Eight small airships were parked next to each team, and the contestants boarded them one after another.
Laxus and Gajeel looked unwell.
Rhodes intended to tell Wendy not to bother with them, and just enjoy the show after they got on the ship.
Unfortunately, they needed to maintain good condition today, so he couldn't just ignore it.
So Wendy thoughtfully cast Troia on the two of them, and even took care of Natsu from Team A.
Mavis, watching the scene below from the stands, happily pumped her fist: "Very good, with this, Rhodes' movement patterns can probably be predicted."
Makarov asked in surprise: "Has the First Master already figured out a way for Team A to win against Team B?"
Mavis said: "More or less. If everything goes according to my calculations, Team A's chances of winning can reach 27%."
Makarov exclaimed in surprise: "Even with the First Master's battle plan, it's only 27%?"
Mavis emphasized: "That's if nothing goes beyond my calculations, because Team B is 12 points ahead, and their strength is truly formidable."
Team B actually has such a high possibility of losing? Mira looked up as the airship Rhodes was on flew away, wondering whether to tip him off.
Hmm, never mind. Let's see if the First Master's calculations are accurate first.
Besides, she occasionally wanted to see her husband's flustered expression.
Chapati observed the situation on the screen. Seeing all the contestants disembark, he announced loudly: "Alright! The eight teams have been sent to different areas!"
Although a few contestants showed some symptoms of discomfort, Pumpkin Man immediately announced: "Then, the Grand Magic Games final battle officially begins!"
A gong sounded in the arena, and a specially made signal flare shot into the sky.
The contestants, located throughout the capital, immediately began to move upon seeing the signal flare.
First, Dragons Treasure. The five members split up directly.
Sabertooth also confidently chose for everyone to act alone.
"Sting, Rogue, are you two alright?" Rufus asked before leaving.
"N-no, nothing," Sting retched a few times, "I only rode for a short while, I'll recover soon."
Rogue's face was also pale: "D-don't worry about us."
Seeing them say that, Rufus and Orga left with peace of mind.
Minerva, on the other hand, gave Sting a deep look before slowly leaving.
Sting knew what her gaze meant. Today was the last chance; only by performing spectacularly enough would the Young Lady return Lector to him.
Therefore, he had to win today, no matter what.
At least, he had to win against one of the Fairy Tail teams.
Blue Pegasus's movements were a bit slower, because Hibiki was rapidly typing on a golden virtual keyboard.
Seven translucent golden screens floated in mid-air, displaying information about each team's members and an analysis of their general movement patterns.
He calculated rapidly and finally concluded: "Our chances of winning are very low, but we have a chance to get a good ranking. Next, we'll split into groups!"
Hibiki, Ren, and Eve formed one group, while Ichiya and Jenny formed another. They rushed out according to the "optimal scoring path" Hibiki had calculated.
Mermaid's Heel didn't seem to have much strategy. Kagura, Millianna, and Risley acted alone, while Arana and Beth teamed up.
Lamia Scale was similar. Jura, relying on his formidable strength, walked directly towards the most dangerous city center.
Lyon refused Sherria's invitation to team up, waving his hand and leaving gracefully.
Sherria puffed out her cheeks, deciding to go to the candy store where Wendy was most likely to go, intending to compete with her good sister.
Yuka and Toby lacked confidence, so they acted together.
Within three seconds of seeing the signal flare, Shining Sun was left with only four people.
Because the captain, Rock, shouted things like wanting to have a showdown with Ichiya, and then disappeared without a trace in the blink of an eye.
"That idiot captain." Yerol complained, "Let's split into two groups, the four of us. Jenni and I will go together."
"No problem." Tyrant had no objections.
In this kind of survival game, while group action is safest, the scoring efficiency would be very low.
The ideal situation should be five strong individuals acting separately, but this year's opponents were too strong, so two, per group was just right.
At this moment, Rhodes pretended to use Void Vision, gaining a considerably wide range of vision.
Then he secretly glanced at the screen and nodded slightly: "It's pretty much as I expected. Those who consider themselves strong are generally acting alone, while others are teaming up in twos and threes."
Wendy asked: "What should we do?"
Rhodes took out a small notebook, drew a circle representing the capital's wall, and marked several important streets.
He mentally reviewed the movement directions of several powerful individuals, drew a route, tore off the paper, and handed it to Gajeel:
"Laxus comes with me. The three of you follow this route, and then beat up whoever you see."
Gajeel held the paper and looked at it for a while: "Is Team A on this route?"
"No." Rhodes said, "The organizers probably worried about our two teams forming an alliance, so they placed us furthest apart."
"Tch~" Gajeel pouted, "How annoying. Who would win a match that way?"
"Alright, let's go. Hmm, I'll send you some help." Rhodes summoned Void Golems to ensure their endurance, and also summoned a Rift Herald for transportation.
This way, as long as they didn't encounter Jura, there shouldn't be any danger.
Gajeel wanted to say he didn't need such things, but thinking he needed to conserve stamina, he finally complained: "Damn it, making it so I can't go directly punch the Fire Dragon!"
Watching the three leave, Rhodes then summoned various small wild monsters such as Wolves, Krugs, Raptors, and Wraiths.
Except for two Two-Headed Wolves left for transportation, all others were released to "farm the wild" freely.
He didn't feel right releasing Void Bugs. Although the organizers said they could go all out, the citizens' houses and private belongings were innocent.
Mr. Rhodes, the conscience of Fairy Tail, praised his own kindness, then gestured to Laxus to mount a wolf and begin their mission.
His and Laxus's task was a decapitation strike.
Prioritizing the elimination of strong contestants would reduce the risk of their companions being eliminated and potentially earn them 5 points directly.
The identity of each team's captain was kept secret, but it was obvious, even without thinking, that it would most likely be the strongest member.
Therefore, Rhodes and Laxus's first target was the strongest person on the field, Ten Wizard Saints Jura.
The two Two-Headed Wolves sprinted according to Rhodes' instructions.
At this moment, Jura encountered Refus from Dragons Treasure and slammed the opponent, man and spear, into the ground with a single palm.
Lamia Scale's score increased by one, but Jura always felt a chill down his spine.