Marco wasn't the only one in this state—everyone in the guild was troubled by Karen's situation.
"Karen is returning to the guild first?"
Marco looked at Bob with surprise.
Marco was unaware of Karen's breakdown.
The members of Blue Pegasus had kept it under wraps, preventing Karen from running around in her frenzied state.
"She's had some... issues," Bob said with a complicated expression.
Though Bob believed Karen shouldn't return while still plagued by her inner demons, he couldn't ignore the opinions of the other guild members.
Karen's actions had clearly become intolerable for everyone in Blue Pegasus.
Rather than letting her stay and unsettle everyone, it was better to send her back to the guild to cool off.
"Of course, no problem. She's already been eliminated, so she's free to leave," Marco replied.
Though Marco didn't know the details, according to the rules, Karen was indeed allowed to leave.
Even if she had advanced, she could still choose to withdraw—the S-Class trials weren't mandatory.
"Really... thank you for your understanding." Bob forced a bitter smile as he expressed his gratitude to Marco.
This was the first time the master of Blue Pegasus had shown such a demeanor in front of Marco.
"Is the situation... serious?" Marco asked, his curiosity piqued by Bob's unusual state.
What exactly had happened to Karen? To think it could wear down even the perpetually cheerful Bob.
"At the moment... it's quite significant. I just hope she can come to terms with it," Bob said with a helpless shake of his head.
He was genuinely worried about Karen's mental state, and a sense of foreboding lingered in his heart.
"I hope she recovers soon," Marco nodded, offering a polite remark before dropping the subject.
Abandon the savior complex; respect others' destinies.
Not that he could help anyway.
It wasn't like he or Hisui could let Karen vent her anger by beating them up.
Why should they? Because she wanted to die? Not his problem.
The most important thing in life was mastering the usage of two phrases: "Not my problem" and "Not your problem."
Learning these words could save one from countless troubles and avoid entanglement with all sorts of inexplicable people.
Bob nodded and left without another word.
Clearly, he had no intention of asking Marco or Hisui to be Karen's punching bags either.
Any rational person would see that Marco and Hisui bore no responsibility for Karen's situation—they had simply defeated her in battle.
Fortunately, everyone in Blue Pegasus was rational, so no one did anything foolish over Karen.
Thus, unnoticed by most, Karen and a few other eliminated Blue Pegasus members began their journey back to the guild.
To prevent Karen from causing further disturbances, Ren and the other eliminated members discussed it and decided to accompany her back.
Though it meant missing the remaining matches—a regret for everyone—they made the necessary sacrifice for the guild's reputation.
Blue Pegasus was a united guild, and Bob had clearly instilled some of Fairy Tail's spirit into its foundation.
Among the departing members, Jenny Realight harbored the most resentment.
Although she had already been eliminated and had nothing left to do, she could still see her idol!
But because of Karen's situation, all the eliminated participants had to return to the guild together, which truly infuriated her.
Naturally, Jenny Realight found Karen increasingly unbearable, and the two bickered the entire way back.
Karen had plenty of admirers who constantly fawned over her, but Jenny Realight also had her fair share of suitors.
Who wasn't a little princess in their own right?
Jenny had no intention of indulging Karen's bad attitude and spent the entire trip roasting her until Karen was left speechless.
Unable to summon her Celestial Spirits, Karen was no match for Jenny in a fight and could only stew in silent anger.
The group returned to the guild in this manner.
Once they arrived at the guild, Karen didn't linger for a second.
She picked up a mission and left alone.
"Why do you always have to provoke her like that?"
Seeing Karen leave by herself, one of their companions sighed and said to Jenny.
"Why shouldn't I? Is she the only one allowed to be angry?" Jenny stiffened her neck defiantly.
Though young, she had a competitive streak and refused to back down from any slight.
"Ah..."
The companion who had spoken wisely shut his mouth. It was best not to meddle in girls' quarrels.
"Wouldn't it be dangerous for Karen to go on a mission in her current state?"
Rather than assigning blame, someone raised a more practical concern.
If Karen couldn't even summon her Celestial Spirits, was it really wise for her to take on a mission now?
"She's probably just saving face. She's not an idiot—she must know her own limits."
Someone else scoffed, and the group unanimously agreed.
"Alright, everyone's worked hard. Go home and rest."
Their leader, Ren, shared the same opinion.
He didn't believe Karen would be foolish enough to take on a mission in her current condition.
The exhausted companions dispersed to their homes, putting the matter out of their minds.
Clearly, no one could quite follow Karen's train of thought.
.....
The departure of Karen and the eliminated participants from Blue Pegasus didn't affect the ongoing S-Class trials.
Though some noticed Blue Pegasus was missing a few members, they merely found it curious—after all, spectators came and went as they pleased.
"BOOM!!!"
Inside the arena, surges of magical energy clashed violently, shaking the very air.
"This is insane! How can two kids their age possess this much power?!"
The Mages from Blue Pegasus and Quatro Cerberus were stunned as they watched Erza and Mirajane battle fiercely in the arena.
The strength displayed by Erza and Mirajane left many Mages feeling ashamed, making them question whether they had wasted all their years.
Given how effortlessly the two girls had fought in the first round, it was clear they hadn't even broken a sweat.
Their abilities far surpassed those of the other participants.
Still, thanks to Marco's jaw-dropping performance, the onlookers weren't as shocked this time.
No matter how strong Erza and Mirajane were, they couldn't compare to the sheer awe Marco had inspired.
"Truly... infuriating!"
Goldmine gritted his teeth so hard they might have shattered.
Why does that old geezer Makarov always get to pick up all the good seedlings?!
Although Bob was worried about Karen's situation, he was also astonished by the battle before him and couldn't help feeling envious.
"Both Erza and Mirajane are such beauties. They should have joined our Blue Pegasus instead," Bob remarked.
This made Makarov shoot him a wary glance.
"These are all the future of our Fairy Tail. Don't get any ideas," Makarov said firmly, giving them both a warning.
Mainly directed at Bob—this guy had always been shamelessly trying to poach members from Fairy Tail.