes. With Raven Tail officially disqualified and banned, we're down to exactly seven teams in the tournament," Makarov explained. "Because of this, the battle duels can't be paired evenly anymore. They told us to combine our teams and pick five fighters to represent the guild—problem solved."
Carla fluttered into the air and raised a white paw. "But Master, which team's score do we keep for the overall standings?"
"Team B's score—forty-one points," Makarov answered smoothly. "The organizers decided to take the lower of the two scores. But the gap was only two points anyway, so it hardly matters."
It made logical sense. With only seven teams left in the competition, even taking last place in an event would earn a guild one point. So Team A's forty-two points, plus a theoretical one point for last place, equaled forty-three—it was close enough to not cause an uproar.
Mira smiled gently and shrugged her shoulders. "If the officials insist upon it, we'll manage just fine."
Wendy looked nervously at the adults. "Which five will fight for us?"
Natsu violently slammed a blazing fist into his open palm, his eyes burning with a terrifying, unyielding resolve. "I'll crush them for hurting my partner. I'll show them absolutely no mercy!"
Makarov nodded solemnly, seeing the fire in the boy's eyes. "Then it's settled. The core of the new team will be: Ren, Laxus, Erza, and Natsu—and…"
The Guild Master paused, glancing thoughtfully at Mira. She was an S-Class Mage, the fearsome Demon, and a guaranteed powerhouse.
Mira noticed his gaze and immediately shook her head, offering a serene, polite smile. "Pass. I'm still a bit rusty, and I've already fought my match. I'm content to watch from the sidelines and cheer you on."
"Me!"
A gruff, metallic voice interrupted the silence. Gajeel thrust his hand high up into the air, his red eyes glaring with competitive fire.
He had yet to truly shine in this tournament. His showing in the Chariot race had been pathetic, ruined by his Dragon Slayer motion sickness. He desperately needed redemption, and a chance to smash some faces.
"Gajeel it is," Makarov agreed with a satisfied smirk.
He was once Phantom Lord's ultimate ace, an S-Class powerhouse whose Iron Dragon Slayer Magic was incredibly brutal. With him on the roster, the team was an unstoppable juggernaut.
"Right—this final roster goes to the officials immediately." Makarov turned on his heel and left the infirmary to submit the list.
Ren glanced down at the sleeping Lucy one last time, his expression softening for a fraction of a second. Then, he turned to face the newly formed ultimate team.
"Let's move," Ren commanded, his voice echoing with absolute authority. "Our stage awaits."
Out in the grand arena, the roaring crowd was whipped into a frenzy as Mato, the pumpkin-headed mascot, took the center stage.
[Fairy Tail has officially re-formed into a single team—day four's battle duels are about to begin!]
The giant lacrima screens floating above the stadium flickered to life, displaying the new, highly anticipated brackets.
[What match-ups await us today? Behold the pairings!!]
[Pairings]
[Blue Pegasus vs Quatro Cerberus]
[Mermaid Heel vs Lamia Scale]
[Sabertooth vs Fairy Tail]
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