Missed me? I got my life back on track, I can return to writing slowly. Will release a new chapter for Marvel Diary soon.
"Normal Dialogue"
'Inner thoughts'
[Year X791]
~ With Shisui ~
While Shisui was analysing the effects of Ophiuchus' presence, Yukino did not stand idly by. Without much thought, she commanded for the Celestial Spirit to physically attack Kagura.
As the snake lunged at Kagura with its massive jaws open, Shisui was the first to notice movement coming from Kagura. She had already closed her eyes, her hand moving to her sword's hilt for the first time. When she felt the snake finally entering her range, Kagura made her move.
Grudge Sword: Archenemy, Sheathed Form!
She opened her eyes and, in that instant, Ophiuchus split into four pieces. The cuts were so clean that the segments seemed to hang in the air for a moment before dissolving back to the Celestial Spirit realm. The darkness lifted. The sun returned.
Yukino stood frozen, unable to process what had just happened. Her strongest celestial spirit, defeated without her being able to react to any counterattack. She wasn't even able to catch Kagura's movements. One moment the swordswoman was across the arena, the next she was directly in front of Yukino. A gentle tap to the forehead sent Yukino falling onto her back.
Yukino made no move to get up as Kagura walked away without looking back. Only after she'd left the arena did the crowd remember to cheer. Meanwhile, Yukino remained on the ground, crying silently as the weight of failure crushed down on her.
"The winner is Kagura Mikazuchi of Mermaid Heel!"
Even as Chapati's announcement echoed in the now silent arena, the common folk still struggled to shake off the lingering effects of fear. Some rubbed their arms as if cold. Others blinked repeatedly, trying to clear their vision. The weaker mages among the spectators had fared better but still showed signs of distress.
"What just happened…" Shisui muttered to himself.
His Sharingan had caught everything. From the moment Kagura closed her eyes to the moment she walked back into the tunnel after ending the battle. Yet, not once did Kagura actually unsheathe her sword to slice the Celestial Spirit.
But the real question bothered him more. Why had Yukino used it for a physical attack? A spirit with that level of illusion mastery should have been perfect for mental warfare. The snake could have trapped Kagura in layers upon layers of illusions, attacking her mind instead of her body. But Yukino had ordered a direct assault, the most basic and predictable approach possible.
The answer came to him suddenly.
This had likely been Yukino's first time summoning Ophiuchus. She didn't know what it could do. The thirteenth gate key was shrouded in mystery even among Celestial Wizards. Without proper knowledge of her spirit's abilities, she'd defaulted to basic physical attacks.
"What a waste…" Shisui said quietly.
Around him, the crowd had started to process what they'd just witnessed before Chapati's voice cut through the murmuring.
"For the first time since the Grand Magic Games began, Sabertooth has scored only one point in a single day! This changes everything, folks!" His amazement was obvious.
Yajima stroked his moustache thoughtfully. "Things are certainly getting interesting. Sabertooth's dominance may not be as absolute as we thought."
"COOL!" Jason shouted. "Kagura is just too cool! Did you see how she cut that snake? I didn't! But it was still COOL!"
First Place: Fairy Tail Team B, 31p
Second Place: Raven Tail, 24p
Third Place: Sabertooth, 21p
Fourth Place: Fairy Tail Team A, 20p
Fifth Place: Mermaid Heel, 16p
Fifth Place: Blue Pegasus, 16p
Seventh Place: Quatro Puppy, 10p
Eighth Place: Lamia Scale, 8p
The scoreboard updated, drawing gasps from the crowd. Fairy Tail Team B now sat alone at the top with thirty-one points. Sabertooth had fallen to third with twenty-two. The implications were clear as the results spoke for itself. The guild everyone assumed would win and dominate the games was now starting to show signs of weakness.
But down on the arena floor, none of that mattered to Yukino. She hadn't moved from where she'd fallen. Tears streamed down her face as she stared at the sky. Minutes passed. Kagura had long since returned to her team, while the medical staff stood at the edge of the arena, unsure if they should approach.
In Sabertooth Team's section, Lector and Frosch remained in shock even as the mages of Quatro Puppy cried loudly at the official change of their guild name.
"Yukino lost?" Lector's voice came out small. "Sting losing can be explained away… But this…"
Frosch nodded sadly. "Fro thinks so too."
A blur of movement caught their attention. Someone had jumped from their section, landing in the arena. The figure then began walking towards Yukino.
"What's blondie doing?" Natsu asked, recognizing Sting immediately.
"Is he going to hurt her for losing?" Lucy tensed. She'd heard stories about Sabertooth's harsh treatment of members who failed, especially from the Sabertooth's Guildmaster and their Ace.
Down in the arena, Yukino's view of the sky was suddenly blocked as Sting's face appeared above her, looking down with an unreadable expression. Her heart clenched. She knew what came next. As kind as Sting had been towards her during her time in the guild, but Sabertooth just did not tolerate failure. Their master would demand punishment. And as one of their strongest, Sting would probably deliver it.
"I-I'm sorry," She managed between sobs. She covered her eyes with her hands, not wanting to see the disappointment and anger she knew would be there.
Instead, she felt gentle hands take hold of hers. Sting pulled them away from her face carefully. His thumb wiped away her tears with surprising tenderness.
"There's nothing to apologize for, Yukino." His voice was soft, nothing like the arrogant tone he usually used. "You did your best. That's all we can ask for."
The words broke something inside her. She cried harder, but now it was relief mixed with the pain. She wouldn't be cast out. She wouldn't be hated. Her teammates still accepted her despite her failure.
"Come on," Sting said, helping her to her feet. "Let's get you cleaned up."
He kept her close as he guided her back toward their team. The crowd watched in stunned silence. This wasn't the Sabertooth they knew. But then again, their Ace seemed to be noticeably missing from the team for the past two days.
Up in Fairy Tail A's section, Natsu's jaw had dropped.
"Did blondie just... comfort someone?" He sounded like he couldn't believe his own words.
Erza smiled slightly. "Don't judge a book by its cover, Natsu. People can surprise you."
"But it's Sting!" Natsu protested. "He's supposed to be a jerk!"
"Just because he beat you at the Chariot contest, it does not automatically make him a jerk." Erza replied simply.
Gray crossed his arms. "Still weird seeing it though."
In Team B's section, Shisui watched with approval. The boy he'd met years ago would never have shown such compassion publicly. Back then, Sting had been all pride and posturing, desperate to prove his strength. But something had changed.
"He's grown." Shisui said.
Laxus glanced at him. "You know him?"
"We've crossed paths." Shisui kept his answer vague, but a small smile played at his lips.
~ End of Chapter 118 ~