Hmm...
Finn stared up at the looming, demonic castle. For him, slaughtering 100 monsters wouldn't just be easy; it would be an easy chore. However, his knowledge reminded him of the weight of this exact moment. In the original timeline, this was the event where Erza single-handedly reminded the entire continent exactly why Fairy Tail was to be feared. It was her most iconic, defining moment of glory.
What happens if I steal that spotlight?
If it had been anyone else—like Natsu or Gajeel—Finn wouldn't have hesitated for a second to crush their dreams and take the absolute victory for himself. But when he thought about his deeply intimate, complicated relationship with Erza, a rare spark of empathy and gentleness flickered in his chest. He decided to step back and let his woman shine.
Using an undetectable pulse of spatial magic, Finn swapped the numbered sticks inside the wooden box just as Mato called for the final reveal.
"Oh, would you look at that? Number seven. How lucky," Mato announced smoothly, holding up the wooden stick.
The suffocating tension that had gripped the stadium instantly evaporated. The other competitors couldn't help but feel a massive wave of jealousy. By drawing the final number, Finn had secured the tactical advantage; he could sit back, watch the others exhaust themselves, gather combat data on the monsters, and effortlessly sweep up whatever was left.
"Oh... why did I even agree to come to this event...?" Hibiki Lates sighed, dropping his head in despair. Combat was definitely not his forte, and going near the end of the roster meant the expectations would be crushing.
"Boss..."
A tentative, telepathic voice suddenly echoed in Finn's mind. He glanced over slightly to see Orga standing stiffly a few feet away, avoiding direct eye contact.
"I-I mean... Master? No, Lord? Your Majesty...?" Orga scrambled mentally, completely unsure of how to address the tyrant who had secretly conquered his guild last night.
"Just call me Finn-san," Finn sighed helplessly, establishing a secure telepathic link with the Lightning God Slayer. "And tell the rest of your Sabertooth friends to do the same. I don't need the entire stadium to know our situation."
"O-Okay, Finn-san!" Orga nodded quickly.
"What is it?"
"Well... do you want me to handle the rest of these guys?" Orga offered eagerly. "I might not look it right now, but I'm incredibly strong! I'm the wielder of the Lightning God Slayer Magic! I know I can't take first place with you here, but I can definitely secure second!"
Orga genuinely believed it. Aside from the monster holding his leash, he was confident he could overpower the rest of the field.
"Just try to maintain fifth place for now," Finn replied, rolling his eyes beneath his mask.
"Fifth?!" Orga's mental voice spiked with offended pride. "I can do way better than fifth!"
"Just watch and learn," Finn reprimanded him smoothly. "You are underestimating everyone here. Jura Neekis is a Wizard Saint. Erza Scarlet is a monster in her own right. And Cana Alberona... she is the ultimate wild card."
While Cana's Card Magic was versatile rather than overwhelmingly destructive, Finn knew exactly what she had hidden up her sleeve. After months of private, grueling training sessions under his supervision, her mastery over Fairy Glitter—one of the Three Great Fairy Magics—had reached the point where she could functionally nuke the entire arena if she wanted to.
"....." Orga fell silent, deeply at a loss, but he obediently bit his tongue. He wanted to prove his value to his new boss, but he knew better than to argue.
Meanwhile, Mato announced the true winner of the draw.
"And drawing Number One... Erza Scarlet from Fairy Tail Team A!"
Erza stepped forward, her armor clinking lightly. "It's my win."
"Win?" Mato tilted his giant pumpkin head in confusion. "Being the first to enter Pandemonium doesn't guarantee a victory, pumpkin! In fact, it means you'll have to face the most dangerous monsters completely blind!"
Mato was right. Compared to Finn, who now had the luxury of observing, Erza was walking into a complete unknown.
Yet, Erza ignored the mascot. She turned her head, her sharp brown eyes locking onto Finn's masked face. "I hope you don't mind me taking the first position."
"Go right ahead, Titania," Finn replied, offering a slight, magnanimous wave of his hand. "Luck is also part of power."
"Thank you." Erza offered a subtle, deeply respectful nod.
While Finn had done an exceptional job hiding his identity from the world, Erza's intuition was sharp. She had a very strong suspicion about the man beneath the mask. But she also trusted him. If he was hiding his identity, she believed he had a necessary reason for doing so.
"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Mato asked, sensing the strange tension.
Erza turned back to face the towering, demonic castle. She drew her sword, her voice echoing with absolute, unyielding authority.
"I challenge everything."
"...What?"
"All one hundred monsters. I will fight every single one of them."
As her declaration shattered the silence of the stadium, Erza initiated her Requip magic. She didn't summon the heavy, impenetrable Adamantine Armor, nor the speed-enhancing Flight Armor. Instead, a blinding flash of light revealed her absolute most lethal, offensive state: Clear Heart Clothing.
It wasn't armor at all. It was simply a pair of flame-resistant red hakama pants and tight white bandages (sarashi) wrapped securely around her chest. In her hands, she held a single, unadorned katana—the Benizakura (Crimson Cherry). It was a state that sacrificed absolutely all defensive capabilities in exchange for pouring every single ounce of her magical power directly into the cutting edge of her blade.
She tied her vibrant scarlet hair back into a tight ponytail, her face set in a mask of pure, beautiful, unyielding determination.
Watching her, Finn felt a strange thrill in his chest. Seeing her radiate such fierce, untouchable dominance on the battlefield created a staggering contrast in his mind. It's almost impossible to believe this absolute warrior queen is the same woman who cries so beautifully and submissively for me behind closed doors, Finn thought with a strange pride.
But no one else in the stadium was having lewd thoughts. They were simply paralyzed by shock.
"W-What do you mean, pumpkin?!" Mato shrieked, waving his oversized gloves.
"Exactly what I said. I will fight them all," Erza repeated coldly.
"A-Are you insane?! Do you have a death wish?!"
"Just watch," Erza said softly. "Let me show you."
Without another word, Erza walked through the massive, heavy doors of the Pandemonium castle, sealing herself inside with one hundred lethal monsters.
"F-Finn-san... is she actually for real?!" Orga asked telepathically, his jaw practically hitting the floor.
"Just shut up and watch, Orga," Finn replied, crossing his arms. "You are never going to see something like this again."
It was the absolute truth. Finn knew the story of Fairy Tail. After this tournament concluded and the looming crisis was averted, Fairy Tail likely wouldn't bother competing in future Grand Magic Games. The stakes of their lives were about to scale up drastically.
Like everyone else in the stadium, Finn watched the massive Lacrima projection screens in absolute silence.
For the next hour, it was a symphony of blood and steel. Erza fought like a demon. She was battered, bruised, cut, and knocked to her knees time and time again by the overwhelming swarm of D, C, B, and A-Class monsters. Yet, she refused to stay down. She adapted, Requipping different weapons, utilizing the environment, and slicing through the hordes with terrifying precision.
Finally, bleeding heavily and panting for breath, she faced the colossal, terrifying S-Class monster—a beast three times stronger than anything else in the castle.
With a final, desperate roar, Erza poured the very last dregs of her magic into her blade and severed the beast cleanly in two.
The holographic castle shattered into a million pixels of light.
Erza Scarlet stood alone in the center of the arena, covered in wounds and leaning heavily on her sword. But she raised the blade high into the air, securing absolute victory and proving the terrifying, undeniable might of Fairy Tail to the entire world.
"....."
The stadium was so silent you could hear a pin drop before it absolutely erupted into the loudest, most deafening roar of the entire festival.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"
Amidst the chaos and the tears of the Fairy Tail guild, Finn stood perfectly still. A slow, satisfied smile spread beneath his mask. As he watched the absolute strongest female mage in Fiore stand victorious, he realized just how incredibly lucky he truly was to have conquered a woman of that caliber.