The next day.
Amidst the wave-like cheers of the live audience, the Grand Magic Games kicked off as scheduled.
"Hello everyone, we meet again!"
"Today's live broadcast and on-site commentary are once again brought to you by myself and Mr. Yajima, and we've invited the Magic Council's Enforcement Unit Captain, Mr. Lahar, as our special guest!"
On the commentary stand, Chapati had swapped to a green wig. He turned to Lahar beside him. "Mr. Lahar, welcome to the show. Is there anything you'd like to say to the audience and competitors?"
"Take care," Lahar said, adjusting his glasses in his signature serious manner. "I will not tolerate any unfair conduct during this tournament."
At his invitation, his colleague Doranbolt (Future Mest) also appeared in the audience, ready to cheer on Fairy Tail and Wendy, whom he had teamed up with on Tenrou Island.
"As expected of the Captain—always staying true to his duties no matter the occasion," Chapati remarked, then immediately dove into the main event: "Next, I will announce the third day's competitive event. Its name is—"
"Pandemonium!!"
The passionate delivery, combined with an exciting-sounding name, instantly electrified the arena, drawing thunderous responses.
Though they had placed second-to-last and third-to-last in yesterday's competitive events, it hadn't dampened the audience's shifting perception of Fairy Tail—Elfman and Future Mirajane's performances had been far too impressive!
In fact, the number of spectators in fan gear hadn't decreased at all—it had surged.
Almost every section had someone waving a Fairy Tail flag, the support rivaling that of any popular guild!
As Fairy Tail's stock rose, support for Sabertooth had noticeably dwindled—mostly leaving behind only their most devoted fans.
Fairy Tail's Exclusive Seats.
"Pandemonium... what kind of event is that?"
"Going by the name, it probably has a lot of monsters inside, right?"
"Maybe it's like that haunted house in Crocus—walking down a dark path, and suddenly—"
After drawing everyone's attention, Makarov let out a loud "WAH!" and made a scary face.
Future Romeo, Carla, Happy, and the more timid ones all jumped, their fur bristling.
The two Mavises, being spirits themselves, were so frightened they cried, prompting a round of teasing from Future Macao and the others.
Fairy Tail Team A.
"I'll take this one and close that one-point gap with Team B!"
Future Erza, clad in her standard armor, stepped forward and silenced the eager Future Natsu with a look that brooked no argument—turning him into Happy number two.
"It's already become a competition against Team B, huh!" Lucy shouted in exasperation.
As expected, both Erzas were cut from the same cloth when serious.
"So, it's our Erza who's going today," Future Gray noted.
"After all, our Erza still hasn't recovered from last night's date..." Lucy sighed, pinning the bridge of her nose. "And could you please put on your uniform first?"
"What?! When did that happen?!" Future Gray exclaimed in shock.
As Lucy was complaining, she suddenly noticed Wendy leaning over the wall, staring longingly at Sabertooth's spectator section.
Following her gaze, she saw a sensuous woman in a cheongsam standing beside the grim-faced Future Jiemon.
Both her face shape and hair color closely resembled a young Minerva.
"Lucy, do you think Minerva really turned into the kind of bad person Natsu described?" Wendy asked.
"Don't worry. No matter what, it won't affect our Minerva," Lucy said, seeing Wendy's concern. She smiled and added, "If we run into her in the matches, I'll say hello to her for you!"
"Really?! Thank you, Lucy!" Wendy immediately brightened.
She really wanted to greet this world's Minerva, but looking at that cold expression, she felt hesitant.
Sensing their gaze, Future Minerva glanced over. Her eyes held nothing but an unsettling chill—no trace of the innocence and resilience from her childhood.
Lucy frowned slightly, meeting her gaze without backing down.
Given how this world had developed and Sabertooth's previous conduct, Minerva—raised under Master Jiemon—had most likely been indoctrinated with the "only the strong survive" philosophy, turning into the kind of person Lucy disliked.
She couldn't bear to say that to the hopeful Wendy.
"Alright, all competitors, please enter the arena. I will now explain the detailed rules of 'Pandemonium.'"
At the center of the arena, the Pumpkin Head referee, who had been absent for a day, reappeared before the audience.
His voice came at the perfect moment, breaking the staring contest between Lucy and Future Minerva.
The competitors from each guild filed in one by one:
Fairy Tail Team A — Future Erza
Fairy Tail Team B — Mira
Sabertooth — Orga Nanagear
Lamia Scale — Jura
Mermaid Heel — Millianna
Raven Tail — Anoje (substitute)
Blue Pegasus — Hibiki Lates
Four Little Puppies — Nobarly
The moment all participants were in position, Pumpkin Head snapped his fingers.
WHOOOSH!
Above the arena, a massive dark purple magic circle unfurled violently.
Amidst a rumbling sound, a colossal, upside-down black hall slowly emerged from the thick black mist, its scale immense.
A chilling, ominous aura spread across the arena!
"Here are the rules. This hall contains a total of one hundred monsters of various kinds."
"Since these are magical manifestations, no one here needs to worry about being attacked."
After reassuring the visibly frightened audience and competitors, Pumpkin Head began explaining the event's detailed rules.
Fairy Tail Team B.
"You said you weren't interested, but the moment you saw Erza on the other side, you went straight in," Future Cana grumbled, taking a sip of her drink.
According to Team B's decision from last night's meeting, she was supposed to be the one competing today. She had even specially asked the First Master to borrow "Fairy Glitter," hoping to steal the spotlight.
"Even if they're not from the same world, as long as they have the same face, you can't miss a chance to put a rival in her place!" Juvia pulled out her notebook covered in Gray stickers, adding Future Juvia to the list of priorities, right next to the two Lucys.
"Haha, I wonder how her luck compares to that Erza's," Chase said, smiling at Mira standing on the field in her black dress.
The usually laid-back Mira was so fired up because of last night's first kiss incident. With her sly personality, she probably wanted to win the championship and then deliver a devastating "reward" to Erza.
What a cute—and slightly petty—girlfriend.
"Luck? So you noticed too?" Future Laxus narrowed his eyes, recalling the preliminaries. "Makes sense—a monster like you wouldn't follow the organizers' script."
"It's not that simple, is it?" Gajeel asked in confusion.
Juvia chimed in with her analysis: "You need to control the battle tempo, make judgments based on other competitors' scores, and avoid encountering the strongest S-Class monsters."
After all, she had been S-Class in Phantom Lord. When it came to anything not involving Gray, her mind was sharp and practical.
Having joined the guild later, the two of them still lacked a deep understanding of Fairy Tail's S-Class mages.
Just as they were puzzling over it, the competitors had already drawn lots for their challenge order.
Mira's luck was through the roof—she drew number one!
"Oh my, sorry about this, Erza. Looks like I'm winning this event~" Mira said, grinning widely.
"Sigh..." Future Erza let out a heavy sigh.
The competitors from other guilds overheard their exchange but had no idea what they were talking about.
***
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