Chapter 213

A Boiling Naval Battle

After the night we had, Day Four of the Grand Magic Games arrived, and we were back in Dormus Flau. Everyone had taken their seats in the stands, excited and looking forward to what would await us for today's event and battle. In the middle of the arena was a large and levitating sphere of water that hung right in the middle. In addition, a giant hourglass stood beside it, guarded by a few soldiers. When I saw it, I couldn't help but wonder what kind of event the organizers came up with while also wanting to dive in and swim in it.

"Hello, and greetings, Ladies and Gentlemen!" Chapati announced through his microphone. "It's a beautiful day for magic and mayhem as we welcome Day Four of the Grand Magic Games! I'm your commentator, Chapati Lola! Joining me today is, once again, Mr. Yajima, and our special guest for today is the head of the Scheherazade acting troupe, Mr. Rabian!"

"I'm so excited to be here!" Rabien spoke excitedly. "Thank you so very much for having me!"

"Rabien's the guest this time?" I wondered, remembering. "He's the client from Wendy's first job a while back. He's as unintentionally grateful as ever."

"Now, with introductions out of the way, what do you say we kick off this contest with a bang?!" continued Chapati. "And what better way to do that than with today's game, Naval Battle, so strap in and prepare yourselves for an exciting skirmish in the water! The battlefield is a large sphere of water. If you fall out of the said water, you lose! The last contestant remaining will be the winner! However, when only two competitors are left on the battlefield, a special rule known as the Five-Minute rule will take effect!"

"Five-Minute rule?" Sieri frowned.

"In this case, if one of the remaining challengers gets knocked out of the ring within those five minutes," continued Chapati. "They will not only lose but end up in last place."

"So basically, the game essentially becomes an underwater sumo match, to put in layman's terms," observed Yajima. "Is there any particular reason for this special rule?"

"You've got to keep your audience on the edge of your seats," Rabien spoke. "That's the art of show business."

"That'll make things a bit more difficult," I hummed thoughtfully. "Hopefully, neither of our teams will end up in that position."

Then, on the lacrimatron, the seven competitors splashed down into the water ball, each wearing their swimsuit.

"And here are the competitors!" Chapati broadcasted. "From Lamia Scale, it's Sherria Blendy! From Blue Pegasus hitting the waves, Jenny! From Mermaid Heel, it's Risley! From Fairy Tail Team B, it's Juvia! From Fairy Tail Team A, it's Lucy! And, from Sabertooth...!"

At that moment, Minerva appeared on the screen, wearing a condescending and confident look.

"Minevera from Sabertooth. At your service," she spoke elegantly.

The crowd then erupted into cheers, while I couldn't help but frown as I looked in her direction.

"So, she's finally making an appearance, huh? She looks as arrogant as ever," I thought. "Seriously. That look of hers annoys me for some reason."

"Whoa! Just listen to that crowd!" marveled Chapati. "It looks like we've got a fan-favorite out here!"

"With Minerva replacing Yukino, the Sabertooth team has all of its strongest members," said Yajima.

"An all-star ensemble, for sure!" agreed Rabian.

"The scenery doesn't get much better than this, folks!" Chapati went on commentating. "Each team has sent out a female swimsuit-clad team member! An enticing and splendid sight!"

However, the three commentators had completely overlooked Rocker from Quatro Puppy, who was naturally annoyed.

"Hey! What about me?!" he complained. "I'm here, too, you know!"

"Pah! Who cares?!" Rabian scoffed with scornful disgust.

"Well, he's as quick to switch in personally as ever," I sighed. "And as usual, the fanservice is all the people care about."

"So, who do you think will win?" asked Bisca. "I'd like for either Lucy or Juvia to win."

"I'm rooting for Juvia," smiled Lisanna. "I think she's got this one. She's made for this kind of stuff."

"I wouldn't count Lucy out just yet," said Wakaba. "She's got a slew of Celestial Spirits, including Aquarius."

"I don't think we should count out that Risley chick either," warned Jet. "After all, her guild is called Mermaid Heel."

"And wouldn't put it past that Minerva lady from Sabertooth to pull something," said Droy. "Just by looking at her, I already don't like her."

"I hate to say it, but Droy's right on this one," I thought. "Not that I don't have confidence in Lucy or Juvia, but we know next to nothing about Minerva's magic and skills, even though I got a brief glimpse the other night." Flashbacks from the night Natsu attacked Sabertooth came into my mind. "And based on what I've seen, her magic seems to make things teleport, which could be trouble for some who won't expect it. Lucy. Juvia. Be careful. Don't let your guard down."

"All right, folks! Let's get this deep-sea rumble started!" went on Chapati. "Remember, the game is to stay in the water for as long as possible until one remains! I hope you're ready, ladies because the Naval Battle begins now!"

The gong gave a resounding bang, and Lucy was the first to go on the offensive.

"All right! Time for me to get his party started this round!" she cried as she whipped out one of her keys. "OPEN! GATE OF THE WATER BEARER, AQUARIUS!"

At her command, Aquarius, a young woman with cyan blue hair and a mermaid tail, appeared there, holding an urn underneath her arm. Upon seeing her, I couldn't help but be amazed.

"Oh, wow! A real-life mermaid!" I gasped. "Fairy tales be damned!"

Aquarius then scowled as she uttered an annoyed roar while aiming with her urn. "This is my domain, you brazen bimbos!"

She then unleashed a powerful whirlpool-like attack from her urn, sending every competitor flying around with powerful currents. However, someone bravely stepped forth and met Aquarius with her water attack. That someone was Juvia.

"WATER CYCLONE!"

While holding her hands in front of her and conjuring a blue magic circle, she also unleashed a powerful whirlpool-like attack right back. The two attacks collided, resulting in a stalemate, much to the surprise of Aquarius and Lucy.

"N-no way!" Aquarius gasped. "We're even?!"

"I won't lose here!" Juvia cried out. "Not when my darling is watching!"

"Is it just me, or did Juvia start a fight with Aquarius?" asked Wakaba.

"Oh, man! This game's already gotten crazy!" cried Levy.

"Awesome! I wonder which one's stronger?" asked Lisanna.

"Who can say," I said while keeping my eyes on the battle. "As a fellow water mage, both have impressive magic power, but they can't keep this up forever. Sooner or later, one of them is going to give. And something's telling me Juvia's a bit more motivated than usual today."

Then, while everyone was watching Aquarius and Juvia fight it out, Jenny took advantage by shooting toward Rocker and giving him a splendid sneak attack by kicking him square to the jaw, sending him right out of the water and onto the ground, much to the crowd's delight.

"And just like that, Quatro Puppy is out!" Chapari yelled out. "Jenny caught the guy completely off guard, but the crowd couldn't be happier for this development because now they'll get what they wanted; an all-girls bikini battle!"

"Thank you very much! Thank you very much! Oh, thank you so very much!" Rabian spoke excitedly.

I rolled my eyes while clicking my tongue. "Typical. It's Mira and Jenny's match all over again."

"Come on, Willy. You should have expected this," said Sieri. "When it comes to fights like this, sex appeal reigns supreme. Well, most of the time."

Upon seeing Rocker eliminated, the other competitors also started attacking each other. Sherria gunned for Risley, using her Sky God Magic to release two torrents of wind from her hands, only for Risley to make herself thin using her Gravity Change to avoid them. Jenny then joined the fray, hoping to find an opening to knock either out of the water.

Back with Lucy and Juvia, Aquarius grew somewhat annoyed with the fight realizing she wasn't getting anywhere, and, much to Lucy's chagrin, decided to leave for the Celestial World. Seizing her chance, Juvia using her Water Cyclone, continued her assault, forcing Lucy on the defensive and summoning two more of her spirits, Virgo and a sheep girl named Aries. Virgo carried Lucy to safety while Aries used her powers to create wool barriers to protect them.

The crowd was cheering wildly, liking what they were seeing. But as the chaos continued, I noticed that Minerva, the remaining competitor, was keeping her distance from the fight, observing.

"What is she up to?" I couldn't help but wonder in my thoughts. "Is she waiting for the others to take each other out, or is she waiting to attack? Considering what happened on Day Three with Natsu, I can't help but think that she's got something planned to get back at us. Something about her is making me feel a bit uneasy."

Then, suddenly, I sensed magic flaring with power turning my attention away, the energy coming from Juvia, who raised her arm as she generated a vortex of currents.

"It's time I stopped pulling my punches!" she proclaimed. "I'll take you all out at the same time with this! Behold, my newest and most powerful technique that I unleashed through my Second Origin and refined by my lover's heart!"

She swung her right backward, stretching it up as she called out the name of her new spell.

"DARLING GRAY LOVE!"

She then unleashed a powerful, omnidirectional whirlpool laced with neon pink hearts. Aries, while her wool, shielded Lucy from the assault while Virgo held on to the blonde, standing their ground. Minerva also protected herself, her hands giving off a strange glow as she used her magic to deflect the blow. Risley, Jenny, and Shelia weren't so lucky as the attack sent them flying out of the water and to the ground.

"Whoa, Nelly! Look at her go!" Chapati cried. "Juvia's managed to push out three opponents in a single attack! If she keeps that up with that kind of power, she'll surely come out on top and be the queen of the Naval Battle!"

"All right! Way to go, Juvia!" cheered Lisanna. "That attack was amazing!"

"It sure was," I agreed. "But... I don't know about the name, though."

"Yeah. No kidding," agreed Warren. "That had to be the cringiest name for a spell I've ever heard. But I can't imagine how Gray must feel after hearing that."

"Oh, come on. I thought it was adorable," chuckled Sieri. "At least with that attack, she's cleared most of the competition, which means she's got the advantage now."

But unfortunately, Sieri would be wrong. Right then, as Juvia reveled in her victory, Minerva held up a hand, which glowed with her magic, and the next thing Juvia knew, she found herself outside of the water and falling flat on her face on the ground of the arena. At the same time, Virgo and Aries disappeared, leaving Lucy all alone as she squared off against her opponent.

"Oh, no! After fighting in a valiant battle, Juvia ends up outside of the ring! Landing her in third place, earning her team six points!" Chapati said. "Now that leaves Lucy and Minerva, and you know what that means! The Five-Minute rule is now in effect! Whoever falls out of the ring before time runs out in this one-on-one fight will get last place! Will Minerva take home the gold, or will Lucy win the day?!"

Sand then started to fall into the bottom of the hourglass as a timer started counting down from five minutes. Upon realizing this, an unsettling feeling crept into my gut as I frowned, knowing that this was an outcome I knew would happen, but didn't want to. But all I could do was watch, praying that I was overthinking.

"This is the end of the line for you," Minerva spoke coolly to Lucy. "I could have sent you out of this ring in the blink of an eye as I did with the other one. But these people came to see a show, and I intend to give them one. Try to survive, Fairy Tail, and make sure to scream."

Minerva then held her hand up, aiming in Lucy's direction as it began to glow. As she did, a bright white sphere of energy appeared just behind the blond to her right, and before she could react, it exploded. The powerful shockwave released an overwhelming wave of heat, making Lucy scream in pain as she took it full force.

"What in the world?!" exclaimed Levy. "How is there heat underwater?!"

"I don't know, even I've never seen anything like this before.," said Tu Chi. "But if I were to make a guess, it has to be a kind of spatial magic. Spatial magic that allows its user to create heat from explosions even while underwater."

I clenched my hands with worry as Lucy continued to be bombarded by the assault. "Lucy..."

Realizing that she had to fight back, she made to grab one of her keys to summon a spirit. But then, her belt suddenly disappeared and reappeared in Minerva's hand, much to her shock.

"Teleportation! Just like what she did with Happy!" I thought.

"If she can't get her keys back, this fight is over!" Carla cried anxiously.

Using her magic again, Minerva created another explosion right in front of Lucy, the force blowing her backward and sending her straight to the edge of the ring.

"Oh, no! Lucy's heading straight for the ring's boundary and into last place!" Chapati cried worriedly. "Is this the end for her?!"

However, Lucy frantically started crawling with her arms and pumping her legs, which helped her slow down until she managed to stop, her backside briefly coming out of the water before she swam back in.

Minerva gave Lucy a teasing look before she once again assaulted her with another magic explosion from the back. Lucy winced but wore a determined scowl as she floated towards Minerva. More explosions blasted her, but she pressed on, refusing to back down while enduring.

"What's going on here? She had a chance to knock Lucy out of the ring, but she didn't!" I thought while scowling. "She's toying with her!"

"Come on! Hit me with your best shot!" Lucy spoke bravely at her opponent. "I'll keep fighting!"

"Oh, really?" said Minerva with a questioning brow. "And you're sure you don't want out of this torment?"

Lucy paused before glaring. "You want me to give up? Not gonna happen!" she yelled at her. "If I quit after my friends have fought so hard, I'd betray their faith in me! No, it'd be worse than betrayal!"

The crowd quieted down as I stared in silent surprise.

"You can hurt me all your want, but I don't give a damn! I won't do it!" Lucy continued. "I'll find a way to win! AND MY GUILD WILL BE NUMBER ONE AGAIN!"

Minerva was now surprised as she stared at Lucy, lowering her hand and remaining where she floated. An eerie silence fell on the arena as everyone waited for either one to make a move.

"Wh-What's going on here?" Chapati wondered. "For some reason, Minerva's stopped her relentless attacks even when she was so close to victory. Now, they're just floating there."

Then, an audible beeping sound was heard, turning my attention to the hourglass, which now showed zero, and all the sand had fallen to the bottom.

"Times up, folks!" said Chapati. "Now it's simply a battle for the top spot!"

At that moment, a dark look crossed Minerva's face, a scowl filled with anger and malice while tossing Lucy's belt away. Before the blonde could even blink, she brought her hand back, charging up her magic, and swung it hard as multiple explosions showered all over Lucy's body, making her scream in agony as she took them.

"You haven't learned your place, haven't you?!" snarled Minerva. "Maybe this should teach you who you're dealing with! We are Sabertooth! The mightiest guild beneath the heavens! PEOPLE LIKE YOU BELONG ON THE GROUND!"

Lucy, now wholly bruised and battered, helplessly floated towards the edge of the water, but just as she was about to fall out, she suddenly vanished before reappearing near Minerva. When she did, the woman started beating her, slugging her with punch after punch and kick after kick.

"That chick's fighting dirty!" Droy objected.

"Why would she stop herself from winning?!" Levy exclaimed.

Sieri covered Lapis' eyes as she held her close while the little girl whimpered in fear. "What the hell does she think she's doing?!" she demanded crossly. "All she's doing is torturing her!"

I couldn't help but be more angry than horrified, my hands tightly gripping my knees as I ground my teeth, watching the beatdown.

"I'm not sure if Lucy reappearing before Minerva was her doing or her opponents, but Minerva's ruthlessly pummeling her, decimating her blow after blow!" Chapati cried in alarm. "But since the match is underwater, there are no knockouts! All Lucy can do is take the relentless beating!"

"Oh, how horrible!" Rabian lamented. "Someone, please stop this senseless brutality! I would greatly appreciate it!"

Minerva sadistically smirked. "Have you learned your lesson, or do I have to keep beating it in?!" she mocked as she slugged Lucy. "Either way suits me fine! This will teach you to think the next time you defy me!"

Mato hurriedly ran into the arena, raising a hand as a signal. The bell sounded, signaling the end of the match, but at this point, Minerva was already floating over the edge of the ring holding Lucy by the head like she was a prize. To make things worse, Lucy's body was covered in scorch marks and bruises as she hung there, lifeless and not moving.

"The referee has stopped the fight! Minerva from Sabertooth takes first place with an overwhelming show of brute force!" Chapati yelled urgently. "It doesn't look like Lucy is moving! Can we please get the medics on the field?!"

Immediately upon hearing that, I jumped off the balcony and shot straight toward the arena using my Aqua Jet, ignoring everything else around me.

Minerva then let go of Lucy, finally letting her fall to the ground. I dove down, hoping to catch her, but luckily, Natsu and Gray caught her in the nick of time. As I landed on the ground, I couldn't help but stare while looking at all the wounds that littered Lucy's skin. The mere sight of them made my stomach turn, and my blood started to boil.

"Come on, Lucy! Please say something!" Gray urged while holding her in his arms. "Wake up!"

Wendy and Erza rushed past me.

"Hold on! I'll need to give her emergency treatment!" cried Wendy.

Sherria and Juvia came running from the other direction.

"I'll help you!" Sherria also cried. "She's hurt pretty bad, so let's combine our powers."

The two girls then set to work, using their healing magic to treat Lucy. As they did, all I could do was stare at Lucy, worried if she would make it despite her injuries. I was about to offer my help when I heard Natsu yell.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! You went way too far!"

"What a scornful expression," I heard Minerva say. "You can glare at me all you want if it'll makes you feel better, but I acted in full accordance with the rules of this competition."

"That may be true," Erza spoke coldly. "But you went way outside the bounds of human decency."

Minerva lightly chuckled. "I was simply trying to entertain the crowd, is all," she said. "To be honest, you should be thanking me. She got second place, didn't she? She could have never done that without my help."

At that moment, something in me finally snapped. I immediately turned toward Minerva and stomped a few steps toward her. While I did, Orga, Sting, and Rufus barred my way, ready to fight, but that didn't stop me from yelling.

"What in the hell is wrong with you?!" I exploded fiercely. "Lucy couldn't even defend herself, and you dare call beating her to the point of killing her entertaining the crowd?! That makes you no different than Raven Tail! No, you're even worse than Raven Tail!"

"Well, well. That's quite a face you're making," Minerva smirked. "You shouldn't be so angry, or your face will stay that way. Then again, you're already being branded as a pariah, so it doesn't matter, does it?"

I growled in anger while balling my hands into fists, but Orga stepped before me, giving me a challenging look.

"If you got a problem with my guildmate, you answer to me, punk," he rumbled ominously. "Unless you'd rather I turn you to black chili right now."

I dangerously glared at him barring my teeth, my hands tightening, and my muscles clenched.

"Willy, stand down, now!" I heard Erza order.

However, I ignored her as I continued to glare, wanting nothing more than to punch Orga's lights out if it meant getting revenge. During this time, the crowd seemed to like what it saw and began to chant loudly.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

I could feel my hate grow stronger by the second in response, and I was about to give in to the temptation, but then my sense of reason bubbled up, telling me to calm down and hold back. When it did, my anger gradually subsided as I unclenched my fists while relaxing my body.

Erza then stepped in front, miraculously calm. "Although you may be considered the strongest guild in Fiore," she said. "It would be wise for you to heed this warning." She paused impressively as her voice became ominously cold. "Making an enemy of Fairy Tail is a decision you will regret."

The Sabertooth members didn't seem to care as they stared back at her in quiet confidence.

The medics then arrived to take Lucy away, whose wounds looked less severe, thanks to Sherria and Wendy. She was being put on a stretcher to be carried to the infirmary. Erza then turned and walked away while Natsu and Gray followed suit. At first, I started to follow them, but then I stopped turning back toward the Sabertooth group.

"What's wrong? Do you have something to say, too?" asked Minerva.

"Willy," warned Erza. "I told you to - !"

"Don't worry, Erza. I won't go throwing punches," I interrupted while glancing at her. "Besides, she's right. I've got something I want to say, too." I then looked back at Minerva. "Let me make one thing clear to you, Minerva. You may have won this fight, but Lucy's the true victor of this match."

Minerva gave me a puzzled look along with the rest of Sabertooth.

"I've seen your kind of people before. You're the type that believes that since your guild's the strongest in Fiore, you get to do whatever you like and believe that you're above everyone else. You're like a tyrannical queen who believes herself to be a goddess, above all humanity, while treating everyone around you like a dispensable pawn that should obey or submit to your every whim. Here's a news flash, lady; you're neither a goddess nor a queen. You're human, just like the rest of us, and a nasty, convincing little witch who can't stand it when someone doesn't obey you or do what you want. I'll admit you're way stronger than Lucy, but she's far stronger than you could ever hope to be. Even when you took her keys away, even though you were beating her to a pulp, she refused to quit, which pissed you off more than anything."

I then jabbed a finger straight in her direction.

"Therefore, you didn't win against her because you couldn't break her spirit while she fought with everything she had! You're the one who lost against her!" I continued. "And rather than "entertaining the crowd," or so you say, all you've shown is what a self-entitled, spoiled, sadistic coward you are. It makes me wonder if your dear old dad raised you to be like that, but it would make sense considering that the rotten apple doesn't fall far from the dead tree."

There was a long silence. Even the crowd had ceased their chants.

Minerva's face went completely blank as she stared at me wide-eyed. Then, two visible veins appeared on her face, one below her left eye and the other on her forehead. From the looks of things, she was utterly incensed.

"Hey! Who do you think you are?!" demanded Sting. "You're nothing but a criminal, and you dare speak to Milady that way?!"

"You bet I dare," I coldly spat at him. "Anyone who disrespects or tries to harm any member of my guild, my family, will be met with the same amount, along with a major beating."

Sting scowled and stepped forward, but Orga held up an arm to stop him from pouncing at me. He then stepped forward.

"I gotta admit, those were some petty words you said just now," he told me. "But somehow, I can't help but feel if that's all that was. Then again, your guild's pretty well known to be a bunch of sore losers, considering that your ragtag group of friends has gotten dead last in every single Grand Magic Game over the past seven years. Meanwhile, our guild has dominated, crushing our opponents and striking fear into anyone who dared cross us, and your friend learned the hard way to those who decide to challenge us. It's not Minerva's fault that the broad was weak. So you can talk all the trash you want, but every one of you Fairies will end up the same way after we crush you. And I'm looking forward to teaching you not to spit in the face of your betters by beating you to the ground."

He paused as he smirked, seeming to have an idea.

"You know, how's about we make things more interesting? Remember on Day Two when everyone made bets in their matches? Well, how about we raise the stakes in ours? Let's say... loser has to quit their respective guild after the games are over."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Excuse me?"

"What? Are you deaf? I think you heard me," said Orga. "It's not like we're risking our lives or anything. Unless you're not as confident as you say you are and are scared? Scared that you'll end up like your little friend, or maybe you're scared that you don't belong here? I wouldn't put it past you. After the way you compared Minerva with Raven Tail, I'm surprised you didn't get kicked out like those chumps. At the very least, you would have been in good company since you're just like them."

"What'd you say?!" I heard Gray and Natsu demand crossly.

I could feel my anger bubbling as my blood began to boil, but I restrained myself.

"I'm not exactly the kind of person to make bets, considering what happened to a certain someone we know, and I would normally walk away from such goading," I said calmly. "But... hearing your words just now, I'm afraid this is something even I can't ignore. Therefore..." I gave him another fierce glare. "I accept your bet!"

The crowd then exploded into a mix of murmurs of concern and cheers of excitement.

"Holy smoke! Just when we thought things couldn't get any more insane!" Chapati cried. "It seems Willy and Orga have taken a page from the competitors from Day Two and have made a drastic wager of their own!"

"The dramatic tension in the air has become tantalizingly delicious!" Rabien cried in excitement. "Thank you so very much!"

I then turned away from the Sabertooth team and followed everyone else as they left the arena.

NO POV

As Fairy Tail took their leave, Sabertooth left the arena as well. But no sooner when Minerva walked into the shadows of the exit, she stopped prompting Sting and the others to stop as well.

"Milday? Is something wrong?" asked Sting.

Minerva then spoke, her voice dripping with iciness. "Sting. Why don't you and Rufus go on ahead? I need to speak with Orga for a moment."

Sensing her tone, Rufus and Sting obeyed and walked on, not daring to look back. As soon as they left, Orga spoke up.

"Minerva. I know what you're going to say," he said. "But I couldn't let that punk say what he wanted to you."

"I don't care about your reasoning," Minerva cut in. "There's something I want you to do when it's your turn to fight."

Minerva then turned to face Orga, and when she did, even he couldn't help but be surprised. The woman, who usually kept a calm and relaxed expression, wore a look of pure unrestrained anger, veins popping all over her face and her eyes burning hatred.

"I want you to destroy that little mongrel in your match," she hissed, her voice even colder. "Break every bone in his body and dismantle him piece by piece. I won't be satisfied until I see that little bastard suffer and put down like the rabid dog he is."

Orga stared. Then, he chuckled.

"You don't need to tell me twice," he said to her. "I was already planning to do that, to begin with. I'll make sure he pays with interest. And by the time I'm done with him, he'll be out of the job and then some. I think in this match is where the real fun begins."

He then walked past Minerva, his body crackling and sparkling with black lightning while his eyes glinted with malice.

Before long, Lucy was sleeping peacefully. Thanks to Wendy and Sherria's healing magic, she looked much better now but still looked pretty battered, her face having a few bandages, arms, and other areas of her body wrapped in gauze.

Naturally, the whole room was silent. Natsu and the rest of Fairy Tail Team A were all surrounded by Lucy's bedside, keeping vigil as she slept while I stood by Porylusica near the wall.

Happy then spoke, breaking the silence. "Hey. Is Lucy going to be OK?" he asked tentatively.

No one answered him.

Then, the door opened, and the Fairy Tail Team B members rushed in along with Sieri.

"Any news on Lucy's condition?" asked Juvia.

"Is she awake?" asked Mira.

"You guys came!" Gray spoke in surprise.

"Even Laxus," murmured Natsu.

"Well, duh. Of course, we did," said Cana. "We may be from different teams, but we're all in the same guild."

"So, how is she?" Gajeel asked.

"She's not out of the woods yet," replied Porlyusica. "But she'll pull through, thanks to Wendy."

Wendy shook her head. "It wasn't just me," she said humbly. "Sherria helped out, too. We were lucky that she was around to help us."

"Thank goodness," Mira sighed with relief.

"At least she hasn't sustained any lasting injuries," said Erza.

But Natsu was still scowling. "They're going to pay for this," he growled.

"You can sure as hell bet on that one," agreed Laxus.

I could still feel the adrenaline of anger pumping through my veins as I remembered Minerva's face, but I said nothing. Then, I noticed that Lucy began to stir as she groaned, managing to open an eye.

"Hey, you guys! She's awake!" cried Happy.

The blonde fully opened her eyes, looking around at us before pulling up her covers to hide her face.

"I'm sorry, you guys," she weakly whispered. "I screwed up again."

"Why are you apologizing?" asked Natsu. "You got nothing to apologize for."

"He's right," said Gray. "It's thanks to you that we got second place."

"And we scored eight points," chimed in Wendy.

"You also refused to quit no matter what happened to you," I added. "That's something to be admired, Lucy. You showed everyone that you got guts and then some."

"I agree," Erza nodded kindly. "You did well."

Lucy briefly stayed silent before peeking from the covers. "Wait... where are my keys?"

Happy then took out her pouch, which contained her celestial keys. "I got them right here," he said kindly.

Lucy gratefully took the pouch with a relieved smile as she hugged it tightly. "What a relief. Thank you so much."

But she fell asleep no sooner than she said that, most likely due to exhaustion.

"The poor girl's tuckered out," Sieri murmured as she gently stroked the blonde's head. "Looks like she's going to be OK."

"But we can't let them get away with this kind of crap," Cana spoke crossly.

"I feel the same way," concurred Gray.

"Bunch of lousy scumbags," muttered Gajeel.

The door opened again, prompting us to look up as Makarov and Tu Chi walked in, the two of which looked pretty serious.

"Master Makarov. Tu Chi," I said.

"It looks like both the Fairy Tail teams are here, as is Willy," said Makarov. "Perfect timing considering the unfortunate circumstances. I have something to tell you." He paused briefly. "The organizers of the games just contacted me. Though I'm unsure if it'll hinder or help us, we've been asked to merge our two teams."

"Say what?!" Natsu barked.

"So we got to be like everyone else now, huh?" Laxus spoke in annoyance.

"But why are they doing that?!" Mira demanded while sounding upset.

"Is it because of what happened just now?" I asked.

"Nothing like that," replied Tu Chi. "It's because of Raven Tail being disqualified. Because of that, seven teams are participating now, which will make things difficult for the officials to make the battle portion matches due to the odd number."

"Therefore, we've been ordered to do away with the A and B teams and form a single five-person team for the rest of the tournament," said Makarov.

"So, we're losing five members," Erza spoke thoughtfully as she crossed her arms.

"But what about our scores?" asked Carla. "How will this affect them?"

"Sadly, they're giving us the lower score belonging to Team A, which is thirty-five points," said Makarov.

"That's totally unfair!" objected Happy.

"And after all the trouble we went through to get those points," I huffed. "As if things weren't annoying enough."

"But like it or not, the decision has been made," said Erza. "so we'll have to accept it."

"Look on the bright side," soothed Cana. "This just means that we're going to be able to put together an even more kick-ass team."

"But I wish this could have happened earlier," complained Gray. "All that's left is the tag team battle, right?"

"Not exactly," said Porlyusica. "There is a mandatory day off per tradition, followed by a full team battle on the final day. So you must choose carefully."

Natsu stood up, an angry and determined scowl now etched on his face. "No matter what happens, I will get revenge for Lucy!" he snarled. "If those jerks think they can humiliate her like that, they're dead wrong!"

Everyone else nodded in agreement.

"Now that we've gotten that out of the way, there's something else I need to address," said Makarov. He then looked in my direction. "Something regarding a certain someone making a reckless decision."

Everyone else then looked in my direction, and knowing what Makarov was talking about, I was about to speak, but I was quickly interrupted by Erza.

"Willy! What on earth were you thinking back there?!" she demanded crossly. "Do you have any idea what you've gotten yourself into?!"

"Seriously! How reckless can you possibly get?!" Sieri also scolded. "Here you were saying you didn't want a repeat of Day Two the other day, and then you end up pulling a stunt like that?! You're crazy!"

"Crazy doesn't even begin to describe it!" Carla admonished. "I would expect this from Natsu or Elfman, but not Willy!"

"I know, I know. You don't need to rub it in," I sighed. "I'll admit it. I was reckless, and I got caught up in the moment."

Mira then walked over, looking quite peeved also. "Then why would you make such a bet?!" she demanded. "We understand that you were angry for Lucy. I understand. But there was no reason to put your status as a guild member on the line!"

"Yes, I did," I said firmly while looking back at her. "I know that I should have walked away, and I know that I should have backed down, but in this instance, I had to accept it. It wasn't just because of what Minerva did to Lucy. And it's not just because of pride or disrespect either." I stood up, addressing everybody. "I'm sick and tired of everyone telling me what I can or can't be because of what they heard about me. I'm sick and tired of everyone comparing me to dark mages and believing I'm just like them. I did it to show that I'm not anything they think I am, and I'm not afraid to put my life on the line for my guild, especially when they hurt and disrespected one of my closest friends who fought with everything they had. So, I'm sorry if I'm being reckless, but to quote somebody I know, a real man can't let things like that slide, and I intend to give Orga a beating he'll never forget with a heaping dose of humility!"

"Willy..." I heard Happy murmur.

Mira stared at me. Then, she sighed in resignation. "Good grief. It's hard to be mad at you when you look determined like that," she said. "And you just had to sound like Elfman, too." She then smiled. "But it's been a while since I've seen you so fired up."

"Yeah. That's true," Tu Chi also smiled. "I haven't seen this kind of attitude since training him. It's quite refreshing and nostalgic."

"Are you kidding? Willy was awesome!" laughed Natsu. "I mean, did you see the way he blasted that Minerva chick?"

"Not to mention he looked ready to kill somebody," said Gray. "He even had the guts to ignore Erza."

"That lady had it coming through," chuckled Cana. "That's got to be one of the biggest highlights of my day."

"Nevertheless, because of your outburst, the stakes have drastically risen for you, Willy," said Makarov. "And there's no taking it back now."

"I know," I said. "But I'm still going to fight. And I will beat Orga."

Makarov then smiled. "I know. I can't help but worry about you now that you've gotten into this position."

"Well, it comes with being a father, after all," chuckled Tu Chi. "It's only natural."

"It still doesn't change that you've got yourself quite a hill to climb," Porlyusica told me. "But knowing you, you'll just say that all you have to do is win, right?"

"That's pretty much all I can do," I said. "I honestly can't think of any other way to go about it."

"Well, I suppose there's no use crying over spilled milk. Just make sure that you win," Porlusica said. "You just got back into Fairy Tail, and it'd be a shame for you to get kicked out again."

"And I should also warn you not to ignore me again," warned Erza with a glare. "Otherwise, I'll have to make you listen next time."

I could only wryly chuckle.

"In any case, I'd say it's about time we make our team for the upcoming tag battles," said Makarov. "Prepare yourselves, my children. It's time we show everyone what the Fairy Tail guild is truly made of!"

Everyone answered with a nod as we began strategizing for our new team.

Thank you very much for reading this chapter!

I also want to take the chance to thank every one of you for sticking with this story! It makes me sound like Rabien.

Also, I want to take the chance to say everything in the world is crazy right now; not going to lie. But that shouldn't stop you from living life to the fullest and the way you want to. Respectably, of course. Be happy, and make sure you take care of yourselves.

Anyway, Review, Follow, and Fav this story!

Until then, Dragomaster, signing off.