Even with her Second Origin unlocked, Lucy's current limit was two gold and one silver Celestial Spirit Dress forms.
So Aquarius's power had been squeezed in forcibly on top of that.
The price of doing so was that during the clash with Future Minerva's ultimate move, she inevitably ended up on the losing end, appearing to the audience as if she had "fallen."
This dangerous gambit was no different from Natsu emptying his magic power to devour God Slayer flames.
But fortunately, she had succeeded. She had managed to protect that last piece of terrain!
The sudden turn of events drew gasps from the entire arena.
The Pumpkin Head referee's final verdict got stuck in his throat. He stared wide-eyed at Lucy, who was struggling to her feet inside the water sphere.
Under those conditions, she had still had the presence of mind to notice and make that a reality?
"What an impressive Celestial Spirit Mage, Pumpkin~"
After a few seconds of silence, the Pumpkin Head finally snapped out of his shock. He raised his right hand and shouted, "Minerva is out of bounds! I declare the winner of this competition event—"
"Lucy Heartfilia, who still remains within the water sphere!!"
"OOOOOHHH!!!" *n
Only when she heard the enthusiastic cheers from the crowd did Lucy's tightly wound nerves finally relax.
With her willpower gone, her injuries suddenly had no resistance. The tearing pain, combined with magic deficiency syndrome, erupted all at once.
The water sphere burst, splashing down under gravity. Lucy's vision went dark, and she began to pitch forward uncontrollably.
But the expected face-plant into the dirt never happened. She fell into solid, steady arms.
"Well done, Lucy."
Chase appeared in an instant, supporting Lucy's shoulders and feeding her the Nutrient Z he had prepared in advance, replenishing the magic power deficit that was most critical for a mage.
"Lucy-san, let me heal you!"
Wendy, who had been brought along, immediately cast her healing magic. A gentle halo of light appeared, stabilizing the spreading wounds.
Warmth flowed through Lucy's body, dispelling the burning pain.
Lucy looked at Wendy's face, her gaze dimming slightly. She let out a soft sigh. "Sorry, Wendy. Minerva, she..."
"It's okay, Lucy-san."
A brief flicker of sorrow passed through Wendy's eyes, then she shook her head understandingly.
Compared to the regrets of this world without Chase that everyone had experienced, the change in her good friend Minerva seemed insignificant.
She still had a chance to see Minerva "return to the right path." But Lucy-san's father, Gray-san's master, Erza-san's childhood friends... they didn't.
"Hahaha! That was so cool, you bastard Lucy!"
"Hmph, since you got first place, I'll forgive you for ruining my reputation~"
"Aye~ we always believed Lucy would win!"
"That's the manliness of our guild's Celestial Spirit Mage!"
The entire competition team, even the cheer squad from the stands, rushed over, chattering excitedly about the brilliant battle just now.
Of course, the loudest voice was still Lucy's sharp retorts:
"St-Stop it, Natsu! You're going to break my waist!"
"Gray, do you even have a reputation left? Gemini copied the real you!"
"Where are you nuzzling, you dead cat (Super Fierce)!!"
Across from them, Future Minerva stood frozen in place, staring blankly at Lucy surrounded by smiling faces.
Her fists at her sides clenched tightly from the shame and unwillingness of defeat, but soon, they slackened weakly.
A wave of defeat welled up in her heart. She felt she had lost completely, and not just in the Sea Battle event.
Right now, beside her...
There was no one.
"Are you alright? Don't worry, we'll provide you with the necessary treatment!"
Facing the Grand Magic Games medical team that had rushed over, Future Minerva said nothing. She didn't accept treatment either.
Dragging her heavily wounded body, she turned silently and walked step by step toward Sabertooth's section.
Led by Jiemon, whose face was ashen, the guild members' expressions varied, but they all remained rooted in place.
Though they were on the same field, only a few meters apart, they existed in two completely different worlds. Behind her were harsh, cheerful voices. Ahead of her was the gloom before a storm.
For some reason, Future Minerva had a strong intuition that even if she had won first place, nothing about this scene would change.
"Then I'll use this power to fight for my comrades who've been mocked for seven years!"
Lucy's words echoed in the depths of her mind. The Sabertooth princess who had once wanted to protect everyone was now lost in deep confusion.
Lucy, still bickering with her companions, seemed to notice something. She looked up at Future Minerva's lonely retreating figure.
After a moment of thought, she ultimately didn't call out to her. No matter what she said, it would sound like a victor's boast.
Fairy Tail Guild Stands.
"What a brilliant battle, that clash between Celestial Spirit Magic and the Eighteen Demon Gods Magic!"
Future Mavis's eyes sparkled as she watched Lucy's constant retorts on the field. She smiled sweetly. "She really is an amazing mage~"
When she had first seen Future Minerva unleash that ancient Eighteen Demon Gods Magic, even the well-traveled Mavis had been genuinely surprised.
"Ahahaha! Of course she is!" Makarov planted his hands on his hips, chest puffed out with pride, his old face beaming.
Little Asuka, perched on his head, turned to look at Future Bisca. "Hey hey, Mama, I want to become a Celestial Spirit Mage like Lucy-nee!"
"Huh? Not a gunner anymore?" Future Bisca and Alzack were taken aback.
Celestial Spirit Magic wasn't easy to learn. The keys alone would drain the savings they'd accumulated over the years!
"Just kidding~" Asuka winked playfully.
Whether it was from spending too much time in the guild or not, this child looked well-behaved but was actually quite mischievous.
Behind them, Future Macao and the other remaining members—who had endured seven years of ridicule—were already moved to tears.
"This is wonderful, Lucy-chan!"
Future Levy's eyes were also moist with tears, genuinely happy for her best friend.
Later, she wrote this in her diary about the competition event:
[Grand Magic Games Day Four, Sea Battle. I think I will never forget what happened that day. I will never forget that dazzling starlight.]
[Lucy from another world surpassed all the guilds and defeated the strongest mage of the strongest guild.]
[Battered and bruised, surrounded by everyone, she was like the brightest star in the night sky, illuminating the entire arena.]
***
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!