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 114

"CHEERS!"

Within the Bar Sun, Fairy Tail was throwing yet another celebration. However, unlike previous days, they felt like there was even more to celebrate. Between Erza's domination in Pandemonium, Mira's impressive showing in the MPF competition, Laxus's one-man beat down of the entire Raven Tail guild, and Wendy's hard-fought draw through endurance, spirits were all incredibly high. As such, their food and drinks tasted so much better.

"Today felt great!" Natsu cheered, leaping onto a table and thrusting his food in the air.

"Aye, sir!" Happy agreed.

"Just control yourself, okay? No destroying stuff," Lucy warned.

"Gray-sama, you were magnificent!" Juvia swooned.

Gray blinked. "You realize I didn't do a thing today, right?"

Wendy sighed as she stared down into her cup. "After Erza won so easily, I didn't win at all. I didn't help our team…" Suddenly, she felt herself being lifted high into the air. She looked down to see Nikolias beaming as he placed her on top of his shoulder. She blushed furiously. "N…N…Nikolias?! What are you doing?!"

"You should be prouder of yourself!" he replied. "You were amazing out there! The fact that you fought someone with that kind of strength to a draw should be lauded! So tonight, even if you won't, I'm celebrating you!"

Steam erupted from Wendy's ears. "Y…You really don't have to…"

"Let the teacher spoil his student," Mira giggled.

"I was surprised by how strong you are," Angel added.

"Good fight," Sky breathed with a small nod.

"I was so inspired watching you!" Ash grinned.

Wendy squirmed and fidgeted. "Th…thank you…" Still, in spite of her embarrassment from being the center of attention like this, she couldn't deny the pure joy it brought to her.

"Alright!" Natsu set down a few barrels of alcohol on their sides, took a chalkboard menu from the bar to lay down on top, and then leapt onto the board. The barrels began rolling across the floor. "Booze barrel surfing time!"

"Hey, that's dangerous!" Jet yelped as he dove out of the way.

The barrels flew straight into a table where Gajeel had been sleeping. The impact jarred him awake, and once he located the source of his rude awakening, his entire face twisted in irritation. He grabbed a nauseous Natsu by the scarf and pulled him close. "What's the big idea?!"

"You wanna ride it, too?" Natsu asked, his head spinning.

"And get sick like you? Hell, no!"

"Fine, I'll ride it!" Gray grinned. He reset the barrels and board and leapt up. The barrels rolled to the other side of the bar. As he crashed into the wall, his clothes mysteriously vanished.

"How does that even happen?!" Droy asked.

"In that case, I'm next!" Erza cried, setting up the barrels and riding off. She had a childish grin on her face as she surfed across the floor.

"I'm shocked she's healed enough to do that," Macao grumbled.

"Geez, they really are too excited," Lucy laughed.

"Why don't you go next?" Levy suggested.

Lucy gripped her skirt. "Yeah, not in this outfit."

The sound of Erza crashing into a wall and her grunt caught Levy's attention. She sighed as Erza, who was wearing a skirt as well, essentially flashed the guild. "I guess some people don't mind participating in a skirt…"

"Hey, what gives? You're having this much fun without me?"

Everyone turned towards the door. Standing there in the doorway, cheeks puffed out in child-like annoyance, was Gracie. She still had bandages all over her body, much like Erza, but the fact that she was able to walk around under her own power was impressive.

"Gracie! They let you out of the infirmary?" Lucy asked, a big, relieved smile on her face.

Gracie flashed a thumbs up and a wide grin. "Yep! Thanks to Porlyusica, I'm good as new!"

"You don't look good as new," Nikolias huffed as he walked over with an embarrassed Wendy still perched on his shoulder. "You're sure you shouldn't still be resting?"

"Don't you fret a bit, Niky," Gracie said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "After meeting Porlyusica, you should understand that she won't listen to her patients. If she thinks someone shouldn't move, then they aren't moving. The fact I'm here should speak to how healed up I am."

Nikolias narrowed his eyes at her. "You say that with such logic, but I also wouldn't put it past you to just sneak off."

"Rude!" Gracie then turned her attention to Wendy. "By the way, I heard about your match." She flashed a bright smile. "Thanks for fighting so hard in my place!"

Wendy gave a shy smile in return and nodded. "Thank you, but I'm still sorry I couldn't win."

Gracie shook her head. "Nothing to apologize for. You found a way to fight a strong opponent to a draw. If anything, I think it speaks volumes to your potential to get even stronger."

"Mm, right! I'll do my best!"

Sting stood on the balcony of his room and stared up at the starry sky. The full moon illuminated his smiling face.

"Can't sleep, Sting?"

Sting looked over to see a groggy Lector trudging up behind him. The small Exceed was wiping the sleep from his eyes. He couldn't help but laugh at how perceptive his friend was. He turned back to look at the moon. "Nah. I've got this feeling that I'll get to fight Natsu tomorrow. I've been waiting for a chance like this for seven years."

Lector nodded assuredly. "You'll win for sure, Sting!"

Rogue lay on his bed, listening to Sting and Lector. Frosch slept by his side. As he stared up at the ceiling, he couldn't deny that he too felt a strange excitement for tomorrow. 'Tomorrow…will I face Gajeel?'

Within the halls of the palace, Arcadios stood waiting with a smirk. He could hear approaching footsteps. He lifted his gaze to see a girl in the uniform of the guards standing at attention before him. Her serious face fit her attire perfectly. As she brought her hand up for a salute, she addressed her commanding officer.

"Sergeant Yukino Aguria, reporting for duty, sir."

"It's time! It's the fourth day of the Grand Magic Games!"

The crowd roared. The excitement from this year's Games had built up more and more with each passing day, so the spectators couldn't wait to see what was in store. What had them even more excited was the massive ball of water that floated above the arena.

Chapati continued. "The event for today is called Naval Battle!"

"I'm interested to see what the rules are for this last competition," Yajima said.

Chapati turned to the new guest for the day. "We also have joining us Mr. Lavian, the head of the Selazade acting troupe!"

Mr. Lavian was a small man, similar to Yajima's stature. His purple hair was sculpted to look similar to a jester's cap, and his small purple moustache was curled upwards at the ends. He was dressed in his usual formal attire that he would wear when his troupe would put on shows. He bowed his head. "This is going to be great fun! Thank you very much!"

"Now then, the competitors for today have already been chosen, so let's review the rules!" Chapati began. "Naval Battle is a skirmish in the sea! As you can see, the battlefield is a large ball of water. Getting knocked out of the water results in a loss! The last one swimming is the winner!"

"I see. So it's like underwater sumo," Yajima said.

"However, when only two competitors are left, a special rule takes effect: the Five-Minute Rule! If one of the two competitors exits the ring during the first five minutes of the final showdown, that competitor will end up ranking last in the entire event!"

Suddenly, loud splashes could be heard coming from the large ball of water. The participants, wearing their bathing suits, had entered the battlefield.

"The teams are hitting the water! From Lamia Scale, we have Sheria!"

Sheria had a determined look on her face. 'I'm going to make up for yesterday's draw!'

"From Blue Pegasus, we have Jenny!"

Jenny smirked. "I'm not losing this time!"

"From Mermaid Heel, we have Risley!"

Risley grinned. "Never underestimate a mermaid!"

"From Fairy Tail B Team, we have Juvia!"

Juvia floated with confidence. "Water and Juvia go hand in hand. This is Juvia's domain!"

"From Sabertooth, we have Minerva!"

"Minerva, at your service," Minerva declared.

The crowd erupted into cheers.

"Listen to that crowd!" Chapati announced.

"Looks like Sabertooth's team now consists of its five strongest members," Yajima added.

"Now continuing, we have Lucy from Fairy Tail A Team!"

Lucy clenched her fists. "I can't lose this. I need to make up for my failure from the first day!"

"What a gorgeous sight to behold! Each team has sent a female challenger in a swimsuit!" Chapati swooned.

"Thank you very much! Thank you very much!" Mr. Lavian said with a bow over and over.

Rocker, who was also in the ring and wearing a red Speedo, sweatdropped. "Um…I'm here and ready to get wild too, y'know…"

"Now then! The rules have been explained! Our competitors have taken the field! Naval Battle is about to begin!"

Natsu pumped his fist. "Go get 'em, Lucy!" he roared.

"Since she's in the water, she can even use Aquarius," Gray said.

"This match definitely gives her an advantage," Erza noted.

"It must be hard to fight in water, though," Gracie pouted. "Wish I coulda gone in…"

"Lucy really wanted to, though," Wendy said. "She seemed determined."

"Course she is!" Natsu said. "She's gonna get a win for us, no doubt!"

"Juvia was certainly the right choice, wouldn't you agree?" Mira asked.

"Her skills are a perfect match. Glad the name of the game was pretty straightforward this time," Nikolias nodded.

Ash clamped a hand to her mouth. "Just thinking about all that water…"

Sky gently rubbed her sister's back. "You're not in the water. You're okay."

Gajeel smirked. "If she loses in her own damn territory, there'll be hell to pay!"

"Now then, let's begin!" Chapati cried. "Naval Battle, start!"

Lucy wasted no time. She immediately whipped out Aquarius's key from her pouch. "OPEN! GATE OF THE WATER BEARER! AQUARIUS!"

Before Lucy appeared Aquarius. The Celestial Spirit wore a smirk, but it quickly became a scowl as she lifted her urn above her head. "Underwater is my home turf!" A powerful whirlpool shot from the urn towards the other competitors. Most of them got caught in the powerful current, panicked squeals echoing in the water.

"Oh no you don't! WATER CYCLONE!" Juvia fired her own powerful whirlpool to counter the approaching attack from Aquarius. The two whirlpools collided and appeared evenly matched.

Angel was shocked. "Juvia's actually going toe-to-toe with a Spirit?"

Mira cupped a hand to her mouth. "Fight hard, Juvia! You, too, Lucy, but just a little less! I guess you can fight hard too, Jenny!"

"That's a weird way to cheer people on," Gajeel grumbled.

"I wonder who'll win," Ash said.

"It's obvious," Gajeel replied. "Put Juvia in some water and she's unbeatable."

"Two fighters with similar home field advantages. Should be a close match either way," Nikolias added.

Natsu leaned over the railing. "Aquarius is so cool! She's matching Juvia's power!"

"I think it's more amazing that Juvia is standing up to Aquarius's power!" Wendy voiced her own thoughts on the match.

Juvia and Aquarius stared each other down as they continued their attacks.

"It's good to see you again, Aquarius."

"I'm not going to hold back just because we're acquaintances."

"Juvia couldn't have said it better herself!"

"I have to say, I'm shocked that we're evenly matched."

"Juvia will win! She can't make an embarrassment of herself while her darling Gray-sama watches!"

"Juvia seems to have you on her mind," Erza said softly to Gray as she watched the match closely.

Gray said nothing as he watched Juvia and Aquarius. His thoughts flashed to the other night when he and Erza spoke.

'You have to realize by now how Juvia feels about you. Then why not give her a clear response?'

Gray clenched his fists. 'A clear response…'

Lucy held tightly to Aquarius's tail to avoid getting caught up in the attacks. "I won't lose, Juvia!"

"Juvia won't either, romantic rival!"

"How can you still think that about me?!"

With Aquarius distracted with Juvia, the other competitors were able to break free from the whirlpool.

"This battle is nuts!" Risley breathed.

Jenny giggled. "Two tough opponents are busy fighting it out. Which means, this is my chance!" She swam up behind Rocker, who was too busy watching the battle to notice her approaching him. By the time he realized something was wrong, it was too late. Jenny had already launched a kick that connected squarely with the side of his face. The force of the kick pushed him out of the water. He landed face first on the ground with a weak "Wild".

"Quatro Cerberus is out after falling victim to Jenny's surprise attack! However, the crowd doesn't seem to mind now that this is an all-girls match!" Chapati announced.

"Thank you very much! Thank you very much! Thank you very much!" Mr. Lavian repeated excitedly over and over.

Rocker's face fell. "Did I really mean nothing to anyone?"

Gajeel sighed. "That chick is dastardly to the core."

"That is the way Jenny tends to fight," Mira giggled.

"Someone get her!" Angel seethed. "Kick her out! Lay the smack down!"

"You really that upset that she used a sneak attack?" Nikolias asked. "It was a sound strategy."

"Don't tell me you wanted that guy to place better!" Ash gasped.

"Oh please! I take no issues with sneak attacks, and I could care less about that…whoever he is!" Angel huffed. "I just want to see that hussy lose! She had the audacity to try and steal my darling, after all!" She threw her hand in the air. "Justice must be served!"

Nikolias sweatdropped. "You're still bothered by that?"

Sheria held her hands to the side. "I've got to fight hard, too!" Winds swirled around her hands like mini vortexes. She used that to propel herself towards Risley.

Risley sensed her coming. Seeing Sheria launch two powerful punches at her, she used her magic to slim down her figure and avoid the twin blows. "Never underestimate chubby power!"

Sheria grinned as she squared off with the Mermaid.

Aquarius clicked her tongue as she remained in a deadlock with Juvia. "This is getting us nowhere. That's it, I'm leaving!"

"Why though?!" Lucy cried. "You're my most reliable spirit for something like this!"

Aquarius turned to her with a blush and a serene grin. "I have a date."

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Lucy wailed, but her words fell on deaf ears. Aquarius disappeared in a spray of bubbles.

"Oh dear! It sounds like the Celestial Spirit Aquarius left to go on a date!" Chapati shouted.

"Ah, youth," Yajima sighed.

With Aquarius's disappearance, her whirlpool quickly dissipated. Juvia took full advantage of this chance. "You're wide open for defeat, romantic rival!" Juvia redirected her attack toward Lucy and increased its power.

With a shriek, Lucy swam away from the oncoming attack as quickly as she could. As she did, she frantically pulled out two keys from her pouch. "VIRGO! ARIES!" There was a flash of light and suddenly Lucy felt herself being lifted through the water. At the same time, a wall of thick pink wool appeared that absorbed the whirlpool.

Aries, donning a pink wool bikini, turned behind her as she held up the wool wall. "I'm sorry for the puffiness!"

Virgo, who had both hands underneath Lucy's back, nodded. She, too was wearing a bikini, though hers was black with white frills. "We're your sexy defenders, Princess."

Lucy sighed in relief. "That was way too close. Thanks for the save, you two!"

The intense look in Juvia's eyes didn't fade. "Summon as many spirits as you wish. It changes nothing!" She thrust out her hands and shot out another Water Cyclone.

"Stay strong, you guys!" Lucy cautioned.

Virgo watched the incoming attack. "I may be better suited for moving through the ground than the water, but I will do as you command." Virgo swam up with Lucy to move her out of the way.

Aries swam up and summoned another wool wall. "I'll do my best!" Once again, the whirlpool was blocked and absorbed into the wool.

Elsewhere, Risley and Jenny were facing off. They were attempting to land punches and kicks to knock the other out. However, they both had to evade when Sheria came rocketing towards them. The three were now locked in a battle of their own.

Juvia lifted her arm over her head. "Juvia will defeat you all! No one can outclass Juvia underwater!" The water around her began to rapidly gather towards Juvia's palm, causing strong currents. The other fighters could feel themselves being pulled in. "Juvia shall show you her newest special technique, gained through Second Origin! May the wings of love reach you! DARLING GRAY-SAMA LOVE!" Juvia released the strong currents outwards. Within the currents were bright pink hearts.

Gray's face turned bright red. "KNOCK IT OFF!"

Gracie burst out laughing, slapping Gray repeatedly on the back. "Holy shit, that's hilarious!"

The strength of the currents caught Jenny, Sheria, and Risley. The three girls were helpless to resist as the strong water shot them out of the arena.

The only two remaining in the arena with Juvia were Minerva and Lucy. Minerva activated her Territory Magic to force the currents aside. Lucy was holding tightly to Aries's waist as the Celestial Spirit held a wool wall in place. Aries was clearly struggling to keep up the defense against the force of the water. Meanwhile, Virgo was pushing against Lucy's rear to help prevent her from being forced out.

"Oh my! Juvia managed to defeat three competitors at the same time!" Chapati cried. "Juvia's strength is unrivaled in this underwater battle!"

Juvia stopped her attack and turned towards Fairy Tail A Team. Her cheeks were pink as she looked towards Gray. 'Have you fallen for Juvia after seeing that, my darling Gray-sama?' However, her face quickly fell once she spotted him. Gray was completely white as if he had turned to stone. 'He…turned white?!'

Suddenly, Juvia could feel the wind. She didn't even have time to process that she was falling before she hit the ground.

"Juvia!" Lucy cried.

"Oh dear! Juvia fought valiantly, but sadly ends up outside of the ring!" Chapati announced. "Still, she secured a third-place finish and earns her team 6 points!"

"That ditz," Gajeel grumbled.

"How'd she end up outside? Was she not paying attention?" Mira questioned.

"It looked like she was pushed," Angel said. "But how? I didn't see anyone near her, and I saw no attacks."

Over in Sabertooth's section, Sting smirked. "Milady is quite mischievous. She could've sent all of them out of the ring at once in an instant with her magic. Yet she only used it to send Juvia out."

"She's got this win in the bag," Lector scoffed.

Sure enough, Minerva had used her Territory Magic to push Juvia out of the ring. It certainly made it easier that she was distracted, but even if Juvia was completely focused and on guard, Minerva knew the result would have been the same. An arrogant smile graced her lips.

Chapati gripped the microphone. "Only Minerva and Lucy remain!"

Lucy kept her eyes on Minerva but spoke to Aries and Virgo. "Thanks, you two. You can head back now." The two Spirits obeyed and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"What's this? Lucy has withdrawn her Celestial Spirits!" Chapati observed.

"Most likely to conserve magic power and physical strength," Yajima surmised.

"Now then, the question on everyone's mind! Who will prevail in this fight! Will it be Sabertooth? Or will it be Fairy Tail?"

With two competitors left in the arena, as Chapati had explained, a sand timer beneath the arena activated. A countdown, starting at five minutes, began to tick down with the sand.

"Now that the Five-Minute Rule has activated, if one of the two competitors exits the arena before the countdown hits zero, they will automatically place last!" Chapati recapped.

"I am curious what the point of this rule is," Yajima said.

"Why, it's to keep things exciting up to the very end! Thank you very much!" Mr. Lavian exclaimed.

Minerva smirked at Lucy. "I could just instantly send you out of the arena with my magic, but then where would be the fun in that?" She lifted her hand towards Lucy. "Try to endure, won't you, Fairy Tail?" Her hand began to glow with magic power.

Instantly appearing to Lucy's right was a glowing spatial orb. It quickly grew in size and brightness before exploding. Lucy had no chance of avoiding the blast. She screamed in pain as a powerful heat assailed her body.

"LUCY!" Natsu roared.

Erza's eyes widened. "She's using heat underwater?"

"What is that magic?" Gray asked.

The heat began to dissipate. Lucy grabbed her head. It felt like it was pounding. Burns covered her skin. "I feel heavy…I need to use my Spirits." She reached down for her keys, but her fingers found nothing. She looked down and her eyes widened in shock. Her belt with her keys and whip were gone. "What? Where are…?" A jingling sound caught Lucy's attention. She turned to see Minerva holding her belt. 'When did she take those?'

Minerva smirked as her hand began to glow. The keys thrashed about violently in her grip.

Another orb appeared right in front of Lucy. It exploded point blank and pushed her towards the edge of the arena.

"It looks like Lucy is headed straight outside the arena! And since the timer hasn't reached 0, it will mean a last place finish!" Chapati cried.

Lucy shook her head. Her body felt like lead, but she still did what she could to swing her arms and halt her momentum. Her back began to exit the arena, and she could feel the air tickle her burned skin, but she still managed to save herself from exiting.

"Hoh?" Minerva purred. Her hand glowed once again.

Another orb appeared right behind Lucy. It exploded and another intense blast of heat seared Lucy's back. The force also pushed her back towards the center of the arena.

"Hang in there, Lucy!" Mira called out worriedly.

"That heat looks intense," Ash gulped.

"She looks like she's in pain," Sky sniffed.

"And she can't even counter. That woman took all her keys," Angel said.

Lucy winced as she floated back towards Minerva. A determined look remained on her face. "Whatever attacks you use, I will endure them all!" As if in response to her claims, another two orbs appeared and immediately detonated by her left arm and waist, pushing Lucy back.

Minerva's grin widened. "I suppose it's time to let you outside of the arena."

Lucy's gaze lowered. "No way. If I lose now, I won't be able to face the others who've struggled to get us this far! I refuse to betray their feelings! So, I won't give up!"

Minerva flinched. Her smile vanished. She floated in place, showing no signs of making a move.

"Wh…what happened?" Chapati asked, stunned. "Minerva stopped her assault on Lucy!" A loud beep rang out. "And just like that the five minutes are up! Now it's just a fight for the top spot!"

Natsu pumped his fist. "Alright!"

Gracie threw her fist out. "Keep up the fight, Lucy! You've got this!"

As soon as the timer was up, Minerva threw her arm back. An angry scowl graced her features. A spatial orb twisted in her palm. She thrust her arm forward and slammed an immense blast of magic into Lucy.

This blast was far stronger than anything Minerva had thrown at her previously. Lucy shrieked in pain. She felt like she was about to lose consciousness.

But it didn't stop there. Minerva fired blast after blast of powerful spatial magic from her palm. "Know your place, Fairy Tail!" she spat. "Who do you take us for?! We are Sabertooth, the mightiest guild beneath the heavens!"

After one final blast, Lucy's body plummeted towards the edge of the arena.

Chapati gripped his microphone. "Oh my! This time for sure, Lucy is—!" He was interrupted when Lucy suddenly vanished. "Wait, what happened?!"

In an instant, Lucy appeared right in front of Minerva. Lucy was stunned. She didn't understand what just happened. It didn't help that her thoughts were jumbled from taking so many intense blasts of magic. The next thing she knew, she felt a sharp blow to her spine. Minerva had unleashed a powerful kick.

Chapati was stunned. "Somehow, Lucy suddenly appeared before Minerva after nearly flying out of the arena!"

"What the hell?" Gracie breathed. "Why did she bring Lucy back?"

Angel narrowed her eyes. "She's trying to torture her."

"The fight's clearly already over, damn it," Gajeel growled.

Minerva swam towards the still reeling Lucy and slammed a punch into her stomach. She followed up with a kick and punch to her head. The assault kept going, over and over, with different strikes to different parts of Lucy's body. Each blow had such strength that Lucy's body bent in horrid ways. Small amounts of blood began to float in the water.

"Even without magic, Minerva wields incredible power!" Chapati gasped.

Yajima said nothing as he glared at the spectacle.

"Please, stop this brutality," Mr. Lavian begged.

Chapati gulped. "As this is underwater, there are no knock downs! All Lucy can do is take this pummeling!"

Natsu's body became engulfed in heat. He lifted his leg onto the railing as he prepared to leap into the arena. "STOP IIIIIIIIIIT!"

Snickering caught the attention of the Fairy Tail members. Sabertooth was looking at them with wicked grins.

Gray, Erza, and Gracie looked at them with glares that could kill. Natsu would have as well, but he was far more preoccupied with getting to Lucy. """Sabertooth!"""

Minerva wore the expression of a villain as she stopped her assault to grip Lucy tightly by the throat. "I will teach you firsthand what it means to defy Sabertooth!"

KERSPLASH!

THOOM!

Suddenly, something crashed into the arena of water, creating a massive disturbance in the surface tension on both sides of the orb as if a meteor had pierced through it. It was subsequently followed almost immediately by something colliding with the ground in the arena and kicking up a cloud of dirt.

Squatting within the fading cloud of dirt, an unconscious, bleeding, burned, and bruised Lucy held tightly in his arms, was Nikolias. A scythe-like blade protruded from his right forearm, a crimson red liquid dripping from its edge.

Minerva blinked. Just a second ago, Lucy had been held firmly in her grasp. But suddenly she vanished. She looked down and her eyes widened. Her arm, all the way to halfway up her forearm, was gone. Blood flowed from the stub as it mixed into the water and began to fill her vision. Seeing it made the pain register. She wailed in agony as she used her magic to halt the bleeding.

"Wh…What in the world just happened?!" Chapati stammered. "Nikolias has suddenly appeared in the arena with Lucy! And Minerva's…Minerva's lost an arm?!"

Fairy Tail B Team looked at where Nikolias had once been standing with shock. None of them had even noticed him move. However, anxiety, worry, and irritation quickly replaced their shock as they looked back to Lucy.

As if also stunned for a moment, the bell signaling the end of Naval Battle rang out. However, no one seemed to react to it. There was a mix of confusion and panic that had stolen their focus.

""""MILADY!"""" All of Sabertooth leapt out of their section in concern after seeing Minerva's condition. They were too distracted to acknowledge their own victory.

"""""LUCY!""""" Simultaneously to Sabertooth, Natsu, Gray, Erza, Gracie, and Wendy all leapt out of their section to run to where Nikolias was holding Lucy.

Millianna gaped. "Wh…Whoa! When did he…?"

A bead of sweat rolled down Beth's face as she shivered. "He…Did he just…?"

Kagura rested her hand on her sword's hilt. 'I couldn't see him move. I couldn't even sense it. Not only that, but he severed her arm without her noticing and without hurting his guildmate. That speed and power…'

Jura narrowed his eyes. 'Such terrifying strength. Did he go easy on me in our match?'

Nikolias gently pried off Minerva's severed arm from Lucy's neck and tossed it aside. The severed limb bounced and rolled along the ground, leaving a thin trail of blood behind it. Slowly, he rose to his feet, holding Lucy close and carrying her like a sleeping princess. He stood still for a moment, the shadow of his hair hiding his gaze, but it seemed like he was looking at Lucy's face. He then began making his way to where Natsu and the others were running, his gaze still obscured from the onlookers as he walked.

Natsu was at the head of the charge. "LUCY!"

Nikolias stopped once Natsu reached him. He gently placed her in his arms.

Natsu immediately squatted down, his expression a mess. "Lucy! Please, answer me! Lucy!"

Gray knelt beside them. "C'mon Lucy, open your eyes! Say something!"

Gracie put a hand to her mouth. Her eyes trembled. "She's really not looking good."

Arcadios came running down from the stands with his guards in tow. Panic was evident on his face. He couldn't afford to lose a valuable part of his plan. "Get them both to the infirmary at once!"

"Please wait!" Wendy begged as she knelt next to Lucy. She held up her hands and began healing Lucy's wounds. "Before you do, I need to give her emergency treatment!"

"I'll help!" a dripping wet Sheria called out as she ran up to them. "She's hurt bad, but if we work together, it'll be better!" She activated her healing magic. Lucy's expression visibly relaxed after feeling some of her external injuries fade away.

While all this was happening, Minerva managed to focus enough to leave the orb of water. She was gripping her arm tightly as her magic kept her from losing more blood. Her teeth were gnashed as she tried to ignore the pain. Sweat, water, and strands of hair clung to her skin. Her guildmates ran up to her, but she ignored them. Her wild glare was trained on Nikolias's back. "You! What did you do?!"

Nikolias ignored her. He kept looking at Lucy, watching her closely.

"I asked you a question!" Minerva barked. "I acted within full accordance with the rules, I'll have you know! How dare you interfere and do this to me!"

"Rules?" Erza interjected. "You tortured your opponent whose defeat was already certain!"

"You all should be grateful!" Minerva spat. "I let that worthless, useless girl have second place!"

Natsu, Gray, and Gracie walked up beside Erza. "What was that you just said?!" Natsu roared.

Sting, Orga, and Rufus stood in front of Minerva. "We'll make you pay for what you did to Milady!" Sting hissed.

"Surely there will be some kind of punishment for your actions. I wouldn't be surprised if your disqualification was eminent," Rufus said.

The two sides squared off, exchanging looks of fury. The crowd, awakening from their stupor, reacted and began to cheer raucously, hoping to see the two teams duke it out. Chants of "fight" rained down on the arena.

Natsu took the first step, but Erza stopped him from moving. "I don't care if you're the strongest in Fiore. But know this…" A dark expression, one of a person trying desperately not to act on their rage, colored Erza's face. "You all have made yourselves an enemy of the one guild that you don't want to anger."

"Is that so?" Minerva's expression twisted even more. "You took the words right out of my mouth!"

"What is this?!" Chapati cried. "Both teams look ready to fight it out!"

"However, it is vital that they remain coolheaded," Yajima sighed.

Chapati turned to Yajima. "What do you think about Nikolias's interference, Mr. Yajima?"

Yajima hummed. "I can empathize with his actions. However, like Rufus alluded to, I wouldn't be surprised if there was some kind of consequence."

"QUIET."

A commanding voice, soft yet deafening, ripped through all in attendance. Competitors, guild members, the commentators, the guards, and the audience all obeyed and fell silent. A cold sweat ran down all their backs. The voice simply held that much authority. Although, there was another reason they swiftly obeyed; it was out of fear.

They all knew who spoke as well. For some, they recognized the voice, while for others it was as if they instinctively knew. And that's why all eyes within Domus Flau fell on Nikolias.

Nikolias turned towards the commentators. For the first time, his expression was clear. As he fixed his gaze on the three men, everyone could see his face. His golden, dragon-like eyes bore into them, flaring with rage. His fists were clenched tight enough to draw blood, and thick veins bulged all over his body. "Do whatever you want. Say whatever you want. But these are games, and she took it too far. No matter the situation, I will protect my family without hesitation."

He then turned his furious glare on Minerva. "And as for you…" The pressure in the stadium seemed to intensify, making it hard to take a breath. Wisps of shadows leaked from his entire body as if they could no longer be contained. His eyes flashed. "Consider yourself fortunate that all you lost today was an arm."

Minerva felt her blood run cold. Her lips trembled as words left her. Under his piercing gaze, her legs felt like they would buckle. 'What is this…pressure? It feels as if I'm drowning at the bottom of the ocean. And this chill…it's like I'm staring death in the face. Why am I reacting this way? There's no way…I can't be…afraid? Of him? Impossible! Sabertooth is afraid of no one! Sabertooth stands on top of all!' Still, whether she was willing to recognize it or not, Minerva's instincts and thoughts were not aligned.

Nikolias walked up behind Natsu and put a hand on his shoulder. "Natsu. Take Lucy to the infirmary as soon as Wendy is done. I trust no one more than you to get her there as soon as possible."

Natsu subdued his rage enough to turn and run back to Lucy. He watched a sweating Wendy and Sheria work on healing Lucy and waited for their signal to move her.

Mato ran up to the two warring groups. "Alright, alright! Let's wrap things up here for now! You'll have plenty of opportunities to settle the score later in the Games!"

Sting clicked his tongue. "Oh, you can bet we'll settle this score. There will be payback and then some."

Gracie flipped him off. "Bring your A-game. I would hate to see you guys utterly embarrassed as we bury you."

The two sides turned and walked away, but the clashing hatred did not subside. One thing was clear, though; the remainder of the Grand Magic Games would be one for the ages.

Current Standings:

Fairy Tail (B Team) – 56 pts

Sabertooth - 52 pts

Mermaid Heel - 37 pts

Fairy Tail (A Team) - 35 pts

Lamia Scale - 29 pts

Blue Pegasus - 23 pts

Quatro Cerberus - 16 pts

Raven Tail - DISQUALIFIED