Shagotte attended the Beauty Pageant to watch her daughter's runway walk, witnessing a side of her she had never seen before.
For Shagotte, who had missed much of her daughter's upbringing, this was a deeply meaningful moment.
Wendy and Carla, responsible for opening and warming up the crowd, executed their roles flawlessly.
The two youngsters had no aspirations of winning, so they felt no pressure and didn't care about the vote count.
After their performance, they immediately joined the audience.
Next, the beautiful female mages of Fairy Tail took the stage one by one, finally bringing the Beauty Pageant back to its intended purpose.
Cana stepped onto the runway, exuding mature sensuality.
Her daring outfit showcased her stunning figure, radiating a healthy, natural beauty.
This wasn't about judging Cana's skin tone, while not pale, she was far from dark, possessing a perfectly balanced, healthy complexion.
"Cana! Cana! Cana!"
The crowd erupted in cheers for the beautiful and sexy Cana, clearly demonstrating her popularity.
While not strikingly dazzling, her beauty was undeniably captivating.
After Cana's runway walk, several more contestants took the stage, each with their own unique charm and beauty.
While they were all attractive, none truly stood out as particularly stunning.
Lucy, Hisui, Juvia, Lisanna, Laki, Levy, Bisca, Miki, Chiko, and Evergreen followed, raising the overall level of beauty and excitement in the crowd.
The atmosphere of the Beauty Pageant grew increasingly heated, but the true climax arrived with Erza's entrance.
The powerful, beautiful, and charismatic "Fairy Queen" had undergone a dramatic transformation for the competition.
She appeared in a Gothic Lolita dress, presenting an entirely new image.
This drastic change naturally shocked the audience.
After the initial shock, waves of cheers erupted, far louder than those for any previous contestant.
Marco, however, wasn't particularly surprised to see Erza in a Gothic Lolita dress.
As a master of Requip Magic, Erza's ability to change her style so drastically was perfectly normal.
Having seen Erza in countless armor forms, Marco was long past being surprised.
After all, Erza's magic wasn't just about changing armor; her entire appearance, from makeup to hairstyle, would transform with each transformation.
Of course, Marco had rarely seen Erza in purely decorative dresses like this one, so he took the opportunity to admire her thoroughly.
As he watched her, Marco couldn't help but mentally remark, "Judging by Erza's appearance, she's absolutely determined to win this year's championship!"
"And now, as last year's champion, Mirajane will be the final contestant to take the stage! How will she respond? What kind of performance will she deliver?!"
On the runway, Max, holding a magic microphone, loudly hyped up the crowd.
Max was indeed a skilled host.
Even Marco found himself pondering these questions, and the audience was naturally brimming with anticipation.
Amidst the growing excitement, Mirajane finally made her entrance.
But to everyone's astonishment, Mirajane hadn't prepared anything special.
She simply walked onto the runway in her usual attire with a warm smile gracing her lips.
"What's going on?"
"Has Mirajane given up?"
The crowd buzzed with speculation, but not everyone believed she had surrendered.
Some still hoped for a dramatic reversal.
"I'll perform a little something for you all," Mirajane announced from the runway, her signature smile radiant.
She looked utterly beautiful and gentle.
Her words reignited the crowd's anticipation. They assumed she had a real performance planned, a twist to unveil.
Everyone was stunning, and to stand out, one needed a showstopping act.
Erza's contrasting styles had already created a powerful impact, and it seemed Mirajane was about to respond in kind!
But watching Mirajane, Marco felt no anticipation.
Instead, a chill ran through him. He knew this troublemaker was about to pull something outrageous!
"Transform! Just the head—Happy!"
True to form, with a surge of magic, Mirajane's smiling face instantly morphed into a blue cat head—Happy's face, contorted into an utterly ridiculous expression!
Mirajane transformed her head into Happy's, but her body remained unchanged.
The jarring visual impact stunned everyone into silence.
Seeing this, Marco couldn't help but press his hand to his forehead, a smile threatening to burst from his lips.
The sight was undeniably hilarious!
Of course, it was hardly appropriate for a beauty pageant.
The audience, who had been eagerly anticipating Mirajane's beautiful transformation, were mentally shaken by this sudden, bizarre display.
"Transform again! Only the head is Marco now!"
Noticing Marco laughing heartily in the judges' seats, Mirajane didn't let him off the hook.
With a dramatic flourish, she swiped her hand across Happy's large cat face like a stage magician performing a quick-change act.
A puff of smoke erupted, and when it cleared, Happy's feline head had been replaced with Marco's.
"Pfft~ Hahahaha~"
"What is this?! Hahahaha~~~"
"Marco is way funnier than Happy!"
After a moment of stunned silence, the entire venue erupted into uproarious laughter at the sight of Mirajane's body topped with Marco's head.
It was simply impossible to take Marco's usual image—so upright, so radiant—seriously in this context.
Marco had always been friendly, maintaining excellent relationships with many in the Guild.
He treated every Guildmate with genuine care, earning everyone's trust as a reliable pillar of support.
Though he often joked around and joined in the fun, unlike Erza, who could be intimidating, Marco rarely embarrassed himself.
He wasn't like Master Makarov, who sometimes acted like a comedian, but he struck the perfect balance.
It was precisely this composure that made the current scene so hilarious.
Seeing Marco's helpless expression on the judges' panel only amplified the crowd's amusement.
"What do the judges think?"
Mirajane, wearing Marco's head, asked in a rough, deliberately exaggerated imitation of his voice.
The resemblance was uncanny, capturing his calm, steady tone perfectly, which only made everyone laugh harder.
"You know, you really don't seem to want this championship! Well, you won't be getting my vote. I'm voting for Erza!"
Seeing Mirajane continue her antics, Marco shook his head with a smile, but he played along, using the opportunity to campaign for Erza.
---------
Read 50 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator