Chapter 283: Poor Natsu (First Update)

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"Let's draw lots!"

On the island, Makarov pulled out a prepared box.

A total of 110 wizards had signed up for the tournament, so the box contained 55 pairs of numbered slips. Those who drew matching numbers would face off in the first round.

Everyone took turns drawing their lot, and George was no exception.

"Number 23."

Glancing at the number on his slip, George scanned the crowd and quickly spotted the wizard who had drawn the same number.

"Seriously? George? My luck is the worst!"

Upon realizing that his opponent was George, the wizard let out a groan of despair.

And he wasn't alone—others who had drawn opponents like Laxus, Erza, the Thunder God Tribe, or Natsu reacted in much the same way.

After all, everyone had a rough idea of their opponents' strengths and knew they stood no chance of winning.

"Everyone, please head to the designated arenas according to the numbers I assigned," Mirajane announced, floating in midair with a microphone.

Since she was one of the few wizards not participating in the tournament, she had taken on the role of the event's host.

The mountaintop George had flattened was vast, and Mirajane used a magical pen to mark out 55 arenas, allowing the battles to take place simultaneously.

Now, all the participants had to do was locate the arena matching their number and get ready to fight.

This tournament had been a spontaneous idea from George, so there wasn't much preparation or elaborate planning involved. However, by next year, things would be more refined and organized.

Not that it really mattered—this was, after all, just a friendly competition among members of the same guild. Everyone knew each other well, and the battles were more about sparring than anything else.

Most wizards also had a realistic understanding of their own strength. Competing for the championship was out of the question for many, and even breaking into the top ten seemed like a long shot.

Of course, there were a few exceptions—like Lucy.

Desperate to make it into the top ten so she could win the prize money and pay her rent, she was so nervous during the draw that her hands trembled. The thought of drawing George or Laxus and getting eliminated in the first round terrified her.

"Round one, begin!"

With all participants standing in their designated arenas, the tournament kicked off to the cheers of the densely packed spectators gathered along the shore.

"Stupefy!" 

A flash of lightning-fast movement—George appeared behind his opponent and knocked them out with a simple Stunning Spell.

At his current magical level, especially with the aid of his wand, subduing most wizards below S-rank required nothing more than a single stun—unless they possessed a special constitution or unique magic.

Just as he finished his match, a loud crack of thunder echoed from the neighboring arena.

Turning his head, George saw Laxus electrocuting his opponent into unconsciousness.

Similar scenes played out across several other arenas—Erza, Natsu, Gray, and a few others were all defeating their opponents in a single move.

The difference in strength was just that vast.

The other matches wrapped up just as quickly.

For most wizards, getting hit by an opponent's magic a few times was usually enough to decide the battle.

Only wizards like Natsu, with near-draconic resilience, could withstand multiple magic attacks and still get back up to fight.

In less than ten minutes, the first round was completely over.

"Rest for thirty minutes, then we'll begin the second draw!" Mirajane announced once the round had concluded.

The break was to allow participants to recover their magic and stamina.

Not everyone had ended their battles in a single move like George, with little to no energy expenditure.

Most of the competitors had fought with everything they had just to secure their victory, so a short rest was necessary.

"Second draw, begin!"

Half an hour later, the 55 winners stepped forward to draw lots again, while the 55 defeated competitors took their places among the cheering spectators.

This time, 27 pairs were formed, with one lucky participant receiving a bye.

"I Got a Bye in Round Two! This Is Amazing!"

"Number 28! I got a bye—this is amazing!"

The moment Lucy saw her number, she jumped up excitedly on the spot.

For her, drawing a bye meant an automatic advance to the third round. If she could win that match, she'd enter the top 14—one step closer to the prize money she desperately needed for rent.

"Stupefy!" 

Another instant knockout.

Any wizard who wasn't fast enough to evade George's Stunning Spell stood no chance.

His tactic was simple but effective—maneuver behind his opponent, press his wand to the back of their head, and cast the spell.

"Requip: Flame Empress Armor!" 

After swiftly eliminating his opponent, George heard a wave of gasps from the central arena. His lips curled into a faint smile as he flew over to check it out.

"Poor Natsu." 

As it turned out, this round had produced an unfortunate matchup—Natsu and Erza had drawn the same number.

There was no helping it. The draws were completely random, meaning that even in the first round, it had been possible for him to face Laxus.

While skill determined the champion, the rest of the tournament required a mix of strength and luck.

Like in this second round—one of them had to be eliminated here. And George had a strong feeling that it would be Natsu.

Natsu was the type who could push beyond his limits against an enemy, but against a companion, he could only fight at his usual level at best.

Especially when that companion was Erza, who had been beating him up since childhood—at this point, she probably gave him PTSD. There was no way he could go all out against her.

It wasn't that he was weak—just that his luck was bad.

Sure enough, after more than twenty minutes of fierce fighting, Natsu ultimately lost to Erza.

But the intense battle sent the tournament's excitement to new heights.

After another half-hour break, the third-round draw began.

This time, there were only 14 arenas and 28 remaining contestants. The rest had officially become spectators.

Several strong competitors had also drawn each other early, making for some must-watch matches.

For instance:

- Evergreen of the Thunder God Tribe, with her petrifying gaze, was up against Elfman Strauss, who, after the Phantom Lord battle, had gained the ability to Take Over the Beast King.

- Gray, master of Ice-Make Magic, was fighting Bickslow, another member of the Thunder God Tribe.

- Levy, a good friend of George, was facing Gajeel—the same guy who had once attacked her but failed.

As for George, his opponent was none other than Juvia, an S-Class wizard and former member of Phantom Lord.

"Even if it's you, George, I won't back down! Juvia will become even more dazzling for Gray-sama to see!" 

Juvia, who had fallen for Gray at first sight and even joined the guild in pursuit of him, showed no sign of hesitation as she faced George.

The moment the match began, she activated her Water Body transformation, rendering physical attacks useless against her.

She had been present for both the Phantom Lord battle and the Tower of Heaven incident—she knew very well that George was an opponent she stood little chance of defeating.

"Water Lock!" 

A powerful current surged up from beneath George, engulfing him completely.

(End of Chapter)