A week passed in the blink of an eye. The town of Magnolia was now alive with the annual Harvest Festival—a vibrant celebration held in honor of the season's bounty.
At that moment, Fairy Tail was packed with residents from all over the city, all drawn to one thing—the famed Miss Fairy Contest, hosted by the guild.
"Citizens of Magnolia, and friends from neighboring towns—welcome!"
"What's that? A friend came all the way from the Land of the Dead to watch the show? Please return to your grave after the event!"
"Hahahahaha!"
The crowd burst out laughing at Marcus's deadpan humor.
"Thank you all for waiting! The lovely fairies are ready to present a dazzling show!"
"The Miss Fairy Tail Contest begins—now!"
"And I, Marcus Aloze, the Sand Mage, will be your host for today's event!"
Gray muttered from the sidelines, "Isn't that guy just a corner shop clerk? When did he get this busy?"
"Our judges for this year's pageant are none other than Fairy Tail's Guild Master Makarov, and the nationally famous wizard—Kaien Blaze!"
Kaien and Makarov stood up and gave a wave to the roaring crowd.
"OHHHHHHH!!"
Fans screamed for Kaien. His popularity was unmatched.
Gray sighed again. "Since when did that guy become a national instructor?"
"Contestant #1! A foreign beauty with an interdimensional appetite—CanaAlberona!"
Cana strutted onto the stage, drawing loud cheers.
"And now, a magic talent performance!"
Cana flung a stack of cards into the air, which spun around her. When the cards dissolved, she was suddenly wearing a stunning swimsuit.
The audience went wild.
"Contestant #2! She may be new to the guild, but she's already an S-Class Mage. Graceful as a spring drizzle—it's Juvia Lockser!"
Juvia's body transformed into water, forming a sweeping tide. When it settled, she emerged in a stylish swimsuit.
Backstage, Lucy seethed. "Another one using sex appeal?!"
"Contestant #3! The tiniest fairy, but the brightest brain—Levy McGarden!"
Levy performed a cute Text Magic routine that made the crowd collectively melt.
"Contestant #4! From the west, a deadly sharpshooter—Bisca Moulin!"
Bisca wowed the audience with a flawless gunplay exhibition.
"Contestant #5! Power and beauty in perfect balance—the Queen of the Fairies—Erza Scarlet!"
"She's here!!"
"Erza!!"
"She's so cool—!!"
Lucy peeked from backstage and gasped. "Her fanbase is insane!"
Erza's fame had long been established, but her battle with Phantom Thief Guild had skyrocketed it. Now, she was arguably the most beloved female mage in the region.
"Let me show you one of my favorite Requip sets."
Erza activated her Requip Magic. Her armor dissolved in dazzling light, revealing a teasing glimpse of skin that left the audience breathless.
When the light faded, she was dressed in a full gothic lolita ensemble.
Jaws dropped across the guild.
"Gothic lolita?!!"
Lucy groaned. The pressure was mounting.
"Contestant #6! The guild's poster girl! A beauty that's bewitched the entire continent—it's Mirajane!"
"We've been waiting for this!"
"She's the favorite to win!"
"She's even cuter in real life than on the covers!"
Mirajane's entrance ignited a thunderous roar. Unlike the others, her reputation extended far beyond the guild—she was a true icon.
"I'm best at Take Over Magic—so I'll do some transformations."
She smiled sweetly.
A flash of light later, and a pure-white figure stood on stage.
"That's Kaien's Blackwing Overlord form!"
"That's his Sword God form!"
"That's his Flame Emperor form!"
"That's his Tyrant form!"
"That's his Whitebeard form!"
One after another, Mirajane shifted through five of Kaien's most legendary modes, before returning to her original appearance.
For a heartbeat, the entire guild was silent.
Then…
"AMAZING—!!"
"So that's what 'Whitebeard' looks like in person! I've never seen the real thing before!"
"All of them were so cool!"
"So those legendary names… were all Kaien?!"
Lucy's mouth hung open. If there were a way to report cheating, she'd be filling out a form right now.
Mirajane hadn't relied on seduction or surprise costumes—she'd simply copied Kaien's greatest forms. That was completely unfair! Every single one of those personas was a household name now, especially Whitebeard, who was currently the most beloved figure in the realm.
Lucy could feel the prize money slipping from her grasp.
Kaien himself was caught off guard. He hadn't expected Mira to use his forms—but he had to admit, they were pretty intimidating when presented like that.
"Contestant #7! The guild's brilliant new star—blessed by celestial spirits—it's Lucy Heartfilia!"
Lucy stepped onto the stage. "I'll be performing a cheer dance with my celestial spirits!"
She knew her chances of winning were slim—but she had to give it everything she had.
Suddenly, a woman appeared behind her.
"Contestant #8—when you think of fairies, you think of me. When you think of beauty, you think of me. In fact, everything you think of is me. The winner has already been decided. It's me—Evergreen. This farce is over."
"Evergreen?!"
"When did she get back?!"
The guild immediately recognized the intruder—one of the Thunder God Tribe.
"Don't mess this up! This contest is how I make a living!" Lucy shrieked.
Evergreen adjusted her glasses.
And Lucy instantly turned to stone.
"W-what just happened?!"
"She turned into a statue?!"
"Was that part of the talent show?!"
The crowd buzzed in confusion.
Then Marcus yelled, "Everyone, it's dangerous! Get out of here!"
The realization spread like wildfire.
This wasn't part of the show. The townspeople screamed and fled in all directions.
Kaien's eyes widened as memories clicked into place. His face hardened.
He launched himself toward the stage.
CRACK!
A bolt of golden lightning crashed down in front of him.
Kaien skidded to a stop.
BOOM—!!
The lightning split the ground—and Laxus emerged from the smoke.
"Yo, Kaien. We meet again."
"Laxus?! What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to destroy the festival?!"
Makarov stormed forward, livid.
"A festival's not complete without a main event." Laxus smirked, igniting the stage's curtain in flames.
The backdrop revealed a horrifying sight: every contestant in the Miss Fairy Tail Contest had been turned to stone.
"What?!"
"The entire dressing room?!"
"My sister!"
"Even Erza?!"
Kaien's pupils constricted. His gaze turned icy as he locked eyes on Evergreen.
"Evergreen—if you value your life, return them to normal. Right. Now."