Laxus watched the clock hands strike twelve and frowned.
"So, we've waited until midnight. What happens next?"
A resounding bell tolled outside, echoing across the royal capital.
An enthusiastic voice followed, ringing out over the city:
"Good evening to all Mages who have come to Crocus for the Grand Magic Games!"
Everyone hurried to the balcony and stopped in surprise. A massive holographic projection had appeared in the night sky.
It was a short figure wearing a pumpkin mask and exaggerated theatrical clothing, speaking in a comical voice.
"A pumpkin?" Juvia asked, staring at the strange mascot.
Leaning against the railing, Laxus observed the projection. "Probably the mascot or referee for the tournament."
Mirajane narrowed her eyes, looking puzzled. "Somehow... this pumpkin's voice sounds familiar..."
Ankh's mouth twitched.
Of course it is. With that height, living in the royal capital, and acting as referee for this festival—it had to be the King of Fiore!
When Ankh had met the King years ago, he already thought the man was an eccentric.
Clearly, he hadn't changed.
The giant ethereal figure of the Pumpkin bounced in the air, addressing the confusion of all the Mages in the capital.
"In order to select eight teams from 113 competing groups, the preliminary rounds will begin immediately!"
Ankh nodded in understanding. "So that's how it is..."
As the others turned toward him, Ankh explained, "In previous years, there were no preliminary rounds. Each guild sent only one team, resulting in uneven skill levels. Plus, many idol guilds joined purely to ride the festival's popularity for exposure."
"This year, by allowing two teams per guild, those seeking to ride the wave of popularity would become even more rampant. The organizers can use the untelevised preliminaries to 'purify' the tournament roster."
Laxus nodded. "In short, they want to make the event more entertaining by eliminating boring matches and filtering out guilds that only care about appearances, right?"
Such audience targeting was commonplace in Ankh's previous life, but this was his first time seeing it here.
In seven years, not only had Magic developed rapidly, but the entertainment industry had grown just as convoluted.
Ankh shrugged. "It seems the organizers are determined. They don't just want a festival—they want a true carnival for powerful Mages."
Mirajane sighed. "Filtering 113 teams down to 8... Those who remain will essentially be Fiore's top eight."
Sure enough, the mascot projection complained to the sky. "With more guilds participating each year, viewers have complained that numerous matches have become dull. Thus, we've decided to select eight elite teams for the main tournament!"
"The rules for the preliminaries are simple!"
The Pumpkin raised a finger, and numerous hotels across the royal capital began transforming.
Their foundations stretched and elongated, lifting the buildings skyward.
Juvia gripped the handrail, watching the ascending gathering spots of the other guilds.
"So many hotels are rising into the sky!"
"No wonder they designated specific accommodations," Laxus remarked, observing the floating buildings.
The Pumpkin's voice continued: "First, everyone will compete in a race! The finish line is the main tournament venue—Domus Flau! Only the first eight teams to arrive will qualify for the main tournament!"
A path materialized in the air ahead of the hotel balconies, extending into the distance.
"You are free to use Magic without restrictions! The first eight teams to arrive will advance, but teams with fewer than five members upon arrival will be disqualified entirely! And..."
The mascot's voice took on an eerie tone. "If you perish in the maze, we won't be held responsible."
As his words faded, a massive spherical maze, resembling a floating fortress, wobbled into view high above Crocus.
The Pumpkin raised his arms and shouted: "Grand Magic Games Preliminaries! Sky Labyrinth! Begin!"
With his shout, roars echoed from all the floating inns.
"Let's go!"
Ankh took the lead, vaulting over the balcony and landing on the path.
The four behind him followed, sprinting toward the Sky Labyrinth.
Team B moved with incredible speed, quickly leaving behind the other guild Mages and becoming the first group to enter the vast maze.
Upon stepping into the enormous, city-sized sphere, Gajeel felt nauseous and complained, "This maze design is weird."
The paths within were diverse—some rotated as you walked, while others inverted and hung from the sky. The disorienting routes were enough to make anyone sick.
"Laxus, Gajeel, do you need me to help remove your negative status effects?" Ankh asked, remembering they had two Dragon Slayers in their group.
Gajeel scratched his head. "For some reason, I'm not dizzy at all."
As if hearing Ankh's question, the mascot's large face appeared in the sky, explaining, "Just to clarify, to ensure fair competition for Mages who suffer from motion sickness, claustrophobia, or trypophobia, we've set up stabilizing Magic throughout the maze!"
"Considerate..." Laxus turned to Ankh. "What do we do next?"
Ankh took a compass from Mirajane. "The finish line is the main competition arena, which is to the east. We just need to head straight east."
"True," Gajeel said, tilting his head at the crisscrossing, twisted paths. "But with the maze designed like this, finding the way east will be a pain."
Ankh located east using the compass and casually quoted a famous saying: "There were no roads in the world to begin with; when many people pass one way, a road is made."
Laxus raised an eyebrow, Mirajane maintained her smile, and Gajeel seemed thoughtful.
Juvia, however, asked with innocent curiosity, "What does that mean?"
"Uh... it means that if Fairy Tail wants to go somewhere, we make a path even if there isn't one. To put it simply..."
Ankh raised his hand, lifting everyone into the air using gravity.
Facing due east and looking at the various winding paths and buildings blocking their way, he grinned.
"Demolish it!"
Hearing this, the other four seemed to awaken their guild's bloodline instincts.
Their eyes flashed with fierce light!
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