Early in the morning, the normally calm guild chat group exploded with activity after just a few words from Mirajane. Suddenly, the chat was buzzing with excitement.
Gray: "Fairy Tail's strongest mage?"
Cana: "What's this new game?"
Lucy: "Huh? @SigmaMale Nate, is the game you mentioned yesterday already finished today? That was fast!"
Levy: "@SigmaMale Did you solve the issue with players getting hurt?! š²"
Natsu: "What game? What strongest mage?"
Elfman: "A real man never backs down! Sis, I'm joining!"
Happy: "Aye! Can I join too?"
Macao: "Sounds fun, count me in."
Everyone eagerly signed up, and the excitement rippled through the chat like a tidal wave. The initial "?" from Laxus was quickly buried in the flood of responses.
...
Fiore Kingdom, in a certain town.
Laxus's elite team, the "Raijinshū," had just raided an underground black market.
"Your boss is from the dark guild Bull's Horns, right? Tell us where your higher-ups are!" Bickslow demanded, grabbing a black market worker by the collar. His armored mask distorted his voice, and his long tongue, branded with the guild symbol, flicked out as he spoke.
"He's already passed out. You were too rough," Freed commented, his long green hair falling over his serious expression.
"Forget them for now," Evergreen, standing nearby, scrolled through the guild chat on her Magic Net. She raised her eyebrows in surprise and said, "Nate's developed a new game called [Magic Arena]. Looks like there's going to be a competition to determine who the strongest mage in the guild is."
That instantly grabbed the attention of the entire squad.
"Strongest? Well, that's obviously Laxus!" Bickslow declared without hesitation, glancing over at Laxus.
Laxus was seated atop a pile of unconscious mages, lounging casually. He grinned at the mention of "strongest."
"Time to head back?" he asked.
"But what about the mission?" Freed asked, slightly hesitant.
"We'll pause it for now," Laxus said, rising from the pile of bodies and striding out of the black market. As he left, he sent a private message to Nate.
Laxus: "Didn't expect to get a chance this soon. You're participating, right?"
Sigma Male: "I'm not participating; I'll be a referee."
Laxus: "What?! If you're not competing, what's the point of the tournament?!"
Laxus: "You better join!"
Sigma Male: "..."
...
In the guild's underground tavern, Nate wore an expression of mild exasperation. 'Just because I won once, you want another fight, huh?' he thought to himself. 'One match leads to another...'
Laxus: "I'm on my way back, so don't run off."
Sigma Male: "You don't have to come back for the tournament. You can participate remotely."
Sigma Male: "The matches are held in a virtual space on the Magic Netā¦"
Nate had to explain how the new game worked. Laxus didn't respond for a while, likely stunned by the concept.
Just then, a voice sounded behind Nate.
"Good morning, Nate."
"Good morning, Nate-san."
Nate turned around to see Levy, Wendy, and the white cat, Carla.
Levy looked excited. "Nate, you really figured it out?"
"Huh? Figured what out?"
"The Spirit Body! You mentioned it yesterday!"
Nate nodded. "I had to get a bit creative, but yes."
"As expected of you," Levy said with admiration, sitting down beside him. "How did you solve it?"
"Well, I have to thank you for the inspiration," Nate said with a smile.
Just then, a voice echoed in Nate's mind. It was the dragon, Grandeeney.
"Nate."
"Telepathy? Is this Grandeeney?" Nate's eyes flashed with surprise as he responded mentally. Grandeeney was the first dragon to initiate a conversation with him.
"Yes, it's me. I have a favor to ask."
'When a dragon asks for a favor... it's probably no small matter,' Nate thought to himself.
"It's not too troublesome."
"Grandeeney, can you read minds?"
"I just figured you'd think that."
"Well, tell me what it is. If it's too much, I might not be able to help."
Grandeeney's voice continued in his mind: "Your Magic Net is quite fascinating, and this [Magic Arena] you created is truly impressive. I'd like to ask if you could allow Wendy to participate in your guild's competition."
Nate was surprised by the request. 'That's it?' He had thought it would be something huge, like asking him to take down the Black Dragon.
"That's simple! I can help with that. In fact, having Wendy help test the system would be doing me a favor."
"Thank you for your help," Grandeeney replied gratefully. "There's something else. I wasn't able to teach Wendy the secret techniques of Dragon Slayer magic. I hope I can use your Magic Arena to pass on the knowledge she needs."
Wait, what? Nate paused for a moment. 'Does that mean Grandeeney wants to enter the Magic Arena too?'
"Grandeeney, do you want to join as a competitor?" Nate asked cautiously.
"Due to certain reasons, I can't leave Wendy's body for now. But your Magic Arena transports the spirit to a virtual world, correct?"
"Yes, butā¦" Nate hesitated. He hadn't programmed the system to allow a dragon's spirit to enter without a ring.
"I'm not trying to compete," Grandeeney chuckled. "I just want to use the Arena to teach Wendy her magic."
Nate understood. Grandeeney wanted to act as a mentor for Wendy inside the virtual space, free from the dangers of the outside world.
"I see. That's a small favor. I'll make the necessary changes," Nate said after considering it.
"Thank you, Nate."
After thanking him, Grandeeney ended the telepathic conversation. Nate mused to himself, 'If Grandeeney's joining, maybe I should invite Igneel too.'
No one around Nate knew about the mental conversation he just had. Levy, noticing him pause, suddenly smiled.
"Wendy, do you want to participate in our guild's event?"
"Huh? Me?" Wendy was taken aback. "But I'm not a member of Fairy Tail, andā¦ I'm not really good at fighting."
"That's fine. You won't get hurt," Nate reassured her, patting her gently on the head. "And besides, you'll get to see Grandeeney."
Wendy's eyes widened in shock. "!?"
~~~
Note: About Freed's name, I remember it being Freed, not Fried, but the fandom says Fried Justine. WTF? Oh well, "Fried" sounds stupid, so I'm sticking with "Freed." That's all.