The next day, before dawn, the Pumpkin Man's voice came from outside the hotel.
"Greetings to all participants of the Grand Magic Games!"
Hearing this, Natsu, Gray, and the others opened their sleepy eyes, came out onto the balcony, and looked up.
They saw the Pumpkin Man's huge virtual projection appearing in the sky again.
"So early? What's this about?"
Natsu looked at the Pumpkin Man's projection and said somewhat discontentedly.
Soon, Kenichi, Erza, Mirajane, and Wendy also came out.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, the Pumpkin Man continued: "The competitive event for the second day of the Grand Magic Games will begin shortly. The event's name is [Chariot]. The specific content and rules will be announced after the event starts. Now, please have the 8 teams submit the name of the participant for this event..."
Before the Pumpkin Man could finish, Natsu, who had been sleepy just a second ago, became instantly alert.
"[Chariot]? Sounds really interesting! I'll participate in this one!"
Natsu slammed his fist into his palm, his face full of excitement.
"Chariot... just from the name, you can tell it's related to vehicles. You get motion sickness. I should go!"
Gray said, yawning.
"Chariot... just from the name, you can tell it's related to combat! I should definitely go!"
"I told you, it's related to vehicles. You get motion sickness..."
"Chariot doesn't necessarily mean it's related to vehicles. And even if it is, I won't necessarily lose!"
Watching Natsu and Gray confront each other, Wendy looked at a loss.
And Erza also sighed, then looked at Kenichi and asked: "What should we do?"
"Let Gray handle this event."
Hearing Erza, Kenichi said to Natsu and Gray.
"Eh? Why?"
Hearing Kenichi, Natsu asked discontentedly.
"I also think it's better for Gray to participate in this event, since it's related to vehicles."
Before Kenichi could answer, Erza said.
"Tch, you're all siding with Gray! Well, I'm going to participate in this event no matter what!"
As he spoke, Natsu turned and swaggered away.
"Hey, Natsu..."
Seeing Natsu determined to have his way, Erza called out.
But Natsu wasn't listening to Erza at this point.
However, just as Natsu prepared to jump off the balcony, Kenichi pointed his finger through the air.
In the next second, the entire hotel, as if alive, began to twist and distort.
The moment the hotel moved, Natsu's expression immediately became unwell.
"Wh-what's... happening? Why is the ground moving?!"
Natsu, who had been extremely excited just a second ago, soon lay on the ground like a limp rag, his face turning green.
"The feeling of this event is just like this. Do you still insist on participating?"
Hearing Kenichi, Natsu looked at Kenichi and said painfully: "So... Kenichi... it was you..."
"Blergh..."
Before Natsu could finish, he vomited.
"Kenichi-nii, stop it quickly... I can't take it..."
At that moment, Wendy, lying at Kenichi's feet, said with an uncomfortable expression.
'Uh...'
Seeing Wendy was also affected, Kenichi immediately stopped the moving ground.
As the ground returned to normal, both Natsu and Wendy instantly recovered.
"So? Still want to participate in this event?"
Kenichi looked at Natsu and asked.
"Never mind... I'll participate in the next event instead."
Seeing Natsu compromise, Erza glanced at Kenichi with a smile.
…
Half an hour later, Kenichi, Erza, and the others arrived at the Grand Magic Games venue.
Although it was the second day of the Games, the liveliness in the venue was no less than the first day.
Amidst the cheers of the audience, numerous virtual screens appeared in the sky above the stadium.
The content displayed on the virtual screens was rows of connected wooden four-wheeled carts, resembling a train.
"It really is a vehicle?!"
Natsu, seeing the vehicles on the virtual screen, felt extremely relieved.
He was glad Kenichi had stopped him, otherwise...
Just thinking about himself on that vehicle made Natsu's face turn green!
As Natsu was thinking this, the live commentator on the high platform shouted clearly: "I am today's live commentator! What you see before you is a real-time feed transmitted via Lacrima from the site!"
"The name for this event is [Chariot]. The rules are simple: the first participant to arrive at the Grand Magic Games venue via the chariot wins first place!"
"Any means can be used during the event!"
While the live commentator was speaking, the event had already begun. They saw Gray and the other participants rushing forward on the connected chariots!
"Good thing we didn't let Natsu participate in this event. Otherwise, he'd be like that guy over there!"
Gray glanced back at the listless Sting and thought to himself.
"Gray, I'm going ahead!"
Just as Gray was thinking, Freed's voice suddenly came from behind.
Before Gray could react, Freed, who had used Dark Ecriture to create a pair of wings, shot forward like an arrow from a bow, flying along the chariots towards the finish line.
"You can do that?!"
Seeing Freed actually flying, Gray was speechless.
At this moment, the spectators at the Grand Magic Games venue, seeing Freed flying through the virtual screens, all cheered.
"Flight Magic? Such convenient magic!"
Yajima on the commentator's stand said with a smile.
"Freed from Fairy Tail B Team uses Flight Magic, overtaking both Gray from Fairy Tail A and Semmes from Quatro Cerberus in succession! He is currently in first place!"
The live commentator also announced clearly.
"That's so sneaky! Using flight! And didn't Freed already participate in a competitive event yesterday?"
Natsu, looking at the high-speed flying Freed on the virtual screen, shouted in frustration.
"The commentator already said any magic can be used. And the competitive events don't specify that you can't participate repeatedly."
Erza said to Natsu.
"Darn it! If I'd known, we should have let Kenichi participate in this event! Kenichi knows Spatial Magic, right? He could reach the finish line in an instant!"
"Gray, run faster!"
Natsu, regardless of whether Gray could hear him or not, shouted unwillingly.
And Kenichi, seeing Natsu like this, exchanged a helpless look with Erza.
Kenichi naturally knew the content of this event.
Just as Natsu said, if he participated, he could win instantly.
However, the Grand Magic Games is a team competition.
Both Natsu and Gray wanted to participate.
He had already taken their spot yesterday.
Taking it again today would be embarrassing even for Kenichi.