Chapter 203

A Real Man

After I left the arena, I made my way back to the others in the stands. As I walked through the halls, I felt happy that I was able to get revenge but going through what I did; I couldn't help but think about how lucky I was. I knew that Raven Tail and its members were evil, but Fuzen would give Satosh a run for his money regarding sadism. It was almost scary how he almost made me give up the match.

The mere thought made my arms tremble, and I had to hold them while taking deep breaths to calm down.

"Take it easy, Willy. He can't hurt you anymore." I told myself. "He can't hurt you. Never again."

Then I heard Chapati's voice.

"All right, folks! It's time for the next match of the Crocus Fighter's Tournament! For this match, it's Yuka Suzuki of Lamia Scale versus Bacchus Groh of Quatro Cerebus!"

"Looks like the second match is about to start. I should try and watch, but I already know who will win even if I do. Plus, even if I miss out, there's a strong chance he might participate in a match for the games. Until then, I've got time to kill before the others start. But what can I do until then?

I then remembered Wendy, Carla, and Porlyusuca.

"Well, it's been a while since I've last seen them. So maybe it wouldn't hurt to visit. Hopefully, Wendy and Carla are doing a bit better."

It wasn't long until I came to the infirmary and went inside. The first thing I saw was Porlyusica busily working on something on a table. Next, I saw Wendy, who was fast asleep on her bed, and Carla, who was now awake and sitting beside her bedside. I also noticed that Porlyusica had another patient who was blue in the face and whining in agony as he lay in bed. Of course, it turned out to be Natsu, most likely still sick after what he went through in Chariots.

"Hey guys," I greeted. "Hope you don't mind me dropping by."

"Willy, I didn't expect to see you here," said Porlyusica as she looked up. "Shouldn't you be watching the second semi-final match?"

"Nah. I decided to check on things here," I replied. "Besides, I've got a hunch who the winner will be, so I don't think there's any point in watching." I looked at Carla. "I see that you're looking better, Carla."

"Much better," smiled Carla.

I looked over at Wendy and Natsu. "So, how are they doing?" I asked Porlyusica.

"Wendy's coming along nicely," the old woman replied. Her tone of voice became peeved. "As for Natsu, he's still green in the gills, but he'll be fine after some rest. Honesty, becoming this pathetic from motion sickness."

"Well, to be fair, I can get an idea of how he's feeling," I said. "After all, I've recently developed the same problem."

Carla appeared surprised. "Hold on. You mean to say you get motion sickness, too, Willy?"

I wryly chuckled while scratching my cheek. "Yeah."

Porlyusica sighed. "So it's a Dragon Slayer thing, now? How annoying. If it's not one thing with you kids, it's another."

"Well, hopefully, you won't have to worry about me," I said. "Because I don't plan on riding any vehicles anytime soon." My expression softened. "By the way, Porlyusica, I don't know if I said this before, but I can't thank you enough for the antidote. I might not be standing here now if it wasn't for that. I'm truly grateful. And I'm sorry for the trouble I may have caused you."

I leaned forward in a bow.

"There's no need to thank me, child," said Porlyusica. "I'm just doing my job as a medicinal advisor, which reminds me. Are your magic powers stable now?"

"Yes, they are," I replied as I looked at my open palm. "Although, to be fair, I haven't been able to use my full strength yet, even in my fight with Fuzen. But at the same time, I want to keep my cards closer to the vest until the time is right."

Carla then gave me a strange look, as if something was amiss with what I said.

"Is something wrong?" I asked the exceed. "Do I have something on my face or something?"

"O-oh. It's nothing," Carla replied as she glanced away. "Just spaced out, is all. Don't mind me."

I couldn't help but feel puzzled, but if it wasn't that important, I decided not to pursue it.

"Anyway, I should probably get back to the others," I told them. "Tell Natsu and Wendy to get well soon once they wake up. See you, guys."

I then walked out of the nursery and started back to the stands. As I power walked down the hall, I heard Chapati again.

"Oh, boy! That semi-final match was a bit shorter than the last one, but your winner is Bacchus of Quartro Cerebus, folks!"

"So Bacchus did end up winning. Just like I thought he would," I thought.

"And with that out of the way, it's time for the part you've all been waiting for: the battle portion of the Games!" he continued. "Today's first match will pit Kurohebi, the black python of our first-place guild, Raven Tail, against Lamia Scale's Toby Olorta!"

Hearing that announcement, I started jogging, trying to hurry before the match began. And it wasn't too long before I reached the balcony box.

"Hey, you guys. Sorry if I'm a bit late getting back," I panted.

"There's the man of the hour," said Macao with a smile. "Congrats on the win, Willy."

"Yeah, way to stick it to Raven Tail," added Wakaba. "Bet Ivan's not too pleased."

"You better believe he ain't!" rumbled Makarov with a cackle. "You did good, Willy! You've made your master proud!"

"As did I," concurred Tu Chi. "A match well met, Willy."

I nodded and hummed in thanks. Then, Asuka and Lapis scampered over.

"Did you see our banner, Willy? Did you see it?" Asuka asked eagerly.

"We drew it all by ourselves!" chirped Asuka. "We wanted to help cheer you on with everyone else!"

I looked down at the girls and smiled warmly. "Of course I did. I would have lost if it wasn't for you two." I then hugged the two tightly. "Thank you. Thank you both so much."

The two little girls giggled as they returned the embrace.

"Those two have been working on that since last night," smiled Sieri. "Well, I helped them out a little bit."

Just then, Lisanna and the Thunder Legion bustled in. Lisanna quickly rushed over to me and embraced me in a hug.

"Willy! I'm so glad you're OK!" Lisanna cried.

"Easy, Lisanna. I'm fine," I soothed while hugging her back.

"Well, it certainly didn't look that way from where Lisanna was standing," said Bixlow. "But to be fair, we were kind of worried too."

Fried then spoke to Makarov. "Master, we didn't see any activity from Raven Tail," he said. "And Bisca has reported no activity from Master Ivan either."

"Good to hear," hummed Makarov. "Let's hope they stay that way."

I turned my attention toward the arena and saw the two scheduled to fight. The first male I knew was Kurohebi, a thin but muscular male with black hair in a messy tousle, black lipstick on his lips, a thin smile, and slanted eyes. From the looks of things, he appeared to be the human version of a snake. On the other hand, Toby was a brown male, wearing nothing but pants and shoes, a sock with a string around his neck, and a face like a dog.

"Geez. It's snake vs. hound." I thought. "And here I thought our guild had the weird people."

At that moment, the gong let out a mighty bong, and their match started.

Tobi extended his claws to long lengths and started madly swiping while Kurohebi avoided them. Then, while hopping over Tobi and skidding to a stop, Kurohebi suddenly disappeared in a storm of sand. Before Toby could react, the sand rushed at him and exploded, throwing him for a loop. Upon seeing this, I recognized the spell as Sand Rebellion, which happened to be one of Max's spells. I soon learned through Master Mavis that Kurohebi had learned to use it through Mimic magic, an obscure form that allows its user to copy magic.

Toby was down but was not out as he recovered and started complimenting Kurohebi's strength and, for some reason, his name. However, that changed when Kurohebi told him his name was just a nickname. The dog man became so angry he ended up making a bet. If he won the match, Kurohebi would tell him his real name, but if he lost, Toby would have to tell Kurohebi his most special secret. Kurohebi accepted, and almost immediately, Toby was soundly defeated.

Afterward, Toby revealed his big secret: he had been searching for the other sock he had lost over the past three months. The same one that he was wearing around his neck. When he did, I couldn't help but do a double take, not believing how stupid that was. But that feeling didn't last long, for right then, Kurohebi ripped his sock to shred, which made the poor boy burst into tears while Kurohebi sadistically mocked him.

"Talk about kicking a dog while it's down," I thought with a frown. "But then again, that's Raven Tail for you."

"Now it's time for round two of our head-to-head battles!" announced Chapati. "First, from Quatro Cerebus, it's the god of wine and booze himself, Bacchus Groh!"

I then watched as the man in question paraded his way into the arena, holding up his gourd with pride.

"And his opponent will be someone from Fairy Tail Team A!" continued Chapati. "And that someone is Elfman Strauss!"

I couldn't help but cry out in surprise. "Wait, Elfman?!"

Lisanna was also shocked. "He's going to be fighting next?!" she gasped.

"Well, we're screwed," Macao, Wakaba, and Happy spoke in deflated tones.

Lisanna's shock quickly changed to indignance. "Hey! Don't be mean to him!" she snapped.

Elfman soon made his way to the middle of the field, where Bacchus lazily lay on the ground waiting for him. I couldn't help but feel worried, considering that Bacchus was regarded as powerful as Erza, and despite his training, I wasn't sure that Elfman stood a chance against him.

Then, Bacchus spoke to Elfman through the lacrima-tron. "Hey, since the last two guys made a bet, why don't we make one of our own? Your sisters are a couple of beautiful ladies."

Elfman scowled. "So, what's your point?"

"Come on; I know you ain't that dense, kid," Bacchus spoke as he gave Elfman a lascivious leer. "If I win, they get to keep me company tonight. Both of them at the same time~."

Immediately, my blood was boiling as anger surged through it while my eyes narrowed in a glare. It didn't take a moron to know what Bacchus was implying when he said he wanted the girls to keep him company. It was bad enough I had to tolerate his attitude the other night, but now, I wanted nothing more than to go straight into the arena and punch his lights out. Or better yet, stab him with one of my swords.

Elfman was also livid, looking so poed that he had veins rippling on his face and his hands as he balled them into fists. "Listen, pal. A real man doesn't tolerate that kind of disrespect, especially with my sisters!" he growled hotly. "I hope you're ready, hound dog, because you're about to get neutered!"

"So I reckon that means you accept this little wager?" Bacchus grinned as he stood up. "I'm so excited that I got the shakes."

A tense few seconds passed until the gong sounded.

Elfman used his Beast Soul to transform into his basic form known as "The Beast" and swiped with his massive claws, but Bacchus quickly bent back to avoid them and countered with three consecutive blows to various parts of his body, knocking him flat to the ground. Elfman got back up and attacked again, slugging at Bacchus with powerful punches. But once again, for every few he avoided, Bacchus countered with two to three quick and powerful strikes, which seemed to inflict massive damage. This exchange continued for several minutes until Elfman's Take Over faded, having been unable to land a single blow and his body covered with bruises and welts.

"Oh, my! I've seen many one-sided matches, but nothing like this!" Chapati spoke with worry to the audience. "Elfman is trying his hardest but hasn't been able to land a single hit on Bacchus!"

"Come on, Elfman! Fight back!" I growled in frustration. "You can't let this guy win!"

"Please! Get up, Big Brother Elf!" pleaded Lisanna.

"Don't worry, you two. Elfman's not done yet," reassured Evergreen. "He's always come through in a pinch, and he's not going to stop now."

Elfman then got back up and charged at Bacchus again.

"BEAST SOUL: WERETIGER!"

In a bright flash of his magic, his hair grew wilder like a mane, and his skin changed into yellow fur with black spots like a leopard's, along with a tail. This form was one of the quicker Take Overs he obtained from training that gave him a boost of speed. But as he attacked Bacchus again with rapid quick swipes from his claws, Bacchus dodged them and countered with a strong uppercut palm to his chin, a sweep to his leg, and an elbow to his back, knocking him flat on the ground.

"You got to be kidding me!" Sieri exclaimed indignantly. "Elfman still can't hit him?! Not to mention that guy's moving a bit weirdly! Is he predicting his movies or something?"

"I wouldn't say just predicting," said Tu Chi. "From the looks of things, it has to do with the style of fighting he's using."

I looked back at her. "Didn't Erza and Mira mention something about him being a master of some kind of palm technique?"

"Correct," nodded Tu Chi. "At a glance, he's using Palm Magic, a type of magic that focuses magic power into your palms, which boosts the strength of his strikes. And based on that unique stance, he also appears to be a master of a martial arts style known as "Chop-Hanging Palm" and uses it in conjunction with his magic to deal powerful strikes. However, Bacchus seems to have taken this fighting style to another level by making his style known as the "Drunken Chop-Hanging Palm." "

"Hold on a second," said Bixlow. "You mean this guy gets hammered as he fights?"

"I see," hummed Makarov. "And if one such as Bacchus were to get drunk, his moves would become unpredictable and much more destructive. Not to mention dull his sense of pain."

"That explains the craziness in the bar the other night," sighed Wakaba. "No wonder we got our asses handed to us."

I returned my attention to the arena and watched as Elfman continued to get beat around. Then, I realized something that made my eyes widen.

"Hold on, if what you said is true, Elfman might be in bigger trouble than we thought."

"What do you mean, Willy?" Lisanna asked worriedly.

I then pointed to an object lying on the ground a few feet away. It was the gourd that Bacchus brought when he first came into the arena.

"Take a look. If Bacchus does have to get drunk when he fights, that would mean that gourd is filled with alcohol," I explained. "And last time I checked, he hasn't touched it since he started fighting." I scowled grimly. "Which means he's holding back."

Everyone collectively gasped with worry.

Elfman was now on the ground again, his Take Over wearing off. He now looked severely weakened, his clothes were tattered, and he was sporting new bruises all over his body.

"This doesn't look good. Elfman's Take Over has worn off again," Yajima commented. "Mostly likely from expending magic power and all the damage he took."

"WHAT AN AWESOME FIGHT!" screeched Jason in excitement. "So INCREDIBLY COOL!"

"Is that it?! Is Elfman down for the count?!" Chapati said dramatically.

My hands tightened into fists as I watched Elfman struggle to get up, but miraculously, he managed to stand, still determined.

"Oh, so you got back up, eh?" Bacchus teased. "Guess all your howling about being a man ain't just for show."

Elfman smirked back. "Hey, Hound Dog. You were going on about having my sisters if you win," he panted. "But I haven't told you what I wanted. Our bet, I mean."

"This might be the only time this'll come up, but go ahead," chuckled Bacchus. "What do you want if you win?"

The middle Strauss sibling's grin grew wider. "If I win, I want you and the rest of your guild to go by "Quatro Puppy" for the rest of the games!"

Bacchus bit back a snigger while everyone in our box couldn't help but be surprised. Then, the man walked over to his gourd and picked it up, opening it.

"All right then, kid," he said. "You got yourself a deal,"

He then started chugging down its contents, which meant only one thing.

"He's serious now! Get ready, Elfman!"

Bacchus, now wholly drunk, slowly crouched down low and suddenly shot forward at a blinding speed, striking Elfman hard with seven consecutive hits in a row in a split second, which made my jaw drop.

"So many hits!" Evergreen cried.

"And it all happened so fast!" Lisanna gasped.

"So this is Bacchus's true power!" I murmured in disbelief. "It was like he became a blur, and those attacks had to have done major damage!"

"That may be true," said Tu Chi. "But look a bit closer."

Bacchus then turned around, cackling while believing he had won. But then he looked down at his hands and did a double-take. They were now covered with cuts and bleeding while his armor was crumbling close to them.

He then looked back and saw something that made him even more surprised.

Elfman stood before him now in another new Take Over. His appearance was reptilian, with hard green scales surrounding his body and long, sharp black spikes lining his arms and spine.

"This is Beast Soul: Lizardman!" Elfman growled. "I may not be able to hit you, but you can go on and hit me all you want!"

The crowd was abuzz with shock.

"No way!" I gasped. "Elfman intends to turn this into a battle of endurance!"

Makarov hummed with worry. "Those lizardman scales, spikes, and that tough hide make for the ultimate defense against a barehanded fighter like Bacchus, but considering the damage he took along with the recent blows, he's taking quite the risk."

"No kidding," Sieri spoke with worry. "He's practically a scaly punching bag."

Lisanna was now even more worried. "I sure hope Elfman knows what he's going," she murmured. "I'm not sure if this is a good idea."

"There's nothing we can do, Lisanna," Tu Chi spoke calmly. "All we can do is watch and hope Elfman's gamble pays off."

"I still think he's got this," Evergreen spoke with a smile. "He's got more than size and defense working in his favor. All of us just need to believe in him."

Elfman then started taunting Bacchus. "All right, come on, hound dog! Go ahead and hit me with everything you got!" he barked. "Unless you're afraid to rip your arms to shreds!"

Bacchus cackled with excitement. "I like your style, man! Now you got my blood pumping, and my soul's shaken and stirred!"

With a burning soul, Bacchus shot forwards and started raining numerous heavy blows while Elfman crossed his arms and took every hit.

"This is insanity!" Chapati cried out in excitement. "This battle has become more than a simple fight! It's now an ultimate showdown of wills, one utilizing the ultimate attacks and the other the ultimate defense! Will Bacchus wear himself out, or will this be too much Elfman?! It's too close to call! Which one of these fighters will be left standing!?"

Bacchus continued to rain down the blows, and Elfman continued to tank them while everyone watched with bated breath, waiting to see who would fall first.

Eventually, after a few tense moments, Bacchus fell to his knees, and Elfman followed suit, his Take Over wearing off a third time. Both competitors were gasping for breath and sweating from exhaustion while bloody and battered.

There was nothing but silence, the tension so thick that you could cut it with a sword. Then, Bacchus smiled as he slowly rose to his feet and yelled.

"Yeah! I'll always be wild!"

At first, I thought of the worst, believing that Elfman had lost, but then Bacchus looked at Elfman and spoke out of respect for him.

"You said your name is Elfman, right?" he gasped. "I gotta say, pal. Out of all the people I've faced till now, you - are a real man."

His eyes then rolled to the back of his head as he collapsed on his back, unconscious.

No sooner than that, the bell rang, and Chapati made a loud announcement.

"And Bacchus is down for the count! The winner of this match and earning Fairy Tail's first victory of the games while earning them ten points is Elfman Strauss!"

The crowd erupted in a chorus of cheers, our group cheering the loudest of all. And despite Elfman's current state, he let out a bellowing roar of victory that echoed throughout the arena.

"Is Elfman's roar of victory the signal for Fairy Tail's resurrection?!" Chapati continued with his commentary. "This must be the biggest upset I've ever witnessed!"

"He did it! He did it!" Lisanna cried as she repeatedly jumped with joy. "Big Bro Elf won!"

I also felt overwhelming pride and joy as I watched Elfman raise his fists and roar while the crowd cheered.

"Way to go, Elfman! You've made our guild proud!"

A little while later, Elfman was taken to the infirmary to be treated. Lisanna, the Thunder Legion, and I headed to the infirmary to visit him.

On the way there, we met with Erza, Lucy, and Gray, who were thrilled about Elfman's recent victory and had the same thoughts we did. Mira was also on her way there, wanting to congratulate him. So, we decided to go together.

When we got to the infirmary, Elfman had been bandaged like a mummy and appeared to be in so much pain that he could hardly move. Natsu, Wendy, and Carla were also there, the two dragon slayers now fully rested and back on their feet.

Erza was the first to start talking. "Elfman, it would appear that we've all underestimated you. Your manly spirit and uncanny ability to take a beating are unrivaled in our guild. And thanks to this victory, we've now begun to gain momentum to keep winning. You should be proud."

"I don't think I've ever heard Erza praise someone this much," chuckled Lucy.

"As she should," I smiled. "All that training you did in the swamp has paid off, and you should be proud. You were awesome out there, Elfman."

"Thanks, guys," Elfman grunted. "But why are you making it feel like I'm at my funeral or something?"

Lisanna gently patted his shoulder. "Well, taking a beating has always been Big Bro's strong suit," she said. "So, it shouldn't come as no surprise."

"No kidding," agreed Mira. "All that training with Tu Chi must have paid off, considering that she had him wrestle against powerful creatures in the swamp he kept losing to."

Natsu sniggered cheekily. "Sorry, Elfman, but that's a lame strength strong suit to have."

"Oh, shut up, Natsu!" snapped Elfman. "You're the same way!"

"I think what you did out there was amazing," Wendy said admiringly.

"And thanks to your match, I now know what Bacchus is capable of, and that'll be a big help in my match," I said. "So, thanks for taking one for the team."

"Thanks for the kind words, but unfortunately, I'm in no shape to keep going," Elfman spoke to the little girl. "So, Wendy, I'll leave the rest to you."

Wendy nodded in affirmation.

Elfman then looked over at me. "And, Willy, you're going to be facing Bacchus tomorrow," he went on. "Make sure you kick his ass."

I gave him a confident smile. "That's the plan," I said with a fist pump. "And don't worry. I'll get a few good licks in for you, bud."

"This is all nice and dandy, but you should stay focused and get back to the games," Porlyusica spoke sternly. "You need to study your opponents to beat them."

Everyone nodded in agreement as they started to depart from the infirmary, the rest of Team Fairy Tail A being the first to leave.

"Elfman, I'm sorry, but I want to watch the matches with them," said Lisanna.

"Same with me," I concurred.

"And I got to get back to my team in case my name is called," added Mira.

"It's fine, guys. I don't blame you," said Elfman. "I would if I were you guys. Go out there and cheer extra loud for me."

"Don't worry. We'll stay here and keep Elfman company and safe," Fried told us. "Leave everything to the Thunder Legion."

And with that, Lisanna, Mira, and I left the infirmary.

Things appeared to be looking good for the moment. But then I happened to look over at Natsu and the others. Natsu was now wearing an angry frown, and Wendy looked worried.

"Hey, what's wrong, you two?" I asked my fellow dragon slayers. "If you're worried about Elfman, I'm sure he'll be fine. Especially since Porlyusica and the Thunder Legion are with him."

"That's not what we're worried about," said Natsu.

"Then, what's with the scowl, pyro?" asked Gray. "Did something happen?"

Natsu, Wendy, and Carla then explained what had happened as we walked along.

As it turned out, during the match, a group of men had broken into the infirmary and attempted to kidnap Wendy, Porlyusica, and Carla. Thankfully, Natsu was there to stop them, and the guards swiftly detained them. However, when they were interrogated, they claimed that someone from Raven Tail had given them a job to bring them a girl that was in the infirmary. At first glance, it could have been any of the girls there, but Natsu and the others soon found out that their target was; Lucy.

Naturally, everyone was surprised, most notably Lucy.

"But why would Raven Tail target me specifically?" she asked.

"I don't know, but we got to do something about them," Natsu growled. "They can't just get away with this."

"It's like they're trying to take us out one by one," Erza added with a furrowed brow. "Do they intend to target our team until we're unable to compete?"

"To be honest," Carla spoke out. "I'm not entirely convinced that's true."

We all looked toward the exceed.

"What are you talking about, Carla?" Wendy asked.

"How can you say that after everything that's happened?" Erza also questioned.

Carla frowned as she looked at us. "Those bandits that Natsu caught told him that Raven Tail hired them to kidnap Lucy for some reason," she explained. "But their plan failed miserably not only because of Natsu catching them but also because they got the wrong target."

"But why would that be strange?" asked Lisanna.

"And it's not like we knew what they were going to do with Lucy once they caught her either," said Erza.

"Yeah, let's not try and speculate, OK?" Lucy spoke wryly.

"That may be so, but it's the method that raised some red flags," Carla went on. "Raven Tail has a member that can instantly drain a person of their magic power and is the same person who attacked Wendy and me."

"And it's a pretty safe bet that same wizard was the one who interfered in Lucy's match with Flare," said Mira. "Master Makarov thinks so, too."

"But then, if Raven Tail had a wizard like that in their ranks, why didn't they use him in their kidnap plan?" I wondered. "That would make a lot more sense, and they wouldn't have gotten caught as they did. Not to mention, the members of Raven Tail know what Lucy looks like, yet these guys didn't even have a clue."

"Maybe they figured it would be too suspicious," suggested Gray. "I mean, if they sent one of their teammates before the battle, people would notice."

"The organizers want everyone close by since they don't announce who's fighting until right before the match," said Lisanna.

"Yeah, I think you're overthinking this, Carla," said Wendy.

"I agree," concurred Lucy with a scowl. "I don't think Raven Tail cares about how they do things as long as someone gets hurt in the end."

"Either way, if we're being targeted in and outside the arena, we must remain on guard at all times," said Erza. "I don't want anyone going by themselves."

Everyone responded with a nod in agreement and then split up. Natsu and his team returned to their seats while Lisanna, Carla, and I walked Mira back to her team.

We soon came to where Fairy Tail Team B's balcony box and Lisanna, Carla, and I were about to start heading back.

"We'll see you around, Bis Sis Mira," said Lisanna. "Good luck to you and your team."

"Thanks, Lisanna, I appreciate it," smiled Mira. She looked across at me. "Make sure you guys are careful getting back."

"Thanks, Mira," I answered. "And we'll cheer extra hard for you and your team. Rack up another win for us."

Mira smiled. "Count on it."

I just started to walk away, but then I heard Mira.

"Willy, hold on a second."

I then stopped and turned towards her. "What's up, Mira?" I asked.

Then, Mira spoke low enough so that only I could hear her.

"Make sure that you're careful, too," she said. "There's a strong chance you could be a big target from Raven Tail, especially after you beat Fuzen."

"I didn't even think of that," I realized. "That would make sense, but don't worry. I'll be fine."

Mira smiled lightly. "I also wanted to say congrats on the win," she added. "You were amazing out there."

I could feel my cheeks start to heat up from the praise. "Well, uh, thank you. It was no big deal," I spoke while averting my eyes and twirling my bang. "I-It was a bit difficult, but it was nothing I couldn't handle."

I then looked back, seeing Lisanna and Carla staring at me. Lisanna had a teasing glint in her eye to go with her grin, while Carla remained neutral.

I quickly cleared my throat. "A-Anyway, we're going to get going now. We'll be rooting for you in the stands, and good luck."

"Thanks," Mira told me. "I'll see you later."

I turned on my heel and walked away while Lisanna and Carla followed.

"Looks like there's some chemistry between you and Mira," observed Carla.

"W-Well, I wouldn't say chemistry," I said while keeping my eyes ahead. "I was just wishing Mira good luck, that's all."

"Oh, yeah? It sure looked like there was some to me," said Lisanna cheekily.

I pretended I didn't hear her as I continued walking. But as I did, I sensed something, causing me to glance behind me from where we came. However, I didn't see anyone or anything.

"Willy? Is something wrong?" asked Lisanna.

I searched around the hall with my eyes before turning back forward and resuming walking. "Yeah. I'm fine," I replied. "Don't mind me."

NO POV

As Willy's group walked on, a mysterious female with blonde hair peeked out from behind a corner, watching them leave. As she did, a mischievous smile tugged at her cheeks.

"Interesting~," she purred. "Looks like I just found out something rather intimate.~ And this will make things a bit more fun. Fun for me~."

Sorry if it's taking longer than usual, but I'm moving while trying to get my writing business off the ground.

I'll try my best to upload new chapters whenever I can.

If you liked what you read and are new, please favor, follow, and review.

Thank you for reading, and I'll see you next chapter!

Dragomaster, signing off.