Chapter 73: End Of Day - 1

Rudra casually turned back, cracking his knuckles. After thoroughly violating Nullpudding, he prepared to sweep through the rest of the arena and wrap up the trial.

Before he could take a step, the bright artificial sky instantly darkened, plunging the miniature city into shadow. A heavy, ancient hum vibrated through the air as Rudra’s body began to emit a soft, crimson glow.

He lazily tilted his head toward the heavens. Far above, the dark canopy ruptured, sending a dozen blinding streaks of light crashing down across the urban maze like falling stars. Explosions echoed in the distance as each pillar of light detonated upon impact, wiping out clusters of illusions and players alike.

One massive beam of concentrated magic headed straight for Rudra’s head.

Rudra didn’t even bother to blink, much less dodge. With his Kamui active, space folded around his body. The searing pillar of light passed cleanly through his torso, tearing through the cobblestones beneath him without touching a single hair on his head.

As the light faded, the dark clouds dissolved back into clear skies, and a sharp, resonant gong echoed across the stadium, signaling the official end of the trial.

The sprawling replica town shimmered and dissolved into faint motes of magic, leaving the arena floor bare once more. Standing amidst the settling dust, only two mages remained upright: Rudra, hands lazily tucked into his jacket pockets, and Rufus, who stood nearby with an arrogant, unbothered smirk. The remaining participants lay sprawled across the dirt, gasping to catch their breath.

"And that’s the whistle, folks!" Chapati Lola’s voice boomed over the speakers, instantly reigniting the stadium’s roar. "The tactical trial Hidden has officially come to an end! Let us take a look at the final standings!"

High above the arena, the massive lacrima screens flickered to life, displaying the results in bold, glowing runes:

"In first place, taking the top spot with a completely dominant performance—Rudra from Fairy Tail Team B with 6 points!"

The stadium erupted into a wall of roaring sound. Over in the Fairy Tail section, the bleachers shook as the guild swung giant banners, sloshed overflowing beer mugs, and cheered at the top of their lungs, while Rudra merely gave a lazy shrug at the noise.

"In second place, Rufus Lore from Sabertooth!" Lola’s voice boomed over the speakers. Rufus’s arrogant smirk faltered as he stared blankly up at the scoreboard, genuinely stunned that his Memory-Make magic had fallen short of the top spot. "Following him is Eve Tearm from Blue Pegasus, with Gray Fullbuster and Lyon Vastia tied for fourth! Down the line, we have Beth Vanderwood from Mermaid Heel, Jäger from Quatro Cerberus, and bringing up the rear in dead last... Nullpudding from Raven Tail!"

Gray pushed himself off the ground, dusting off his trousers as he walked over to Rudra. He stopped beside him, shooting a dark look at Nullpudding’s battered, face-down body twitching in the dirt a few feet away.

"I take it that’s the rat who ambushed Wendy last night?"

"Hmm." Rudra didn’t bother with anything more.

"Well, folks!" Lola leaned so far into his lacrima microphone his voice crackled over the crowd. "Now that the warm-up trial’s officially behind us, it’s time for what you’ve all been waiting for — the head-to-head single battles! Get ready for the PVP matches!"

The stadium exploded into pure, unadulterated hype. Down on the sandy floor, the eight combatants turned toward their respective guild balconies — some celebrating their placement, others slinking off in frustrated silence.

However, two guilds in particular were having an utterly miserable day.

Over at the Sabertooth booth, the atmosphere was suffocatingly cold. Guild Master Jiemma glared down at Rufus, berating him mercilessly for failing to secure first place. Near the Raven Tail exit, a similarly grim scene unfolded—two mages were practically dragging Nullpudding’s broken, unconscious body through the dirt like a bag of trash.

Ivan Dreyar and his remaining squad glared daggers at Rudra’s back. Their eyes burned with unadulterated hatred, promising bloody retribution for the public humiliation he had just inflicted on them.

Rudra didn’t care in the slightest. Interlocking his fingers behind his head, he let out a long, lazy yawn and ambled away from the dirty glances, making his way back up toward the spectator terraces.

The tense air of the arena floor melted away the moment he stepped into the shade of the Fairy Tail Team B balcony. Mirajane was already waiting for him with a gentle smile, extending a fresh, condensation-frosted bottle of water.

"Good work out there, Rudra," she said, her voice a soothing contrast to the stadium’s roar. "That was quite a show."

"Thanks," Rudra hummed, taking the bottle and taking a long sip before leaning against the balcony edge, looking down at the stadium floor.

Chapati Lola’s voice echoed across the crowd once more, cracking with excitement. "Alright, ladies and gentlemen! The wait is over! It is time for the very first battle of the Grand Magic Games! Representing Fairy Tail Team A—Lucy Heartfilia! And representing Raven Tail—Flare Corona!"

Below, Lucy stepped onto the sand, her hands resting near her keys. On the opposite side, Flare drifted out, her long scarlet hair writhing like living vipers as a disturbing, unhinged smirk stretched across her face.

Mirajane’s brow furrowed. "I don’t think Raven Tail is planning on playing fair, Rudra. Not after what you did in Hidden."

"She’s right," Gajeel growled, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. "I used to run around with scum like them back in the day. They aren’t here to win a clean fight. They’re out for blood, and they’ll pull every dirty trick in the book to get it."

Rudra didn’t turn his head, but his voice carried clearly over the noise of the arena. "Hey. Lucy."

Down on the sands, Lucy blinked in surprise and looked up toward Team B’s balcony.

"Give it your all and don’t worry about a damn thing," Rudra said, his tone casual yet dripping with absolute certainty. "As long as I’m standing right here, nobody touches you from the outside. So just beat her ass."

Lucy’s eyes widened, the last traces of doubt evaporating as a bright, determined smile broke across her face. She gave him a sharp nod. "Got it!"

She turned back to Flare, all hesitation gone. Channeling her Celestial Magic, Lucy summoned her spirits in rapid succession. Deprived of any chance to pull off a hostage trick, Flare was completely outmatched. Taurus and Lucy—wielding her Fleuve d’Étoiles—shattered Flare’s burning hair, relentlessly breaking through her defenses.

Battered and breathless, Flare stumbled backward, gasping for air as her control slipped away.

Seeing her moment, Lucy drew Gemini’s key. "Transform! Open, Gate of the Twins!"

Aligning her magic with Gemini, Lucy began the ancient chant. "Survey the Heavens, Open the Heavens... All the stars, far and wide... show yourselves to me!"

Up in the Raven Tail booth, panic set in. Kurohebi spun toward Obra, his face contorting in desperation. "Obra, do something! Nullpudding already lost us points—if Flare gets wiped out here, Master Ivan will skin us alive!"

Obra nodded, his void-like eyes glowing as he prepared to drain Lucy’s magic mid-chant. "Leave it to me. I’ll absorb her—"

"Try that bullshit, and be ready to lose your head."

The voice didn’t come from across the arena. It came from right beside them.

Before any of them could react, a suffocating wave of Conqueror’s Haki slammed into the booth. It wasn’t a full blast—just a concentrated, razor-sharp pulse aimed directly at Raven Tail. The sudden pressure made the air freeze in their lungs. Sweat poured down their faces, their knees buckled, and their vision blurred on the razor’s edge of unconsciousness.

Every single member of Raven Tail froze in absolute terror. Turning slowly, they looked up to see Rudra perched lazily on the narrow railing of their booth, resting his chin in his hand as he watched the match below.

None of them had felt him arrive. No magic signature, no sound, no shift in the wind. He was just... there, holding their lives in his hand.

Obra instantly snapped his mouth shut, his magic dissolving into nothing as he shrank backward, trembling under the weight of the oppressive aura.

Down on the arena floor, the stellar lights of Urano Metria descended like falling galaxies, slamming directly into Flare Corona. The massive explosion shook the arena, leaving her unconscious in a crater of scorched earth.

"I-Incredible!" Lola’s voice boomed over the lacrimas. "A breathtaking finisher! Lucy Heartfilia takes the victory for Fairy Tail!"

As the stadium erupted into deafening cheers, a suffocating silence settled over the Raven Tail booth.

Rudra let out a lazy yawn and shifted his posture on the railing. He turned his head, his pitch-black gaze sweeping over Ivan Dreyar and his trembling guildmates.

Then, he released a focused, heavy pulse of Conqueror’s Haki, lacing it with pure intent.

The physical pressure hit them like a falling slab of iron. Ivan’s knees buckled. Kurohebi and Obra collapsed onto the stone, clutching the floor as their lungs starved for air. They were pinned firmly under the weight, hovering just on the edge of consciousness.

"Looks to me like your brains are in your feet," Rudra said, his tone smooth and icy. "Or maybe you bastards just have balls of steel to even think about interfering after what I did to your little friend this morning."

Ivan tried to force his head up, his teeth grinding together, but the aura pressed his face right back into the stone.

"Let this be your one and only warning," Rudra murmured, leaning down slightly. "Try something like that again, and I won’t bother with tournament rules. I will come over here and tear every single one of you apart. Unlike the rest of my guild, I solve problems with absolute violence. Do not test me."

Before any of them could squeeze out a reply, the crushing pressure snapped shut.

In a blur of movement, the railing was empty.

Across the stadium, Rudra materialized back on Fairy Tail Team B’s balcony. He leaned against the stone, holding a fresh bottle of water as if he had never moved. Over in the shadowed Raven Tail box, Ivan and his mages remained sprawled on their hands and knees, gasping for air.

Gajeel sauntered over, leaning an elbow on the railing beside him. He glanced toward the shivering booth, his red eyes narrowing. "They were up to something, weren’t they?"

The rest of Team B didn’t bother pressing for details. Knowing better than to wake him between fights, they turned their attention back to the arena.

Rudra slept straight through the remaining matchups, completely oblivious to the explosive clashes below. It wasn’t until a gentle nudge on his shoulder pulled him back to reality that his eyes flicked open.

"Rudra, wake up," Mirajane said with a warm smile as the announcer’s voice roared through the lacrima speakers. "It’s Laxus’s turn."

He blinked away the sleep and leaned over the railing. The final match of the day was the main event—Laxus Dreyar versus Jura Neekis of Lamia Scale, one of the Ten Wizard Saints.

The fight tore the arena floor to shreds. Earth magic clashed against blinding lightning in a display of raw, terrifying power. Golden sparks collided with shattered granite, neither side yielding an inch. When the timer hit zero, both men were still panting and bruised, but still standing. The match concluded in a draw, earning both teams equal points.

As the dust settled, Chapati Lola took to the lacrimas to wrap up the day. "What an incredible opening day, ladies and gentlemen! With all matches concluded, let’s look at the Day One standings!"

The scoreboard lit up with the combined totals from Hidden and the head-to-head matches:

1st Place: Fairy Tail Team B

2nd Place: Sabertooth

3rd Place: Mermaid Heel

4th Place (Tied): Lamia Scale & Fairy Tail Team A

5th Place: Blue Pegasus

6th Place: Quatro Cerberus

7th Place: Raven Tail

The crowd erupted into a final wave of cheers. Sabertooth departed in tense silence, Raven Tail slunk away into the shadows, and the rest of the guilds headed for the exits to celebrate or recover.

"First place, huh?" Rudra stretched his arms overhead and stood up. "Not a bad start."

With Day One officially in the books, Fairy Tail marched out in high spirits, ready to commandeer the local taverns and prepare for whatever tomorrow had in store.