Walking into the Fairy Tail viewing area was overwhelming, but Rogue was pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome they received. He didn't really recognize anyone except the Raijinshu, so he shyly sat down next to Freed, pulling Sting with him. Frosche and Lector had hopped up on the railing to see better, and everyone was staring at the lacrima screens intently.
"How are you feeling?" Freed smiled at Rogue, shuffling over to make room for him and Sting. "I heard you were badly injured but you look like you're healing well." Rogue nodded, the words caught in his throat. Sting noticed the struggle on Rogue's face and grabbed his hand, answering for him.
"We were lucky that your healer could help us," he replied. Freed nodded, then turned his attention back to the screen, where Laxus was the centre of attention.
Rogue leaned into Sting, looking up to gauge his reaction to a public display of affection. Sting's gaze was glued to the screen, which had now moved over to show some familiar faces.
"And her we have the new Team Sabertooth, led by Minerva!" The announcer's voice pierced through the chatter of conversation around them, and everyone turned to the screen. "The Twin Dragon Slayers are nowhere to be seen, and a special exception has been allowed for them to be replaced by Dobengal and Earle!" Sting and Rogue barely recognized their replacements, knowing them only as lower-class members of the guild. But Rogue's gaze was stuck on Minerva. She looked directly into the lacrima, and Rogue shuddered.
"It's okay," Sting whispered, squeezing Rogue's hand. "She doesn't know you're here."
"I feel like she can see right into me," he replied quietly, breathing a sigh of relief as the lacrima panned to another team.
"There's an invisibility script over you two," Freed said, returning his attention to the two boys. "Only Fairy Tail members can see you right now. I promise it's effective, its my own work."
"Thank you, Freed." Sting squeezed Rogue's hand again, and the dark-haired boy finally smiled.
"What are they doing out there?!" Master Makarov appeared to be speaking to himself, and the boys frowned. They looked up at the lacrima to see the Fairy Tail team – Laxus, Gray, Erza, Gajeel, and…Juvia?
"Where's Natsu?" Sting asked Freed, looking puzzled.
"He's part of the rescue team," Freed explained.
"Rescuing who?"
"Lucy!" Freed replied. "She was taken by the guard, there's something suspicious going on. Master is hoping that everyone will be so focused on the Games today that they won't notice the group of them sneaking into the castle."
Rogue and Sting frowned, remembering Natsu's declaration that he was "off to save Lucy". Sting turned to ask Freed something else, but the green-haired man was now leaning forward, staring at the screen, where Laxus was battling against Orga.
Sting was satisfied to see Orga taken out by Jura, and Gajeel completely demolish Dobengal with barely any effort. Juvia managed to easily defeat Earle, leaving only Rufus and Minerva.
Minerva's fought with the same cruel, sadistic methods that Sting and Rogue had seen in their training with her. Kidnapping Millianna, forcing Kagura and Erza to fight each other – these were all underhanded tactics that they had seen a hundred times over. Rogue squeezed Sting's hand tighter as he watched her, and Sting rubbed comforting circles on the back of Rogue's hand with his thumb.
Gray's fight against Rufus was nerve-wracking, but both Sting and Rogue leapt to their feet and cheered when he finally defeated the memory-make mage, strolling out of the library with his pink feathered hat.
"He had that coming," Rogue murmured in Sting's ear, and Sting snorted. The two remained standing, Sting wrapping an arm around Rogue's waist.
"Ladies and gentleman, it has come down to this!" The screen moved back to Erza, who was struggling to stand on her injured ankle. Minerva stood over her, staring down with contempt at the red-headed girl. "All of Fairy Tail's members are injured – do they stand a chance against the immense power of Minerva? Will Sabertooth be the champion again this year?"
On the screen, Erza forced herself into a standing position, keeping her weight off of her injured ankle and holding her sword out in front of her. Rogue grasped Sting's arm hard enough to leave marks, and Sting let him, rubbing his back gently.
"It's okay," he whispered, pulling Rogue closer to him. "It's okay. You're safe."
"I will rise again and again," Erza ground out through clenched teeth. "If it's a battle I cannot lose, I will continue to get back up." Minerva looked unfazed. "I already warned you – you have made an enemy of the one guild you do not want to anger."
"Anger is bad for your complexion," Minerva smirked.
"How DARE you do this," Erza fumed. Her voice was tight and full of anger. "To Lucy, to Milliana, to Kagura, to – to my friends." Her hands tightened into tense fists at her sides. "I am furious!"
"And I am I supposed to fear your anger?" Minerva replied cooly, summoning a ball of multicolored light in her hand and causing portals to open near Erza, exploding and tossing her backward.
"Erza!" Rogue cried, grabbing on to Sting. His chest was on fire and his injuries ached, but he couldn't sit down. "Erza," he whispered, "please be careful".
On the screen, the other members of Fairy Tail were shown making their way to the square – Gray leaning heavily on Juvia, Gajeel looking bruised, and Laxus breathing heavily and holding his side. Explosions continued around Erza, one blowing up behind her and throwing her forward.
"I am INVINCIBLE!" Minerva screamed, raising her hands and causing more explosions all around the area. The other team members ducked to avoid the damage. "The most powerful magic belongs to the most powerful guild!"
Erza came flying through the dust clouds, a sword in each hand, and charged at Minerva, dodging the magic and slashing at her with her twin swords. Minerva cried out in pain and was thrown backward, and Rogue stiffened.
"Did she just…" Sting couldn't do anything but nod. Only once had he been able to hit Minerva, and that was when she infuriated him into unlocking Dragon Force for the first time. Titania's power was clearly immense.
"My anger is the fury of my GUILD!" Erza screamed, charging at Minerva again. "Second Origin: Liberation!" Her form shimmered, and her torn clothes were replaced by an enormous spear and a teal and white robe, with shoulder pauldrons in the shape of a lion.
"Nonsense!" Minerva screamed, bringing her arms up in front of her and flinging a blast of energy at Erza. "Disappear!"
"IT'S OVER!" Erza shouted, cutting the energy blast in half with her weapon. Minerva's expression turned to one of horror and she backed away, dropping her hands. Rogue could hear Levy reading an explanation of the amour next to them, but couldn't focus on anything other than the fight.
"How can you have this much power left?" Minerva shouted in disbelief.
"You harmed the people I care about too much," Erza replied solemnly. "SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES!"
"D-don't," Minerva stammered, stepping backward. "Stop, I…I…"
"NAKAGAMI ASTERISM!" Erza's thunderous roar could be heard even without the aid of the lacrima, as she swung her weapon at Minerva. It connected, sending Minerva flying across the courtyard and crashing into the ground, where she twitched and then lay still.
Team Fairy Tail dropped to their knees in unison, exhausted but smiling. Erza's armour blurred and faded away, leaving her in the tattered remnants of her old clothes. Slowly, all five of them looked up into the lacrima, raising their hands in victory.
"WELL FOLKS, THERE YOU HAVE IT! THE WINNER OF THE X791 GRAND MAGIC GAMES IS FAIRY TAIL!"
Rogue breathed a sigh of relief, then fainted into Sting's arms.