Chapter 111: Chaotic Mess...

Sky Island

Beneath the golden screen, four additional light screens appeared, each broadcasting the battle scenes from different arenas.

The members of Fairy Tail gathered eagerly around the giant screen, focusing their attention on the [Forest Arena].

"A white dragon!?"

"Is that the dragon who raised Wendy? The Sky Dragon!"

"I remember... her name is Grandeeney!"

"Wendy's opponent is Mystogan?!"

"Natsu, look! A dragon!"

Shocked gasps filled the air as the unexpected scene unfolded at the very start of the tournament.

Natsu stood dumbfounded on the grassy field, his expression blank.

"Where's Igneel?!"

Suddenly, his excitement surged, and he began scanning the crowd, searching frantically.

Soon enough, he spotted Nate.

Nate was chatting with Lucy, seemingly discussing something important. Unlike the other participants, Lucy, being a Celestial Spirit Mage, relied on her spirits to fight. Whether she could summon them in the [Magic Arena] was uncertain, even to Nate.

"So, if my summoning fails, I can't beat anyone?" Lucy was on the verge of tears.

To be honest, her pitiful expression was kind of adorable.

Nate reassured her, "What if it works?"

"'What if' my foot!"

Lucy clung to Nate's arm, her voice quivering as she begged, "Nate, think of something, please!"

'Do I look like Doraemon to you?' Nate thought to himself, immune to Lucy's pleas after all this time. "Look on the bright side. You still have a chance of success, so why not try now?"

Lucy pulled out a key from her waist and immediately realized the problem. She wailed, "This isn't even a real key! How could it possibly work?"

Their consciousness had entered the game, but the real Celestial Spirit Keys were still in the real world.

"Ah, you don't understand. You have to believe in the bond between you and your spirits," Nate chuckled.

"Don't laugh! It's not fair!" Lucy glared at him angrily.

"It's very fair. Think about it: the gods blessed you with stunning beauty. It's only reasonable that your luck gets reduced from time to time."

Lucy rolled her eyes, tempted to smack Nate with her little fists.

It sounded like a compliment, but somehow, it didn't make her happy.

Nate shrugged with a mischievous grin. "In the end, it's your fault for not studying magic properly, leading to this awkward situation. Isn't that true?"

"You could've bought a 'Mage's Handbook' from the bookstore for 79J. Maybe you should reflect on whether you've been diligent in learning new magic."

Lucy couldn't take it anymore. She pounced on Nate, threatening to bite him.

"Where are you even finding a 'Mage's Handbook' for 79J!?"

"Alright, alright, I'm just teasing," Nate said, trying to calm her down. "I know you're anxious, but give it a try. It might just work."

Lucy hesitated, unsure whether Nate was teasing her again.

"This key isn't real, and you think I can still summon?"

"Consider it a 'replica' made using Celestial Spirit energy," Nate explained. "It's complicated, but trust me and try."

'If it doesn't work, I'll ask the Celestial Spirit King to help,' Nate thought, recalling that he had added the king as a friend just yesterday.

Half-convinced, Lucy extended the key in front of her and recited the incantation:

"…Open! Gate of the Maiden, Virgo!"

A golden magic circle appeared, and Virgo emerged from the Celestial Spirit World.

"Princess, do you require my services?"

Upon arrival, Virgo immediately noticed something unusual about her surroundings.

"Where are we…?"

"I-I can't believe it worked!" Lucy exclaimed, her mouth agape in shock.

'How did this even happen?'

As it dawned on her, she realized Nate had been teasing her the whole time.

'Damn it! I fell for it again! That jerk!'

"Thank me later. I've worked hard to help you, you know," Nate chuckled, clearly amused.

Just then, Natsu came running over, completely ignoring Lucy and Virgo. He eagerly asked Nate, "Have you seen Igneel anywhere?"

"Grandeeney came out of Wendy's body. If she can appear, then Igneel should be able to, right?"

"It's possible. Maybe Igneel just doesn't feel like showing up," Nate replied calmly.

The client modifications he'd made should work fine—after all, Grandeeney had appeared.

Nate glanced at the [Forest Arena], where Grandeeney was instructing Wendy in Dragon Slayer magic, using Mystogan as a practice target.

Anyone might wonder how the pair ended up matched together. The answer? A little behind-the-scenes manipulation.

Nate had written the program himself, and tweaking it a bit was only natural. Just like how some lottery organizers might make small adjustments to the prize pool for personal reasons.

But there was more to it.

With 261 participants, someone would inevitably get a bye in the first round. Who had Nate chosen for this stroke of luck? None other than Mirajane.

"Igneel! Can you hear me?" Natsu shouted, calling out to the Fire Dragon King within him.

"Why won't you come out?"

"I miss you, Igneel!"

"Come out, Igneel!"

Perhaps annoyed by Natsu's shouting, a dragon's roar echoed from within him.

Nate, quick on his feet, grabbed Lucy and Virgo, instantly teleporting them away.

Just as they vanished, a fiery red glow emerged from Natsu's chest. The glow rapidly expanded, transforming into a massive fire dragon.

With Igneel's appearance, the entire weather on Sky Island seemed to ignite. The intense heat filled every corner of the arena.

Attracted by the commotion, the guild's participants turned their gazes toward Natsu.

"A-another dragon!!"

"That must be Igneel, Natsu's father!"

"Igneel!"

Natsu was overjoyed, his face beaming with excitement.

"Grandeeney… What a reckless move," Igneel snorted, releasing a stream of fiery breath from his nostrils, clearly displeased with Grandeeney's bold behavior.

If she wanted to teach Wendy the Dragon Slayer's Ultimate Magic, fine, but couldn't she do it more discreetly? Now that Natsu had seen this, there was no way he would stay quiet, forcing Igneel to show himself.

"Igneel!" Natsu shouted, rushing to the fire dragon's feet and looking up at him with awe. "I finally get to see you again!"

"Natsu…" Igneel lowered his head, his large dragon eyes meeting those of his foster son.

After a brief pause, the Fire Dragon King grinned.

Though a dragon, Igneel's face displayed emotions almost like a human.

[Magic Arena], huh? That kid Nate truly is a genius mage!

"Natsu, since you're in this tournament, there's only one goal for us."

"Victory!"

"I, the Fire Dragon King Igneel, will not accept failure!"

…

Meanwhile, Nate had teleported Lucy and Virgo to a safe distance.

Even from afar, they could still hear Igneel's declaration of victory.

"So that's the father Natsu's been searching for…" Lucy muttered, her eyes widening in sudden realization.

"Wait a minute, Natsu is cheating! How are we supposed to fight him with a dragon helping him?!"

'You could always call the Celestial Spirit King,' Nate thought, feeling a bit exasperated. 'How did a simple tournament turn into this chaotic mess?'