The Gap!

Jiang Bai casually waved towards the top of the stands, then turned and walked towards the players' tunnel.

Their steps were light and leisurely, as if they were returning from a stroll along a country lane after dinner.

In the center of the arena, Jura remained with his hands clasped together, not straightening up for a long time.

A cold wind blew across the broken ring, kicking up a cloud of charred stone dust.

Jura slowly lowered her head, her gaze falling on the area around her feet.

Beneath our feet lies a deep, collapsed pit, more than thirty meters in radius and several feet deep.

The hard granite slab was completely reduced to dust, and the surrounding area was covered with ring-shaped cracks squeezed out by the violent pressure, making the entire area look as if it had been hit by a meteorite.

Jura shifted her gaze, looking forward along the center line of the arena.

Within a three-meter radius of where Jiang Bai had just stood, the ground remained flat and smooth.

All the destructive power and massive aftershocks were precisely kept outside this area by the man, not spilling over even a fraction.

"Not only does he possess godlike power, but his exquisite control over that power has also reached its pinnacle...?"

Jura shook his head with a wry smile, his eyes filled with admiration and relief.

"So, this is the real gap between us."

Seven years of arduous training day and night, he thought he had taken a step closer, but little did he know that his opponent had already stood at the pinnacle of the heavens, a height that mortals could not even look up at.

That evening, a large tavern on South Street in the capital city of Crocus.

The entire Fairy Tail crew booked out the entire banquet hall on the second floor.

The long table was laden with roasted whole lamb, stewed beef, and large platters of hot pies, while dozens of huge wooden barrels filled with chilled ale were neatly stacked in the corner.

"To celebrate Fairy Tail's excellent performance on the first day, taking the top two spots—"

"Cheers!!"

Dozens of large oak wine glasses clinked together, white foam overflowing from the sides of the glasses and spilling onto the long wooden table.

The long-time members who had stayed with the guild for seven years burst into laughter at this moment.

Over the course of seven years, I endured countless jeers and disdain from outsiders.

Walking down the streets of the capital, anyone wearing Fairy Tail emblem would be met with pointing fingers and ridicule.

A perennial bottom-ranked guild, a fallen old-fashioned guild, a stray dog burdened with debt.

However, today marks the first day of the Grand Magic Games.

In the morning's competitive events, they swept first and second place.

In the afternoon's one-on-one duel, Jiang Bai, with a divine-like display of power, forced back the pillar of the Lamia Scales, Ten Wizard Saints Jura, with a single sword strike.

The shadow that had shrouded Fairy Tail for seven years was finally torn open today, disappearing without a trace.

"That felt great! So satisfying!" Alzack wiped his face hard and slammed his fist on the table.

"Tomorrow! I must play tomorrow!"

Natsu gulped down a large mouthful of juice, jumped onto the dining table, and spat out a burst of flame from his mouth.

He clenched his fists and waved them in the air, his whole body pounding with excitement like a monkey.

"I'm completely fired up! Nobody can take my place!"

Gajeel leaned back in his chair by the window, chewing on a piece of metal he'd torn from his fork, and glanced sideways at Natsu.

"Oh? If Fire Dragon is planning to go, I can't fall behind. I have to be on tomorrow's roster too."

Natsu immediately jumped off the table and pointed his index finger at Gajeel's nose.

"Didn't you already play in a match this afternoon? Don't be too greedy!"

"Pshaw! What kind of playing time is that?"

Gajeel spat out a mouthful of spittle, his face full of displeasure.

"That crazy woman with the Raven Tail forfeited the moment she showed up. I didn't even have time to clench my fist. You call this a competition just going through the motions? It doesn't count!"

Gray sat shirtless to the side, chilling his ale with ice, and calmly began his analysis.

"But speaking of which, Jiang Bai probably won't be playing in the later matches."

Upon hearing this, the noisy tavern hall instantly fell silent.

The group exchanged glances, and the image of the thousand-meter-long giant sword that stretched across the sky that afternoon involuntarily surfaced in their minds.

The scene was so horrifying that even the ordinary viewers were shocked.

Lucy put down her juice glass and helplessly spread her hands.

"If the organizers who decided on the participants weren't completely out of their minds, they definitely wouldn't let Jiang Bai participate in the regular one-on-one matches again."

"What's the point of competing otherwise? Let's just deliver the championship trophy and the 50 million J prize money to the guild's gate."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Laxus thought for a moment and said, "If that's the case, then Grandpa would be the happiest."

Jiang Bai was sitting on the sofa furthest inside, holding a skewer of grilled meat in his hand. He took a bite, his expression remarkably calm.

"It doesn't matter. I've never been particularly interested in these kinds of tournaments that bully children."

Swallowing the roasted meat in his mouth, Jiang Bai picked up his wine glass and took a sip.

"Anyway, after today's battle, those gossipy guys outside won't dare to point fingers at Fairy Tail anymore. Our objective has been achieved."

Makarov, sitting on a bar stool, was already flushed from drinking and was waving his wooden glass around in a drunken stupor.

Listen up, you men!

The old man stood on the bar and shouted at the top of his lungs.

Even if Jiang Bai doesn't participate later, we Fairy Tail must still show our full might!

"Make sure you get back all the grievances you've suffered over the past seven years, with interest, from those guys!"

Everyone raised their glasses in unison and responded loudly.

"Oh!!"

The cheers were deafening, making the ceiling on the second floor of the tavern rattle.

Meanwhile, in a luxurious manor on the northern outskirts of the royal capital, Crocus.

The atmosphere in the main hall of Sabertooth was so heavy it was suffocating.

The firewood in the fireplace burned quietly, sparks crackling, but it brought no warmth whatsoever.

Directly in front of the magnificent carpet, Guild Master Jiemma sat on the towering iron throne, his face ashen, one hand resting on the armrest, his knuckles making a dull tapping sound.

At the bottom of the steps, Rufus, his entire body wrapped in bandages, stood with his hands hanging down, head bowed, barely daring to breathe.

"Rufus."

Jiemma finally spoke, his deep voice echoing in the hall, carrying a tangible pressure as imposing as a mountain.

I was very disappointed with your performance today.

Rufus's body trembled violently, his wound throbbing slightly, and he immediately knelt down on one knee.

As a long-time member of the guild, Rufus knew all too well the guild leader's tyrannical temper.

In Sabertooth, weakness and failure are unforgivable sins, and talking back will only bring more cruel punishment.

"Yes! I'm so sorry, Guild Master! It was my carelessness that brought shame upon the guild!"

Rufus's voice trembled, his forehead lowered, his eyes fixed on the ground.

"Bang!"

Jiemma slammed his fist on the armrest of the throne, causing the heavy iron throne to tremble violently.

"Go listen to what the people of the capital are saying about us! Go listen to what they say in the taverns!"

"The Sabertooth's ace was humiliated and pinned to the ground! He even had to perform that ridiculous and laughable dance on the field!"

"You've utterly disgraced us! You've squandered all the prestige the Sabertooth has built up over seven years!"

Rufus clenched his teeth so tightly that his lips bled from being bitten, but he didn't dare to even breathe loudly.

Sting and Rogue stood side by side on either side of the hall, their hands clasped tightly, their expressions extremely subdued.

Orga stood in the shadows with his arms crossed, eyes closed and silent.

Jiemma rose from his throne and strode down the steps with heavy steps. His tall and muscular figure cast a huge shadow that completely enveloped Rufus, who was kneeling on the ground.

"Everyone, remember this!"

Jiemma opened his arms, his voice booming like thunder.

"The heavens roar for me! The earth Boils for me! The sea falls silent for me! This is the absolute power we must unleash, this is the Sabertooth!"

The words echoed in the empty hall for a long time.

Jiemma looked down at Rufus, a barely perceptible hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes.

"However... I watched the battle from the stands this afternoon. That guy named Jiang Bai is indeed a monster, his methods are bizarre and far beyond what ordinary human mages can match."

"Losing to that kind of guy is understandable, I'll let you off this time."

Upon hearing this, Rufus felt as if he had just escaped death, cold sweat instantly soaking through the bandages covering his body.

"Yes! I am extremely grateful! Thank you for your forgiveness, Guild Master! I will definitely wash away the shame for the guild in the upcoming matches!"

Rufus immediately bowed his head in gratitude.

Sting and the others on both sides of the hall secretly breathed a sigh of relief for Rufus.

Against an opponent like Jiang Bai who is completely unreasonable, any other player on the field would not have fared much better than Rufus.

But at the same time, a lingering sense of unease and gloom quietly crept into the hearts of the Sabertooth.

That man is just too strong.

So strong it inspires despair, so strong it makes even the thought of catching up seem ridiculous.

Faced with this colossal behemoth that transcends dimensions, can Sabertooth truly retain its position as the number one guild this time?

Jiemma's sharp, hawk-like eyes swept over all the core members present.

He seemed to see right through the fear and uncertainty in everyone's hearts.

"Stop your cowardly thoughts!"

Jiemma snorted coldly, put his hands behind his back, and his tone returned to its usual confidence and arrogance.

"You don't need to take Jiang Bai too seriously. Based on my understanding of the Fiore royal family, the organizers will definitely not dare to put Jiang Bai on the stage again in the one-on-one duels in the next few days!"

"At most, he'll make an appearance in some competitive sports."

At this point, a cruel glint appeared in Jiemma's eyes.

"As long as Jiang Bai doesn't participate, the rest of Fairy Tail's crew are no threat at all!"

"In tomorrow's battle, if you encounter anyone from Fairy Tail in the ring, whether it's Team A or Team B, you're all to go all out!"

Jiemma gritted his teeth fiercely, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

"Break their bones one by one! In front of the entire kingdom, trample them into the mud!"

"Let everyone know that the strongest guild in Fiore right now is still Sabertooth! And the strongest guild on the continent in the future will only belong to us!"

Sting raised his head, a fierce fighting spirit rekindling in his golden eyes.

Rogue placed his hand on the sword at his waist and bowed slightly.

A surge of violent black lightning crackled in Orga's palm.

The oppressive atmosphere in the hall was instantly replaced by a fierce aura, and everyone roared in unison.

"Yes, President!!"