The next day, at the same time and place, the Magnolia Arena welcomed the first round of the Magic Tournament.
"After careful analysis by the judges, the thirty participants who passed yesterday's preliminary round have been evaluated based on their abilities and split into six balanced teams: White, Black, Blue, Red, Yellow, and Green," Droy announced.
"The White Team consists of: Kira, Bickslow, Bisca, Marcus, and Nob."
The crowd was stunned. "What?! What kind of lineup is that?"
"The Thunder God Tribe got split up?" Bickslow glanced at Laxus, who looked just as surprised.
"Hehe… let's do this, Kira!" Bisca grinned.
"Teamed up with Kira? We've got this in the bag!" Marcus added.
Kira flashed a confident smirk. "With me here, we've got nothing to fear. Don't worry, I'll carry you all to victory!"
The giant screen above lit up, displaying "White" on the left with the team's roster, a bold "VS" in the center, and "Black" on the right with its own lineup.
"Facing them is the Black Team: Natsu, Gajeel, Juvia, Alzack, and Bijita."
Natsu's flames flared up. "So, we're up against Kira? I'm all fired up!"
Gajeel smirked. "Both Dragon Slayers on one team, huh?"
"Kira?! That Kira?!" Juvia's mind flashed back to the devastating Annihilation and Judgment spells he'd unleashed at the Tower of Heaven. Cold sweat trickled down her face. "He… he wouldn't use those spells on his guildmates, right…?"
Alzack groaned. "You've gotta be kidding me… Not only are we up against Bisca, but Kira too?"
Looks like the matchups are already stirring things up! Droy thought, grinning. "Next, the Blue Team: Mystogan, Gray, Lucy, Macao, and Warren."
"This lineup… every team seems pretty balanced," someone muttered.
"I feel like our team's the weakest…" Macao sighed.
"Not necessarily," Lucy said thoughtfully. "The first round's territory defense isn't just about raw power—it's about strategy and teamwork. Warren's telepathy magic could be a game-changer!"
"Leave communication to me!" Warren declared. "I'll make sure you always know where your teammates are."
"The Blue Team's opponent is the Red Team, led by Erza. Their members are: Erza, Evergreen, Elfman, Droy, and Tono."
Erza crossed her arms, mentally sizing up the opposition. "Evergreen and Elfman should handle Gray and Lucy easily. As for Mystogan, I'll take him myself."
Droy, Macao, and the others quietly grumbled, "She's not even counting the rest of us as threats…"
"Finally, the Yellow Team: Laxus, Loki, Levy, Lidas, and Kiko. Their opponents, the Green Team: Mirajane, Freed, Cana, Jet, and Wakaba."
"Tch! My teammates are too weak. Am I just too strong?" Laxus scoffed inwardly.
"Stuck with Laxus? Talk about bad luck…" Loki sighed, then noticed Levy's unease. "Don't worry, Levy-chan, I've got your back."
"U-um… okay…" Levy mumbled nervously.
"With Laxus? I'm so nervous…" Kiko whispered, her cheeks flushing. It was no secret she had a crush on him.
Lidas glanced at Kiko, realizing she was the granddaughter of the guild's dormitory landlady, who also ran a coffee shop on Central Street.
"I'm leading the team? I'll give it my all!" Mirajane said with a cheerful smile.
Freed looked pained. "Against Laxus? This is gonna be tough…"
Cana shot him a sharp look. "You better not go easy on him!"
"Levy… I have to fight Levy?" Jet muttered, conflicted.
Wakaba exhaled a puff of smoke. "You two better not let feelings get in the way! If we rely only on Mira-san, this'll be a rough fight."
Droy spoke up, his tone serious. "These teams were assigned fairly and objectively, deliberately breaking up the usual tight-knit groups. The goal is to train you to work with unfamiliar mages and to understand the importance of your guildmates."
"You don't abandon a teammate because they're weaker. It's because they're weaker that we come together, support each other, and lift each other up. And you don't get cocky just because you're strong. It's because you're strong that you bear the responsibility to protect your family and friends."
Today's opening speech was longer than usual, but Droy had consulted Makarov beforehand. The guild master's decades of experience gave Droy's words a polished, heartfelt edge. The thousands of spectators didn't find it dull—many felt inspired, as if their hearts had been touched.
Kira suspected Makarov's words were meant for Laxus, but they didn't seem to land. Laxus wasn't even listening.
"Listen up," Laxus barked, arms crossed, exuding an intimidating aura as he addressed his four teammates. "Defend our territory and stay out of my way. I'll handle the attack myself."
His tone left no room for argument. It was clear the Yellow Team's combined strength—minus Laxus—paled compared to the Thunder God Tribe, and he was visibly annoyed.
Kira glanced at the Yellow Team, analyzing their dynamics. Laxus was undeniably their heavy hitter, versatile in every way. Loki, now back to his full strength as a Celestial Spirit, was the second strongest. Levy, a support mage with her Solid Script magic, would be critical against Freed's runes on the Green Team, and she could also provide backup for Laxus. Lidas, a veteran mage, wielded impressive Pict Magic when prepared. And Kiko? She was barely a footnote in the guild, known more as the coffee shop owner's granddaughter and a Laxus fangirl. Her Urban Legend Magic summoned ghosts within Magnolia's range, but they lacked real combat power. Her role might just be scaring opponents and cheering from the sidelines.
Kira could see the tension in the Yellow Team—Loki's frustration, Levy's nervousness, Lidas' concern, and Kiko's conflicted expression. He shook his head. "The Yellow Team's morale is shaky. Tough to lead a group like that."
In a straight fight, Laxus might outmatch even Mirajane, but aside from Levy, no one on their team could counter Freed's rune magic. Plus, the Green Team had Cana, who'd grown stronger with her card magic, veteran Wakaba, and speedy Jet. Overall, the Green Team had the edge.
Kira turned his attention to the other four teams.
The Blue and Red Teams were evenly matched, each led by an S-Class mage—Mystogan and Erza. While their roles were similar, Erza had the upper hand. Mystogan's mental and illusion magic only worked half as well on her, and his reflective Mirror Water spell had never proven effective. Evergreen's petrification was nearly impossible to dodge, and with Elfman's brute strength, they could easily overpower Gray and Lucy—unless the two had some tricks up their sleeves.
After the Tower of Heaven and Phantom Lord incidents, Gray and Lucy had taken their training seriously, making significant strides. Lucy, in particular, had bought a "Magic Hairpin" from Kira, boosting her usable magic power and allowing her to open two Celestial Gates at once—a cheat-level upgrade in Kira' eyes.
Macao, Warren, Droy, and Tono were negligible in combat, but Warren's telepathy could be a game-changer.
After some thought, Kira concluded, "It's a 50-50 shot for them."
As for his own White Team, Bickslow was a solid fighter, Bisca and Marcus were mid-tier guild members, and Nob—well, he rarely took jobs, and his Animal Possession magic was arguably weaker than Lisanna's.
"So, I'm carrying three, while they've got three carrying two," Kira mused, sizing up the Black Team: Natsu, Gajeel, and Juvia as the main fighters, with Alzack and Bijita in support.
From the Tenrou Island battle, it was clear who the guild's top-tier fighters were—those sealed for seven years were the elite, while the rest fell into mid or lower tiers. Alzack was on par with Bisca, and Bijita's dance magic could boost her team, perfect for group fights. But unlike a game, buffing three people would drain her magic fast, and she had no defensive abilities.
Facing two Dragon Slayers, Kira felt confident. "This one's in the bag."
"Hey, come here," he called to his teammates, waving them over. "Let's talk strategy!"