Chapter 44

Minerva

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

"Magic"

Flashback you

Location / Date / Time Skip

Wendy panted in exhaustion as Chelia stared at her opponent. "I don't suppose you want to surrender, do you?"

The crystal construct twitched its head as it stared at the fight, much to Doranbolts confusion. 'There's only one mage I know who can use that kind of magic... He must be close...'

"I can't say I dislike doing battle, but I don't think that a one-sided battle like this accomplishes anything." Chelia continued. "So I really wouldn't mind if you quit."

"...I can't" Wendy panted out. "The fact that I can stand here at all means I'm ready to give it all fighting for my guild. I don't need your mercy. So come at me and beat me down until I can't lift a finger on my own!"

Chelia stared in shock before smirking. "Sure. I mean anything else wouldn't be polite. This time I'm gonna show you one of my strongest attacks." Black wind gathered around her palms as the two girls stared at each other. "God Slayer Secret Art!"

"Don't do it, Chelia!"

"You mustn't!"

"Are you trying to kill her?"

Chelia ignored the cries of her guild as black feathers appeared on her wrists. "Heavenly Gathering of Clouds!" A spiral of black feathers flew at Wendy. The Dragon Slayer raised her arms and the attack went high, scraping her arms as the blast went past her.

"Wendy dodged it?!" Romeo asked.

"No, Chelia missed." Makarov replied.

"Chelia's magic can heal herself, but that's just healing wounds." Carla explained. "She can't recover lost stamina. On the other hand, Wendy cannot self heal, but she can help others recover their stamina."

"You mean she helped her enemy recover?" Romeo asked.

"She made Chelia missed..." Lyon mumbled. "By adding power to the attack, she survived."

"What a tactic!" Chelia cheered before blocking a forearm smash. The attack scratched her arm, but her magic quickly healed her and the two started trading blows. By the time the gong rang out, both girls were exhausted and collapsed to their knees. The crowd roared as both teams were rewarded five points.

Jura smiled as he looked down at Wendy, thinking back to when he first meet her during the Nirvana event. 'She certainly has grown into a strong young girl.'

Chelia was the first to stand and walked over to Wendy. "Here, let me help you." She leaned down and started healing Wendy. "So, do you wanna be friends now?"

Wendy was shocked at the deceleration before the pinkette offered a hand up. The Dragon Slayer smiled and took the hand to stand up, nodding and shaking her hand. The crowd started funneling out of the building, the rat racing through the hall. It tilted the head and raced forward, only for Doranbolt to suddenly appear and crush the crystal rat under his boot.

"Ahh!" Suishou crawled back in pain, his eyes no longer glowing. "Damn councilman..."

"Did you find out who was the source?" Meredy asked, leaning in.

"No, just that it wasn't Chelia." He replied. "Whoever is making that magical signature is someone in the stands."

Day 3 Results

Sabertooth - 44p

Lamia Scale - 31p

Fairy Tail B - 30p

Fairy Tail A - 27p

Mermaid Heel - 22p

Blue Pegasus - 18p

Quattro Puppy - 14p

Raven Tail - Disqualified

Night

Streets of Crocus

Laxus leaned against a stone wall as Makarov walked towards him. The two shared a glance before Laxus spoke up. "Geezer, wanna tell me about the Lumen Histoire?"

"Lemme guess, Ivan mentioned it?" Makarov asked, earning a nod from his grandson. "I can't believe it..."

"He tried to tell me that it's Fairy Tail's darkness, whatever the hell that means." Laxus added.

"It's not dark at all." Both looked over to see the spirit of Mavis walking towards them. "The Lumen Histoire is what brings light into our guild. But it is top secret information that can only be shared with guild masters. I hope you can understand, Laxus."

"Listen, as long as it's not something weird, I got no reason to pry." The Dragon Slayer said back.

"I wonder how Ivan was able to get a hold of such secrets..." Makarov mumbled.

"I assume the second master Precht told him." Mavis suggested. "I never thought that he would fall to the dark side. Choosing him was such a terrible decision..." Tears started welling up in her eyes and two men panicked.

Honeybone Inn

The cheers of the guild echoed throughout the inn as Fairy Tail celebrated their massive wins. "Wow, you really do recover fast, Erza." Lucy said, walking over to the red head.

"It's all thanks to Porlyusica and Wendy." She replied.

"And yet they still can't seem to recover Elfman." Mirajane chuckled.

"Erza made cutting those monsters look easy..." Wendy mumbled in disappointment. "But I couldn't even get a win."

"Don't be so hard on yourself." Carla replied. "You were great out there."

Natsu suddenly crashed into Gajeel as he slid over some barrels. "Do you wanna die tonight!?" The pierced man asked, holding Natsu to his face. The entire guild started laughing as others joined in, the party lasting all night.

Crocus Garden

Sting stood out on the balcony as he stared up at the moon. "Sting, aren't you tired?" Lector asked as the cat walked outside.

"Not really." The blonde replied. "I get the feeling I get to fight Natsu tomorrow. I've been waiting for this chance for seven years. I'm too excited to sleep."

"You got this, no doubt!" Lector cheered.

Day 4

Domus Flau

A giant orb of water stood at the center of the colosseum, confusing the crowd. "Allow me to explain the rules of the game today." Chapati declared. "The game today is something we call a Naval Battle. Each team chooses one member and then the battle begins. If you leave the battle area, you are out. The one left in at the end is the winner, and we split the points from that.

"But there is a twist: when only two wizards are left in the water, the five minute rule goes into effect. When only two contestants are left, the first person eliminated in those five minutes gets ranked last." The first three participants entered the sphere, donned in bathing suits: Chelia from Lamia Scale, Jenny from Blue Pegasus, and Risley from Mermaid Hell.

Juvia then entered the battle field, followed by Minerva from Sabertooth and Lucy. Rocker was the last to enter and the gong rang out, starting the fight. "I'm not waisting any time. Open, Gate of the Water Bearer - Aquarius!" The mermaid appeared and her jug fired out a spiral of water at the enemies.

"Not going to happen. Water Cyclone!" Juvia countered with her own spiral, creating a massive shockwave that sent the others flying around the orb. Jenny took advantage of the chaos and kicked Rocker out, eliminating him. Chelia tried to attack Risely only for the Gravity Mage to counter and avoid the blow.

The crowd cheered as several of the men in it gained nosebleeds. "I don't know how, but were even." Aquarius told her summoner. "This is a stalemate, so I'm going home."

"You can't do that!?" Lucy shouted. "You're my best spirit in the water! I need you here!"

"Well, I have a date." The spirit countered before vanishing. Juvia took advantage and tried to kick her 'love rival' out of the bubble.

"Virgo, Aries!" Lucy shouted, summoning the other two spirits. Virgo pushed against the blonde while Aries summoned a wall of wool to soften the blow, just saving Lucy. "That was too close."

The battle raged on as the crowd cheered on the battle. "I need to take them all out at once." Juvia declared. "There is no one in the water against me! I'll use the power of my second origin and my love for Gray! Wings of Love!" A spiral of water with glowing hearts swept through the orb, knocking out Chelia, Jenny and Risely.

Minerva merely chuckled as she waved her arms, vanishing from the battle as Lucy barely hangs on to her spirits, saving her from elimination. "That was absolutely incredible! In just one move, Juvia has thrown out three opponents! Her strength is unrivaled in the water!" Chapati declared.

'Did you get hot from that, my love?' She asked as she turned to Gray, only suddenly find herself outside the battle.

"What the heck just happened?" Nicholas asked.

"It's like she was just teleported." Cana added.

"What a pity! After all that effort, she's out!" Chapati shouted. "Even so, she managed to rank 3rd place for six points. Now only two are left in the Naval Battle." Chapati declared. "Who will be the victor in our five minute rule: Sabertooth or Fairy Tail? Let the five minute rule begin!"

A timer started and Minerva chuckled. "With my magic, I could throw you out of the water in a flash." She declared. "But that wouldn't be very satisfying for me. So let's see how long you last Fairy Tail." She waved her hand and a strange orb appeared next to Lucy, only to suddenly explode, blasting Lucy.

"An explosion in the water!?" Erza asked in surprise.

Another blast hit the blonde as she reached for her keys, only to find nothing. "What the-? Where are my keys?!" Minerva chuckled as she giggled the lot in front of her before another blast of heat sent her her towards the edge. Lucy managed to slow herself down enough before another sent back towards Minerva, who kicked her again.

"She can't use her magic without her keys." Carla growled.

Minerva raised her hand and prepared another blast, intent on taking Lucy out. "I can't lose..." The blonde declared, confusing the opponent. "If I lose, I'll be betraying everyones emotions. That's why I'll never give up."

Minerva suddenly canceled her spell as the timer reached zero, only to suddenly create a massive explosion of energy at her, shocking everyone in the blonde's guild. "You lot have your heads in the clouds!" Minerva shouted. "Do you think we have any kind of heart at all? We are the greatest guild in the world, we are Sabertooth!"

Blast after blast peppered Lucy as she flew towards the edge, only to suddenly vanish. She appeared in front of Minerva, who immediately kicked her in the back. "She did that on purpose." Mirajane declared.

"That girl is just trying to torture Lucy." Gajeel growled.

"The match is already over..." Laxus growled as Sabertooth laughed at the Fairy Tail teams.

"Stop the match!" Arcadios shouted. "She's going to kill her the Celestial Wizard! Stop it!"

"The referee has called for a stoppage!" Chapati shouted as Minerva hung Lucy out of the orb by her face. "Lucy hasn't moved for a while... Is she okay?"

"Get the medics!" Arcadios shouted as the doctors ran out onto the field. Natsu and his team jumped over the railing and raced to her as Sting laughed.

Sabertooth: 44p - 54p

Fairy Tail B: 30p - 36p

Lamia Scale: 31p - 35p

Fairy Tail A: 27p - 35p

Mermaid Heel: 22p - 25p

Blue Pegasus: 18p - 20p

Quattro Puppy: 14p - 15p

Minerva dropped the blonde to the ground just as Natsu slid forward, catching Lucy. "Come on, say something!"

"What the hell is your problem!?" Gray shouted up at Minerva. Wendy raced forward to the blonde before Chelia did the same, both Sky Slayers triggering their recovery magic.

Erza glared at Minerva as she left the water orb. "Such hate in those eyes." She teased. "Just remember that I acted in full compliance with the rules of the games. If anything, you all should be grateful that I let her take second place."

Natsu growled at her and was about to charge her, only for Erza to block with her arm and Sabertooth stood next to their female member.

"Seems like both guilds are ready to fight." Chapati declared, working up the crowd as the two teams glared at each other.

"You might be considered the strongest guild in Fiore, but you'd be wise to head this warning." Erza said to the four. "Making an enemy of Fairy Tail is the biggest mistake you could have ever made. And you will regret it."

Sabertooth merely chuckled at the warning as Lucy was carried out of the arena.

Medical Ward

"She's gonna be okay, isn't she?" Happy asked from Lucy's bed. The rest of her team stared in silence before Team B burst in, just as concerned for their guild member as anyone else.

"She's not out of the woods, but thanks to Wendy and Chelia, she isn't severely injured anymore." Porlyusica explained.

"They're gonna pay..." Natsu growled out, earning a nod from the others.

Lucy groaned as she opened her eyes, looking around. "Sorry..." She mumbled, confusing everyone. "I lost again..."

"Listen, second place is nothing to scoff about!" Gray retorted. "We got eight points because of you."

"But... my keys..." She mumbled. Happy presented the pouch and the blonde took them, hugging them close as she fell back asleep.

"Everyone is here, I wish it was under better circumstances." Makarov said as he entered the ward. "I have something to tell you. The Games organizers just contacted me. With the disqualification of Raven Tail, they're having a hard time organizing the fights for the final day. So they've demanded that we consolidate our two teams into one."

"But what about the points?" Carla asked.

"We're only allowed to keep the lower 35 points from Team A." The guild master replied.

"We don't have a choice." Erza explained. "All that's left are the two man battles and the final day. So we need to pick our members carefully."

"No matter what happens, we need to make Sabertooth pay!" Natsu growled, earning nod from everyone in the room.

"It seems that both Fairy Tail teams have finished reformatting into one." Chapati said as the battle schedule appeared for all to see. "And it seems like people are excited for the final match of the day. Now, let's meet the new and improved Fairy Tail Team!" The entire arena erupted into cheers as Natsu, Erza, Gray, Gajeel and Laxus entered the arena.

"The jeers that once greeted Fairy Tail on the first day are a distant memory! The nostalgia from seven years ago has brought them back to the forefront of the people!"

Up in the stands, Darton stared at the new team. "The Celestial Wizard isn't with them?" He asked, turning to Arcadios.

"It seems she's still recovering." The armored man replied. "For now let us enjoy the festival. The project will commence in three days. And then the world will forever change."

"That damned Eclipse." Darton growled.

"We've kept Zeref waiting long enough." Arcadios chuckled as he walked away.

The Defense Minister walked away before coming to a stop at a mural. "The Grand Magic Games... at one point they went by another name... The Dragon King Festival..."

The Tag Team battles started off when Ichiya and the idiot in the rabbit suit were instantly bested by Bacchus and Rocker, finally giving Quattro Puppy their first battle win.

"Well folks, it's time for our next battle! Lyon and Yuka from Blue Pegasus vs Millianna and Kagura from Mermaid Heel!" The crowd cheered as the four competitors walked onto the field. The battle gong rang out and Millianna threw her cloak off before firing a restraint tube at the two.

The men jumped out of the way before she charged the two, Kagura standing by to assist if needed. Millianna swung her tube and swatted at the two before Lyon put his hands together. "Ice-Make Eagles!" The frozen birds flew out of his palm and went straight at Kagura, only for the whip to shatter them.

Yuka growled and fired bullets of his wave magic at her, forcing the cat girl to dodge. She jumped into the air and fired a spiral at him, only to jump through it and start punching his face repeatedly. She flipped off him and pulled her gloves off, revealing sharp nails that she then scratched their faces.

The men growled in annoyance before she unleashed another tube at them, only for Yuka to block it. A swarm of them soon flew at the two and after dodging as many as they could, they were soon bound and hanging in the air. Lyon smirked before his hand started glowing, a small ice mouse appearing under her feet. The cat instincts took over and she started chasing it, freeing the boys.

Lyon then unleashed a blizzard from his palms and Millianna was shaking from the cold, letting Lyon and Yuka charge forward, unleashing spells at close range. They blasted her back before Kagura caught her. "It seems I am need after all." She declared before charging a ice tiger made by Lyon.

Kagura sliced the creature and charged at Yuka, batting him around before knocking him out with a swing to the back of the head. She turned and jumped over an ice spell before she swung her sheathed blade, knocking him back. He quickly stood back up and summoned three frozen constructs that charged her.

She jumped into the air and stared at the trio of creatures before her Gravity Magic sent them into the air. She then jumped and took out all three at once before diving at Lyon. The bell rang out just as her sword was inches from his face, ending the battle. "Time is up! This match is a draw!" Mato shouted as the two wizards landed.

Kagura walked back to Millianna, who hung her head in shame. "You did better than I thought." She declared. "And there is always room to improve. Just know that if this was a real fight, you would be dead."

"And it looks like the crowd is still hyped for our main event. The battle between the strongest guild seven years ago and the current strongest guild of the current day! Natsu and Gajeel from Fairy Tail vs Sting and Rouge from Sabertooth!" The four Dragon Slayers walked on to the field and glared at each other before the bell rang out.

And here we go! The big fight of the whole tournament has finally arrived, and I cannot wait to get it done! Obviously I didn't want to plop my OC into this because it would be too obvious and honestly, I think it would have ruined the fight. Without that relationship build up between the four, it would have fizzled out. See ya next time for the big fight.

Beta read by General Feng Xiang