Chapter 270: The First Match
"Sorry!"
Elfman Strauss walked back to the waiting area of the arena tunnel, his massive shoulders slumped in dejection. He couldn't bring himself to look his teammates in the eye.
"I... I was useless out there," Elfman gritted out, clenching his fists until his knuckles turned white.
"The spot I so painstakingly earned... the chance to show the world that Fairy Tail is back... I wasted it. If Freed or Bickslow had taken my place in this round, or even Levy, they might have scored more points. I wasn't 'Manly' at all."
The shame burned him. While Ren had dominated the field with the grace of a god, Elfman had struggled just to survive the chaos of the "Hidden" game.
"It's okay! Elfman, you did your best!"
Mirajane Strauss smiled gently, her blue eyes filled with warmth as she patted her younger brother's shoulder. "The rules of that game were tricky. It wasn't a contest of pure strength. Don't let it weigh on your heart. We have plenty of chances to make up for it."
At that moment, Ren walked into the Team A rest area, dusting off his white coat. He looked as calm as if he had just returned from a light stroll, not a high-stakes magical tournament.
He high-fived Natsu, Gray, and Erza.
"How do you feel?" Lucy Heartfilia asked, looking at the man who had just turned the entire stadium into his playground.
"It's quite interesting," Ren replied with a faint smile, glancing back at the arena. "Using the Six Eyes to hunt... it's a different kind of thrill compared to fighting dragons. It's like a puzzle where I have all the pieces."
"Ren, you went too easy on him," Natsu Dragneel grumbled, smoke puffing from his nostrils. "If it were me, I'd definitely make that guy from Raven Tail pay! Did you see his face? That Nullpudding guy... he was targeting us specifically!"
Natsu clenched his fist, the flames of anger igniting around his hand. He knew the history. Ivan Dreyar—Makarov's own son—had been expelled from the guild for endangering his comrades. He had founded Raven Tail specifically to destroy Fairy Tail. Their participation in the Grand Magic Games this time was definitely with ill intentions.
"Moreover, Raven Tail was a Dark Guild before," Natsu spat. "I don't believe a Dark Guild would truly reform just because they got official recognition. Once a rat, always a rat."
"There's still a long way to go," Ren said calmly, taking a sip of water. "It wouldn't be good if I hit them too hard right at the start and they withdrew from the competition out of fear. We need to break them slowly, piece by piece, in front of the whole world."
To be honest, Ren didn't have much of an impression of Raven Tail. In the grand scheme of things, they were stepping stones.
During the match, he had used his Six Eyes to scan the magical signatures of the opposing team.
'Ivan is the strongest among them,' Ren analyzed internally. 'But even he... his magic power fluctuates around the 7-star level. The rest, like Nullpudding and Flare, are barely touching the upper echelons of A-Class.'
A 7-star mage was decent—enough to reach the lower threshold of the Ten Wizard Saints—but true strength depended on more than just reserves. It depended on combat awareness, technique, and the quality of magic.
Ren was currently an 8-star powerhouse, pushing toward 9. A 7-star enemy was nothing. If needed, he could just destroy Raven Tail single-handedly after the tournament anyway.
[What a spectacular performance! Although somewhat unexpected, it was still within reason! Fairy Tail Team A takes first place in the Preliminary Event!]
The voice of Chapati Lola boomed through the magical lacrima speakers, echoing across the capital.
[Sabertooth and Raven Tail performed poorly; perhaps they can only hope for the next round to recover their standing! The points are on the board!]
"Well done, Ren! You should really beat up Ivan's people!" Makarov Dreyar cheered from the stands, waving his fist. He was very happy; this brat, Ren, was truly capable. He had slapped Ivan's face without even lifting a finger in anger.
[Next up will be the battle portion of the competition!]
The atmosphere in the Domus Flau shifted. The playful tension of the "Hidden" game evaporated, replaced by the heavy, bloodthirsty anticipation of combat.
[Like the arena matches of the past, all eight teams will be matched with opponents!]
[The opponents for the matches are decided by the organizers, and the battle schedule is now in my hands.]
Chapati Lola held up a card, the tension mounting.
[Those whose names are called, please come to the competition arena!]
[First day, first group match, it seems to be another fated showdown! The crowd loves drama, and we have it here!]
[Fairy Tail Team B's Mirajane Strauss VS Raven Tail's Flare Corona!]
The stadium erupted.
"Huh? Is it me?" Mirajane blinked, slightly surprised to hear her name called so early.
"Then I'll go up."
Her demeanor shifted instantly. The gentle barmaid vanished. She smoothed her dress and stepped onto the stage with the elegance of a queen.
"Go, big sister!" Elfman roared, slamming his fists together. "Show them a real MAN's sister!"
"Don't lose again!" Gajeel grunted, crossing his arms. "I dislike the feeling of losing. We're Team B, but we ain't second rate."
As Mirajane walked out into the sunlight of the arena, the crowd went wild, but for a different reason.
"So beautiful!"
"Is this girl from Fairy Tail?"
"She's the cover girl for Sorcerer Weekly! Mirajane!"
"She's really too beautiful! I want to marry her!"
Wolf-whistles and cheers rained down. To the general public, Mirajane was the sweet, retiring pin-up model. They had forgotten—or were too young to know—the monster that slept beneath that smile.
On the other side of the arena, a hunched figure walked out. Her hair was a vibrant, aggressive crimson, tied in two massive braids that trailed on the ground like tails. Her eyes were manic, with dark circles underneath.
Flare Corona.
"White-haired..." Flare muttered, her voice trembling. She bit her thumb nail, her eyes twitching as she stared at Mirajane. "So shiny... so pretty... disgusting."
Flare felt a sudden surge of jealousy upon seeing Mira's beautiful appearance. It was a visceral hatred for everything pure and beloved.
"Mira is on stage!"
"Mira hasn't fought in a long time in public. I wonder what her strength is like now that she's fighting again!"
Everyone in the Fairy Tail guild section cheered as Mira appeared, yet the older members felt a twinge of worry. Not for Mira, but for her opponent.
"Her opponent is that idiot Ivan's guild anyway," Makarov grumbled, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Kill them! Show them no mercy, Mira!"
Makarov seemed very violent today. The grudge against his son ran deep.
[It seems the masters of those two guilds are father and son, Mr. Yajima,] Chapati noted.
"Hmm... Since they each lead different guilds, there's no father-son relationship here..." Yajima replied solemnly. He naturally knew about Makarov and Ivan's affairs. He had met Ivan before; he was someone with cunning and treachery etched on his face. He truly didn't know how a noble soul like Makarov could have fathered such a snake.
"Please, both of you, come to the front!" the pumpkin-headed host, Mato, announced, bouncing slightly.
Mirajane and Flare met in the center of the colossal arena.
Flare leaned in, a sickly sweet smile stretching her face. "Blondie... oh wait, Whitey... I'm going to tear that pretty face apart."
Mirajane just smiled, a closed-eyed, polite smile. "Please go easy on me."
[The match is limited to 30 minutes! If an opponent is rendered unable to fight within the match time, victory will be declared!]
[The first match, begin!]
GONG!
The sound had barely faded when the air pressure in the stadium plummeted.
"Full Body Take Over: Satan Soul!"
Mirajane's voice was soft, but it carried a terrifying resonance. Magic circles—purple and black—erupted beneath her feet.
WHOOSH!
A dark tornado enveloped her. When it dissipated, the "Sorcerer Weekly" model was gone.
In her place stood a demon. Her white hair defied gravity, sweeping upward. Her ears were pointed, her eyes dark and slit-pupiled. Her body was clad in a revealing dark bodysuit with armored claws, and a massive lizard-like tail thrashed behind her. Large, demonic wings spread from her back, casting a shadow over Flare.
"So... this is the She-Devil," Ren observed from the stands, his eyes analytical. "She hasn't lost a step."
Mira went all out from the start, seeing no need to hold back against Raven Tail.
"Let's fight!"
Boom—!
The ground cracked. Mirajane vanished.
She moved so fast she was a blur, reappearing instantly in front of Flare.
"Wolf Fang!!"
Flare screamed, her reaction speed pushed to the limit. Her crimson braids shot forward, twisting and morphing into the shape of a giant, fiery wolf jaw, snapping at Mira's throat.
Mira didn't dodge. She raised one clawed hand.
Slash!
"Splat—!"
The giant wolf made of hair was directly torn apart by Mira's bare claws. The magic structure shattered like glass.
"My hair! Damn it!"
Flare shrieked. Her hair plunged into the ground like drills.
"Sneaky..." Mira narrowed her eyes.
Suddenly, the red braids erupted from the earth directly beneath Mira's feet, wrapping tight around her ankles like python vines.
"Gotcha!" Flare cackled. "Burn!"
Her hair glowed with high-heat magical energy, attempting to lift Mira and slam her, or perhaps incinerate her legs.
Mira, however, simply looked down. She bent her knees and grabbed the hair around her ankle with her hand.
"What?!" Flare's eyes widened. "You can touch it?!"
"Up!"
Mira grunted, her muscles tensing. She pulled.
She didn't just pull the hair; she pulled Flare attached to it. Mira began to spin.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
"Waaahhh!"
Flare was lifted off her feet, spun around like a ragdoll in a centrifuge.
"Fly."
Mira released her grip.
Bang!
Flare was launched across the arena, skidding violently across the sand and crashing into a stone pillar.
"You... you actually ruined my hair... and threw me... Unforgivable! Unforgivable!"
Flare stood up, shaking. Her eyes rolled back in her head, her sanity fraying.
"Crimson Hair: Thousand Birds!!"
Flare's red hair danced wildly, separating into hundreds of strands. Each strand transformed into a venomous snake or a sharp beak, looking as terrifying as Medusa's gaze.
"Die! Die! Die!"
All the venomous snakes, under Flare's control, rushed towards Mira like a tidal wave of red death.
Mira raised both hands. Dark energy crackled between her palms like black lightning.
"Darkness Stream!!"
A torrent of dark, shadowy hands erupted from Mira's magic circle. They clawed through the air, intercepting the snakes.
Boom boom boom boom boom!!
Explosions rocked the arena as the two magics collided. Smoke and dust filled the air.
"She's strong..." Erza commented from the stands. "But Mira is on another level."
Inside the dust cloud, Mira spread her arms.
"I've had enough of this," Mira declared cold-heartedly.
Her body began to spin, generating a powerful dark vortex around her. The sand of the arena was sucked into the cyclone.
"Evil Explosion!!"
WHOOM!
A terrifying shockwave of purple energy rushed directly towards Flare, blowing away the remaining snakes.
"No... NO!"
Flare immediately wove her hair into a dense shield wall to block it.
Boom————!!
"Uwaaahhh!"
The shield shattered instantly. Flare's hair failed to block the S-Class magic. She was sent flying again, coughing up blood.
She tried to scramble to her feet, terror finally overtaking her rage. She looked up, and her heart stopped.
Swish!
In the next instant, Mirajane appeared directly before Flare. She was hovering slightly, her face void of emotion. She pressed her palm gently against Flare's chest.
"What?!" Flare gasped.
"Goodbye."
Before Flare could even react, Mira's palm emitted dazzling black lightning.
"Demon Blast!!"
BOOM!
"Waaahhh!"
A point-blank energy discharge. Flare's body was blasted downward, creating a crater in the arena floor. She bounced, her body limp.
She was finished. But Mirajane wasn't done sending a message.
Mira flew up, hovering mid-air. She cupped her hands together above her head. The atmosphere screamed as she gathered a massive amount of darkness. The light of the sun seemed to dim.
"Soul Extinction!!"
Mira unleashed an ultra-powerful beam of concentrated annihilation directly at the prone Raven Tail mage.
Boom—————!!!
The arena shook. A mushroom cloud of dark magic rose into the sky.
"Waaahhh!"
Flare let out a final, painful scream amidst the dark light before being silenced by the overwhelming force.
After a while, the dust settled. The silence in the Domus Flau was absolute.
Flare lay motionless in a large, smoking crater in the center of the battlefield. Her hair was burnt, her eyes white.
[The... the outcome is decided!] Chapati Lola stammered, recovering from the shock. [Winner: Mirajane Strauss of Fairy Tail!!]