Chapter 117: Top 16, One Shot

In the Real World, at the Apartment:

Nate's consciousness returned, and as he opened his eyes, he saw Erza still lying on the table, immersed in the game. Without disturbing her, Nate quietly got up and left the room.

To confirm his theory that "your sister might not be dead," Nate had arranged to visit the site with Mirajane.

"Let's get a vehicle first; it seems like the place is pretty far," he thought.

With that in mind, Nate returned to the magic vehicle dealership. The owner immediately recognized him as the customer who had bought the Obsidian Seventh-Gen bike for 4.2 million J.

Excited to see him again, the owner greeted him warmly.

Nate wasted no time, slapping his magic card on the table. "I'll take another one!"

The owner was stunned by his generosity. After spending another significant chunk of his savings, Nate rode his brand-new Obsidian bike toward the guild.

As he drove, memories of Mirajane's earlier story flooded his mind.

The story was simple.

Two years ago, during a mission to defeat the "King of Monsters," Mirajane made a critical mistake. In an attempt to cover for her, Elfman took in The Beast but lost control and attacked his sister, Lisanna.

Believing Lisanna had died, Mirajane found what she thought was her sister's body, only to see it ascend into the sky and dissolve into elements. From that point on, Mirajane's personality shifted—she changed from a rebellious girl into the gentle woman known for her kind smile.

At the same time, guilt over the incident rendered her unable to use her Take Over magic.

However, in truth, Lisanna hadn't died. A dimensional portal had opened at that exact moment, pulling her into another world.

'How do I travel to another world to bring Lisanna back?' Nate pondered. The easiest solution would be to wait for another dimensional portal to appear. But if he could learn the magic, he could travel to that other world on his own.

'Come to think of it, isn't Fairy Tail in that other world a dark guild?'

His thoughts wandered until he arrived at the construction site. Reconstruction work had been halted due to the guild's ongoing tournament. The site was quiet, with only Mirajane waiting for him.

Seeing Nate arrive on a magic bike, Mirajane looked surprised.

"Get on."

"Nate, do you even have a license for this thing?"

"Of course, don't worry."

Nate lied with a wink, thinking, 'Haven't I had this conversation before?'

Unlike Lucy's skepticism, Mirajane believed him completely. Without hesitation, she gracefully sat on the back seat, side-saddle due to her dress. Her legs crossed naturally, and her arms wrapped around Nate's waist.

"Are you sure we should do this?"

"Let's check it out. Maybe my Six Eyes can spot something."

Nate started the bike. "Help me navigate."

Mirajane, not arguing with his determination, complied.

Guided by her, they sped toward the destination, arriving in less than two hours.

The incident site was located on a mountain. Over the past two years, the environment had changed somewhat.

Mirajane led Nate to the edge of a forest, pointing to a spot beneath a tree.

"It was here. I was holding Lisanna when she ascended and disappeared before my eyes."

Nate pretended to examine the area carefully.

To his surprise, he did find something—traces of residual space magic.

"There's leftover spatial magic energy here."

Mirajane's eyes widened in shock. She stammered, "Really?"

"Yes, really."

Nate nodded. 'Even after two years, there's still magic residue here?'

He vaguely remembered the magic that had transported Lisanna—an advanced spatial magic called 'Anima.'

This magic could traverse subspace, creating black holes to siphon magic energy from the world of Earthland.

"Earthland" referred to the world Nate currently resided in.

And the world next door was called "Edolas."

Nate always remembered it because its name sounded similar to "Azeroth," a world from another story.

"Could Lisanna really be alive?" Mirajane whispered in disbelief.

"If she were dead, there would have been a body. Do you really think Elfman's attack could've turned her into pure elements?"

Nate walked over and hugged her gently.

"My guess is that spatial magic was activated nearby at the time, and your sister got caught in it, which is why she disappeared."

Mirajane trusted Nate's words wholeheartedly. Tears welled up in her eyes, streaming down her face in joy.

"But... where is Lisanna now?"

"Don't worry, we'll find her. Maybe we can ask around in the forum?" Nate suggested, already planning to have his alternate identity provide the answer.

This idea gave Mirajane a glimmer of hope, and she instinctively hugged Nate tighter.

"Thank you, Nate."

"Save your thanks until we find your sister."

Nate thought for a moment, then added, "There's still the top 16 tournament coming up. Cheer up because I'm not going to let you sit this round out."

Mirajane looked up at Nate, blushing slightly. She let go, wiping away her tears as she smiled again, her usual warmth returning.

With a playful tone, she said, "Next time, don't pull this again. People will start gossiping..."

At that moment, both of their magic rings flashed.

Nate opened his Magic Net to see a message from Gray.

Gray: "Nate, where are you? The next round is about to start!"

Gray: "And what's with this Ur business!?"

Nate glanced at Mirajane, who had also received a private message from Elfman.

Elfman: "Sis, the next match is starting. You've been paired with Mystogan!"

Elfman: "Surprisingly, Nate didn't help you get a pass this time."

Catching Nate peeking at her chat, Mirajane quickly turned off her screen, blushing.

"Don't look."

'Already saw it...' Nate thought, amused and curious about how the siblings talked about him behind his back. 'Maybe I should sneak a peek later using developer access!'

"The tournament is starting, which means we now have our top 16… or wait, 17 players."

Nate looked around and suggested, "Why not just enter the game here?"

Mirajane agreed; it was too late to rush back to the guild.

So, the two of them sat under a large tree and logged into the game together.

As for safety, Nate wasn't worried—he could always sense changes in the environment outside.

…

### Sky Island.

Nate and Mirajane had just entered the game when they saw the information displayed on the large screen.

[Remaining Participants: 17]

...

[Round Six Matchmaking in Progress…]

[Matchmaking Complete!]

[Beach Arena]: Lucy vs. Juvia!

[Forest Arena]: Evergreen vs. Erza!

[Volcano Arena]: Mirajane vs. Mystogan!

And finally…

[Desert Arena]: Nate vs. Laxus!

As matches in the Beach and Forest arenas were already underway, Nate and Mirajane were teleported to their respective battle zones.

### [Desert Arena]

The landscape resembled a boundless desert, barren and void of greenery.

"Hahaha, I thought I'd be facing you later, Nate!"

Laxus was already waiting, arms crossed, laughing loudly.

"Ever since I lost to you, I've spent time thinking about how to counter your 'instant movement.'"

"This time, I won't lose!"

After his bold declaration, Nate nonchalantly conjured a card between his fingers.

"Sorry, Laxus, but I'm in a hurry to catch Mira's match."

With a flick of his wrist, the card shot toward Laxus.

Laxus, confused but confident, easily caught the card.

"Hmph, when did you start using card magic? You think this weak attack will—"

Before he could finish his sentence, the card expanded into a golden magic circle. Laxus' pupils shrank in shock as he was sucked into the card.

In the same instant, the large screen on Sky Island updated with new information.

[Desert Arena]: Nate vs. Laxus!

[Winner]: Nate!

The spectators, who had been eagerly anticipating an epic showdown, were left stunned.

Three seconds? Five seconds?

'Did Laxus just get one-shotted by Nate with a card?'

~~~

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