"Once again, Heavenly Blue effortlessly takes first place! Is there anyone in Fiore who can stop them?! They are looking absolutely invincible!"
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
"And what was with those angel wings?! Absolutely breathtaking! A three-second victory!" Chapati Lola screamed, his voice echoing over the roaring crowd.
While the commentators and the audience were whipped into an absolute frenzy, the atmosphere among the participating guilds was suffocatingly gloomy. None of them had ever expected such a colossal, insurmountable gap in power between themselves and this mysterious new guild.
Back in the Heavenly Blue dugout, Finn leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples as he severed the Possession Magic link.
"Have you returned?" Meredy asked, handing him a glass of water.
"Yup."
"Thanks for your hard work," Meredy, Ultear, and Flare chimed in simultaneously.
They all knew that Finn was the one truly doing the heavy lifting, hijacking their bodies and fighting their battles for them. Truthfully, they were all more than capable of fighting on their own, but surrendering control to Finn and watching their own bodies execute impossible, overwhelmingly powerful maneuvers was incredibly addictive.
However, Ultear quickly shifted the focus away from the games. "Have you noticed any traces of that weird magical energy yet?"
Unlike the others, who were fully enjoying the tournament and the luxuries of Crocus, Ultear hadn't forgotten Crime Sorciere's true mission: investigating the dark, malignant magic that plagued the Grand Magic Games every year.
"Not yet," Finn replied smoothly, taking a sip of water. "But just keep your eyes on Fairy Tail. The moment one of their core members goes missing, that's when the real trouble is about to start."
"Why would Fairy Tail members disappearing mean trouble is coming?" Ultear asked, completely baffled by his logic.
"That's just how it is," Finn said cryptically. He obviously wasn't going to break the fourth wall and explain that they were living inside a Shōnen manga. But armed with the knowledge of his past life, Finn knew exactly how Earthland's narrative functioned. Wherever Fairy Tail went, catastrophic, world-ending trouble inevitably followed. And the true plot wouldn't kick off until the main characters vanished to save the day.
"..." Ultear stared at him, utterly unconvinced.
"Don't doubt me on this," Finn smirked. "Keep a particularly close eye on the blonde girl Flare fought earlier."
Finn knew that the moment Lucy Heartfilia was pulled away from the arena, the Eclipse Gate plotline would violently trigger. Once the narrative gears started turning, it would be impossible to stop. After all, if the villains were preemptively dealt with, when would the protagonists ever get their chance to shine?
"You mean Lucy, Finn-sama?" Flare tilted her head. A slightly wicked smile tugged at her lips. "If she's that important, isn't that just more of a reason for you to claim her as your woman?"
"...."
Finn remained silent, though he had to admit Flare made a point. If he truly wanted to conquer Fairy Tail, the absolute best method was to secure Lucy.
Why? Despite Natsu's overwhelming strength or Erza's leadership, Finn knew that Lucy was the true protagonist of this world. The entire story had literally begun the day she decided she wanted to join Fairy Tail. Her connections were absurdly overpowered; she was tied directly to the Celestial Spirit King, and her future involved contracts with Dragon Gods and magic capable of planetary destruction across multiple continents.
Then again, my hands are pretty full right now, Finn thought.
"Let's table that discussion for later." Finn cleared his throat. "The battle event of the day is about to start. One of us is going to be called to the arena soon, so let's see how the matchups play out."
"Okay," the women agreed.
Yet, they all noticed that Finn's eyes lingered across the arena on Lucy. Despite her occasionally silly expressions, she possessed an undeniably incredible figure, golden hair, and a highly fashionable, alluring sense of style. The girls exchanged knowing glances. They knew perfectly well that Lucy was exactly his type.
"....."
Across the stadium, Lucy suddenly shivered, looking over her shoulder toward the Heavenly Blue dugout.
"What's wrong, Lucy?" Gray asked, noticing her distraction.
"It's nothing... I just feel like someone is scheming against me," Lucy muttered, rubbing her arms. "They're just so strong..."
The Fairy Tail dugout was trying to remain optimistic, purposely ignoring Natsu and Gajeel, who were currently groaning on the floor, still violently sick from the chariot race. Despite their fierce determination to finish the race on foot, the sheer speed of Heavenly Blue's victory made their efforts look like a tragic comedy.
"Don't lose hope. We will definitely win the battles," Gray encouraged, his eyes burning with renewed resolve. It wasn't just Gray; the rest of Fairy Tail shared a fierce confidence that they could claw their way back up the rankings in the one-on-one combat rounds.
Up in the commentator's booth, the energy was electric.
"Now, looking at the current scoreboard, is there anyone who can possibly stand against Heavenly Blue?!" Chapati Lola chirped, practically vibrating with hype.
"The tournament is far from over," Yajima noted calmly. "Even the guild currently in last place still has a chance to claim the number one spot."
"Hmm... fascinating! Do you think Sabertooth will make a comeback, Yajima-san? Or perhaps Blue Pegasus or Mermaid Heel?" Lola pressed.
"...It's Fairy Tail," Yajima stated with absolute, unshakeable faith.
"Ah, you might be right! Fairy Tail Team B's Laxus put on a spectacular show yesterday, single-handedly eliminating the entire Raven Tail roster! Knowing how powerful they are, I'm sure we're all dying to see Fairy Tail clash directly with Heavenly Blue today!"
"YEAAAAHHH!" the crowd roared in agreement.
"Then let's not waste any more time! It is time for the afternoon battles!" Chapati announced. "Let's see who the sponsors have selected for our very first match!"
The massive Lacrima screens above the arena flashed wildly, cycling through the portraits of the competitors before violently locking onto two faces.
"For our first match! Representing Fairy Tail Team B, the mysterious masked mage: MYSTOGAN!"
"Oh?" Jellal, completely hidden beneath Mystogan's heavy cloaks and mask, gripped his staff. A fierce determination ignited in his chest. He needed to secure this victory to elevate Fairy Tail's standing and support Erza.
"And his opponent! Representing the undisputed first-place guild, Heavenly Blue... FINN!"
"Hmm?"
Finn blinked, genuinely surprised his own name had been drawn so early.
The entire stadium erupted into a deafening, frantic roar!
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH!!!"
Finn vs. 'Mystogan'.
Unbeknownst to the screaming crowd, it was a battle drenched in the ultimate, terrifying irony. The continent's most wanted fugitive, Jellal Fernandes, was about to step into the arena to fight the disguised, ruthless Chief of the Fiore Magic Council.