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*****
"Good morning, everyone! I'm Aba, and I'm honored to serve as the host for the very first Grand Magic Games!
On behalf of the Kingdom, I warmly welcome you all!"
As the voice echoed through the arena via a magic microphone, the grand event of the Grand Magic Games officially began.
"First, let me introduce our special guests for this tournament.
They are: former member of the Magic Council, Mr. Yajima, and the current Captain of the Fourth Enforcement Division of the Magic Council and Commander of the Rune Knights, Mr. Lahar."
Standing beside the golden-faced host on the stage, Yajima—now turned chef—and Lahar, who wore glasses and the uniform of the Magic Council, both rose and waved to the crowd.
Once they sat down, the host continued with the announcements:
"This year, we have a total of 101 participating teams, each representing one of the 101 wizard guilds from across the Kingdom.
These guilds include: Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, Mermaid Heel, Quatro Cerberus, Sabertooth, Orochi's Fin, Giant's Nose, Headless Knight's Helm, Earth Spirit's Wheel, Poison Ogre's Fang... and Fairy Tail."
When the names of famous guilds like Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus were called, thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the audience.
Even when lesser-known guilds like Headless Knight's Helm or Earth Spirit's Wheel were announced, there were still scattered claps.
But the moment "Fairy Tail" was mentioned, the entire arena fell suddenly silent. All eyes turned toward the four humans and one cat below—George and his team. Even the nearby contestants from other guilds turned to look.
Then came a wave of murmurs and hushed discussion.
"Didn't they say Fairy Tail's core members disappeared at sea and haven't been found since?"
"What? I heard those main members died."
"I heard the entire guild perished. I didn't expect any mages to show up."
"Are those really Fairy Tail's representatives? I don't recognize a single one."
As one of the most powerful guilds in the Kingdom, Fairy Tail had made headlines countless times. Naturally, everyone had heard of them.
Likewise, the shocking news of Fairy Tail's core members vanishing on Tenrou Island had spread across the Kingdom just a few months ago.
What no one expected was that Fairy Tail, under such circumstances, would still choose to participate in the Grand Magic Games.
To many, this only invited disgrace. With their likely poor performance, they'd risk tarnishing the legacy of what was once the strongest wizard guild. Some felt it would've been better to simply stay out and preserve the fond memories people had of them.
Some guild representatives eyed George's group of four and a cat with mocking smiles.
These were either guilds that had long held grudges against Fairy Tail or opportunistic newcomers looking to boost their own reputation by stepping on a once-great guild.
As the former top guild, Fairy Tail had inevitably clashed with many others. Back then, their strength made that a non-issue. But now, with the tiger fallen from the mountain, the dogs were eager to pounce.
Of course, there were also friendly guilds like Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale, who still waved warmly in support.
Likewise, a few diehard Fairy Tail fans among the spectators began to cheer and shout when they realized the team represented their beloved guild.
Unfortunately, their small numbers made little impact amid the vast arena.
After announcing all 101 participating guilds, the host took a sip of water to moisten his throat, then continued:
"Next, let's welcome our official mascot, Mr. Pumpkin, who will explain the rules of the tournament!"
At his cue, a short figure wearing a pumpkin on his head leapt onto the center stage in front of the 101 participating teams.
His magical projection was instantly magnified and displayed in the sky above the arena so that all spectators could see him clearly.
"This Grand Magic Games will span four days, with one match per day—for a total of four events.
The first is the preliminary round. Only teams who pass the preliminaries will qualify for the main competition.
The main competition will consist of individual matches, team battles, and a grand melee. Rankings will be based on a points system.
The team with the highest total score will be awarded the Kingdom's Grand Trophy of Strongest Guild—and a cash prize of 30 million!"
At this point, the Pumpkin Man paused for a moment before continuing:
"Today, we will be holding the preliminary rounds, and the rules are simple.
In a moment, we will release magical beasts created by the Kingdom's Magic Development Bureau. These creatures are quite powerful—so much so that even an S-rank mage would struggle to defeat them easily.
The goal of the preliminary round is for each team of five to battle one of these magical beasts. The teams that manage to defeat the beast will advance to the main competition. Those who fail will be eliminated."
"Magical beasts?"
The mages in the audience and on the stage all wore puzzled expressions.
To help everyone understand, the Pumpkin Man waved his hand. A magical projection appeared above the arena, showing a massive mechanical magic beast—an enormous gorilla towering over ten meters high.
In the projection, the giant gorilla charged at high speed, smashing a building to pieces. Then, it leaped dozens of meters before landing and punching the ground, causing a massive crack to form.
Finally, the gorilla opened its mouth, and a magical array materialized, releasing a terrifying burst of flames.
"That's insane!"
The audience gasped in shock as they witnessed the gorilla's destructive power. Some of the competing mages, including those from Fairy Tail, broke into a cold sweat.
Among them were Miki and the others from Fairy Tail.
Truth be told, even with their combined strength, it wasn't certain they could defeat such a beast.
Alzak and Biska, with their dual guns and sniper rifle, had speed and range on their side, but their firepower wasn't strong enough. Even if every shot hit, they doubted they could penetrate the gorilla's mechanical defenses.
Marcus, with his sand magic, wouldn't be much help either—it would barely scratch the surface.
Leqi's wood-based magic also lacked the destructive power needed to deal with such a foe.
The four of them, when cooperating against mages from other guilds, could perform decently. But facing off against a heavily armored mechanical magic beast like this... they were definitely outmatched.
"Don't worry, it's just for show."
George, perched on Leqi's shoulder, waved his paw nonchalantly.
To him, the mechanical magic gorilla may have looked impressive, but it was nothing special.
Its overall strength was far below that of an S-rank mage. Even the so-called "S-rank" mages outside of Fairy Tail who were weak would have no trouble defeating it.
And as far as George was concerned, this creature posed no threat at all.
(End of Chapter)