Three months passed in the blink of an eye, and the members of Fairy Tail completed their training, beginning to return one after another.
"Haha, I'm finally back!"
Natsu looked at everyone's changes and said excitedly, "Long time no see! Wendy, Mirajane, Lisanna..."
"Elfman sure has built up a lot of muscle!"
Elfman flexed his biceps: "This is what a real man looks like!"
Lisanna smiled and said, "The three of us siblings went to the deep mountains to train, and our strength has improved significantly."
Gray threw off his clothes, revealing his eight-pack abs, and said confidently, "I also went to the snowy mountains to train. Now I can take on two Natsus!"
Natsu's face filled with fighting spirit: "Gray, let's settle this!"
"Just what I wanted!"
Everyone watched the two scuffling together and couldn't help but burst into laughter. They really were a pair of rivals; even after not seeing each other for three months, they started fighting as soon as they met.
Just then, Irene returned with Lucy and Erza. Seeing the two in the middle of a heated brawl, she couldn't help but find it amusing: "The Grand Magic Games start tomorrow. Can't you wait until then?"
"Long time no see, Irene, Erza, Lucy!"
Everyone greeted them. Looking at Lucy and Erza's sexy swimsuits, their eyes lit up: "Are you dressed like that because you went to the beach for a vacation?"
Lucy looked speechless: "How is that possible? We were training hard too."
Mirajane asked curiously, "How did you train?"
Both Lucy and Erza wore expressions of wanting to forget the past as they said in unison, "Bombing fish!"
Everyone was filled with question marks. What kind of training was bombing fish?
"Erza and I were the fish, and Irene was responsible for bombing us."
Lucy spoke weakly, recounting the three months of training. She and Erza had to swim in the sea, aiming for the opposite shore and back, all while being targeted by Irene's overwhelming barrage of laser cannons.
Thinking about how the seawater was blasted boiling hot by magic, she couldn't help but shiver. There was also the magic spinning and spiraling into the sky, and cat-and-mouse, where Erza was turned into a cat and she was turned into a mouse... It was simply too sadistic.
Everyone looked on with sympathy. Irene's mischievous nature was well-known. To be toyed with by her for three months, it was a miracle the two of them were still alive.
Irene pinched Erza's little face and smiled happily: "Didn't you both get a lot stronger after my training? Why the long faces?"
Erza slapped her hand away and said helplessly, "You just thought it was fun, didn't you?"
Lucy nodded in agreement. She had already made up her mind never to train with this devil Irene again.
"I can't believe you'd think that of your mother..."
Irene covered her face with her hands and said sorrowfully, "The pain on your body is a wound in my heart. Mama's heart is breaking... I'm crying my eyes out..."
Her eyes revealed deep disappointment and heartache, a silent accusation of being misunderstood.
Erza's face darkened: "Could you at least put a little more effort into your acting?"
Not a single tear. Only a fool would believe her.
Irene curled her lip: "You're not cute at all!"
It was rare for her to put on a performance, yet they didn't even know how to play along. Little Lucy was much more sympathetic.
Lucy had felt a bit sad a moment ago, thinking she had misjudged Irene, but then she realized it was all an act. She felt like a flock of crows was flying over her head.
Damn it, can you stop messing with people's emotions like that!
Ten minutes later, Acnologia also returned. Everyone immediately greeted him and asked how his training went.
Acnologia smiled: "Naturally, it was completed."
His training talent was unparalleled in the world; there was no reason for him to fail.
Seeing Lucy and Erza's swimsuits, he couldn't help but ask curiously, "Did you two go to the beach for a vacation?"
Lucy looked helpless: "How is that possible!"
She recounted the three months' experience once more; it was truly something she didn't want to look back on.
Acnologia couldn't help but glance at a guilty-looking Irene. Good grief, you treated these two girls like kittens and puppies.
He felt a bit of regret in his heart. To think he missed out on such a thing; even the joy of his successful training was cut in half.
"Alright, everyone is here. I have a few things to say!"
Makarov stood on a table and spoke about the competition details and which opponents they needed to pay close attention to.
Seeing everyone nodding off, he coughed twice and said, "Of course, the most important thing is that the winning team will receive thirty million Jewels!"
"Thirty million Jewels!"
Everyone's eyes widened instantly. Their confidence surged, and they declared they would definitely seize the victory!
Makarov looked toward Mavis and Zera and asked, "Does the First Master have any further arrangements?"
As the First Master who held the title of the Fairy Tactician, he believed she would certainly consider things more thoroughly than he would.
Mavis shook her head: "Not for now. Let me observe the arena and the other guilds first!"
"Good! Everyone, follow me!"
...Crocus, the City of Blossoming Flowers and capital of the Kingdom of Fiore!
As the first Grand Magic Games, the grand celebration was naturally well-publicized. At this moment, the entire city was filled with Mages and tourists from all over, creating a scene of jubilation and excitement.
On the western hilltop was the venue for the Grand Magic Games, Domus Flau.
Similar to a colosseum, it was extremely spacious, with over a hundred massive chains firmly anchoring the walls and statues.
Everyone walked through the bustling streets, looking at the city's dazzling array of shops with excitement.
Wendy was dazzled, saying with novelty, "This is my first time in such a big city. It's so lively!"
Gray agreed: "Me too!"
Natsu said with a chuckle, "It's actually about the same as Dragnof Royal City."
Happy agreed: "Aye~"
They were people who had seen the world after all, so they weren't going to make a big fuss.
Makarov looked at everyone and said, "Next, we will go to the spectator accommodation area, while you two teams go to your respective dormitories."
"Gildarts, Laxus, Gray, Erza, Wendy, Mirajane, Cana—this is the map for the first team's dormitory. I've marked the route for you."
"Acnologia, Irene, Natsu, Lucy, Juvia, Gajeel, Elfman—this is yours!"
The Kingdom had already arranged accommodations. The Grand Magic Games wouldn't be over in a day or two, and the Kingdom wasn't so stingy as to make the guilds pay for their own lodging.
"Okay, Master!"
Acnologia and the others responded, and then set off to find their dormitory. They found it after about ten minutes.
It was a dormitory with seven beds neatly arranged. It was quite clean and didn't feel crowded even with seven people.
As the captain of the second team, Acnologia looked at the excited crowd. Knowing they couldn't sit still, he reminded them, "Those who want to go out and play can do so, but remember to be back before midnight."
"Yay!"
"Happy, Lucy, follow me!"
"Juvia is going to find Gray-sama!"
Everyone cheered, dropped their luggage, and rushed out.
Irene reached out and hugged Acnologia's arm, saying gently, "Let's go for a stroll too!"
Acnologia naturally wouldn't refuse and smiled: "Let's go!"
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