During their rest day, Cana and Mavis played cards like their lives depended on it.
Cana kept losing hand after hand, but she stubbornly persisted, refusing to back down from the Great Demon King.
Wendy, Yukino, and Sherria grouped up to hit the local amusement park, enjoying a rare day of peace.
Raizel accompanied Ultear and Mira on a shopping spree through Crocus.
Erza dragged along, initially bored until her eyes locked onto a premium weapon shop.
Elfman was roped in as the designated pack mule, his massive arms loaded down with shopping bags.
Laxus actually scored a date with Jenny at the Blue Pegasus place, though the Thunder God Tribe stubbornly tagged along to spy on him.
Lucy, Natsu, and Happy wandered the bustling streets on a massive food tour.
Gray, meanwhile, couldn't shake Juvia.
Strangely enough, he realized it'd feel weird not to have her hovering around by now.
Although her stalking had made him uncomfortable before, he was getting used to it.
He didn't say it out loud—he wasn't that type of guy—but as he sneaked a glance at her, he figured some things were better left unspoken.
That evening, when the guild returned to the tavern, they were greeted by a few unexpected guests: the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth, Sting and Rogue, alongside Minerva.
Assuming they were there for revenge, Gajeel cracked his knuckles, ready to brawl.
But to his shock, the three of them bowed deeply to Natsu to express their gratitude, leaving Gajeel standing there bewildered.
"If you bow any lower, we'll have to send you off and start a feast right here," Raizel joked, gesturing for them to relax.
"Feast?! Where?!" Natsu looked around, drooling.
Logically, Minerva should hate Natsu.
Her father, Jiemma, was ruined by him—not physically crippled, but mentally broken.
His delusion of absolute invincibility was shattered by a teenager.
When Jiemma woke up, he lost his will to lead and stepped down as Guild Master, reduced to a toothless tiger.
But Minerva didn't hate Natsu, she was grateful instead.
The suffocating boulder weighing on her chest for years was finally gone.
She and Sting had decided to take over the guild and rebuild it from the ground up into a real family.
...
July 6th, the Final Day of the Grand Magic Games—
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Countless fireworks soared into the sky, exploding in vibrant colors over the capital.
"It's finally here! This moment has finally arrived!" Chapati Lola's voice echoed throughout Domus Flau.
"Woooo!!!" The audience roared, shaking the stadium foundations.
"The fiery festival of Mages! The final day of the Grand Magic Games!"
"Whether in tears or laughter, the winning team will be decided today!"
"Today's live commentary will once again be provided by me, Chapati Lola, and Mr. Yajima!"
"Our special guest is the official mascot of the tournament, Matt, joining us right here in the booth!"
"Kabo!" Matt waved his stubby arms in greeting.
On the final day, everyone finally learned the name of the pumpkin-headed mascot.
"Don't you need to serve as a referee today, Mr. Matt?"
"Not today. Everyone, do your best, kabo."
Raizel, knowing His Majesty King Toma was sweating under that giant pumpkin mask, could barely keep a straight face.
Today's rankings were announced in order from lowest to highest points.
Quatro Cerberus and Mermaid Heel marched out first, followed by a three-way tie for fourth place: Blue Pegasus, the Croix Knights, and Lamia Scale.
"Sabertooth is ranked third! Can they pull Fairy Tail down from their throne?!" Sting and Rogue strode onto the field with genuine smiles on their faces for the first time.
"Sabertooth seems to be showing more emotion today, wouldn't you say, Mr. Yajima?"
"Indeed. They were always so tense before. It's a stark contrast from before."
"And now, the current second-place team... Fairy Tail Team A!" Through the thick opening smoke, the five members strode out.
Wendy took the center, flanked by Natsu and Gray, with Laxus and Gajeel guarding the flanks.
"This team boasts four Dragon Slayers! And their fifth is a disciple of the Ten Wizard Saint Ur—a terrifying Ice-Make Mage!"
"And finally, standing at the summit, the first-place team... Fairy Tail Team B!"
"Ultear, the master of time! The Fairy Queen, Erza! The kingdom's premier swordswoman, Kagura! Cana, the unpredictable card master! And Lucy, the Celestial Spirit Mage whose arsenal of Zodiac keys is still a mystery to this day!!"
"The final battle is about to begin," Mira said, resting her cheek on her hand, brimming with anticipation from the VIP box.
Raizel nodded, chuckling. "Time to decide who ends up as a servant for a day."
"Target: 50 million Jewels!" Makarov was much more practical, his eyes turning into money signs.
And honestly, no one could blame him—50 million J was a massive payout!
"Show us your strength, your magic, and your unbreakable bonds!" Chapati Lola hyped up the crowd.
"The final day: a massive survival battle with all members participating! It's about to begin!"
"The battlefield is the entire city of Crocus, kabo!" Matt added.
"Recording lacrimas will track the action in real-time and project it onto the screens here at the stadium!"
Chapati, Yajima, and Matt took turns laying down the rules of the finale.
"Participating members from each guild must disperse through the city. Whenever you encounter a member of an opposing team, you must engage! Render your opponent unconscious or unable to fight, and you earn 1 point for your team!"
"Additionally, each team must designate one member as their Captain! Defeat an enemy Captain, and you earn 5 points at once!"
"But the Captain's identity is hidden from the other teams!"
"Theoretically, a team can earn up to 63 points! Every single guild still has a chance to win the championship!"
"Whether to group up or split apart... it all depends on your strategy, kabo!"
Laxus looked at Natsu and the rest of Team A. "You heard them. We're eight points behind Team B. If you don't want to be their servants for a day..."
"Then winning is our only option!" Natsu slammed his blazing fists together, practically vibrating with fighting spirit.
"I'm not being anyone's servant," Gajeel scoffed.
"The servant thing isn't even the main issue—I just refuse to lose to them," Gray said coolly, cracking his knuckles.
"I'll do my best!" Wendy cheered, clenching her small fists.