"Tch, what's there to brag about?" Gray snapped, his tone dripping with frustration. "You barely held off the enemy with fancy magic tools and someone else's magic. That's just a hollow victory."
"What did you say?" Bickslow bristled, clearly stung. "You think I only won because of Kira?"
"Isn't that the case?" Gray taunted. "Without Kira upgrading your dolls and that repair magic, you'd be down for the count already."
Floating in the air atop one of his dolls, Bickslow crossed his arms and glared down at Gray. "If you're so sure, then come at me!"
Perfect, keep your focus on me! Gray thought, hiding a smirk behind his defiant expression.
Two minutes earlier…
"Juvia, I've got a plan," Gray had said.
"What's the plan?"
"If we run into more enemies, I'll hold them off. You just keep running."
"But Juvia wants to fight alongside Gray-sama~"
"…The priority right now is winning the match, so focus on that instead of getting all mushy!"
"Yes~ Juvia understands~"
Now…
Thanks to their plan, when Bickslow appeared, Gray and Juvia knew their roles: Gray would keep Bickslow occupied, while Juvia transformed into water and slipped away unnoticed.
In less than a minute, Gray had successfully drawn Bickslow's full attention, and Juvia, true to her task, was long gone.
"Ice-Make: Warhammer!"
Dozens of ice hammers rained down with a whistling force, only to be shattered by the laser blasts from Bickslow's dolls.
"Ice-Make: Holy Sword!"
Realizing ranged attacks weren't working, Gray switched to close combat, forging two longswords and charging in. For most people, firearms outclassed melee weapons, but for mages, it wasn't about one being better—it was about what suited the user. In the guild, Erza was the queen of wielding weapons with her Requip magic, followed by Gray. His static Ice-Make magic let him craft swords, spears, axes, and hammers, and over time, he'd mastered their use.
Bickslow's attacks were predictable. His Figure Eyes magic, controlling his dolls, had strong offensive power but little versatility. Once Gray figured out his pattern, the fight quickly tilted in his favor.
"Line Formation!"
Gray blocked the incoming attacks with his dual swords, as bursts of magic sent shimmering ice shards scattering across the ground with a crackling sound.
"Even if your dolls can be repaired, there's got to be a limit—like magic power," Gray said, unfazed as his swords shattered again. "If I keep breaking them, they'll eventually stay down!"
With a battle cry, Gray poured all his magic into a relentless assault, unleashing hundreds of ice weapons during a gap in the dolls' attacks. When it came to crafting speed, he was unmatched. In just a minute, the five dolls endured a brutal onslaught—swords, spears, axes, hammers, every cold weapon imaginable materialized and rained down, clinking crisply as they hit the ground.
Thanks to the repair magic, the dolls restored themselves instantly after each hit, but this only drained their energy faster.
"Crap!" Bickslow cursed, realizing his dolls' power was nearly depleted. His panic left him wide open.
Gray crouched slightly, fists clenched, then spun and leaped, moving like a bolt of lightning to close the distance. "Ice-Make: Sacred Demon Swords!"
Swish! Swish!
His ice swords slashed upward in a cross, accelerating midair to slice across Bickslow's chest, kicking up a gust of wind.
The strike sent Bickslow flying, crashing to the ground like a lifeless boulder, debris and dust scattering everywhere.
Looking at the downed Bickslow, Gray stood tall, brimming with confidence. "Your dolls can be fixed, but you can't!"
Bickslow, stubborn as ever, shot back, "I haven't even gone all out yet!"
"Heh, I know you've still got your Figure Eyes magic up your sleeve, but it's too late for that now. Juvia's already—" Gray's smug grin froze as a voice echoed through the valley: "The match between the White and Black Teams has been decided. Congratulations to the White Team for their victory!"
"Pfft—" Gray nearly choked. What was all that effort for? My heart's exhausted!
At the White Team's crystal tower, Nob lay unconscious by the roadside, while Juvia stared regretfully at the white crystal orb just out of reach. She'd only just arrived!
In less than 15 minutes since the match began, one battle had already been decided. Before thousands of spectators, all ten members of the White and Black Teams were teleported out of the valley and back to the arena.
White Team Status: Kira and Bisca still active; Bickslow, Marcus, and Nob incapacitated.
Black Team Status: Juvia still active; Natsu, Gajeel, Alzack, and Bijita incapacitated.
"Haha, Gray's face is priceless!" someone in the crowd laughed.
"Huh? Bickslow lost? That's surprising…" Kira glanced at the status screen, puzzled. "He definitely didn't go all out. Not sure if he didn't have the chance or was holding back on purpose." Though even at full strength, he probably couldn't beat Gray.
Looking further, he noted, "Bisca's still in the game? Didn't see that coming…"
Juvia's voice came next, tinged with regret. "So close! Juvia almost won. I've let Gray-sama down~"
"The twisted magic at the central junction was randomized. I didn't expect it to connect the White Team's path to the Blue Team's, giving them another route. That was my miscalculation," Kira reflected, mentally noting to plan a few steps ahead next time he set a trap.
With help from other guild members, both teams returned to their rooms to recover. The injured rested, while the others stayed to watch the remaining matches.
Inside the valley, with one-third of the first round over, the pace of the competition quickened. Kira' departure also restored the six central paths to their original routes.
A faint ripple of magic pulsed through the valley, and the trapped Laxus sensed it first. "The White Team won? That magic just now… was that Kira' doing? That jerk!"
Of everyone in Fairy Tail, Laxus had been messed with by Kira the most. He still hadn't forgotten those humiliating beatdowns!
…
In the Red Team's central path, the demon and the knight clashed fiercely.
Black magic collided with white swords as Mirajane and Erza locked eyes, their faces less than 10 centimeters apart, burning with fervor.
"Dark Spark!"
"Triangle Sword of Heaven's Wheel!"
The announcer's voice didn't faze them. Mirajane pressed her relentless assault, her magic dazzling like stars in the night, bursting with the brilliance of fireworks, sending shockwaves through the air. Erza countered, her countless silver swords hovering behind her, each swing flashing with radiant swordlight that stunned onlookers.
"Super Sadistic Frenzy!"
"Pentagram Sword of Heaven's Wheel!"
Mirajane swept her demonic arm, forcing Erza to step back and dodge. Erza angled her shoulder, slashing upward, only for Mirajane to kick the sword aside. Erza leaped, raining down swords like a storm. Mirajane took to the air, her dark magic surging like a tidal wave, while Erza switched armors to block…
Anticipation, evasion; attack, defense; hands and feet in sync, blending raw power with finesse. Magic and physical prowess shone in their battle, their wills driving the fight to one climax after another.
"Soul Extinguisher!"
"Chaotic Sword of Heaven's Wheel!"
Unlike the two locked in their epic duel, the White and Black Teams' outcome jolted Elfman and Cana into action. They realized time was running out—they couldn't waste energy fighting irrelevant opponents. Their bases might already be under attack, and their teams could be the next to fall.
Elfman dropped his Beast King form. "Stop fighting, you two! Keep this up, and it's no good for anyone!"
Cana recalled her card. "Yeah, Mira, Erza, you're not gonna… cough… you're not gonna settle this! Let's focus on winning the match!"
"Ugh, Kira is such a bad influence. He's totally rubbing off on me!" Cana muttered.