The Grand Magic Games Begin!

The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight streamed through the windows into the lounge, the members of Fairy Tail Team A were all ready.

They changed into brand-new team uniforms that Makarov had specially prepared for this tournament, each piece of clothing bearing a bright red emblem representing the pride of the entire guild.

Of course, each person's clothing style was customized according to their individual characteristics.

Among them, Jiang Bai is undoubtedly the most eye-catching.

His team uniform was clearly different from those of Natsu and the others.

It was a tight-fitting outfit made entirely of black, with a high collar, a clean cut, and smooth lines. There were no superfluous decorations, yet every detail exuded an understated elegance.

Coupled with Jiang Bai's lazy yet absolutely confident aura, he gives the impression of a sorcerer who is about to seriously show off.

"Hey! Grandpa!" Natsu tugged at his clothes. Although they were stylish, compared to Jiang Bai's, they just didn't look quite right.

"Although I'm quite satisfied with my own, it's still far inferior to Jiang Bai's!"

"What do you know, kid!" Makarov smacked Natsu on the head in annoyance.

"This is called the guild's 'face'! Its prestige! Do you understand? Anyway, even if we prepare something this good for you, you'll definitely burn it to shreds in less than two days."

"I think it's excellent!"

Erza's eyes were gleaming with immense excitement.

She pulled out a magic camera from somewhere and started snapping pictures of Jiang Bai, all the while giving him instructions.

"Jiang Bai, let's try a different position!"

"Yes, yes, that's it! It's awesome!"

Jiang Bai was quite cooperative, constantly striking various cool poses to satisfy the Titania's little hobby.

"I'm very satisfied too." Gray, shirtless and showing off his muscular physique, struck what he thought was a very cool pose.

"At least put your clothes on before saying things like that!" Lucy muttered helplessly from the side.

"Speaking of which," Natsu said, fiddling with his new clothes and looking around curiously.

"I still haven't seen Laxus and the others, and that Iron Dragon guy is nowhere to be found either. I was hoping to brag to him about it."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Bai and Makarov, who were not far away, exchanged a silent glance, neither of them speaking.

There's no need for Jiang Bai to specifically find out about this.

The night Mirajane agreed to the president's request to participate as a member of Team B, she had already told Jiang Bai everything.

For now... let's wait for Natsu and the others to discover this "surprise" themselves.

Just then, a deafening roar of cheers, accompanied by the passionate voice of the host, came from outside and echoed throughout the backstage area.

"This year, it's finally starting! The annual magic festival— the Grand Magic Games!"

"Live broadcast, and I, Chapati Laura, will be your passionate host!"

"In the commentary booth, we are honored to have with us Mr. Yajima, a former member of the Magic Council! We look forward to hearing from you, Mr. Yajima!"

An aged yet gentle voice then rang out. "Hehe, you too, nice to meet you."

"At the same time! We have also invited a special guest! She is none other than Miss Jenny Lialette from 'Blue Pegasus,' who was very popular in the Miss Kingdom of Fiore pageant!"

"Whoa whoa!!"

The men in the room erupted in an incredibly enthusiastic cheer the moment they heard Jenny's name.

"Hi everyone! This year, our 'Blue Pegasus' will definitely win!" Jenny blew a kiss to the audience.

"Now, it's finally time for the exciting part: the players' entrance! First up is the team that finished eighth in the qualifiers!"

"They are hounds from hell—the 'Quatro Cerberus' guild!!"

"WILD!!!"

With a wild shout, five men who looked extremely unruly strode into the arena.

"Whoa~" Although the sound wasn't loud, some cheers from supporters still rang out from the stands.

"Next up is the team that came in seventh place in the qualifiers! And this is an all-female guild! The Dancer of the Sea— 'Mermaid Heel'!!"

Five female figures slowly walked out of the contestant passage. The one with the knife in front was the most eye-catching, instantly eliciting howls and screams from all the men in the audience.

After all, who doesn't like to see a beautiful and capable woman?

"And then! The team that finished sixth in the qualifiers! The blue wings that shone in the darkness— 'Blue Pegasus'!!"

"Lotus! Look here!"

"Lord Ivan! I love you!"

"Ring--!"

When three handsome men walked out, almost all the female audience members screamed in unison.

However, the screams stopped abruptly when they saw the figure at the front, and were replaced by a chorus of disgusted whispers.

"Um... who's that short, ugly guy up ahead?"

"Ugh... it's so disgusting..."

Chapati's voice became passionate again as he introduced the next guild to appear.

"Fifth place! The goddess of love and battle! The sacred destroyer— the Lamia Scale!!"

Amidst another wave of enthusiastic cheers from the audience, the members of Lamia Scale entered the venue.

"Hey! Really? That person is... Jura of the Ten Wizard Saints Mages!"

"Jura the Rock Iron is participating in this competition too!"

In the crowd, sharp-eyed spectators immediately recognized the tall figure at the very front of the group and burst into exclamations.

However, the guild leader of Lamia Scale, Obaba, was not happy at all because of the cheers of the crowd.

She stood on the sidelines, hands on her hips, and Roar at her teammates.

"You bunch of useless trash! How did you only get fifth place?! Do you want to spin around in circles until dawn when you get back?!"

Obaba's roar made the players on the field shrink back.

At that moment, a little girl who looked about the same age as Wendy, with pink pigtails, timidly raised her hand.

She seemed very nervous; she almost tripped over herself even walking on flat ground.

"I'm... I'm so sorry, Obaba... It's all because of me that we've been dragged down..."

"Next up is the team that finished fourth in the qualifiers!"

Chapati's voice drowned out the "family feud" within the Lamia Scale.

"Wow! This is truly astonishing! To defeat two established powerhouses, Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale, in their very first competition! Let's give a warm round of applause to the guerrillas from Midnight— "

"'The Raven Tail'!!"

The moment that name resounded throughout the entire arena through magical amplification.

Backstage, in the Fairy Tail dressing room, the previously relaxed atmosphere suddenly froze.

Makarov's smile froze on his face.

"What?!"

He was struck as if by a bolt of lightning, and he jumped up from his chair, his face filled with disbelief.

"A... Raven Tail?!"

The other members of the guild also looked at each other in shock.

"I remember, the Raven Tail wasn't..."

"It was founded by Ivan, the chairman's son who was expelled from the family, and it's also..."

"It's the Dark Guild!!"

Makarov's emotions completely erupted at this moment!

He trembled all over, veins bulged on his forehead, and his eyes were bloodshot as he stared at the mysterious figures in black cloaks on the broadcast screen.

"Why are the Dark Guilds allowed to participate in the Grand Magic Games?! What's going on?!"

"President! President, please calm down!"

Seeing this, Levy and Bisca quickly grabbed the agitated Makarov from either side, fearing he might rush onto the field.

"Hmm~" On the field, commentator Chapati looked at the data in his hand and made a puzzled sound.

He carefully examined the official information above, then explained to the audience, "According to the official information, the 'Raven Tail' guild was actually officially established seven years ago."

"Furthermore, according to the latest certification from the Guild Alliance, they have recently become a legitimate guild."

Yajima, in the commentary booth, added a comment in a calm and persuasive voice.

"Now that the Guild Alliance has recognized them, they are no longer a dark guild."

Upon hearing this explanation, Makarov not only failed to calm down, but became even more furious.

"Damn it! That Ivan guy... what despicable methods did he use?!"

At the same time.

On the other side of the arena, in the contestant tunnel belonging to "Raven Tail".

The man at the head of the group seemed to sense the anger and confusion emanating from his father.

A cold, mocking smile played on his lips, hidden beneath his hood.

"Father."

Ivan Dreyar muttered to himself, his voice filled with long-suppressed madness and resentment.

I didn't do anything.

"I've just been waiting patiently with my children."

"Everything was for this day."