Chapter 298: The Final Day
"Ugh ah ah ah ah!!"
Jiemma fell, spitting blood. Everyone in the guild was stunned by this scene, not expecting Master Jiemma to be severely wounded by Sting.
"You actually... you actually did that to Lector..."
Sting was still not appeased. Lector was his most important friend and family, and he would not allow anyone to harm Lector. His entire body trembled violently, the residual white light of his Dragon Force flickering like a dying star. Tears streamed down his bruised face, mixing with the dust of the shattered guildhall floor. The sheer density of his chaotic magic power made the air heavy, pressing down on the other Sabertooth members who could only watch in absolute silence.
Just as Sting was about to make another move, his fist clenching tight as he prepared to deliver a fatal blow to the fallen Master, Minerva's voice suddenly rang out.
"That's enough!"
Everyone looked over upon hearing Minerva's voice. She descended the stone staircase with slow, measured steps, her expression entirely devoid of panic or sorrow. She moved with the regal authority of a queen stepping over a battlefield, her eyes locked onto the weeping Light Dragon Slayer.
"Let Father's reign of terror end now," Minerva declared, her voice echoing clearly through the cavernous hall. "Sting, with power surpassing Father's, is the perfect candidate for the new Master."
Jiemma looked at Minerva in disbelief, clutching his bleeding chest. "Minerva, you... what are you saying..."
"Shut up, Father," Minerva interrupted coldly, not even sparing him a downward glance. "Didn't you say you don't need strays? The strong rise, the weak fall—isn't that your own theory, Father? You were bested by your own creation. You have outlived your usefulness."
"Ugh..." Jiemma choked on his own blood, unable to formulate a rebuttal against his own twisted philosophy being used against him.
Minerva turned her full attention back to Sting, her gaze softening into something dangerously manipulative. "Sting, you lack something that person named Natsu possesses: 'the power of conviction.' You were unknowingly influenced by Father's dogma—'no need for comrades,' 'power is everything.' You forced yourself to act like a ruthless beast."
She stopped a few feet away from him. "But you are not that kind of person at your core. That genuine concern for Lector... that love... will become power. You have now gained that power through your grief, and with it, you will even surpass Natsu."
"Miss, I already..." Sting dropped to his knees, his hands covering his face as a heart-wrenching sob escaped his throat. The power meant nothing to him if he had lost his partner. "Lector is gone..."
"Don't worry," Minerva smiled, a dark, calculating curve of her lips. "Lector is still alive. I used my Territory magic to transfer him elsewhere the exact moment Father struck."
Sting's head snapped up, his wide eyes red and desperate. "R-really, Miss...? Thank you! Thank you, Miss!! Please bring Lector back quickly, thank you..."
"Don't be naive!"
Minerva suddenly leaned close to Sting, her demeanor shifting from a benevolent savior to a ruthless dictator in the blink of an eye. The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
"I won't return Lector to you until you win the Grand Magic Games for Sabertooth."
Sting was on the verge of breaking down completely. The emotional whiplash was suffocating him. "What are you saying, Miss? Please, return Lector immediately... I beg you..."
"Although I am different from Father, the proper stance for Sabertooth is to be the number one guild in the world," Minerva threatened, her eyes narrowing into deadly slits. "That absolute fact remains unchanged. You must prove the power you have gained to everyone; you must demonstrate your strength through total, undisputed victory."
"But... but Fairy Tail has Mr. Ren..." Sting stammered, his entire body shivering as the image of the spatial mage crossed his mind. The sheer, unfathomable abyss of Ren's magic power was something Sting knew he couldn't overcome with sheer willpower alone. "How can I possibly..."
"Ren, that guy is indeed troublesome," Minerva admitted, a flash of irritation crossing her features. "But with a proper plan, he can still be dealt with. You don't need to think too much; just follow my plan and execute it with all your might, understand? You better not have any foolish ideas. Remember, Lector's life is in my hands."
Meanwhile, at Fairy Tail's hotel in Crocus.
"Cheers—!!"
The guild celebrated again. Since the Grand Magic Games began, Fairy Tail had been holding celebration parties almost every single day. The atmosphere inside their rented tavern was deafeningly loud, filled with the clinking of giant wooden mugs, the smell of roasted meat, and the roaring laughter of mages who had finally reclaimed their lost pride.
"Did you see it?! My heroic figure! I defeated both of those guys from Sabertooth!!" Natsu boasted excitedly, standing on top of a sturdy oak table. He swung his arms wildly, acting out the battle for the cheering crowd, his signature scarf fluttering with every exaggerated movement.
"Aye! Natsu was super strong!" Happy cheered from the sidelines, munching happily on a raw fish.
"Damn it! How did I lose?"
Gajeel sat in the corner, his face dark with brooding resentment. He was still bitterly regretting losing at rock-paper-scissors to Natsu back in the arena minecarts; otherwise, he would have been the one in the spotlight today, crushing the so-called Twin Dragons. He aggressively bit into a solid iron mug, bending the metal with his teeth in pure frustration.
Gajeel gnashed his teeth, glaring at Natsu. "Fire Dragon, just you wait! The day after tomorrow, I'll beat those two guys in a two-on-one fight and show you who the real strongest Dragon Slayer is!!"
"By the way, regarding the finals the day after tomorrow, it's a massive six-team survival match. Ren, do you have any plans?"
Erza looked at Ren, her expression turning serious amidst the chaos. Although there was no officially designated captain in the team, in Fairy Tail, Ren's tactical authority was second only to Master Makarov. A grand survival match required strategy in addition to raw strength; otherwise, they could easily fall into a passive situation against multiple guilds teaming up.
"Plans?" Ren took a slow sip of his drink, his face a mask of relaxed indifference. "Hmm, yes. Just defeat everyone else."
Ren hadn't really thought of any complex tactical formations. Originally, he thought everyone could just do their own thing and run wild in the city. But Minerva's actions over the past few days had made Ren a little angry. The way she had humiliated and tortured Lucy in the Naval Battle crossed a line that Ren never allowed anyone to cross. He fully intended to let Sabertooth taste exactly what it was like to be thoroughly, humiliatingly crushed.
"Our Admiral is truly reliable," Laxus said from the bar, resting his chin on his hand with a hint of a teasing smirk.
Macao laughed heartily, raising his mug. "What can we do? Sabertooth made our Admiral angry."
"Sabertooth is in for big trouble!" Wakaba agreed, puffing out a cloud of smoke from his pipe.
The guild members all knew the truth. While Ren usually seemed magnanimous, laid-back, and endlessly patient, he was actually very petty when it came to his family. You could offend anyone in the world, you could even insult the Magic Council, but you absolutely did not offend Ren.
If Sabertooth had just eliminated Lucy according to the normal rules of the tournament, it would have been fine. It was a competition, after all. But they dragged her back from the edge of the water sphere and tortured her for the world to see. This had already greatly displeased Ren, and when Ren was displeased, the enemy was in for big trouble.
Just two days ago, Bacchus, Quatro Cerberus's ace who had stolen Erza's bra, was found severely beaten, stripped naked, and thrown onto the cold cobblestone street. The culprit had yet to be found by the Rune Knights.
But almost everyone in the guild knew that Ren was behind it.
If he treated a harmless loudmouth like Bacchus like that, there was absolutely no need to say more about what kind of horrific fate awaited Minerva.
July 6th, Grand Magic Games Final Day.
Boom boom boom!!!
Splendid magic fireworks exploded brilliantly above the Grand Magic Games arena, painting the morning sky with vibrant hues of red, blue, and gold. Enthusiastic cheers soared into the sky, shaking the very foundations of the Domus Flau. Almost all the spectators were shouting loudly, the anticipation for the climax of the week-long festival reaching a fever pitch.
"Finally!! This day has finally arrived!!" Chapati Lola's voice boomed through the massive magical lacrima sound system, his excitement palpable. "The Mages' fiery festival, the absolute climax, the final day of the Grand Magic Games!!"
"Whether with tears of sorrow or laughter of joy, today, the winning guild of Fiore will definitely be decided!!"
"Today's live broadcast is still me, your host Chapati Lola, and the ever-insightful commentator, former Council Member Yajima-san."
"Please take care of me," Yajima said politely, stroking his mustache with a calm nod to the roaring crowd.
"And our special guest today is none other than the official mascot of the Grand Magic Games, Mato, who has come all the way up to our special spectator seats! Is the refereeing work okay today, Mato?!"
"It's perfectly fine today, kabo! Everyone, please do your absolute best, kabo!" the pumpkin-headed mascot cheered, waving his oversized hands.
"Now, the time has come. It's time for the final participating teams to enter the arena!" Chapati Lola announced, the stadium lights dimming dramatically as the massive entrance gates began to grind open.
"Currently ranked sixth, will they have a miraculous chance for a great comeback? Give it up for Quatro Cerberus!"
The members of Quatro Cerberus entered the stadium. Their performance this time was a bit lacking compared to the hype they generated, especially with Bacchus looking unusually bruised, but overall, they were still recognized as a powerful, veteran guild.
"Next up, the former absolute king of the Grand Magic Games, whose performance was surprisingly subpar earlier this tournament! Can they turn the tide and continue their legend as the strongest? Sabertooth!"
The five-member team of Sabertooth entered, stepping out of the shadows. Enthusiastic, deafening cheers erupted from the stands.
Sabertooth had been completely dominant in the tournament for seven long years, and even with their poor performance against Fairy Tail this time, their popularity among the masses remained very high.
"Currently sitting securely in fourth place, with a steady and beautiful performance... Blue Pegasus!!"
The five members of Blue Pegasus entered the arena, posing dramatically for the magical cameras. The cheers from the female audience were incredibly loud; besides Ichiya, the others were either handsome men or beautiful women, all popular celebrities in the Kingdom of Fiore.
However, the complaints about Ichiya were still hard to hide, but Ichiya never took those words to heart, filtering them out directly. This mindset alone could be considered powerful.
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