After a short intermission.
Chapati, having put his wig back on, picked up the microphone. "Thank you to all the competitors. The Sea Battle event just now was truly a feast for the eyes!"
"Though it did come with a bit of risk," Yajima added with a smile.
"Thank you very much! Thank you very much!" Special guest Labian remained as NPC-like as ever.
"Now then, next up is the highly anticipated battle round. I'm sure you all already know from the earlier voting."
Chapati held up the list in his hand, paused briefly, then shouted, "That's right! Today is a two-on-two tag battle!"
The moment the words fell, the audience, which had barely calmed down from the previous spectacular match, erupted into excitement once again. Cheers rang out without pause.
"First up: Ichiya + Rabbit of Blue Pegasus versus Bacchus + Rokka of Quartet Cerberus!!"
Both teams entered the arena.
Bacchus and Rokka roared with wild energy. For the last-place guild, this battle was crucial and would determine their final fate.
Ichiya and the mysterious, endearing rabbit person appeared very elegant, surrounded by their own sparkling special effects.
Perhaps it was the charm of a true man, but the moment Ichiya showed his face, he drew screams from many enthusiastic female fans.
Fairy Tail Competitor Area.
"I've been curious since the first day."
Future Gray leaned against the railing, eyeing the rabbit person standing beside Ichiya. "Blue Pegasus didn't have that character before, did they?"
"Though I don't sense any significant magic power, Ichiya looks so confident that it doesn't seem like he's bluffing."
Future Laxus became interested, analyzing with serious tone. "A mage who specializes in hiding his presence?"
"More than that, I'm curious about what's under that mask. If he's my type of handsome guy, that would be great!" Cana was half-drunk, her words reeking of alcohol.
The idea of finding a boyfriend had been on her mind since the new guild hall was built. Back then, she'd even made Lucy blush and overthink with her teasing.
"H-Handsome guy?"
Erza suddenly stepped back, her face stricken with horror. "Cana, you like Ichiya's type?!"
"Huh?" Cana pictured Ichiya's face in her mind and was instantly sobered by the shock.
"How is Ichiya even remotely handsome?!" *n
"Isn't he? After all, that guy always calls himself a great handsome man." Erza blinked in confusion, looking genuinely puzzled.
To be fair, in certain aspects, the Fairy Queen could be adorably dense.
Chase let out a soft sigh, walked over, and leaned his face in front of Erza. He said earnestly, "Erza, look closely. Only a face like your boyfriend's deserves to be called handsome."
"Oh my, though it's true, Chase sure is shameless~" Mirajane covered her mouth with a light laugh.
Cana: "..."
Thank you. I was just drinking plain liquor, and you two had to serve me dog food.
Her desire to find a boyfriend had grown even stronger!
"Damn it! That bastard Ichiya has been tricking me all this time!"
Erza clenched her fist, a cross mark appearing on her forehead. She wanted nothing more than to rush out and beat Ichiya to a pulp.
With her own boyfriend's live demonstration, she finally understood the true meaning of "handsome guy."
"Though the process was completely wrong, the answer Erza gave wasn't actually incorrect."
Chase smiled. "I happened to see that rabbit person's face when I passed by the waiting room earlier."
Everyone was startled and turned their eyes back to the arena.
Led by Ichiya, the four competitors had already completed their pre-battle handshakes and returned to their respective areas.
"Finally, the time has come to unleash you."
Ichiya, reeking of men's cologne, raised both hands and pointed at the rabbit person. In a deep, solemn voice, he declared, "Let them witness that incredibly handsome face of yours, man!"
The rabbit person nodded and slowly removed the hood.
At that instant, all the spectators, including Bacchus and Rokka on the opposite side, held their breath, fixated on the unveiling. Even Blue Pegasus's own mages showed intense curiosity, except for Master Bob and Ichiya, no one in the guild knew the true face behind the rabbit doll.
Then, under the gaze of thousands, a face identical to Ichiya's was revealed!
The entire arena turned to stone. The heated atmosphere plummeted to freezing point.
Erza, struck by the "Double Handsome Guy Attack," felt so nauseated that she nearly collapsed into Chase's arms.
Completely immersed in self-admiration, Ichiya and Niye ignored the strange looks around them.
With sparkling special effects, the two recounted their romantic encounter in the wilderness forest.
Bacchus couldn't take it anymore. Before they could finish, he charged forward and sent the defenseless Niye flying with a single palm strike, leaving him dazed and unable to move on the ground!
Ichiya was shocked and furious. Caught off guard, he was beaten black and blue by the combined attack of Quartet Cerberus's two members.
In the end, inspired by his dear friend Niye's handsome visage, a true man erupted on the spot. Stimulated by the Power Perfume, he transformed into a muscular powerhouse and knocked out Bacchus and Rokka with a single punch.
"Battle over. The winners are Blue Pegasus!" The Pumpkin Head referee announced the result.
"What a truly spectacular battle!" Chapati commented with great enthusiasm.
"Is... is it?" Yajima was somewhat at a loss for words.
Looking at the big screen showing Ichiya embracing Niye, the special guest Labian wore a look of disgust. "Very disgusting. Thank you very much!"
The audience had much the same reaction, far calmer than they had been for the earlier Sea Battle.
The only ones truly hurt were the devastated master and members of Quartet Cerberus. Today, they had come last in both the competition and battle rounds, earning only a pitiful combined total of 1 point.
Without much delay, Bacchus and Rokka were carried away on stretchers by the medical team, and the second tag battle began immediately.
Mermaid Heel's Kagura + Millianna versus Lamia Scale's Lyon + Yuka!
The lineup was almost identical to the previous match: one S-Class mage leading one regular member.
The key to victory naturally fell on the leaders: Kagura and Lyon.
The clash between Gravity Magic and Ice-Make Magic was somewhat more interesting, but the difference in their magic power wasn't significant.
Plus, Kagura had no intention of drawing her Grudge Sword: Unfearing Heaven. As a result, the thirty-minute match time expired without a clear winner, ending in a draw with 5 points each.
"Finally! Finally, the third tag battle of the day, and the most popular match from the voting!"
"A direct confrontation between the strongest guild of seven years ago and the current strongest guild! Will Fairy Tail replicate the brilliant comeback from Sea Battle and claim victory, or will Sabertooth successfully break the deadlock and defend their honor?"
"All four are Dragon Slayers with the power to confront dragons! Let's give them our warmest cheers and welcome the competitors to the arena!!"
After Chapati's passionate shout, a powerful background music began to play.
Amid the wildly excited cheers of the audience, Natsu, Gajeel, Future Sting, and Future Rogue stepped slowly out of the tunnel and onto the arena floor!
***
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