The venue on the last day of the Grand Magic Games was bustling with activity, teeming with people, and the atmosphere was incredibly lively.
Every battle was spectacular and captivating, but for Zorn, these battles brought a strange sense of unease.
He noticed that none of the main members of the various Fairy Tail were present at the competition.
However, just as he saw the key members no longer sitting in the stands, but walking into the tunnel with anticipation and excitement on their faces, the mystery in his heart gradually began to unravel.
To Zorn's surprise, both of their Fairy Tail teams also walked excitedly toward the passage.
As Laxus left, he gave Zorn a wicked smile.
In addition, the kittens had previously told him mysteriously that a surprise awaited him, which already gave him an idea of who the final match was against.
Those cats are cunning too, although!
Zorn's head was covered in black lines.
"Guild Master, whose idea was this?" Zorn bent down and glanced at the Third Generation Guild Master Makarov with a hint of reproach, while turning his head helplessly to look at the First Master Guild Master, who was now all smiles.
"Well, Zorn, I'll leave it to you. This is a good opportunity to let them witness the true strength of the next generation's strongest Guild Master of Fairy Tail!" Makarov jumped onto the railing, immediately changed into the Ten Wizard Saints' outfit, and put on his most formal attire.
"Hey, Guild Master, you didn't bet anything on this match with someone, did you?" Zorn squinted at the Guild Master, speaking thoughtfully.
As soon as he spoke, Makarov, who had been leisurely standing on the railing, suddenly stopped and his expression became somewhat unnatural.
"Ahem..." Guild Master Makarov cleared his throat, trying to appear calm, but his eyes unconsciously avoided Zorn's gaze.
Then, in a slightly flustered tone, he explained, "How could that be? I'm not the kind of person who would easily agree to something just for a bet!"
However, Zorn did not buy his explanation.
From these few words, Zorn had already sensed something was amiss.
His gaze quickly swept across the audience, and sure enough, he discovered that the Magic Council had personally sent representatives to the scene.
What troubled him even more was that the same few Council Member he knew best came.
Not only that, the Guild Master of the other Fairy Tail were also waving at him with great interest, which made Zorn feel even more overwhelmed.
After all, there was another special person present— August, the son of the First Master Guild Master, the strongest Mage and Magic King of the Alvarez Empire.
Faced with this situation, Zorn felt the pressure increase significantly.
Mastering all Magic, past and present, is the origin of August's title "Magic King".
As for why he was able to do that?
It is the Magic that August possesses that can instantly copy all Magic, even perfectly replicating the smallest details. Coupled with his understanding of Magic, he can use it with even greater power than the original. No Magic can hide from him.
Apart from those Magic that rely on special items.
However, he did not seem to reveal August's true identity to everyone.
This match revealed all the Magic, so...
Zorn felt like he was going to vomit blood when he thought about it. He had learned a lot, and the future was indeed unpredictable. He couldn't even imagine what these guys would do.
Since that's the case, he can only put away all his Magic and deal with the situation using Physical Arts and his sword, which will be enough.
This wasn't Zorn's arrogance, but rather a clear understanding of his own abilities. He had complete confidence in his Physical Arts and sword skills, believing that with these techniques, he could hold his own against these little guys even without Magic.
"I really lost to you guys," Zorn sighed resignedly.
Despite feeling somewhat resigned, he accepted the challenge.
After all, as a man, he wouldn't back down easily.
Moreover, he knew that this competition was not just a simple exchange of skills, but also a test of his own abilities.
"Haha, Zorn, don't worry! I trust you, hahaha!" Makarov laughed heartily with his hands on his hips after Zorn agreed, as if he could already see the scene of victory in the bet.
The laughter was full of confidence and anticipation, as if they were certain that Zorn would achieve final victory.
Ding ding~ The competition bell rang throughout the venue, like a battle horn, making everyone's blood boil.
"This is the final, dream-like duel of the Grand Magic Games!" Jabdirola shouted excitedly.
"The moment everyone has been waiting for has finally arrived!" The voices that followed were filled with excitement and anticipation, as if they themselves were in the midst of this fierce battle.
"Now, let's welcome our special guest for this competition, one of the Ten Wizard Saints, ranked fifth, Zorn!" Jabdirola's voice was passionate and inspiring, and the audience erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers.
Zorn's eyes sharpened instantly, and he appeared in the center of the hall almost in the blink of an eye.
"Next, let's welcome all the Fairy Tail's star players to the stage!" Jabdirola continued, her voice growing increasingly louder.
"COOL!!" The atmosphere at the scene was instantly ignited, with cheers and screams from the audience rising and falling like surging waves.
Zorn's gaze was like a burning torch, piercing straight through the passage, as if he could see into the deepest secrets of every contestant's heart. His eyes were filled with majesty and scrutiny, like a high god judging the good and evil of all beings.
His body trembled slightly, and all his aura erupted instantly, like a surging wave, rushing straight towards every contestant in the passage.
However, the atmosphere inside the passageway became unusually tense.
All the participants instantly felt an unprecedented pressure, a deep-seated fear that made them tremble involuntarily.
That eerie chill seemed capable of freezing one's soul, instilling endless despair.
The sunlight outside the passage vanished at that moment, leaving only endless darkness enveloping everything.
They knew perfectly well that it was all an illusion, caused by that terrifying aura. That powerful aura seemed to be Crash the entire space, making it impossible to breathe.
They understood that this sense of oppression didn't come from the outside, but was specifically aimed at them. They had to face this challenge, or they would be eliminated.
Lyon's expression turned extremely grave, and deep fear was evident in his eyes.
At this moment, he felt as helpless and powerless as he had when facing Deliora.
Kagura was slightly better, but her legs began to tremble uncontrollably, as if she had encountered a natural enemy and was at a loss.
Bruno recalled his terrifying experience on Tenrou Island, and a sense of unease welled up inside him.
As for the other contestants, including the so-called Knights, they were all too afraid to stand, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
Only the two Fairy Tail teams maintained a relatively calm expression, but they could also sense that Zorn was truly serious this time.
No, to be precise, they were regarded as opponents, and there was a hint of killing intent in that aura.
Time ticked by, but no one emerged from the passageway. The spectators outside exchanged bewildered glances, their faces showing confusion and bewilderment.
They whispered among themselves, speculating about what had happened.
The host on the stage also looked bewildered. He picked up the microphone and asked the former Council Member next to him, "Mr. Yajima, what... what's going on?"
Yajima sat there, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes fixed on the center of the room, a slight smile playing on his lips, revealing a hint of excitement.
He said slowly, "This is a test. The terror inside the passage is far beyond your imagination."
"In other words, the contestants must overcome their inner fears and pass this test before they are qualified to compete against Zorn." His voice carried a hint of anticipation and excitement.
"How interesting!" he murmured to himself, his eyes gleaming. He seemed to have a deeper understanding and anticipation for this match.
The other Guild Master also sat down calmly, seemingly very patient.
To be continued~