The guild hall was already buzzing by the time the clock struck ten.
"Sorry to keep everyone waiting!" the announcer's voice boomed across the first-floor hall. "Our dazzling fairies are ready to shine, and the Fairy Tail Miss Selection Contest officially begins! I'm your host today, the Sand Mage Marcos!"
Marcos stood proudly on the stage, amplifying his voice through a magic microphone as he explained the rules. At the front, a long table had been set aside for the judges: the guild master Makarov, the mayor representing Magnolia's administration, a delegate from the merchant association, and a citizen representative. Their averaged scores would decide the rankings. The winner would walk away with a prize of five hundred thousand jewels.
Behind them sat the rest of the guild's mages and a crowd of townspeople waving banners and shouting names. In this world, celebrities were not singers or actors. They were mages. Guild mages.
At one of the tables, Rowan Mercer sat with Happy, Natsu, Gray, and the others, chatting casually while watching the stage.
Even if he happened to be living as a cat here, Rowan was still a man at heart. Skipping a rare beauty contest to bury himself in spellbooks would have been a crime against common sense. A relaxed mind, after all, learned faster.
"And now, contestant number one!" Marcos announced. "A beauty full of exotic charm, with a stomach said to connect to another dimension! Please welcome Cana Alberona!"
Cana stepped onto the stage, long black curls bouncing as she raised her magic cards. At Marcos's cue, she tossed them into the air. Light flared, swirling around her body, and when it faded, her outfit had transformed into a daring bikini. Cheers erupted instantly. The judges wasted no time holding up high scores.
"You know why Cana joined this contest, right?" Happy said, leaning forward eagerly. "She owes the guild a ton of money for alcohol. She's aiming for the prize to pay it back."
If gossip had a king in Fairy Tail, it would be Happy, with Mirajane as his only real rival.
"She started drinking at thirteen," Happy continued. "According to Mirajane, a third of all the alcohol the guild sells every year is consumed by Cana alone."
"A third?" Rowan muttered. "That's not a mage. That's a reincarnated god of booze."
Given that Cana always seemed to have a drink in hand, sometimes straight from the barrel, it was hard to argue.
"She might not win the beauty contest," Happy added, "but if this were a drinking competition, she'd crush everyone."
Cana's card magic was no joke either. Wind, fire, lightning, even sealing techniques she'd learned recently. Within the guild, she was only a step below monsters like Natsu and Gray. In another guild, she'd already be pushing for the top tier.
Rowan quietly filed card-based magic away in his mental study list.
"Next up, contestant number two!" Marcos called. "A newcomer with overwhelming strength! The woman followed by endless rain, Juvia Lockser!"
Juvia appeared in a swirl of water, her body dissolving into liquid as she danced through the air before reforming in a blue bikini. After the Phantom Lord incident, Makarov had welcomed both Juvia and Gajeel into the guild, claiming neither of them had been truly evil, just led astray.
"So that's a natural ability," Rowan thought, watching her phase effortlessly through solid matter.
Juvia's magic wasn't learned from books. It was something she was born with. Rain followed her wherever she went. Physical attacks passed through her like mist. No amount of study could replicate that.
The guild had others like that too. Mirajane once mentioned Evergreen, one of Laxus's followers, whose eyes could petrify people if she didn't keep them covered.
After Juvia came the crowd favorite.
Mirajane Strauss stepped onto the stage to deafening applause, her beauty famous far beyond the guild. She clearly had no interest in winning, though. Instead, she used transformation magic to morph her head into exaggerated caricatures of various guild members. Even Rowan and Happy ended up with matching cat-faced impressions. Laughter rolled through the hall.
Then came Erza Scarlet. In a flash of light, her armor vanished, replaced by an unexpectedly cute gothic maid outfit. The contrast alone was enough to knock out half the audience. Given Erza's obsession with clothing, it was no surprise her storage space was packed with outfits of every imaginable style.
Levy followed, small and adorable, using snowy letter magic that melted even the toughest hearts. Bisca's turn came next, her flawless gun magic performance leaving the crowd stunned.
Finally, Lucy Heartfilia stepped onto the stage. She had joined Fairy Tail around the same time as Rowan, and according to Happy's gossip, she was here partly because rent didn't pay itself.
She hadn't even begun her magic display when a shrill, arrogant laugh cut through the hall.
"Ohohoho! Fairy? Beautiful? Those words describe me perfectly!" the voice declared. "I am the true fairy here, and the championship is obviously mine!"
Evergreen emerged from backstage in a green gown, glasses glinting as she waved her fan theatrically.
Lucy barely had time to protest before Evergreen looked her way.
In an instant, Lucy turned to stone.
The curtain snapped shut. Behind it, the waiting area erupted into chaos as Erza and the other contestants who had already performed were petrified one after another.
Screams filled the hall.
The civilians didn't wait to see what happened next. Panic took over, and they bolted for the exits as fast as their legs could carry them.
The beauty contest had just turned into something far more dangerous.