While everyone inside the guildhall was immersed in the lively and joyous atmosphere of the Miss Fairy Tail competition, Ankh quietly slipped away from his seat.
Taking advantage of the cheering crowd, and without Erza and Mirajane keeping a hawk-eyed watch on him for once, Ankh, the so-called "injured patient," easily evaded the group of rough-and-tumble guys.
He slipped out the back door and made his way outside the guild.
Standing conspicuously by the rear entrance was a group of oddly dressed members, waiting in the shadows.
At the forefront was the proud Laxus Dreyar, draped in his luxurious fur-trimmed coat, arms crossed.
Behind him were the long-unseen trio of the Thunder God Tribe.
The one wearing a full suit of armor with a visor resembling a totem, exposing only his hands and mouth, was Bickslow, who appeared rather "theatrical" with his floating dolls.
The bespectacled bombshell with a fiery figure and a green fan was Evergreen.
The final member, whose long green hair and rapier radiated an aura of strict discipline, was Freed Justine—also Laxus's most devoted "fan."
Each of these three possessed combat prowess ranging from A-class to quasi-S-class.
True to Laxus's high standards, even his choice of companions followed strict criteria of strength.
When Laxus saw Ankh step forward, his fierce expression softened slightly, though he kept his scowl.
He grumbled in a muffled tone.
"You're late. Speaking of which, given you're still recovering from injuries, can you even participate in this game? Don't die on me."
Ankh smiled faintly and waved his hand dismissively. "Relax. I leave the fighting to you guys. I'll help set the mood and get everyone riled up. I'm the game master today."
Laxus snorted coldly. "Easier said than done. We're a family friendly guild. Without life-or-death stakes, how would those guild members ever turn on each other seriously?"
"Hehehe..."
Ankh let out an eerie chuckle that sent shivers down even Bickslow's spine.
He leaned in and mysteriously whispered.
"Laxus, my friend... since ancient times, there's always been one surefire way to make men fight to the death..."
Laxus tilted his head in confusion.
Money? Power?
He watched as Ankh summoned Evergreen and Bickslow for a hushed conversation.
Whisper... whisper...
Evergreen's eyes widened behind her glasses.
Bickslow stuck out his tongue and laughed, "Baby, that's wicked!"
Laxus watched them, his eyebrow twitching.
Hmm... He was curious.
Extremely curious.
But for the sake of his pride as the leader of the Thunder God Tribe, he refused to ask outright.
While Laxus maintained a stoic exterior, a tiny knot of frustration twisted inside him.
Why is he whispering? I'm the leader here!
After a moment, Ankh finished instructing the two and chuckled, "Alright, go make the arrangements. Today's timing is perfect for action."
Evergreen hesitated, fanning herself nervously. "Will this... really work? They might actually kill us."
"Won't know until we try," Ankh replied calmly. "Trust me."
Nodding, Evergreen slipped into the guildhall alongside Bickslow, vanishing into the festive noise.
Watching them disappear inside, Ankh called over Freed and instructed, "Freed, you'll be in charge of setting the rules and designing the arena with your Justu Shiki. The Magic Formula should be written like this..."
Another round of secretive murmurs followed, grating on Laxus's nerves.
Though visibly puzzled by the specific constraints Ankh was suggesting, Freed listened intently.
Eventually, he gave a determined nod.
"I understand. It shall be done."
Then, Freed turned and cast a profoundly ambiguous glance at Laxus before walking away to set the traps.
Laxus: ...
What was that look supposed to mean?
Ankh stretched lazily, ignoring Laxus's visible confusion. "Let's go wait at the Magnolia Church. The show's about to begin."
Laxus maintained his unshakable composure, nodding faintly as if everything was under control and he knew exactly what was going on.
"Right. Let's go."
'Damn it...' Laxus thought internally. 'I really want to know the plan...!'
...
Unlike Laxus's restless agitation outside, the Fairy Queen selection contest was in full swing inside the guildhall.
"Next up!" Max the host shouted.
First to take the stage was the enchanting Cana Alberona.
Amid a swirling storm of magic cards, she executed a dazzling swimsuit transformation, posing with a barrel of booze!
The seasoned mages in the audience stared with hearts practically shooting from their eyes.
Rookie contender Juvia followed suit.
Her snow-white skin was complemented by a daring aqua-blue swimsuit.
Her Water Magic surged and receded in harmony with her movements, creating a mesmerizing spectacle of fluid dance.
Then came Mirajane.
Everyone expected something beautiful. Instead, she performed her self-sabotaging transformations.
"Transformation!"
POOF.
Her head turned into a giant, blue cat head. "Only the Head is Happy!"
POOF.
Her head turned into a metal-studded iron face. "Only the Head is Gajeel!"
The result left the men speechless and the women weeping with laughter!
Erza showcased Gothic-style attire, looking regal and intimidating.
Levy performed flashy cute transformations with her Letter Magic.
Bisca demonstrated precision sniper techniques while changing into a cowgirl outfit.
To cover her rent, Lucy summoned a Celestial Spirit using Magic and performed a high-energy cheerleader routine that perfectly matched her bubbly personality.
"Go Fairy Tail!"
At the end, a blushing Kagura was practically "pushed" onto the stage by Erza.
She stood there, clutching her sword hilt, feeling slightly nervous as she looked at the sea of expectant faces below.
At a table near the front, Natsu was sprawled over the wood, snoring loudly.
"Zzz... meat..."
He muttered softly, "Is it still not over? So boring..."
Gray, shirtless as usual, looked at him speechlessly and said, "Wake up, idiot. Kagura is the last one. Seriously, you have no chivalry at all..."
Elfman roared, "A real man watches until the end!"
"What did you say?!"
Though he didn't understand why Gray was insulting him, Natsu nearly flipped the table in challenge.
In the end, it was Lisanna who smilingly persuaded him to calm down.
"Natsu, behave."
Gray stared at Lisanna in surprise.
"Lisanna? Why aren't you joining the competition? You're cute enough."
Lisanna scratched her head and replied with a modest smile, "Since my sister is participating, I'll sit this one out."
The main reason was that her Transformation Magic wasn't up to par, and Lisanna felt it couldn't compare to her sister's magical presentation (or figure).
Then, after witnessing Mirajane's bizarre "Gajeel Head" transformation earlier...
'Well...' Lisanna thought. 'Maybe I should have gone up myself to save the Strauss family reputation.'
Just as the audience was whispering among themselves, Kagura on stage, after a series of mental preparations, finally decided what to perform.
Kagura took a deep breath.
She reached for her blade.
She was about to draw her sword to present a "gentle and graceful" sword dance—the only thing she knew how to do.
But a woman's voice suddenly came from behind the stage curtain.
"The winner of the Fairy Queen title should naturally be a Fairy herself—that's me!"
Kagura's mustered courage was shattered.
She turned in confusion to look behind her as Evergreen stepped out.
She was dressed in a stunning light green evening gown, her long brown hair tied back.
Her sexy long legs were clad in black stockings, exuding an aura of mature elegance and arrogance.
Kagura instinctively glanced at the beauty's chest, then looked down at her own.
Her eyes dimmed once again!
'Defeated...'
Gray shot up from his chair in shock, adopting a guarded stance. "Evergreen?! When did you get back?"
He remembered this woman all too well.
She had always been quite hostile since childhood.
She had joined the guild because she loved the legends of "fairies," only to find that aside from the name, the members lacked any fairy-like elegance and were instead a bunch of brutes like Natsu and Elfman.
Disappointed, Evergreen gradually grew distant from her peers and joined Laxus.
Elfman also stood up in alarm, staring at the captivating woman before him.
"Evergreen!"
Evergreen's own physical strength was only mid-tier, but with her primary magic—Petrifying Eye—she could even ambush S-class fighters if she caught them off guard without glasses.
"What are you doing here?" Gray shouted.
Just as everyone was immersed in their irritation at Evergreen's interruption of the contest, a brilliant but dangerous golden light suddenly erupted on stage.
BOOM!
Crackling lightning surrounded the area.
Laxus appeared in a flash of electricity.
He stood with an arrogant grin, coat draped over his shoulders, staring down at the stunned crowd.
"Yo, Fairy Tail! Before the grand parade and festival begin, let's have a little warm-up event!"
Laxus pointed a finger at the guild members and roared with a thunderous voice:
"Listen up! Those seven women who participated have already been hit by Ever's Petrifying Eye!"
He gestured behind the curtain.
To the horror of the guild, the curtain rose to reveal Lucy, Erza, Juvia, Cana, Bisca, Levy, and Mirajane... all turned into stone statues.
"They are now in the hands of the Thunder God Tribe!"
"I'll place them in seven different locations around Magnolia. If you want to save them... come and find them!"
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