Today, Laxus Dreyar earned a new title—"The Betrayer."
His habit of turning on his teammates at the last second became legendary.
Every time an alliance formed, a lightning-fast snowball to the back of the head ended it.
Meanwhile, Gray and Natsu took joint first place for the "Fastest Elimination" award.
Their rivalry made them easy targets—they were usually too busy trying to shoot each other to notice the snipers.
Aside from Laxus, who racked up the highest kill count, the girls dominated the battlefield.
Ur, Ultear, Erza, and Kagura moved like ninjas, dodging and weaving with terrifying precision.
Cana, whose athletic skills were average at best, didn't win any individual matches, but she did manage to take down the slow-moving targets: Elfman and Reedus.
And poor Raizel... he was Public Enemy Number One.
Even in the chaotic free-for-all rounds, everyone seemed to have a silent agreement to target him first.
"Alright, that's enough!" Raizel shouted, wiping snow from his face. "It's getting late. We need to start dinner!"
The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows over the snow-covered courtyard.
"Aww!" Natsu groaned, lowering his Snow Blaster.
"Cooking team, to the kitchen! Everyone else, set up the hall!" Raizel ordered, clapping his hands.
"As for Gramps... well.. he can do as he pleases."
Makarov chuckled from the porch, sipping his drink.
"Good call."
Raizel entered the guild hall and immediately put on some festive music.
The lively tunes filled the large space, setting the mood.
There were five Head Chefs today: Ur, Mira, Erza, Kagura, and Raizel.
Ur and Mira were the leaders, handling the complex dishes.
Raizel, Erza, and Kagura were the sous-chefs—washing vegetables, chopping meat, and preparing skewers.
Meanwhile, the Decoration Team swarmed the hall.
To make things easier, Makarov temporarily unlocked the second-floor balcony for Natsu and the others to hang streamers from the rafters.
"Wendy, Lisanna," Ultear said with a gentle smile, handing them two air pumps and a massive bag of colorful balloons.
"You two are in charge of balloons."
"Okay!" Wendy nodded obediently.
"Leave it to us!" Lisanna saluted.
SNAP.
"Natsu! Decorating doesn't mean destroying!" Ultear yelled.
She watched Natsu rip a gold streamer in half by pulling too hard.
She sighed, shaking her head.
Her crystal orb glowed.
"Arc of Time: Restore." The streamer repaired itself instantly.
"Whoa! That's amazing, Ultear!" Natsu's eyes lit up. He reached out to snap it again.
"Don't even think about it," Ultear warned, her eyes narrowing.
"Gray! Your clothes!" Cana shouted from the ladder.
Gray, who was hanging ornaments on the tree, suddenly realized he was in his boxers.
"NANII?!"
Startled, he slipped off the ladder and crashed to the floor.
"Idiot," Laxus muttered, stepping over him.
In the kitchen area, the cooking was in full swing.
"Raizel, pass the bell peppers, please," Mira called out.
She was stir-frying lean pork, using red, yellow, and green peppers to make the dish pop with color.
"Coming up." Raizel slid the bowl over.
"Kagura, take these," Ur said. She handed two prepared fish to the swordswoman. "Put these in the steamer. They're for Oyen and Snowy."
"Understood." Kagura took the fish seriously, as if handling a sacred blade.
"Erza!" Raizel barked. "You're supposed to be washing vegetables, not eating the desserts!"
He caught Erza sneaking a macaron from the sweets table.
She froze with cream on her lip while looking guilty.
"I was... testing for poison," she mumbled.
Up on the second floor, Reedus wasn't decorating.
He had set up his easel and was painting the scene—the chaos, the laughter, the warmth. He wanted to capture this moment forever.
"Elfman, hand me the star," Laxus commanded. He was balanced precariously at the very top of the 5.5-meter tree.
"Here! A star for a man!" Elfman shouted, tossing the glowing ornament up.
Laxus caught it effortlessly and placed it on the peak.
Then, he grabbed the string lights and began winding them down, creating a spiral of light.
Back in the kitchen, Erza was displaying her terrifying skill.
Chop-Chop-Chop-Chop.
Her knife moved in a blur.
Every slice of meat was perfectly uniform, down to the millimeter. Her swordsmanship translated perfectly to the culinary arts.
Raizel took the sliced meat and began wrapping vegetables in bacon, securing them onto steel skewers.
Next came the sauce.
Chili powder, peppercorn, cumin, fennel, toasted sesame seeds, hot oil, and a blend of secret sauces.
Raizel mixed them vigorously in a bowl.
"Taste test," Raizel said.
He dipped a chopstick into the sauce and held it out to Kagura.
Kagura tasted it.
Her eyes widened. "Not bad."
Erza didn't wait to be asked.
She dipped a finger in. "Mmm!" She nodded in satisfaction.
"Here." Raizel offered the other end of the chopstick to Mira.
Mira pursed her lips, tasting the spicy, savory blend.
She smiled. "It's ready. Tastes great."
"Erza! The fish!" Ur shouted. "Massage it! Don't just stare at it!"
"Right!" Erza snapped to attention.
She grabbed the massive fish and began massaging the marinade into it with the intensity of a blacksmith forging a sword.
"Dinner for the VIPs!"
Raizel carried the steamed fish out to the floor.
Ultear waved her hand, using time magic to cool the steaming dish instantly to a safe temperature.
Oyen and Snowy, who had been waiting impatiently, dove in happily.
"Thanks, Wendy! Thanks, Lisanna!"
The guild hall was transformed.
Balloons floated everywhere, streamers hung from the rafters, and the trees twinkled with magic lights.
Everyone praised the little girls for their hard work.
Mira, stirring a pot, glanced over her shoulder.
She saw Lisanna and Elfman laughing with the guild members.
A gentle, genuine smile spread across her face.
Raizel, Erza, and Kagura saw it. They exchanged a look and smiled.
'Welcome home, Mira.'
...
Laxus and Gray pushed six large tables together to form one massive banquet table.
Natsu, Elfman, and Ultear arranged the chairs. Wendy tried to help, but the heavy wooden chairs wouldn't budge, so Lisanna helped her drag them one by one.
Finally, the food was served.
Roast chickens, grilled fish, skewers, stir-fries, hot pots, and towers of desserts filled the table. The smell was heavenly.
"Merry Christmas, everyone," Makarov said.
He sat at the head of the table and raised his glass. "I wish you all success in your missions in the new year, and may you be safe and healthy."
"Cheers!"
"And peace and joy to you all!" Ur added, raising her glass.
"CHEERS!"
CLINK!
"Natsu! You don't have to hit the glass so hard!"
Everyone groaned.
Natsu had smashed his mug against Gray's with full force, splashing juice all over the apple-honey chicken.
"Oops!" Natsu grinned unapologetically.
"It's fine, adds flavor to it," Makarov laughed. "Don't be formal! If you can't reach something, stand up and grab it! Dig in!"
"YEAH!"
The feast began in earnest.
Wendy was the princess of the table.
Raizel, Erza, Mira, and Kagura constantly put food on her plate.
"Wendy, try this," Mira said gently, serving her some stir-fried pork.
"Thank you, Mira-nee!" Wendy beamed.
"Elfman! Don't hold back! Eat like a man!" Raizel slapped Elfman on the back.
Then, the war started.
"You bastard! That's MY chicken leg!"
"It's obviously mine! I saw it first!"
"What nonsense are you two talking about?!"
Raizel, Natsu, and Gray were locked in a three-way chopstick battle over a single drumstick.
"There are twenty other chicken legs on the table!" Elfman said, baffled. "Why are you fighting over that one?"
"Food that's easy to get doesn't taste as good!" the three shouted in unison, not breaking eye contact.
While they were deadlocked, a large hand reached into the fray.
Snatch.
Laxus grabbed the chicken leg with his bare hand and took a massive bite.
"..."
The three froze.
"LAXUS! Using your hands is against the rules! You have to use chopsticks!" they screamed.
"Red Card! You're sent off!" Makarov shouted, pulling an actual red card from his pocket and pointing at his grandson.
"You damn old geezer!" Laxus yelled back with a mouth full of chicken. "I'm your grandson! Shouldn't there be some biased refereeing?!"
The guild erupted in laughter.