"Hehe... Hisui is so clever, coming up with a preliminary round format like this."
The Pumpkin King waited at the end of the Sky Labyrinth, shaking his large head proudly while boasting about his daughter.
With this format, those pretty-boy Mages who came just to ride the popularity wave shouldn't be able to gain any advantage.
The Pumpkin King nodded with satisfaction.
After Fairy Tail disappeared, he had been troubled by the lack of rowdy guilds in the magic world.
To fix that, he had his daughter organize this competition to gather Mages from across the kingdom.
Unexpectedly, it became an instant hit, turning into an annual festival that the people of Fiore loved to watch.
"How wonderful... With Fairy Tail returning this year, it's bound to be even more spectacular..."
Just as the Pumpkin King was eagerly anticipating their arrival, a telepathic voice echoed in his mind—an anxious staff member from the Sky Labyrinth.
"Mr. Pumpkin, the Mages in the labyrinth have caused some trouble."
The Pumpkin King clicked his tongue in displeasure. "What could possibly go wrong? I already said not to interfere with the Mages' actions!"
"But... but!" The staff member seemed to be witnessing a terrifying scene, trembling as they spoke:
"Those Fairy Tail Mages are about to smash half the labyrinth into collapse!"
The Pumpkin King's heart jolted, followed by a wave of dizziness.
'Damn it, they're using this move again!'
...
Inside the Sky Labyrinth, Captain Ankh declared, "We must resolutely implement the crucial strategy of avoiding detours, sidestepping wrong paths, and remaining unwavering."
Executive members represented by Laxus and Gajeel wholeheartedly agreed and carried out the captain's decision.
"Lightning Dragon's..."
"Iron Dragon's..."
Laxus and Gajeel hovered mid-air, gathering Magic Power before unleashing a torrential blast directly eastward.
ROAR!!!
Countless buildings and pathways ahead were obliterated, clearing an unimpeded "road" to the east.
As Gajeel and Laxus paused, Mirajane and Juvia continued the assault, maintaining relentless destruction without pause.
Ankh controlled the gravity for the group as they flew eastward, leaving the Mages from other guilds dumbfounded.
This labyrinth was not only convoluted but also randomly altered gravity, flipping directions upside down and sideways, naturally eliminating many participants over time.
And then came this group, demolishing everything in their path toward the finish line—who ever heard of such a thing!
Who could have imagined the absurd scene: a team of five diligently mapping their way when suddenly a wall behind them exploded, revealing a band of marauders!
To make matters worse, the foundation beneath their feet was destroyed, and they were eliminated one by one.
Post-competition data revealed that nearly 70% of eliminated Mages fell victim to Construction Team B's rampage...
Some embittered Mages attempted to file complaints after elimination, arguing that this pathfinding method was essentially construction work, not a competition!
However... after consulting Princess Hisui, the Pumpkin King used her exact words to silence the complainers:
"The pre-competition rules were clear—Fairy Tail's team violated no regulations. Why should they be disqualified?"
"Moreover, if guilds encounter such emergencies during routine missions, should they complain to clients instead of handling it themselves?"
Princess Hisui's seemingly explanatory yet sarcastic remarks completely shut down the disgruntled Mages.
The organizers had been strictly screening the main event's quality, and Fairy Tail's approach effectively weeded out the majority of slacking guilds.
Besides, Princess Hisui... had a few acquaintances in Fairy Tail anyway...
It was just one scrapped labyrinth—the King would reimburse her!
King Toma: Pumpkin? (?_?)
BOOM—
As external complaints were quelled, the oblivious quintet of Ankh had already entered the final sprint.
After another bout of roaring construction, Ankh's vision cleared as they entered an enclosed space.
The walls of this space were painted with realistic blue skies and white clouds, while a small stream flowed continuously on the ground unaffected by gravity.
"Ankh, what's wrong?" Laxus asked when he noticed Ankh stop moving.
Ankh shook the compass in his hand and sighed. "The compass needle is spinning wildly. There must be something interfering in this space."
Mirajane pinched her chin thoughtfully. "No wonder they used so many paintings—they wanted to confuse our judgment."
Gajeel looked at Ankh, having clearly abandoned all thought. "What should we do next?"
Instead of answering, Ankh gestured with his chin in another direction.
Following his gaze, the four of them saw another team that had also entered this space!
"Only this much slower than us? Seems we weren't fast enough with the demolition," Laxus said, somewhat dissatisfied.
Gajeel frowned, looking at the familiar faces in the other team. "Are they... Sabertooth?"
Just as Fairy Tail Team B noticed them, the sharp-eyed Sting sensed the unfavorable gaze.
The five-member Sabertooth team spotted Ankh's group upon entering the space.
When Sting saw Gajeel, he pointed and shouted reflexively.
"It's you! Iron Dragon!"
Gajeel sneered, not bothering to respond.
Rogue silently clenched his fist.
Among Sabertooth's team, a young man dressed in noble attire with a mask, golden hair flowing over his shoulders, one hand pressing down the brim of his hat and the other behind his back, said with interest:
"Who are they, arriving even before us?"
Sting gritted his teeth. "Fairy Tail. They're the ones who disappeared on Tenrou Island seven years ago."
The noble young man chuckled. "I see, how interesting..."
The other team members included a green-haired muscular man with tattooed arms, who looked quite fierce.
At that moment, he was staring intently at Laxus across from them.
Laxus was perplexed, while Ankh watched the only female in Sabertooth's team unblinkingly.
She was a silver-blue-haired girl with no discernible emotion, her hair styled in an ear-covering bob with a rose hair clip, wearing pure white haori-style clothing.
Seeing Ankh staring so intently, Mirajane poked his waist. "Does Ankh like this type of girl? The cold little sister type?"
Ignoring Mirajane's mischievous question, Ankh replied, "No, it's just that her appearance and clothing style... somewhat resemble Sorano..."