Chapter 287: Magic Power Measurement
"So... so powerful!!"
"Who is that person?!"
"I... I remember her. Fairy Tail's strongest female Mage, Erza Scarlet."
"The Titania, Erza!!"
The Domus Flau was in an uproar. The sheer volume of the cheers threatened to crack the stone foundations of the colossal arena. It wasn't just applause; it was a roar of disbelief and reverence. A single mage had challenged the Pandemonium—a nest of one hundred monsters ranging from D-class fodder to S-class nightmares—and she had annihilated them all.
[The cheers rose and fell, one wave after another!! This is the Titania, Erza!!] Chapati Lola's voice cracked over the magical broadcast, his usual composure shattered by the spectacle he had just witnessed.
In the judge's booth, the esteemed council member Yajima rubbed his forehead, adjusting his hat. He sighed with deep emotion, looking down at the scarlet-haired knight standing amidst the dissipating data particles of the defeated monsters.
"It leaves one speechless!" Yajima murmured. "After all these years, this girl was still as formidable as ever. No... she has become something even greater."
"Truly, one can't help but yield in admiration!"
Lahar, the captain of the Custody Enforcement Unit, remarked with a heavy sigh. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, his stoic expression cracking slightly. He didn't know Erza personally—his dealings were usually strictly professional and often adversarial—but that didn't stop him from knowing about Fairy Tail. After all, Fairy Tail had been firmly planted on the guild blacklist since the new Magic Council was established. They were a headache, a chaotic storm that ignored rules and regulations.
And yet...
"Fairy Tail is a guild that causes a lot of trouble, yet is incredibly powerful," Lahar admitted, watching the battered but unbroken figure of Titania. "They contribute significantly to the peace of the magical world, often in ways we in the Council cannot."
In the Fairy Tail B Team stand, Mirajane Strauss watched her childhood rival with a soft, complex expression.
"As expected, I'm still not as good as her!"
Mira shook her head helplessly, a small, nostalgic smile playing on her lips. She and Erza used to be arch-rivals, constantly bickering, fighting, and measuring themselves against one another. Although Mira had long given up competing for the title of the "strongest" to focus on a gentler path, deep down, a spark of the "Demon" still flickered. She harbored a slight, secret desire to test herself against Erza one more time.
But it's not just about power, Mira thought. It's about the heart. To challenge all one hundred monsters to spare the others... to carry the burden alone.
"Setting aside our strength, I couldn't have made such a bold and spirited choice like Erza did," Mira whispered to herself. "In that regard, I had already lost."
In the Mermaid Heel section, Millianna pumped her fist, her cat-hood bouncing. "Millianna smiled and said, 'Little Erza really is so strong! Meow!'"
"As expected of Ichiya-sama's girlfriend..."
In the Blue Pegasus booth, Hibiki Lates leaned over the railing, a look of pure admiration on his handsome face. "Her perfume is the scent of a battlefield Valkyrie! Truly magnificent!"
Across the arena, Nobarly from Quatro Cerberus was startled by Hibiki's words. He looked at the Blue Pegasus mage with genuine terror. "After seeing how formidable that woman is... calling her 'Ichiya's girlfriend'? There really are fools who don't know the meaning of death."
"Brilliant!"
Jura Neekis of Lamia Scale crossed his massive arms, nodding in approval. As one of the Ten Wizard Saints, his praise carried immense weight. "As expected of Erza; she was already strong seven years ago. Even though she had lost seven years to the temporal freeze, it didn't mean she had become weaker than anyone else. True strength lies in the spirit, and hers is unbreakable."
However, not everyone was pleased.
"It's annoying to watch."
Orga Nanagear of Sabertooth scoffed, leaning back with a bored expression. "The audience is cheering for Erza like she's a goddess. It completely stole my spotlight. I'm supposed to be the main event."
"That's Erza for you!"
"So cool!!"
"Simply amazing!!"
The Fairy Tail support group members—Natsu, Gray, Lisanna, and the others—were all cheering and jumping for joy, their morale skyrocketing.
Minerva Orland, the Lady of Sabertooth, narrowed her eyes. Her gaze was sharp, dissecting Erza's magic power, searching for weaknesses.
"How interesting... Fairy Tail, huh?" Minerva mused, a cruel smirk touching her lips. "To think there's someone this powerful besides that Ren! Erza Scarlet, I'll remember that name."
Her reference to "Ren" was not to the Blue Pegasus mage, but to the anomaly of Fairy Tail—the protagonist whose power had shaken the very foundations of her confidence earlier.
[Well then, according to the discussion results, the remaining seven teams must also determine their rankings!]
Mato, the pumpkin-headed mascot and judge, bounced into the center of the arena. [Since contestant Erza took all the monsters in Pandemonium, the event is technically over! But we can't have that, Kabo! So, we've arranged a simple competition for the remaining participants, though it might be a bit dull and uninteresting compared to the last one!]
A large, metallic device floated into the arena. It looked like a totem pole with a heavy, spherical striking pad in the center, glowing with magical sensors.
[Magic Power Finder: MPF!]
Pumpkin Head pointed to the floating device behind him and said, "This device can express the power of a magical attack in numerical form. We will determine the rankings based on these values. Simple, right? Kabo!"
Hibiki sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Isn't this just a simple test of strength? It's a bit disadvantageous for me. I'm a lover, not a fighter."
His magic was Archive Magic, a high-speed information processing and telepathy type. While useful, it wasn't designed for raw destructive output.
[The order of competition will follow the order of the draw we just had!]
First up was the cat-loving mage from Mermaid Heel.
"Then I'll start!! Here I go!"
Millianna stepped forward, stretching her arms. She winked at the crowd. "Watch this! Meow!"
She quickly released her magic. Green energy swirled around her hands as she summoned magical tubes.
"Neko Restraint Tube: Kitten Blast!"
Millianna released a spiraling rope of energy that struck the device with a solid thud.
The device whirred, lights flashing as it calculated the impact.
The device displayed a value of [365].
The audience was a bit confused, silence rippling through the stands. They didn't know if this value was high or low.
[Since we have no point of reference, we have no way of knowing if this value is high or low.] Chapati Lola commented.
Lahar, sitting beside Yajima, adjusted his glasses. "Allow me to explain. This device is also used in our Rune Knight training. A standard soldier scores around 50. This value of 365... it is quite high, equivalent to a Unit Captain level."
The crowd let out an "Ooh!" of understanding.
"Millianna's true strength doesn't lie in raw power, though," Beth Vanderwood said helplessly from the Mermaid Heel stands. "Her magic is for binding and capture."
Risley Law nodded, looking concerned. "This ranking might be bad. This format is a bit disadvantageous for us."
[Next is Nobarly from Quatro Cerberus!]
The tall, lanky mage stepped up. "Alright, spirit! Let's show them the wild soul!"
He gathered magic in his fist and struck.
The value ticked up. [124].
[The value is '124', which is a bit low.]
"It's my turn."
Hibiki straightened his tie, ensuring he looked photogenic for the lacrima cameras. "Archive: Ejection!"
A small burst of magical data hit the target.
[95]!
In the Blue Pegasus booth, Ren Akatsuki—the tanned mage who was currently engaged to Sherry Blendy—couldn't help but complain. He slammed his hand on the railing.
"Is this the result of trusting a comrade? I told you I should have gone for this one! My wind magic would have scored way higher!"
"Meeehh—!" Even the Trimens' exceed echoed the disappointment.
[Next is Obra from Raven Tail.]
A hush fell over the arena. Raven Tail, the guild led by Makarov's exiled son, Ivan, was shrouded in mystery and malice.
"It's that guy from Raven Tail."
"What kind of magic does this guy use?"
The members of Fairy Tail couldn't help but focus their attention on him. Ren—the Fairy Tail protagonist—narrowed his eyes, sensing something off about the lanky, scarecrow-like figure.
Obra didn't attack directly. He spread his arms, and a small, purple imp-like creature flew out from under his cloak. It zipped forward and crashed into the device with a soft thud.
Beep beep!
[4]!
"Hah?!"
"Is this guy a joke?"
Everyone was dumbfounded when they saw the single-digit number displayed. Even a child could score a 4.
"What are you doing, Obra!! Are you an idiot?!"
Flare Corona, the redhead from Raven Tail with the chaotic hair, shouted furiously upon seeing this. "Stop screwing around!"
In the Raven Tail waiting area, Master Ivan Dreyar hissed, "Shut up, Flare. His magic cannot be shown in public. If he uses his real power, his ability to nullify magic will be exposed. We need to keep our cards hidden."
"Great!! I'm in first place!"
Millianna was very happy that she could rank first in power, a category she wasn't good at.
"It's hard to say about what's next," Orga muttered, stepping out of the shadows of the Sabertooth dugout. He cracked his neck. "Time to show these weaklings what real magic looks like."
[Now, Orga takes the stage!! What a passionate cheer!!]
The crowd in the stands cheered loudly. "Sabertooth! Sabertooth!" Although Sabertooth's performance this time was currently at the bottom due to some... unfortunate incidents with their Master's temper and Ren's interference, it didn't hinder their high popularity. After all, their strength was evident; they just hadn't had the best luck.
Orga stood before the MPF. He didn't take a stance. He simply gathered his hands together. The air began to vibrate.
Crack... Boom!
Black electricity, darker than the void, crackled around him. It was God Slayer Magic—Lightning God Slayer.
"120mm Black Lightning Cannon!!"
BOOM—!!
A beam of pitch-black lightning erupted from his clasped hands, tearing through the air with the sound of a thunderclap. It struck the MPF, enveloping it in a sphere of destructive energy.
Beep beep!
[3825]!!
A number appeared that was exaggeratedly higher than before. It wasn't just double or triple. It was an entirely different dimension.
[Three... three thousand...] Chapati Lola stuttered.
"Ten times mine?!!"
Millianna was instantly dumbfounded, her jaw dropping. She had just been in first place with 365, and in the blink of an eye, there was a value ten times higher than hers.
"What is this?!"
"Is that even possible?!"
Everyone in the audience was shocked by this value. It was a display of S-Class destructive capability.
Lahar stood up, his face full of disbelief: "A value like this... we've never even seen it in our unit! That's enough to vaporize a tank instantly!"
"As expected of Orga-kun!! You're the strongest when it comes to power!" Lector cheered.
"Frosh thinks so too!!"
The two small cats, Lector and Frosh, were jumping for joy, relieved that Sabertooth finally showed its fangs.
[Next to face the challenge is the Ten Wizard Saint, Jura. We're looking forward to seeing if he can surpass this value!!]
The bald, stoic man walked calmly to the center. His presence was like a mountain—immovable and vast.
"If it's Jura-san, he can win, right?" Sherria Blendy asked Lyon Vastia with some concern.
Lyon crossed his arms, a smirk on his face. "Of course. What I'm worried about is something else. The MPF might not survive."
Jura looked at the host, Pumpkin Head, and asked politely, "It's alright if I use my real power, right? I wouldn't want to break the rules."
The host nodded vigorously, "Of course, pumpkin! Go wild!"
Jura stepped forward. He didn't flare his aura wildly like Orga. He simply clasped his hands together in a prayer-like gesture.
The atmosphere changed. The gravity in the arena seemed to shift.
"Supreme King Rock Crush..." Jura whispered.
His magic power rapidly gathered, turning the sand beneath his feet into solid rock.
"Narukami Fugaku!!!"
Boom—!!
It wasn't a beam. It was an eruption. The earth itself rose up in a massive pillar of jagged stone, striking the MPF with the force of a tectonic plate shifting. A violent explosion erupted, the ground shattered with a deafening roar, and a terrifying shockwave burst from the earth, engulfing the Magic Power Finder and destroying the sensor arrays around it.
Dust and debris filled the arena.
When the smoke cleared, the MPF was smoking, sparks flying from its circuits.
Beep beep!
[9588]!!
An impossibly exaggerated value appeared above the device.