So, to speed up the competition, the entire arena was divided into forty-nine stages arranged in a seven-by-seven grid, each stage having an area of five hundred square meters…
Magicians would compete on these stages. Those who accidentally stepped out of the stage, were knocked unconscious, or voluntarily surrendered would be judged as losing.
And located in the very center of these forty-nine stages was the most special stage. The competitors on this stage had the highest payout rates in the entire venue and were the most recognized by the audience!
Even the area of this stage was a full circle larger than the other forty-eight stages!
At the top of this stage was a huge octagonal screen that would broadcast the matches on this stage live to the entire audience.
And at this moment, the Pumpkin puppet stood on this central, largest stage.
"I am Pumpkin, the referee for this competition!"
"The person I'm about to introduce to everyone is extraordinary!"
"He has achieved thirty consecutive victories in the arena, known as the man most likely to be crowned the King of Combat, Fiore Kingdom's number one strongman, Jack Warren!!"
"Please give our warmest cheers to the man with the highest consecutive victories in the arena, 'Ogre' Jack Warren, as he enters the stage!!"
Pumpkin loudly announced the person who was about to appear.
"Oh!!"
As Pumpkin's voice fell, a muscular man, nearly three meters tall, resembling an upright polar bear, dressed in a Viking suit, appeared on the stage…
As soon as he got on stage, he began to roar to the audience in the stands.
"Warren! Warren! Warren!!"
With the man's appearance, the entire arena's stands erupted in astonishing cheers, all indicating his high popularity.
"That shouting is really exaggerated."
In the area where the Fairy Tail Guild Magicians were, everyone listened to the earth-shattering roars and couldn't help but complain.
"Everyone, don't worry, Jack Warren's opponent this time is no small fry! I'm sure she will bring everyone a wonderful match…"
"Yes, she is from Magnolia Town, from the Fairy Tail, known as the Fiore Kingdom's number one Magic Guild, the S-Class Mage known as 'Titania' Erza Belserion!!"
"Let's give a round of applause to Erza, who is participating in the competition for the first time!"
After Jack took the stage, the Pumpkin announced his opponent.
"Erza? Never heard of her?!"
"Fairy Tail does sound a bit familiar…"
"Speaking of which, aren't Magicians from Magic Guilds just a bunch of guys who will do any job for money! Specialized in doing odd jobs?!"
"Puhahaha! You're right."
"No matter what, she definitely won't be Jack Warren's opponent!"
The audience in the stands clearly didn't think much of the Fairy Tail Guild's name.
Ultimately, it was because the Fiore Kingdom was too large…
And Fairy Tail's main area of activity was in the western part of the kingdom.
As for how famous Fairy Tail was on the continent, it was only within certain localized regions of the kingdom, and within the two major magic worlds of light and darkness on the Ishgar continent.
"These guys are so rude."
In response, the Fairy Tail members in the stands spoke indignantly.
"Erza Belserion is here."
Just as countless spectators were questioning, Erza, only fifteen years old, already possessed a beautiful face, with dazzling scarlet long hair, and an exceptionally heroic and valiant appearance in her knight armor, walked directly onto the stage.
"…"
Suddenly, all the questioning voices in the venue ceased.
"Puhahaha…"
"Are you kidding me?!"
"Whose kid is this?"
"Isn't this just a little girl?"
"Hey! Kid! Where are your adults? Why did they send you up?"
"Hurry and get down! Your opponent is the infamous 'Ogre'!"
"This guy really kills people."
Then, a burst of unrestrained laughter followed.
"Hey, kid! No matter who you are?!"
"Since you've already stepped onto the stage, there's only one way out: death."
The guy known as the 'Ogre', upon realizing his opponent was just a little girl, his previously anxious heart—after hearing his opponent was from the Fairy Tail, a famous Magic Guild—suddenly calmed down. He strode steadily to Erza's front and spoke condescendingly.
"Excuse me, can the match begin now?"
Erza stood on the stage, seeming not even bothering to look at the tall man in front of her! She merely glanced at the Pumpkin, who was the referee by the stands, and asked.
"Hey! Didn't you hear what I said?!"
"The guy I'm fighting will really die…"
The giant was furious at Erza's repeated disregard. He glared down at Erza and roared.
"Uh…"
"Three, two, one!" "The match officially begins."
As for Pumpkin, the referee of this match, after a slight pause, he loudly announced the start of the match.
"The match really started?!"
"Are they crazy! That girl will definitely be killed by Jack…"
"Someone, quickly stop this match!"
When the match truly began, the audience in the venue became restless. Their expressions were tense, seemingly afraid to watch the upcoming battle between Jack and Erza.
"You have no chance to regret it!"
"Full Takeover · Beast Soul · Giant Bear!!"
The strongman roared, and a magic circle instantly lit up around his body! In a flash, he transformed into a giant white bear, four meters tall, roaring at Erza in front of him…
Immediately after, Jack, transformed into a white bear, crossed his arms above his head into a hammer shape, swinging them forcefully down towards Erza below.
"No!!!"
"Ah!!"
For a moment, in the stands, countless spectators covered their eyes in distress, unable to watch the tragic scene that was about to unfold.
"Hammer him to death! Jack!"
Of course, there were also some perverted spectators, who shouted excitedly, eager to see Jack flatten Erza.
One second, two seconds, three seconds…
However, when those spectators who couldn't bear to see Erza, in the prime of her life, die tragically, closed their eyes and silently counted the seconds, the imagined sound of the referee announcing the end of the match and Jack winning did not ring out.
This made them slowly open their eyes in confusion, and then they saw a scene that they couldn't believe! The massive, giant-like Jack, his bucket-sized fists, were blocked by the petite Erza with just one hand.
"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"
Jack was in a panic at this moment. He only felt as if his hands were clamped by hydraulic pliers, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't pull them free from Erza's small hand.
"Is the strongest in the arena only this level?!" As for Erza, her eyes were full of disappointment. She shook her head and sighed, "Originally, I didn't have too many expectations for you amateurs outside of Magic Guilds! But I didn't expect you to be so weak? Not to mention comparing you to Mirajane, you don't even have one-tenth of Elfman's strength? Aren't you the strongest in the arena with thirty consecutive victories? This level is simply too disappointing, isn't it?"
"What did you say?"
Jack was enraged. Since he started participating in magic combat competitions, this was the first time he had been regarded as weak, which made him unwilling to accept it.
"Get down!"
What responded to Jack was Erza's ordinary punch…
However, Jack didn't know if he was hallucinating, but he only saw Erza's fist growing larger and larger in his vision, and Erza's image also transformed from a petite girl into a massive dragon, a hundred meters long.
"It's a dragon!"
At this moment, Jack gave up resisting.
"Boom!"
When Jack reacted, he had already lost consciousness under this immense force, his eyes rolled back, foam came from his mouth, and he flew into the sky like a rocket.
"Battle over."
In response, Erza softly pronounced the end of this battle.
"Uh! Jack is out of the ring, battle over."
"The winner is Erza Belserion from the Fairy Tail Guild."
Pumpkin, hearing this, gripped the microphone and loudly announced the end of the match.
"Instant kill?!"
In the stands around the venue, the audience's eyes showed confusion, they couldn't believe what they saw! The guy who had achieved thirty consecutive victories in the arena was instantly killed by a Magician from the Fairy Tail Guild with a single punch, without using any magic?!
"Boom!"
At the same time…
Other stages also had their winners and losers decided.
Laxus, hands in his pockets, headphones on, listening to music, as soon as he stepped onto the stage, a bolt of lightning descended from the sky, blasting through both the stage and his opponent.
From beginning to end, Laxus never released a single proper spell.
"Too weak."
Mirajane only used Partial Takeover magic to defeat her opponent.
"Hoo…"
Accompanied by a bone-chilling cold.
Ultear froze both her opponent and the referee into ice sculptures.
"Frail."
Ere merely released a portion of her Dragon's Roar, seizing the enemy's spirit, causing her opponent's eyes to roll back and lose consciousness.
"Hahaha! It's burning…"
Natsu's Fire Dragon's Roar directly blasted his opponent away…
And the power of this roar didn't stop, heading directly towards Gray, who had just defeated his opponent on the adjacent stage.
"Bastard! Do you want to die?!"
Gray was directly infuriated by Natsu. With a wave of his hand, he released countless Ice Spears, attacking Natsu across the stage.
"Boom!"
When fire and ice collided, a hazy mist of steam rose.
Instant kill! Instant kill! Still an instant kill!
Anyone who encountered a Magician from the Fairy Tail Guild in the arena, no matter how impressive their record in the arena, was instantly killed.
The Magicians of the Fairy Tail Guild and their opponents were not on the same level of combat power at all.
It was an overwhelming power.
"Hey! Are these Magicians from the Fairy Tail Guild monsters?"
"Haha, that's too reckless!"
"But they're too strong, they're on a completely different level from other opponents."
"As long as you meet Fairy Tail, you get instantly killed!"
The audience was finally convinced by the continuous victories of the Fairy Tail Guild Magicians. They wiped the sweat from their brows while laughing loudly.
"Go Fairy Tail!!"
Someone, unknown, first shouted the Fairy Tail slogan…
"Go Fairy Tail!"
"You guys are amazing…"
"Fairy Tail is the strongest!"
From this moment on, all the spectators in the entire arena began to loudly cheer for the Fairy Tail members.
"Hahahahaha…"
"Isn't that obvious?!"
"No one can stop our Fairy Tail Guild from making money!"
In the stands, Makarov, arms crossed in front of him, shouted excitedly.
"Master, calm down…"
In response, the other Magicians around Makarov spoke helplessly.
However, at Makarov's most excited moment, accompanied by a roar, someone else instantly killed their opponent.
"This is?!"
Makarov felt this powerful magic and slightly narrowed his eyes.
"Haha, too weak!"
"Hey! Fairy Tail Guild guys, want to compete with us?!"
"Who is truly the strongest Magic Guild in the Fiore Kingdom, and even the Ishgar continent?"
Rustyrose, with one hand in his pocket, stepped on the chest of the unconscious contestant he had defeated, snatched the microphone from the referee's hand, and spoke arrogantly.
"Jose…"
At this moment, Makarov slightly narrowed his eyes. Cutting off someone's income is like killing their parents. It seemed he had been too gentle with that Jose Porla, to the point that he dared to send his guild's Magicians to cause trouble for him.
"A Saint Ten Wizard like the old man? A bit interesting."
Laxus was surrounded by lightning, a fierce glint in his eyes. He indeed wanted to meet Jose Porla, the Ghost Guild Master who was one of the 'Ten Wizard Saints'.
Jose Porla: "It wasn't me! It has nothing to do with me! This was all the idea of your Fairy Tail Guild's Second Master Precht, that old geezer! I'm truly wronged!"
Second update!
----------------------------------
I've already posted 70 new chapters on Patreon!
If you like the story and want to reaad more, please visit my patreon. Every support is very meaningful!
[patreon.com/Kazenova223]
Thank you very much!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"