Bonus Chapters every 200 Power Stones
"Normal Dialogue"
'Inner thoughts'
[Year X791]
~ With Shisui ~
The morning sun beat down on Domus Flau as thousands of spectators filled the stands once again. The energy from yesterday's battles still lingered in the air, mixing with fresh anticipation for what Day Two would bring.
"Okay! It's the eagerly anticipated Day 2 of the Grand Magic Games!" Chapati's voice boomed across the arena, immediately drawing cheers from the crowd. "Today's contest is called Chariots! Our competitors will race through the streets of Crocus on a series of connected, moving platforms. The goal is simple: reach the finish line without falling off!"
The Lacrima-vision screens showed the course, a winding path through the capital that would test both balance and speed. Eight figures stood at the starting line as the magical vehicles began to move.
Within minutes, it became clear that not everyone was having an easy time.
"Come on, come on..." Natsu groaned, his face already turning green as he struggled to move past the first chariot. Beside him, Sting wasn't faring much better, both Dragon Slayers gripping the edges of their platforms like their lives depended on it.
"Why did we let him compete in this?" Lucy moaned from Team A's section, her head in her hands.
"Because he insisted he could handle it…" Gray replied flatly.
In Team B's section, Gajeel was having the time of his life. "Look at Salamander! Can't even handle a little movement! Gihihi!"
His mocking laughter rang out across their section.
Mira smiled sweetly, though there was an edge to it. "You know, Gajeel, you'd be right there with them if Shisui hadn't insisted on taking today's event himself."
That shut him up quickly, though only for a moment. "Yeah, well, I'm grateful and all, but he should probably start moving himself!"
"What?" Juvia turned to look at the starting line.
Sure enough, there was a third figure still at the first chariot. But unlike Natsu and Sting, who were clearly fighting their motion sickness, Shisui stood perfectly still. His eyes were closed, arms crossed over his chest, looking for all the world like he was meditating.
"What's he doing?" Levy asked, confused.
From her position near Makarov, a translucent figure that only Fairy Tail members could see looked on with interest.
Thirty minutes had crawled by, and the race had sorted itself into distinct groups. At the front, five competitors jockeyed for position as they approached the final stretch. Far behind them, Natsu and Sting had managed to reach roughly a quarter of the way through the course, their progress measured in pure determination rather than speed. And at the very beginning, Shisui remained exactly where he'd started, unchanged and unmoving.
"This is certainly an unusual strategy from Fairy Tail B's competitor. Standing still earns no points." Yajima commented from the announcer's booth.
"Maybe he's given up?" Jason suggested, his usual enthusiasm dampened by confusion. "That would be so not cool!"
Chapati shook his head. "The Fairy Tail members don't seem worried. Look at them, they're watching like they're expecting something."
Indeed, both Fairy Tail Team sections maintained an air of anticipation rather than concern.
The lead pack consisted of Raven Tail's Blacksnake, whose dark magic propelled him forward. Ichiya from Blue Pegasus posed dramatically with each leap, somehow maintaining his balance despite the theatrical flourishes. Yuka from Lamia Scale used his wave magic to stabilize his movements, while Lislie from Mermaid Heel displayed remarkable agility.
Trailing just behind them was Bacchus from Quatro Cerberus.
"Bacchus is holding back." Erza observed from Team A's section. "He's much stronger than he was seven years ago."
As if hearing her words, Bacchus suddenly straightened. His foot slammed down onto the chariot beneath his feet, and along with all the adjacent chariots, the magical vehicle shattered. The crowd gasped as he launched himself forward, his legs pumping with explosive speed.
"COOL!" Jason screamed into his microphone. "Bacchus just destroyed his chariot!"
The S-class mage tore past Lislie, then Yuka, then Ichiya, each of them too shocked to react. Blacksnake tried to speed up, but Bacchus was already past him, entering Domus Flau with a massive lead.
"He's going to take first place!" Chapati announced as Bacchus sprinted toward the finish line that stood in the centre of the arena.
That's when Shisui's eyes opened.
The transformation was instant. From complete stillness to motion so fast that reality seemed to skip frames. The camera trained on him captured only his disappearance, the image flickering as if the Lacrima-vision couldn't process what had happened.
~ With Ultear ~
Miles away, in a discrete location overlooking the capital, three figures watched the Games through their own Lacrima projection.
"Finally decided to move, did he?" Ultear said with a knowing smirk. "He certainly likes to wait until the last possible moment just to show off."
Beside her, Meredy giggled while adjusting her hood. "It's dramatic though! Very cool!"
Jellal, his face hidden beneath his own disguise, merely sighed. "He's drawing unnecessary attention to himself."
"Oh please." Ultear waved dismissively. "As if there was anyone other than Fairy Tail's wondering Ace who could pose a challenge to him.
Back in the arena, the Fairy Tail sections had erupted in cheers before anyone else even realized what was happening. Those who knew Shisui's capabilities were already celebrating, while others were still trying to figure out why.
The cameras frantically searched the course, catching glimpses of something moving through the chariots. A blur here, a flash there, each appearance lasting less than a heartbeat before vanishing again. The Lacrima-vision operators were working overtime, trying to track something that moved faster than their equipment could follow.
"Where is he?" Chapati asked, his head swivelling as he tried to spot the Fairy Tail mage. "The cameras can't keep up!"
The crowd was in chaos, everyone searching, pointing in different directions as they caught fleeting glimpses of movement. But one voice, high and clear, cut through all the noise with the innocent certainty that only a child could manage.
"Mama, look! Shishi-nii is waiting at the finish line already!"
Asuka's delighted squeal from her position on Bisca's shoulders acted like a beacon. Every head in the arena turned toward the finish line, and there stood Shisui, arms crossed, eyes closed once again, as if he'd been waiting there all along.
Chapati's jaw dropped for a full second before his training kicked in. "INCREDIBLE! SHISUI OF FAIRY TAIL B HAS COMPLETED THE ENTIRE COURSE AND IS ALREADY AT THE FINISH LINE!"
The crowd exploded. The sheer impossibility of what they'd just witnessed, or rather, hadn't witnessed, sent them into a frenzy. How had he covered that distance? When had he passed Bacchus?
Bacchus himself skidded to a halt just short of the finish line, his eyes wide with surprise. Then, slowly, a grin spread across his face.
"Well, well." He said, approaching Shisui. "Hiding that kind of speed, were you? Saw you for just a split second when you blazed past me. Just one-tenth of a second, mind you, and I've got pretty good eyes."
Shisui opened one eye, regarding Bacchus calmly. "You gave a good showing."
"That's it?" Bacchus laughed, throwing his head back. "No boasting? No explaining how you did it? Come on, give me something here!"
But Shisui had already closed his eye again, returning to his meditative stance. The message was clear, the conversation was over.
Bacchus shrugged, still grinning as he had already crossed the finish line to claim second place.
"Wild." He muttered to himself. "Absolutely wild."
On the Lacrima-vision screens, the operators had managed to piece together a compilation of Shisui's journey. The footage showed him appearing and disappearing from chariot to chariot, each transition lasting barely a frame. It was like watching someone teleport across the entire course, turning what should have been a test of endurance and balance into a simple matter of reaching the destination.
"TEN POINTS TO FAIRY TAIL B!" Chapati announced as the scoreboard updated. "What an absolutely stunning display of speed! And here come the others!"
Blacksnake crossed third, looking irritated at being overtaken so dramatically. Lislie came fourth, shaking her head in disbelief. Yuka managed fifth, while Ichiya struck a pose even in defeat as he claimed sixth.
The crowd was still buzzing about Shisui's performance, many pulling out their own recording Lacrimas to replay what little footage they'd managed to capture. In the Fairy Tail sections, the celebration was in full swing.
"Did you see their faces?" Warren laughed, slapping his knee.
"Shishi-nii is the fastest!" Asuka declared proudly, still perched on her mother's shoulders.
Even Romeo was grinning from ear to ear. "That was even better than when he showed us his speed during training!"
Only Laxus remained relatively composed, though a satisfied smirk played at his lips. He'd experienced that speed firsthand. At least now everyone else knew what they were dealing with.
~ End of Chapter 111 ~
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