The next morning, at the same time, the arena was packed to the brim.
"The first-ever Fairy Tail Magic Tournament, the quarterfinals, is about to begin! All sixteen competitors, please enter the field!!"
Dispel was still up on stage hosting, while Makarov, the mayor of Magnolia, and a reporter sat back to enjoy the show.
"What do you think of today's matches, Guild Master Makarov?" the reporter asked.
The old man chuckled, "Who knows? But to me, it doesn't matter who wins or loses. What matters is that Fairy Tail's future is bright…"
It was an honest answer, leaving the reporter with nothing to counter. They just quietly snapped photos and jotted down notes.
Amid cheers, applause, shouts, and the BGM blaring through the speakers, sixteen figures stepped into the competitors' waiting area.
"These sixteen have fought their way through the qualifiers and prelims with strength and wits. They are Fairy Tail's finest wizards! Let's give them the loudest applause!!"
"Go, 'Sage'!"
"Take 'em down, Fire Dragon!"
"Fairy Queen, you've got this!"
"I love you, Mira-san!"
No question about it—among the sixteen, the four with nicknames had the biggest fanbases and the most hype.
Today's eight matches had some clear frontrunners. Kira, Freed, Natsu, Biggslow, and Mirajane's battles were almost guaranteed to be one-sided, with their opponents heavily outmatched. The most anticipated clash was between Erza and Mystogan, both S-Class wizards. They'd faced off yesterday without a clear winner, so today's fight promised something even more thrilling. Gray and Cana's match seemed to favor Gray, but both had made huge strides recently. With Cana wielding Kira' cards, the outcome was anyone's guess.
Elfman and Loki were evenly matched—one with raw power, the other with speed—making their fight a toss-up. But whoever won would likely hit their limit tomorrow against Mirajane, with little chance of victory.
The eight matches were set to go in order, starting with Kira versus Levy.
Just before stepping onto the stage, Kira was ambushed by Droy and Jet, who clung to his legs in front of everyone, wailing, "Kira, please, go easy on Levy-chan!"
Levy, blushing furiously, tugged at their clothes with her small hands. "Guys, stop it! This is so embarrassing!"
In unison, they cried, "No way! For you, Levy, we'd do anything, no matter how embarrassing!"
"Let go, you two. Don't you think this is a bit much?" Kira grumbled.
"Nope! Not until you promise us!" they shouted back.
"Ugh, forget it!"
Kira tried to shake them off with a tug, but… his legs wouldn't budge.
Kira: "…"
Loyal simps are something else! He sighed, tilting his head 45 degrees to the sky. "Fine, I promise. Now let go already."
"Thank you, Kira! You're our hero!" they gushed.
"Yeah, yeah…" he muttered.
Levy, at 17, was three years younger than Kira. Her magic was Solid Script, which let her materialize words and bring their meanings to life, hurling them at opponents. Her raw power wasn't great, but she was a solid support mage.
Solid Script and Kira' Word Soul magic had some overlap—hers through writing, his through speech, both versatile in their own right. In a way, Kira was like an upgraded version of Levy. Because of this, Levy often sought his advice on magic back at the guild, making them something like mentor and student.
On the stage, the two faced off.
Kira, with his red hair and white coat, stood tall and confident, his sky-blue eyes gleaming with unshakable calm. His platinum cape billowed in the wind, exuding the aura of a true master.
Levy, on the other hand, looked nervous, her eyes darting as she clutched her magic pen, hands trembling, confidence nowhere to be found.
The difference was stark.
But neither underestimated the other. Both were already strategizing for the fight ahead.
Normally, writing was slower than speaking, even with the magic pen Kira had crafted for Levy to boost her speed and amplify her magic. Still, Levy's nerves were on edge.
My only shot is to write 'Silent' as fast as I can, she thought, eyeing Kira. It won't last long, so I need to hit with my strongest attack in that window, but…
She racked her brain but couldn't figure out an effective attack.
Kira, meanwhile, was relaxed. She'll definitely use 'Silent' to block my Word Soul magic. That pen I made boosts her writing speed and magic power, so her 'Silent' won't be easy to counter. I've got time for maybe three spells before she finishes writing, so I need to start with something that can neutralize 'Silent.' Her attacks aren't strong, so I can dodge and close in for melee, but…
He glanced at the stands, where Jet and Droy were staring at him with big, watery eyes.
Kira: "…"
"Idiots," he muttered under his breath, psyching himself up. "Being all nicey-nice won't win a girl's heart. Let me help you out!"
Go easy? Nah, I'll give Levy a beatdown, and you two can swoop in to comfort her. No need to thank me—I'm the Sage, after all!
Levy, catching Kira' increasingly ominous vibe, grew more uneasy. He'll go easy on me, right? …Right?
Clang!
Dispel rang the bell. "The match begins!!!"
The moment the signal sounded, Levy and Kira moved in sync.
"Silent…"
Levy swung her magic pen, tracing the word in the air. The Solid Script materialized, creating a silent zone around her that muted all sound.
"Noise!"
Kira' Word Soul magic activated, sending invisible soundwaves rippling outward, filling the arena with high-frequency noise.
Two opposing spells clashed, canceling each other out like ice meeting fire. Both had anticipated this, thinking in unison, Just as I expected!
"Fire!"
"Gasoline!"
"Storm!"
Levy spun her pen, conjuring three more spells. Wind fueled the fire, fire rode the wind, and with gasoline amplifying it, a massive fiery attack roared toward Kira, its power boosted by thirty percent.
"Nice one!"
"Go, Levy!"
The crowd roared, and up in the commentary booth, Dispel launched into his play-by-play. "Look at that! After some pre-match mind games, both competitors opened with 'Silent' and 'Noise' to control the battlefield!"
"Levy's taken the lead, chaining Fire, Gasoline, and Storm! That flame's as strong as anything 'Fire Dragon' Natsu could dish out! Speaking of, what do you think of this spell, Natsu?"
Natsu leaned into the mic from the waiting area. "Hmm… I'm kinda curious what it tastes like. Wanna try it!"
"Alright, back to the match! How will Kira handle Levy's attack? Oh, look—he's using ice magic!"
On the stage, a wave of chilling frost poured from Kira' hand, snuffing out Levy's flames.
"No words spoken! That's not the Sage's signature Word Soul magic but one of his other skills. Who knew Kira was this good with non-verbal magic too?!"
As Levy's Silent spell began to fade, Kira kept the ice flowing with his left hand while pointing with his right. "Gravity!"
"Dual casting! While using ice magic, Kira slips in a Word Soul spell—Gravity! Levy's caught off guard and pinned down!"
"Kira is closing in! Levy can't counter—how will he attack?"
Dispel's voice boomed with excitement. "Oh no! He's raising his fist! Is this wicked man really about to punch Levy-chan in the face? That's too much!"
"This punch has twenty years of skill behind it! Can our delicate Levy-chan withstand it?"
"She can't!!!"