Colorful ribbons fluttered in the sky, flags waved throughout the arena, multicolored balloons rose into the air, and the bustling stadium was packed to capacity with everyone cheering themselves hoarse.
Truly a festival hosted by the Fiore Kingdom—no single guild could manage such scale alone.
In the room above the arena, three people were seated at the commentary desk.
The man at the forefront sat poised before the microphone, passionately addressing the arena and the many viewers across the kingdom watching the magic broadcast:
"Hello, everyone! This year's Grand Magic Games are about to officially begin! I'm your commentator, Chapati Lola!"
"Sitting beside me is former Council member Mr. Yajima, who will be joining me for live commentary!"
"Mr. Yajima, please greet everyone!"
The familiar face of Fairy Tail, Mr. Yajima—whose short stature immediately marked him as Makarov's old friend—gazed at the spectacular scene of the bustling crowd and marveled.
"Pleased to meet you all. Ah... truly worthy of the Grand Magic Games! After the preliminary screenings, the excitement has grown even more intense!"
"Exactly! And we have one more person joining us as a special one-day commentator—the newly crowned Miss Fiore, Jenny Realight from Blue Pegasus!"
Jenny, seated next to Mr. Yajima, greeted everyone with vibrant energy.
"Hello, everyone! This year, our guild is definitely going to win!"
She took the opportunity to boost her guild's popularity—a classic move from Blue Pegasus...
As the atmosphere in the venue grew increasingly fervent, commentator Chapati picked up the microphone and began the opening ceremony:
"Alright, everyone! It's time for the contestants to enter the arena!"
"First up, the eighth-place finishers from the preliminaries—can they reclaim their former glory? Let's welcome the rough-and-tumble guild whose name doesn't quite match their demeanor—Fairy Tail!!"
As Chapati's rhythmic introduction echoed, Erza, Natsu, and the other three emerged from the dim passageway with an imposing presence.
Each of them felt enveloped by the roaring cheers from all directions, their hearts racing from the overwhelming energy.
Natsu, who thrived in such lively environments, showed no hesitation.
Excitedly, he raised his fist high, announcing Fairy Tail's arrival!
"Boooooooooo—"
Contrary to Natsu's expectations, the initially enthusiastic cheers from tens of thousands of spectators turned into waves of boos the moment they saw it was Fairy Tail making their entrance.
"What?!" Natsu, who hadn't been nervous before, grew concerned.
Lucy said sadly, "Why is this happening? There are boos everywhere."
Chapati's timely commentary provided the answer: "Fairy Tail, who have been at the bottom every year, managed to break into the main competition after the introduction of the preliminary system this year. This means they are now at least the eighth-ranked guild in Fiore!"
"Unfortunately, this ranking has led to misunderstandings. The audience still doesn't believe Fairy Tail possesses the strength to compete."
"But I'm sure that with the return of the Tenrou Team—who stirred up the entire continent—they will amaze us all this year!"
In contrast to Chapati's neutral remarks, Yajima unabashedly gave a thumbs-up and praised: "It's wonderful to have you back! Congratulations, Fairy Tail!"
Erza comforted the disheartened Natsu and Lucy, smiling. "Don't worry about it. We'll win everyone over with our strength."
Cana casually tossed her long hair and pointed toward the distant guild spectator stands.
"Besides, we do have our supporters, don't we?"
Amid the deafening boos filling the arena, the cheers and encouragement from that section stood out distinctly.
"Cheering! Begin!!"
Makarov strained his hoarse voice, nearly tearing his lungs out and pulling his guts along with it, desperately leading the members of the support team behind him in waving flags and cheering.
Lucy said with a moved expression, "Thank goodness we have the Guild Master."
Erza smiled confidently. "As long as we have the support of our companions, nothing else matters."
Then, Erza seemed to see something bizarre, and her expression froze.
On the spectator stand nearby, Makarov stared in shock at the petite girl who had suddenly appeared beside him, stammering in disbelief.
"F-first... first Guild Master?"
Mavis, like a living fairy, was sitting on the edge of the high platform's wall, swinging her bare feet and using her ethereal voice to cheer for her team.
Mavis chuckled as she looked at the bewildered crowd. "I came to cheer for everyone too!"
"But, shouldn't you be on..."
Mavis shook her head and smiled, taking in the lively atmosphere around her.
"To be honest, life on Tenrou Island is really boring. Don't worry about me. Only those with the Guild mark can see me."
Just as Mavis said, there were no outsiders present who could see her. After introducing Fairy Tail, Chapati moved on to the next team:
"Next up, the seventh-place team from the preliminaries, the hellhound legion known as—Quatro Cerberus!"
From the team tunnel on the other side, an all-male team emerged, each member burly and adorned with dog-related accessories.
"Wild—four!"
The five men shouted their slogan and strode out with imposing momentum.
From behind the team tunnel, Ankh, who hadn't yet made his entrance, secretly glanced at them.
'Well, not a single familiar face...'
"Next is the sixth-place team from the preliminaries! A guild composed entirely of women, the dancers of the sea, Mermaid Heel!"
On the other side, five women of varying appearances walked out from the tunnel, causing all the men in the audience to gaze at them with hearts in their eyes.
"There really is a guild like that?" Gajeel muttered in confusion.
Ankh widened his eyes as he stared at the leader of Mermaid Heel.
'Finally, a familiar face—but...'
Taking advantage of the ongoing commotion, Chapati's voice continued to roar:
"The fifth-place team from the preliminaries, the azure wings shining in the darkness, Blue Pegasus!"
Led by Ichiya, the handsome group made their entrance, and the atmosphere in the venue grew rowdy once again.
Jenny also cheered for her guild from the commentary booth.
As a Mage guild filled with idol groups, Blue Pegasus was a highly popular guild.
Moreover, compared to those pretty-boy teams from guilds just riding the trend, Blue Pegasus was one of the rare idol guilds with a balanced ratio of fans drawn to looks and those drawn to strength.
If you're here for the looks, check out Hibiki and Jenny, if you're here for the strength, check out Ichiya...
Brilliant fireworks burst across the venue as Chapati's voice grew even more excited.
"This is the fourth-place team from the preliminaries, the goddess of love and war, the sacred destroyer, Lamia Scale!"
Another team of familiar faces made their entrance, with only one petite girl among them whom Ankh didn't recognize.
"And this year, making their first appearance in the tournament and breaking into the main event, the third-place team, Raven Tail!"
Makarov's eyes snapped wide open, his old face flushing with furious anger.
In the dimly lit passageway, Laxus furrowed his brow while Gajeel unexpectedly glanced outward.
"They actually allowed them to compete..."
Makarov gritted his teeth tightly.
Taking advantage of the sudden silence in the arena, he loudly protested toward the commentator's platform.
"They're a Dark Guild!"
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