"Stealth—each team is limited to one participant. After all teams have decided their representatives, I will announce the competition rules!"
As Chapati's voice faded, the eight teams below began their discussions.
Quatro Cerberus sent out Jäger, a muscular brute who appeared all brawn.
His teammates cheered him on with rallying cries.
Since this was the first event, Mermaid Heel's weaker member, Beth Vanderwood, requested to test the waters and received Kagura's permission.
Beth's image then appeared on the magical screen above the arena—an energetic girl with freckles and braided pigtails.
Raven Tail sent out a fierce-looking, purple-skinned man named Nullpudding, who resembled a Stitch version of a barrel.
The arena fell into an awkward silence at Raven Tail's ugly representative, but cheers erupted as a handsome young boy's image appeared in the sky—Blue Pegasus's Eve.
As one of the four handsome bachelors from Blue Pegasus, Eve naturally enjoyed immense popularity.
But then, the decibel level of cheers and screams in the arena skyrocketed again as Rufus from Sabertooth also decided to participate.
"Oh! The highly anticipated Sabertooth has sent out the bard who sings to the crimson moon—Rufus!"
The exaggerated cheers from Chapati and the live audience made Lyon frown.
Yuka volunteered, "Since this is the first event, why not let me test the waters?"
Sherria added with a smile, "That's right. Since it's Stealth, it would be most suitable for Yuka and me, the two smallest members."
"No, for the first event, I want to take the lead." Lyon slowly shook his head, smiling confidently.
Soon, Lyon's portrait also appeared in the sky.
On the other side, members of Fairy Tail's Team A and Team B gathered together, listening to their leader's analysis.
Although they had been divided into two teams, their essence remained for the guild's sake.
Ankh gazed at the enormous word "Stealth" on the stone tablet and began deciphering the challenge:
"Stealth doesn't have broad implications—it simply means concealment and hiding. This competition will likely have Mages playing hide-and-seek."
Natsu dismissed it casually. "What's so fun about hide-and-seek..."
Erza murmured thoughtfully. "Hide-and-seek... then who'll be 'it'?"
"Taking turns? Or everyone could be 'it'... That part doesn't matter anymore."
The gazes of the other nine members turned toward Ankh, while Ankh glanced toward the selected participants.
Raven Tail's Nullpudding and Sabertooth's Rufus—due to previous incidents—would likely target Fairy Tail.
"Our guild has two participants who'll definitely be singled out in the competition. If both Team A and Team B get bogged down, securing one position while contending for two would be sufficient."
Laxus looked at him in surprise. "This doesn't sound like your style—not fighting for first or second place?"
"In inter-guild battles, intelligence warfare is key. This is our first participation—we know nothing. Rapid adaptation is what matters most."
"Remember, in competitions, aside from our strength, we can rely on our teammates. When you're powerless yourself, remember to seek help and provide support. Everything should prioritize maximizing team benefits."
Ankh issued commands with complete seriousness, and the others responded in agreement.
Gray, being more composed, glanced at Lyon from the neighboring team and said.
"Then I'll go."
Juvia raised her hand happily. "I want to go too!"
Soon, the portraits of Fairy Tail's Team A and Team B's water and ice duo were projected into the sky.
Half the audience erupted in cheers, while the other half booed.
The boos came from spectators who believed Fairy Tail was taking shortcuts and hogging resources that should belong to their idols.
The cheers emerged because Team B had defeated Sabertooth in the preliminaries, causing many performance-focused fans to switch allegiance on the spot.
After deciding the participating Mages, the rest of the guild members returned to their viewing area, leaving only the eight selected contestants on the field.
The Pumpkin King appeared on the field and beckoned to everyone: "Everyone, gather round quickly, pumpkin~"
While the eight contestants prepared, the three hosts on stage discussed their respective supported candidates.
Chapati, as the official host, remained vague, but Mr. Yajima was straightforward.
"Of course it's Fairy Tail's Gray. He was once an exceptionally powerful Mage in the kingdom. Juvia is quite good too..."
Jenny naturally showed unwavering bias toward her own guild's Eve.
Ankh stood at the edge of the field, letting his thoughts wander—thankfully there was no online voting at this time, otherwise Mr. Yajima and Jenny would likely have their faces slapped red.
Down on the field, Gray was curious about the pumpkin-shaped referee, while other long-participating guilds showed no surprise.
They simply assumed there was a hardworking staff member inside the costume.
Nullpudding let out a sinister chuckle, interrupting the others' chatter. "Speaking of which, everyone... Don't you think it's unfair for the Fairy Tail guild to have two members on the field simultaneously every day?"
"Hah?" Gray's eyes turned icy as he mocked, "Some disgusting guild that resorts to underhanded tricks dares to talk about fairness? We earned our spot in the main competition fair and square."
Nullpudding's alien-like face twisted into a grin.
He didn't address Gray's accusation.
Other guilds clearly didn't hold Raven Tail in high regard either.
Eve shrugged and said, "I don't mind. Having two teams pass the preliminaries isn't against the rules. If anything, blame our own shortage of excellent Mages."
Lyon, being Gray's senior and Juvia's pursuer, retorted, "Just focus on your own matches. Who has time to criticize the Grand Magic Games' decisions?"
Nullpudding gritted his teeth but fell silent.
Rufus elegantly removed his wide red hat, placing it over his chest. "I have no objections either. After all... having more companions isn't necessarily a good thing."
"Hostages, threats, leaked information—my memory holds various situations that could work against you. You'd better remember that."
Gray chuckled dismissively. "I'll try to remember—these fabricated memories of yours."
The tension in the arena thickened.
Seeing the perfect timing, the Pumpkin King clapped his hands. The massive coliseum began to manifest buildings and streets.
The enormous arena generated a virtual architectural complex comparable in scale to a small town.
All Mages were instantly teleported to various locations throughout the city, and the eight participants quickly scattered, losing contact.
...