"The young lady is really quite devious."
On the Sabertooth guild's viewing platform, Sting leaned leisurely against the railing, speaking with a playful smile.
From the moment he heard the rules, he had no concerns about this match.
Given Minerva's magic, no mage could possibly defeat her under these conditions.
This wasn't about strength—it was simply that Minerva's magic granted her an overwhelming advantage within the competition's rules.
"Indeed," Rufus nodded in agreement with Sting's words.
He, too, had no doubts about Minerva's victory.
"With the young lady's magic, she could make everyone lose in an instant," Orga said with a sigh.
Lector swayed his head back and forth and proclaimed loudly, "We've already won!"
"Fro thinks so too," Frosch added.
"And now, only Minerva and Lucy remain! Who will be the victor?" Chabati announced from the commentary box.
"Will it be Sabertooth, or Fairy Tail? From this point forward, the five-minute rule applies! If one of them is eliminated within the next five minutes, they will be declared the last-place finisher!"
Yajima, puzzled, asked, "Why is there a rule like this?"
"It's to keep the audience engaged until the very end~ Much appreciated~"
..............
Inside the water sphere of the arena, Lucy and Minerva faced off at a distance.
Minerva observed Lucy, who was on full alert, and smiled slightly.
"Although my magic could eliminate you instantly, that would be far too dull... So, take this attack and see if you can withstand it, Fairy Tail."
Minerva's magic surged as a transparent substance appeared in her hand.
In an instant, the unknown force materialized in front of Lucy.
Before she could react, it suddenly exploded, sending a wave of scorching heat crashing into her.
"Thermal energy... Lucy, this is bad," Noel said, his expression serious.
Boom!
Another strike landed on Lucy.
She gritted her teeth. "This time… weight? It's as heavy as lead... I can't keep taking these hits!"
Thinking of this, Lucy reached for her Celestial Spirit Keys—only to discover a shocking fact.
The keys that had been hanging from her waist had mysteriously vanished.
"Huh? My keys?!" Lucy gasped in surprise. Looking up, she saw her Celestial Spirit Keys now in the hands of Minerva, who wore a smug expression.
"When did she—?!"
Boom!
Before Lucy could process what had happened, Minerva struck again, sending her flying backward.
"Lucy! If you get eliminated now, you'll be last place!!!"
As if hearing Chapati's panicked commentary, Lucy frantically flailed her arms and legs, exerting all her strength to stop herself from being thrown out of the arena.
Seeing this, Minerva smirked in amusement and launched another relentless wave of attacks.
Without her keys, Lucy had no choice but to endure the merciless onslaught.
"I..." Lucy gritted her teeth, raising her arms to shield herself from another of Minerva's attacks.
"No matter what kind of attack I face... I will stand my ground..."
"It's about time to eliminate you," Minerva raised her arm, seemingly ready to deliver the final blow to Lucy.
"If I lose here, how could I face my comrades who have worked so hard up until now?!"
Lucy lifted her head, her eyes filled with determination.
"I won't betray everyone's expectations, so I will never give up!"
Minerva stared at Lucy's resolute expression, her face remaining indifferent.
Suddenly, she fell into an eerie silence, and the magic in her hand slowly dissipated.
"What... what's happening here? Minerva's attack has stopped?" Chapati exclaimed in surprise as he checked the timer.
"And just like that, the five-minute countdown is over!! Now, all that's left is the ranking."
"Thank goodness," Mirajane sighed in relief, placing a hand on her chest.
However, Noel's expression grew increasingly grim.
He muttered under his breath, "I have... a bad feeling about this."
BOOM!
A sudden, devastating attack—far beyond the power of any previous strike—slammed into Lucy.
Even with her endurance, she couldn't help but let out a pained scream.
"You Fairy Tail fools have gone too far!!" Minerva's expression twisted into a vicious snarl as she coldly glared at Lucy, who was now covered in wounds.
"What do you take us for?! We are the number one guild in the world!! Sabertooth!!"
Lucy, having suffered a heavy blow, was sent flying helplessly toward the edge of the water sphere.
Just when everyone thought she would be eliminated, her body suddenly vanished—only to reappear right in front of Minerva.
Before she could react, Minerva grabbed her arm and delivered a crushing blow to her abdomen.
"Is it that girl's magic?"
"Why bring Lucy back just as she was about to be eliminated?!" Levy cried out anxiously.
"Is it just to torment her?" Gajeel muttered through gritted teeth, veins bulging on his forehead.
"The match was already decided..." Laxus clenched his teeth slightly.
"STOP IT!!"
Boom!
The water sphere at the center of the arena suddenly burst apart, a white beam of light slicing through it like a blade, splitting it in half.
Water splashed in all directions, leaving the entire stadium in stunned silence.
The scattered water formed a cascading curtain, falling to the ground and soaking the arena floor.
At the center of this scene, Noel stood, holding the wounded and battered Lucy in his arms.
His icy gaze was locked onto Minerva, who had landed on the opposite side.
"What's with that look?" Minerva scoffed at Noel's frigid stare, completely unfazed.
"Little old me was just following the rules of the competition." She smirked mockingly.
"You should be thanking me for letting her take second place, that useless..."
Phew—
Minerva abruptly stopped speaking.
A bead of cold sweat formed on her forehead, and her pupils shrank slightly as she realized a white blade was now resting against her neck, having appeared there without her even noticing.
"Shut your mouth," Noel said coldly.
"Lucy is not someone you have the right to insult."
"Uh…" The pumpkin-headed referee quickly stepped forward, intending to intervene.
However, seeming to realize the extent of Noel's skill, he hesitated, unsure of what to do.
Noel glanced at the anxious referee before slowly withdrawing his arm.
His gaze shifted back to Minerva, whose face—despite her efforts—could not entirely mask her fear.
"I don't care whether Sabertooth is Fiore's number one guild or not," Noel stated icily.
"Just remember one thing—you've angered the last guild you should have ever dared to provoke. And one day, we'll settle this score, with interest. Sabertooth."
--------------
Exclusive access : All novel on paetron
Genshin impact Complete novel, Naruto birdcage Complete novel, Overlord Complete novel
From the apocalypse 100+ch, Fairy tail Destiny Complete novel, Genshin Impact Eerie Teyvat 200+ch
Join now : patreon*com/DeCakraWnloverz