Chapter 98: Beat Them to Death
Onibus Arena.
At this moment, the arena was not just bustling; it was a roaring sea of human activity. Over the past three days, countless spectators from all over the Kingdom of Fiore had gathered, all eager to witness this exciting, unprecedented showdown. The stands were packed to capacity, with over 100,000 people, all buzzing with an electric anticipation.
"Wow!!!! It's Fairy Tail!!"
"Fairy Tail is here!!"
A roar erupted from one side of the stadium as Makarov led the Fairy Tail members down the entrance tunnel and into the sunlight.
"The one with the long white hair is Miss Mirajane! She's even more beautiful in person than in the pictures!!"
"Look! Is that the 'Fairy Queen' Titania in the armor?! She's so beautiful and cool!"
"Where's 'Salamander'? I want to see Salamander! Who is the famous Salamander?"
"Wow ah ah! It's Loki!! He's so handsome!"
Many girls in the crowd cheered upon seeing Loki. Compared to Mages like Erza and Natsu who rarely showed their faces in such a public, non-combat setting, Loki, who often starred as a male lead in various Sorcerer-Weekly-produced movies, was much more popular.
As for Ren, despite having made a huge name for himself as the 'Tyrant', hardly anyone knew his face, and even fewer knew he was from Fairy Tail. He walked calmly beside Erza, his hands in his pockets, completely unnoticed by the screaming fans.
Just then, the crowd on the other side of the arena stirred, followed by a massive, booming chant.
"IT'S PHANTOM! PHANTOM LORD IS HERE!!"
Someone in the crowd shouted, and a new wave of energy—darker, heavier—washed over the arena.
"Phantom..."
The Fairy Tail members, who had been waving or looking on grimly, all tensed. Their gazes hardened.
A moment later, Jose Porla, the Guild Master of Phantom Lord, arrived, leading his own guild members into the opposing tunnel.
The moment the two guilds met at the massive arena entrance, the air crackled. Tensions immediately flared. The two guilds were already on bad terms, but this time, the Fairy Tail Guild building had been destroyed, skewered by those very members. This despicable, cowardly act of raiding their home in the middle of the night made every Fairy Tail member wish they could wipe out their opponents right then and there.
"Jose..."
Makarov's eyes narrowed slightly, his grip on his staff tightening. If there was anyone with the deepest affection for the guild, it was undoubtedly Makarov. That guild protected the children within it as they grew. It was his home. And now, it had been destroyed by the man standing in front of him. He wished he could give them a good beating right here.
"Oh my, oh my..." Jose Porla purred, his voice slimy and condescending. He was a tall, gaunt man with a ghostly appearance, and he smiled at Makarov as if greeting an old friend.
"It's been a long time, Master Makarov. The last time we met was at a regular meeting... was it six years ago? Ah, I had a bit too much to drink then..."
"Cut the nonsense, Jose," Makarov growled, his voice low and dangerous. "What is the meaning of this?"
Jose feigned ignorance, placing a hand on his chest. "What meaning? Oh! Master Makarov, you mean about the... guild? My deepest apologies, my apologies! It was a member of my guild, you see, trying to apprehend a criminal. Who would have thought the criminal would escape into the Fairy Tail Guild? And as a result, he... accidentally..."
"Gajeel! Come over and apologize!"
The crowd of Phantom mages parted, and Gajeel Redfox, dressed in black with long, wild black hair and metal studs all over his face, walked over. He slouched, feigning innocence as he said, "I'm so sorry! So sorry!"
He then let out his signature, metallic laugh, "Gihi! It was all my carelessness. I didn't think such a dilapidated, run-down house was actually the Fairy Tail Guild. If I had known, I should have destroyed it even more thoroughly! Gihihi!"
"You bastard!!!!"
The Fairy Tail members were instantly enraged. Natsu, Gray, and Elfman all lunged forward, their magic flaring, wanting to beat Gajeel to death on the spot.
"Stop!"
"Hold on!"
Erza and Ren quickly moved, blocking their path. Ren simply put a hand on Natsu's shoulder, and the Dragon Slayer found himself unable to move, as if a mountain had been placed on him.
Erza shouted, her voice sharp, "Don't fall for his provocation! When we get to the arena, we will teach him a good lesson. We will let him know the true consequences of provoking Fairy Tail!"
"The consequences of provoking Fairy Tail?" Gajeel mocked, picking his ear with a metal-clad finger. "I'm so scared~~!!!"
"Gihahahahahaha!!"
The Phantom Lord members all laughed wildly, a cruel, mocking sound that echoed in the tunnel. The Fairy Tail members' faces were all incredibly grim and unsightly, their bodies trembling with restrained rage.
Jose chuckled lightly. "Heh heh, my apologies, Master Makarov. The children in my guild don't have very good tempers. They're a bit... rough. I'll make sure to educate them properly when we get back. Well then," he said, his fake smile never wavering, "we'll see each other in the arena."
After Jose finished speaking, he led the Phantom Lord members towards their side of the arena. As the Phantom Lord Guild members—including the Element 4, Aria, Juvia, Sol, and Totomaru—passed in front of the Fairy Tail members, they one by one made faces and provoked them.
"Look at the little fairies... they look so angry."
"Did we make you cry?"
"Better run home... oh, wait. You don't have a home. Gihihi!"
"Damn it! I'm going to kill those bastards!!"
Natsu shouted, about to make a move again, but Elfman and Gray quickly held him back.
"Natsu, stop! This isn't the time!" Gray yelled.
"That's what they want, you idiot!" Elfman agreed. "If we make a move here, it'll be counted as a dispute between guilds, and we'll be the ones disqualified!"
Makarov, who had been silent, his face hidden in shadow, finally spoke. His voice was grim, cold, and shaking with a fury none of them had ever heard.
"Later," he said, "in that arena... you beat those Phantom Lord guys severely for me."
He looked up, his eyes blazing with a power that made even Ren's skin tingle.
"Make them regret ever being born. Make them regret ever learning the name 'Fairy Tail'!"
"YES, MASTER!!"
It was the first time the Fairy Tail members had heard the old man say such words. It seemed their kind, forgiving Master was truly enraged by Phantom Lord.
The Fairy Tail members also entered the arena, walking out into the massive, sun-filled stadium.
"So... so many people!"
Lucy was somewhat surprised to see the spectator stands, which were filled to the brim with over 100,000 people. It was her first time seeing so many people gathered together.
"Aye!"
The group hadn't expected Ren's single suggestion to attract so many onlookers. The entire kingdom was watching.
"Huh... look at that over there?!" Natsu said, his voice suddenly full of disgust.
Everyone looked forward, to the opposing stands. The entire section, from the floor to the rafters, was filled with people waving the Phantom Lord Guild flag.
Lucy asked doubtfully, "Are those people... the Phantom Lord Guild's cheerleading squad?"
Mira, who was standing beside her, shook her head, her expression grim. "No, Lucy. Those are all members of the Phantom Lord Guild."
"What?!!!"
"Members?! But... there are already over a thousand people there, aren't there? Does the Phantom Lord Guild really have that many people?!!!"
Lucy was startled by this. Were there not too many of them? The Fairy Tail Guild was also considered a relatively large Mage Guild, but it only had a little over 100 members. How could they compete with thousands?
Erza explained, her eyes fixed on Jose, who was taking his seat on the far side. "The Phantom Lord Guild is a very aggressive guild. Normally, a town only has one Mage Guild. But Phantom Lord... they open branches in other guild towns. They use their money and their numbers for malicious competition and a series of other underhanded tactics. They ruin the other guild, and then they monopolize the resources of the entire city."
Her voice grew cold. "Six years ago, they even tried to open a branch here, in Magnolia Town. It was the Master who taught them a lesson at the regular meeting, which caused their plan to expand in Magnolia to fail. It was from that time that the two guilds began to be on bad terms."
Lucy's eyes widened. "What? That's too much!! That's horrible!"
"That's Phantom Lord's style of doing things," Gray said, "which is why we dislike them so much."
Makarov scoffed, "Hmph! They just love playing these petty tricks."
To be honest, he also felt a bit regretful. He should have arranged for some people to be cheerleaders.
"Welcome, everyone, to the Onibus Arena!" a loud, magically-amplified voice boomed over the crowd. "I'm your commentator: Chapati Lola! And what a day we have! COOOOL!"
"Next up is the battle of the century! The showdown between Fairy Tail... and Phantom Lord! COOOOL!"
"These two guilds are evenly matched! The leaders of both guilds are among the Ten Wizard Saints of the Ishgar continent, and they also have many powerful S-Class Mages under them! People often discuss, 'Who is the strongest Mage Guild in Fiore?' And today, my friends, that opportunity has finally arrived!"
"Today's showdown will determine who is the strongest guild in Fiore!!"
"OH OH OH OH OH OH OH OH!!!!"
The roar from the 100,000 spectators shook the very foundations of the arena.
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