Happy: Does He Have to Compete With Natsu Over This Too?
Chapati gripped the microphone and raised his voice to its maximum.
"I never expected this!"
"Fairy Tail, who crushed all the major guilds with absolute dominance on the very first day, is now presenting such a scene!"
The light screen of the broadcasting crystal is precisely cut into several images.
At the bottom of the image, three humanoid figures are perched in an ugly posture on the roof of a swaying metal vehicle.
"Not only were Fairy Tail's Natsu and Gajeel completely collapsed, but even Sabertooth's ace Sting was utterly defeated!"
Did these three contestants all get food poisoning from breakfast this morning?!
Yajima, a retired former councilor of the Magic Council, sat in the guest section next to him, chuckling as he sipped his hot tea.
"Hehe, it's not a stomach problem. It's purely because high-ranking Dragon Slayer Mages are inherently unable to adapt to any form of transportation."
Chapati immediately picked up the conversation.
"I see! That's really unfortunate; they just happened to draw the racing event that's most effective against them!"
A fierce wind howled atop the speeding steel vehicle.
Natsu was pressed against the cold metal surface, his hands gripping the rivets on the edge of the carriage tightly, his stomach churning wildly.
"Ugh! No... my stomach is turning inside out... I feel so nauseous..."
Less than a meter behind Natsu, Gajeel lay sprawled on the train car, his face pressed against the steel seams, his head slamming against the metal plates with each sway of the carriage.
"Damn it... why?! Why am I starting to get dizzy from this broken tin can?!"
Sting, kneeling with his hands on the roof of the car, forced back the bitter taste rising in his throat and managed to utter a few sarcastic remarks in fits and starts.
"Ha... cough... congratulations! Being able to get carsick... means you've finally crossed the threshold... and become a true Dragon Slayer..."
Gajeel gritted his teeth and laboriously raised his fist to slam it against the iron plate.
"Enough nonsense... Believe me or not, this great one... Ugh..."
Above the stands, in the Fairy Tail viewing area.
Happy hovered in mid-air, scratching the blue cat's head with his paw.
"How strange. Gajeel used to be perfectly fine riding trains, so why is he getting seasick on Chariot now? Does he really have to compete with Natsu even over something as trivial as this?"
Lucy gripped the railing with both hands and couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"How could anyone argue about something so shameful... Wait, thinking about it carefully, those single-minded idiots in the guild really do something this stupid."
The atmosphere in the Sabertooth player area was bleak.
The red kitten Lector covered its head with both paws and howled in pain.
"It's over! Sting's only weakness has been exposed to the entire kingdom!"
Frosch, dressed in a frog onesie, swayed around nearby and raised her little paw in agreement.
"Frosch thinks so too."
Rogue stood aside, watching his disheveled partner on the screen, and silently glanced down at the tips of his shoes, thankful that he hadn't volunteered to fight today.
In the commentary booth, Chapati shifted his attention away from the rear of the car.
"Alright! Now that the last three have completely lost hope of competing for the top spots, let's turn our attention to the leading group!"
"The competition ahead has entered a fierce stage!"
"Currently, the one leading the pack is none other than Black Snake from Raven Tail!"
"Following closely behind are Ichiya from Blue Pegasus, Yuka from Lamia Scale, Risley from Mermaid Heel, and Bacchus from Quatro Cerberus, who is slightly behind by half a car length!"
The convoy sped along the suspended track, the wind whistling sharply on both sides.
Yuka lowered his center of gravity, his footwork changing rapidly, and turned to look at the figure that was closely chasing him from the side.
"Hey, it's really impressive that someone with your round, chubby figure can keep up with my pace so steadily."
The plump and well-built Risley moved nimbly across the bumpy rooftop, each light tap of her toes on the metal producing a soft thud.
"Ha! Don't underestimate me! Don't be fooled by the explosive power of a voluptuous woman, you bastard!"
Slightly behind, Bacchus, with a huge vermilion gourd hanging from his waist, staggered along, swaying with the Chariot, exhaling a large breath of alcohol.
"Burp--! Oh no, I drank way too much ale last night, my head is still spinning."
The track ahead suddenly narrowed, and the finish line archway draped with colorful ribbons could be faintly seen at the edge of the field of vision.
A glint flashed in Yuka's eyes, and he suddenly spread his arms wide to the sides.
"I don't have time to play walks with you guys anymore!"
A powerful surge of magic energy coursed rapidly between his palms, transforming into visible, transparent shockwaves.
"Wave Magic: Acceleration Vibration!"
The impact force surged in the opposite direction, Yuka shot off like an arrow, his speed doubling as he chased after the Black Snake ahead.
The violent shockwave swept backward, covering the entire top of the carriage.
"Within my domain of fluctuations, any externally projected magic will be completely neutralized and neutralized!"
Risley, who was behind, did not slow down; instead, her plump body displayed amazing flexibility.
"I told you not to underestimate a full figure!"
Magic seeped into the soles of his feet, Gravity Magic was activated instantly.
He shifted his body ninety degrees to the side, his feet directly adhering to the side of the high-speed Chariot, and sped away on the vertical metal shell, instantly avoiding the frontal shockwave.
Chapati gripped the microphone and roared at the top of his lungs.
"Absolutely brilliant! Risley has demonstrated amazing gravity control! She actually managed to overtake on a curve using the side wall of the carriage!"
In the center of the car roof, that square face was exposed to the shockwave.
"Hmm? All magic is sealed off within the fluctuation domain? Well then, it's time to unleash my masculine fragrance."
His short, stubby fingers darted into his robes and pulled out two long, thin, transparent glass tubes.
"Speed Perfume! Absorb all effects at zero distance!"
Without any hesitation, two test tubes filled with blue medicine were forcefully shoved deep into the nostrils.
Take a deep breath!
As the medicine was completely absorbed, the muscles in his legs suddenly swelled and bulged, causing his suit trousers to tear in several places.
She moved like a whirlwind, her feet seemingly greased, transforming into a flesh-colored whirlwind. Her speed was so fast that only a series of afterimages could be seen, and in the blink of an eye, she overtook Risley from the side.
While running, Bacchus wiped the wine stains from the corner of his mouth.
"Oh? They're all working really hard, huh? In that case, I'll give it my all too!"
Before he finished speaking, Bacchus raised his right leg high, pouring all the violent magic power in his body into his heel.
Stomp again!
A deafening roar followed.
The several-ton steel carriage was thrown off balance by the stomp, and the front section of the carriage tilted upwards with a sharp metallic twisting sound.
As Yi Ye, Yuka, and Risley were sprinting forward, their feet slipped, and they lost their balance. They had no choice but to tumble and crawl on the ground, desperately reaching out to grab the protruding iron railing to avoid falling off.
Using the rebound force from the tilted car body, Bacchus stomped his foot hard on the sloping iron plate.
His figure transformed into a sharp arrow, tearing through the gale, soaring over everyone's heads, and passing the finish line arch first!
The bronze bell rang.
Chapati's voice resounded throughout the entire venue.
"First place is set! Bacchus of Quatro Cerberus crossed the finish line first, successfully earning ten points for his guild!"
Applause erupted from the stands.
In the front row of the Fairy Tail contestants' stands, Lucy leaned against the stone wall, her face filled with astonishment.
"What incredible strength! That kick actually lifted a speeding metal Chariot off its feet! Who on earth is that guy?"
Erza stood to the side, arms crossed, and calmly revealed the other party's background.
"'Drunken Hawk' Bacchus Groh, the only S-Class Mage in the Quatro Cerberus Guild, and their undisputed strongest ace."
"Seven years ago, when I was carrying out high-level subjugation missions in various parts of the kingdom, I encountered him several times in the wild, and we fought to a draw."
"Seven years have passed, and his mastery of the Pi Gua Palm and Drunken Fist is clearly even more terrifying than it was back then."
Upon hearing that even Erza had fought him to a draw, Lucy and Gray immediately abandoned their contemptuous attitude and silently made a mental note of this man who reeked of alcohol.
Anyone who can fight Erza to a standstill in her prime is definitely a formidable opponent.