Naruto x Fairy Tail: Fairy's Shadow

Bonus Chapters every 100 Power Stones

"Normal Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

[Year X790]

~ With Team Fairy Tail ~

Crocus was alive with celebration.

Balloons drifted lazily through the sky. Confetti fell from passing airships in streams of gold and silver. Street performers juggled fire and ice, their magic creating temporary sculptures that delighted passing children. The entire capital city had transformed itself into a festival ground, and everywhere they looked, visitors from across Fiore were arriving for the Grand Magic Games.

Team Fairy Tail walked through the crowds with their travel bags, but their mood remained subdued despite the excitement around them. Max led the group, checking their accommodations paperwork while keeping an eye on the others. They'd been assigned quarters in the competitors' district, a series of modest but comfortable buildings reserved for the participating guilds.

"Our quarters are just ahead," Max said, pointing to a building marked with the Fairy Tail symbol. "We should get settled and review the schedule."

Their rooms were simple but adequate, with a common area where they could gather for meals and strategy sessions. As they unpacked, the silence stretched between them until Alzack finally spoke.

"He would have loved this." He said quietly.

They all knew who he meant. Shisui had always been interested in large-scale events, viewing them as opportunities to study different magical techniques and approaches. He would have been taking notes, analyzing their opponents, developing strategies to counter various guild specialties.

"Yeah… He would have." Bisca said softly.

Max cleared his throat. "We should focus on what we can control. The opening ceremony is in two hours, and we need to be ready."

They spent the time reviewing their planned entrance and the first few days' match schedule. The Games were structured as a series of individual and team competitions, with points awarded for victories and performance. The guild with the most points at the end would be crowned champion.

"Remember," Max said as they prepared to leave, "we're not just representing ourselves. We're representing everyone back home."

Before they left their quarters, they stood in a circle, a habit they'd developed during training. It had started as a way to center themselves before difficult sessions, but now it felt like a ritual.

"Let's move."

The walk to the arena was a blur of cheering crowds and competing guild members. Sabertooth's team passed them on the street, their confidence visible in every step. Sting and Rogue looked particularly focused, their magical auras barely contained beneath their calm exteriors.

The opening ceremony was held in Domus Flau, a massive arena that could hold tens of thousands of spectators. As they marched onto the field with the other guilds, the roar of the crowd was almost overwhelming. Fairy Tail's entrance drew cheers from their supporters, but it was clear that the loudest ovations were reserved for the more recently established powerhouse guilds.

The first days of competition went better than expected. Max's sand magic had evolved significantly since their last major battles. When he faced a mage from Griffin Cliff who relied on raw strength, Max's tactical approach earned him a clean victory.

Jet's speed had not failed him as well. His opponent, a wind mage from Mermaid Heel, couldn't track his movements at all. Jet used feints and afterimages to confuse her, striking from unexpected angles until she was forced to concede. The crowd loved his performance, cheering for the display of pure speed.

Droy surprised everyone, including himself, when he represented the team during a defensive challenge. His vine constructs had grown stronger and more coordinated, creating barriers and traps that forced his opponents into disadvantageous positions.

But it was Bisca and Alzack who really impressed the crowd. Their synchronized attacks had become something special. They cycled through enchanted ammunition, providing cover fire and suppressive barrages that kept their opponents constantly on the defensive. When they faced the team from Lamia Scale, their coordination was so smooth that even the opposing guild's members applauded their performance.

"They're good," Lyon Vastia was heard saying to his teammates. "Better than their reputation suggested. Though they're lucky I wasn't their opponent."

Individual matches continued to go well for Fairy Tail. Each member had clearly grown stronger, more confident, more skilled. They were earning respect from other guilds and praise from the commentators. For a few days, it felt like they might actually have a chance at placing well in the Games.

Then came the team battles.

The first sign of trouble came when they faced a team from Lamia Scale multi-guild challenge. The objective was simple: capture and hold three magical crystals scattered across a battlefield arena. Their opponents had two clear powerhouses, Lyon Vastia and Jura Neekis.

They fought hard, but in the end, they did not manage to capture a single crystal.

"We're missing something," Jet said afterward, frustration clear in his voice.

"We're missing someone," Droy corrected.

The pattern continued in subsequent team battles. They were good, better than many other guilds, but they lacked the raw power or specialized abilities that the top-tier guilds possessed. Without Shisui's overwhelming presence to serve as either a battlefield controller or a decisive force, they had to rely on perfect execution of complex strategies.

Perfect execution was hard to maintain under pressure.

By the time they'd completed their first week of competition, the rankings were starting to take shape. Sabertooth dominated the top position. Lamia Scale, Mermaid Heel, and Blue Pegasus held the next positions, followed by several other established guilds.

Fairy Tail was sitting in ninth place. Respectable, but not the triumphant return they'd hoped for.

That night, they gathered in their common room to review the remaining schedule. The Games would continue for another week, with increasingly difficult challenges and higher point values for victories.

"We're not out of this yet," Max said, but his optimism sounded forced even to himself.

"We're fighting as hard as we can. But some of these other guilds... they're on a different level than we are." Bisca said.

Alzack nodded. "It's not about effort. It's about raw capability. And without..."

He didn't need to finish the sentence. They all understood. Without Shisui, they were a solid team. With him, they could have been contenders.

~ End of Chapter 71 ~

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