"Congratulations, you've passed the preliminaries." Upon seeing Calvin and his team, the pumpkin mascot's first words were the customary congratulations. Even though he tried to keep his tone neutral, he was clearly hiding his surprise.
"We're the first, right?" Natsu asked excitedly, barely able to contain his joy. The others couldn't hide their pride, even though Calvin had done all the work during the preliminary round.
The pumpkin mascot clapped his hands and said, "Yes, you're the first, and at a completely unexpected speed." His words were not an exaggeration. This massive three-dimensional maze typically took at least an hour or two to navigate, but Calvin's team had reached the end in under half an hour, an astonishing feat. They still had time to get a good night's sleep.
"Alright, let me take you to your resting quarters, first place." The pumpkin mascot said in his comical tone, leading Calvin's team inside.
It was only 12:20 AM, and the preliminaries had started just twenty minutes ago. But Calvin's team was already fast asleep in the rest area provided by the organisers.
While they slept, other strong teams gradually arrived. Not long after Calvin's team dozed off, the second team to complete the preliminaries arrived, just twenty minutes after Calvin's team.
The pumpkin mascot still greeted them, and seeing the second-place team, his comical face was again filled with surprise.
It was because the arriving team was Fairy Tail's B Team.
The summoned beast disguised as Mystogan led them. Since Calvin controlled the beast, he ensured the B Team also reached quickly.
"Congratulations on passing the preliminaries," the pumpkin mascot said admiringly. "Second place, an impressive feat."
"Second place, huh? I figured as much," Gajeel grumbled, clearly displeased. He ignored the pumpkin mascot, leaving him in an awkward silence.
The pumpkin mascot needed clarification on their apparent prior knowledge of their placement. However, realising that the first-place team was also Fairy Tail, it made sense.
On the way to their rest area, Juvia tried to console Gajeel: " There's no need to be so upset, Gajeel. The preliminary ranking doesn't affect the main competition, so it's okay if A Team took the lead."
"Those guys don't know we're B Team yet. When they see our ranking tomorrow, that fire dragon idiot won't miss the chance to mock us! It's infuriating!" Gajeel growled, clearly agitated.
"So, if we ranked higher, you'd seize the chance to mock Natsu, right?" Laxus said flatly, making everyone chuckle.
Gajeel shrugged, "Of course! Besides, this preliminary round was all thanks to that guy," he glanced at the summoned beast, "so it's not exactly satisfying."
"He's a member of B Team now, so don't hold such a grudge," Mirajane smiled gently, trying to ease the tension.
Gajeel was okay with the situation but hoped to showcase his skills. He hadn't had the chance with the summoned beast leading them, hence his frustration.
As they chatted, they reached their rest area and soon fell asleep.
The pumpkin mascot continued waiting at the finish line for the other teams. The next team arrived over an hour later.
Arriving with a swagger, the team radiated self-confidence. Even before reaching the pumpkin mascot, their voices were already heard.
"Looks like we're first, as usual.
The speaker was a white-haired Dragon Slayer whose confident demeanour mirrored Natsu's. The rest of the team seemed less interested but equally self-assured.
This group was none other than Sabertooth, the guild that had dominated Fiore for the past seven years.
"Congratulations on passing the preliminaries, but you're not first, you're third," the pumpkin mascot stated evenly, causing the five members' expressions to change drastically.
"Third? Are you sure you're not dreaming? What teams could be faster than us?" the white-haired man demanded, his voice urgent.
"There's no mistake. You're indeed third, but I'm sorry, I can't reveal the other teams that passed. You'll find out tomorrow," the pumpkin mascot replied, guiding them to their rest area.
On the way, a muscular member of Sabertooth muttered, "Even if it's just the preliminaries, the guild master won't be happy about third place."
The muscular man felt slightly anxious when thinkingg of their guild's strict leades.
"Our leader doesn't tolerate failure, but he won't kick all five of us out for one prelim. Just tell him we didn't take it seriously," a sophisticated man in a hat and eyepatch said calmly, showing no concern.
After Sabertooth, other teams gradually arrived, and the night passed. The main event was about to begin.
Early the following day, Calvin's team donned the outfits prepared by Makarov. Each was different, but they shared a typical style, making them look dashing.
Even inside the rest area, with some time before the competition started, they could hear the roaring cheers from the crowd, filling them with excitement.
"I can't wait any longer! I feel like I'm burning up!" Natsu yelled, his excitement uncontrollable.
"You always feel like that," Gray retorted with a sigh, his eyes full of disdain.
"Put on some clothes before you go out there; it's embarrassing," Calvin said calmly, making Gray blush.
The organisers informed them that as the first-place team in the preliminary rounds, they would be the last to enter the arena. Using this time, Calvin decided to address his team.
"Before we start, I have something to say." His words immediately captured everyone's attention.
"Yesterday, Wendy was attacked. The culprit is unknown, but the master and I suspect another competing guild."
"Wendy is okay now, but Porlyusica said it will take some time for her to recover."
This news filled the team with anger and sadness, especially Natsu, who shouted about making the culprit pay.
"So, give it your all. We must win this tournament. I want us to crush every opponent from start to finish!"
"We need to show those who dare to challenge us that even after seven years, Fairy Tail remains the strongest!"
"Of course! You didn't even need to say it!"
Calvin was pleased with their enthusiasm but remained stern, "Then stay sharp. We need an absolute victory!"
"Yeah!" The team roared in unison, their fighting spirit reaching new heights.