Pure white ice crystals began spreading rapidly from beneath Gray's feet, expanding in all directions.
Before the other contestants could even comprehend what was happening, the entire magic-formed town had already been covered in pristine ice and snow, transforming into a snowy-white city.
"Ohhh! This is incredible! Fairy Tail A team's Gray actually froze the entire town! What an astonishing display of magical power!"
The live commentator, Chapati, exclaimed in shock.
The audience erupted in astonishment at Gray's feat, while the participants from the eight competing teams displayed expressions ranging from solemn and surprised to deep in thought.
"Freezing the whole town? Sure, it's impressive, but I don't get it. What's the point of wasting so much magic like that?" Gajeel frowned as he asked.
"No, I think Gray's decision was the right one in this situation." Noel stroked his chin, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.
"In this competition, the goal is simply to land a hit on the opponent, meaning that direct confrontations minimize the importance of raw strength. In that case, using magic for enemy detection is the smart choice. By freezing the entire town, Gray has effectively brought all the participants into his sensory range. And furthermore…"
"And furthermore, his magic consumption isn't as high as it seems. If you look closely, you'll notice that the ice he created is only about three millimeters thick—a mere thin layer. It looks like Gray's magic control has improved quite a bit," Laxus remarked, his tone carrying an unusual hint of praise.
Inside the arena, Gray, who had frozen the entire town, slowly closed his eyes and murmured in a low voice, "The magical properties of seven people… their weight… temperature… movement patterns… all logged in. The one closest to me is…"
Suddenly, Gray's eyes snapped open.
With a swift motion of his hands, an ice pillar shot out, slithering like a serpent.
In an instant, it bypassed all the decoys and struck the real target with pinpoint accuracy.
Raven Tail's Nullpudding widened his eyes in shock, staring in disbelief at the ice pillar now lodged against him.
His original plan was to use his duplicates as a diversion to get close to Gray.
Whether Gray attacked the clones or he launched a sneak attack, either scenario would have deducted points from Gray.
However, he had clearly miscalculated—Gray didn't even spare a glance at the decoys.
Instead, he decisively used his Ice-Make magic to strike him directly.
"A solid strategy, but you picked the wrong opponent." As Gray's words reached Nullpudding's ears, his body was already being forcefully teleported elsewhere.
Now having earned 1 point, a faint smile appeared on Gray's lips.
"So this is what they call 'Hidden'? Too bad—I have absolutely no interest in such things. From now on, I'll play this game my own way."
.............
The chase-and-hide competition was still ongoing.
Live commentator Chapati was reporting on the match's latest developments: "The silent battle continues! In the first match, 'Hidden,' the current leader is Fairy Tail A team's Gray Fullbuster! In a field filled with enemies and their duplicates, how can one identify the real opponent?"
Sitting beside Chapati, Yajima pondered, "There are many ways, such as detecting the opponent's magic. From what we've seen so far, it seems Gray has already used some method through freezing the town to pinpoint his enemies. His movements are clearly precise and intentional."
"Hehe, I think Hibiki would have used an even more impressive method." Jenny from Blue Pegasus said with a playful smile.
"Oh! Gray has struck Raven Tail's Nullpudding once again, widening the score gap between him and the other competitors!"
Chapati exclaimed in surprise as he watched Nullpudding, who had attempted another sneak attack, get sent flying by Gray yet again.
In the arena, Gray shook his hand and frowned as he watched Nullpudding being forcefully teleported away once more.
"What's with this guy? He keeps coming after me…"
Though Gray didn't really mind being targeted—after all, Nullpudding's strength wasn't enough to pose a real threat—having someone constantly fixating on him was getting on his nerves.
"Whatever. I should regroup." Gray sighed in frustration.
Just then, the ground cracked open, and several magic carrot missiles shot toward him.
With precise movements, he effortlessly dodged them.
"Ahh, I missed." Beth from Mermaid Heel let out a disappointed sigh, only to be hit by a sudden attack herself.
Losing 1 point, she was forcefully teleported to another location.
"Is everyone gathering together, turning this into an all-out brawl?"
Gray watched the scene unfold, his expression unchanged as he turned his head toward the source of the attack.
There, Jaeger from Quatro Cerberus—who had attacked Beth—was swiftly taken down in a single blow by the approaching Lyon.
"Found you, Gray!!" Lyon called out with a mischievous smirk, clearly looking to use this opportunity to settle old grudges.
"Gray-sama!" At the same time, a voice came from above.
Gray looked up to see Juvia leaping down from above.
Before Lyon could react, he caught a glimpse of Juvia's underwear mid-air, causing him to freeze in shock.
Seizing the opportunity, Juvia struck him cleanly, earning 1 point and knocking him out of the match.
"Hey, I didn't need any help." Gray said to Juvia as she landed safely.
"I know." Juvia answered with a serious expression.
"Juvia will defeat you… because I made a promise to Master."
"A promise with the old man?" Gray looked confused, a question mark practically floating above his head.
"Yes." Juvia nodded and briefly explained the agreement between Team B and Makarov.
"Are you kidding me?!!" After hearing Juvia's explanation, Gray's expression immediately changed.
He quickly protested through a magic communication crystal.
"Oi, old man! I never heard about this!! This special rule applies to our team as well, right?!"
"W-Well… of course." Makarov, caught off guard, awkwardly confirmed.
"That's why Juvia will not lose." Juvia declared firmly.
"Just what I wanted to hear." Gray replied, forming a hand seal.
A pillar of ice shot out to the side, striking Nullpudding—who was attempting yet another sneak attack—sending him flying once again.
"Stay out of my way, you Raven Tail trash!!"
Gray earned another point, while Nullpudding was forcefully teleported away once more.
..............
Midway Results of the Magic Games Tournament
1st Place: Fairy Tail A - Gray (+3)
2nd Place: Fairy Tail B - Juvia (±0)
Lamia Scale - Lyon (±0)
Quatro Cerberus - Jaeger (±0)
Sabertooth - Rufus (±0)
Blue Pegasus - Hibiki (±0)
7th Place: Mermaid Heel - Beth (-1)
8th Place: Raven Tail - Nullpudding (-3)
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