Akane Resort, the famous seaside vacation destination in the Kingdom of Fiore.
Adjacent to the vast amusement park is a five-star resort hotel; the white building sparkles in the sunlight like a palace standing by the sea.
There is also a charming beach whose allure is impossible to resist once visited, with soft white sand stretching for dozens of meters.
And the beautiful sea that meets the horizon, its azure waters shimmering with ripples under the sun.
The sea breeze is thick with salty moisture and the coconut scent of sunscreen, bringing the vacation atmosphere to its peak.
On the beach, an intense game of beach volleyball is underway.
Erza, Gray, and Lucy form one team.
Mirajane, Riyao, and Natsu form the other.
Happy stands on the referee's platform—which is actually just a beach chair with a stick poked into it and a small flag tied to the top—squatting there with the serious expression of a professional referee.
The two sides face off across the net, the air thick with the smell of gunpowder; this isn't a vacation, it's clearly a battlefield.
BAM!!!
Natsu delivers a powerful, fiery spike, the volleyball whistling past wrapped in flames.
Lucy has no time to react at all; she's struck by the ball and sent flying like a cannonball.
She plunges headfirst into a sand dune, leaving only her two legs kicking wildly outside as sand trickles down from her feet.
Happy raises his flag, his voice loud and clear.
"One point for Team Mirajane!"
Lucy struggles to crawl out of the sand dune, her head and face covered in sand and her mouth full of it as she screams while clutching her face.
"Are we playing ball or committing murder?! Natsu!"
ヽ('⌒´メ)ノ
Natsu stands at the net with his hands on his hips, laughing loudly and showing off a mouthful of white teeth.
"Sorry, sorry."
His face shows no hint of apology; instead, he looks utterly smug.
Behind a parasol by a distant beach chair, a blue head pops out. Biting a handkerchief and holding her hands to her heart, she stares at Gray on the court with a blushing face.
"Gray-sama looks so handsome while playing ball."
(´つヮ⊂︎)
Juvia sprawls on the beach chair, her body twisted like a pretzel, nearly biting through her handkerchief.
The match on the court is quite intense, with the volleyball flying back and forth between the two sides.
Every strike carries the glow of magic and incredible power, attracting a crowd of tourists.
The crowd grows larger; some hold drinks, some wear sunglasses, and some even stand on beach chairs to watch.
Gray leaps up to serve, ice-blue magic power condensing in his hands.
"Ice-Make: Ice Ball!"
The volleyball is encased in ice in his hands, turning into a chilled ice ball that whistles over the net.
Ice shards scatter in the air, leaving tiny ice pellets on the beach.
Riyao catches the ice ball with both hands, the impact forcing him back as his feet plow two deep furrows into the sand, sending it splashing.
He withstands the impact and passes the ball to Mirajane, who sets it back; Riyao leaps high and strikes it fiercely.
"Enchantment Magic: Strength, Golden Rotation!"
Veins bulge on Riyao's entire arm as he palms the volleyball. The ball flies out with terrifying spin, its trajectory almost invisible due to the speed.
Fortunately, Riyao had reinforced the volleyball from the start; otherwise, a normal ball would have exploded eight hundred times over being played with like this.
The ball zips toward Erza, who instantly Requips into Giant Armor. She crosses her arms to catch the ball; the massive impact shakes her back two steps, but she catches it steadily.
The spinning ball bounces toward Lucy. Flustered, she reaches out but fails to catch it, unintentionally kicking the ball into the air.
Gray condenses magic in his hands, creating a giant flyswatter to swat the ball back from mid-air.
Natsu leaps, kicking the ball back with an overhead kick as flames bloom from his toes.
"Fire Dragon's Overhead Kick!"
Gray catches it with both hands and pops the ball back into the air.
Erza jumps off Lucy's shoulders—Lucy lets out a scream of pain from being stepped on—but Erza is already airborne, switching to Purgatory Armor mid-flight.
"Purgatory Spike!"
The volleyball creates flames from air friction as it roars across.
Riyao dives, sliding to scoop the ball up and pass it above Mirajane.
Mirajane uses Take Over: Satan Soul. Demon wings unfurl as she soars into the air, swinging her arm fiercely at the highest point.
"Demon Spike!"
The volleyball roars toward the other side with dark magic, the shockwave kicking up a layer of sand mist from the beach.
The surrounding tourists erupt in cheers with every hit; the atmosphere is more heated than a concert.
"So strong! That Fire Dragon kid is so fired up!"
"Isn't it a foul for that icy kid to play like that?"
"Maybe this is just how Mages play volleyball. So exciting!"
"That white-haired girl is so cool! Those demon wings are awesome!"
"The red-haired girl is also very pretty, her Requip is so beautiful!"
"Go for it, blonde kid! I'm rooting for you!"
"Is that blonde older sister running around with her head in her hands a tourist who accidentally wandered in?"
Lucy, running around the court and spending most of her time dodging incoming volleyballs, almost cries when she hears the tourists' comments.
"Don't you think that little blue cat is cute?"
A child points at Happy.
Happy proudly shakes his flag.
"Hehe."
(´つヮ⊂︎)
Just as the match reaches a fever pitch, Juvia sees her chance and rushes in, shoving Lucy aside.
Lucy stumbles back a few steps. Before she can react, Juvia is already in her spot, fists clenched to her chest, looking at Gray with a bright red face.
"Gray-sama! Let me join you!"
Gray is stunned. Before he can say anything, Riyao happens to send a spike crashing over.
The volleyball whistles toward them with a golden spin. Juvia confidently reaches out her hands to receive the ball.
She is a Water Mage; her body can turn into water. What's a mere volleyball to her?
The volleyball hits Juvia and passes straight through her body, landing on the beach. It continues to spin violently on the sand for several rotations before stopping.
Juvia's body had changed from solid to water, allowing the volleyball to pass through without any resistance.
The surrounding tourists go silent. Everyone saw it—the image of a volleyball passing through a human body.
Then, a burst of screams erupted.
"AAAAAH! Murder!"
"That girl was shot through!"
"Call a doctor!"
"The Mages are fighting!"
The crowd begins to stir; some scream, some back away, and some pull out communication lacrima to call the police.
Soon, staff members rush over with first-aid kits, looking tense.
Erza quickly apologizes, Reequipping back into casual clothes and bowing to the staff.
"I am very sorry, this is a misunderstanding. She isn't hurt; her body is just... special."
Juvia squats on the ground, covering her face with her hands, peeking at Gray through the gaps in her fingers.
"Forgive me, Gray-sama. I didn't do well."
Gray scratches his head, looking helpless and not knowing what to say.
He looks at the squatting Juvia, then at the terrified staff, then at the still-spinning volleyball, and finally can only let out a sigh.
Riyao stands on the other side of the net eating melon seeds with an expression like he's watching a good show, while Mirajane is laughing so hard she can't stand up straight.
Natsu tilts his head, looking at Juvia's liquefied body and muttering.
"How did she turn into water? So weird."
Happy raises his flag and announces solemnly.
"Juvia failed to receive the ball. Another point for Team Mirajane!"
Lucy crawls out of the sand dune and sighs weakly at the chaotic scene.
"I just wanted to have a nice vacation..."
The sea breeze remains gentle and the waves soft, but the chaos on the beach clearly needs some time to subside.