Pandemonium

All the contestants entered the arena, and the eight of them walked towards the center of the field from different directions, their footsteps echoing throughout the arena.

Pumpkin Toma brought out a raffle box, which was carried up by two staff members and placed on the ground with a thud, raising a small cloud of dust.

"The Pandemonium is a palace that houses one hundred dangerous magical beasts! These beasts are divided into five levels: S, A, B, C, and D. Let's first take a look at the destructive power of a level D magical beast."

As he finished speaking...

A purplish-black magic circle appeared above the arena, its patterns spreading out in concentric circles, obscuring most of the sky.

An ancient palace slowly descended from the magic circle, its stone walls weathered and its doorposts covered with incomprehensible runes.

This immense power startled everyone present, and a collective gasp rippled through the audience.

It floats silently in the air, extending a staircase into the arena, with each step descending to the edge of the field.

A giant light screen unfolded, and the screen lit up.

A D-rank magical beast easily smashed down a house, shattering walls, scattering stones, and billowing dust.

The entire screen shook three times.

Pumpkin Toma rubbed his non-existent nose and rubbed his palm against the orange Pumpkin skin on his face.

"This is the demonstration of the D-rank monsters! Now, I'll explain the rules. There are 50 D-rank monsters, 30 C-rank, 15 B-rank, 4 A-rank, and 1 S-Class monster. You get one point for each monster you defeat. The eight teams will enter the Pandemonium in a 15-second interval, according to a draw. During this time, you can attack other players. The final ranking will be based on the total score! Pumpkin ~"

Everyone present understood the rules; some nodded, others clenched their fists.

In the stands, Natsu was counting on his fingers, his brows furrowed, his mouth opening and closing. Ten fingers weren't enough, so he started counting on his toes.

The Pumpkin Toma contestants drew lots, and the small opening in the box was just big enough for one hand to fit inside.

Erza the first one, reached in and stirred it a couple of times, then pulled out a slip of paper with "1" written on it.

She glanced down, her expression unchanged.

Mirajane drew the eighth slip of paper, which had "8" written on it.

This made it much more difficult for the two to coordinate their efforts.

Erza went in first, Mirajane went in last, with a 105-second interval in between, enough time for the other six to surround and beat Erza.

Everyone felt that Erza, being the first to enter, would face much greater pressure.

Other guilds wouldn't stand by and watch two members of the same guild work together in the Pandemonium; they would definitely take care of Erza before Mirajane arrived.

Everyone in Fairy Tail secretly held their breath.

There's also a mage with Raven Tail in there; he might just trick Erza.

Mirajane took out the crystal key and shook it. The key reflected a rainbow of light in the sunlight. She rotated her wrist, and the key circled her fingertip.

"Um, can I summon Celestial Spirit?"

Pumpkin Toma answered without hesitation, tilting his head to the side, his large, round orange face displaying an expression of utter certainty.

"Of course, Pumpkin."

On the highest stand, Princess Hisui and Arcadios both rubbed their foreheads, their hands overlapping with each other with a loud slap.

Would you like to reconsider?

The Riyao in the stands is starting to warm up!

He stood up, twisted his neck, turning it to the left and right once each, and his cervical spine made two crisp cracking sounds.

He then cracked his knuckles, pressing each of them one by one, making a series of popping sounds.

The Fairy Tail members all revealed a meaningful smile, their lips curving upwards at the same time, the curves identical.

Riyao opened the gates to the Celestial Spirit World, a golden rift suddenly appeared before him, from which light poured forth.

He stepped inside, his figure disappearing into the light, awaiting his summons.

Celestial Spirit should act like Celestial Spirit.

On the commentary stand, Yajima looked up at the sky, his neck craned high, staring at it for several seconds before slowly lowering his head and sighing.

This match feels like the outcome is already decided.

Lahar began to wonder if this was a violation of the rules. He rubbed his fingers on his chin, his glasses reflecting the sunlight, obscuring his expression.

After receiving permission from the referee, commentator Chapati took a deep breath, his chest expanded, and his voice burst from his throat.

"The match begins!"

Erza rushed up the steps, her footsteps echoing loudly on the stone steps.

Each step was illuminated by a faint light, forming a ribbon of light behind her.

Upon entering the Pandemonium, she changed into the Heaven's Wheel Armor, which instantly covered her entire body, producing a crisp and clear metallic clanging sound.

Several flying swords unfurled behind her, their blades hovering in the air, their tips pointing forward.

The plan is to eliminate D-rank monsters to gain the initiative.

The defense of a D-rank magical beast is surprisingly astonishing.

The commentator Chapati, wiped his sweat, then wiped his forehead with his palm, flicking it twice, causing beads of sweat to splatter onto the table.

"It seems the demonstration just now didn't show the full power of the magical beast; its defense is also incredibly impressive!"

Fifteen seconds later, Millianna, with her Mermaid Heel, also rushed up to the Pandemonium. Her steps were light, and she landed with her toes touching the ground first, making almost no sound.

Millianna greeted Erza, waving her arm high and swinging her hand from side to side in the air.

"Eru-chan!"

"Millianna."

The two got along very well, with no intention of attacking each other. They stood back to back, each facing the approaching monsters.

Another fifteen seconds passed, Nobarly, the Quatro Cerberus, charged up the Pandemonium.

He was panting heavily, his chest heaving.

He was nearly trampled by a monster as he entered; a giant claw descended from the sky and slammed into the spot where he had just been standing, cracking the ground open.

He rolled to the side, his back hitting the wall with a dull thud.

"That's way too wild."

Fifteen seconds passed again.

The moment the Blue Pegasus entered the Pandemonium, it asked if they wanted to form an alliance, its hands clasped together and a standard social smile on its face.

"An alliance, everyone?"

No one responded.

Only the roars of monsters echoed through the palace.

Fifteen seconds have passed again.

Obra with the Raven Tail strolled in slowly, his steps unhurried, his hands behind his back.

Erza maneuvered her flying sword towards him, the tip piercing the air with a sharp whistling sound.

Millianna immediately followed suit, lowering her body and pressing her fingers to the ground, ready to exert force.

"I won't let any enemy that Eru-chan wants to fight get away with it, meow."

Fifteen seconds passed again.

Orga, the Sabertooth, transformed into lightning and charged into the Pandemonium, his entire body becoming a black bolt of lightning that crackled and exploded.

He began his indiscriminate attack as soon as he landed, lightning bursting from his body and striking in all directions.

"The Sabertooth is number one!"

Xiang frantically dodged the attack with both legs, moving so fast they were almost invisible, leaving a trail of afterimages on the ground.

"This is a bit too difficult for a handsome, intelligent guy like me."

Fifteen seconds have passed.

Jura of the Lamia Scales entered the Pandemonium with steady steps, each step causing the ground to tremble slightly.

He raised his hand and lifted the earthen wall, which suddenly shot up from the ground, blocking the black lightning. The earth and lightning collided and exploded into a cloud of smoke.

"My mother-in-law asked me to play, I had no choice."

The last fifteen seconds.

Mirajane received the Satan Soul and rushed into the Pandemonium. His body was instantly covered in black scales, his pupils turned into vertical lines, and his long silver hair floated upwards under the impact of magic.

The stone bricks beneath her feet cracked with a piercing sound as she transformed into a black shadow and rushed inside.

"Take them down first Erza!"

She immediately coordinated with Erza, the two of them attacking from the left and right, preparing to eliminate Obra with Raven Tail from the battlefield.

Erza's flying sword blocked their retreat, while Mirajane's claws launched a frontal assault.

Obra was only attacked a few times before he fell out of the Pandemonium.

Very decisively, without even struggling, he rolled down the steps and landed with a thud on the arena floor.

Mirajane pulled out the crystal key, held it high above his head, and the key shone with a dazzling light in the darkness.

"Fairy Constellation! Open the door!"