"Hmph."
Jiemma and Minerva left the platform with dark expressions after the ruling was announced. They had won the match, but neither of them looked pleased. For Jiemma in particular, the fact that he'd been frightened into retreat by Rowan was a humiliation he couldn't swallow.
"Don't worry, Father," Minerva said quietly, her composure returning almost immediately. "The title of strongest guild will still be ours."
In her eyes, Rowan Mercer was the only real threat. Even if he surpassed her father, he was still just one mage. The other four had revealed their limits during the individual matches. Their strength came largely from enchanted equipment rather than raw magic power. Anyone observant enough could see that and prepare accordingly. The surprise factor Fairy Tail had relied on wouldn't work again.
With the individual matches concluded, Fairy Tail and Sabertooth stood tied at the top of the rankings with forty points each. Lamia Scale followed in second with thirty-five points. Mermaid Heel and Blue Pegasus shared third place at thirty. Below them were several guilds clustered around twenty to twenty-five points, with the Four Hounds among the more notable names.
The individual round had clearly been curated to maximize spectacle, pairing contestants of similar strength. Even popular guilds like the Four Hounds could end up with modest scores if the matchups didn't favor them. But the next stages would be different. The team battle and the final free-for-all would expose true depth and coordination. Weak guilds would struggle to keep up, while elite guilds would inevitably rise to the top.
After the matches, Rowan healed Alzack's injuries with a simple spell.
In this world, restorative magic was considered rare and largely forgotten. Most mages relied on medicine, bandages, and time to recover. Mages were tougher than ordinary people, but healing magic itself was almost unheard of. Rowan had heard from Macao that Fairy Tail once recruited a young girl who used Sky Dragon magic and could heal others, but she was still trapped alongside the former guildmaster.
"Guildmaster," Macao said after seeing Alzack recover, "could you help Blue Pegasus's Hibiki as well? Minerva hurt him badly."
Blue Pegasus and Fairy Tail had always shared a close bond. Their guildmaster had once been a Fairy Tail mage himself, and they'd fought side by side against the Oración Seis. After Tenrou Island vanished, Blue Pegasus had even used their flying guild base to help search the surrounding seas.
"Of course," Rowan replied. "Allies look after one another."
Healing Hibiki wouldn't change the outcome of the tournament anyway. Blue Pegasus's lineup was solid, but predictable. Three strong mages hovering just below the top tier, Jenny at full Saint-level, and only Ichiya standing at the very top. Even combined, they posed no real threat.
In truth, none of the remaining twenty-nine guilds did.
That night, after leaving Blue Pegasus's lodging, Rowan glanced back at the building and sighed.
"Good grief. Nothing but beautiful men and women. No wonder they're called the most eye-catching guild in the kingdom."
"I heard they recruit based on looks, not strength," Marcus said eagerly. "If you're not attractive enough, they won't take you no matter how strong you are."
Laki shuddered. "Not all of them. Their guildmaster and that leader, Ichiya… don't exactly fit the image."
Blue Pegasus was famous for its looks, but their guildmaster was an eccentric, overweight man with flamboyant mannerisms. Ichiya wasn't much better, short and round with a face that defied description.
Macao laughed. "You kids don't know the whole story. Back when Master Bob was still in Fairy Tail, he was considered the most handsome man in the guild. As for Ichiya, I doubt he's as simple as he looks. Hibiki, Eve, and Ren all call him 'Master' for a reason."
They chatted casually as they walked back to their inn. After seeing Macao and the others off, Rowan teleported with the four competitors back to their own quarters.
The next morning, the second stage of the finals began.
Once again, the pumpkin-masked announcer took the stage.
"Today's match is the team battle," he declared. "Also known as the Gauntlet."
Based on the preliminary and individual rounds, six guilds were selected as the current strongest and designated as defenders. The remaining twenty-four guilds were randomly divided into six groups of four. Each group would challenge one defending guild in succession.
Defeating a single defender earned ten points. Defeating all five members of a defending guild awarded fifty points and transferred defender status to the challengers. Defending guilds earned three points for each challenger they defeated. If a defending guild repelled all four challenging guilds, defeating twenty opponents in total, they would earn sixty points.
The arena erupted in murmurs.
Most mages and spectators had never seen a format like this. They'd expected standard team matchups. But once the rules sank in, excitement spread quickly.
Weaker guilds saw opportunity. Even if they couldn't win the tournament, defeating one or two famous defenders could skyrocket their reputation. Stronger guilds saw a chance to make up ground or pull far ahead with the right strategy.
And for the audience, it promised nonstop, escalating battles.
The real test was about to begin.