Rhodes and the others watched the match with casual interest, unaware that many spectators had been waiting eagerly for it.
The battles between Eve and Caluger were famously gorgeous.
Unlike Gray and Lyon's refined, almost artistic Ice-Make duel, these two created a battlefield of pure beauty, one summoning snow, the other wielding flowers.
Every exchange was a scene pulled straight from a painting.
Inside the arena, white snowflakes spun in the air one moment, and showers of petals drifted gracefully the next, so mesmerizing that even those watching through lacrima screens wished they could be there in person, to see whether the petals carried fragrance.
Roses, camellias, lilacs, lilies…
Caluger switched staff after staff, using Transformation Magic to summon flower-based spells, giving the audience a dazzling floral spectacle.
Eve gradually lost control of the situation, and Caluger seized the chance to unleash his technique:
"Poppy Corridor."
Scarlet, white, violet, pink, and blue poppy petals surged toward Eve, completely enveloping him.
If he moved left, the corridor stretched left.
If he retreated, the petals expanded behind him. It was like being trapped in an endless tunnel of floating petals, with no escape.
After resisting eight or nine seconds, Eve felt his limbs weaken, his eyelids droop, and he collapsed gently into the drifting petals, fast asleep.
"Battle segment, Match Three! Caluger of Shining Sun wins!"
"Ahhh...Caluger!"
"We love you!"
"Noble Flower!"
"Lord Caluger!"
A crowd of enthusiastic fans in the stands screamed at the top of their lungs, waving banners, holding photos, and making heart-shaped signs.
Caluger glanced in their direction, and immediately turned away in a small panic, hurrying back toward his waiting area.
Yerol smirked.
"They really love you, ~Flower Noble Son~."
Caluger flushed bright red.
"P-Please don't call me that embarrassing nickname…"
Just then, he noticed Hibiki and Simon from Blue Pegasus carrying Eve off the field. He rushed over to help dispel any lingering magic, ensuring Eve woke up safely.
Of course, the fans erupted again.
"He's so gentle!"
"So caring!"
"Caluger-samaaa!"
The barrage of adoring shouts sent him fleeing in embarrassment.
Hibiki watched him bolt and sighed.
"I think Blue Pegasus needs to invite him over for training."
"Possibly," Simon muttered. His lips twitched slightly.
Blue Pegasus really was a trial by fire.
When he first joined, every day had felt like torture, but over time, he'd adapted, somehow.
Eve finally stirred awake, mumbling weakly,
"Let's invite him as a guest later. I think he'd be pretty popular in our guild."
He was immediately surrounded by Ichiya and the other members, who encouraged and comforted him without hesitation. Losing gracefully was practically a Blue Pegasus specialty.
"Battle segment, last match of Day Two!
Mermaid Heel's Millianna versus Dragon's Treasure's Silas!"
"Most energetic!" Millianna hopped lightly, tail swishing.
Kagura warned her calmly,
"He appeared in the stealth round during the first event. Be careful of his invisibility cloak and blow darts."
"No worries! Just watch me, Kagura-chan!"
Millianna's match progressed smoothly, largely thanks to the previous fight.
Caluger's flower magic had left the arena carpeted in a thick layer of petals that hadn't been cleared.
Even with an invisibility cloak, Silas couldn't hide the sound of petals being stepped on.
Millianna darted around with cat-like agility, dodging the poison darts and binding Silas tightly with her rope-tail magic.
According to plan, Silas was supposed to demonstrate his escape tools after getting caught.
However, he had underestimated Millianna's ropes. Once tied, he found he couldn't move, much less use magic.
And when he attempted to pull out an escape tool, she sprang onto him and immediately tied up even his fingers.
'I'm done for. I'm definitely getting yelled at later. It's one thing to not earn points, but failing to use the tool at all? The boss is going to deduct my bonus.'
After a few futile struggles, Silas had no choice but to admit defeat, returning to his team with a pale, defeated expression.
Millianna waved vigorously toward Erza, then to Simon, then cheerfully cartwheeled and somersaulted her way back to her own team.
Erza and Simon couldn't help smiling at her bright, energetic demeanor.
"The winner, Mermaid Heel's Millianna!" Pumpkin Man announced.
"With that, Day Two of the Grand Magic Games comes to a close! Thank you to all participants and to all spectators!"
Chapati chimed in from the commentary booth:
"Day Two's matches have concluded. Let's take a look at the scores!"
Right on cue, the scoreboard illustration appeared on the large lacrima screen.
"Fairy Tail Team B and Team A continue to firmly hold first and second place!"
Chapati's voice rang through the stadium. "And with a total of 40 points, Team B has won all four matches over the last two days!"
"COOL~! COOOOOL!!!" Jason shrieked, practically vibrating. "So strong! This is Fairy Tail!"
Makarov, who had been gearing up to proudly shout that exact line, froze mid-breath.
'That's my line! What's wrong with this reporter?!'
Yajima simply offered a gentle smile.
"Congratulations to them."
Chapati continued, "Sabertooth has fallen from third place to a tie with Mermaid Heel for sixth. They'll need to work hard in the coming matches! Lamia Scale is in the same situation, let's wish them luck!"
"At the same time, let's congratulate Shining Sun and Dragon's Treasure for climbing upward in the rankings. Can they catch up to Fairy Tail? Let's wait and see!"
With that, the day's competition concluded.
Naturally, the first thing Rhodes did was look for Mira.
He found her chatting with Bisca, and just as he approached, he overheard the tail end of her question:
"So how do I maintain my figure?"
Bisca paused to think.
"I don't think I've done anything special. After the breastfeeding period, regular exercise and going back to work helped me slim down."
It was true, back when Asuka was only three or four months old, Bisca often left her with trusted guildmates so she could return to missions.
The guild was struggling financially then, and she didn't want Alzack to shoulder everything.
Rhodes stepped up behind Mira and wrapped his arms around her, speaking softly into her ear:
"You don't need to worry about your figure. I love you no matter what."
"Hmph, easy for you to say." Mira pouted. "Bisca said that after a while, I might get irritable, moody, and deal with all kinds of emotional issues. Then you'll dislike me."
"Dislike you? Impossible." Rhodes answered immediately.
Then, after a thoughtful pause: "Though… I will go ask Alzack for advice later."
And then he added with a teasing smile,
"If things really get bad, you can beat up Elfman to vent."
Elfman, standing a safe distance away: "???"
Lisanna laughed brightly.
"Brother-in-law, don't tease him. Elfman and Porlyusica asked for advice on diet and nutrition, and Elfman is still researching recipes. It's so mean to say that!"
Rhodes winced, stabbed by a tiny shard of guilt.