"Sabertooth?"
The Fairy Tail Mages turned to the field with serious eyes.
Sabertooth's score was poor, yet no one believed they were weak. Whether it was Rufus or Orga, both had already displayed formidable strength.
[As we all know, Kagura's might is unmatched—Mermaid Heel's strongest Mage and the current Sorcerer Magazine's top pick among female Mages."
[Her opponent, Yukino, is a newcomer, yet the very fact she belongs to the strongest guild, Sabertooth, is enough to raise expectations sky-high.]
[Then, let the match begin!]
"Please take care of me." Yukino bowed politely.
Kagura was surprised. She hadn't expected such courtesy from the prideful Sabertooth. "The pleasure is mine."
"Um… before we start, how about we set a little wager?" Yukino looked at Kagura and asked.
"Sorry, I'm not interested." Kagura refused outright.
"Are you afraid to lose?"
"I don't entertain such feelings. Once a bet is made, it must be honored. That's why I avoid frivolous sideshows." Kagura closed her eyes and spoke calmly.
"Then let's raise the stakes. Let's bet our very lives."
Gasps echoed through the Grand Magic Games arena and the entire stadium fell silent.
"If your resolve is genuine, then accepting your challenge is the least courtesy I can show. Very well, I agree."
The moment Kagura heard Yukino's words, her aura shifted.
"T-this is getting a bit heavy."
The spectators' expressions changed. After all, this was only a tournament—staking lives felt excessive.
"Standing before Sabertooth is your misfortune."
"Open, Gate of the Pisces!"
"Pisces!"
Yukino drew a golden key and activated her Celestial Spirit Magic.
"A Celestial Mage?!" Lucy was stunned.
Behind Yukino, a magic circle gushed water. Two massive fish—one black, one white—leapt out and lunged at Kagura.
Kagura sprang aside to evade.
"Open, Gate of the Libra! Libra!"
Yukino summoned another spirit—a woman holding a balancing scale.
"A double summon!" Lucy exclaimed.
She'd first seen the technique from Angel of Oración Seis, and after her training, she could now manage it too.
"Libra—shift the target's gravity!"
Terrifying gravity bore down on Kagura, pinning her in place.
"Pisces—attack!"
With Kagura supposedly immobilized, Yukino ordered the twin fish to strike.
Yet the moment Pisces rushed in, Kagura vaulted free.
Lector exclaimed, "She slipped Libra's gravity?!"
Risley smirked. "My gravity magic was taught by Kagura herself."
Seeing both Libra and Pisces fail to restrain Kagura, Yukino took a breath.
"Are you going to force me to open that gate? The Thirteenth Gate?"
Lucy was stunned. "The Thirteenth Gate?!"
Erza asked, "What is it, Lucy?"
Lucy explained, "There are only twelve golden Zodiac keys. But I've heard rumors of a thirteenth that can summon a spirit surpassing all of them—the Serpent Bearer."
"Open, Gate of the Serpent Bearer! Ophiuchus!!!"
A colossal Mechanical Serpent erupted behind Yukino.
Kagura charged without hesitation and flashed past the serpent, the mechanical body split into four pieces.
She hadn't even drawn her sword.
Erza was startled. Aside from Takeshi, she'd rarely seen swordplay of such caliber.
Kagura closed the distance in an instant.
Yukino gasped. "No way—"
"Your wager was reckless, even mermaids devour tigers."
Bam!
Yukino hit the ground. Uninjured, yet her strongest spirit lay in ruins—there was no point continuing.
[M-match over!]
[Winner: Kagura Mikazuchi of Mermaid Heel!]
The crowd erupted.
Kagura's popularity stemmed from sheer strength. She had never needed to draw her blade in any Grand Magic Games she entered. Many now considered her Fiore's strongest female Mage.
"Way to go, Kagura!"
"Yes!"
"Never underestimate her."
"Sabertooth scored… zero points on Day Two?!!"
Gray's face was grim. "Is that Sabertooth girl weak, or is the Mermaid girl just that strong?"
Erza answered, "The latter."
Takeshi nodded. "Her swordplay is solid, and with gravity magic backing it, her attack power is fierce."
Lucy stared at him. "Compliments from you are rare, Takeshi."
Takeshi chuckled. "I'm nothing special, my praise isn't worth much."
He knew his own talent—his seeming brilliance came from absorbing countless character-card battle experiences.
Gray and the others didn't buy it. If Takeshi wasn't special, then no one in this world was.
Tears slid down Yukino's cheeks as she lay on the floor. "I… actually lost… Sabertooth actually…"
Kagura said coolly, "From today on, your life is mine. Understood?"
"Understood…"
[And with that, all matches of Day Two conclude!]
[Overall standings]
1. Team Fairy Tail A – 32 pts
2. Team Fairy Tail B – 23 pts
3. Mermaid Heel – 20 pts
4. Blue Pegasus – 19 pts
5. Raven Tail – 18 pts
6. Quatro Cerberus – 13 pts
7. Lamia Scale – 12 pts
8. Sabertooth – 11 pts
The audience stared in disbelief at the rankings.
Fairy Tail held both first and second place.
Meanwhile, the title-favorite Sabertooth sat dead last, and the ever-second Lamia Scale—now with Jura—ranked second-to-last. The result was utterly shocking.
***
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