On the night of July 4th, the evening breeze carried a slight chill.
The Grand Magic Games arena had shed its daytime clamor, and all cheers and applause had faded away.
In the underground passage directly beneath the arena, a group made their way forward steadily by the faint glow of magic.
Gajeel led the way, his hands in his pockets and his expression grim.
He had only intended to bring Natsu and Wendy, the two Dragon Slayers, with him.
After all, only Dragon Slayers could truly understand the secret he had discovered underground.
But Gray and Lucy's curiosity got the better of them, and they stubbornly insisted on coming along.
They also dragged Lu Chongwei and Yukino along, forming a group of seven.
Lu Chongwei carried a glowing magical lantern as he walked in the middle of the group.
He had wanted to invite Erza, but she was still sulking over her ruined cake and had gone out alone to buy another one, refusing to come.
At the rear of the group, the four Exceeds—Happy, Carla, Panther Lily, and Lector—flapped their wings and followed closely behind.
As they ventured deeper into the underground realm, their footsteps echoed continuously through the vast, shadowy passage.
"Hey, iron-head, where exactly are you taking us?"
Natsu clasped his hands behind his head, his face full of impatience.
"Running around in a dark place instead of sleeping in the middle of the night—there'd better be a fight!"
Without looking back, Gajeel let out a cold snort.
"Shut up, Fire Dragon. Don't piss your pants from fright later."
Gray studied the enormous stone walls and could not help sighing.
"Who would've thought there was such a massive space hidden beneath the arena? It's practically an underground city."
Following closely behind Gajeel, Lucy asked curiously, "Gajeel,