As Erza and Kagura's battle ended, another confrontation was nearing its conclusion. The combatants? Jura and Laxus.
If Calvin's solo defeat of Sabertooth was the most surprising, and Erza and Kagura's fight the most inexplicable, then the battle between Jura and Laxus was the most exhilarating and intense.
It was a true clash between two powerful men, with no tricks—just raw strength. Their fists connected with bone-shattering force, and their power seemed almost evenly matched. It was the perfect battle to watch.
However, when it came to who would emerge victorious, most believed Jura would win, even though Laxus was holding his own. But once again, the outcome surprised everyone.
Laxus, using the Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Roaring Thunder, managed to knock Jura down. Though Laxus himself was covered in injuries, he had won.
This again shocked the audience, making them wonder if Fairy Tail's power might be too overwhelming. Calvin single-handedly took down Sabertooth, Laxus defeated a Ten Wizard Saint like Jura, and the guild's master was also a Ten Wizard Saint. Not to mention the other influential members, such as Erza and Natsu.
Their strength was truly beyond imagination.
Now, the only battle left was between Gray and Lyon. These two, whose magic and abilities were nearly equal, were still locked in a fierce struggle, refusing to give an inch.
But when Lyon heard that Jura had been defeated, his desire to continue fighting vanished. The results were precise, and even if he defeated Gray, what would be the point? Would he still have any strength left?
"I surrender," Lyon said, shaking his head. And with those words, the festival could officially come to an end.
The magical fireworks exploded brilliantly in the sky, even though it was still daylight. The Tenrou group, who had waited seven long years for this, couldn't help but shed tears of joy while cheering at the top of their lungs. The atmosphere was filled with joy and excitement.
"We won!!"
"We did it!" Calvin grinned and chuckled softly to himself.
"Now, the only thing left is to stop that girl Jade from executing the Eclipse Plan." Calvin's expression turned serious as he looked in the direction of Mercurius.
"Now it's time to activate Eclipse Plan 2!" Princess Jade abruptly stood up, speaking in a grave tone.
"There's no mistake. Erza defeated Kagura, Laxus defeated Jura, and Lyon surrendered. Everything has happened as predicted," Daton agreed.
"But it's still possible that the predictions were just coincidences. As surprising as they are, they're not beyond belief," Arcadios cautioned, urging caution once more.
"You may have a point, but if that man had malicious intentions, I doubt he would've bet everything on his predictions so confidently," Princess Jade countered.
"Besides, his exact words were, 'Kagura suddenly weakened at the last moment, and Erza won in a bizarre manner.' That's not something one can predict so easily. It's clear now that this person knows the future and has come from it. Moreover, Calvin is indeed the leader of the Seven Deadly Sins."
"All of this proves that what he said about the future is entirely accurate. Calvin will release the sealed dragons, and now we are facing a war for the survival of humanity. Move the Eclipse Gate to the surface!"
With that, Princess Jade began heading toward the underground chambers with a sense of urgency.
The two ministers hurried after her, and as they walked, Arcadios suddenly spoke. "Your Highness, I have a theory. May I share it with you?"
"Go ahead."
"Your Highness, although the man who came from the future has correctly predicted the Grand Magic Games, that doesn't necessarily mean that everything he said about the future is true. What if he is using his foresight to gain your trust, only to take advantage of the Eclipse Gate for some ulterior motive? Isn't that a possibility?"
Princess Jade froze in her tracks, her face turning pale.
Arcadios' words made sense. There was indeed a possibility that this man had a hidden agenda.
"And Calvin once told me that if the Eclipse Gate can allow us to go back to the past, it could also bring dragons from the past into the present. What if the thousand dragons he spoke of are the very ones we release by opening the gate?" Arcadios continued.
"I've heard Calvin mention this before, but Calvin is the true mastermind behind the Seven Deadly Sins! The future man said that Calvin knows the other use of the Eclipse Gate and would naturally want to stop this plan!" Princess Jade retorted, though both Daton and Arcadios could see that she was growing more frantic, starting to favor the idea that Calvin was the true culprit.
After all, with millions of lives at stake, it was only natural that Princess Jade would lean toward trusting the man from the future—mainly since he had provided evidence.
Daton exchanged glances with Arcadios and then nodded, suggesting Princess Jade.
"Your Highness, we don't need to rush into a decision. No matter what, we still have to wait until July 7th. It's only afternoon now, and there's plenty of time until midnight. I suggest summoning Makarov to the palace and asking him about Calvin's connection to the Seven Deadly Sins. While he cares deeply for his guild members, he's not the type to cover up their mistakes."
Princess Jade looked at her two ministers, then glanced toward the underground chambers before taking a deep breath and pondering momentarily.
"Alright. But prepare for both possibilities. I'll go with Arcadios to meet Makarov, and Daton, you will continue moving the Eclipse Gate to the surface."
Princess Jade spoke firmly, then added, after a brief pause.
"Also, Daton, summon the Sakura Knights. The Eclipse Gate is still absorbing magic power, and no mage should be allowed near it. Relay my command—no one is to approach until I arrive!"
With those orders, Princess Jade and her subordinates resumed their actions. However, after they left, a figure emerged from the shadows behind them.
It was none other than the black-and-white Rogue who had killed Future Lucy.
"It seems the kingdom's people aren't complete fools. Now, how should I make sure Princess Jade continues to trust me?" Rogue murmured to himself, frowning slightly.
However, he failed to notice that Princess Jade and Arcadios were conversing differently as they walked further away.
"Arcadios, there's no need to summon Makarov. With Calvin's intellect, he would certainly manage to deceive him too. We wouldn't get any useful answers," Princess Jade said coldly.
"Your Highness? But just now, weren't you…"
Princess Jade interrupted, "I was just momentarily flustered, but I've calmed down now. Looking back at everything, I realized that Calvin's story has a major flaw."
"What do you mean?" Arcadios asked urgently.
"Calvin told me that his comrade traveled from the future and warned him that over a thousand dragons would invade, and he speculated that these dragons would come from the Eclipse Gate."
"But before that, his comrade from the future had already told me the same thing. More importantly, Calvin's comrade hadn't even met him after arriving from the future!"