"Faith moves mountains." Marco's reply was brief.
Of course, this was just something he made up, but in a way, it wasn't entirely wrong.
"Faith moves mountains?" Gray was puzzled.
He had always been quite "faithful" before, yet he had never sensed any celestial constellations.
"You've already earned my recognition. I believe you can earn theirs too."
Seeing Gray's confusion, Marco continued, offering him some encouragement.
He had already tested it—Gray's compatibility with the Cygnus constellation was astonishingly high, it was practically off the charts.
Lucy's overall score was 81, with a magic aptitude of 92, but her compatibility with Cygnus was only 70, dragging her down.
Meanwhile, Gray's overall score was 97, his magic aptitude 94, and his compatibility with Cygnus was a perfect 100!
When Marco saw that perfect score, he couldn't help but pause for a moment.
But upon reflection, it made perfect sense.
Gray had grown up rolling around in ice and snow, and he wielded Ice-Make Magic.
He was born to master the cold.
"I'll do my best!" Gray, of course, had no idea about this.
He only felt he had to work twice as hard to live up to Marco's expectations.
"Gray! How's your recovery going?!"
Just as Marco and Gray were talking, a commotion erupted outside—Natsu's loud voice boomed through the air.
Hearing Natsu, Gray, who had been about to lie back down, immediately straightened up.
Suddenly, he didn't feel any pain at all!
"I'm fine now!" Gray shouted back, trying to sound as energetic as possible.
The infirmary door swung open, and a crowd squeezed in—all of Gray's Fairy Tail comrades.
"You seem to be recovering well." Erza gave Gray a once-over.
His face was normal and he stood tall—he really did look fine.
"Porlyusica's-san medical skills are just amazing!" Wendy chimed in.
She was probably the closest to Porlyusica among them.
"That's part of it. The other part is that Natsu's too weak—he didn't even hurt me. I just ran out of magic power."
Gray shook his head, making excuses for his loss.
The moment those words left his mouth, Natsu's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You—! You just lost to me, and now you're denying it?!"
Natsu stared at Gray, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"You used to do the same thing." Gray replied calmly, shutting Natsu up in an instant.
Because it was true—whenever Natsu had lost in the past, he'd never admitted it.
Sometimes, he'd even "forget" it entirely.
"A temporary win isn't a real victory. Just you wait."
Gray locked eyes with Natsu, flames of determination burning in his gaze.
He had no intention of backing down.
"Fine, fine! I'll never let you overtake me!"
Gray's fierce fighting spirit stirred Natsu as well, who responded with a serious expression.
Surpassing Gray didn't make Natsu ease up on himself, because there were still several targets ahead of him to overcome.
Yet Gray's relentless pursuit from behind, despite having been overtaken, still filled Natsu's heart with an intense sense of urgency.
Mirajane, Erza, Laxus, and Marco were still far ahead, while Gray was hot on his heels!
"Alright, Gray, continue resting. Natsu, go prepare for your match."
As the two boys leaned in closer, practically headbutting each other in their glaring contest, Marco grabbed one in each hand and pulled them apart.
"Hmph! I'll take first place! I'll become an S-Class Mage!"
Lifted and tossed aside by Marco, Natsu didn't resist.
He shouted his declaration before running out of the infirmary.
Unfortunately, no one took his proclamation seriously—Erza was still standing right there.
How could anyone else possibly take first place?
"Everyone, go rest." Marco didn't bother with Natsu either.
Smiling, he addressed the others.
Unless they left, Gray wouldn't obediently return to his bed.
A man's pride lasts a lifetime.
Though Gray wasn't yet an adult, he already carried some of that burden.
Under Marco's lead, everyone left the infirmary to take their afternoon breaks, allowing Gray to rest undisturbed.
.....
Soon, the afternoon arrived, and the semifinals began.
The first match was Erza versus Bacchus, and everyone anticipated a fierce battle.
After all, Bacchus was the ace of Quatro Cerberus—he should at least be able to put some pressure on Erza.
The Mages of Quatro Cerberus cheered for Bacchus, hoping their ace could prove himself.
On the field, Bacchus chugged several gulps of liquor, draining his gourd dry.
He had already been drinking heavily before the match and appeared thoroughly drunk.
Erza frowned, dissatisfied with Bacchus's condition.
Could someone this intoxicated even fight properly?
"Raaah!!!"
Bacchus roared and charged at Erza, his speed far surpassing his previous bouts—much faster than when he had fought Elfman.
Clearly, Erza's worries were unnecessary.
Drunkenness was an enhancement for Bacchus.
Erza's eyes widened, startled by Bacchus's sudden burst of power.
This level of strength was significantly higher than what she had observed before.
"But... it's not a problem." Erza drew her sword and met him head-on.
She actually quite liked opponents like Bacchus—direct, straightforward battles were the most exhilarating.
Bacchus channeled his magic into his palms, unleashing a flurry of "Drunken Split Palms."
His strikes blended physical and magical damage, making him a true hybrid warrior.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Fists and feet clashed against her blade, producing dull thuds as magic energy scattered wildly.
For a brief moment, Bacchus, in his drunken frenzy, matched Erza blow for blow with his masterful martial arts.
In his drunken fist state, Bacchus's attacks became unpredictable, and his "Drunken Split Palms" were several times more powerful than usual.
"Impressive technique!" Even Erza couldn't help but praise him.
Bacchus really had some skill.
"Requip! The Heaven's Wheel Armor!"
Erza swiftly activated her Requip Magic, her ordinary armor transforming into a magnificent silver-white set.
The armor exuded a strong metallic feel, appearing so slyre that one couldn't help but worry it might cut the wearer's skin.
The most eye-catching feature was undoubtedly the two pairs of razor-slyre wing-like blades spread open behind the armor.
"Bluement Blat!"
With her wings unfurled, Erza soared into the sky.
This Armor specialized in long-range combat.
As Erza's magic power surged, countless swords were summoned, forming behind her a breathtaking spectacle resembling an ocean of blades.
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