"The time is up!!!" The pumpkin-headed announcer wiped the sweat off his forehead as he looked at the two girls in the arena, both panting heavily and covered in wounds.
He then loudly declared, "This match ends in a draw!! Each team earns five points!"
Hearing the announcement, Wendy seemed to have exhausted all her strength and collapsed onto the ground, completely drained.
Sherria, though in slightly better condition, was still leaning on her legs, gasping for breath.
Natsu grinned and said, "That was amazing!"
"You did great, Wendy!" Lucy wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and whispered softly.
"Both of them were incredible," Erza said with a gentle smile.
"...Yeah," Gray murmured in agreement.
"Sherria and Wendy both did well," Lyon nodded slightly from the Lamia Scale stands.
Though they hadn't won, witnessing a battle filled with such unwavering resolve made him feel that both girls had done an excellent job.
From beside him, Yuka agreed, "That was an amazing match to watch."
Meanwhile, Toby was already moved to tears.
As Jura gazed at Wendy in the arena, memories of the timid, shy blue-haired girl from their battle against Oracion Seis surfaced in his mind.
Feeling a deep sense of nostalgia, he remarked, "If we were just comparing magic power, Sherria was far superior… But that once-timid girl has grown so much, hasn't she?"
"Wh-why are you crying?" From the Fairy Tail stands, Carla grumbled at Happy, who was tearing up from emotion.
However, she failed to notice that her own eyes were already brimming with tears.
"You did well, Wendy," Noel said softly, a small smile appearing on his lips.
"You, who have always disliked fighting, have become so strong… If Jellal Edolas knew, he would surely be proud."
"Does it hurt? I'm sorry," Sherria asked between breaths as she looked at Wendy, who was still sitting on the ground, exhausted.
"It doesn't… You keep saying that," Wendy replied, taking a few deep breaths before letting out a light chuckle.
"Hehe." Sherria and Wendy exchanged glances and, feeling a little embarrassed, both laughed.
"I really enjoyed this match, Wendy." Sherria slowly stepped forward, knelt down in front of Wendy, and began using her remaining magic power to heal Wendy's wounds with her God Slayer magic.
"I... I think I enjoyed it a little too."
"Let's be friends, Wendy. Okay?" Sherria suddenly said.
"O-oh… okay. If you don't mind—" Wendy started, a little flustered.
"No!" Sherria suddenly interrupted her.
Her clear eyes locked onto Wendy's, and she said seriously, "I want a real answer from a friend."
"Eh?" Wendy blinked, tilting her head slightly in confusion.
Looking at Wendy's slightly dazed and innocent expression, Sherria revealed a pure and gentle smile.
She reached out her hand toward Wendy and said, "Let's be friends, Wendy."
"Mm! Sherria!!" Wendy was stunned for a moment, then firmly grasped Sherria's hand and nodded heavily.
"Oh, right, Wendy," Sherria suddenly seemed to remember something and leaned in close to whisper in Wendy's ear, "Master Ishu asked me to give you something. You have to remember to come find me later, okay?"
"Huh? Something from Ishu-san?" Wendy whispered in surprise.
"Yep." Sherria blinked playfully and said mischievously, "Master Ishu told me that giving you this item should be kept as secret as possible, so this will be our little secret."
Wendy tilted her head slightly, then nodded. "Okay."
"What a touching conclusion!!" The commentator Chapati exclaimed excitedly.
"For this old man, the tournament might as well be over—!"
(Pumpkin Man: "Hey, hey, only the third day has ended.")
"Thank you all very much!"
..............
In the audience stands, although the match had already ended, Jellal's expression did not relax in the slightest.
Instead, it became even more serious.
"This is...?! The battle is over, yet that ominous dark magic still hasn't disappeared!? Could it be that Sherria is not the true source of this magic?!"
Suddenly, as if sensing something, Jellal sharply turned his gaze toward the opposite side.
"It's over there, heading toward the exit!"
Tracking the traces of dark magic, Jellal transformed into a beam of light, leaping swiftly over the crowd, rushing toward the source of the magic.
Following silently behind Jellal, Doranbolt's expression changed.
Somewhat surprised and confused, he muttered to himself,
"He's noticed? ...But how...?"
..............
In the passage of Crocus, the cloaked Jellal moved quickly, gradually closing in on the source of the dark magic he had sensed.
As the distance shrank, his heartbeat unconsciously quickened.
"The true source of this mysterious dark magic..."
Catching sight of a vague figure in the distant crowd, a bead of sweat slowly formed on Jellal's forehead.
"It's them... I found you!!"
Bang!
Before Jellal could get any closer, a man suddenly appeared right in front of him, forcing him to halt his steps.
Only then did he clearly see the face of the one blocking his path.
It was none other than Doranbolt, who had been secretly keeping an eye on Jellal's movements inside Crocus.
"When did he—?!" Jellal was slightly shocked.
"I won't let you escape." Doranbolt muttered as he stood firmly in Jellal's way.
(Damn it... the true source of this dark magic is right within reach... Should I knock him out? No, if I accidentally expose my identity and cause a commotion, it'll be disastrous. I absolutely can't make a move against a Council member unless there's no other choice.)
Seeing Jellal remain silent, Doranbolt's sense of familiarity grew stronger.
His eyes narrowed, and he demanded in a cold voice,
"Who are you?"
"Doranbolt, what's wrong?"
Just as Jellal found himself in a difficult predicament, a voice suddenly called out from behind him.
He tilted his head slightly and saw none other than Lahar, who had previously appeared as a guest commentator, along with the squad of Rune Knights under his command.
At that moment, Jellal knew the situation had taken a turn for the worse.
Doranbolt's gaze remained sharp as he stared at the cloaked man before him, pressing further,
"Just who exactly are you?"
.............
Grand Magic Games Overall Rankings:
1st Place: Fairy Tail A – 45 points
2nd Place: Fairy Tail B – 43 points
3rd Place: Mermaid Heel – 32 points
Sabertooth – 32 points
5th Place: Lamia Scale – 21 points
6th Place: Blue Pegasus – 18 points
7th Place: Quatro Puppy – 13 points
Xth Place: Raven Tail – Disqualified
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