After saying this, Noel turned around, carrying the unconscious Lucy on his back, and prepared to leave.
"Uh... Contestant Noel..." The pumpkin-headed referee awkwardly scratched his hat, hesitating before calling out.
"...I know." Noel stopped in his tracks but didn't turn around, cutting off whatever the referee wanted to say.
"According to Rule 172 of the Grand Magic Games, if a non-participating contestant interferes in a match, they will be penalized based on the severity of their actions. Given my level of interference, the appropriate punishment would be disqualification from further participation, correct?"
"Ha... hahaha... As long as you're aware." Hearing Noel's words, the referee awkwardly laughed a few times and then simply let him leave.
"Lucy!"
"Are you alright? Hang in there!"
"Let me give her some emergency treatment first."
At that moment, members of Fairy Tail's A team rushed over to Noel, their faces filled with concern as they looked at Lucy's battered body.
Wendy immediately activated her Sky Dragon Slayer Magic to help heal Lucy, and upon seeing this, Sherria from Lamia Scale also jumped down from the stands to assist.
"You bastard, what the hell were you trying to do?!" After confirming that Lucy was temporarily out of danger, Natsu turned to glare angrily at Minerva.
The other members of Fairy Tail also fixed her with hostile gazes.
Seeing this unfold, the members of Sabertooth also rushed down from the stands, positioning themselves between Minerva and the Fairy Tail members.
The atmosphere between the two guilds instantly became tense, as if a single wrong move would ignite an all-out brawl.
"Stop, Natsu. We need to take Lucy to the infirmary first." Noel's low voice rang out, immediately restraining Natsu's impulse to fight and calming the other Fairy Tail members.
Glancing at the wary Sabertooth members, Noel spoke softly, "If you want to settle this, wait until the official battles. There will be plenty of chances."
"This concludes the match! The winner of the competition segment is Sabertooth's Minerva. Fairy Tail A's Lucy, unfortunately, takes second place." Behind them, Chapati's announcement echoed through the arena, but it no longer concerned Noel.
................
At Infirmary.
Lucy lay on the bed, wrapped in bandages and patches, still unconscious.
Surrounding her bedside, the members of Fairy Tail stood in silence, their faces filled with guilt and concern.
"Lucy, are you okay?"
"Lucy..."
The infirmary doors swung open, and the members of Fairy Tail's Team B quickly stepped inside.
"You guys..." Gray looked surprised to see them enter.
"Even though we're in different teams, we're all part of the same guild," Mirajane explained with a gentle smile.
"It's not just Noel—everyone was worried about Lucy."
"Thanks to Wendy, she's not in any life-threatening danger," Noel said softly.
"No, no, it was really Sherria who did a great job with the emergency treatment," Wendy shook her head in response.
Erza looked at Lucy lying on the bed and let out a relieved sigh.
"It doesn't seem like there will be any lasting scars. That's a relief."
"Those guys…" Natsu gritted his teeth slightly, still seething with anger.
"We all know what you're thinking," Laxus murmured.
"Mm…" At that moment, Lucy let out a faint groan and slowly opened her eyes, her voice groggy.
"Everyone… I'm sorry… I lost again, and I even dragged Noel into it."
"What are you talking about? You got second place and earned 8 points," Noel said with a reassuring smile.
"Besides, stepping in was my own decision—it had nothing to do with you."
"That's right… You did really well, Lucy," Erza comforted her.
"Yeah, Lucy-nee, you've already done more than enough," Ed also said.
"My... my keys..." Lucy murmured weakly from the bed.
"They're right here!" Happy, who was sitting beside the bed, hurriedly handed Lucy the Celestial Spirit keys he had picked up.
Lucy held her keys close, her eyes dazed as she slowly closed them again, slipping back into sleep. "That's... a relief... Thank you..."
"Looks like she fell asleep," Mirajane whispered softly, feeling reassured as she watched Lucy's peaceful sleeping face.
"Sabertooth..." Gray muttered the name sharply, his gaze cold.
"Just looking at them pisses me off," Gajeel grumbled, clearly irritated.
"Oh? So the entire A and B teams are here, huh?" Suddenly, a deep, aged voice echoed from the doorway.
Everyone in the infirmary turned their heads to see Makarov walking in slowly.
"Just in time," Makarov said, his expression a complex mix of seriousness and frustration.
"I just received an order from the event organizers—both the A and B teams will be merged into one."
"What?!" Natsu looked completely stunned, his brain struggling to process what Makarov had just said.
"Merge the A and B teams?" Laxus raised an eyebrow.
"What's going on?" Mirajane asked, puzzled.
"Since Raven Tail has been disqualified, the number of participating teams has dropped to seven, making it difficult to arrange the duels evenly," Makarov explained.
"So, we are being asked to merge both our teams into one and select five members to form a new team."
"What about the points?" Charle asked.
"They will use the lower score of the two teams, which means we'll be starting with Team B's 49 points," Makarov replied.
"That's ridiculous!" Happy protested, clearly seeing this as a deliberate move to suppress Fairy Tail's advantage.
Erza crossed her arms and sighed. "But since it's the organizers' decision, we have no choice but to accept it."
Ed took a moment to think before speaking. "Looking at it another way, this allows us to form a stronger team. Given that both Noel-nii and I are disqualified from competing, this might actually work to our advantage."
"But... even if we pick five people now, isn't the only remaining match the upcoming tag-team duel?" Gray asked with a frown.
"No... After tomorrow's rest day, the final day should have a battle where all five members participate," Noel said in a low voice, shaking his head.
"So we need to choose these five members very carefully."
Natsu, his face filled with anger, clenched his fists.
"I will definitely avenge Lucy!! Our comrade was hurt—there's no way I'm letting those guys off easy!!"
..............
Grand Magic Games Overall Standings:
1st Place: Fairy Tail - 49p
2nd Place: Saber Tooth - 42p
3rd Place: Mermaid Heel - 35p
4th Place: Lamia Scale - 25p
5th Place: Blue Pegasus - 20p
6th Place: Quatro Puppy - 14p
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