Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Crocus.
July 3, x791.
With the eight contestants, Elicia, Cana, Ultear, Sui-Feng, Orga, Takashi, Karen, and Yumichika gathered in the center of the arena, Mato's image reappeared on the Lacrima-Vision screens to introduce today's event.
{"Okay, now that all the players have been decided, let me tell you about Pandemonium!"} Mato shouted excitedly, eliciting cheers from the crowd. {"If you'll take a look at the screens, I'll get the explanation started."}
As soon as Mato's words finished, the screens changed, now showing an image of a large temple with a small Mato standing to its side, once again holding a pointer.
{"The game will take place in this temple, you should be able to see it now in the sky."} Mato said, his small image pointing upwards.
Immediately, everyone in the arena looked up. When they did, they could see a large temple floating down towards the arena, its main doors opening to reveal a flight of stairs lowering towards the ground.
*Boom!*
A few moments later, the temple landed on the ground, the stairs leading up to the entrance.
{"One by one, after drawing lots, each player will step into the temple to fight a variety of monsters we've prepared especially for this event."} Mato continued once the temple was in place. {"There are a total of one hundred monsters inside. And each player, at the start of their turn, will be allowed to choose how many monsters they will fight. Please keep in mind, once the round starts, you won't be able to leave the temple until you've defeated all the monsters, or the monsters defeat you!"}
*Cheer~~~~~~~~~~!*
Being able to see the wizards fight monsters, which was basically a subjugation request, made all the members of the audience go wild.
{"The winner of the event will be the one who defeats the most monsters once there are no more monsters left."} Mato continued. {"So, without further ado, let's get to drawing those lots!"}
With Mato's words, a member of the Grand Magic Games committee stepped out onto the arena grounds with a box in hand.
{"Alright, everyone please come this way and choose a lot."} The female committee member said into a microphone attached to her outfit. {"There are eight balls in this box. Your orders will be determined by the number printed on the ball you choose. And please, each wizard can only take one ball. Though, I shouldn't have to tell anyone that."}
While saying that last part, the committee member was glaring at the members of Fairy Tail, more specifically, Cana.
"Hey, Cana, do you know her?" Ultear asked playfully?
"Nope, never met her." Cana replied, looking like she was ready to take a bottle of booze out of her storage card at any moment.
"Then why is she staring at you like that?" Elicia asked, sounding just as playful as Ultear. "Maybe you destroyed something that belonged to her on one of your quests."
"Hmm… That's possible…" Cana said while putting on a contemplative expression.
Seeing Cana's oblivious expression, the committee member could only grit her teeth.
As a matter of fact, Elicia was spot on as to why the committee member was glaring at Cana. Several years ago, when Alfonzo's and Elicia's first mansion was built, Cana had taken a quest. And to make sure that she made it back on time, Cana rushed through the quest. In the process, she completely destroyed an entire block of the town she was working in.
Unfortunately, this committee member used to live on that street. So, in Cana's haste, she destroyed that woman's family home, along with the homes of a dozen more families, and everything inside so she could get back quickly.
Compensation was made to all the families affected, though. Even so, the heartache of losing everything they knew still haunted some of the victims of that event until this very day.
"Well, I can't think of why she would be so mad at me." Cana said with a shrug. "So, let's just go draw our lots."
With Elicia and Ultear both shaking their heads, the three Fairy Tail wizards made their way to the back of the line where the others were drawing their lots.
In the end, the order for today's event went like this.
First, Elicia Marcus Taylor.
Second, Takashi Komuro.
Third, Orga Nanagear.
Fourth, Karen Lilica.
Fifth, Ultear. Milkovich
Sixth, Yumichika Ayasegawa.
Seventh, Sui-Feng
Eighth, Cana Alberona.
"Guess that means I'm first." Elicia said with a grin as she started walking towards the temple steps while holding up her ball with the number one printed on it. "I don't' know what you all are gonna do when I'm done, though. I plan on taking out all one hundred monsters in one go."
As she spoke, Elicia tossed the ball to the side just as she reached the stairs to the temple. She then walked up the stairs with confident steps.
{"Did you hear that, Yajima?"} Loli asked enthusiastically. {"Contestant Elicia has declared that she will be facing all one hundred monsters at one time. What do you think of that?"}
{"It's quite an ambitious declaration."} Yajima replied diplomatically. {"But if I've learned one thing over the years, you should never underestimate a Fairy Tail wizard. They tend to surprise you at every turn."}
{"Yes, I can understand the sentiment."} Loli replied with a nod. He then turned to Jason, who was basically bouncing in his seat while leaning forward as far as he could. {"And what do you think, Jason?"}
{"So cool~~~~~!"} Jason replied loudly.
{"That's about what I expected."} Loli said while shaking his head. {"Anyway, Contestant Elicia has entered the temple. So, let's see how she does in this challenge."}
*Cheer~~~~~~~~~~~~!*
As the cheers from the audience drowned out any other sounds in the arena, Elicia stated the number of monsters she wished to face once again. And as soon as she did, the doors to the temple closed. A moment later, doors all around the temple opened. And through them, monsters of all kinds stepped in. There were even some S-Class threats mixed in with the monsters, and they were all staring at Elicia like they wanted to tear her apart.
"Well then, let's get started." Elicia said, her smile never dropping from her face. Though, it was clear to everyone watching the screens in the stadium that she was not there to play around. "[Thread Magic: Thread Slicer]."
With Elicia's chant, all the monsters went into an immediate frenzy. They then, some by land and some by air, charged towards her. However, before they could get very far, they all came to an abrupt halt. And when they did, all the threads that Elicia released as soon as the doors opened to release the monsters became visible.
*Gasp!*
And when the audience saw just how many threads were surrounding the entire room, they were completely surprised. To think that Elicia could release so many threads and keep them all hidden from view until the moment they were needed just after the game started was incredible.
"She's really doing it, huh?" Ultear muttered with a smile. "She really didn't leave anyone else a chance, did she?"
"You act like you wouldn't have done the same." Cana said with a scoff. "Let's be real, if they were capable, anyone in this event would have done the same."
"True." Ultear replied with a nod.
Meanwhile, the other wizards participating in the event were having similar conversations. However, they all came to a stop when they saw Elicia turn to the camera that was recording the inside of the temple and wink.
Then, Elicia jerked her arms backwards. And with that, all the threads wrapping up the monsters constricted, slicing all one hundred monsters in to ribbons, their blood, guts, and bone fragments sent flying all over the inside of the temple.
*Bzzt!*
Not even a second after all the gore started, the lacrima-Vision screens around the arena cut out, the gruesome view too much to be broadcasted.
A few moments later, the doors to the temple opened and Elicia, without even a single drop of blood on her, stepped out before the doors once again closed behind her.
"So, who's coming in second?" Elicia asked, a wide smile plastered on her face. A moment later, however, she burst into giggles before continuing. "Hehehe! I sounded just like Ever."
"Shut up, Lici!" Evergreen shouted from the Fairy Tail seating area with her face beet red.
Before Elicia could tease Evergreen even more, however, a green-haired, human-sized missile rushed towards her and tackled her to the ground.
"Lici!" Karen, the human-sized missile, shouted while sitting on Elicia's abdomen and shaking her by the shoulders. "That, do that to me! Well, without the shredding, okay? I want you to tie me up so bad! I need it!"
"Oh, you were here, weren't you, Karen?" Elicia asked, an awkward smile on her face.
"Lici! Tie me up! Do it right now!" Karen shouted, not caring that Elicia had just mentioned not noticing her. "I don't even care if I lose this event. I need it. I need it so bad! Please!"
"You can tie me up, too!" Darkness, who was sitting among the audience as a spectator instead of patrolling today, shouted as she stood up. "We still have to get my rope escape skills up to snuff, remember? That way, if I'm ever captured… *Pant* I'll be able to escape… *Pant* Even if it takes me a while… *Pant* And my captors manage to use me as sexual relief… *Pant* I won't give up, my knightly spirit will remain unbroken… *Pant* because I know I can rely on the skills we'll have worked out together! *Pant*"
As Darkness' rant continued, the people seated around her slowly moved as far away from as they could. Meanwhile, every wizard in the stadium, other than Karen, who was too focused on Elicia, cringed, remembering run ins they've had with Darkness in the past while turning in dark wizards.
"And this event just went from Rated E for Everyone to Rated M for Mature." Alfonzo groaned.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Ur asked with a weirded out stare on her face.
"Oh, I plan on making games that can be played on the lPhone and other devices that will be released in the next year." Alfonzo replied casually. "And those are part of the rating system I was thinking of using to let people know what ages are suitable for playing the games."
"I see." Ultear replied. "That's kinda interesting."
"Yeah, but at least Virgo isn't here to add to the chaos, right?" Marin said with a smile.
Immediately, Alfonzo face palmed. Ur face palmed, and Sun tilted her head, confused by Alfonzo and Ur's actions.
*Flash!*
Then, as if to tell Marin that testing Murphy was a bad idea, Virgo summoned herself into the arena next to Lucy.
"*Sigh* Something told me you'd be making an appearance soon, Virgo." Lucy muttered in a defeated tone.
"Yes, Princess, I've come to join in the punishments." Virgo replied while bowing as politely as ever. She then straightened up as she continued. "So, how would you like to punish me today, Princess?"
"Why does this always happen whenever those two are in the same place?" Lucy asked while covering her face with her hands.
"Your Virgo is even worse than mine." Future Lucy said in a dumbfounded tone.
With the chaos brought on by Karen's outburst, the proceedings stopped for a few moments. However, as professional as they were, Loli and Yajima managed to get things back on track soon enough.
{"Although I said you should always expect the unexpected when it comes to Fairy Tail wizards, I'm not sure how we should proceed now that all the monsters have been defeated so thoroughly by Elicia."} Yajima said, drawing the attention of the crowd.
"Neither am I, Yajima. Neither am I."} Loli replied. He then turned to Jason. {"Any suggestions, Jason?"}
{"So cool~~~~~!"} Jason shouted while snapping pictures of the chaos in the stadium. {"So cool! So cool! So cool~~~~~!"}
{"Thanks for your input, Jason."} Loli said with a deadpan. A moment later, his smile returned as he continued. {"Luckily, I do know someone who can help with this dilemma. So, what do you have for us, Mato."}
With that, the broadcast fell silent for a few moments. That's not to say that Mato did not have an answer to Loli's question. Rather, the one inside the Mato costume, King Toma E. Fiore, was caught off guard. Not expecting that all the monsters would have been defeated so quickly, he had taken off his costume to enjoy the event. And now, he was scrambling to get back into it.
{Uh…. Mato?"} Loli, unaware of Mato's true identity, asked in an unsure tone. {"Is everything all right?"}
A moment later, the Lacrima-Vision screens changed to show Mato, who was clearly trying to catch his breath.
{"*Pant* *Pant* yes, sorry about that, Loli."} Mato said through ragged breaths. {"*I stepped away for a moment to um… to get something to drink. And I had to run back to tell everyone what comes next."}
*Cheer~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!*
{"Although this is unexpected, it's not so unexpected that we didn't have a countermeasure in place."} Mato continued to the sound of the cheering crowd. {"So, we'll be bringing back an oldie but goodie to decide, as Miss Taylor asked, 'who's coming in second?' through eighth."}
With that, a group of Grand Magic Games committee members walked into the arena carrying a Magic Power Finder. At the same time, the temple that would have been the stage for Pandemonium, began to rise into the air, eventually disappearing from view.
The committee members then set up the Magic Power Finder in the place where the temple's stairs once were.
{"So, we'll have all the remaining players for this game hit the Magic Power Finder with their best shot!"} Mato shouted. {"We'll use the same order as you've already drawn. Oh, and remember, you only get one chance. So, you'd better make it count~~~!"}