"..."
At this moment, apart from the Ten Wizard Saints team represented by Hyberion and Wolfheim, the expressions of the other seven participating teams were all extremely grim.
"Everyone, please rest assured. Although we were invited to form the Ten Wizard Saints team, our main role is still to serve as guests for this competition. In other words, aside from the matches themselves, I, Jellal, Senior Warrod, and Senior Precht will continue to serve as guests and provide everyone with exciting commentary related to the competition. So there is no need to worry that we will neglect our duties as guests simply because we are participating in the matches!"
Amidst the shock of the entire venue, Jellal took the microphone from Warrod and smiled as he spoke to the spectators in the arena as well as the Mage teams participating in the competition.
"No, no, no! What we're worried about isn't whether you seniors can fulfill your duties as guests. What we're worried about is, do you really intend to compete seriously with us for the championship?"
"If we have to compete against the Ten Wizard Saints… we don't stand a chance at all, do we?!"
"Aren't the Ten Wizard Saints the title given to the ten strongest people standing at the very peak of the Ishgar continent? If the Ten Wizard Saints are participating in the Grand Magic Games, is there any point in holding the competition anymore? No matter what, there's no way we can beat the Ten Wizard Saints, right?!"
"If we can defeat a Ten Wizard Saint, wouldn't that mean we'd become a Ten Wizard Saint ourselves?!"
"I suddenly don't feel motivated anymore!"
As Jellal's voice fell, the various Mages on the battlefield spoke helplessly.
In the eyes of the Mages participating in the Grand Magic Games, this competition, which was supposedly meant to determine the strongest… or rather, the second-strongest Mage Guild on the entire continent, had effectively ended the moment these powerhouses bearing the title of Ten Wizard Saints bestowed by the Magic Council ERA entered the competition.
Many Mages who had originally been full of confidence had already lost the confidence they possessed when they first entered the venue. Their faces were practically covered with the words "I give up," but this was completely understandable.
After all, at this point in time, the prestige of the title "Ten Wizard Saints" on the continent of Ishgar had not yet declined. Combined with the Magic Council's excellent propaganda, the belief that the Ten Wizard Saints represented the ten strongest Mages in Ishgar had already become a common understanding throughout the entire magical world!
All the Mages in the magical world of Ishgar regarded the Ten Wizard Saints as the benchmark they aspired to reach. Therefore, it was only natural that these elites from various Mage Guilds lacked the confidence to defeat powerhouses such as Jellal, who were known as Ten Wizard Saints…
Although, in the eyes of true powerhouses, all of the Ten Wizard Saints except Evan were nothing more than a joke.
"Heh. A bunch of weaklings!"
"They merely heard the title of Ten Wizard Saint and were frightened into becoming like this. It's truly laughable…"
Just as the morale of the participating Mages on the battlefield was at rock bottom, the trump card of Sabertooth, the Lightning God Slayer Mage Orga Nanagear, crossed his arms in front of his chest and revealed a look of disdain toward those around him.
"Bastard! You're saying that as if you can defeat a Ten Wizard Saint…"
"They're the Ten Wizard Saints! The strongest existences on the continent! What can ordinary Mages like us possibly do against these great masters?!"
As Orga Nanagear's voice fell, he naturally aroused the dissatisfaction of the surrounding Mages and was immediately subjected to countless verbal attacks from them.
"If you're scared, just forfeit! Why are you barking here?!"
"As for what I can do against those powerhouses who have been granted the title of Ten Wizard Saint?"
"Heh… Perhaps I can do far more than you imagine!"
"I, Orga Nanagear of Sabertooth, have never believed that those so-called seniors and masters of the magical world are necessarily stronger than me!"
"In my eyes, true strength is something you earn with your fists! Titles have never been accurate."
Dark lightning coiled around Orga Nanagear's body as he stared eagerly toward Hyberion and Wolfheim, seemingly ready to challenge his seniors at any moment.
Of course, Orga Nanagear wasn't foolish enough to believe that he could truly fight Hyberion, Wolfheim, and the other renowned veterans of the magical world.
The reason he displayed such arrogance was because the Grand Magic Games arena was equipped with cameras that were broadcasting the event live across the entire continent!
Regardless of whether he won or lost, Orga Nanagear's words were enough to spark discussion among the people of the continent. And for Orga Nanagear, that was completely sufficient!
The most important reason he had come to the Grand Magic Games was to make a name for himself and for his Mage Guild, Sabertooth. As for exactly how that reputation was built, that had never mattered to him…
"What?!"
"How outrageous…"
"He actually thinks he can defeat a Ten Wizard Saint…"
For a moment, the various Mages were shocked.
Some Mages condemned Orga Nanagear's reckless behavior, while others expressed completely different opinions.
"Orga Nanagear is right! Once we enter this arena, whether they're Ten Wizard Saints or anyone else, they're nothing more than our opponents! Don't let their titles frighten you. When you get right down to it… they're nothing more than a bunch of old men!"
"That's right, that's right…"
"When you encounter a powerful enemy, don't overthink it. Just charge in wildly!!"
It seemed that Orga Nanagear's words had resonated with some of the Mages in the arena. The various Mages began shouting loudly, their fighting spirits blazing wildly.
"Hehehe…"
In response, Hyberion, who had been gently swirling the wine glass in his hand ever since entering the arena, maintaining his elegance without saying a word, suddenly laughed.
"Just as everyone has said, please don't let our reputations frighten you. Since we have entered this arena, we are equal to everyone else. We are nothing more than ordinary participants! The so-called title of Ten Wizard Saint is merely a false reputation. We are nothing more than ordinary Mages…"
"Conversely, the title of Ten Wizard Saint was merely selected and bestowed by the Council itself! Whether we truly are the ten Mages standing at the peak of the continent is something no one can say for certain! As it happens, I think we might as well take this opportunity to verify whether our titles are genuine! If any of you can defeat us, why don't we simply hand our titles over to you? What do you think?!"
After hearing Orga Nanagear's words, the corners of Hyberion's mouth had continued to rise.
At this moment, Hyberion simply followed Orga Nanagear's words and spoke softly to the various Mages in the arena.
At the same time, Hyberion had thrown out a bait—a bait powerful enough to drive the entire magical world of Ishgar insane…
The title of Ten Wizard Saint!
"Uh…"
After Hyberion finished speaking, the various Mages in the arena looked at one another before their gazes gradually hardened.
"That's right! The Ten Wizard Saint is merely a false title…"
"As Mages, we should settle everything on the battlefield!"
"Having powerful magic doesn't mean you're truly strong. Those so-called seniors are nothing more than a bunch of old men!"
In an instant, the direction of public opinion completely changed.
The Mages who had originally been mocking Orga Nanagear all joined his side.
The reason was simple. At this moment, all of them had realized one thing.
Normally, those powerhouses who had been granted the title of Ten Wizard Saint were completely beyond their reach. Forget challenging a Ten Wizard Saint, even seeing one in person was difficult.
Where else could they find such a perfect opportunity to challenge them?!
Moreover, challenging these Ten Wizard Saints was practically an endeavor with nothing to lose and everything to gain!
If they won, they would naturally become famous in a single battle, their names resounding throughout the entire continent of Ishgar!
If they lost, then so what?
Their opponents were the Ten Wizard Saints, the powerhouses standing at the very peak of the continent. Losing to them? Wasn't that perfectly normal?
On the contrary, winning would be the abnormal outcome…
"Uh…"
As the direction of the situation suddenly changed, Orga Nanagear's expression became somewhat ugly.
Originally, he had been the only one with enough pride to fearlessly challenge the Ten Wizard Saints. But now, thanks to Hyberion's words, the fighting spirit of every Mage in the arena had been stirred up.
At the same time, the persona he had painstakingly built for himself suddenly became ordinary.
"Damn it…"
Orga Nanagear cursed under his breath while glaring at Hyberion.
He knew that his little scheme had been seen through by Hyberion.
"Hehe~"
In response, Hyberion merely gently swirled his wine glass, smiling without saying a word.
"Slurp~"
Hyberion even happily drank the milk in his glass. Then, facing Orga Nanagear's angry glare, he revealed an intrigued expression, seemingly looking forward to seeing what Orga Nanagear would do after his little secret had been exposed.
"Pumpkin~"
"It looks like all the Mages on the battlefield are eager to give it a try! This really is a good thing~"
"In that case, as the host of the Grand Magic Games, I won't delay everyone's time any longer!"
"I hereby announce that the first match of the Grand Magic Games officially begins!"
Seeing that the enthusiasm of the various combat Mages had been stirred up, Pumpkin, standing in the center of the arena, immediately raised his microphone and softly announced.
As Pumpkin's voice fell, the entire arena instantly erupted!
"Yeah!!"
The cheers of the spectators were like a tsunami, swallowing the entire arena.
"The number of spectators is truly rather exaggerated…"
Hearing the cheers beside him, even Hyberion, one of the Ten Wizard Saints, felt somewhat shaken. He couldn't help shaking his head and laughing.
"Hmph! Using magic for a fighting competition is ridiculous!"
Wolfheim stood with his hands behind his back, seemingly disdainful of the surrounding spectators and even the entire competition.
"Wolfheim, don't say that!"
"This is also meant to promote the cultivation of Mages throughout the continent of Ishgar. Since we are ranked among the Ten Wizard Saints, we naturally have to make some contribution to the magical world."
Hearing this, Hyberion advised Wolfheim.
"Boring…"
In response, Wolfheim shook his head. With his hot temper, he simply couldn't listen to Hyberion's persuasion.
"Hehe…"
Hyberion looked at Wolfheim's stubborn appearance and merely smiled.
He and Wolfheim were old acquaintances, so he knew that Wolfheim was simply stubborn when it came to his words.
After all, if Wolfheim truly disdained the competition, he wouldn't have come in the first place…
"Young Mages of the continent of Ishgar! I hope you can open my eyes!"
Hyberion held his wine glass, filled with anticipation for the Mages of the continent.
"Then, allow me to announce the rules for the first match of the Grand Magic Games!"
Pumpkin held the Grand Magic Games' script in his hand and spoke with a smile to the various Mages before him.
"The first match will have each of the eight Mage teams that qualified for the preliminary round send one Mage to participate. We will conduct the match inside a labyrinth provided by the Magic Council ERA…"
Pumpkin held the script card in his hand and began reading out the rules for the first day's competition of the Grand Magic Games.
"Hey, Pumpkin, hold on for a moment!"
However, just as Pumpkin was speaking at length, Jellal suddenly interrupted the endlessly talking Pumpkin.
"Hm?! Mr. Jellal, may I ask what the matter is?"
Hearing this, Pumpkin lowered the script in his hand and looked at Jellal in the guest seats in confusion.
"I don't think the audience wants to watch our competition…"
Jellal immediately denied the competition rules Pumpkin had painstakingly devised.
"Huh?!"
Pumpkin was slightly stunned upon hearing this. He seemed unable to understand what Jellal was trying to say.
In fact, Pumpkin hadn't considered what the audience wanted to watch at all…
After all, the Grand Magic Games, to put it bluntly, existed merely to charge Zeref's Eclipse Gate.
In other words, as long as the Mages participating in the Grand Magic Games could provide enough magic power, the actual content of the competition didn't matter.
As for whether the ticket-paying audience enjoyed watching it, what did that have to do with him?!
The important thing was that he, as the King, enjoyed watching it…
Besides, the audience had already paid for their tickets. Could they even get a refund?
Sorry, but tickets sold by the Kingdom of Fiore were strictly non-refundable!
"Since we've sold tickets for the Grand Magic Games, we should at least be responsible to the audience!"
"I think the audience is much more interested in seeing the strength of the Ten Wizard Saints than in the competitive games you've designed!"
"Why don't we make things more straightforward and have all eight teams engage in a massive free-for-all?!"
Jellal sat in the guest seats and offered his valuable suggestion to the mysterious Pumpkin beneath him—who was actually Old Toma.
"A massive free-for-all?!"
As Jellal's voice fell, the spectators immediately gasped.
Even the members of the various Mage Guilds were surprised by Jellal's suggestion.
"A massive free-for-all?! What exactly do you mean by a massive free-for-all, Mr. Jellal?!"
Old Toma was equally shocked by Jellal's words. Sweat appeared on his forehead as he asked Jellal.
"It's very simple!"
Jellal smiled lightly.
"Each team sends one Mage, and they fight directly in the arena! In the end, points will be awarded according to the order in which the participants are eliminated!"
"The winner of the free-for-all will naturally accumulate seven points, followed by six points for the second-to-last participant eliminated, then five, four, three, two, and one point respectively! The team eliminated first receives no points!"
"What do you think of the game I've arranged?!"
Jellal explained the rules of the free-for-all he had designed to the spectators and Mages present.
"This…"
After hearing Jellal's proposal, Pumpkin's expression became somewhat hesitant. He didn't know whether he should actually hold the Grand Magic Games according to Jellal's rules.
"In any case, I think we should listen to the opinions of the various teams!"
After thinking for a moment, Pumpkin asked the Mage teams behind him:
"Esteemed teams participating in the Grand Magic Games, what do you think of the game proposed by our guest, Jellal? If everyone thinks Guest Jellal's game is more interesting, then Pumpkin shall make the decision here and change the game from the labyrinth survival battle to an eight-person free-for-all!"
"An eight-person free-for-all?!"
"If it's according to Guest Jellal's rules, then this free-for-all is obviously more advantageous to us…"
Orga Nanagear crossed his arms in front of his chest. He had already noticed the loophole in Jellal's proposed free-for-all.
"You're saying this free-for-all is advantageous to us? What are you talking about?"
However, some Mages were disdainful of Orga Nanagear's words. Clearly, not everyone possessed Orga Nanagear's level of insight.
"No! This free-for-all really is more advantageous to us…"
"Guest Jellal's free-for-all rules never said that alliances were forbidden!"
"In other words, the other teams can completely join forces and take down Senior Hyberion's team first."
"In that case, Senior Hyberion's team would receive no points at all, while each of the other seven teams would receive at least one point…"
Just as voices questioning Orga Nanagear rang out, Jura, who had remained silent until now, spoke up. He was also one of those who had noticed the loophole in Jellal's proposed free-for-all.
"Oh…"
After Jura pointed out the key issue, all the Mages in the arena suddenly wore expressions of realization.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's do it!"
"We choose the eight-person free-for-all!"
As everyone came to this realization, they all decided to follow Jellal's proposal and change the rules to a free-for-all.
"Is it really that simple?!"
However, compared to everyone's casual decision, Orga Nanagear instead frowned.
Perhaps because Orga Nanagear was accustomed to playing little tricks, after hearing Jura's words, he sensed something strange!
Although Orga Nanagear often thought himself clever, he was also a person with enough self-awareness.
He knew very well that the loophole in the rules they had noticed was something Jellal, as the person who proposed the game, had no reason not to know…
Yet Jellal had still chosen the free-for-all despite knowing about the loophole and knowing that everyone would inevitably join forces to deal with Hyberion's team first.
What did this mean?
It meant that Jellal was extremely confident in their own strength.
Confident that even if the other seven teams joined forces, they would absolutely not be a match for the members of their team.
"Is this the arrogance of a Ten Wizard Saint?!"
"No… Perhaps it shouldn't be called arrogance, but confidence?"
Orga Nanagear muttered to himself.
He understood that perhaps he had underestimated the strength of the Ten Wizard Saints.
"Are you all certain about your choice?"
"Before everyone makes their final decision, I must first remind you that although I am also ranked among the Ten Wizard Saints, I am merely at the very bottom of the Ten Wizard Saints' ranking. Those powerhouses ranked ahead of me on the Ten Wizard Saints' list are beings on an entirely different level from me!"
"In other words, even though we can join forces, that doesn't mean we are guaranteed to win. It is even possible that despite joining forces, we still won't be a match for Senior Hyberion and the others!"
Just as Orga Nanagear's expression revealed some concern while the other Mages made their choices decisively, Jura, who had been thinking all this time, interrupted once again.
He told the surrounding Mages about Orga Nanagear's concerns and his own analysis.
"It's decided. We'll choose the free-for-all!"
"The Ten Wizard Saints may be powerful, but we're not weak either! You should know that I was once a Ten Wizard Saint myself. No one understands the strength of Mages at the Ten Wizard Saint level better than I do…"
"Although Senior Hyberion and the others are powerful, with me, along with you, Jura—two powerhouses at the Ten Wizard Saint level—and the elites from the other teams assisting us, it's not impossible to defeat them!"
"As for the possibility of us losing that you mentioned, unless Evan suddenly appears before us and participates in the Grand Magic Games, the chances are practically zero!"
The moment Jura finished speaking, former Ten Wizard Saint José Porla interjected.
"Makes sense!"
As José's voice fell, the various Mage teams throughout the arena nodded in agreement.
"Seven against one in terms of numbers. The advantage is clearly on our side!"
One Mage said confidently.
"Indeed…"
The other Mages echoed his words.
"Looks like everyone has made their decision…"
"Then, all teams, please take note. We will now have each team send out their participant for the free-for-all according to the order in which they entered the arena!"
After confirming the choices of the various Mage Guild teams, Pumpkin continued the proceedings of the Grand Magic Games.
"First, the Mage Guild Blue Pegasus…"
As Pumpkin spoke, the camera immediately turned toward the Mage Guild Blue Pegasus and the team it had dispatched to participate in the Grand Magic Games.
At this moment, Ichiya was still sitting firmly on the sofa. Around him were Guild members dressed in suits, whose main professions were hosts, models, and other handsome men, with being Mages merely their side jobs.
"There's no helping it! Let me go in the first battle! I'll give everyone a good start and secure the first point belonging to Blue Pegasus!"
After thinking for a while, Ichiya ultimately decided that, as Blue Pegasus' trump card, he should participate in the first battle of the first day of the Grand Magic Games!
With that thought, Ichiya leaped up from the sofa. Using his magnetic voice, identical to that of Sosuke Aizen, he spoke solemnly to the group of handsome men behind him.
"Long live Lord Ichiya!"
"Long live our teacher!!"
The handsome men of Blue Pegasus applauded after hearing Ichiya's words, praising Ichiya's decision.
"Ichiya-chan, I'll leave it to you~"
At the same time, Bob, the Guild Master of Blue Pegasus, stood in the spectator stands and threw Ichiya a "captivating" wink.
"It seems Blue Pegasus has already chosen their participant. The contestant they've sent is… Ichiya Wandale Kotobuki!"
Pumpkin didn't give Bob and his Guild member much time to interact. He immediately announced Blue Pegasus' participant before continuing:
"Next, Sabertooth, please announce the member you've dispatched!"
"I'll be the one participating in the first battle for Sabertooth! Orga Nanagear!"
"As a Mage of Sabertooth, I have only one thing to say right now—Sabertooth number one!"
The Mage dispatched by Sabertooth was none other than Orga Nanagear, who wielded Lightning God Slayer Magic.
At this moment, he took advantage of having the microphone in his hands and loudly promoted his Guild, Sabertooth.
"Very good. Sabertooth's participant has also been decided. What about the other Guilds?"
Pumpkin naturally didn't give Orga Nanagear much time to promote his Guild.
After all, Sabertooth wasn't Fairy Tail and had no right to receive special treatment from Pumpkin.
Therefore, he directly interrupted Orga Nanagear and looked toward the participant teams dispatched by the other Mage Guilds.
"The Mage Guild Four Hound has dispatched… the super-wild Pacas!"
"The Mage Guild Lamia Scale's participant is… Jura Neekis!"
"The Mage Guild Grimoire Heart's participant is… Bluenote Stinger!"
"The Magic Council's participant is… Macbeth!"
Four Hound, Lamia Scale, Grimoire Heart, and the Magic Council—these four participating teams almost simultaneously decided who would participate in this match.
Perhaps because this was the first round, nearly every Mage Guild team had dispatched their strongest participant, hoping to show the strength and spirit of their respective Guilds and teams.
"Wow! How astonishing! I never expected the first match of the first day of the Grand Magic Games to be so intense! Almost every team has dispatched their trump card!"
"The Mage Guild Four Hound has dispatched their Guild's trump card, the S-Class Mage known as the 'Drunken Eagle,' Pacas!"
"Lamia Scale has likewise dispatched their Guild's trump card, who is also one of the Ten Wizard Saints, Jura Neekis!"
"Grimoire Heart has dispatched their former Vice Guild Master, the Great Mage Bluenote Stinger, known as the man capable of crushing all evil!"
"As for our Magic Council ERA, the team they have dispatched has not disappointed us either! Their chosen participant is Macbeth, who is said to have already surpassed the former director of the Magic Development Bureau, the persona known as 'Zero'!"
Pumpkin spoke excitedly into the microphone.
"Finally, let us turn our attention to the Ten Wizard Saints Guest Team and see which one of these guests—these peak powerhouses of the continent of Ishgar ranked near the top of the Ten Wizard Saints' list—will participate in this first battle?!"
As Pumpkin spoke, he turned his gaze toward Hyberion, Wolfheim, and Jellal, Warrod, and Precht, who were currently sitting in the guest seats.
"There's no helping it! Since everyone has so much fighting spirit for the first battle…"
"Then I suppose I'll have to go down and play with them."
Precht, who had originally looked rather out of place sitting in the guest seats, finally couldn't resist getting to his feet after seeing the floating camera once again turn toward him.
He looked as though he was preparing to participate in the battle.
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Senior Precht…"
Jellal, who had originally intended to be the first participant, could only sit back down after seeing Precht stand up before him.
He slightly bowed toward his senior to show his respect.
"Hehe, no need for such formalities!"
"Let me see just what level the young people on this continent who are preparing to step into the path of magic have reached!"
After hearing Jellal's words, Precht merely smiled calmly. A trace of ruthlessness flashed through his uncovered left eye.
"T-this is truly astonishing!"
"I never expected the first participant from the Ten Wizard Saints Guest Team to be Senior Precht Gehlberg!"
"You should know that Senior Precht is one of the four founders of Fairy Tail, currently the strongest Mage Guild on the continent of Ishgar, and the second Guild Master of Fairy Tail! His strength can only be described as unfathomable!"
"At the same time, as far as I know, Senior Precht's mastery of Black Magic has already reached a level approaching the abyss. He is known as the existence closest to that legendary Black Wizard, Zeref, on the entire continent…"
"Yes, you heard that correctly! Senior Precht, the second Guild Master of Fairy Tail, is truly this powerful!"
"Then, in order to help everyone better understand the strength of Senior Precht, I'll start from the founding of Fairy Tail! Let us turn back the clock to April of X686. It was a clear day, with not a cloud in the sky…"
The moment Pumpkin saw that the Ten Wizard Saints Guest Team had dispatched Precht, he immediately began praising him into the microphone.
Of course, what Pumpkin was mainly praising was Fairy Tail.
He was even afraid that the people present didn't know what Fairy Tail was, so he deliberately introduced the history of the Mage Guild Fairy Tail once again.
Once Pumpkin began talking about Fairy Tail's history, he simply couldn't stop.
He described everything in painstaking detail, and nearly half an hour passed without any sign that he intended to finish…
To the point that even Warrod, one of the founders of Fairy Tail, couldn't stand it anymore.
"Ahem. I'll temporarily take over the commentary for the next part of the competition!"
"Since all the teams have chosen their participants, please have the selected participants enter the arena…"
"At the same time, I, Warrod Sequen, Chairman of the Magic Council, hereby announce that the first Grand Magic Games, Day One, First Match, officially begins!"
In the end, Warrod took the microphone and announced the beginning of the Grand Magic Games.
"Although I don't particularly want to use this title when introducing myself! But for the sake of the Grand Magic Games' rules, I suppose it can't be helped."
"Then, I, Precht, the second Guild Master of Fairy Tail, shall face all of you!"
As Warrod's voice fell, Precht, draped in a cloak, leaped down from the guest seats high above.
He spun elegantly through the air several times before landing lightly on the ground and speaking softly to the Mages from the other teams before him.
In fact, Precht didn't want to use his identity as the second Guild Master of Fairy Tail to introduce himself.
He preferred to identify himself as the Guild Master of the Mage Guild Grimoire Heart.
Unfortunately, the Grand Magic Games had a rule forbidding Guild Masters from participating.
Although he was a specially invited guest and could ignore the rules, he didn't want to give others any reason to criticize him, so he changed his title and how he introduced himself…
Yes, although Fairy Tail itself hadn't come, the Grand Magic Games was filled with traces of Fairy Tail everywhere!
Without a doubt, victory belonged to Fairy Tail…