Early morning, Magnolia Central Plaza.
Lucy wrapped her scarf tighter, her white breath condensing into small clouds in the cold air.
She rubbed her hands, looking at the lively ice sculpture competition in front of her—dozens of ice sculpture exhibition stands had already been set up in the plaza, and contestants were focused on carving their masterpieces, surrounded by a crowd of townspeople.
It was early February, just after the start of spring, so there weren't many requests for the Guild, and everyone was relatively free.
Since Lucy met Natsu at Hargeon Port, and Ezreal and Levy, who were quite familiar with Lucy, were both out, the new member guidance task fell to Natsu.
To prevent Natsu's impulsive personality from scaring Lucy or causing any strange trouble, Mira asked the relatively steady Gray to accompany them.
The three of them, plus Happy, formed a temporary team, randomly refreshing in Magnolia when they had nothing to do.
Today was February 2nd, which happened to be Magnolia's Ice Sculpture Festival, and Gray had dragged them over to join the fun.
"So… why was I dragged here too?" Lucy turned to look at Gray beside her, who was confidently flexing his wrists, his upper body, as always, bare.
"Because we need an audience," Gray said as a matter of course, a wisp of ice crystal forming on his fingertip, "And, to let you witness what true art is."
"Art?" Natsu's voice suddenly came from behind him. He was holding a skewer of grilled fish, his mouth full, "Isn't it just carving ice into blocks? What's so hard about it?"
Gray snorted, "How could a guy like you, who only knows how to burn things, understand the subtlety of Ice Make magic?"
"Huh?!" Natsu immediately bristled, "What did you say?!"
Seeing that the two were about to fight again, Lucy quickly stepped between them, "Stop! You two can fight after the competition is over! Gray, aren't you competing? Go prepare!"
Gray then withdrew his gaze and walked towards his exhibition stand.
Natsu pouted, finished the grilled fish in a few bites, and casually tossed the bamboo skewer to the ground—
"Ice Make: Trash Can."
"Snap!" An ice pillar suddenly shot up from the ground, its tip precisely catching the bamboo skewer Natsu had thrown, forming a small ice trash can.
Natsu: "…"
Lucy couldn't help but laugh, "Gray, that move of yours is quite practical."
Gray waved his hand without looking back, "Just a casual thing."
...In the competition arena.
As the referee gave the signal, the contestants began to carve. Gray stood in front of a huge block of ice, his hands clasped together, ice-blue magic flowing in his palms.
"Ice Make: Erza."
The outline quickly formed on the surface of the ice—first the armor, then the flowing long hair, and finally that heroic face.
Gray's carving technique was extremely delicate, even the patterns on the armor were clearly visible, and the surrounding townspeople let out exclamations of admiration.
"Wow… Gray is pretty amazing," Lucy murmured.
"Hmph, flashy," Natsu stood by with his arms crossed, but his eyes were fixed on Gray's ice sculpture.
Gray smirked triumphantly, and just as he was about to finish, he suddenly felt a warmth on his back—
"Fire Dragon's… Hand Warmer!"
"Boom!"
A small flame shot out from Natsu's palm, accurately spraying the back of Gray's ice sculpture.
"Natsu! What are you doing?!" Gray spun around sharply.
Natsu looked innocent, "It's too cold, I'm just warming my hands."
Gray was about to get angry when he suddenly heard a "crack"—a crack appeared on the face of his ice sculpture of Erza, and then, the crack quickly spread, and the entire ice sculpture began to melt and deform.
The onlookers gasped.
The originally heroic "Erza" ice sculpture now looked comically "tear-stained," with melting ice water dripping from the corners of its eyes, making it look as if Erza was weeping bitterly.
Gray: "…"
Natsu: "Pfft."
Lucy: "…It's over."
"Gray Fullbuster!!!"
A roar came from behind the crowd, and the onlookers instantly parted like a tide, revealing Erza, full of murderous intent and holding a long sword.
Her gaze was fixed on Gray's "crying version" ice sculpture, the veins on her forehead clearly visible.
Gray's face instantly turned pale, "Wait! Erza! It's a misunderstanding!"
"Misunderstanding?" Erza's voice was as cold as an arctic wind, "You carved me like this and still dare to say it's a misunderstanding?!"
"Natsu did it!" Gray immediately shifted the blame, pointing at Natsu, "He used fire to melt my ice sculpture!"
Natsu immediately jumped up, "I was just warming my hands! Who knew your ice sculpture was so fragile!"
"You two…" Erza's sword was already unsheathed, "Both of you, die!!!"
"Boom!!!"
A sword slash swept across, and Gray and Natsu were simultaneously sent flying, crashing into a snowdrift at the edge of the plaza.
Lucy covered her face, unable to watch, "I knew this would happen…"
Half an hour later, a bruised and battered Gray and Natsu were dragged back to the competition site by Erza.
"You two, reflect properly!" Erza said with a cold face, "Especially you, Gray, as an Ice Make Mage, to let your work be so easily destroyed, it's too shameful!"
Gray hung his head, but his gaze drifted towards Natsu, a sinister curve forming on his lips.
"Hey, Lucy," Gray suddenly whispered, "Do me a favor."
"Huh? What favor?" Lucy looked at him warily, "Just so you know, I don't want to be cut by Erza."
"It's simple," Gray lowered his voice, "Later, when Natsu competes, all you have to do is…"
He whispered a few words into Lucy's ear.
After listening, Lucy's expression was complex, "Are you sure you want to do this?"
Gray showed a triumphant smile, "Of course."
Natsu's "Participation."
"What?! I have to compete too?!" Natsu's eyes widened as he looked at the registration form Gray handed him.
"That's right," Gray said with a sincere expression, "Didn't you say ice sculpting was easy? Then prove it to me."
"But I don't know ice magic!" Natsu protested.
"It's fine," Gray pointed to the competition rules, "It says 'magic assistance is allowed,' so couldn't you just 'assist' with fire magic?"
Natsu looked at the rules suspiciously, then at Gray, "You're not trying to trick me, are you?"
"How could I be?" Gray spread his hands, "Or… are you scared?"
"Huh?! Me, scared?!" Natsu was immediately provoked, snatching the registration form, "I'll compete then! Watch me!"
Lucy covered her face, "It's over, Natsu took the bait…"
Natsu stood in front of his ice block, rubbing his hands together.
"Alright! Watch me!" He took a deep breath, flames igniting in his hands, "Fire Dragon's—Carving!"
"Boom!!!"
Flames instantly engulfed the entire block of ice, and the onlookers gasped.
Three seconds later, the flames dissipated, and the ice block—
Had turned into a puddle of water.
Natsu: "…"
Gray: "Pfft."
Lucy: "…I knew it."
Natsu wasn't convinced and tried several more times, but each time he either melted the ice or turned it directly into steam.
Finally, all that was left on his exhibition stand was a small puddle of water and his own bewildered face.
"This isn't scientific!" Natsu fumed, "Why is ice so difficult to deal with?!"
Gray finally couldn't help but burst out laughing, "Hahaha! Fire Dragon, you can't even do basic temperature control, and you dare to mock my ice sculpture?"
Natsu, mortified, shouted, "Gray! You did this on purpose!"
"So what?" Gray raised an eyebrow, "Got a problem with it?"
"You two…" Erza's voice drifted over ominously, "If you cause any more trouble, get out."
The two instantly fell silent.
The competition was nearing its end, and most contestants had completed their works.
Gray looked at his melted and deformed "Crying Erza," then at the other exquisite ice sculptures, and suddenly had an idea.
"Referee!" Gray raised his hand, "I request to redo!"
"Uh… according to the rules, each person can only submit one work…" the referee hesitated.
"Then let's consider this a new work." Gray didn't wait for the referee's response, walking directly to the center of the plaza and slamming his hands on the ground—
"Ice Make: Paradise!"
"Crack crack—"
Ice crystals rapidly spread, and in a blink of an eye, the entire center of the plaza transformed into a mini ice and snow playground—slides, a carousel, a small castle, and even ice sculptures of Happy and Plue.
The children immediately cheered and ran up to play.
"Wow! So cool!"
"Big Brother Gray is the best!"
Gray looked at the referee triumphantly, "How's that?"
The referee wiped his sweat, "This… this is a violation…"
"Violation?" Erza suddenly spoke, "I think it's very creative."
Referee: "…"
In the end, Gray's "Ice and Snow Paradise" won a special award— "Most Popular Work."
Natsu was unconvinced, "That's not fair! His original ice sculpture was clearly ruined!"
Gray smiled, shaking his trophy, "That's called strategy, Fire Dragon."
"Gray!!!"
"Alright, alright," Lucy quickly pulled back Natsu, who was about to pounce, "At least the children are having fun, right?"
Natsu looked at the children playing wildly in the ice and snow playground, and pouted, "…Hmph, next time I'll definitely beat you."
Gray shrugged, "Anytime."
In the evening, Gray used ice magic to make ice cream for all the contestants and spectators.
"Big Brother Gray! I want a rabbit shape!"
"I want a tiger!"
The children chirped around him, and Gray, uncharacteristically patient, fulfilled each request.
Lucy stood by, taking a bite of the vanilla ice cream Gray handed her, and smiled, "I didn't expect you to be so good at coaxing children."
Gray snorted softly, "Just a casual thing."
Natsu squatted nearby, grumpily gnawing on the ice cream Gray had "bestowed" upon him, "Next time I'll definitely make something even better with fire magic…"
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