Mavis returned later that night in extremely good spirits.
Rhodes and the others washed up and went to their own beds.
Mira went to bathe with Juvia.
By the time the two came out, Juvia was hugging her chest, face completely flushed, while Mira was cupping her cheek with one hand, smiling joyfully.
She had undoubtedly whispered something wicked… or shown Juvia something wicked.
A pity no one would ever know.
June 30th, Clear skies.
When Rhodes woke up, he found himself wearing pajamas and hugging his blanket.
He turned to the next bed and, sure enough, Mira was also clutching her blanket, but the way she held it was dangerously similar to a grappling chokehold.
Rhodes sighed inwardly.
People with weak constitutions should avoid marrying wives who are both physically strong and combat specialists.
On Mira's other side, Juvia slept curled up, hugging her blanket with a suspiciously blissful expression.
She even rubbed her cheek against it, smiling in her dreams… with unmistakably damp corners of her mouth.
Anyone could guess what she was dreaming about.
Across the room, Laxus slept stiff as a board, while Gajeel sprawled diagonally over half the mattress, but unusually quiet.
Rhodes's movements woke everyone little by little, so they all simply got up and washed.
After breakfast, Rhodes clapped his hands.
"Today's a free day. Just don't forget what I told you, be back before dinner."
The Grand Magic Games would officially begin tomorrow.
According to the rules, all contestants must return to their designated hotels before midnight, or they'd be disqualified.
Rhodes despised losing due to something so basic, so his rule was even stricter:
Typical "raise-the-standard-for-no-reason" behavior.
But he was, after all, one half of Fairy Tail's notorious Demon Couple…and an "imperial enforcer" who most people couldn't beat even if they wanted to protest.
Thus, Gajeel and Juvia, who had initially wanted to complain, could only nod obediently.
Rhodes and Mira decided to go for a walk.
To avoid trouble, they slightly altered their appearance, changing hairstyles and clothing styles.
However, they regretted leaving almost immediately.
There were simply too many people.
Even more than during Fairy Tail's Magic Parade.
Well, of course, Magicians from over a hundred guilds were here.Plus tens of thousands of ordinary spectators flooding the capital.It would be strange if the streets weren't packed.
They should be grateful they'd found lodging on their own two days earlier and didn't have to wait for the organizers' assignments.
Mira gripped Rhodes's arm, staring at the sea of people.
"It's troublesome… it'll be hard to go anywhere like this."
"Even Magic Four-Wheelers can't move on the main roads right now," Rhodes said. "Let's head outside the city instead, find some obscure scenic spots."
Mira nodded, and they changed direction.
On the way, they overheard countless complaints:
"There are way too many people this year!"
"It wasn't like this last year!"
Mira nudged him.
"This is your and Jura's fault, right?"
Rhodes smirked.
"Hmph hmph. How do you know they didn't come to see Fiore's number-one beautiful model?"
Mira blinked innocently.
"Are you talking about Jenny? She really does have a huge fanbase."
"Heh, yes, exactly, I was talking about Jenny."
Rhodes leaned closer, putting on an exaggeratedly shy expression."Actually… I'm her fan too. I always wanted her autograph but was too embarrassed. Could Miss Mira help me get one?"
"Oh? Just an autograph?" Mira tightened her grip around his arm and asked sweetly,
"Does Mr. Rhodes want a chance to take a picture with her… or perhaps get a little intimate?"
Rhodes felt the soft pressure in her grip, and the dangerous intent beneath it.
Still, he wasn't intimidated at all.
"A photo would be nice, but intimate contact isn't necessary. Not every model is as flawless as Miss Mirajane, both in magazines and in private."
Mira's smile turned sugary sweet.
"Don't regret saying that, because this is..."
Suddenly, a commotion erupted ahead.
People shouted:
"Magicians are fighting!"
Before the crowd could surge toward the noise, Rhodes grabbed Mira's hand and changed direction decisively.
"Let's go. We're taking a detour."
Mira asked, "Aren't you going to take a look?"
"Nope. If it's someone from our guild, stepping in is wrong, and not stepping in is also wrong."
Rhodes waved dismissively. "Just let them fight. They won't lose any limbs anyway."
He continued walking, though he kept glancing back nervously toward the commotion.
Only after they had walked a considerable distance did Rhodes finally sigh in relief.
"Good. Nothing weird suddenly flew out and hit the back of my head. That means the people fighting weren't from Fairy Tail."
Mira pouted. "That's a terrible criterion for judgment!"
In reality, this wasn't the only fight in Crocus today.
Even if Magicians from other guilds weren't as chaotic as Fairy Tail, the number of hot-blooded idiots was still very high.
Guilds didn't always get along. Old grudges, past losses at previous Games, personal rivalries, give them a crowded capital city and they were bound to clash.
Law enforcement patrolled constantly, but as long as civilians weren't hurt and no one was hospitalized, they generally pretended not to see.
Especially if the combatants were contestants, those were handled with extra leniency.
Anyone observant would notice that, during the Games, public order subtly ranked below the tournament itself.
A full and lively day passed, and Team B returned to the hotel on time.
Laxus didn't show any noticeable difference, but Juvia and Gajeel were practically beaming.
During their casual chatter, Juvia revealed that she had run into her beloved Gray-sama.
And apparently Gray and Lyon had both fought to treat her to lunch.
In the end, Gray barely scraped out a victory, by forcibly carrying Juvia away.
Juvia was still floating in bliss.
Rhodes began to suspect something…
Did Lyon really fall for Juvia at first sight that time? Or… did he notice something and is deliberately helping Gray?
As for Gajeel, he obstinately refused to say why he was in a good mood.
But Rhodes noticed a few black cat hairs on his clothes.
Black. Not blue.
He had spent the afternoon petting some random cat?
Levy, you lost to Lily.
They chatted about nothing in particular after that.
Rhodes suggested that anyone tired should rest, but they shouldn't change clothes.
Because if the rules specifically required all contestants to be in their designated hotel before midnight, something special was definitely about to happen.
Maybe an opening ceremony.
Laxus and Gajeel sat on the tiny sofa, eyes closed, half meditating.
Juvia was rolling around on her bed, still humming Gray-sama's name.
Rhodes and Mira reviewed the advanced magic theory that Second Generation had taught them earlier.
Time slipped by.
At exactly 12:00 AM, when the second, minute, and hour hands overlapped.
The entire capital was suddenly filled with the sound of massive bells.
The abrupt, solemn ringing made all five of them freeze and gather by the window.
The bells tolled twelve times.
Then;
All the lights throughout Crocus dimmed drastically.
In their place, several brilliant beams of light shot up from multiple locations around the city, converging in midair at the central plaza.
At the intersection of the lights, a massive projection materialized:
A pumpkin-headed man wearing a green pointed hat.
He spread his arms dramatically.
His booming voice echoed through the entire capital:
"Greetings, Magicians of the many guilds gathered here for the Grand Magic Games!"
"Next… the preliminary round begins!"
"To reduce 182 teams to just 8!"
...
Stones Plzz
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