Chapter 275: Goal, First Place
"Is this really the time for the two of you to be talking about this? I've never encountered such a powerful guy in my memory!"
Rufus Lore, usually the epitome of composure with his "Memory-Make" magic, was visibly shaken.
He adjusted his feathered hat, but his hands were trembling slightly.
He looked at Sting Eucliffe and Rogue Cheney, who were trying to maintain their cool facade, with disbelief.
"I'm telling you, the data I collected... it's terrifying," Rufus whispered, his eyes wide.
Previously, Rufus thought that although Ren's magic was incredible, he felt he could still handle him in their next encounter. He believed that every magic had a weakness, a pattern that could be memorized and countered.
But after seeing Ren's Uchiha Itachi's Susanoo—that ethereal, armored titan that swatted Jura's Iron Rock Golems like flies—he finally realized he had severely underestimated Ren.
This guy wasn't just a strong mage; he was a genuine monster.
"The sheer density of his magic power... the complexity of that illusion... I couldn't memorize it. My brain rejected the information because it was too vast," Rufus admitted, sweating.
He recorded Ren's magic this time, but this magic was already far too overwhelming for him. It was like trying to memorize the entire ocean by drinking a cup of seawater.
"Haha! I almost forgot about that, but it's fine! At least he participated in the combat portion on the first day and defeated Jura. Speaking of which, if Rufus hadn't provoked him in the 'Hidden' event, we might have even taken second place, haha!"
Sting looked completely optimistic, leaning back with his hands behind his head. His casual demeanor masked the slight unease he felt. He acted as if he didn't care much at all, but deep down, the White Dragon Slayer knew the balance of power had shifted.
"Lord Ren is indeed very strong, but he is not unbeatable. The Grand Magic Games is not a one-person event. I believe that as long as we work together, we can definitely defeat Lord Ren!"
Yukino Agria, standing quietly to the side, spoke up. Her voice was soft but firm. Seeing that Sting and the others looked a bit deflated despite their bravado, Yukino couldn't help but clench her fist to encourage them. "We are Sabertooth. We don't lose hope."
Suddenly, the magical screens in the stadium lit up, signaling the end of the day's events.
[With that, the first day of the Grand Magic Games concludes—!!]
[The audience has witnessed history today! The sleeping fairies have awakened!]
[Overall rankings are as follows]
The giant lacrima screens displayed the points, silencing the millions of spectators for a heartbeat before chaos erupted.
Fairy Tail Team A — 20P
Blue Pegasus — 16P
Fairy Tail Team B — 12P
Sabertooth — 11P
Lamia Scale — 8P
Mermaid Heel — 4P
Quatro Cerberus — 3P
Raven Tail — 0P
"Fairy Tail is amazing!"
"One first place, one third place!"
"Isn't Fairy Tail the Mage Guild that's always in last place? My dad told me they were a joke!"
"That was for the past seven years. Seven years ago, Fairy Tail was the strongest Mage Guild! Legends don't die easily!"
The audience members were all discussing non-stop, genuinely shocked by Ren's performance today. The narrative of "Fairy Tail is dead" was shattered in a single afternoon.
Down in the arena, the dust was settling.
Ren canceled the Take Over stance. The red skeletal armor of the Susanoo dissipated into motes of light, and the Akatsuki cloak faded away. He reverted to his original appearance—black hair, calm dark eyes, looking deceptively ordinary.
He took a deep breath, feeling his magic circuits humming. His Seven-Star magic power meant the consumption when using Susanoo—even the incomplete armored version—was not particularly large. Furthermore, under the constant circulation of the Sun Breathing technique he had mastered, his magic power would soon be restored. He was a perpetual motion machine of combat.
"I am still no match for Your Excellency Ren."
Jura Neekis walked over, dusting off his coat. The Wizard Saint looked battered but dignified. Although Jura lost, he didn't dwell on it too much. He was a man of immense character.
Seven years ago, the strength Ren displayed against Jose Porla and the Oración Seis was already formidable. Jura remembered it well.
He had originally reminded the Organizer to activate the barrier because he wanted to directly confront the Thunder Lance used by Ren in his Ulquiorra Take Over stance—the attack that had famously vaporized a mountain peak.
Unexpectedly, Ren immediately pulled out another transformation—this Itachi Uchiha form—and completely dominated the battlefield with illusions and unbreakable defense.
Only then did Jura realize that Ulquiorra was not Ren's strongest transformation. In fact, he suspected it wasn't even close to his peak.
"I just used a small trick. Mr. Jura's strength is truly immense. Your Iron Rock magic is denser than diamond," Ren said, shaking Jura's hand.
Ren was not just being polite. He respected strength. Jura's current magic power is seven and a half stars or higher in Ren's internal system. To achieve this level of magic power, both aptitude and decades of grueling effort are essential. Jura was a legitimate powerhouse.
"If I may ask presumptuously..." Jura lowered his voice, his eyes intense. "Is this transformation Mr. Ren's strongest transformation?"
Jura wanted to know if he had been defeated by Ren's strongest form. It was a matter of pride as a Wizard Saint.
"Uh... no..."
Ren debated whether to lie to spare Jura's feelings, but decided against it; there was no need to deceive a warrior of Jura's caliber. Honesty was the highest form of respect.
"...Just as I thought!"
Jura let out a hearty laugh, though there was a tinge of awe in it. He had anticipated this. When Ren first appeared and was contemplating which transformation to use, tapping his chin thoughtfully, it clearly indicated that he had multiple options. And the terrifying realization was that every single one of those options was capable of defeating a Ten Wizard Saint.
Later that evening.
The Honeybone Inn – Fairy Tail's Lodging
The atmosphere inside the tavern was electric. Barrels of ale were rolled out, and the smell of roasted meat filled the air.
"Cheers—!!"
Everyone raised their glasses together, the sound of wooden mugs clinking echoing through the hall.
They were so Happy today, especially the Seven Year Group.
Macao Conbolt, the Fourth Master, was sobbing into his beer. Wakaba was patting his back, tears streaming down his own face.
"We... we aren't last," Macao choked out.
"We're first, Macao! We're first!" Wakaba cried.
For years, they had participated in the Grand Magic Games and finished last every time. They had endured humiliation, debt, and the mocking of every other guild. Now, they finally had a chance to take first place. The weight of seven years of failure was lifting.
"It has to be Ren! He can easily defeat a monster like Jura!"
Macao said excitedly, wiping his nose. "Did you see that giant red warrior? It was like a god!"
"Isn't it normal for Ren to defeat Jura? You're all making too much fuss!"
Makarov Dreyar sat on the bar counter, swinging his legs. He said calmly while sipping his wine, acting like he wasn't crying earlier.
"On Tenrou Island, Ren defeated three opponents whose strength was comparable to Jura's single-handedly—Hades, Bluenote, and Rustyrose. And later, he held his own in a solo fight against the Black Dragon Acnologia for several minutes."
Makarov's eyes darkened slightly at the memory.
"If it weren't for the critical weakness of insufficient magic power back then, he might have even taken down the Black Dragon Acnologia. Now? He's restored."
"Oh oh oh oh oh oh! The Man Elfman did not perform well!! I dragged everyone down!!!"
In the corner, Elfman was banging his head against the wall.
Although Fairy Tail Team B achieved a decent third-place ranking, Elfman's performance in the 'Hidden' event was not stellar at all. He had been too large, too loud, and an easy target.
Ren walked over and patted Elfman on the shoulder: "It's alright, Elfman! The Stealth event really wasn't suited for your abilities. You're a tank, not a ninja. Just perform well later on in the head-to-head battles."
Laki Olietta, adjusting her glasses, raised a valid point. "But since Ren appeared on the first day in the battle portion, it seems he won't be able to participate in the subsequent combat events. The rules say a member can only fight once in the 1v1 battles until the cycle resets."
"That's right! There's that issue."
Only then did everyone remember that their major trump card had appeared on the first day. There were still days two through five remaining. Without Ren as the safety net, the tension returned.
"It's fine! I can't participate in the combat events for a while, but the competitive events have no such restrictions. If necessary, I can still appear in Chariots or whatever weird game they invent."
Ren smiled confidently.
"I participated on the first day specifically to give everyone confidence. We needed momentum. I wanted to announce to the world that Fairy Tail was back, and to strike fear into Sabertooth."
A sufficiently high score would prevent the later participants—Lucy, Natsu, Wendy—from feeling too much pressure. They could fight freely now.
"I'll be up tomorrow!!"
Natsu jumped onto a table, fire spewing from his mouth.
He was completely fired up after watching the battle between Ren and Jura today. Ren repeatedly showed his incredibly powerful side—the Susanoo slashing through bedrock—making his blood boil and his desire to fight reach its Peak.
"I want to fight Sting! Or Rogue! Or anyone!"
"Go, Natsu!"
Happy cheered Natsu on, flying around with a fish in his mouth. "Aye sir!"
"Hmph, if you, Fire Dragon, are going out, then so am I."
Gajeel sat in the shadows, crunching on an iron spoon.
He couldn't compare to a monster like Ren right now—he admitted that grudgingly—but the person he least wanted to lose to was Natsu. "Team B isn't gonna lose to Team A."
Makarov jumped onto the table, nearly knocking over a barrel. His face was flushed with alcohol and pride.
"Excellent!! Listen up, brats!! Don't get arrogant just because you took first place today! The competition isn't over yet! We need to score more, more, and even more points!!"
He raised his mug high.
"Our goal: First Place in Fiore!!!"
"Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh!!!"
Everyone cheered, their voices uniting into a single roar that shook the inn's rafters.
Meanwhile.
The Fiore Royal Palace – Mercurius
The opulent throne room was bathed in moonlight.
"Your Majesty, the first day of the Grand Magic Games has concluded smoothly."
A Knight in silver armor—Arcadios, the Commander of the Cherry Blossom Holy Knights—knelt on one knee and spoke to the King of Fiore, Toma E. Fiore.
"Indeed, it was an excellent competition. Pum-puun!" The King, a short, pumpkin-loving man, clapped his hands. "Especially the confrontation between Ren and Jura, two Ten Wizard Saints-level Mages—it was truly spectacular and left one wanting more! The way Ren summoned that giant... astonishing!"
The King of Fiore seemed to still be savoring the final battle. He loved excitement, and Ren had delivered in spades.
"Ren truly deserves to be called Fiore's strongest Mage. His strength must be more than enough to become one of the Ten Wizard Saints! He defeated Jose Porla seven years ago, and now Jura Neekis. Why doesn't he have the title of Ten Wizard Saint yet? It seems like an oversight by the Council."
Arcadios kept his head lowered, his expression hidden by his helmet.
The Knight replied, "Your Majesty! The Ten Wizard Saints are the ten Mages with the strongest magic power on the Ishgar Continent, theoretically. However, the selection process by the Magic Council is... complicated."
"Besides considering the raw strength of the chosen Mages, they must also consider political issues. The Magic Council does not want any single country to become too dominant."