"Boom... Boom..." The entire inn began to shake, startling everyone. A spherical object began to form in the sky above the city, followed by wooden staircases that led from various inns to the huge spherical building in the sky.
"Any magic can be used freely without restriction. The goal is to make it into the top 9! If all five members of the team fail to arrive, they will be disqualified. Also, I am not responsible for any deaths or injuries that occur in the maze."
"Grand Magic Games Preliminary Rounds! Empty Palace! Begin now!" ψ≮Alternative: マ≯Weak
Natsu and Gray stared in astonishment at the enormous magical structure in the sky. "What is that?!"
"Are we going to get to our destination through there?" Lucy asked.
"Since it's a competition, we need to hurry," Qie Lei said.
"Good luck everyone...!" Happy shouted to cheer Natsu and the others.
At this moment, inside the room where Chen Fan was, Chen Fan stood up and said with a smile, "Alright, let's go! After all, this is a festival, so everyone should enjoy it!"
The maze rotates periodically. Each team has created a map of their own route. By combining these maps, the team can navigate the maze.
All teams did this, except for one team;
When Natsu, Erza, Gray, Lucy, Wendy arrived at the finish line with confident expressions;
"Clap clap clap...!"
"Congratulations everyone on passing the Preliminary Match!" Pumpkin Head clapped his hands and announced.
"That's obvious, it's too easy for us," Gray said.
"Yay...! So we're number one, right?" Lucy exclaimed excitedly;
"No! You're only ninth place!" Pumpkin Head said.
"Sigh..." The group was stunned, and beads of sweat trickled down their foreheads. Ninth place, they were almost eliminated!
"Whoa..." The crowd erupted in a tremendous uproar, shouting, cheering, and the sound of a band playing. Countless colorful balloons were released into the sky, and cheers resounded throughout the entire kingdom.
"The moment has finally arrived! The annual magic extravaganza!! The Grand Magic Games!!!"
"I am announcer Chapati Lola, and Mr. Azuma, a former Magic Council member, is also here to provide commentary. Thank you very much for coming!"
"I feel honored!"
"Mr. Azuma, would you like to say a few words first?"
"Hmm... I'm so glad I'm not a current councilor!"
A moment of silence fell over the conference.
"Ah... haha...! Mr. Azuma is joking. Our guest for the first day is Miss Jenny of the Radiant Kingdom of Fiore, the Blue Pegasus!"
"Our guild is determined to win this year, so please stay tuned!"
"The participating teams have all arrived, and the first to arrive is the ninth-place team from the Preliminary Match! Can they reclaim their former glory? They are Fairy Tail, whose name is not as flamboyant as KuangYe!"
"Boo! Boo! Boo!!" Everyone booed.
"Although they've always been last in previous years, they successfully made it through the Preliminary Match this time! Of course, they're still only ninth! With the return of the 'Tenrou Team,' which caused trouble in various places, will they become the strongest in the Kingdom of Fiore? Let's wait and see!!"
"It's great to see you all again!" Azuma said.