Internet Magic in Fairy Tail (Re-upload)

Everyone celebrated and drank in excitement, eagerly awaiting the stroke of midnight.

Levy used her Solid Script magic to create glowing countdown numbers in the air.

"15, 14, 13…"

"What are you counting down to?" Nate asked curiously as he walked over.

"Master, join us in the countdown!" Levy smiled brightly. "Everyone else, join in too!"

Erza cupped a hand to her ear. "You'll hear it soon. 10… 9… 8…"

Hear what?

Nate was puzzled, but the crowd had already started counting down together.

Even Mavis joined in, waving her arms excitedly.

"3, 2… 1!"

Dong~~

A bell chimed.

Realization dawned on Nate as he instinctively turned toward the cathedral.

The bells of the Kardia Cathedral's tower rang out, echoing far and wide.

One chime, two chimes, three chimes…

Every five seconds, the bell struck once, totaling twelve resonant chimes.

Mirajane smiled softly and explained, "It's the cathedral's New Year bell. Six chimes bid farewell to the old year, and six chimes welcome the new one."

The entire event spanned exactly one minute.

Wait a second… It's midnight!

Nate suddenly remembered the tournament update. Quickly, he opened the Magic Net and initiated a platform-wide update.

The announcement had been prepared well in advance; all he needed to do was hit publish.

Click. Synchronize with all accounts!

Given it was New Year's, the online user count had soared past a million.

"Updating right at midnight? What's the update about?" Lucy asked as she approached, opening her Magic Net interface.

"I added the Pokémon Tournament," Nate said with a grin. "It's a New Year's gift."

"A tournament? A New Year's gift?"

Others quickly opened their Magic Net as well, all seeing the update announcement.

…

Magic Internet Alpha v0.8.2 Update Announcement

1. Added a tournament mode for [Celestial Pokémon].

2. Announced the [Fiore Kingdom Pokémon Championship], co-hosted by the Magic Net and the Fiore Kingdom Royal Family. (Details inside).

3. Fixed certain bugs in [Magic Arena].

4. Happy New Year to all our beloved Magic Net users!

…

It was a concise update, yet it immediately caught everyone's attention.

Lucy read through the announcement, then clicked into the tournament details. The redirected page elaborated on the rules, schedule, and—most eye-catching of all—the prize distribution.

…

Tournament Prizes:

Top 16: 1 million J

Top 8: 3 million J

Top 4: 5 million J

Runner-Up: 20 million J

Champion: 50 million J

Total Prize Pool: 100 million J

…

"100 million J!?" Lucy exclaimed. "The champion gets 50 million, and even reaching the Top 16 means 1 million!"

The entire guild was stunned by the astronomical prize pool.

On the forums, discussions exploded, with countless posts about the tournament flooding in.

Initially, the online preliminaries were supposed to be rank-based, but Nate and Princess Hisui had adjusted the system.

In the tournament mode, players were matched with others of similar skill levels based on a new tournament score system.

Winning a match adds 3 points.

Losing deducts 2 points.

Tying results in no score change.

At the end of the preliminaries, the top 1,000 players by score would advance to the offline matches.

The tournament mode would last two weeks, closing on January 15th, X785, at midnight.

"Only two weeks to qualify? No time to waste!"

Lucy's eyes glimmered with J-shaped money symbols as she bolted away, unable to contain her excitement.

Nate guessed Lucy had probably gone back to the apartment to start her tournament matches.

Nearby, Natsu, after having the rules explained by Happy, finally understood the tournament structure.

He grinned eagerly and exclaimed, "Happy, let's go! We're taking the championship!"

Happy, mimicking Nate's signature shrug, replied, "Natsu, you only have one Charmander. Winning the championship isn't happening."

Grumbling at the reality check, Natsu stormed off, and Happy reluctantly flew after him, wings fluttering.

"Baby~ the 50 million is mine!" Bickslow shouted excitedly, then waved to the others. "I'm off, everyone. Goodnight!"

Seeing this, the rest also started heading out.

"See you, Nate."

"I'm a bit tired. Definitely not leaving to go play the tournament."

"The prize money doesn't matter; I just genuinely love Pokémon."

In the blink of an eye, the bustling front yard of the guild became quiet and empty.

Nate stood there, utterly speechless. Did they all really think winning the championship was so easy?

Even he didn't dare say he could win it himself.

Of course, it wasn't just Fairy Tail members getting involved; across the world, Pokémon players simultaneously began their matches.

Mirajane, however, stayed behind. She wasn't particularly fond of competitive Pokémon battles. Instead, she enjoyed raising Pokémon for their cuteness. Battling to earn EXP for evolving her Pokémon didn't interest her; she much preferred the adorable starter forms. For example, she loved Bulbasaur far more than its evolved form, Venusaur.

"Oh my, everyone's enthusiasm is incredible," Mirajane remarked with a chuckle.

"Forget about them. Let's go for a walk," Nate suggested, recalling their previous agreement.

"A walk? Sure," Mirajane said, smiling. "But let's clean up a little first."

Nate glanced at the mess left behind from the celebration and sighed, agreeing to help.

Lisanna stayed behind too, and with the three of them working together, the guild was soon spotless.

"Lisanna, heading back to the girls' dorm?" Mirajane asked.

"No, it's New Year's Eve. I'll stay and keep the first master company," Lisanna replied, shaking her head. She then lowered her voice and whispered mischievously, "Big Sis, are you going on a date with Nate?"

"It's just a walk!" Mirajane blushed and covered her face, recalling the agreement and growing redder.

"Go for it, Big Sis!" Lisanna teased, pushing Mirajane toward Nate with a grin.

Mirajane sighed at her sister's antics but smiled, "The guild is in your hands, then."

…

Outside, Nate was waiting patiently. When Mirajane stepped out, her cheeks still slightly flushed, he greeted her with a gentle smile.

"Not locking the guild up?" Nate asked.

"Someone always stays on New Year's Eve. The lights remain on, and the doors stay open—it's a tradition," Mirajane explained, her soft smile lighting up the night. "So, where are we walking to?"

The two strolled down the steps of the guild and into the city.

Although it was late into the night, every house glowed warmly with light. The streets, however, were quiet, the festive bustle having settled into a serene calm.

They wandered through familiar streets, their footsteps echoing softly on the cobblestone paths. Nate led the way, guiding Mirajane across a stone bridge and through narrow alleys, their pace unhurried.

Finally, they reached the southern edge of Magnolia. The lights of the city gave way to the quiet countryside, where the night sky stretched endlessly above them.

"Mira, does our agreement still stand?" Nate asked suddenly, halting and turning to face her. He gently took her hand, his gaze steady and filled with intensity.

Mirajane's cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink, but she smiled, her eyes soft. "It does. So… where are you taking me? We're nearly out of the city."

Nate pointed to a modest structure in the distance, its silhouette faintly illuminated by the moonlight.

"See that little house over there?"

Mirajane tilted her head curiously. "Is that your house? I thought you lived near the guild, next to Lucy."

"It's one of my places. I rarely come here," Nate admitted as they approached the small house. He pushed the door open and gestured for her to enter.

Mirajane hesitated briefly before stepping inside. The interior was cozy, with a simple but warm ambiance. A faint layer of dust hinted at its lack of use.

After shutting the door, Nate turned to her and, without warning, pulled her into an embrace.

Mirajane's breath hitched as their eyes met in the dim light.

"What are you planning to do?" she murmured, her voice shy yet tinged with curiosity.

"I want to kiss you," Nate confessed, his voice low but sincere.

Mirajane's heartbeat quickened. She hesitated for only a moment before giving a faint nod. "Okay."

With her permission, Nate leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss started gentle, tender, but it deepened as they lost themselves in the moment.

His hands moved instinctively, slipping beneath her clothes to explore the warmth of her skin. Mirajane trembled slightly at his touch but didn't pull away. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him closer.

Before long, they found themselves near the bed.

Mirajane paused, her cheeks flushed as she whispered, "This is a bit embarrassing… should we shower first?"

Nate chuckled softly, his voice warm and teasing. "You already smell amazing. There's no need."

Her protest faded as Nate's lips found hers again, his hands firmly yet gently holding her.

The moonlight streaming through the window cast their intertwined shadows onto the wooden floorboards, painting a picture of two souls lost in each other.