Kael spoke as he stepped out. Since Fairy Tail was back, the first goal was to become number one.
"It's over!!"
Elfman was stunned when he saw Kael take the field.
Having participated in the battle of Tenrou Island, he knew exactly what kind of freakish monster Kael was—forget seven years, even if seventy years passed, the guy would still be a super monster.
Gajeel patted Elfman on the shoulder. "I'm rooting for you, man."
Even as he said it, Gajeel couldn't help but want to laugh. A duel against a monster like Kael? What a joke.
Sherria looked at Lyon and the others. "Is that person really that strong? Why did everyone's expressions change the moment he was mentioned?"
Yuka said, "It's no longer a question of whether he's strong or not."
Toby agreed. "Oh! He's a genuine monster!"
"He couldn't possibly be stronger than Jura, right?"
"Well... seven years ago, he defeated Jose, the seventh of the Ten Wizard Saints. At that time, Jura was ranked tenth. Jura has grown much stronger since then, so the guy shouldn't be a match for him now, right?"
Yuka spoke with some uncertainty. It was true that Jura's magic power had increased immensely over the past seven years, climbing from tenth to the current fifth rank.
Jura said, "We won't know who is stronger until we cross paths, but seven years ago, I was certainly no match for Kael. If we get the chance to fight, I'd like to settle the score properly."
Jura's eyes glimmered slightly. The battle where Kael faced the Oración Seis seven years ago had truly taught him a lesson, letting him witness firsthand that there is always someone better out there.
Since then, he hadn't wallowed in the empty fame of the Wizard Saints at all, dedicating himself to training to reach his current level.
"Participants for the 'Hidden' match, please step forward."
The host wearing the pumpkin head mask said.
[It's finally about to begin. I wonder what kind of competition 'Hidden' will be. Mr. Yajima, who do you think will stand out?]
"It should be Kael."
[Kael is indeed a powerful contestant. Seven years ago in Onibus, I was the one who provided commentary for that battle. He left a very deep impression on me, though I hope he doesn't destroy the arena this time.]
"Kael? Who's that?"
"No idea! Never heard of him!"
"Seems he was a member of Fairy Tail seven years ago, but it's been too long. He's definitely a has-been! The strongest guild now is Sabertooth!"
"You don't know Kael?! Sabertooth might be strong, but they're no match for Kael"...
The audience was buzzing with discussion. Those who were slightly older and had seen the battle between Kael and Jose thought Kael was incredible, but most people believed Sabertooth was stronger.
"Allow me to interrupt. We still don't know what event we're participating in today, and the content is kept secret. Regardless, doesn't Fairy Tail have a huge advantage with two participating members?"
Nalpudding proposed his opinion.
"This... actually, having two teams from the same guild makes the whole competition full of surprises... Pumpkin... but Fairy Tail hasn't violated any rules. Being able to get two teams in is proof enough of their strength."
Kael turned his gaze toward Nalpudding and said with a smile, "Raven Tail, huh... I'll make sure to have some fun with you later."
"Humph! If you want to play, just try it!"
Nalpudding spoke without backing down an inch upon hearing Kael's words.
"Field Open!!"
At that moment, the arena floor began to shift, and in the blink of an eye, a small town was materialized.
"What is that?!"
"A city?!"
"It's huge!"
"Unbelievable!!"...
Everyone was stunned by the sight of a town being materialized through magic.
Simultaneously, all participants were teleported to different areas within the town.
Eve glanced around. "Everyone's gone. Are we playing hide-and-seek here?"
"Uwaaa, where should I hide?"
Beth was a bit panicked.
"Hide-and-seek? That's strange. Who's the one seeking?"
[Everyone in the audience can see everything inside the city through the holographic screens. The eight participants do not know each other's positions.]
[The rules of 'Hidden' are simple. Participants are both the hiders and the seekers. You must find the others in the city and deliver a single hit. You can use magic freely; it doesn't matter if you hurt them. The person who attacks first gets 1 point.]
Suddenly!
Figures flickered within the town, and in an instant, many clones identical to the participants were materialized.
"What's going on?!"
"There are so many Kaels... how terrifying!!"
[These are your clones. If you mistakenly attack a clone, you will lose one point! The more you destroy, the more points will be deducted!]
[Alright! Now, sink into silence!! Hide your tracks like black cats under the cover of night!!]
[Hidden, Begin!!!]
CLANG——————!!
Along with the chime of the gong, the match officially began.
After learning the rules, many people began to move, observing quietly while hiding their tracks to blend into the crowd.
Kael saw the situation around him and couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm not exactly good at hiding. However, I'm quite proficient at finding people."
"Full Body Take Over: Satoru Gojo!"
Kael's body began to change form. Soon, Kael appeared in the arena town in the handsome, white-haired form of Satoru Gojo.
[Eh?! Kael chose to transform! That's right, Kael's magic is Take Over magic. When he transforms, his appearance changes from his original self. Doesn't that mean Kael's true body is directly exposed!!]
"That's right! Isn't Kael at a disadvantage this way!"
Lucy couldn't help but feel confused seeing Kael's change.
Erza smiled and said, "True, this event is a bit unfavorable for Kael, who uses Take Over magic. But have you forgotten the abilities of this transformation?"
Lucy paused for a second, and then it clicked.
"Oh, right!"
Kael's ability in this transformation was absolutely broken, making it perfect for this competition.
Kael stood in the town, observing through the Six Eyes. The Six Eyes provided a 360-degree field of vision, and buildings could not obstruct it.
"Found you!"
Kael flickered and instantly appeared in front of Nalpudding.
He raised a hand in greeting. "Yo! What a coincidence! We meet again so soon!"
A savage grin appeared on Nalpudding's face. "Kael, you showed up just in time. Saves me the trouble of finding you. Take this!!"
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