After Gajeel's turn, only one Magician remained. Naturally, every eye in the coliseum focused on him.
The 5th-ranked of the Ten Wizard Saints, Jura Neekis.
He had watched all six previous tests. From that alone, Jura had already estimated the approximate scale each MPF number represented.
And one thought inevitably crossed his mind:
'What sort of technique did Rhodes unleash seven years ago to reach an MPF close to seven thousand?'
With that quiet curiosity, Jura stepped forward, hands tucked into his sleeves, and asked gently:
"May I use any technique I wish?"
"Of course, Pumpkin!!" Pumpkin Man replied reflexively.
"Very well."
Jura didn't take any elaborate stance.
He simply brought his palms together, murmured a brief incantation, then;
"Rumbling… Earth!!"
The result was as catastrophic as ever.
The arena buckled violently. Stone ruptured in massive waves. Even the barrier-protected stands shook with a deep, earthquake-like rumble.
Spectators who had already seen this once still found themselves breathless.
Gray wiped cold sweat.
"How did Rhodes beat an uncle like this…?"
Natsu didn't look away from the crystal meter and replied flatly:
"Because Rhodes also a monster."
Rumble… rumble…
Finally, the shaking stopped.
Everyone leaned forward.
And the number emerged:
8544
Chapati practically leapt onto the table.
"Eight...eight thousand!!! It actually broke past EIGHT THOUSAND!"
Yajima smiled with genuine admiration.
"As expected of a Ten Wizard Saint."
Even Lahar couldn't keep composure.
"This… this surpasses the highest MPF on record! The theoretical max is 9999, but I never imagined a human breaking eight thousand!"
Chapati suddenly froze, a realization dawning.
"Wait, Mr. Rhodes record was 6934, wasn't it? Does that mean..."
Lahar immediately shook his head.
"No. You cannot make that comparison."
"Why not?"
"Because Mr. Rhodes record comes with… a certain condition."
"What condition?"
"That the magic power meter was completely destroyed after his attack."
"Destroyed?! What does that even mean?!"
"Exactly what it sounds like," Lahar answered. "6934 was simply the highest number the meter could display before it blew apart entirely. It may not reflect Mr. Rhodes true attack power."
He lowered his voice.
"Furthermore… that attack was accompanied by an unidentified phenomenon the Council refused to disclose. So to this day, we still cannot determine Rhodes' actual upper limit."
Chapati sank back, stunned.
"This, I can't even imagine it. If only Mr. Rhodes were willing to test it again…"
Laxus smirked and nudged Rhodes.
"They're calling for you. Going up?"
Rhodes shook his head instantly.
"Absolutely not. I'm not a contestant. If I break it again, they'll make me pay for it."
Besides, Jura is a good man. Let him have the spotlight.
Pumpkin Man raised his microphone.
"Now, I will officially announce the final results of the Demon Subjugation Hall!"
"First place, Erza Scarlet, 10 points! Second place, Jura Neekis, 8 points!
Next..."
He announced the remaining rankings accordingly.
Then concluded:
"Due to the arena sustaining severe damage, the battle segment will be held in the afternoon! Our construction team will work at full speed, please look forward to it!"
The crowd groaned.
In past years, the arena repairs used time-reversal magic arrays, repairing everything in a few seconds.
But this year? Nothing.
Pumpkin Man looked equally frustrated.
The magic for the large-scale restoration spell still wasn't fully charged yet, and it absolutely had to be saved for something far more important.
Meanwhile, in the Royal Capital, the eight members of Crime Sorcière were hard at work.
Normally, Cobra, Erik, should've been the key figure in tracking suspects, given his unmatched hearing and smell.
But in typical Cobra fashion, he'd slipped away alone and perched atop a tree near the arena.
Watching the Fairy Tail cheering group exit, a rare, gentle smile appeared on his face.
"Cubellios… I hear your voice again."
"How about some mousse? Mira told me there's a really great shop."
Laki chatted away, only to realize there was no response.
"Kinana?
Kinana?"
Kinana snapped out of her daze.
"Huh? Laki, what's wrong?"
"What's wrong with me? I should be asking what's wrong with you," Laki huffed.
"You've been turning around every few steps. What are you looking at?"
Kinana hesitated, fingers brushing her cheek.
"It's nothing. I just, feel like someone is watching me."
"Watching you?"
Laki immediately froze, spun around, and scanned the street with a sharp glare.
"Is it a pervert? Who? Point him out!"
Kinana waved her hands quickly.
"No, no, it's not that kind of feeling."
She lowered her voice, confused even by her own words.
"It feels, very gentle. Very warm. I don't know where he is, but it's like, someone is calling out to me."
Laki blinked. Then her eyes lit up.
"Eeeeeeh? Don't tell me, Are you in LOVE?!"
Kinana flushed bright red.
"No! I...I don't have anyone I like yet."
But the moment she spoke those words, something inside her tightened.
A blurry figure surfaced in her mind, warm, close, familiar, and then, Throb.
A dull ache stabbed her temples.
Kinana winced and pushed the memory away. If she focused too hard, the pain worsened.
Laki, oblivious to her discomfort, hooked their arms together and kept chattering cheerfully.
Far in the distance, perched high among the trees, Erik watched her with softened amber eyes.
A rare, gentle smile touched his lips.
"Cubellios…I really can hear your voice again."
He didn't intend to approach her, not yet.
He didn't want to confuse her, frighten her, or drag her into his burdens.
Just knowing she could live normally, laugh with friends, and remain safe, that alone eased something deep in his chest.
"This is enough," he murmured.
"This is good."
With quiet resolve tightening his expression, Erik leapt from the tree and vanished into the forest's shadows.
He still had a mission, Ultear needed all hands to hunt down the mysterious intruder.
Elsewhere a cloaked youth darted through alleyways, repeatedly melting into shadows to evade Crime Sorcière's pursuit.
Only after slipping entirely out of the Royal Capital did he stop running.
He found a roadside village, bought a simple cloak, and sat near a small lacrima-display broadcasting the tournament.
But when the battle footage resumed, the youth stiffened.
"No…No, this isn't right."
His breath came out sharp.
"Why are Gajeel and Rogue appearing in this round? Who is Simon Where did Dragon's Treasure and Shining Sun even come from?"
His voice cracked.
"And Rhodes, who the hell is Rhodes?!"
The last sentence came out louder than intended.
A plump middle-aged uncle nearby turned, startled.
"Young man, you must be from out of Fiore, huh? Even a traveler's heard of Mr. Rhodes!"
The cloaked youth narrowed his eyes.
"He's famous?"
"Famous?" the uncle laughed.
"He's a legend! One of the Ten Wizard Saints! Saved the whole Kingdom before! And just last month, he rescued hundreds of Celestial Spirit Mages from a catastrophe!"
"Hundreds… of Celestial Spirit Mages?"
The youth's voice trembled.
That shouldn't be possible.
History, his history, said they had all been annihilated.
Only Lucy and Yukino should have survived.
Then what kind of world was this?
The uncle kept rambling excitedly about Rhodes:
"And he's super handsome, I hear! And the guilds, Shining Sun is new but very promising, and Fairy Tail has two teams this year, oh! And let me tell you about the matches from day one..."
The youth suddenly stood.
"How about, I buy you a drink?"
The uncle blinked.
"A drink?"
"Yes. Tell me everything in detail. About Mr. Rhodes, every match, every guild, every incident from the first day until today."