Chapter 204

Mira vs. Jenny

Lisanna, Carla, and I soon returned to the stands. When we arrived, Cana, Levy, and Sieri were the first to notice and greet us.

"It's about time you guys got back," said Cana. "How's Elfman holding up?"

"He's been through worse, but he'll be fine," replied Lisanna.

"Have they announced who's going to be fighting next round?" I asked.

"You're just in time," smiled Sieri. "They're going to announce it right now."

Then Chapati's voice came right on cue.

"All right, folks! It's a lovely day for the games, and these two combatants are about to make things lovelier! The next round will be a battle of the beauties, which will pit Mirajane Strauss from Fairy Tail Team B against Blue Pegasus's blonde bombshell, Jenny Realight!"

I immediately looked toward the arena and saw Mira and her opponent making their way to the center.

"All right! Mira's fighting next!" I said eagerly.

"Let's just hope she'll have an easier time than Elfman did," said Levy.

"I'll say this much, Jenny's got the home-field advantage when it comes to the crowd," said Cana. "I hear she was number one on Sorceror Weekly's hottest girls in magic list. She's got a lot of guy fans."

"I think I've heard of her," said Lisanna. "Rumor has it she idolized Mira so much, she modeled her career after hers."

"And now that I think about it, Jenny's technically older than the two, considering none of you have aged the past seven-year gap," added Romeo.

"That may be so, but we'll see how she fares in battle," I said confidently. "Then again, Mira's got this in the bag. No doubt."

"Well, sounds like someone's got a lot of faith," Levy chuckled. "Then again, you have been training with her over that past month."

"And, the childhood friend always has unwavering faith in the ones they care about," teased Cana with a wink. "Especially for the ones they care about more than others."

I looked back while rolling my eyes. "Oh, give me a break," I scoffed. "I'm just rooting for Mira to win, same as you guys. Besides, Mira's been training like crazy over the past few months, and she's gotten majorly strong. So there's no doubt in my mind that Mira will-!"

But as I turned my eyes back toward the arena, I stopped mid-sentence, my eyes going wide in shock and my jaw dropping.

In full display for everyone in the arena to see and in full lacrima vision, Mira and Jenny had mysteriously taken off their clothes and were now wearing tiny bikinis while seductively posing. Mira was wearing the same two-piece swimsuit she wore on our trip to the Akane Resort, while Jenny also a two-piece, hers being blue with white triangles.

Every male in the audience was leering with lustful hearts in their eyes, cheering wildly. Even Master Makarov and the men in our group couldn't stop ogling at the women.

"Wh-What the heck is going on here?!" I couldn't help but exclaim in a stupefied cry as my wings shot forth from my back.

"Well, color me impressed," I heard Jenny speak through the screen. "You still got it, Mira."

"Well, thank you very much," smiled Mira. "It's been a while since I've done this, but it feels nice to do it again.

"I'm also amazed that you agreed to do a pose-off with me," added Jenny. "Normally, I'm game for this stuff, too, but I can't help but wonder why you agreed to this."

"Well, to be honest, I don't like slugging it out as much as I used to," explained Mira. "So, I figured I'd got for a more peaceful approach. In this way, it suits me a bit better."

"Two bodacious babes who are not only both glamor models but are also masters of Transformation magic?!" Chapati cried with enthusiasm. "This is the stuff that dreams are made of! Somebody pinch me! Once again, I am joined by a real ladies' man, Mr. Yajima, and our cool guest, Jason, has done dozens of centerfolds for Sorcerer Weekly himself."

"I'm feeling like a young man today," Mr. Yajima concurred.

"This is totally the coolest thing I have ever done!" Jason cried for the umpteenth time.

"You got to be kidding me!" I couldn't help but cry indignantly. "I thought this was supposed to be a fight, not a pose off!"

"I agree!" concurred Carla. "Disgraceful!"

"Well, it's understandable, considering those two are pinup models," said Lisanna. "Still, even I have to agree that it's weird."

But things would only get stranger. At that moment, three more people leaped from the stands and into the arena, all sporting swimsuits and posing. Those three were three of the members of Mermaid Heel, Araña, Risley, and Beth.

"Hold on, just a minute!" Risley called out. "You don't expect us to let those bubble-headed bimbos hog all the attention?"

"That's right! When it comes to beauty and strength!" added Araña. "Mermaid Heel can't be beaten!"

Then, two more girls entered the arena wearing swimsuits and striking poses, the two turning out to be the Blendy siblings from Lamia Scale; Sherry and Sherria.

"Now, wait a minute!" objected Sherry. "All of you girls are missing the most important thing! What good is showing off some skin if you don't have the love to back it up?!"

"That's right! If you want love, then you gotta give it!" chimed in Sherria. "And we're not going to be outdone either!"

"Holy mama! In an unexpected turn of events, Mermaid Heel and Lamia Scale's girls have joined the fray!" screeched Chapati in surprise. "From Risley, who ditched the junk in the trunk to bring the va-va-voom, and the Blendy cousins of Lamia Scale!"

The crowd went wild with cheers and whistles, and I couldn't help but be even more speechless.

"I-I can't even come up with the words for what's going on here," was all I could mumble.

"Just sit back and enjoy the show, Willy," Macao spoke eagerly. "You don't hear us complaining."

"No kidding," agreed Wakaba. "It's been forever since I've seen some good-looking babes in swimsuits. Especially Mira. And she's looking fine."

I couldn't help but look back, shooting the two a glare.

Mavis then popped up. "This isn't the time to act impressed," she said. "Why don't we all join in?"

Everyone looked at the First Master.

"M-Master Mavis, are you suggesting that we should go down there, too?!" Lisanna asked incredulously while pointing at herself.

"And what? Are we supposed to always have a swimsuit ready?" Cana spoke snidely.

"Says the girl who's already wearing one," Levy spoke while pointing at the girl's bikini top.

"Don't worry about it!" encouraged Mavis. "You should always be prepared for anything, and I just so happened to be prepared. So, I've brought swimsuits for all of you."

And no sooner than that, bikinis came raining down, much to the delight of the men of our group.

"Make sure you pay close attention, boys," Makarov spoke importantly. "This is one of the things we must never, but never question the first master's infinite wisdom."

"Well, I'm certainly questioning it!" I snapped shrilly.

"I think it'll be fun," smiled Sieri. "Let's all go down there together, and show them that Fairy Tail's girls are better!"

"This has taken an unexpected turn," chuckled Tu Chi. "This has undoubtedly been more entertaining since I've been to something like this."

And with that, all the girls made their way down the arena and started posing. Even Asuka and Lapis got in on the action. All I could do was stare in disbelief, not believing how absurd this was. And the more I thought about this, the more irritated I became, primarily because of how the guys reacted.

Mavis then appeared in front of my vision. "Come on, Willy. Lighten up a little. Just think of this as a nice break from fighting," she said. "Besides, I would have thought you'd like this, too."

"With all due respect, Master Mavis, I fail to see how this could be anything like a nice break," I said to the ghost. "If anything, I fail to see how someone like you would be into this sort of stuff."

Mavis hummed for a pause. Then, she whispered something in my ear. "You know, if you honestly want to stop this, then I may have an idea for you."

She whispered something into my ear, and my cheeks immediately turned red.

"S-Say what?! You expect me to do that?!" I cried at the ghost.

"Why not?" said Mavis as she smiled innocently. "Trust me. If you do what I told you, I guarantee you'll get a reaction from the crowd, and that should shift the attention away from the girls."

I took a minute to think, growling in disapproval and frustration. Then, I conceded.

"All right then. I'll do it. If you're sure that it'll work."

NO POV

Back in the arena, Mira and Jenny watched as all the other girls joined them and struck poses.

"Well, looks like things have certainly gotten out of hand, haven't they?" Mira giggled.

"Yeah, but it's all in good fun," smiled Jenny. "And all of the fans are eating it up."

Then, suddenly, a voice shouted out from above.

"Now, hang on just a minute!"

Everyone looked up as someone came down from above and landed in the arena in a crouch. That someone turned out to be Willy Falconer, much to the surprise of the Fairy Tail girls.

"All right! I've had just about enough of this nonsense!" Willy spoke out. "If you guys insist on going through this crazy contest, then how about you take a gander at this!"

He grabbed a firm grip on his clothes and threw them off all at once.

The boy now stood before the entire arena in nothing but a gray speedo and even struck a pose.

"How do you like me now?" the boy spoke in a suave demeanor as he gave the audience a wink.

WILLY'S POV

To say that I was embarrassed was an understatement. While I showed confidence, I felt so mortified that I wanted to crawl under a rock and stay there. The plan was to wear something just as revealing as the girls and throw everyone off enough to want to continue the fight. I also had no idea how to pose and look sexy, but I did whatever I could.

The entire arena had grown silent, I could feel a million eyes staring at me, and I was convinced that Mavis's plan worked.

But then, the crowd exploded into cheers as several shrill screams of women rang loud and clear.

"Whoa! It looks like Willy Falconer has decided to jump into the fray!" Chapati's voice cried out. "He's not only sporting a nice-looking speedo, but the girls in the crowd are loving it!"

All I could do was blink in sheer bewilderment as the crowd continued to cheer. "Wait... Wha?"

"Looking good, Willy!" I heard Sieri call out. "Way to show off your stuff!"

"Yeah! Way to represent the boys, Willy!" Lisanna also called out.

But all I could do was stand there as my face went red with embarrassment.

Then, I saw Mavis smiling and giggling a few feet away and now wearing a swimsuit herself.

"Master Mavis! You tricked me!" I snapped flusteredly. "This wasn't the reaction I had in mind!"

"Well, to be fair, I didn't exactly lie," said Mavis. "I only said that you would be guaranteed a reaction from the crowd if you dressed like that. And reacted, they did. Besides, I've always wanted to see you in a swimsuit, and may I say, it suits you very well."

All I could do was growl while my face grew hotter with shame.

"Well then, since Willy Falconer's getting involved," called a voice. "Then allow me to join in as well!"

At that moment, Lyon came falling from the stands, ripping his clothes off, and was sporting a bright blue speedo. As soon as they saw him, the girls in the crowd cheered again as the male struck a pose and winked in Juvia's direction.

"Take a good look at the temple that is my body, my sweet Juvia!" Lyon proclaimed. "For this is the epitome of a man's beauty!"

Juvia couldn't help but cringe a bit. But then Gray came jumping down from the stands wearing a dark blue speedo.

"Hey, Lyon! Why don't you back off already?!" the ice mage snapped. "I don't know your deal, but I ain't gonna let you harass my guildmate!"

Then, while also wearing speedos, the three Trimens of Blue Pegasus, Hibiki, Ren, and Eve joined the fray.

"Hey, fellas! If you're going to be competing for girl's affections, there's no way the Trimen's of Blue Pegasus can stand idly by!" said Hibiki.

"That's right! Jenny's not the only one who knows how to model!" concurred Eve. "And the three Trimens ain't afraid to strut our stuff either!"

"But don't get the wrong idea," said Ren, who appeared not to be interested. "We're only doing this for our guild. It's not like we're doing this to get attention from the girls or any attention from whom we're married to."

The girls in the crowd cheered wildly again.

"Well, ladies and gents, if you came to this arena looking for a heaping helping of fanservice, then Dormus Flau is the place you want to be for the men and women!" Chapati spoke out. "This was an outcome even I didn't see coming!"

"And considering how much everyone's loving this development, I'd say we continue the match as is," Yajima spoke with interest. "After all, we don't want to have a riot on our hands if we try and stop this."

"THIS IS SO AMAZING!" Jason cried. "I can see the cover story now! I'll call it the Big Battle of the Busty Bombshell Ladies and the Mixed Gender Fashion Show! So freaking sexy and cool!"

"But just to let you know, folks, this is still technically a one-on-one fight," continued Chapati. "So only Mira and Jenny will be the ones scoring."

"Oh, man. What did I get myself into?" I couldn't help but moan. "I shouldn't have come down here in the first place."

"I don't see why you're so embarrassed, Willy," said Sieri. "Weren't you already half naked when you first came to Osia?"

"That was different!" I protested. "You try living in the wild with nothing but the clothes on your back! Not to mention I'm still self-conscious about my scars!"

"Think of this as an opportunity to overcome that weakness," I heard Erza speak from a few feet away. "Besides, no reason why we should stand by while our competitors are taking the spotlight."

I didn't say anything more while silently disagreeing. Then, as I glanced around, I noticed Mira looking in my direction, and as soon as our eyes met, she gave me a small smile while waving, and I couldn't help but avert my eyes as my cheeks grew hotter.

From there, the posing contest continued with Mira, Jenny, and the rest of us wearing various outfits based on themes per the judges' requests, the winner of that round scoring a point. From school swimsuits, glasses, bikinis with thigh highs, jackets and speedos for us boys, cat ears with tails, and even bondage gear.

Soon enough, Chapati had announced the next theme, one he called the blushing bride challenge, where the girls had to wear wedding dresses and find a guy to dress up in a suit.

I was now wearing a black suit with a white rose on the left side of my chest.

Mira was wearing a beautiful white dress while holding a lovely bouquet. I knew she was beautiful, but when I saw Mira like this, I couldn't help but stare at her in awe finding it hard to stop looking away.

Mira then brightly smiled as she looked at me. "I appreciate your help, Willy," she said. "Thank you."

I could feel myself going red in the face. "N-No problem," I stammered as I tried to look as dignified as possible. "After all, it's all for the sake of you winning, so I'll do whatever I can to help you win. You - look great, by the way. If you don't mind me saying so."

Mira's cheeks went rosy as her smile became all the more radiant. "Well, I appreciate that. You look rather handsome yourself. We do look good together, don't we?" She then winked at me teasingly. "Maybe this is a sign that we should get married for real?"

At that moment, I felt my heart skip a beat as my wings sprung from my back and squeaked in surprise.

Mira then giggled. "Take it easy there. I was only joking a bit."

I then sulked poutily. "Well, I didn't think it was funny," I huffed quietly. "So you could ease up on the teasing, you know."

"Aw, don't be like that," soothed Mira. "Besides, you look so adorable when you're embarrassed. Especially when your wings come flying out."

While hiding my face with a hand, I quickly looked away.

The bell sounded, signaling the end of the round, and it seemed this craziness would continue. But suddenly, another voice shouted.

"All right! I've had just about enough of this outrage!

I looked up and saw a skinny old lady wearing a maroon cloak with gray hair in a three-layered bun standing on top of a statue.

"It's Old Lady Ooba!" I heard Lyon cry out.

"Now, listen up, you foolish whippersnappers!" Ooba snapped while pointing at us. "It's high time the master of Lamia Scale taught you all a lesson! A lesson about the true definition of a woman's beauty!"

With a hop, skip, and jump, she divebombed towards the arena floor, landing on her feet while taking off her cloak. Ooba now stood before us, wearing nothing but a pink one-piece swimsuit as she wagged her hips about putting on her best seductive face.

The entire arena went silent, everyone staring at the woman dubiously. Then, without saying another word, everyone returned to the stands while Mira and Jenny stayed behind.

"And with that crash course into reality, the entire arena has been sapped out of their excitement," Chapati spoke in a depressed tone. "The other teams have begun to clear out. But, on the other hand, we need to wrap this match up, so let's move on to the final round!"

"At least things have been brought down to Earthland now," I thought. "But I don't think I'll be able to get that out of my mind anytime soon."

"Well, it was fun while it lasted," said Mira. "Looks like it's just you and me now, Jenny."

"Sure does," said Jenny. "But before we fight, why don't we make things more interesting by making our own bet? I mean, everyone else is doing it."

"They're making a bet, too?" I said with a frown. "Hasn't there been enough gambling today?"

"Hopefully, whatever bet they make won't have high stakes like the last one," said Lisanna. "My heart's still pounding just thinking about the last one."

But a sly grin crossed Jenny's face as she jabbed a finger at Mira.

"In this bet, there will be a prize for the winner and a penalty for the loser!" she proclaimed. "The loser will pose for Sorceror Weekly in nothing but their birthday suit!"

Every man in the crowd had their nose erupting with blood, including those from our guild.

"Y-You got to be kidding me," I mumbled in disbelief again. "When she says birthday suit, does she mean..."

"Obviously, she means buck naked," said Cana. "But that doesn't make it any less crazy."

"Honestly, I'm pretty conflicted about this," Macao spoke with an aroused blush. "Who do I cheer for?"

"Don't know," replied Wakaba. "It's hard."

"Clearly, Mira would be the obvious pick!" I snapped at the two. "Would it kill you two to think with your brains instead of your hormones?!"

"Hey, you shut up, Willy!" Macao snapped. "It may be easy for you because you're her boyfriend, but look at this from our point of view! It's not every day we get a chance like this!"

"Yeah! Besides, don't act like you ain't interested!" Wakaba also snapped. "You probably want to see that more than any of us!"

"I'm not her boyfriend, and no, I don't!" I yelled back. "So stop saying that I am!"

"Sounds like a pretty harsh penalty," said Mira. "But you mentioned something about a prize, didn't you?"

"Indeed I did, and I think you'll be quite interested in this one," Jenny spoke with a broader grin. Then, she appeared to look in my direction and pointed a finger. "And that prize... is Willy Falconer!"

A collective gasp was heard as everyone looked in my direction. I stood there for a few seconds processing what Jenny just said until something clicked, and I couldn't help but scream.

"SAY WHAAAAAAAAAAAAATTT?!"

Mira smiled with confidence as she gave her response.

"OK then. You're on."

Now it was the crowd's turn to scream.

"WHAAAAAATTTT?!"

"What an unbelievable turn of events!" Chapati screeched. "This might be one of those bets where everybody wins! And Willy Falconer might be the biggest winner of them all!"

"Well, ain't you lucky, Willy," Cana grinned as she gave me a nudge. "You got two busty and beautiful young girls fighting for you. Any guy would kill to be in your position."

I then noticed that some people in the crowd were gossiping while the others, notably the men, were glaring jealously at me.

"Well, this is one position I'd rather not be in!" I cried.

"So does that mean if Mira loses, aside from posing nude in a magazine, does that mean that Willy will end up with Blue Pegasus?" wondered Happy.

Immediately, I had a flashback of my first encounter with the guild's master, Bob, and was quick to cringe as a shiver went down my spine.

"Mira! You better not lose, you hear?!" I shouted. "There's no way in hell I'm going to end up as a member of that creepy old man's guild!"

"A-All right then!" stammered Chapati. "The final theme will be Combat Gear!"

Jenny then began radiating with magic power and transformed in a brilliant flash of light. She now wore a battlesuit that was colored magenta, white, and purple, exposing her cleavage and midriff, and was made of metal and cloth. It comprised a headband with ear protectors, tight pants that exposed the thighs, metal-plated gloves that went up to her shoulders, and thigh-high boots with high heels.

"You ain't the only one who can use Take Over," Jenny smirked with triumph. "You think yours can beat my Machina Soul?"

Mira smiled back, brimming with confidence. "I think I'll be fine," she said as her body began to radiate with magic. "And since we've made a bet like everyone else, why don't we end this with a battle of strength, too?"

Then, in a brilliant scarlet flash, Mira changed forms, too.

Her silver hair had grown longer and wilder, she had grown taller and muscular in appearance, and her facial features had become more intimidating. Her outfit was composed of a revealing dark blue and black overcoat with white edges and a high collar, while bound by two silver belts on her stomach, a large black cape, long skin-tight pants, and silver metal gauntlets on her arms with sharp claws. She also had bronze and gold plating on her head, two horns jutting from the sides, flanking her face, and a spike on her chin. In addition, like her standard Satan Soul, she also had markings on her legs that resembled cracks along her legs and thigh-high boots. Lastly, and most significantly, a sea of flames erupted from her calves to the ground, making her seem like she had come from Hell.

When Jenny saw this form, fear crossed her face while a big smile crossed mine.

"What in the heck is that?!" exclaimed Levy.

"That," I said proudly. "Is one of Mira's ultimate Satan Souls, probably her most powerful yet. It's known as Sitri."

"I have consented to the terms you've set," Mira spoke in a low demonic voice. "So I would expect you to show the courtesy to agree to mine."

And before Jenny could even react to defend, Mira shot forward, leaving a trail of flames in her wake, and gave her opponent a powerful and devastating swipe with her claw knocking her down and out in seconds.

Mirajane returned to normal and smiled sweetly at her fallen opponent. "Sorry about that, but it'll make you feel better; I'll buy myself the next issue of Soreceror Weekly when it comes out."

Jenny could only let out a wail as she sobbed.

"And just like that, this swimsuit contest takes a sudden twist and turns into a brawl!" Chapati cried out. "The winner of this match, taking the W and the ten points for Team Fairy Tail B, is Mirajane Strauss!"

Everyone cheered.

"All right! Way to go, Mira!" lauded Lisanna.

"That's the way to show them!" I also shouted. "However, they should have just gotten to the fighting and not gone through all that craziness."

"Whatever, I see it as a win!" said Macao. "And it's a win-win for us, too!"

"Hell, yeah!" agreed Wakaba. "I'm so buying next week's issue!"

I rolled my eyes while pretending not to hear them, but at the same time, I felt a bit relieved.

"All right, folks! After an exciting day of Day Two's matches, we have finally come to the final match!" Chapati announced. "And our combatants will be two more lovely ladies going head to head! Mermaid Heel's Kagura Mikazuchi and Sabertooth's Yukino Aguria!"

Both ladies then entered the arena.

Yukino was a young woman with short blue hair with a blue rose on the side, wearing a white cloak with blue trims and a white tube dress underneath it, along with thigh-high socks and pumps matching in color.

Kagura was a woman with long flowing violet hair who wore a white blazer with gold trims, a ribbon on her head, and boots matching in color and black tights. But what caught my attention was the sword she carried in her hand. It was your usual long sword but had bandages wrapped around its hilt, keeping it sheathed, which made me curious and somewhat interested.

"Could she be keeping her powers sealed away for some reason? I wonder what kind of match this one will be?"

The match soon began with a bash of the gong, but rather than attacking right away, Yukino gave a slight bow of courtesy to Kagura.

"It's a pleasure to battle you," she said. "But before we fight, shall we do as the others did and make a bet ourselves?"

"I have no interest in silly things like that," scoffed Kagura.

"Are you afraid to lose then?" asked Yukino.

"Make no mistake, it's nothing like that," replied Kagura. "It's just that I always take bets seriously and uphold my word, no matter the cost, so I never gamble for entertainment."

"Nor do I, which is why I believe we should raise the stakes," said Yukino as she gave a serious look. She paused impressively. "Let's bet our lives."

There was a long silence with only a few murmurs amongst the crowd.

"Betting their lives? That seems a bit extreme." I thought with a frown. "Considering she's a member of Sabertooth, this Yukino girl's confidence is natural, but why do I feel like she's just dug her own grave?"

Kagura then replied. "Very well, if you intend to stand by that wager with resolve like that, I have no choice but to accept. Have at you."

Their showdown then began. Yukino pulled out a golden key and employed her magic.

"OPEN! GATE OF THE TWO FISH! PISCES!"

At her command, two giant snake-like fishes came forth, one black and the other white, and both attacked Kagura at once from two different angles. But while refusing to back down, Kagura repeatedly jumped, dodging their attacks easily, not even missing a single step. It was impressive how calm and focused Kagura was, considering she was going against two giant creatures that could swallow her whole.

Then, seeing that her spirits couldn't land a hit on her opponent, Yukino whipped out another gold key.

"OPEN! GATE OF THE BALANCE! LIBRA! Change my target's field of gravity!"

Another Celestial Spirit appeared, a woman with tanned skin, scantily clad with a green bikini top and loincloth, and had gold scales strapped to her fingers, almost like a puppet's. At Yukino's command, she used her Gravity Magic to immobilize Kagura and Pisces went in for another direct attack. But somehow, Kagura shot up high into the air above the arena, escaping the gravity field.

Yukino was caught off guard, but Libra used her Gravity Magic to change her gravity again, this time to the side. Kagura was sent shooting across the air and crashing into the face of a statue, and as the weight pinned her down, the Pisces twins gunned for her once more. But just as they were about to land a decisive blow, Kagura's body began radiating with light, and the two creatures suddenly froze. Then, they sharply fell straight to the ground. Libra also suddenly dropped to her knees, struggling to get up but unable to do so.

"How interesting," I heard Tu Chi hum. "It seems they both can use Gravity Magic, but Kagura appears to be significantly stronger in that aspect."

The celestial spirits struggled against the pressure, but it proved too strong as they collapsed to the ground, stunned and out of commission. Yukino then dismissed them and sent them back to the spirit world.

"Well, that's unfortunate," Yukino spoke to Kagura. "You were able to defeat my two spirits. Therefore you leave me no choice but open the thirteenth gate."

She then took out another gold key. No sooner than she did, it began to shine in an ominous light as a purple haze blanketed the arena. As Kagura glanced around, Yukino held her key up high as she spoke out the name and summoning words of her third spirit.

"OPEN. GATE OF THE SNAKE CHARMER. OPHIUCHUS."

Her key then exploded with mist filling the entire battlefield, and from it, a giant snake emerged, circling its master and the arena. It was tremendous, its scales colored black, and its eyes gleamed with predatory malice as it let out a hiss.

"I've never seen a spirit that large before!" I couldn't help but gasp. "And, for that matter, so creepy looking!"

"I apologize if this seems extreme, but I'm afraid you've forced my hand," Yukino spoke out in the darkness. "This gate has rarely been opened. If it does, it's considered an evil omen for you."

But Kagura wasn't intimidated as she gripped her sword's handle while crouching. "Never in my life have I ever believed in such a thing as luck," she countered. "Everything I do is a result of my choices, not fate. That philosophy is what shapes my future!"

Ophiuchus then launched itself at Kagura as the swordswoman dashed forward undaunted. The giant snake bared its fangs as it prepared to swallow its victim. But then...

"GRUDGE SWORD: ARCHENEMY. SHEATHED FORM."

It happened in a split second.

Kagura shot forward at a blinding speed before reappearing just behind Ophiuchus. Then, the great snake suddenly split in two. While Yukino was frozen in shock, Kagura closed the distance, and before the celestial mage could react, she struck, instantly taking her out in seconds.

The bell then sounded.

"It looks like that's the match, folks!" said Chapati. "The winner is Mermaid Heel's Kagura Mikazuchi!"

The crowd then exploded into cheers.

My jaw was agape with shock. "Incredible! She was able to take her out in seconds! Without even drawing her sword!"

As Yukino lay on the ground in defeat, her eyes wide with disbelief, Kagura turned on her heel and started walking out of the arena.

"Ladies and gentlemen, that wraps up day two of the Grand Magic Games and the Crocus Fighter's Tournament!" continued Chapati. "And here's an update on our scores! Raven Tail is in first with thirty-six points. Despite not gaining a single point, Sabertooth hangs on to second place, but now, they share that spot with Lamia Scale, both teams being tied with twenty points!"

"After scoring ten points with her recent victory, Mermaid Heel has jumped up to fourth with a total of nineteen points," Yajima chimed in.

"Blue Pegasus has dropped to fifth with a score of seventeen points!" Jason added. "A downer for them, but they're still so cool!"

"Falling back to sixth is Quartro Puppy," went on Chapati. "And finally, although they scored some points today, vying for the last spot is Team Fairy Tail's A and B, both teams having twelve points. And let's not forget tomorrow's exciting match for the Crocus Fighter's Tournament, the final match deciding who will earn the right to face the current champion, Orga Nanagear! The two finalists that remain are Quartro Puppy's Bacchus Groh and Fairy Tail's Willy Falconer!"

On the lacrima screen, mugshots of myself and Bacchus appeared side by side with a big versus in the middle flashing. Upon seeing this, I clenched my fists, feeling determined and more than ready for tomorrow.

"These brave fighters will clash on Day Three, so look forward to it!" Chapati finished. "I'm psyched to see what other exciting events will await us! We'll see you next time!"

After a few matches, Day Two of the Games comes to a close.

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As always, thank you for reading! I'll see you next chapter!

Dragomaster, signing off!