Eight small flying ships stopped next to each team, and the participants boarded the ships one after another.
Laxus and Gajeel didn't look well.
Rhode intended to tell Wendy not to pay attention to them and just watch the show after boarding.
Unfortunately, they needed to keep in good condition today and couldn't just ignore them.
So Wendy kindly cast 'Troya' on the two, and even took care of Natsu from Team A.
Watching the scene below from the stands, Mebius happily waved a fist: "Very good, now Rhode's action pattern can probably be predicted."
Makarov exclaimed: "Has the First Generation already figured out a way for Team A to win over Team B?"
Mebius said: "Kind of, if everything follows my calculation, Team A's chance of winning can reach 27%."
Makarov exclaimed: "Even with the First Generation's strategy, it's only 27%?"
Mebius emphasized: "That's without exceeding the calculation—because Team B is ahead by 12 points and their strength is just too great."
The possibility of Team B losing is so big, Mira looked up at the flying ship carrying Rhode as it departed, considering whether to tip them off.
Hmm... never mind, let's first see if the First Generation's calculation is accurate.
Besides, occasionally she wants to see her husband's panic-stricken expression.
...
Jabadi observed the situation on the screen as the players disembarked, and loudly announced: "Alright~ the eight teams have been dropped into different areas!"
Though some players showed some discomfort, Pumpkin Man immediately declared: "Now, the final battle of the Great Demon Fighting Martial Arts officially begins!"
A gong sounded inside the venue and specially-made signal flares shot into the sky.
The participants across the Royal Capital began moving as soon as they saw the signal flares.
First was Dragon's Treasure, where the five participants immediately split up, even the Panixiu brothers with their combination skill chose different directions.
Sabertooth confidently chose for everyone to act alone.
"Stinger, Rogue, are you two okay?" Rufus asked before leaving.
"No... no problem..." Stinger retched a few times, "It was just a short ride, I'll recover quickly."
Rogue also looked pale: "No need to worry about us."
Seeing them say this, Rufus and Oroga rest assuredly left.
Minerva then glanced deeply at Stinger before leaving at a leisurely pace.
Stinger knew what her look meant—today is the last chance, and only with an impressive performance would the young lady return Rekete to him.
So, no matter what, he must win today.
At least win over one Fairy Tail team.
Blue Pegasus acted a bit slower because Hibiki was rapidly tapping on a golden virtual keyboard.
Seven translucent golden screens are floating mid-air, displaying member data from each team and analyzing their general action patterns.
He calculated a burst, ultimately reaching the conclusion: "Our chance of victory is low, but we have the chance for a good ranking, next, we act in groups!"
Hibiki, Ren, and Ive formed one group, Mr. Yiye and Jenny formed another group, following Hibiki's calculated 'best scoring path' darted out.
Mermaid's Heel seemed to have little strategy, Kagura, Mirena, and Liseli acted solo, while Alani and Beth teamed up to set off.
Lamia Scale similarly, Jura relied on his formidable strength, heading straight towards the most dangerous city center.
Leon rejected Sherria's invitation to team up, waved, and left stylishly.
Sherria puffed out her cheeks, deciding to go to the Candy House where Wendy was most likely heading, planning to compete with her good sister.
Yuka and Toby lacked confidence, so the two acted together.
Rays of the Rising Sun left only four people within three seconds of seeing the signal flare.
Because Captain Locke shouted about wanting to have a showdown with Mr. Yiye and ran away without a trace.
"That idiot captain." Yeluo'er complained, "Let's split into two groups, Jimmy and I will team up."
"No problem." Talent had no objections.
In this survival game, although group action is the safest, scoring efficiency will be low.
The ideal situation should be five individuals with strong abilities acting alone, but this year's opponents are too strong, two-person teams are just right.
At this moment, Rhode pretentiously opened a Void Divination, gaining a considerable scope of vision.
Then he quietly sneaked a peek at the screen, nodding gently: "Almost as I thought, those who consider themselves strong mostly act alone, others team up in twos and threes."
Wendy asked: "What should we do?"
Rhode took out a notebook, drawing a circle to represent the Royal Capital walls and marking a few key streets.
He went over the routes of several strong individuals in his mind, drew a path, and tore off the paper to give to Gajeel:
"Laxus, come with me, you three follow this route and beat whoever you encounter."
Gajeel held the paper for a while: "Is Team A on this route?"
"No." Rhode said, "The organizers probably worried about us teaming up, so they placed us at the farthest positions."
"Tch~" Gajeel curled his lips, "What a petty move, who would win the match in such a manner?"
"Alright, let's move, hmm... I'll assign some helpers for you." Rhode summoned Void Glyph Golems to ensure their stamina and also summoned Canyon Vanguard for transportation.
So long as they don't encounter Jura, they shouldn't face much danger.
Gajeel wanted to say he didn't need such things, but thought about preserving stamina, finally complaining: "Damn dragon groups, making it impossible to go directly to beat the Fire Dragon!"
Watching the trio leave, Rhode also summoned Shadow Wolves, Stone Beetles, Beaked Birds, Ghosts, and other small monsters.
Except for leaving two Two-headed Wolves as transportation, all others were set free to 'hunt'.
The Void Nest Insect wasn't released for safety—though the organizers said to go all out, the citizens' houses and personal items are innocent.
Fairy Tail's conscience, Mr. Rhode, praised himself for his kindness, called Laxus to ride a wolf, and started moving.
Their task was—decapitation action.
Eliminate those fairly strong participants first, reducing the risk of elimination for companions and possibly scoring 5 points directly.
The 'captain' identity of each team is confidential, but even thinking with the heel, it's largely likely to be the strongest one.
Thus, Rhode and Laxus's first target is the strongest in the field—the Ten Wizard Saints' Jura.
Following Rhode's instructions, the Two-headed Wolves sprang into action.
At this moment, Jura encountered Dragon's Treasure's Reavers, palming him and his spear into the ground.
Lamia Scale scored one point, but Jura felt chills down his spine.