The next day.
"Sorry to keep you waiting! Today, as always, I'll be handling live commentary alongside Mr. Yajima."
Perhaps spurred on by yesterday's match between Wendy and Future Sherria, Chapati had switched to a flashy pink wig today—a jarring contrast with his formal suit.
"And today's special guest is the director of the Sharashado Theater Company, Mr. Labian!"
"Thank you very much! Thank you very much~"
Labian was the same as always—no matter the occasion, he started with a flurry of thanks.
This overly humble gesture made Natsu, Gray, and the others on the bench feel deeply uncomfortable, as it brought back painful memories of being worked to the bone by this guy.
"That play was super manly!" As one of the audience members for that performance, Elfman was clearly excited.
"Too bad... I hadn't joined the guild yet back then..." Wendy's expression showed regret.
"Finally able to be together with Gray-sama~" Juvia beside her had hearts in her eyes, her gaze locked onto Gray.
With the teams merged, the substitute members were now all together, no longer divided into Teams A and B.
"Before the competition officially begins, I have an announcement to make."
"Due to Raven Tail's severe foul play resulting in disqualification, and to avoid byes in the battle rounds, we have decided to merge Fairy Tail into a single team!"
Amid the murmurs of the audience, Chapati began announcing the competing teams.
"First up—ranked sixth, Quartet Cerberus. With only 11 total points, can they pull off an upset?"
The procedure was similar to previous days—guilds competed in order from lowest to highest points.
But compared to the first day, the cheers for each team were noticeably weaker. Even Sabertooth, the former champion, and Lamia Scale, with Future Jura anchoring them, were no exception.
The reason for this shift was simple: after yesterday's Pandemonium and the Sky Magic duel, the audience's attention—or rather, their passion—had been completely redirected.
"Now then—after the merge, they will undoubtedly become even stronger."
Chapati stood up excitedly, gripping his microphone as he shouted, "Let's give our warmest applause to the guild that has held first place for three consecutive days—"
"The brand new Fairy Tail!"
"OOOOOHHH!!!"
In an instant, thunderous cheers erupted. All eyes focused on the end of that dark tunnel.
There, stirring music echoed, various capes fluttered, and five figures slowly stepped into the arena—igniting the entire venue!
"Amazing! The Fairy Queen and Mirajane the Demon are both here!"
"And Chase, who defeated Jura—if we get to see that super cool giant again, it'll be worth dying for!"
"Laxus, who took down Raven Tail all by himself, is also incredibly strong! I really want to touch his muscles~~"
The audience was thrilled, but the contestants and guild masters from other guilds couldn't manage a smile.
"This is really..."
Future Jura's mouth twitched, cold sweat beading on his shiny forehead.
Wasn't Mr. Chase, that monster, supposed to be suspended?
"All S-Class... I feel like there's no hope anymore..." The three male models of Blue Pegasus hung their heads in defeat.
"That's what makes it interesting! Your resolve is far from enough!"
Future Ichiya swept back his shimmering hair and pointed a dramatic gesture at Lucy. "Besides—not all of them are S-Class, you know~"
The rabbit doll behind him mirrored the same motion, exuding mystery.
"We're sorry, Master! We shouldn't have been so cowardly!" The three male models bowed at ninety degrees.
Their exchange served as a reminder to the other contestants, who turned hopeful eyes toward Lucy, as if to say: "At least there's one we can beat."
Lucy, who had been basking in the audience's cheers with a bit of pride, instantly changed expression. "Hey! You guys!"
She was a legitimate S-Class mage who had passed the official S-Class trial!
Inside the card, Future Lucy shed tears of inferiority: I'm so sorry. It's my fault for being so useless.
"Oh my, it looks like you've been targeted, Lucy~" Mirajane said with a hint of mischief.
"Today, you must perform well." Erza gave Lucy's shoulder a meaningful pat.
Chase and Future Laxus walked over to greet familiar faces like Future Jura and Future Ichiya.
"Without further ado, let's begin today's competition event."
"The name is 'Sea Battle.' As on previous days, please select your participants first, and then we'll announce the detailed rules."
As Chapati's voice faded, the six teams returned to their areas to strategize.
Perhaps spurred on by the special treatment she'd received earlier, Lucy clenched her fists with determination. "Let me go this time!"
"That's rare—Lucy, looking just as fired up as Natsu." Mirajane smiled.
"Sea Battle sounds like Aquarius's territory—definitely advantageous." Erza nodded emphatically.
Future Laxus coolly waved his hand, indicating he had no objections.
With that, Lucy turned her anxious gaze toward Chase.
"Don't look at me. Your big brother is just here for show—still not out of the old man's little black room yet."
After letting out a resigned sigh, Chase's eyes swept across Sabertooth's area. As expected, to reclaim the top guild spot, they had sent out Future Minerva.
"Listen carefully, Lucy. I have only one requirement—"
"Show everyone the true power of a Celestial Spirit Mage!"
As Sabertooth's strongest mage, Future Minerva's strength was unquestionable.
If this world's Lucy had to face her, she'd be utterly crushed.
But Chase had full confidence in his own world's Lucy.
His idiot sister had grown step by step under his watchful eye!
And today's event was the perfect stage for her to show the results of all that growth!
Reassured by her idiot brother's approval, Lucy's confidence instantly soared, a radiant smile spreading across her face.
"Of course!!"
Soon, the contestants—all dressed in sexy swimsuits—dived one by one into the massive water sphere suspended above the arena.
The detailed rules for "Sea Battle" were then announced
The rules weren't complicated. The six participants had to maintain their positions within the sphere. Regardless of the method, falling out of the water meant defeat.
Rankings were determined by elimination order.
The only special rule was that when only two people remained inside the water sphere, a special "five-minute" rule would trigger.
If someone was knocked out within those five minutes, they would be ranked last instead of the normal second-place position.
DONG!
With the sound of the gong, the Grand Magic Games' fourth-day competition event—"Sea Battle"—officially began!!
***
Dive deeper into the story with 30+ advance chapters, available now on Patreon!
patreon.com/CNBLUE
If you're enjoying the novel, please consider leaving a review. Your support is crucial and helps the story grow immensely. Thank you!