Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

WARNING: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS! Read at your own risk. There's still original stuff in here, but if you haven't gotten to this point in the anime/manga, then some things may be ruined for you. I advise catching up to the anime/manga if you haven't already (for more reasons than just reading my story)! Thank you and enjoy!

Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon

Chapter 109

"So, what did you see?" Porlyusica sat calmy in her stool at Wendy's bedside. Her stern gaze was focused on Carla. The small white Exceed was sitting across from her with a troubled look on her face. When Carla had awoken with a start, she moved swiftly to her side to see if there was any pain. It was then that Carla revealed she had had a vision in her sleep. After calming Carla down, Porlyusica probed for more information.

Though she was calmer, sweat still matted her white fur and her brown eyes trembled. She took an uneven breath before replying. "It was just fragments as always, but what I saw…" She put a paw to her head. "A white knight. A giant magic circle. And…"

"And?"

Carla closed her eyes and let her paw rest by her side. "A sight I couldn't believe."

"What was it?"

"Mercurius was collapsing. And inside the toppling palace, there was someone singing. It was…Lucy."


Inside the throne room of Mercurius, a knight knelt before the king. He was tall, muscular, and dark-skinned with wavy dark hair that stuck up from his head. His deep-set eyes were closed as he bowed his head. His features gave him the appearance of great strength. With high cheekbones, prominent sideburns joining into a curved and pointed beard, and a small scar running from his left temple to his thick eyebrow, he was the very embodiment of a high ranking general. The fact he was wearing thick armor with a flowing red cape attached to the shoulder plates only served to aid his visage of strength.

"Your Majesty." The knight's deep, booming voice echoed in the large throne room. "The first day of the Grand Magic Games has come to a successful end."

"Yes," the king agreed. "There were some fine magic battles. I have to say, I was a little nervous about the Half-Dragon, Nikolias, participating in the Games, but his battle ended up being a thrilling match. And the damage he caused in the arena was a simple fix. I was quite relieved."

"My purpose in coming to see you, Your Majesty, is to ask if you have any requests for the second day's battle part," the knight asked.

The king hummed thoughtfully. "Let's see…I would very much like to see Bacchus fight tomorrow. Could you slot him in?"

"If Your Majesty wishes it, then it shall be. Against which team would you like to see him fight?"

"After seeing such a fierce battle between Fairy Tail's Nikolias and Jura of the Ten Wizard Saints, I find myself craving to see more Fairy Tail. Let's go with them. As for Bacchus's opponent…let's go with the swordswoman. What was her name again? I know she was on Fairy Tail A Team…"

"Certainly, Your Majesty. I shall arrange for it."

"I'm sure it will be quite a rousing match."

"If there is nothing else, I shall take me leave."

"Thank you for your trouble, Captain of the Guard. Have a good rest tonight."

The knight stood and made his way out of the throne room. As he walked through the dimly lit halls, a dark smirk crept across his face. "I'm afraid I don't have the time to rest, Your Majesty." His thoughts went to one particular battle from earlier in the day. He recalled the elation he felt in that moment. His grin grew wider as Lucy appeared in his mind's eyes. "Not when it's so close to completion." Within the dark, quiet halls, a laugh echoed off the stone walls.


Within the capital city of Crocus was a small pub called the Bar Sun. It was a quiet watering hole with its fair share of regular customers. Even during the Grand Magic Games, when people swarmed into Crocus from all over the kingdom and beyond, they rarely had a large increase in patronage. In spite of that, they made more than enough to keep the business running and were actually quite proud of their calm atmosphere.

However, on the first night of this year's Grand Magic Games, neither of these traits could be seen. The Bar Sun was incredibly packed and was raucously loud. And the reason for this was that Fairy Tail had selected this pub for a celebration.

It was a curious atmosphere that had the owner and the regulars of Bar Sun scratching their heads. Aside from Fairy Tail's B Team, which had managed to score 21 points and were sitting in a shocking third place, Fairy Tail A Team was still all the way in last place without a single point to their name. And even Fairy Tail B Team hadn't shown much to be proud of. If not for Nikolias's victory over Jura, both teams would be toward the bottom of the standings. Yet there they all were, laughing and drinking and cheering as if they were all winning.

Cana threw back her mug of beer and sighed exasperatedly. Her face was flushed, and small hiccups shook her body. "Pathetic. Fairy Tail used to be number one, damn it! What the hell happened?"

"Big words from someone who was too busy drinking all day to come cheer her teammates on," Elfman grumbled.

"Hey, I was watching! All the pubs have Lacrima Vision. Honestly, if not for Nikolias, we'd have two teams in sorry shape!"

"Oh, you should have seen it in person, Cana! The way my darling handily took care of his opponent, stunning the masses with his incredible strength!" Angel swooned, her eyes sparkling as if recalling an epic tale.

Nikolias sighed from his seat on top of one of the tables. "Can you please stop making it sound like a bigger deal than it is?"

"You were awesome," Sky breathed while making a 'V' with her fingers.

Nikolias smiled and pet her head. "Hey, you told me to go get him, so I did. Right, Little Sister?" Steam erupted from Sky's ears as her whole face went red.

Gracie threw her arm around Nikolias's shoulders. "I'm gonna have to agree with Angel. You kicked major ass!"

Makarov raised his mug with a big grin. "Let's raise a mug to Nikolias's victory! Let it set the stage for our epic comeback!" Everyone lifted their mugs and roared with glee.

"To Niky!" Gracie giggled cheerfully.

Nikolias grumbled and scratched the back of his head. "Geez…"

Angel hugged his arm, nearly spilling his drink. "There, you see? I was right! Everyone agrees!"

"It's okay to let everyone praise you," Mira smiled. "It was a magnificent match. And you've given everyone so much hope in tomorrow."

"The day would have been a disaster without you," Erza nodded in agreement.

"If you say so," Nikolias yielded while taking a drink, giving up on shutting down all the praise being heaped upon him.

"You must have done some awesome training!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Something like that," Nikolias smiled.

Natsu pumped his fist. "Now I'm itching to get into the action tomorrow! I'll turn things around for our team for sure and catch up to you, Nikolias!"

Happy leapt into the air. "You can do it, Natsu!"

Gajeel smirked from his seat at the bar. "Salamander's gonna be in the game tomorrow, eh? Maybe I'll get in on the action, too, and keep the pressure on."

Panther Lily nodded confidently with his small arms crossed in front of his chest. "I'd say it's time that you show the results of your training."

Levy looked around. "Hey, Lucy and Gray aren't here. Where are they?"

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen either of them around," Ash said.

Macao hummed. "Not surprising, given how they lost."

"They probably don't wanna be seen by anyone," Wakaba agreed.

"Really? I thought they were both really cool out there," Romeo offered.

Juvia's hands went to her face and her expression looked as if she had witnessed something horrifying. "What if Lucy is expressing her love to my Gray-sama?! Oh, what will I do if that happens?!"

A tick mark appeared on Natsu's forehead as he ground his teeth together. "I'll fry him to a crisp if he tries anything!"

Gracie burst out laughing, sloshing her drink. "Haaaahahahaaaaaa! You two are both too funny!"

"Yeah, that's not happening."

"You've always had a wild imagination, but that idea takes the cake. Why would I throw myself at Gray?"

Everyone turned to see Gray and Lucy walking into the pub. Other than the exhaustion from hearing Juvia's wild fear, they appeared fine.

"Lucy, how are you?" Levy asked in concern.

Lucy winked and smiled. "Totally fine! In fact, this party has me really pumped up!"

Natsu threw his arm around Lucy's shoulder. "That's my Lucy! Let's win starting tomorrow!"

Lucy beamed, pressing a hand against Natsu's chest and standing closer to him. "Mhm! Let's do it!"

"Where's Wendy and Carla?" Gray asked.

Lisanna shook her head. "Still under the weather, unfortunately. Porlyusica is staying with them."

Nikolias raised an eyebrow. "Under the weather? What happened to them?"

Anger flared in Natsu's eyes. "Raven Tail…they hurt Wendy and Carla."

"That little animal they have drained their magic before the Sky Labyrinth," Lucy said sadly.

The mug in Nikolias's hand exploded, spilling beer all over the floor. His eyes went dragon-like as he growled. "So, I should have made that little bastard suffer after all. Damn it."

"Hey, you had no way of knowing," Ash said.

"If you think about it, you got revenge for them without realizing it," Angel pointed out.

"What are you all talking about?" Erza asked.

"Nikolias saw Raven Tail's animal interfere with Lucy's match," Mira explained. "He managed to snatch the animal away and then…he killed it."

"Nikolias," Lucy breathed. Her eyes teared up. She ran forward and hugged him tightly. "Thank you. It means a lot that you would look after me like that."

Nikolias patted her back, calming down slightly. "Hey, I look out for my family."

Makarov leapt up onto a table and lifted his mug. "Alright, listen up, brats! We may have faced defeat today, but let that be the seed for tomorrow's victory! Let's rise up, because we don't know the meaning of the words 'give up'! Aim for number one in Fiore!"

The entire guild erupted in cheers, shaking the pub with their shouts of agreement. Even with one team receiving 0 points and the other team riding Nikolias's success, their morale was as strong as ever. They fully believed that they could come back, win it all, and reclaim their past glory. The rest of the night was filled with the usual Fairy Tail antics—complete with Natsu starting a brawl with Max and wiping the floor with him in seconds.

Natsu stepped on top of one of the tables, flames spilling from his mouth as he roared, "Alright, let's cheer up with some throwdowns! Who's next?" Everyone backed away, afraid to challenge Natsu. He had clearly gotten incredibly stronger over the last three months.

"I'll take you up on that," Gajeel smirked.

"Don't," Laxus warned. "When you two get started it's no longer a game."

Gajeel turned on his heel and roughly patted Laxus's head. "Hey, your head's gotten a lot rounder, eh?"

Levy wrapped her arms around Gajeel's waist and desperately pulled to hold him back. "Stop, Gajeel! Behave!"

"You bastard!" Freed spat. "How dare you do that to Laxus! Our pride has been trampled upon! Thunder Legion, assemble!" Freed called his comrades to arms, but when he turned towards them, both Evergreen and Bickslow were passed out drunk. They made the mistake of trying to keep up with Cana.

Cana hiccupped and laughed. "Pathetic!"

"Hoh, you're a strong drinker, eh doll face?"

Cana turned towards the voice. Standing next to her was a tall, muscular man with slicked back black hair that was pulled back in a clothed bun. His entire torso was bare, save for dark blue armor plates on his arms and shoulders and thinner plates on his sides. His slanted, rust-colored eyes shone with amusement and confidence. Underneath his eyes were strange black triangular markings. Light brown earrings shaped like gourds dangled from his earlobes. "Who wants to know?" she asked.

The man slammed a drink on the table beside her. "Why don't we have a little competition to see who's stronger?"

An intrigued smile split Cana's flushed face. "Oh? I don't know who you are, but you're challenging me to a drinking contest?"

Macao felt like he had to save the poor stranger who approached Cana. "Hey, whoever you are, don't do it!"

Wakaba followed suit. "Don't let the way she looks fool you! She's an absolute monster!"

The man laughed and sat beside Cana. "Interesting! My soul is really trembling now! Go on and pour!"

And so, the two began their competition. Each was throwing back drinks with reckless abandon and neither appeared worse for wear. The Fairy Tail members who were watching were sure that Cana would drink the poor stranger under the table, but were shocked to see how well the stranger was keeping up with her.

And then, after the entire table was covered with empty bottles, Cana fell back onto the floor, completely passed out. Cana had lost.

The man threw back another drink, slammed his empty glass on the table, and cackled. His cheeks were flushed as he rocked in his seat.

"I don't believe it…"

"Someone drank Cana under the table?!"

"This is the first time I've ever seen Cana flat on the floor from drinking!"

No one could believe what they were seeing. They stared in bewilderment as the stranger stood on shaky feet and tottered over to Cana.

Like a flimsy tree in a hurricane, the man's body bent every which way. However, he still managed to bend down and nimbly pluck Cana's top off, exposing her naked breasts to the cool night air. He swung it around in his hand as he wobbled towards the door. "I'll be taking this as my trophy."

"Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Macao barked.

"Gildarts will murder you!" Wakaba warned.

The man only laughed and burped in response, irking the two older men even more. Both of them made a move towards the drunk stranger.

"Give that back now!"

"Don't think you can mess with our guild and get away with it!"

Macao threw a punch at the man, but at the last second the man fell onto his face and dodged the attack. To most, it would appear that the man had finally succumbed to the alcohol and passed out. What happened next shocked everyone.

As if being pulled by invisible strings, the man awkwardly sprang back up and landed two heavy punches to Macao and Wakaba's faces. When both men hit the floor, the drunk man somehow bent backwards and pushed on each man's face with enough force to shatter the floorboards. It shouldn't have been possible to create that much force with his drunken movements.

"Dad!" Romeo cried.

"Bacchus?"

Erza noticed the commotion, and when she came over to investigate, she was surprised to see an old acquaintance.

Bacchus looked up questioningly, but upon seeing Erza another smile appeared on his face. He gracefully leapt to his feet and leaned in close. "Yo, if it ain't Erza! Still a fine babe as always, I see!"

"It's been a long time." Erza took a step back and waved her hand in front of her face. "You reek."

"I hear you were gone for seven years."

Erza nodded, her hands folded behind her back. "True. I'm surprised you aren't participating in the Grand Magic Games for Quatro Cerberus. I would have figured this would be something you'd enjoy."

Bacchus laughed wildly. "Well, I thought I'd leave it to the young'uns this time around! But you know, after watching War Cry's pitiful match…," he paused to glance at Nikolias, "…and after watching an epic showdown, my man's soul couldn't stay silent!" He looked back at Erza. "So, under the reserve member provision, I joined the team." He pivoted and made his way for the door again. "My soul is trembling with excitement. And if we get to clash tomorrow or after, I'd like to settle things from that one time. My soul is always Wild…" He stopped and looked over his shoulder expectantly at Erza.

Erza blinked. "…Four."

Bacchus cackled. "C'mon, I was hoping for more enthusiasm than that, Erza!"

"Hey, buddy," Gracie said, glaring at Bacchus while holding out her hand. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from drinking. "You still have something that doesn't belong to you."

Bacchus blinked at her and looked at her with confusion. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about my friend's top. I don't appreciate you stripping her naked like that. Give it back."

Bacchus grinned devilishly. "Ah, but it's my prize, doll! If you want it, you'll have to take it, you know?"

Gracie's eyes flashed. "Is that a challenge?"

The two stared at each other, Gracie in annoyance and Bacchus with enjoyment. In a flash, Gracie struck forward, hand outstretched to try and grab the blue fabric. However, at the last possible moment, Bacchus bent and spun, evading Gracie's strike and ending up behind her. In the same fluid movements, he managed to snake an arm around her and hold her in place.

Gracie was stunned. She hadn't been able to react to his movements at all. She struggled in Bacchus's hold, but try as she might, she couldn't move her arms. Bacchus's grip had locked her shoulders. "Let go of me, jerk!"

"You're an interesting firecracker," Bacchus said softly, hiccupping in her ear.

"And you're gross. You reek of booze. Now let me go!" Gracie struggled desperately to break free.

"Bacchus…," Erza sighed.

Bacchus laughed, releasing his hold on Gracie. "As always, it's been fun!" Laughing wildly, Bacchus made his way outside.

Gracie stomped her foot. "Jeez, what is with that guy?"

Erza closed her eyes. "He's an S-Class Wizard from Quatro Cerberus. We used to run into each other a lot while out on jobs. I know his strength very well. He's known as the Drunk Falcon, Drunken Bursting Palm Bacchus. We've fought several times, but never to a decisive conclusion."

"No way. He's as strong as you?" Lucy asked in shock.

"I still don't like him," Gracie mumbled.

"Umm…excuse me?" A soft voice at the door to the pub caught everyone's attention. Peeking nervously around the open door was a pretty girl with platinum blonde hair. Her crystal blue eyes searched around inside. She seemed afraid of entering the establishment, most likely from hearing all the fighting and commotion. "Is…Is Fairy Tail here?"

Gracie's bad mood immediately vanished. A massive smile split her face. "Christina!"

Christina brightened as her eyes found Gracie. "Gracie!" She ran inside and the two girls tightly embraced. "It's so good to see you again!"

"You too! I missed you!" Gracie chirped, rubbing cheeks with Christina. "What are you doing here?"

Christina giggled happily. "I came with my family to watch the Grand Magic Games. We've always enjoyed the vacation to Fiore and watching incredible magic events the last few years." She turned to look at Gracie, her eyes sparkling like clear pools. "But when I saw that you all were participating, I was so excited! So I thought I'd try to find you and tell you I'll be cheering you all on as your biggest fan!"

Gracie squealed, squeezing Christina tighter. "Oh, you're the sweetest ever! I could just eat you up!"

"It's good to see you again, Christina," Erza smiled.

"Thanks so much for coming to see us! It couldn't have been easy to find us in this big city," Lucy said.

"Yes, it's good to see you all as well," Christina nodded politely with a smile. "And it did take some time," she cutely pumped a fist, "but I was determined!"

Nikolias walked over with Mira, Angel, Sky, and Ash in tow. "I'm glad you hunted us down." He waved with a smile. "It's been a while. Glad to see you looking well."

Christina's face and ears immediately flushed. "Y…Yes! Thank you! You as well!" She looked down and fiddled with her fingers. "Umm…you were really cool today. I mean, you were really cool last time we met, too, but your fight today specifically was…umm…" She whipped her glance back up, somehow growing redder. "I…It was amazing!"

Nikolias scratched the back of his head. "Thanks, that's very kind of you to say."

Angel pouted. She could tell at a glance that this girl had a crush on Nikolias. "Darling, who is this girl?"

"This is Christina. She helped out Gracie and everyone with some trouble a few months back. Now she's a great friend," Nikolias explained.

Christina bowed her head. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Christina."

"Angel." Angel answered with her own brief introduction.

"My name's Ash." Ash stepped forward to introduce herself as well.

"I'm Sky." Sky did the same with a small, shy wave.

"It's so nice to see you," Mira smiled.

"Now that you're here, stay and drink with us!" Gracie offered.

Christina nodded. "Sure, but just for a little while. I promised Papa I wouldn't be out too late."

Gracie thrust her fist into the air. "Hooray! Then let's party!"

For the rest of the night, Fairy Tail partied away. Natsu and Gray started brawling in a corner, even though Lucy begged them to stop. Gracie regaled Christina with tales of their adventures with the Infinity Clock. Christina listened intently, sitting in awe at everything that transpired. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy that she couldn't be with everyone on these adventures, especially after enjoying her travels with them to find Nikolias.

In the relaxed, enjoyable atmosphere of Bar Sun, all of Fairy Tail was prepared for and anxiously awaiting the start of the second day of the Grand Magic Games.


"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for! The second day of the Grand Magic Games has begun!"

The packed Domus Flau bleachers rocked from the cheers of the audience. After a thrilling first day, they were all hungry for competitions and battles more exhilarating than before.

Within the announcer booth, Chapati leaned into the microphone. His hair was vastly different today. Yesterday it was black and slicked back, while today's was straight and light brown going down to his shoulders. "Today, Mr. Yajima and I are joined by the renowned reporter for Sorcerer's Weekly, Mr. Jason!"

Jason leaned back, his trademark wide smile plastered on his face. "Coooool!"

"Yesterday, there were many exciting moments in both the competition and the battles. There were also countless surprises that promise for even more excitement going forward! So, let's waste no more time and begin the Competition for our second day! Let's begin 'Chariot'!" The Lacrima Vision screens in the arena sparked to life. It showed a street that winded through the capital city, all the way up to Domus Flau. The sidewalks were packed with even more people who couldn't fit inside the arena but had front row seats to the competition.

On the street was a long train of wooden vehicles that looked like cars with no tops or sides, just completely flat. Each vehicle was linked together by a thick metal chain.

"This competition, 'Chariot', takes place on top of a line of moving vehicles. The idea of the competition is to move along the vehicles and reach the goal without falling off. And because the vehicles are always moving, one moment of carelessness could lead to a misstep that throws you off and eliminates you from the competition! The vehicles will be wending their way around the sightseeing spots of Crocus, passing here, at Domus Flau, which acts as the goal! Which team will reach Domus Flau first? And as before, everyone can watch the race on the Lacrima Vision!"

"So cool!" Jason cried.

"And now, let's meet the participants waiting at the starting line who were elected by their teams for this competition! We'll announce in order of the standings! From the first-place favorites, Sabertooth, Sting Eucliffe! From Raven Tail, Black Snake! From the biggest surprise, Fairy Tail B Team, Gajeel Redfox! From Blue Pegasus, Ichiya Vandalay! From Lamia Scale, Yuka Suzuki! From Mermaid Heel, Risley Law! From Quatro Cerberus, Bacchus Groh! And finally, from Fairy Tail A Team, Natsu Dragneel!"

Over in Fairy Tail A Team's section, Gray facepalmed. "Why the hell did that idiot sign up for this event?"

Lucy looked worriedly at the Lacrima Vision where Natsu was stretching with a big smile on his face. "You'd think he would have known what kind of event this was based on the name."

Erza sighed with her arms crossed and her eyes closed. "You both know as well as I do that once he makes up his mind, Natsu won't listen to anything."

Gracie scratched her head. "I mean…maybe he thought it was like a gladiator-meets-bullfighting situation? Y'know, olé?"

"But he'll be okay, won't he?" Lucy asked worriedly.

"Eh, it's Natsu. I'm sure he'll find a way to push through…maybe," Gracie replied.

"That doesn't make me feel much better!"

"Now, all the participants are in place. Let 'Chariot' begin!"

The gong to initiate the beginning of the game sounded. All the vehicles began to slowly move forward. The participants leapt up onto the first vehicle and began running forward. Except…

"Well, Mr. Yajima, who could have foreseen this at the onset?" Chapati asked his co-host.

Yajima hummed. "I must say this was unpredictable."

While five of the eight participants were charging forward at full speed along the vehicles, Natsu, Gajeel, and Sting were all still on the first car. Their legs were shaking, and they were barely able to stay upright. Their faces were pale, and they were sweating profusely.

"Natsu of Fairy Tail A Team is bringing up the rear! But not too far in front of him is Gajeel from Fairy Tail B Team and even Sting from Sabertooth! All three are moving as if the floor were molasses!" Chapati announced.

Gajeel grit his teeth. "What the hell…is wrong with me?" he rasped. He had never had such a visceral reaction to transportation before. Sure, he'd start to feel a bit nauseous, like when he was on the train in Bosco, but it was never anything like this. It had always only been Natsu who was rendered useless by motion sickness, not him. "This is Salamander's shtick, goddamn it!"

"What do you suppose the issue is, Mr. Yajima?" Chapati asked.

"It would appear the three Dragon Slayers have something else in common," Yajima remarked.

"Poor Natsu and Gajeel," Sky breathed.

Nikolias sighed. "Yeah, this is the risk you take when you don't know the rules of the game when you select your member."

"It's almost too difficult to watch," Angel moaned. "Pretty pathetic."

"Now, now. They're both doing the best they can," Mira said.

Panther Lily stomped his tiny foot on the railing of Fairy Tail's spectator section. "Why is Gajeel acting this way?"

"It's happening to Sabertooth's member, too," Levy noted.

Lector shook his head slowly with a small smile. "Well, this doesn't look good. I can't believe the invincible Sting's one weakness has been brought to light."

"Fro thinks so, too!" Frosch agreed.

The three Dragon Slayers continued their snail's pace at the far back of the procession. Meanwhile, everyone's eyes were fixed on the other competitors, who were neck and neck with each other.

"Now let's check in with the others!" Chapati shifted focus to the frontrunners as well. "Black Snake is currently holding the lead with Ichiya hot on his heels! Yuka and Risley are close behind, though! Some distance behind them is Bacchus from Quatro Cerberus's reserve squad!"

Black Snake was moving across the cars effortlessly. He was a very thin man and was clearly very agile. Ichiya, on the other hand, was pushing his stout, wide body to the limit just to keep pace.

Yuka was panting as well. He stole a glance at Risley out of the corner of his eye, who was right beside him. The large woman was matching his speed perfectly. "I'm surprised you can keep up with that body type."

Risley smiled confidently, wiping some sweat from her brow. "Never underestimate a chubby girl!"

Meanwhile, Bacchus was running behind them all. He appeared half asleep as he put in just enough effort to keep sight of the others. "Man, I'm pooped. I guess I'm still feeling last night's booze."

With Black Snake in the lead and Bacchus towards the back of the pack, Ichiya, Yuka, and Risley were constantly passing each other in the middle. Yuka was the first one to put forth some effort to break the stalemate. "WAVE BOOST!" Thrusting his arms behind him, pale magic erupted from his palms and propelled him forward. The sudden speed boost helped him to easily pass Ichiya and Risley and start making up some ground on Black Snake. It also sent out magic-suppressing waves through the air. He grinned. "Good luck using any magic while under my shockwave!"

Risley seemed unfazed. "Like I said, never underestimate a chubby girl!" She made her way to the far side of the vehicle, but instead of falling off, she ended up running horizontally on the side of the vehicle.

"There it is! Risley's Gravity Change Magic!" Chapati cried excitedly. "She managed to avoid Yuka's surge by running on the side of the vehicle!"

Ichiya hummed. "I see, a magic-negating wave. In that case…" He pulled out two vials from inside his shirt. He shoved the vials into his nostrils and inhaled deeply. "FLEET-FOOTED PARFUM! ZERO DISTANCE INHALATION!" Suddenly, Ichiya became immensely quicker, running past Risley and Yuka as if he were lighter than a feather.

Watching all of this unfold from his position, Bacchus smiled. "Hoh? Look at that. Everyone's really trying their best. My soul is quivering." He came to a stop and took a wide, squatting stance. "Well then, maybe I'll try a little harder, too!" He lifted one foot and then slammed it down. Immense magic power erupted around him, snapping the vehicle he was standing on in half as if it were a branch. The demolition of the car caused a chain reaction towards the front. The next few cars in front of him were tossed about, causing Ichiya, Yuka, and Risley to lose their footing.

"What power! Bacchus used his magic to destroy the vehicles!" Chapati shouted.

The crowd erupted in cheers at seeing all the incredible magic power in rapid succession. They were even more astounded at Bacchus's sheer might.

Erza gaped. "He's so much stronger than he was seven years ago!"

Gracie grinded her teeth. "Man, I can't stand that guy! Look at that smug look on his face! Just because he did something kinda cool…what's his deal?"

With the front cars all stalled out, Bacchus took off running like a bat out of hell across the devastation, passing the still recovering Ichiya, Yuka, and Risley. His speed was otherworldly. It made you wonder where he would be in the competition if he had tried from the very beginning. "See you later! Remember, if you fall, you're out!" he sang.

Yuka clicked his tongue. "Talk about playing dirty."

Risley shook her head. "He's underestimating a chubby girl!" The ironic part of her statement was that, due to the effects of her own magic, Risley wasn't currently chubby. She had a slender physique as if she had been compressed.

Bacchus laughed wildly as he pumped his arms and legs. He easily caught up to and surpassed a shocked Black Snake, who could do nothing but watch as Bacchus sped past him and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Before long, he reached the car passing by Domas Flau. He leapt off and crossed the finish line, thrusting his arms into the air to a chorus of cheers.

"And just like that, Bacchus has crossed the finish line first!" Chapati declared. "Quatro Cerberus earns 10 points!"

"My soul is quivering!" Bacchus roared. "Wild…!"

"""""FOUR!""""" came the response from his teammates.

Moments later, Black Snake leapt off the vehicle train and crossed the finish line. Not too far behind were the slimmed down Risley, Yuka, and Ichiya. "In second place is Raven Tail's Black Snake! In third is Risley, in fourth is Yuka, and in fifth is Ichiya!" Chapati called out the finishers. "All that's left is the three in the far back, battling it out for the bottom ranks!" With the excitement of the top five having passed, all the Lacrima Vision screens flashed back to Natsu, Gajeel, and Sting. The three were still right by each other, struggling mightily to take even a step forward. The entire crowd burst out laughing.

Sting shuddered. "Well…I've finally gotten used to it." He looked over his shoulder. He was still as pale as a ghost and his face was thick with sweat. It was obvious that he was still feeling incredibly sick. "Congratulations to the—," he paused to keep himself from vomiting, "the real Dragon Slayer."

Gajeel glared at him. He wasn't going to be looked down on by this pompous guy. With a roar, and while on unsteady feet, he launched himself at Sting. "Bastard!" However, what was meant to be a mighty push ended up being a tiny nudge. Gajeel staggered forward a few steps. "Damn, I can't muster any strength!"

The crowd was laughing even harder.

Orga hummed. "Is this what Sting meant by making it more fun?"

Rufus shook his head. "I don't believe he's trying to be funny. Isn't that right, Rogue?"

"It appears Dragon Slayers get motion sick on vehicles," Rogue replied. 'And I thought it was just Sting and I.'

"Laxus, do you get motion sick as well?" Mira questioned. "I never thought about it before."

Laxus closed his eyes. "Don't tell anybody."

"Juvia thinks it's pretty obvious at this point," Juvia pointed out.

Natsu clenched his fists. He roared as he stepped forward bit by bit. "Move forward!"

Gajeel roared as well, staying in step with Natsu. Both had managed to push themselves ahead of Sting.

"Lame," Sting grumbled. "You guys are actually serious, even though you can't draw out any power." He stopped moving and chuckled softly. "Fine then, by all means, go ahead. In fact, I'll give this match to you. After this, we won't be losing any more. We'll keep winning and earning top scores. We won't miss one or two measly points."

Gajeel looked behind him and smirked. "Don't cry about that one point later, kid."

Sting watched in surprise at the sheer effort that Natsu and Gajeel were putting forth. He couldn't understand why. They couldn't win. They were essentially battling for sixth place. "Answer me one thing." Natsu and Gajeel glanced behind them as they continued pushing forward. "Why did you even decide to participate in this tournament? I wouldn't believe you were the same Fairy Tail from back in the day. In fact, if it wasn't for that one guy on the B Team, you'd have two teams in dead last. Are you that worried about the overall strength of your guild? Are you that concerned with the public image of your guild? The Fairy Tail I know, the Fairy Tail I remember, they did everything at their own pace. They didn't give a damn what everyone thought about them as they just did their thing. So then tell me why. Why are you going through this?"

"For our friends." Natsu's reply was simple, but it struck Sting. Even the crowd, who had stopped laughing to listen to Sting speak, was now completely focused on Natsu after his answer. And everyone in Fairy Tail was hanging on his every word. "Seven years…all that time…they were waiting for us. No matter how painful it was…no matter how sad…even if people were making fun of them…they held on. They held on…and protected the guild…for their friends. And now, we're gonna show everyone…the proof that Fairy Tail's been walking on this whole time!" He thrust his head back. "So keep on going!"

There wasn't a dry eye in Fairy Tail's spectator section. All the members who had endured those seven years were touched by Natsu's words. While they always knew how much he and the others cared for them, hearing how determined he was to fight for them moved them to tears. The two Fairy Tail teams were also smiling at Natsu's words.

Lucy wiped a tear from her eye. Her cheeks were flushed as she watched Natsu's determination. 'Natsu…you really are the sweetest.'

Nikolias nodded. "Well said."

Gracie thrust out her fist. "You show 'em, Natsu! Gajeel!"

Natsu's entire body trembled. It wanted so badly to collapse, but Natsu wouldn't allow it. He pushed it forward, roaring every time he felt himself start to grow weaker. And with each roar, he found renewed vigor to keep taking the next step.

And after several more minutes, Natsu hopped off the train, wobbled over to Domas Flau, and crossed the finish line. Once he did, he collapsed to the ground, completely spent of energy. Gajeel was a few steps behind him, crawling himself across the finish line before falling beside Natsu.

"GOAL! Natsu of Fairy Tail A Team crosses the finish line in sixth place for 2 points! Gajeel of Fairy Tail B Team crosses in seventh place for 1 point!" Chapati announced.

"I got…our first points! Hell…yeah!" Natsu managed to squeak out.

Everyone in the crowd began murmuring amongst themselves.

"They're tenacious, I'll give 'em that."

"Yeah, honestly it's pretty incredible."

"I kind of liked that. It was quite touching."

"I think I might actually cheer them on."

Having recognized their efforts and after being moved by Natsu's words, the crowd applauded the Fairy Tail mages collapsed in the arena.

"Good going, Fairy Tail!"

"I'm gonna be rooting for you guys from now on!"

Sting leapt off the vehicle train, but not to cross the finish line. With all other participants having finished, he didn't see the point in continuing. He walked to his team's tunnel to rejoin his teammates. As he walked, he thought about Natsu's words and scowled. "For their friends, huh? What utter nonsense."

"As for Sting, he receives 0 points for dropping out!" Chapati continued. "Now let's take a look at our updated standings! Raven Tail takes first place with 32 points! Sabertooth drops to second place, staying at 28 points! Fairy Tail B Team hangs on to their third place standing with 22 points! Blue Pegasus stays in fourth with 20 points! Lamia Scale stays in fifth with 14 points! Quatro Cerberus moves up to sixth place with 13 points! Mermaid Heel drops to seventh place with 11 points! And Fairy Tail A Team remains in last, but have acquired their first two points in this tournament!"

"So cooool!" Jason cried while pumping his fists.

"We saw some interesting magic in this competition. Now we look forward to the Battle part," Yajiima said.

"I have the matches for today in front of me," Chapati began before looking down at the arena. Natsu and Gajeel were still on the ground. "We'll get started momentarily!"


The medical team had brought Natsu to the infirmary. He was far too weak to move, so to keep the tournament running they hauled him away so he could rest elsewhere. Lucy went with them and was sitting by Natsu's bedside. She gently moved some matted hair off his forehead. "He's okay, right?"

"Oh, he'll be fine," Porlyusica huffed. "It's just motion sickness."

"Right. Sorry, I just couldn't help but worry a bit." Lucy looked behind her where Wendy was asleep in her bed. Carla sat in a stool at her bedside, watching Lucy intently. "And what about Wendy?"

"She's recovered a lot."

Lucy met Carla's gaze. "And what about you, Carla? You feeling back to normal?"

"Y…Yes," Carla nodded slightly.

Lucy beamed. "That's some good news at least! Well, everyone's waiting so I'll get going." She leaned down and kissed Natsu's forehead. "Feel better, Natsu." She ran out of the infirmary with a wave.

Porlyusica watched her leave and sighed. "So, you don't intend to say anything to her?"

Carla shook her head. "What good would telling her do? It's not like she would believe me anyway. And hearing a future like that, I wouldn't blame her."

"It's true. When you don't believe it yourself, certainly other people wouldn't believe it."

Carla nodded. "Right! I don't believe that stuff! It was only a dream! Just a dream, not a premonition!"

Current Standings:

Raven Tail32 pts

Sabertooth28 pts

Fairy Tail (B Team)22 pts

Blue Pegasus20 pts

Lamia Scale14 pts

Quatro Cerberus13 pts

Mermaid Heel11 pts

Fairy Tail (A Team)2 pts