~*****~

I can hear the destruction inside of the fancy hotel, urging me to go barging in. I find Natsu cracking blows against what I assume is Sabertooth's Master. When the dust settles from an intense attack, I can only shout. "Natsu!" I shout angrily. "What the hell are you doing?!" A woman stands in front of the master, and she completely deflected Natsu's Lighting Flame Dragon attack as if it were nothing.

"Certainly, you'll agree. This little quarrel of ours has gone too far." The woman hums.

"What?" Natsu growled as I stomped towards him and grasped onto his sleeve.

"How dare you get in my way! This does not concern you." The master snapped.

"Please forgive me. You could easily defeat this man, so I'm not doing this for your sake, father," The woman chirped.

"He's your dad?" Natsu echoed.

"But we must take into consideration how this altercation would appear to the outside world." The woman stated. "Despite the fact that you are clearly the aggressor in this situation, our master killing another competitor would leave Sabertooth in an awkward position, to say the very least. It would certainly put a damper on the games."

"You know what I think--" Natsu tried.

"I don't care what you would think, Natsu!" I snap at him. Natsu snaps his gaze onto me, eyes wide and shocked. "Get. Moving." I say through my gritted teeth. I turn back to the woman. "We will leave peacefully." I say slowly. "And continue the games as normal. I understand that my guild mate has disturbed all of your slumber and infuriated your guild but take my sincerest apologies. I'm sure neither party wants to deal with the fallout from this." I can't believe I'm spitting these words out.

The woman hums delicately, her lip curling up in a snide smirk as I bow my head, turn and grasp Natsu's arm to pull him out. "You've got some serious guts for such a fool." The master hums.

"We can settle this matter once and for all inside the arena," The woman chirps. "Where we'll show you no mercy."

Natsu stops me and turns his glare over his shoulder. "Fine. But you'll never beat us. We're at a whole other level. Cause a real guild treats its members like family. That's why I came here tonight." Natsu stopped me a ways down the street. "Why'd you stop me?" He asks irritably.

"Think about it, idiot--" I snap and take a sharp inhale. "I'm sorry for being angry, but dammit, Natsu!" I snap again. "If you had injured someone on their team, Fairy Tail would've been kicked out of the games or worse. Do you understand just how crippling that would be to the guild? We're already on thin ice with the magic council, and if they found out we'd attacked another guild during the games, we might be disbanded! It's not just a guild anymore, it's the livelihood of our friends and home to all of us!" I storm forward for a moment before whirling back around to Natsu. "Tell me exactly why you decided to go there tonight. I want to hear the full story and don't you dare leave anything out!"

Natsu stared down at me for a moment, his cheeks flushed before he snorted and leaned forward, his forehead pressing against mine. I couldn't help the hum of appreciation worming it's way out of my throat as I'm suddenly being enveloped in a tight hug. He does explain in full detail, and I can understand why he'd rage so hard like that. "I'm sorry I made you mad." Natsu murmured.

I hum and let out a soft sigh. "I understand your frustration. I really do. But going about it that way, was a misstep. You need to save that anger for the games. I know it sounds childish, but that's what we're facing against now." I pull away slightly. "They might target us specifically now. And with Raven Tail on our butts, too, it's going to make winning the games even harder."

"I know," Natsu grumbled. "I just can't believe they'd treat someone like that!" Natsu snapped, suddenly fired up. "I'm going--"

"The hell you will!" I shout. "We're going to the inn to explain to the others why we're gonna have to step up our game again! Don't you dare make me tell you again! And if I have to drag you out of somewhere again, you'll be dead when I do! Got it?!"

"Y-Yes ma'am--" Natsu stammered as I stormed down the street, tugging him by the scarf.

~*****~

"You've gotta be kidding me," I murmur as they announce today's special commentator. "Lahar and the Magic Council is here?" I slump over and sigh. "I can't believe this crap."

"Let's kick off this hump day with a game that's sure to be exciting. One that we call... Pandemonium!" The commentator shouted. "As usual, we will have just one member from each team competing. So please choose wisely."

"I got this one," Natsu suddenly said. "I'm still pretty fired up from what went down last night."

"No, absolutely not!" I snap. "I'll go. I want to redeem myself from yesterday. I think we should save Erza for the last game. If we wanna win anything at all, she's our best bet."

Erza hummed in response. "I agree. Good luck."

"All right! Go and get us a win, Aria!" Lucy beamed.

"Yeah, you've got this!" Wendy called.

"This is so unfair! I called this one!" Natsu cried.

"The decision's been made, so would ya shut up?" Gray complained.

I flinched to the side as Millianna bound up besides me. "D'you remember me?" She chirped happily. "It's so good to see you again! Did you bring your pretty kitty?"

I laugh and loop my arm around her neck for a quick hug. "Sure I remember you! You're very dear to Erza, and anyone who Erza loves, I love too! And if you want a hug from Ballad, you'll have to wait till later."

Millianna grins broadly. "Oh, I can't wait! She was so soft!" I laugh again.

"All of the competitors have been chosen! From Sabertooth, Olga! From Lamia Scale, Jura! From Blue Pegasus, Hibiki! From Raven Tail, Obra! From Mermaid Heel, Millianna! From Quarto Puppy, Novali! From Fairy Tail A, Aria! From Fairy Tail B, Cana!" The commentator shouted. "Let's all give them a big round of applause, folks!"

From the sky, a large magic circle appeared and a long spire began pouring out of it. "That the hell is that thing?" I murmur.

"I don't know," Millianna hummed.

"I'll see what archive brings up." Hibiki stated.

I peer up and up until it finally thuds on the ground. "Before you stands a castle filled with vicious monsters! That's Pandemonium!" The pumpkin explains.

"Holy crap--" Cana murmured.

"Oh, boy!" I chirp excitedly.

"I take it we're to do battle with these monsters?" Jura asked.

"Yes!" The pumpkin exclaims. "You are correct, sir! One hundred terrifying beasts are lurking within the castle walls. But don't panic, there's no danger of them escaping and attacking the crowd. They're magical projections we created solely for this game! They are classified by their degree of difficulty. We have five classes: D, C, B, A, and S! The distribution is shown here." He hums as he presents a little screen. "To give you an example, let me show you how strong a D-Class monster is! They're the weakest, remember." The screen shows a strange looking metal beast that ambles around before it destroys a pillar. "The Pandemonium is filled to the brim with these vile monsters and many more that are far stronger! One hundred monsters await you! Monsters of a higher class are two times stronger the ones beneath them! So if you think that D-Class guy looked nasty, you'll lose your mind when the S-Class rears its ugly head! I'm not even sure that a Wizard Saint could beat one of those. You will all take turns in choosing the number of monsters that you wish to fight in each round. We call this, the competitors right to challenge."

I hum. "So, we make the choice?"

"That is correct!" The pumpkin nodded. "So, for instance, if you say you want to fight three monsters, then low and behold, there will be three waiting inside for you! You will go in alone, of course. If you successfully vanquish those three creatures, you will then be awarded three points! The next competitor in the rotation will chose a number out of the ninety-seven that still remain to challenge. And then the process repeats! The game will end when either all the monsters have been cleared, or at the point that everyone runs out of magic power; whichever comes first!"

"So there's some math involved, huh?" Millianna hummed.

"Yes! To a degree. After the first round, choosing your numbers wisely will become a bit more important. But you'd do well to remember that not all of these monsters are created equal. Whether you chose to test your skills against five monsters or only one, they will be chosen completely at random." The pumpkin explained.

"So that means we'll have to strategize and use our heads to try and avoid going against the S-Class guys in there." Hibiki hummed.

"He just told us that they're gonna be chosen at random, so how the hell can you use any kind of strategy?" Olga snapped.

"You can't. But I sure can." Hibiki smirked. "I know all about probability. And my Archive magic will come in handy."

"Although the higher ranked creatures are more difficult, points are determined solely by the number of monsters you can defeat. Once you enter the castle, you will not be allowed to leave until you've successfully completely your challenge." The pumpkin chirped.

"So, what happens if you don't beat all of them and get knocked out inside?" Cana asks.

"You'll keep all the points you accumulated in the previous rounds, but you'll also be out of the game! No points will be awarded if you beat less than the number you challenged that round." The pumpkin continued. "Now, to decide the order you'll go in, I'd like you to please draw a straw!" The pumpkin cheered as he held up a cute little orange box.

I plucked a straw from the box and beamed with the number one stared back at me. "Aw, hell yeah! I get to go first!"

"Man, you're lucky. And I'd be willing to bet that means you'll also get the most amount of turns." Cana mentioned. "Meanwhile, I'll be stuck back at number eight."

"No, you won't." I hum. "And I'll only get one turn. Because I chose one hundred monsters to challenge."

"Say what?!" The pumpkin cried.

I jut my thumb at the castle. "I'm goin' up, make sure you get your popcorn, Cana." I wave my hand as I ascend the steps.

~*****~

Inside the castle seems a bit bigger than I had originally thought. "I'm Aria Tangia of Fairy Tail A. I wish to challenge all one hundred beasts!" No sooner than I said it, dozens of beasts appeared. I slam my fists together and grin broadly. "Let's party!" There's never a good opportunity to let loose and go wild. Beasts go flying left and right as I attack with everything I've got and more. Ice creeps along the room, snow falls from the ceiling, and there's a bitter wind in the room. When that S-Class monster appears, I sling the beast that's draped over my shoulder as a weapon to the ground. "Oh yeah! You're the guy I've been lookin' for! C'mon! We're gonna brawl!" It's only a small little black puffball with one eye, but I kept seeing it around, so it had to be. It was the only thing left. It transformed into a very large demon looking thing, but damn was I excited to take this beast on. Sure I was hurting a bit, and my magic needed a breather, but I wasn't going to be beaten. "Ice Dragon Secret Art." I say so softly, I vaguely wonder if I even said it at all. My hands are encased in thick, frigid ice, pointing downwards until the tip barely scrapes against the ground. I raise them up and blow out a soft breath. "Frigid Tempest." I kick off of the ground, slicing through the beast with my swords until the head falls onto my upturned sword, displaying to the arena my win.

I held up the head of the beast until it disappeared after finally being able to use the last secret art Everest ever taught me, and I finally hear the roar of the crowd from being in my own world. "Unbelievable! Aria Tangia has defeated all one hundred monsters!" The commentator roared. "Fairy Tail Team A sweeps today's contest in an absolute, undisputed victory! Let it be known, we've just witnessed history! The strongest guild from seven years ago has returned from the grave!"

The castle disappears and I finally land back on the ground. I feel a bit sweaty, and I desperately needed a drink, but I felt satisfied I could redeem myself from yesterday's embarrassing point. The others began running towards me, shouting out cheerfully. I rub at the back of my head. "I'd stay back, I'm pretty rank from the sweat I worked up in there!" I mention. "Anyone wanna get me a drink or somethin', I'm thirsty!" I give a sharp yelp as I'm tackled by Lucy and Wendy. I laugh heartily as they start chanting that they were so moved. "It's wasn't a big deal, I never get a chance to let loose! Quit your crying!" I chirp. "C'mon, I'm thirsty, let me up!" I don't wanna face the crowd too much with all that name chanting but it did feel good.

"Fairy Tail A dominates the Pandemonium contest and scores ten points for their team!" The commentator shouts.

"Hey, make something with your magic for me, Gray, I'm totally gonna die without it." I hum irritably.

They decided to do another contest for the other competitors, and it was more or so power attack points. Although, it's safe to say that Cana obliterated the competition after using Fairy Glitter to get a score of 9999.

~*****~

The battles for Day Three started immediately after Cana's brilliant display using Fairy Glitter. "Let's do away with the pleasantries and shake up that scoreboard with some one-on-one battles! First up, the kitten with major claws, Mermaid Heel's Millianna! Against Quatro Puppy's towering giant, Semus! Let's get this match started!"

Although Millianna sustained heavy damage at the beginning, she pulled through and defeated Semus almost flawlessly. "She's come a long way, I'm proud of her." Erza said fondly.

"Her score on the Magic Power Finder was enough to convince me that she's strong," Lucy commented. "But she's downright scary with those tubes."

"Yeah, no kidding," Wendy hummed. "Real scary!"

"Gotta admit, even Aria and I had a hard time against her back in the day," Natsu mentioned.

I chuckle. "No kidding, that lady sure can pack a punch when she wants to." I take a bite out of the ice chunk that Gray made for me. "I still didn't think I needed these bandages. I'm getting itchy."

Lucy pinched at my only exposed cheek with a grunt. "You were covered in scratches, scrapes and bruises, just deal with it." The second match started with Rufus Lore from Sabertooth against Eve from Blue Pegasus. I always loved Eve's magic, mostly because his magic tasted so fresh and clean. And it could be deadly when against a regular opponent, but Rufus was no regular opponent. He went too far during their battle, and Eve was carted off to the medical room with serious burns all over his body.

The next match was Laxus from Fairy Tail against Alexei from Raven Tail. "Kick his butt!" Natsu chants.

"Anyone else got a bad feeling about this match?" I ask.

Erza hums in response. "I feel it, too." She mutters, her eyes never leaving the two in the arena.

With the ringing of the gong, the battle began almost immediately. This Alexei character was fast and managed to get a good swing on Laxus right off the bat. He kept on him, barely giving him any breathing room. But the strange smell in the air caused some confusion with me.

"He makes beating Laxus look easy!" Lucy gasped.

"Yeah. That Alexei guy is scary!" Wendy muttered.

"That masked freak! Who in the hell is he?" Gray angrily said.

"Is this for real? He's losing?" Natsu gasped.

"Would you relax, it's not as it seems." I mention. "Can't you smell it?"

Natus took subtle inhales and quirked a brow. "No. I can't. You sure?"

I nod eagerly. "I know Laxus' fighting style, and Alexei is not as fast as he is. No, something else is going on-- this fight is just a farce."

Erza hums and peers closer. "I think you may be right." She mentions.

And just like that, the illusion breaks, with all of the members of Raven Tail beaten on the ground. "Whoa! What happened down there?!" The commentator shouted.

"Since when does Laxus have a twin brother?!" Natsu cried.

I sighed and patted his head. "It's like I said. You're a moron, but an incredible cute moron. Look, I told you the fight was a farce. And it looks like Raven Tail is gonna get disqualified, cause I'm pretty sure it said no Master of any guild can join the games." I grin down at Ivan Dreyar on the ground.

"I'm at a complete loss here, folks! This is crazy!" The commentator shouted.

"Holy moley, Alexei was actually Master Ivan the whole time!" The pumpkin cried.

"Apparently the battle we were watching was just an illusion! But Laxus preserved and defeated the entire Raven Tail guild! Let's hear it for our victor!" The commentator cheered.

"The winner of Day Three's third match is Fairy Tail B's Laxus Dreyar!" The pumpkin cried.

"I was all set to get revenge on those creeps, but it looks like Laxus already took care of that." Gray mentioned.

"Jerk! He couldn't save a couple for us?!" Natsu shouted. "I don't wanna owe that glory-hog a favor!"

"I'm sorry, who's a Glory Hog?" I ask irritably. "Wow, the pot calls the kettle black! You're in no position to call anyone a Glory-Hog!"

"Awe, c'mon, you know I don't mean to take over your fights!" Natsu complained.

~*****~

The next match was between Wendy from Fairy Tail and Sheila from Lamia Scale. And for obvious reasons, my skin jumps almost visibly. I've felt that magic power before. Sheila could use slayer magic like Wendy, but it was Sky God magic, unlike the creep Natsu fought on Tenrou who used Fire God Slayer magic.

But little Wendy has some tricks up her sleeve too. And she's incredibly skilled to master a secret art of Sky Dragon magic. Although Shelia is stronger than she looks. The battle rages for while, with neither side giving an inch. At the end of the time limit, it is concluded a draw for the two bruised and exhausted girls.

"And that's it folks! Looks like this match, ends in a draw!" The commentator roared. "Lamia Scale and Fairy Tail score five points!"

"Those are some strong girls," I hum delicately. The day ended between a sweet scene of the two deciding to be friends from now on. I rub at my neck as I still feel that strange magic power ebbing in the air. I still couldn't my finger on it.

"Man, I'm so freakin' hungry!" Natsu whined as we all trailed out of the arena.

"You're always hungry. You should be thinkin' about our victory, and not stuffin' your face!" Happy teased.

"I dunno, I'm hungry, too," Ballad chirped.

"See? It's super hard to think about victories when your stomachs growlin'!" Natsu beamed. "Well, Happy, I'm gonna go find some grub. You comin' with me?"

"Nope!" Happy retorted. "I'm stayin' right here!" I gave a short chuckle as Happy's stomach began to growl. "On second thought... Hey, wait up!" Happy cried.

"Should we follow them?" Gray asked.

I sighed loudly. "I'll go make sure he doesn't pull another stunt like he did last night," I mention. "C'mon, Ballad, let's get you some sushi."

"I want blue fin!" Ballad shouted enthusiastically.

"Why don't we all go," Erza hummed. "I wouldn't mind having a seat after a day like today. Would you mind showing me that secret art again sometime? It was rather lovely to witness."

I yawn again and stretch. "Sure thing." I hum. "But after the games. I'm seriously tired."

"Aw, c'mon! It was really cool! Show us again!" Natsu cried.

He was effectively cut off by a harsh crack atop his head by Lucy and Gray.