By now, Erza had already walked out from Team A's passage.
She wore her usual armor, her long red hair falling behind her shoulders, her steps steady and powerful. Every footfall seemed to tell everyone—the queen of Fairy Tail had arrived.
However, the reaction from the stands was not as piercing as it had been yesterday.
Yesterday, the boos filling the venue had almost drowned Fairy Tail whole.
But today was different.
"Erza! Do your best!"
"Fairy Tail was really strong yesterday, don't lose today either!"
"Even if your opponent is Bacchus, you've already proved yourselves!"
Scattered cheers came from all over the stands.
The voices were not orderly, nor were they deafening.
But for Fairy Tail, this was already an entirely different treatment.
Lucy stood in Team A's waiting area, and when she heard those voices, her eyes grew faintly warm.
"Yesterday, they were still mocking us."
Gray had both hands in his pockets, his gaze fixed on the arena, his voice low.
"Because yesterday, they didn't know who we were."
Natsu grinned, flames igniting over his fist.
"Then today, we'll make them remember even more clearly!"
On the cheering platform, Makarov looked at the audience gradually beginning to change, his eyes full of relief.
Seven years.
A full seven years.
Fairy Tail had been mocked, looked down on, and treated as the most disgraceful guild in the kingdom.
And now, they were finally relying on their own fists to win their dignity back, bit by bit.
However, not every spectator was optimistic about Erza.
Most people's gazes still fell on the other side of the arena.
There, Bacchus of Quatro Cerberus still had not stood up.
He was just lying on his side on the ground, one hand propping up his head, the other still holding a wine