In the early morning, Magnolia was buzzing with activity. Many tourists from other towns had gathered. The liveliness was comparable to New Year's.
And the most anticipated event was, of course, the upcoming Fairy Tail beauty contest.
This was the main reason countless perverts had traveled thousands of miles — most of them were fans of Mira and Dark Magician Girl from the magazine.
Fairy Tail guild hall, third floor terrace.
Chase and Makarov stood by the railing, looking down at the surging crowd below.
"Master, I saw Freed and the others come back a couple of days ago. And Laxus has been acting a bit strange lately."
Chase leaned his hands on the railing, his voice low. "I have a feeling that guy is about to make a big move."
The 88-year-old Makarov had always suffered from heart disease. In the original story's civil war, Laxus had made him so angry that he became critically ill.
And since what Chase was about to do was somewhat "reckless," to be safe, he decided to give Makarov a precautionary warning in advance.
"The Thunder God Tribe... choosing the sensitive period of the Harvest Festival when everyone returns..." Makarov's expression was complicated.
From Mira, he had learned about Laxus attacking Levy and severely injuring Gajeel.
Although he had vaguely felt uneasy at the time, due to his identity as a grandfather, he still didn't want to think the worst of Laxus.
With Chase's reminder, that uneasiness became even stronger at this moment.
"I've heard what Mira said. You're not wrong. If that bastard Laxus does something like hurting comrades again, the only option is to expel him from the guild."
Makarov instinctively clenched the fists hanging at his sides. "Just like... Ivan..."
Mentioning his own son, his usually unserious, aged face showed pain.
Unless absolutely necessary, what father or grandfather could bear to sweep their own flesh and blood out the door?
"If Laxus really plans to cause trouble at the festival, Master, please stay calm. Leave it to me to handle," Chase said.
"Chase, you..."
Makarov frowned slightly, looking sideways at Chase's determined expression. "Do you know something?"
"Just intuition. Having former enemies join the guild has caused quite a stir in the surrounding towns. With Laxus's bad temper, he probably can't stand it."
Hearing this, Makarov nodded helplessly and sighed heavily. "Laxus still hasn't been able to step out of my shadow..."
"If anything unexpected happens, do whatever you think is necessary. I trust your judgment completely."
At this, Makarov's worried face broke into a smile. In a slightly relaxed tone, he said, "This is a privilege exclusive to the master candidate, you know~"
Chase looked down. The old man's smile was a bit forced, like he was putting on a brave face.
True. His own son had run away, and his grandson was extremely rebellious. Even the old man couldn't just laugh it off.
"Then I'll thank you for your trust, old Makarov. But as for being master candidate... let's pass." Chase's answer was watertight.
"You little brat! I don't actually want you to be master that much!"
Makarov's mouth instantly filled with sawtooth teeth. He jumped up and flicked Chase on the head. "And what kind of nickname is 'old Makarov'?"
"In the guild, address me by my title — I am the master!"
"Yes, yes. You being master forever would be for the best."
OOOOOH!
Cheers from the hall below interrupted their conversation.
"Never mind that. The Miss Fairy contest should have started!"
Leaving these words, Makarov — who had been so worried just moments ago — immediately turned around and hurried downstairs.
Watching the little old man disappear around the corner in the blink of an eye, Chase sighed and shook his head. This old pervert...
By the time he arrived at the hall, it was already packed with countless tourists — locals from Magnolia and visitors from other towns.
It was worth noting that the male-to-female ratio was incredibly high.
"Hello, everyone! I'm Marcus, the host of today's Miss Fairy contest."
"What? There are friends here from the Kingdom of the Dead just to watch this contest? Remember to go back to your graves when it's over~"
Marcus took the stage with a microphone. After introducing himself, he made a shocking statement.
Whether it was a dark joke to liven up the atmosphere — he was good at chatting — or whether it was true...
Chase, standing at the back of the crowd, thought the former was more likely. After all, the concept of life and death was still quite strict in the world of Fairy Tail.
"Are you ready, Ladies and Gentlemen?! Ready to enjoy the visual feast our cute fairies are about to give you?!"
"I declare the Miss Fairy contest... NOW BEGIN!!"
"OOOOOH!!!" The long-awaiting males below erupted in deafening cheers.
Marcus paused for a few seconds, letting the atmosphere reach its peak, then shouted, "First up, Contestant Number One — the card wizard with an exotic flair — Cana Alberona!"
The curtain opened and closed. Cana, with her stunning figure, appeared at center stage.
"Sorry, but I'm taking that prize money~"
Cool cards enveloped Cana. When she appeared before the audience again, she had changed into a sexy swimsuit that highlighted her perfect figure to the extreme.
The males feasted their eyes, their eyes turning into red hearts.
"A swimsuit! How calculating!" Lucy, hiding in a corner of the stage to spy on the competition, condemned her.
As Marcus introduced them, the female wizards appeared one after another:
Number Two, Juvia, also wore a cool swimsuit. Her looks and figure needed no explanation, but the "Gray-sama" she kept muttering was a point deduction.
Number Three, Mira, caused a stir as soon as she appeared. Unfortunately, she used her transformation magic to keep her body but replace her head with Happy's, Gajeel's, and Chase's — a bizarre move that directly sabotaged her advantage as a top contender.
Happy, who had been imitated, laughed and slapped the table. Chase and Gajeel nearly spat out blood.
Erza followed. Her choice of a gothic lolita outfit successfully captured the hearts of all the perverts in the audience, making her the favorite to win.
Levy and Bisca, who followed, seemed relatively plain — they hadn't changed into swimsuits.
"Next up, although not an official member of Fairy Tail, she's close enough. She is —"
Marcus held his microphone and introduced with great excitement, "The genius magical girl, combining cuteness and sexiness — Dark Magician Girl!"
"OOOOOOH!!!" The males' cheers broke their limits.
Many of them had come specifically for the Weekly Sorcerer cover girl. With Mira having the Great Wall, their expectations for Dark Magician Girl were unparalleled.
SHWOOP~!
A pink streak of light flew out from backstage. Dark Magician Girl, in a pink robe, sat on her magic staff, flew a lap around the hall, and landed on stage, striking her signature pose — the peace sign.
"Hello, everyone! I am—"
"Next up, Contestant Number Nine — Evergreen."
A low, female voice interrupted Dark Magician Girl's self-introduction.
Evergreen, in a blue form-fitting outfit, a fairy ribbon on her back, and a folding fan in her hand, slowly walked onto the stage.
"The so-called 'fairy,' the so-called 'beauty' — these are adjectives that belong exclusively to me."
"That's right. I represent it all. So the winner naturally should be me!"
Evergreen snapped her folding fan open, her arrogant, contemptuous gaze sweeping across the audience.
"Now, this boring contest is over!"
***
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