"Speaking of which, Miss Mira is really popular..."
Lucy expressed that she was utterly stunned by the volume of the cheers.
"When Mira-nee is at the counter, the alcohol sales are especially high," Wendy added from the side.
The Guild's alcohol was sold publicly, not just consumed by Guild members.
As long as Mirajane stood there, many people would come to the Guild just to drink and see her smile.
Mira's commission from the alcohol sales alone was enough to support the three Strauss siblings comfortably.
"Alright! It's showtime now!"
Mirajane crossed her arms in front of her face.
With a poof, her figure was enveloped in pink smoke.
Many audience members already had hearts in their eyes, ready to feast their eyes on the She-Devil's beauty...
"Shark Swimsuit!"
The smoke cleared.
Mirajane's entire body was wrapped in a shark-themed mascot costume, with only her face visible through the shark's mouth.
The most outrageous part was that she was hopping around on the floor... like a fish...
"Pfft—"
Raizel couldn't hold back, barely managing to move the microphone away at the last moment; otherwise, the sound of his spit-take would have ruined the audio.
"I'm out..." The audience collapsed in laughter and disappointment.
"Hahaha!" Happy held his stomach, laughing uncontrollably on the table, his short legs drumming against it incessantly.
"Only you would laugh at that happily," Gray shook his head helplessly.
Natsu indicated it had nothing to do with him, as he was still munching on a chicken leg.
"Sis..." Elfman broke out in a cold sweat, not knowing what to say about his sister's "manliness."
"The top contender has self-destructed!"
Unlike many audience members who felt regretful about not seeing Mira in a proper swimsuit, Lucy, as a fellow competitor, covered her mouth, trying hard not to laugh out loud.
This was one less rival to worry about!
"Frog Swimsuit!" Mira hopped around a few more times, completely disregarding her idol image.
"Crocodile Swimsuit!"
With swimsuits like these, even with Mirajane's beautiful face, she wouldn't achieve a high score.
Mirajane hadn't planned on taking this seriously from the start, especially after drawing the "Swimsuit" theme.
If it had been some other theme, she might have been more interested, but she preferred to tease the crowd today.
...
Raizel, having composed himself, promptly continued the show.
"Alright, next up, let's welcome our fourth contestant! No need for lengthy introductions—the Fairy Queen, who possesses both beauty and strength—Erza Belserion!!!"
"Here she comes, here she comes! The other top contender!"
"The Fairy Queen!"
The cheers for Erza's entrance were no less than those for Mira, the applause and shouts deafening.
"Erza's popularity is also terrifying..."
"I'll show you all my ultimate Requip!" Erza declared proudly.
Pink smoke appeared around Erza, beginning to swirl around her body.
The small pink tornado of smoke expanded, revealing a sleek Black Swimsuit, with her long scarlet hair tied up in a large black bow.
"Heheh... I'm definitely winning!"
No matter the competition, Erza's principle was always to go all out!
"Though it's a bit different from her usual style... but, well, well." Makarov and the other two veterans pervert continued their usual commentary from the VIP table.
...
"The fifth contestant! The Petite Fairy! Combining cuteness and intelligence in one! Levy McGarden!"
"Levy!!!" Jet and Droy cheered loudly in support from the stands.
Levy's choice was quite similar to Cana's—also an orange swimsuit, but hers was a pure, solid orange one-piece that suited her frame.
"The sixth contestant! The Sexy Sniper from the West—Bisca Mulan!"
Bisca opted for a daring purple swimsuit, with lipstick in a matching shade to accentuate her look.
"Everyone is so impressive..."
Lucy fidgeted nervously backstage, growing more anxious as her turn approached.
"Next up, the seventh contestant! The Guild's Super Rookie! Her radiance guides the stars—Lucy!"
Raizel had heeded Lucy's request early on, purposely omitting the Heartfilia surname to keep her family issues private.
Lucy chose a white swimsuit patterned with pink peach blossoms.
To add flair, she even summoned Virgo to perform alongside her.
Virgo cooperatively changed into a swimsuit too—though it would've been better if she hadn't whipped out her chain whip...
Since when do cheerleaders use whips...
"Alright, thank you Lucy and Virgo the Maiden for that spectacular performance!"
"Now, the eighth contestant! Beauty personified! A member of the Raijinshū—Evergreen!"
Evergreen opened her fan, covering half her face as she gracefully stepped onto the stage.
"Hmph, I am the Fairy, I am Beauty itself, indeed I represent all of this. The victory shall naturally be claimed by me, Evergreen!"
Evergreen changed into an elegant emerald green swimsuit, dancing elegantly with tiny magical dust fairies fluttering around her.
"Next, let's welcome our next contestant with thunderous applause! Fairy Tail's beloved Mascot, cuteness that defies description—Wendy Marvell!!!"
A gentle tornado swept across the stage, with Wendy spinning at its center, hands clasped together nervously.
As the tornado gradually dissipated, Wendy twirled gently down to the ground.
She wore a white one-piece swimsuit with a cute swan-shaped float hanging from her waist.
"Woooah!!!"
"Wendy!!!"
The residents of Magnolia declared Wendy the undisputed champion!
Raizel even thought the audience's screams could pierce clouds and shatter stones.
Though Wendy had already left the stage, the cheers for her continued unabated.
Laki's swimsuit was particularly creative—she'd used Wood-Make magic to fashion it, reminding Raizel somewhat of the character Zyra...
As the guild's female members took their turns, the competition quickly neared its conclusion.
Neither Ultear nor Kagura participated in this event; neither enjoyed being in the spotlight this way.
Especially Kagura—the mere thought of wearing a swimsuit in front of so many people made her shake her head in refusal.
Ultear simply had no interest in such competitions, always maintaining a more detached attitude.
Erza's reason for joining, according to her, was that hearing about a contest stirred her competitive spirit—she couldn't help but get fired up and join.
The competition wasn't mandatory anyway, and with so many participants, their absence made no difference to the show.
...
After the final contestant returned backstage, Raizel returned to the center of the stage and announced loudly.
"Excellent! All contestants have now made their appearances! Now comes the most thrilling part!"
"Everyone in the audience holds a ballot paper printed with the faces of all participants."
As he spoke, Raizel pulled a ballot from his pocket and held it up for the crowd to see.
"Please vote conscientiously and fairly—select your Top Three contestants and write the numbers 1, 2, and 3 beneath their portraits."
"The Number 1 represents that she is the number one in your heart."
"The large Magic Screen will now quickly replay the competition footage of the previous contestants. You have two minutes to make your choice. Please follow your heart and vote freely."
"Who did you pick?" Macao peeked at Wakaba and Makarov's voting slips.
"No peeking!" Wakaba quickly snatched back his voting slip to hide his choice.