3rd place is Locke, 4th is One Night, 5th is Liseli, 6th is Yuka.
These people also quickly reached the finish line, leaving only two Dragon Slayer Mages on the chariot.
The symptoms of their motion sickness not only showed no signs of relief, but were actually getting worse.
Looking at them, it seemed like they might collapse and faint at any moment.
Others ran to the finish line on the moving chariot, covering most of the distance on their own.
But the two of them were the complete opposite, relying almost entirely on the chariot's movement.
Team B didn't have time to worry about Natsu's situation; they first went to greet the hero Mira.
Rhode opened his arms before he even reached Mira.
Mira walked forward with a smile, then seemed a bit dizzy, stumbling into Rhode's arms.
"What's wrong?"
Mira steadied herself, holding her forehead: "A bit dizzy, nauseous."
Gajeel wondered, "No way, are you also motion sick?"
Mira ignored him, just looked at Rhode.
Rhode thought of a possibility: "Could it be..."
Mira blushed, eyes filled with shyness, and whispered, "Probably, who told you to work so hard."
"..." Rhode calculated the time of Mira's last period, his heart uncontrollably racing.
He originally thought it might simply be delayed, but now it seems...
"Let's go!" He scooped Mira up in his arms and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Speed unknown among the contestants.
The commentators noticed this scene and talked about the loving couple and such.
"Hey..." Gajeel wanted to remind Rhode about the next match.
Laxus patted his shoulder, signaling him to return first.
Jubia thought for a while, then blushed deeply.
...
"How is it, Granny? How is it?"
"Be quiet, you!"
In the lounge, the Ten Wizard Saints, the Duke of Gioa Kingdom, respected Mr. Rhode got a tap on the head from Granny Porlyusica.
But he had no objection, obediently sitting to the side.
Porlyusica asked Mira several questions, some of which embarrassed her, but she answered them all.
Seeing her discomfort, Porlyusica gestured to the door and told Rhode, "You, go out."
"..." Listening to her ask about conjugal matters made Rhode feel awkward too, so he obediently went to wait outside.
A moment later, the door reopened, and Rhode saw Mira sitting by the bed, a radiant smile on her face, and knew it was confirmed.
Sure enough, Porlyusica said, "Already five weeks pregnant."
Which aligned with Rhode's own calculations. Going back five weeks... was it the time of the Duke's mansion opening?
Not that it mattered, Rhode asked, "How's Mira's health?"
"Don't worry, she's fine," Porlyusica said. "Earlier, it was just sudden intense movement causing a bad reaction. Just a bit of caution from now on will be enough."
"Got it!" Rhode sat next to Mira, holding her. No need for a mirror, he could imagine his current expression.
Mira leaned against Rhode, gently touching her belly—it seemed she developed this habit the instant her pregnancy was confirmed.
Porlyusica had many things to remind them of, but after thinking for a moment, she decided to give the couple some time.
She walked out, gently closing the door behind her.
"Still dizzy? Want anything to eat? Want water? Want to lie down?"
Rhode asked a flurry of questions. He knew his state wasn't right, but his brain couldn't control his mouth now.
Mira replied with a chuckle, "It's not that serious. I could even go for a fight now."
Rhode snorted, "Whoever fights you, I'll break their skull!"
Mira thought for a moment, then asked, "What if it's Elfman?"
After a pause, Rhode laughed, "Then...maybe not as seriously."
Mira playfully hit him.
The two embraced for a good while until Rhode suddenly said, "We're having a baby."
Mira smiled, "Mm!"
"We're having a baby!"
"Mm!"
Both were thrilled, discussing whether it would be a boy or girl, what names to consider—topics without immediate answers—until they calmed down.
Mira said, "We should go out; today's competition isn't over yet."
"Mm." Rhode nodded, "Need to inform the organizers about a substitution."
Mira did not object, knowing she wasn't suited to fight now, which would be troublesome if selected.
Porlyusica waited at the door, knowing they had tasks to do, she just briefly reminded them of a few things.
Rhode noted each one. He understood that during Mira's pregnancy, they should especially be wary of their unreliable guildmates.
Porlyusica watched them leave, unconsciously smiling.
A new life was coming into the world.
...
Upon exiting, they found the chariot race just concluded, Natsu finishing 7th, earning 1 point.
Meanwhile, after confirming a score of 0, Stinger simply jumped off the chariot, not completing the race.
The audiences seemed touched by something.
But Rhode wasn't in the mood to care much; he and Mira just headed to the guild's spectators' area.
Makarov was puzzled, "Can you leave the waiting area?"
"A short moment is fine, and we have something to attend to." Rhode said, "Team B plans to use a substitute."
"At this time?" Mebius felt Team B's current setup was already perfect, "Why?"
Good question.
Rhode held Mira close, smiling, "Because Mira is pregnant, and it's not suitable for her to battle."
"Oh, that makes sense." Everyone nodded.
Then they were silent, stunned, followed by a collective shout: "Huh???!!!"
Their voices were so loud, even the audience couldn't help but look their way.
Thankfully, the clever Rhode covered Mira's ears in advance.
"Sister?!"
"Sister Mira?!"
The first to crowd around, of course, were Elfman and Lisana, looking at their sister in shock.
Mira nodded with a smile, "Just confirmed with Granny Porlyusica."
"Ah... this, this..." Elfman was at a loss, his mind unable to process.
Lisana blushed and then, like a curious child, asked:
"Hey, hey, Sister Mira, how long has it been? Is it a boy or girl? How long until they're born? Will I be an aunt?"
Shocked, joyous, embarrassed... everyone had different reactions, but Mira undoubtedly was the focal point of their concern.
Only after grinning foolishly for a while did Rhode remember the task at hand: "President, I need to choose a substitute."
"Oh, oh right, choose anyone!" Makarov was as happy as a child too.
Rhode and Mira's child felt like a grandchild to him, so dear.