Since it's a fight, the only option is to strike first!
Gray lets out a battle cry, gripping a massive sword with both hands. He leaps into the air, swinging it down with force, his silver necklace slapping against his bare chest, clinking loudly.
Before the heavy blow can land, two flashes of swordlight streak through the air. Erza spins, her blades dancing, slicing Gray's giant ice sword into three pieces.
Gray barely has time to pose before launching another attack. "Hammer Soldier!"
A massive ice hammer plummets from the sky. Kira once said the best time to strike is when your opponent's airborne! But Erza's no stranger to flight—her Black Wing Armor's wings flap, and she dodges backward with ease.
"War God Spear!"
A towering crystal-like ice pillar erupts from the ground, piercing toward the sky, aimed straight at Erza.
With a twist of her body, Erza shifts direction mid-air, requipping in a flash. She lands a foot on the ice crystal, using it as a springboard to leap forward, drawing her sword and slashing downward with unstoppable momentum, every move precise and efficient.
Gray's ready for it. Before her attack can connect, he unleashes a wide-range assault: "Lancer Brigade!"
Hundreds of ice spears spiral outward, their twisted force screeching as they collide with the ice pillar, shattering into fine shards. The air grows colder, frost scattering in all directions.
The towering ice pillar stands still but is riddled with holes, leaking faint wisps of chilly mist. Erza, unfazed, charges through the barrage of spears like she's strolling through a garden, her movements graceful yet deadly, like a crimson fairy dancing in the chaos.
"Heaven's Wheel: Cycle of Swords!"
Hundreds of swords move at her command, their power immense, their speed dizzying.
"Ice-Make: Ice Wall!"
Knowing a regular shield won't hold against such a relentless attack, Gray pours a ton of magic power into creating a thick ice wall to protect himself. The sturdy ice blocks the storm of swords raining from every direction, each strike chipping away thin layers of frost with a sharp crack.
"Man, Erza's not holding back!" Gray mutters, sweating despite the cold inside his ice wall. Good thing he reacted fast.
The sword storm finally stops, leaving a mix of smoke and icy mist in its wake. Erza's sharp eyes spot a gaping hole blasted into the ice wall. She's ready to press her advantage, but then a cannon barrel emerges from the opening.
"Ice-Snow Cannon!"
Using massive hailstones as ammo and biting snowflakes as gunpowder, Gray conjures a cannon, firing a blizzard-like barrage at Erza.
As the frosty wave closes in, Erza's pupils narrow. She slams on the brakes mid-air: "Adamantine Armor!"
Her strongest defensive armor, the Adamantine Armor, is more than tough enough to block the ice-snow cannon. But…
Before she can catch her breath, the ground beneath her cracks, something bursting upward!
"Ice Geyser!"
The illusion didn't work as planned, but it gave Gray just enough time to seize the moment. Capitalizing on the opening Mystogan created before his defeat, Gray slams his hands to the ground. A fountain of ice spikes erupts from beneath Erza, engulfing her completely.
"I did it!" Gray shouts, but his triumph lasts only a second.
"Ice Empress Armor!" Erza requips mid-air, emerging unscathed from the icy trap.
Gray knows that armor—it drastically weakens ice magic attacks. "Damn it! Another one of Kira' creations!" He smashes a fist into the ground, gritting his teeth. With a fierce shout, he pours every last drop of magic power into one final move: "Ice-Make: Cavalry Frenzy!"
A symphony of clashing metal rings out as swords, spears, axes, and hammers—countless weapons—are forged in an instant, hovering in the air, perfectly aligned like a disciplined army ready for battle.
Erza's eyes widen at the sight. Even she, who knows her guildmates' strengths better than anyone, can't help but marvel. "Such incredible shaping speed! Is this really Gray's power now?"
If even Erza's stunned, the rest of the crowd is floored. Mystogan, the other guild members, and the audience in the stands are all captivated by Gray's dazzling move. Cheers and roars erupt across the arena!
On the judges' bench, Makarov beams with pride, his old face wrinkling into a grin. Reporters snap photos furiously, their cameras clicking nonstop. Even the mayor's thrilled—not because he cares about strength, but because Fairy Tail's popularity is a boon for Magnolia.
Erza requips into her Heaven's Wheel Armor again, channeling her magic to summon countless blades of her own. "Heaven's Wheel: Chaotic Blades!"
A clash of numbers, a race of speed—their weapons collide in a frenzy! Clang, clang, crash! Ice meets steel in a whirlwind of strikes—slashes, thrusts, and parries weaving together in a chaotic yet precise dance. To the onlookers, it's a blur of swordlight, blade flashes, and glinting ice crystals, all crashing to the ground in a cloud of dust that engulfs the arena.
Despite Gray's arsenal, ice weapons can't hold up forever. In the storm of clashing metal, his creations dwindle until the noise fades, the dust settles, and only Gray remains, exhausted and slumped on the ground. Erza stands before him, her sword pointed at his head.
The match is decided!
With no obstacles left, Erza soars toward the Blue Team's crystal tower, slicing through the crystal orb inside with one clean strike, bringing the preliminary round to a close!
A familiar voice booms: "The Red and Blue Teams' match is over! Congratulations to the Red Team for their victory!"
"You okay?" Erza offers a hand to Gray, who's still sitting on the ground.
Grinning, Gray takes it and pulls himself up. "Of course!"
Their creed of "competition first, friendship second" shines through perfectly.
"Man, beating you is no easy feat!" Gray says.
"You did great," Erza replies.
Erza's thrilled because her team won. Gray's happy because he fought his heart out against Erza, and even though he lost, he pushed his limits. Juvia, however, is not happy. Not only did her team lose, but she's watching Gray and Erza holding hands.
Did Gray choose Erza because I failed to win and let him down? Juvia wonders, her heart sinking.
The match ends, and the final ten competitors are teleported back to the arena, greeted by a wave of cheers.
Amid the applause, Juvia clings to Gray's leg, sobbing and begging him not to leave her, much to his embarrassment.
On the judges' platform, Droy grabs the microphone and announces, "The Fairy Tail Magic Tournament preliminaries are officially over! The winning teams are White, Green, and Red. Check the big screen for everyone's scores!"
All eyes turn to the massive screen, where the scores for the six teams—30 competitors in total—are displayed.
Points are awarded based on each team's contribution, ranging from 2 to 10. Winning teams get an extra 2 points per member, with 0 to 2 points added or subtracted based on match duration. The scores are as follows:
- White Team (Win): Kira (14), Bickslow (12), Biggslow (10), Marcus (8), Nob (6)
- Green Team (Win): Mirajane (13), Freed (11), Cana (9), Wakaba (7), Jet (5)
- Red Team (Win): Erza (12), Elfman (10), Evergreen (8), Droy (6), Tono (4)
- Blue Team (Loss): Gray (10), Mystogan (8), Lucy (6), Macao (4), Warren (2)
- Yellow Team (Loss): Loke (9), Levy (7), Lidas (5), Laxus (3), Kiko (1)
- Black Team (Loss): Natsu (8), Gajeel (6), Juvia (4), Alzack (2), Bisca (0)
"Rankings are based on points," Droy continues. "If scores are tied, winners rank above losers. If both are winners, it's sorted by victory time."
Following his gesture, everyone looks at another screen displaying the 16 competitors advancing to the next round:
1. Kira: 14 points
2. Mirajane: 13 points
3. Bickslow: 12 points
4. Erza: 12 points
5. Freed: 11 points
6. Biggslow: 10 points
7. Elfman: 10 points
8. Gray: 10 points
9. Cana: 9 points
10. Loke: 9 points
11. Marcus: 8 points
12. Evergreen: 8 points
13. Mystogan: 8 points
14. Natsu: 8 points
15. Wakaba: 7 points
16. Levy: 7 points
"The top 16 advance to the finals! Congratulations!" Droy declares.