As Fairy Tail's annual Fantasia Parade successfully came to an end, time officially entered the year X783.
At the beginning of this new year, the members of Fairy Tail did not choose to rest peacefully or relax.
Instead, everyone began leaving early and returning late every single day, forming groups and throwing themselves wholeheartedly into preparation for the upcoming Grand Magic Games.
...
In the backyard of Kabe's manor, inside the recently renovated training grounds.
The members of Fairy Tail Team A were currently watching an intense "battle" with complete concentration.
"Magic Power Separation!"
"Stamina Separation!"
Holding her staff, Irene Belserion opened the fight with two terrifying debuff spells.
The blue-haired girl standing opposite her had barely assumed a fighting stance before collapsing instantly.
In less than a second, Juvia Lockser weakly dropped to her knees and hands, sticking her rear up helplessly as she completely lost the ability to fight.
The girls watching from the sidelines were covered in black lines.
Everyone exchanged awkward looks.
Not a single person dared to say a word.
...
Watching Irene utterly fail to understand the concept of "holding back," Selene, who was leisurely drinking tea beside a small table, shook her head with amused disappointment.
"This won't do, Irene."
"Your Enchantment Magic is way too overpowered against these little girls."
Irene waved her staff, canceling the effects of her spells before rolling her eyes beautifully toward Selene.
"Other than Enchantment Magic, Dragon Slayer Magic is what I'm best at."
"What, did you want me to imitate you and start firing roars at them too?"
As she spoke, the tip of her staff tapped against the freshly repaired ground beneath them.
Instantly, memories resurfaced in everyone's minds.
Specifically, the scene from several days ago when Selene sparred with Ultear Milkovich...
And casually flattened half the training grounds with a single "Moon Dragon's Roar."
"Poor little Ultear."
"Her face went completely white when she saw that tidal wave of moonlight rushing toward her."
At the edge of the field, Ultear immediately covered her face in embarrassment after hearing her humiliating moment brought up again.
Erza Scarlet patted her friend's shoulder comfortingly while staring helplessly at the two monsters standing in the field.
"Please stop... this is all my fault."
"I never should've gotten carried away and invited you two monsters to be our sparring partners."
"Oh, don't say that, little Erza."
Selene stood up with her hands on her hips, speaking seriously.
"I'm actually very good at training people."
"It's guidance, not torment, Sister Selene..."
Erza held her forehead with a headache.
Originally, she thought her idea had been brilliant.
With Irene and Selene, two absolute peak-level powerhouses overseeing their training, she believed everyone would learn a tremendous amount.
Unfortunately...
Those two had apparently misunderstood the assignment completely.
Rather than "teaching," they treated the entire thing as entertainment to relieve boredom.
...
"Don't lump me together with that unreliable big-breasted dragon over there."
Irene coldly corrected her.
"Everything I'm doing will genuinely improve your strength."
As she spoke, her staff pointed toward Juvia, who had only just barely recovered enough to move again.
The moment Juvia saw the staff aimed at her, a terrible premonition instantly filled her heart.
"W-Wait a second!!"
Unfortunately, begging was useless.
Purple-red light flashed across her body once more.
With another miserable cry, Juvia collapsed face-first onto the ground again.
But this time, Irene still was not finished.
She dismissed her staff and casually summoned a long whip into her hand.
Crack!
The whip lashed violently beside Juvia's body.
"Get up!"
"Adapt to weakness!"
"Run one hundred laps around the training grounds!"
"Wuaaah! H-Help me, Erza!!"
Faced with Irene, who now looked exactly like a merciless demon instructor, Juvia cried for rescue while desperately dragging her exhausted body across the ground with both hands and feet.
"Ten seconds."
"If you still haven't stood up by then, the next strike won't miss."
Holding the whip, Irene's entire aura had changed.
Her stern voice echoed through the field as she coldly forced Juvia to obey.
...
The girls at the sidelines were completely dumbfounded.
Watching the trembling Juvia forcibly stand up before stumbling into a miserable run under Irene's pressure...
Fear quietly began spreading through everyone's hearts.
...
"So that's your method."
"Artificially draining stamina and magic power to force the body into extreme-limit training."
"That really is an effective approach."
Unlike Erza and the others, Selene instantly saw through Irene's intentions and even gave a surprisingly high evaluation.
"Hold on, are you people actually serious?!"
Mirajane Strauss looked utterly horrified.
"This kind of training is basically torture!"
"Exactly."
Irene nodded calmly.
"The human body is mysterious. No one truly knows how much hidden potential exists inside it."
"And if you want to excavate that potential..."
"Then unconventional methods are necessary."
After saying that, Irene lowered her whip and slowly turned her gaze toward the frightened girls standing nearby.
Meeting her eyes, Cana Alberona swallowed nervously before forcing herself to ask:
"D-Don't tell me... we're all going to train like this too?"
"Mm. Of course."
"Hehehe, this sounds fun."
Selene instantly conjured a glowing light whip of her own.
After casually swinging it twice through the air, excitement filled her face.
"Erza!!!"
Mirajane immediately grabbed Erza by the neck and started shaking her violently.
"This is all your fault!"
"You idiot, you invited these two lunatics here and now we all have to suffer with you!"
But despite being strangled, Erza unexpectedly revealed a thoughtful expression instead.