"Good morning, everyone! I'm Aba, and it's my honor to host the very first Grand Magic Games!"
The amplified voice echoed across the arena, rolling through Domus Flau like a drumbeat. "On behalf of the Kingdom, welcome!"
With that declaration, the festival officially began.
"First, let us introduce our honored guests," Aba continued. "Former member of the Magic Council, Mister Yajima. And the current commander of the Council's Fourth Enforcement Division, Captain of the Rune Knights, Lahar!"
Two figures rose from the VIP platform. Yajima, now sporting the look of a seasoned chef rather than a politician, waved cheerfully. Beside him, Lahar adjusted his glasses, his Magic Council uniform crisp and formal, and gave a restrained nod to the crowd.
Once they were seated again, Aba pressed on.
"This year's Grand Magic Games features one hundred and one teams, representing one hundred and one guilds from across the Kingdom!"
As he began listing names, the crowd responded exactly as expected. When Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus were announced, cheers thundered through the stands. Lesser-known guilds earned polite, scattered applause.
Then came the final name.
"Fairy Tail."
The arena fell silent.
Every head turned.
Spectators leaned forward. Competing mages glanced over. All eyes settled on the small group of four mages and one cat standing among the contestants.
Whispers rippled through the stands.
"I thought Fairy Tail's core members vanished at sea."
"No, I heard they all died."
"I heard the entire guild was wiped out."
"These are Fairy Tail's representatives? I don't recognize a single one of them."
Fairy Tail's name still carried weight. Their disasters made headlines. Their victories became legends. And the disappearance of their strongest members on Tenrou Island had shaken the entire Kingdom months ago.
What no one expected was for Fairy Tail to show up anyway.
To many, it seemed foolish. With their stars gone, participation could only tarnish the memory of what they once were. Some guilds watched with thin smiles, sensing opportunity. Old grudges resurfaced. Others saw a chance to step on a fallen giant and claim a little borrowed glory.
Predators always gathered when a lion showed weakness.
Still, not everyone looked on with malice. Members of Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale offered friendly waves. Scattered among the audience, a handful of Fairy Tail loyalists cheered loudly, their voices small but sincere.
Once all one hundred and one guilds had been announced, Aba took a sip of water.
"Next, please welcome our official mascot, Mister Pumpkin, who will explain the rules of the competition!"
A short figure wearing a pumpkin-themed outfit hopped into the arena. His image was magnified by magic and projected into the air so everyone could see.
"The Grand Magic Games will last four days," Mister Pumpkin began. "One event per day, four events total. Today is the preliminary round. Only teams that pass today may advance to the main competition."
He paused for emphasis.
"The main events include individual matches, team battles, and large-scale free-for-alls. Teams earn points based on performance. The guild with the highest total score will receive the title of Strongest Guild in the Kingdom, along with a prize of thirty million jewels."
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
"Now, for today's preliminary," Mister Pumpkin continued, "the rules are simple. Each team of five will face a single magic beast developed by the Royal Magic Development Bureau."
At that, confusion spread.
"A magic beast?"
Mister Pumpkin flicked his hand, and a magical projection appeared overhead.
A towering mechanical gorilla filled the image, easily over ten meters tall. It charged forward with terrifying speed, smashing through buildings like paper. It leapt dozens of meters in a single bound, slammed the ground, and split the earth with a single punch. Then its jaws opened, a magic circle flaring as a torrent of fire erupted outward.
The audience gasped.
Some contestants broke into cold sweat.
Laki's face went pale. Marcus swallowed hard. Alzack and Bisca exchanged tense looks.
To be honest, even together, the four of them weren't confident they could take something like that down. Gun magic was fast and precise, but punching through layered mechanical armor was another matter. Marcus's sand magic would barely scratch it. Laki's wood-shaping spells weren't designed for raw destruction.
Against other mages, their teamwork could shine. Against that thing, they'd be crushed.
"Relax," Rowan said lazily from Laki's shoulder, flicking his paw. "It's all bark."
The others stared at him.
"To look scary is its whole job," he continued calmly. "But it's nowhere near an S-class mage. Not even close."
To Rowan, the machine was loud, flashy, and inefficient. Dangerous to civilians, perhaps. A threat to seasoned elites? Hardly.
For him, it wasn't a challenge at all.
"Let's get this over with."