The room fell into a deathly silence.
Laxus, Natsu, Gray, and the others stared at Ankh with strange looks.
Mirajane, Erza, and Ultear looked at him with expressions that were even more unsettling.
Ankh: …
Honestly, Ankh had thought the message would be a threat.
At worst, some kind of mockery or harsh warning.
But for something like that to come out of nowhere had tangled his thoughts into a complete mess.
Laxus quietly nudged him with his elbow and whispered, "Don't tell me this is some old lover coming back for revenge and accidentally dragging them into it?"
"What kind of joke is that? Didn't you hear her? That was Hisui possessed by some unknown thing. How could I possibly know a creature like that?"
Ankh immediately retorted, though he did feel a little guilty deep down.
If only Seram were awake right now.
At least then he could ask whether his previous self had provoked some god in the past.
Under everyone's mixture of worried and gossip-hungry gazes, Ankh quickly pressed, "Anything else? Just that one sentence?"
Ultear hesitated, then tried to recall what the possessed Hisui had said.
That terrifying being, once one ignored its overwhelming pressure, had behaved very much like a mad, nonsensical child having fun at their expense.
Even though it was powerful enough to treat a ridiculous mage like Jellal as if he were a toy figure, the things it muttered over and over seemed to be only a few sentences.
"There weren't many useful words. It said something about wanting you to come play with it. Otherwise, it would take Jellal and the others apart."
Ankh: ?
'Please, that was the truly important part, all right?!'
No, he had to go to the palace himself.
If he delayed any longer, Ankh was genuinely afraid that lunatic would dismantle his perfectly good Jellal!
"The situation is still chaotic, but what we need to do is already clear!"
Makarov gave the summary with a serious expression. "Today, we split into two groups!"
"First, we still need to fool the kingdom's side. We will continue participating in the Games today and use that as cover for Ankh's group to infiltrate the palace, rescue Jellal and the others, and uncover the truth behind the disaster and Future Rogue's objective!"
"As for the team participating…"
Natsu immediately raised his hand excitedly. "I want to go to the palace! Anyone who can beat Jellal is someone I've gotta meet!"
Gajeel also looked interested, only for Makarov to stop him. "It will already be obvious enough if Ankh and Natsu don't participate. You're staying."
"Laxus, Erza, Juvia, Gray, and Gajeel. You'll take today's final for us!"
Mavis, who was usually so mischievous, also became serious.
She said solemnly to Ankh, "Regarding the Eclipse Gate, all I know is that it has the function of affecting space and time. I have never heard of it possessing the destructive power to wipe out dragons."
"Those dragons may very well come from the Eclipse Gate, just as you suspect."
Then Mavis looked toward the two Lucys beside her.
"The structure of the Eclipse Gate is closely related to Celestial Spirit Magic. I believe that if we want to completely solve the problem caused by the Eclipse Gate, we will still need a Celestial Spirit Mage."
Lucy and Future Lucy exchanged a look.
Future Lucy soon said firmly, "I understand. I'll go with Ankh!"
Wendy also raised her hand, her small face tense as she said, "I want to go with Ankh-san too. Maybe I can help."
Very soon, the palace infiltration team was decided.
Ankh would lead the group.
He would bring both Lucys, Mirajane, Wendy, Natsu, and the three highly mobile Exceeds.
They would also call in Yukino, whom Team Ram had already placed somewhere safe, and then force their way into the palace to settle everything at once.
"Wait! I'm going too…"
Makarov and the remaining members would stay in the middle, ready to support either side at any time.
Just as everyone prepared to move out, a familiar voice suddenly came from inside the room.
Future Natsu had woken up at some point and was now standing in front of everyone, supporting himself against the wall.
"Natsu!"
Future Lucy hurried over to support him in concern.
Natsu, meanwhile, frowned and said, "But you're injured. Won't you just drag us down?"
Ignoring "his own" disdain, Future Natsu gave that classic hot-blooded grin and said firmly.
"I still need to settle the score with that lunatic!"
Two Natsus…
Maybe they could produce an unexpected effect.
Ankh thought about it for a moment, then quickly agreed.
...
Soon, after deciding the teams, everyone left Honey Bone Lodge and headed toward the Grand Magic Games arena.
Makarov submitted their lineup to the officials.
His reasons were that Natsu had been injured in the previous fight against the Twin Dragons, while Ankh had been punished internally by their guild and was not allowed to participate.
They were two extremely flimsy excuses, but the officials could not openly question them, so they had no choice but to welcome Fairy Tail into the arena.
Looking at the already noisy and frenzied crowd of fans, Makarov no longer felt the excitement he had on the first day.
Uneasy, he stood with the children among the support group, watching the real-time broadcast on the screens in the sky.
Mavis's face was calm as a still lake.
Looking at the guild teams gradually taking their positions on the screens, she smiled faintly and comforted him.
"Don't worry, Third. They are far more capable than we imagine, aren't they?"
Makarov silently nodded.
He looked up and saw the members of the team still wearing firm, determined expressions.
Relief rose in his heart.
"Yes. The young eagles have already spread their wings and taken to the sky. It's time to let them experience what it feels like to have those wings soaked by wind and rain."
'Please, Ankh. Change that bullshit future.'
Makarov's gaze shifted from uncertainty to resolve, and he silently stirred himself up.
...
"The Grand Magic Games! The final battle day!"
Chapati's voice rang out right on time, louder and more excited than it had been over the previous few days.
"A survival battle in which all contestants participate! This is the final test of strength, strategy, and bonds with one's comrades!"
"The battlefield is the entirety of Crocus. All contestants have already been scattered throughout the city and are standing by."
Chapati displayed screens from multiple angles for every spectator in the arena, ensuring that everyone could see the city's situation in real time.
Then he continued explaining.
"Inside the city, contestants may choose to hide or seek out opponents to fight. In an encounter, defeating an opponent or rendering them unable to fight will earn one point!"
"At the same time, each team has chosen one member as its captain. Defeating a captain will earn five points! Theoretically, every team can earn up to forty-five points, so a comeback victory is possible for all of them!"
"Now then! Who will climb to the highest peak of Fiore's ultimate glory?!"
"The final battle of the Grand Magic Games…"
"Begin!!"
Chapati's voice spread throughout the entire city, and all the mages scattered across Crocus began moving one after another.
Meanwhile, Natsu, who had just entered the outer area of the palace, looked back toward the lively streets and smiled softly.
"We're definitely gonna win."
"Of course!"
Ankh answered with absolute seriousness.
"We're going to win on both sides."
---------
Read 40 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator