"YOU LITTLE SHIT!"
Jiemma roared in absolute fury, slamming his fists into the VIP balcony railing so hard the stone shattered, blasting fragments into the seats around him. Yet, no matter how much he screamed, he couldn't change the horrifying reality on the scoreboard below.
"No way..."
Down in the Fairy Tail dugout, Makarov and the rest of the guild stood paralyzed in shock, unable to process what they had just witnessed.
Typically, their enemies relied on underhanded tactics, dirty tricks, or cheap sneak attacks to gain an edge. But Meredy had just completely dismantled a temporary, desperate alliance consisting of Gray, Juvia, Lyon, Rufus, Beth, and Eve—and she had done it completely alone, straightforwardly, without taking a single step from the top of that spire!
The result was a total, crushing humiliation for every guild that participated in the event. They had all been defeated effortlessly, yet, looking at the pure devastation left in the sniper's wake, they were also completely helpless to deny Meredy's overwhelming strength.
Back in the Heavenly Blue dugout, the optical illusion Finn had placed over their area remained perfectly intact.
"Have you returned?" Ultear asked, looking over at Finn as his posture relaxed.
"Yeah," Finn sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He felt a mild, lingering ache in his shoulders. Taking full manual control of Meredy's body had been surprisingly taxing. The primary issue was the difference in their bodies since properly drawing a high-tension bow while navigating Meredy's rather large chest required incredibly precise and awkward micro-adjustments.
While it obviously wasn't impossible for him to use a bow while piloting her, the awkward physical constraints had forced him to output significantly less power than he usually would. But then again, Finn thought, even operating at a fraction of my strength, none of them were fast enough or durable enough to pose a threat.
He understood that power in Earthland wasn't just about blowing up cities. True strength often came in abstract forms—insane regenerative abilities, time manipulation, or even conceptual reality-warping. Even if a mage possessed a weak physical body, if they could rewrite reality, they were functionally invincible.
Finn knew that in terms of raw output, he was likely the strongest entity in the Grand Magic Games. Yet, he also knew he wasn't the absolute apex predator of the universe. Not yet.
I need to change my mindset, Finn realized, staring out at the cheering crowd.
Because of his original, mediocre talent back in his first life, he had spent years relying on hyper-cautious pragmatism. He had carefully laid traps, operated from the shadows, and aggressively utilized dirty tactics to survive and claw his way to the top. But he wasn't that weak, cornered man anymore. He had grown immensely. He possessed the Manager, the combined combat data of his multiverse counterparts, and an absurdly deep well of magical power.
Instead of constantly looking over his shoulder, treating Acnologia, Zeref, and the Dragon Gods as terrifying threats he needed to avoid, shouldn't he start viewing them as stepping stones? As rare biological and magical materials he could harvest to fuel his own growth?
What exactly am I afraid of?
Previously, Finn had been deeply hesitant to utilize the raw power of the Earth Dragon God, Kurnugi, fearing it would draw unwanted attention. Now, a cold, ambitious fire ignited in his chest. It was time to stop playing it safe. Safe was boring. Safe didn't lead to godhood. Just like his counterpart in the DxD universe who had ruthlessly devoured his enemies to evolve into a True Devil, Finn needed to charge forward and devour the strongest beings in Earthland.
He might have achieved the title of 'Sage' or 'Enlightened' by human standards, but his evolution was far from over.
"What are you thinking about?" Ultear asked, breaking his train of thought. She noticed a dangerous, predatory glint in his eyes that sent a sudden shiver down her spine.
"Nothing important," Finn replied smoothly, the dark expression vanishing instantly.
"Are you tired?"
Ultear stepped up behind his chair. Her soft, cool fingers began to lightly massage his temples. "If you burn out your magical reserves playing puppet master like that, don't blame me if you end up losing your own one-on-one battle later."
Ultear wasn't exactly sure how much magic power Finn had expended to maintain the Possession Magic while simultaneously supplying Meredy with enough raw mana to spam hundreds of high-tier light arrows. But looking out at the arena, Meredy was currently bouncing around the stage, her chest swaying happily as she celebrated a victory Finn had entirely orchestrated.
Given Meredy's own limited magical reserves, Ultear knew Finn must have been acting as a massive, external battery for her. But watching how flawlessly Finn had piloted the younger girl, a strange, selfish thought crept into Ultear's mind. If I have to fight a difficult opponent later... maybe I should just let him possess me, too. The thought of surrendering control to him and watching her own body move with that kind of untouchable, ruthless grace was deeply appealing.
Evidently, Flare and Sorano harbored the exact same thought.
"You still have some time before the battles begin. You should rest," Ultear advised. "Flare, Sorano, come help me."
"Yes."
"Right away."
Finn didn't exactly complain. In fact, he felt like an absolute emperor. Hidden safely behind his optical illusion barrier, three incredibly beautiful women surrounded his chair, their soft hands massaging his shoulders, arms, and scalp. However, as they moved, their generous, lewd curves occasionally brushed against his body, sparking a physical reaction he actively needed to suppress.
"...Please stop doing that," Finn muttered, keeping his eyes closed. "If you casually seduce me in a public arena, it's going to lead to a very embarrassing situation when the barrier drops."
"Don't worry about that, Finn-sama," Flare whispered directly into his ear, her breath hot against his skin. "I can help you calm down right here if you need me to..."
"M-Me too..." Sorano added bravely, her face burning.
It was Sorano's first time openly offering herself, but after spending the last few months listening to Flare scream in absolute, lewd bliss from the master bedroom, she was intensely jealous and incredibly eager for a turn.
Meanwhile, Ultear remained silent, though her internal monologue was running completely off the rails.
Eh? Me too?! Ultear panicked internally. She didn't think she was nearly as effortlessly cute as the others, but knowing Finn had a severe weakness for mature, taken women... she felt she needed to mentally prepare herself. What if his young, aggressive stamina got the better of him? What if he pinned her down and aggressively punished her for being a wicked, manipulative woman, forcing her to submit entirely to his—
"....." Finn opened his eyes, staring at Ultear.
He had no idea what wildly inappropriate scenario the time-mage was currently visualizing, but the deeply conflicted, flustered expression on her face was incredibly weird.
"...What exactly are you all doing?"
Meredy suddenly stepped through the optical barrier, stopping dead in her tracks. She stared speechlessly at Ultear, Flare, and Sorano, who were practically draped over Finn's lap and shoulders in a highly suggestive massage circle.
Isn't this incredibly inappropriate for a public sporting event?!
"Don't worry," Ultear said smoothly, quickly regaining her composure. "He cast an advanced optical illusion over the dugout. From the outside, it just looks like we're all sitting in our assigned seats watching you."
"Sigh... well, that's true, I suppose," Meredy groaned, rubbing her legs. "But I'm exhausted from all that bouncing around. I need to sit down."
"Just sit on his lap. You're petite enough," Ultear suggested shamelessly.
Meredy glanced at Sorano, who shrugged, before casually climbing into Finn's lap and settling her back against his chest.
"...."
Finn opened his mouth to protest, but the moment Meredy leaned back, letting out a heavy sigh of absolute contentment, he bit his tongue. However, as she wiggled her hips side-to-side, trying to find the most comfortable position on his thighs, it took every ounce of his Sage-like discipline not to react. If the optical barrier dropped right now, he would be socially destroyed.
"Okay, okay. That's enough. Stop, everyone. Just calm down," Finn ordered, swiftly standing up and lifting Meredy off his lap by her waist. "The morning event is over. The battles are about to begin."
"You're going back to the hotel after this match, right, Finn-sama?" Flare asked, looking at him with desperate, pleading eyes, clearly eager to finish what she had offered earlier.
"Yeah. Don't worry," Finn assured her, straightening his uniform coat.
But before Flare could properly express her joy—
"Now, it is time for the first official Battle of the Grand Magic Games!" Chapati Lola screamed, the stadium roaring to life. "Selected by the sponsors, we have our first matchup!"
The massive Lacrima screens above the arena flashed violently, locking in two portraits.
"From Fairy Tail Team A, the Celestial Mage: LUCY HEARTFILIA! Versus! The masked powerhouse from Heavenly Blue: FLARE!"
"...."
"...What?"
Hearing her name called, Flare completely froze. The entire Heavenly Blue dugout fell dead silent.