Capítulo 126: Chapter 126: Champion! Fairy Queen!!!
Developing the Dark Web was a simple task for Nate. He only needed to copy the code from the Magic Net forum, make a few minor modifications, and set an "entry condition" for access. Satisfied for now, he set the project aside and turned his attention to watching the tournament.
Facing Erza's Sea Empress Armor, Juvia's water magic was at a significant disadvantage. Despite her determination to win, she couldn't shift the tide of the battle. Before long, she was defeated.
The result appeared on the screen:
[Winner]: Erza!
No one was surprised by the outcome. Erza's victory was indisputable. Still, Nate felt a bit sorry for Juvia. She had tried her best, but the armor's advantage against water magic was simply too much to overcome.
Nate considered whether he should teach Juvia some new magic. With only water-based abilities, it was hard for her to face opponents who countered her. But what should he teach her?
As he pondered, Erza and Juvia were teleported back to the participant area. Juvia, visibly drained from expending so much magic, sat alone, dejected after her loss.
Meanwhile, Natsu stood up, brimming with excitement.
"Old man, hurry up and start the next round!"
Makarov shot him a glare. "For the final championship match, only three contestants remain. Let the match begin!"
The avatars of the three remaining contestants flashed on the screen, and the matchups were determined.
[Erza vs. Natsu!]
[Nate: bye.]
As soon as the results appeared, the entire audience's eyes turned to Nate.
Nate sighed. "I swear, I didn't rig the match…"
Mirajane stifled a giggle behind her hand.
"Hahaha! Finally, it's my turn! Let's fight, Erza!" Natsu exclaimed, clenching his fists in excitement.
In a flash, the two of them were transported to the duel stage, drawing everyone's attention to their fight.
Taking advantage of the moment, Nate invited Juvia to a voice chat. She was momentarily surprised but quickly accepted.
Juvia: "Nate-sama? I'm sorry... Juvia lost."
Juvia: "Waaah, I failed to live up to Nate-sama's expectations."
Her voice echoed in Nate's mind, thanks to the advanced voice chat feature that allowed direct mental communication.
Nate: "It's just a guild event. You did great."
Juvia: "But… (sulking)"
Juvia: "Juvia was hoping to face you in the match. Juvia feels so useless. (sad)"
Nate: "Wanna go to the outskirts tonight?"
Juvia: "Juvia will go! (surprised and happy)"
Rain Woman Juvia was easy to cheer up. Nate realized that just being with her was enough to make her feel content.
Nate: "You're so cute."
Juvia: "Juvia loves Nate-sama so much. As long as Juvia can be by your side, she's happy. (shy)"
There was no mistaking the sincerity of Juvia's emotions through the voice chat. Nate could truly feel her burning affection for him.
Nate: "I like you too. Just make sure to wear the bunny outfit."
Nate: "I'll teach you powerful magic, and next time, you'll definitely win."
Juvia: "The bunny outfit... It's so bold, Juvia has never worn anything like that before."
Juvia: "But for Nate-sama, Juvia will do anything! (determined)"
Sitting in the participant area, Juvia's face flushed red as she conveyed her true thoughts.
Juvia: "Oh my, how embarrassing~"
What followed was a flood of inappropriate thoughts, with Juvia clearly focusing more on the "bunny outfit" than on the promise of learning new magic. Nate realized she hadn't even registered the important part.
As Nate chatted with Juvia, he kept one eye on the match. Mirajane was commentating with full focus.
"Facing Natsu's fierce attacks, Erza has opted for the Flame Empress Armor. It increases resistance to fire, but will it hold up against Natsu's Fire Dragon Slayer Magic?"
On the battlefield, Natsu relentlessly attacked while Erza defended. They had fought over a hundred times before, and Natsu had never won. Erza was extremely familiar with his combat style.
Despite expending a lot of magic in her battle against Juvia, Erza still maintained the upper hand. After half an hour, when Natsu had burned through a significant amount of his magic, Erza began her counterattack.
She didn't use her Flame Empress Sword, as fire wouldn't harm Natsu and might even replenish his magic. Instead, she took advantage of an opening and hurled her "Piercing Spear." Though Natsu managed to block it, the sheer force of the attack sent him flying over a hundred meters, knocking him out of the arena.
Seeing this, Makarov chuckled. "Still too green, Natsu."
Mirajane nodded. "By using the arena's rules, anyone who falls out of the ring is automatically defeated."
[Winner]: Erza!
As the result appeared, Natsu was teleported back to the participant area, looking dejected. When Erza teleported in as well, he immediately yelled:
"That was so unfair, Erza!"
Erza smiled calmly. "In my current state, I wouldn't be able to beat you in a life-or-death fight, Natsu. But this is a competition."
Natsu was left speechless, even the dragon inside him, Igneel, had no words.
The crowd began murmuring:
"Too bad, Natsu. You almost broke your losing streak."
"Haha, Erza still came out on top."
"So what's the score now?"
"It's Natsu's 109th loss."
At that moment, Erza turned her gaze to Nate. "Nate, it's just you and me now!"
Nate raised his hand immediately. "I forfeit."
Erza's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, why are you forfeiting? I fought this hard just to have another match with you!"
"Huh?" Nate was taken aback. "You could've just told me."
As the event's organizer, Nate had no intention of claiming the championship, planning to forfeit no matter who his final opponent was. But since the words were already out, the final result appeared on the screen:
[Final]: Nate vs. Erza!
[Winner]: Erza!
Fireworks exploded across Sky Island, celebrating Erza's victory.
"Congratulations, Erza, the Fairy Queen, for winning the first Fairy Tail guild ranking tournament."
Erza clenched her fists in frustration. She hadn't fought for the title but for the chance to spar with Nate again. The last time, she had lost to his photography magic. She had promised not to challenge him again, but this event had been her one opportunity to bypass that promise and fight him.
Yet, just as she reached the final, Nate had forfeited.
"Just you wait," Erza muttered, glaring at him before logging off in a huff.
Nate had a bad feeling, which was quickly confirmed.
Back in the real world, Nate opened his eyes to find Erza sitting on top of him, staring down intently.
"I'll fight you now," she said silently, her intent clear.
Nate sighed. "Fine, I'll spar with you. But could you get off me first?"
It was hard not to react with her sitting like that.
———
(Author: Mirajane's Magic Net username, "出发的旅人/The Departing Traveler," comes from the title of her theme song.)
(Bleam: I can't find the specific theme song but, it's probably Mirajane no Theme.)
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