The fourth day of the Grand Magic Games gets into swing with the beginning of the event Naval Battle. Chapati explains the rules of the event, where each competitor swims in a giant sphere of water and must try to knock the other players out without falling out themselves. When only two competitors remain, a five minute timer will be set, if a player falls out before the time ends he will receive last place.
Each guild sent his competitor. Lucy from Fairy Tail A, Juvia from Fairy Tail B, Shelia from Lamia Scale, Jenny from Blue Pegasus, Risley from Mermaid Heel, Minerva from Sabertooth and last Rocker from Quatro Puppy. The crowd cheered for the girls and Natsu was ready to jump in the water to cover Lucy from being exposed to so many males but Gray managed to hold him back.
"Lucy, do your best." The dragon slayer yelled in order to encourage her.
Once the event starts, Lucy hurriedly summoned Aquarius. However, Juvia countered Aquarius attack and declared that she will not lose against her "love rival". Jenny used their battle as a distraction and knocked out Rocker. When Aquarius saw that she is evenly matched with Juvia she decided to leave. The Celestial Spirit Mage just managed to summon Virgo and Aries to help her. Juvia then releases a new spell "Wings of Love" at her opponents, the attack springing forth a cluster of heart-filled currents, as Juvia declares her love for Gray. She manages to knock out Sherria, Jenny and Risley all at once. The Water woman turned to see Gray's reaction, but became depressed when she saw him appalled. Before she can do anything else, the Water Mage finds herself falling to the ground. The cause for her lose was Minerva. The timer starts the countdown and Lucy is left to fight Minerva.
"With my magical power, I could have thrown you out of the water in a flash. However that wouldn't be very satisfying. Let's see how long you'll last Fairy." Minerva said and formed multiple circles of heated water that exploded next to Lucy and hit her.
"Luce!" "What's with her magic?" Natsu and Gray yelled in concern.
"It feels so heavy like lead. I can't keep getting hit everywhere." Lucy went to grab her keys, only to find them missing. "What? My keys are… When did she?" Lucy questioned when she saw Minerva holding her key pouch. Then another attack hit her hard sending her almost out of the sphere. Before she could react, Minerva sent another attack from behind. The time kept passing and Lucy kept taking all of the attacks Minerva sent her.
"It's about time I send you flying outside." The Sabertooth mage smirked while gathering her magic power again.
"If I lose here… I won't be able to face everyone who tried so hard! I won't betray everyone's emotions. That's why I'll never give up." The Celestial mage announced. Minerva stopped attacking her as the time showed 31 seconds.
"What is going on? Minerva has stopped her attack. At this rate the clock will pass the five minute time limit." The announcer questioned. Then Minerva sent an attack at Lucy with more force that made Lucy yell in pain. Natsu was angered and Gray was shocked.
"You have your heads in the clouds! What hearts do you think we have? We are the number one in the whole world! We are Sabertooth." Minerva said full of pride and with a sadistic smile planted on her face while sending another powerful attack at the blonde mage.
"For sure she will land outside now…" The announcer thought, before he saw Lucy disappear and reappear in front of Minerva. "She was heading out at full speed! Why is she in front of Minerva?" He yelled in the microphone, while seeing Minerva kicking Lucy hard at her ribs.
"Why did she bring her back in?" Levy questioned worriedly.
"She did it to torture her." Gajeel responded angrily.
"The match is already over isn't it?" Laxus yelled.
"Stop it!" Natsu yelled at the top of his lungs with so much anger in his voice. The team looked at the Saber tooth balcony where the members where laughing and Sting was smirking like a maniac. If looks could kill, they would already be drowning at their own blood. Minerva was laughing and Lucy had fall unconscious with blood coming out of her mouth.
"Have her stop! She's going to destroy the Celestial wizard! Stop the match." Arcadios ordered Mato.
Minerva was now holding Lucy from her neck and the latter didn't move. Everyone was watching closely what Minerva's next move would be. Then the black haired mage let go of Lucy and she started falling to the ground. Natsu and Gray started running towards her and managed to catch her before she could touch the ground. Natsu then turned at Minerva while Gray kept asking Lucy if she was okay, without getting a reply.
"Take Lucy-sama to the sick bay at once." One of the paramedics ordered.
"No! I'll provide emergency treatment first." Wendy cut him off and started running toward the blond mage.
"I'll help." Sherria offered, as she appeared next to the Sky dragon slayer.
Erza, Natsu and Gray gave Minerva a death glare while she was coming out of the sphere
"What's with that look? I've put on a match to the letter of the rules. Rather you should be thanking me. I made her second place, that useless piece of trash girl." She said mockingly. Natsu and Gray got into an attack stance while facing Minerva, when Orga, Rufus and Sting stood in front of her protectively. Erza put a hand in front of Natsu before he launched himself at Sting.
"I don't care if you are the strongest or the top guild in Fiore but I will tell you this. You've made enemies of the worst possible guild to piss off." Erza said with a tone that could kill you and a look that could burn you. Then they turned to leave and Natsu rushed to Lucy's side and picking her up bridal style took her at the infirmary.
Arriving at the infirmary Wendy, Porlyusica and Erza treated Lucy's wounds and changed her clothes. She was still unconscious when all of her friends gathered. Happy sat worriedly next to her head and Gray and Erza sat at the edge of the bed. Some minutes later Mira and Juvia came running asking about Lucy's health with Cana, Gajeel and Laxus following closely.
"How is she?" Natsu questioned Porlyusica.
"Thanks to Wendy, her life is not in danger." Porlyusica replied and Natsu let a breath of relief he didn't know he was holding.
"No. It was thanks to Shelia's emergency treatment." Wendy pointed.
"It seems the injuries aren't permanent either, so don't worry." Erza added while patting Natsu's shoulder.
"Those guys…" Natsu said, venom dripping from his lips.
"I know what you want to say." Laxus told him. Then Lucy let a groan of pain and everyone's attention was on her. Then she opened one eye and everyone let out a breath of relief.
"Everyone… I'm sorry… I did it again…" She mumbled while covering her face with the sheets because she felt embarrassed and couldn't face her comrades.
"What are you saying? You got second place." Gray tried to cheer her up.
"Yeah… You did well." Erza complemented her.
"Keys… My keys…" Lucy panicked, while trying to sit up, but the pain made her fall back.
"They're here." Happy gave them to her.
"Thank Goodness. Thank you, Happy!" Lucy thanked the worried exceed before hugging her keys tightly and falling asleep from exhaustion.
"Those guys really piss me off." Cana claimed. Then Makarov stepped in because he had to announce something at his children.
"I don't know if this is for good or for bad but just now I've received orders from the administration that A team and B team are to combine. With Raven Tail's Disqualification, there are seven teams remaining, so with an odd number of teams, making pairings for the battle portion is a problem. Because of that, they said that your teams are to combine and that a new team of five people should be selected from amongst the members."
"What about the points?" Charle asked
"It seems it'll go by the lower point total… In other words, Team's A thirty five points."
"But, if it's the administration's decision, there's no helping it." Erza pointed.
"Well, if you think about it, it just means that we'll be able to make an even stronger team now." Cana added with determination.
"But even if we decide on five people now, what's left is just the tag-team battle that's about to start, right?" Gray pointed out.
"No. After the break tomorrow on the last day, there should be a battle where all five team members take part at once. You'd better pick carefully." Porlyusica responded.
"I'll definitely take revenge for Lucy! They laughed at our nakama! I'll never forgive them! Gramps let me participate. I'll wipe the floor with Stings face." Natsu demanded and Makarov approved.
After that everyone left the room except from Natsu who kept sitting next to Lucy. He had lain on the bed and he was holding her close to him. Then at some point Lucy woke up and was met with Natsu's chest. She went closer because he was warm and he started stroking her hair.
"I'm sorry. I failed to win again." She apologized and started crying.
"What are you talking about Lucy? You didn't fail. It doesn't matter if you are first or second. What is important is that you are safe and sound. Do you know how worried I was when I saw that you didn't move when she was holding you by your throat or when you started falling from that sphere? I only wanted to catch you and make sure you were alright. I didn't care if you were last or not. We were all worried. Then that bitch Minerva came talking trash about you and all I could think was making her suffer like she did to you, but Erza stopped me when that bastard Sting, Rufus and Orga went to protect her. Everyone wants to take revenge for what they did. Lucy I love you and I can't see you suffer." He told her and wiped some tears of her eyes while kissing her gently on the lips.
"I love you too Natsu! I'm sorry for making you worry." She confessed after pulling away.
"I almost forgot. The administrators made us form one team because of a tag battle the day after tomorrow." He informed her.
"What? Really? Who is in the team? Do we know who will battle?"
"First are Blue Pegasus and Quatro Puppy, then Mermaid Heel and Lamia Scale and last we and those bastards from Sabertooth. We will be able to give them a piece of our minds and show them not to mess with our nakama and my mate." He replied; anger written all over his features. He fisted his hands in order to calm down when he felt a pair of lips on his own.
"Be careful, will you? Show them what Fairy Tail is made of." She said and he nodded in agreement as he got of the bed.
He kissed her again and gave her a big toothy grin in order to make her happy, even though on the inside he was boiling with anger, before he left to meet the other members of his new team. Lucy lay again on the bed and happily wished good luck at her comrades.
At the stadium:
"Fairy Tail's new team is complete." Chapati announced and the crowd cheered. "Finally we've reached the fourths day's battle portion. The match-ups are already announced this time. All eyes are on the explosive Fairy Tail vs. Sabertooth match, right?" He questioned the others.
"I was wondering what was going to happen now…" Yajima said.
"Here comes the new Fairy Tail team." Chapati yelled in the microphone.
The whole stadium started shaking from the tension. Natsu, Gajeel, Gray, Laxus and Erza stepped out of the hall and the crowd erupted in cheers. The applause made the booing of the first day seem like a joke. It showed that in only four days Fairy Tail was again on top. Every team watched them with the desire of fighting them. Natsu and Gajeel exchanged death glares with Sting and Rogue.
"I'm all fired up!" Natsu said with anger and determination while flames started emitting from his body.
Meanwhile, watching from the balcony above, Arcadios and Darton realize that Lucy isn't on the team.
"The Stellar spirit mage isn't here!" Darton pointed.
"It seems she's in the sick bay." Arcadios thoughtfully commented.
"Are you going to take nasty measures like last time?" The older man asked irritated.
"No, No indeed that was a failed strategy. Next time we'll employ more definite measures. Let's enjoy the festival for now. The plan goes into motion in three days." The black-haired man announced.
"Eclipse, is there no way to stop it now?" Darton started doubting their plan.
"Lord Zeref is waiting." These were the last words Arcadios said before he left.
"The Grand Magic Games… Once upon a time, they went by another name; The Dragon King Festival, a banquet of dragons, humans and demons." Darton thought as he uncovered a mural on the wall, depicting a dragon fighting a mage.
In the meantime, the first tag battle begins, with Ichiya and the mysterious bunny representing Blue Pegasus against Bacchus and Rocker from Quatro Puppy. As the battle starts, the mysterious bunny is revealed to be Nichiya, Ichiya's Edolas counterpart. Erza nearly faints from the sight of two Ichiya's.
As the two friends from Blue Pegasus start reminiscing about their first meeting, Bacchus knocks out Nichiya with one hit. Ichiya also takes some blows before he decided to dedicate a Power Perfume to Nichiya and after inhaling it, he bulks up and defeats his opponents.
The second battle was between Kagura and Millianna from Mermaid Heel and Lyon and Yuka from Lamia Scale. The four participants fought until the ball rand, signaling the end of the thirty minutes and ending the battle in a draw.
"Just now the emblems of the two guilds have been erected in the arena. The guild known as the strongest seven years ago will battle against the one that currently carries that title! Fairy Tail's Natsu Dragneel and Gajeel Redfox will fight against Sabertooth's Sting Eucliffe and Rogue Cheney!" The voice of Chapati Lola boomed over the cheers of the crowd.
The participants made their way to the arena. The crowd cheered. The tension rose. Everyone knew that this was a battle of dragons.
For Natsu it was a battle for revenge, a battle for his guild mates and a battle for Lucy. The person who puts his live over hers, the person who gave him happiness, who opened his eyes, who made him understand what love means. The person who trusts him with her live and agreed to be the prize of a bet. He will fight for her. He will win this bet.
For Sting it was a battle to show his strength, to humiliate Natsu, to prove to Lector that he is the strongest of all; that he is stronger than Natsu, the person he idolized since he was little. It was a battle to win Natsu's mate. A bet he made to provoke the fire dragon slayer and make sure he fights with all he has.
As the four Dragon Slayers stare each other down, Sting steps forward to speak.
"Natsu-san, before we start I want to add something to our bet." The blond gained the attention of everyone present in the stadium and a death glare from the fire dragon slayer.
"What do you want?" Natsu asked with a voice so low and dangerous, which sent shivers at everyone's spine.
"Instead of keeping your girlfriend for a week, I want her for a month." At this suggestion the temperature at the stadium rose and everyone from Fairy Tail was shocked, except from Erza and Gray.
"What?" They all screamed together and then started laughing. They couldn't believe that their dense Natsu, who couldn't tell a guy from a girl, had a girlfriend.