Grand Magic Games Opening Ceremony

Erza's side.

She led Lucy, Gray, Natsu, and Juvia through the maze, grabbing maps from all sides.

The five people were sweating profusely from running, and their team uniforms were covered in streaks of dust.

In their room, Gajeel was tightly bound with ropes, his mouth was gagged, and he could only writhe on the floor.

"Mmm..."

Juvia, that wicked woman!

Through Erza and her friends' tireless efforts, they pieced together the location of the finish line using a stolen map, and sprinted all the way to the finish line.

The five men, panting heavily, leaned on their knees and bent over for a while to catch their breath.

Congratulations on advancing! Pumpkin.

Pumpkin Toma emerged from behind the finish line gate, his Pumpkin headband tilted to one side, and he spoke in a cheerful tone.

Natsu cheered and swung his fist into the air.

"We're definitely the first ones to beat the game!"

"No, you came in eighth place, just barely making it through."

Pumpkin Toma's voice was as calm as if he were reading a weather forecast.

Natsu's fist froze in mid-air.

The five people walked through the finish line gate in a daze, their feet dragging on the ground, the soles of their shoes scraping against the ground with a rustling sound.

"Damn it! Who's up there?!"

Natsu shouted in frustration, his voice echoing through the passageway.

When they cleared customs, Riyao and his friends had already finished their midnight snack and were washing up and getting ready for bed.

Riyao had a toothbrush in his mouth, and his mouth was full of white foam.

After the match ended, Riyao and his team booked a new room.

Riyao looked at Laxus, grunted in dissatisfaction, and almost dropped his toothbrush.

"My sweet and soft Mira! Why do I have to share a room with you?"

Laxus sat on the edge of the bed, arms crossed, and snorted without even lifting his eyelids.

You think I want to share a room with you?!

In Mirajane's room next door, four people were huddled under one blanket, with only their heads sticking out.

Mirajane, Cana, and Wendy huddled together, while Lisanna, who had come to join in the fun, squeezed into the very edge of the bed.

The four people huddled together, whispering and occasionally bursting into laughter.

Time flies.

The Grand Magic Games competition has officially begun.

The Kingdom of Fiore specially built a giant open-air circular arena in the mountains west of the city.

The entire structure is modeled after the ancient Roman Colosseum, with no roof and made entirely of gray-white stone. The seats are stacked on top of each other, and it can accommodate tens of thousands of people.

Four giant goddess statues stand at the four corners of the site, each holding a ring-shaped staff, their height almost level with the mountain.

Four thick, giant chains extend from the base of the statue, connecting to the ground and firmly securing the entire venue.

The stands were packed with people, the noise echoing and bouncing between the mountain walls.

The loudspeaker blared, drowning out all the other noise.

"Welcome everyone to the official arena of the Grand Magic Games! I'm your commentator for this match Chapati Lola!"

"Also participating in this commentary are former senator Yajima! And Jenny from Blue Pegasus!"

Yajima and Jenny waved to the audience, with Jenny adding a flying kiss, which drew a chorus of whistles.

"The top eight teams from last night's preliminary rounds have been determined! Now, let's welcome these eight teams to the stage!"

"Eighth place! Fairy Tail! I wonder if they can pull off a miracle this time?!"

Erza, Lucy, Gray, Natsu, and Juvia, dressed in purple team uniforms, strode confidently onto the field.

The team uniforms were printed with the guild emblem, which reflected the sunlight.

As soon as I came out, I heard a chorus of boos coming from all directions in the stands.

Natsu stomped his foot in anger, cracking the stone slab beneath his feet.

Hey! You bunch of bastards!

Chapati continued his sermon, his voice undiminished.

"Seventh place! Quatro Cerberus! The epitome of wildness!"

Yeager, Bacchus, Warcry, Semmes, Nobarly walked out of the players' tunnel, each one wild and unruly, their footsteps making a clanging sound.

Cheers erupted from the audience.

"Sixth place! Mermaid Heel! A guild composed entirely of girls!"

Kagura, Millianna, Beth, Arania, Risley appeared with a wave effect, water splashing at their feet before quickly evaporating.

The five women moved with light steps, their skirts fluttering in the wind.

The male audience members in the stands all stared wide-eyed, not blinking an eye.

There was a moment of silence, then an even louder cheer erupted.

"Fifth place! Blue Pegasus! A mage with many exceptional qualities!"

One Night, Hibiki, Ren, Ivan, and the Rabbit Doll (Nichiya) make a dazzling entrance accompanied by flower petals and flashing effects.

The group struck their signature pose, fingers pressed against their foreheads, chins held high.

This time, it was the female audience members who gasped and screamed.

"Fourth place! Lamia Scale! A powerful guild with a deep foundation! And it even has Jura, the fifth seat of the Ten Wizard Saints, in its ranks!"

Jura, Lyon, Sherria, Yuka, Toby calmly walked out of the passage.

As Sherria was walking, she suddenly tripped over her own feet, fell forward, and landed on her hands on the ground in a flat fall.

She quickly got up, her face flushed red.

The audience members on the sidelines laughed, their laughter filled with goodwill.

"Third place! Raven Tail! This is a rising star guild that recently passed the Magic Council's certification and just became the Light Guild!"

Alexei (Ivan), Black Snake, Freya, Nullpudding, and Obra walked out of the player tunnel.

An unsettling aura emanated from them, and the air seemed to grow heavier.

The five people wore faint smiles, smiles that sent chills down one's spine.

When Makarov saw the guild, he gripped the railing with both hands, his teeth grinding together.

"Second place! Sabertooth! The evergreen champion of the Grand Magic Games, and the all-time number one!"

Sting, Rogue, Rufus, Yukino, and Orga walked out of the tunnel, the five of them wearing black and white team uniforms, waving to the audience.

A scream erupted from the spectators on the sidelines, the sound almost lifting the stands off their feet.

"First place! Fairy Tail Elite Team! This veteran guild, silent for seven years, looks like they're finally going to rise again!"

Riyao, Mirajane, Cana, Laxus, and Wendy walked out of the tunnel.

With each step the Riyao, flowers bloomed around the group, and magic exploded from beneath their feet, sweeping outwards in all directions.

An oppressive atmosphere instantly swept through the entire venue, the air thick with a magical density so heavy it was almost tangible.

The cheers from the audience were abruptly cut off, and silence fell.

They were also within the range of the magical pressure.

Everyone present saw an illusion: an Azure Dragon soaring through the starry sky, entwining with each star.

Natsu and the others were stunned, their mouths agape.

Nobody told them there was another team.

What elite team? What are they?!

A deafening cheer erupted from the Fairy Tail stands.

"Wow!! Well done, Riyao!"

Mavis waved her little fists, jumped around on the ground, and cheered loudly.

Fairy Tail number one!

Everyone else turned to look at Mavis in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized, not a single person lagging behind.

Makarov froze, his mouth opening and closing, his finger trembling as he pointed at Mavis.

"The First Generation?! What are you doing here?"

"Well, you all came to watch the game, and I was bored by myself, so I followed along."

Mavis tilted her head, her tone light and casual, as if she were saying how nice the weather was today.

"That's not the issue. Are you sure it's okay for you to appear like this?"

"It's alright, only members with guild crests can see me."

Mavis pointed to the emblem on her body and tapped it with her finger.

Is that the problem?!

Makarov was completely stunned by Mavis's reply.

He put his hands behind his head, leaned back, and tilted his chin upwards.

Why is the first president showing up?

I've never heard of the first guild master being able to escape Tenrou Island!? It must be haunted!