After bidding farewell to Mira, Calvin padded through the streets towards the inn where his team was staying.
It didn't take long for him to return, and as expected, only Erza was there, looking rather bored.
"Here we are in Crocus, and you're not out exploring?" Calvin asked as he entered, seeing Erza playing solitaire.
Ezra looked up briefly, then returned to her game. Wearing her pyjamas, she replied expressionlessly, "I don't want to waste my energy. I need to rest and prepare for tomorrow's competition."
Calvin muttered, "Such a good girl… And as if you need to worry about energy…" He then began to inspect the room. Seeing this, Erza couldn't help but smugly comment, "I've already checked. There's nothing suspicious in this room."
"Oh, is that so?" Calvin responded, continuing to pace around. The sound of his footsteps soon started to irritate Erza, but just as she was about to lose her temper, Calvin stopped and gave her an enigmatic smile.
"Your observational skills still need work, Fairy Queen," Calvin teased with a grin that never failed to irk Erza.
"What do you mean by that? Is there something wrong with the room?"
"Don't worry, you'll find out at midnight," Calvin replied, ignoring Erza's frustrated look and maintaining his smug expression.
When he was in Team B's room, he had already noticed something was amiss. Upon closer inspection, he could sense traces of magic in this room as well.
"Seems like the organisers have some creativity. Tonight's event should be quite interesting," Calvin thought as he collapsed onto the bed.
"Go take a bath first; you're filthy," Ezra ordered sternly, her discipline kicking in.
Calvin ignored her and lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought.
Time passed slowly. The afternoon gave way to evening, and soon, it was nearly midnight.
The rest of the team returned just before eleven, looking tired and grumpy. Erza promptly scolded them for being late. Calvin watched silently as she reprimanded them, saying nothing. Not long after, Elfman and Lisanna brought drinks for everyone.
Calvin decided not to tell them about Wendy's attack to avoid upsetting them. Wendy was fine now, and there was no need for Natsu and the others to get overly excited and distracted.
All they needed to do was wait. Calvin was sure something big would happen at midnight.
The clock hands crept closer to twelve, finally striking the hour.
A sound from outside drew everyone's attention. Members of Fairy Tail and other guilds alike rushed to their windows.
A giant pumpkin-headed figure in the central sky illuminated the ordinarily dark sky, clearly visible to everyone.
"Good evening, participants of the Grand Magic Games!" a playful voice emanated from the pumpkin-headed figure. Despite the seemingly soft volume, it reached every ear in the city.
"To narrow down the one hundred and thirteen participating teams to just eight, the 'Preliminary Round' is about to begin!"
The sudden announcement left many guilds in confusion. Some remained calm and prepared, while others panicked, unsure of what was happening.
The pumpkin figure continued, performing comical dance moves as it explained, "Each year, more guilds participate, but the matches have become increasingly dull. We've received such feedback, you know!"
"So this year, only the top eight teams from the preliminaries will move on to the main event."
Hearing this, Calvin smirked disdainfully, thinking, "This is happening because they allowed each guild to send two teams, inflating the number of participants. Now they're cutting them down to eight all at once. What a farce."
Unaware of Calvin's thoughts, the pumpkin figure continued its explanation: "The rules are simple! The race starts now, and the goal is the arena—Domus Flau!"
As it spoke, the rooms of all the participating guilds began to transform, extending a path leading to the sky.
"You can use any magic freely, with no restrictions! Only the first eight teams to reach the goal will qualify!"
"However, if all five members don't reach the goal together, the team will be disqualified."
"Furthermore, if you die in the maze, we won't be held responsible!"
When the pumpkin mentioned the maze, a colossal sphere appeared in the sky, rivalling the entire city. Its exterior was a labyrinth of convoluted pathways, living up to its name.
"The Grand Magic Games Preliminary Round: Sky Maze!"
"Begin!"
Seeing the giant maze in the sky, Calvin didn't feel excitement but a deep suspicion.
"Typically, preliminary rounds are announced in advance and held ahead of time. Who starts preliminaries at midnight right before the main event?"
"Increasing the number of participating teams without reason and forcing all teams into one giant race—this reeks of conspiracy."
Calvin's eyes flashed with contempt as he looked at his teammates. Ezra and Lucy seemed thoughtful, while Natsu and Gray were excitedly brimming.
"Let's just get through this preliminary first," Calvin thought, shaking his head with a smile. He motioned to the others.
"Let's go! What are we waiting for?"
With that, he launched himself upwards. Erza followed immediately, her pyjamas replaced by her usual armour in a flash. Natsu and Gray quickly followed, each grabbing one of Lucy's hands.
Lucy, still in a daze, found herself being dragged along.
"Running isn't fast enough," Calvin shouted with a laugh, seeing everyone following.
"Then what do you suggest? We can't fly!" Erza shouted back, grinning at Calvin's confident demeanour.
"You know me. With me around, we'll never have to worry about getting somewhere fast," Calvin boasted, a card appearing in his hand.
His unique Summoning Card.
"Awesome!" Natsu and Gray knew they were about to ride another impressive summon.
"No, please!" Lucy, however, was still traumatised by their morning flight.