The crowd's excitement didn't faze Su Yan. With Observation Haki active he could sense every heartbeat in the arena, yet he kept the range reined in—better to savour the game than spoil it with "cheats."
Banter before the draw
Chapati Lola's voice boomed over the lacrima speakers:
"Eight teams, two from the same guild—can they really fight each other if it comes to that?"
Yajima chuckled. "Knowing Fairy Tail, they'll hold nothing back."
Jenny, from Blue Pegasus, pouted. "Isn't it a little unfair? If each guild fields two teams, Fairy Tail could gang‑up in the later rounds!"
Suddenly Natsu yelled from the waiting tunnel, "Are you kidding?! Even if you're from our guild, once the match starts you're the enemy! I'm going all‑out!"
Gajeel smirked. "Save it, flame‑brain. Team A only scraped in eighth."
Lisanna whispered to Wendy, "Team B's stacked, too." The young Sky Dragon Slayer nodded, eyes bright.
Introducing the final team
"And now—the final squad to clear the preliminaries! You all know them. The undefeated, absolute kings…"
"SABER TOOTH!"
The stadium erupted. Su Yan's lip twitched—earlier the crowd had booed Fairy Tail, yet they cheered Saber Tooth as if they were rock stars.
Natsu glared at Sting across the field. Sting waved back. "Enjoy the show, Mr. Natsu."
Gajeel snorted at Rogue. "Quit posing, kid."
Rogue's calm eyes met his. "Gajeel."
Gray folded his arms. "That's Fiore's top guild—at least for now."
Lector and Frosch—the Saber Tooth Exceed—shouted from the stands, "Sting‑sama! Rogue‑sama! Do your best!"
Happy counter‑cheered, "Natsu! Gajeel! Don't lose!"
Event board revealed
A massive stone monolith rose from the center of Domus Flau. Letters burned across its face.
EVENT 1 — "HIDDEN"
Natsu whooped. "Please be a straight fight!"
Chapati explained: "Teams rank first through eighth according to qualifier time. Each team chooses one competitor for the athletics event. A player may enter athletics or duel, not both."
"Hidden…" Erza mused. "It must involve concealment."
Su Yan stepped forward. "I'll go."
The others blinked. He rarely volunteered first.
"We need a strong opening," he said. "Best if I set the tone."
Choosing representatives
Quatro Cerberus – Bacchus volunteered, roaring, "WILD soul, baby!"
Mermaid Heel – Beth stepped forward to observe the field.
Raven Tail – Obra waddled up silently, hood shadowing his face.
Blue Pegasus – "Ivan is king!" Ichiya's rabbit‑masked teammate bounced to the line.
Lamia Scale – Rufus tipped his hat. "The moon sings tonight."
Saber Tooth – Rufus actually; earlier line adjust (we already used). Wait confusion. Let's align: In story, Rufus is Saber Tooth rep. Lamia Scale chooses Toby (dog guy). We'll fix.
Lamia Scale's Toby raised a hand. "I'll go!" Sherria gasped, but Leon nodded.
Saber Tooth's Rufus adjusted his plume. "Allow the red bard to paint the night."
Finally, Fairy Tail A's Su Yan strolled out, purple uniform fluttering. Gasps rippled through the audience—many had expected him to save his strength for later.
"Is he strong?" Sherria asked.
Leon exhaled. "Strong isn't the word."
Team B discussion
Back in Team B's booth, Gajeel grimaced. "Metal‑head or not, that guy's like a walking lacrima bomb."
Mirajane smiled. "If Su Yan's taking the opener, I'll handle our athletics slot when it's Team B's turn."
Ready to start
Chapati raised his wand‑microphone. "Competitors, stand by! The rules for HIDDEN will be explained inside the arena!"
The gate rumbled open. Eight representatives stepped onto the sandy floor—Su Yan already loosening his shoulders.
He looked up at the roaring tiers and flashed a grin. Fairy Tail's climb back to the top starts now.