"Hidden rules?"
Everyone was surprised to hear Irene's words. Could there be rules the referee hadn't explained?
Lucy remembered the tremors she felt underground, and her expression suddenly changed. "Could they be trying to trigger a volcanic eruption to wipe us out directly?"
"Smart!"
Irene snapped her fingers and said with a smile, "The opponent is casting magic from a distance, connecting to the Earth's core. In three minutes, the ground beneath us will completely explode, turning into a lava zone with nowhere to stand."
"If we don't resist in time, some of us will turn into little roasted pigs."
As she spoke, she glanced at the panicked group, eventually fixing her gaze on Lucy.
Lucy was speechless. If it's a roasted pig, then it's a roasted pig. Why are you looking at me? Do I look like a roasted pig?
Juvia looked terrified. "Then what should we do? Juvia will definitely be boiled into hot water."
Natsu said confidently, "Let me eat all the flames underground!"
With that, he punched the ground, intending to smash a tunnel to the core with his bare hands.
But before he could act, Acnologia grabbed his scarf, choking him until his eyes rolled back.
Natsu shouted in anger, "Why are you stopping me?"
Acnologia looked at him as if he were an idiot. "By the time you punch through to the core, the Grand Magic Games will be over."
He looked at everyone and said, "We'll fly over!"
Lucy and the others were overjoyed. "That's right, we can fly."
Irene had used Enchantment Magic to fly them several times before, and it felt amazing.
Irene smiled. "Then let's set off immediately!"
She sensed the ground was about to burst. Without any hesitation, a scarlet light enveloped everyone, turning them into a streak of light that soared into the sky.
The moment they took to the sky, the surface exploded. Lava surged upward like a furious dragon breaking its chains, shooting straight into the clouds.
Flying among the clouds, the group watched in shock as the ground turned into a sea of fire, with white-hot lava streaking through the air like meteors.
"It's like a natural disaster apocalypse!"
This scene served as a reminder that victory required not just brute force, but also wisdom... Behind a distant mountain stood five delicate and cute girls; they were the Snow Fox Guild.
Ever since they saw the lava volcanoes, they immediately realized the danger of this world and took action without hesitation.
The name Fairy Tail was legendary, and their guild's strength was among the top of the 160 guilds. To win, a direct confrontation was out of the question.
The second sister possessed Detection Magic to observe the movements of Acnologia and the others, while the third sister had Vibration Magic, which she used to trigger the eruption of the core's lava.
"It successfully detonated!"
Although the five were far away, the violent explosion made them stumble. Flaming debris rained down from the sky, with much of it landing near them.
Yao Yao, the eldest of the five, reacted quickly. She activated her magic, and several pillars of water shot up, blocking all the falling debris.
"What about the people from Fairy Tail?"
"It's not looking good; they flew into the sky the moment the lava erupted."
"They can actually fly? That's such a cheat!"
The five girls were all unhappy. If the opponents couldn't fly, they would have already won.
Yao Yao immediately arranged their deployment. "If they attack from the sky, we'll just be sitting ducks. Next, the second sister will move away from the battlefield. Fourth sister, fly up and try to lure them down. Fifth sister, use illusions for cover. Third sister, keep triggering the volcanoes. Once they descend a certain distance, detonate them immediately."
"Yes, Big Sister!"
The four girls responded in unison. With clear roles assigned, they immediately began executing the plan.
About three minutes later, Acnologia and his group arrived at the Snow Fox team's area. Before their eyes was a parched desert, with many animals playing and hunting.
"This is..."
Lucy looked at the volcanic eruptions nearby; this place was so quiet, it was as if they were in two different worlds.
Natsu said in confusion, "Could the opponents have been burned to death by the flames, and we've reached a second world?"
Irene rolled her eyes at him. "Has Juvia filled your head with water?"
Juvia's face turned red as she retorted, "Juvia would only fill Gray-sama with water."
Acnologia looked at the white-haired girl flying toward them. Just as he was about to deal with her, he noticed she seemed injured and was falling straight toward the ground.
"What happened to her? We have to save her!"
Lucy was shocked. Falling from this height without any protection, she would almost certainly die.
Irene was speechless. "Everyone here is an opponent. Don't let your sympathy overflow."
As she spoke, her magic staff glowed with a dazzling light. She smiled and said, "This girl isn't injured enough. Let me add another shot!"
The young girl trying to perform in front of a veteran actress like her was simply too naive.
The falling girl was panicked. Everyone said the people of Fairy Tail were kind-hearted, so why did it feel different?
Not only were they not saving her, they were kicking her while she was down... Just as she felt the red magic staff was about to release its power, Lucy suddenly hugged her, blocking the attack.
Irene tried to shake her staff free but couldn't. She looked at Lucy like she was an idiot. "What on earth are you doing, you airhead?"
Lucy said with sympathy, "She seems really injured. Let's go down and check."
Although the host said no one would die in this illusory magic space, they didn't say no one would get hurt. Besides, that girl looked harmless.
Natsu agreed, "Let's go down and see. We're so strong, what's there to be afraid of?"
Gajeel said, "I don't care!"
Elfman said seriously, "A real man must protect girls."
Irene looked disgusted. "If it weren't for you bunch of deadweights, I would have cleared this long ago."
She activated her magic, enveloping everyone in a red light as they charged toward the ground.
Suddenly, the falling girl vanished, followed by a voice: "Third sister, do it!"
"Roger!"
*Rumble!*
The world shook violently, as if an irresistible force was tearing it apart. In an instant, the illusion shattered like glass, revealing the original space.
All the surrounding volcanoes erupted simultaneously. Flames soared into the sky, rushing into the clouds and dyeing the sky blood-red.
At this moment, space became blurred and distorted, and the clouds turned into massive fire vortexes.
Lucy and the others watched the surging lava approaching like ocean waves, completely dumbfounded.
Juvia's expression changed drastically. "Oh no, it's an ambush!"
"I'll eat it!"
Natsu reacted and immediately soared into the sky, opening his mouth to frantically devour the flames. However, lava wasn't just fire; it also contained rocks, which nearly choked him to death.
Looking at the lava swallowing the sky, two words popped into Lucy's mind.
It's over!
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