It only took a single day.
The news that "several first-year middle school students signed up for every single event in the sports meet to settle a score and pursue a girl" spread throughout the entire Fairy Academy.
The news was like a massive bomb; once detonated, everyone from the first-grade primary school children to a certain old man hiding in the campus library was utterly shocked. Showing intense interest, they rushed to tell one another while simultaneously scouting for the latest intel:
"What?! Students decided to settle their differences at the sports meet to pursue a girl?!"
"How exciting, how romantic!!"
"In a time when Principal Grandma has strictly forbidden 'campus puppy love,' they actually dare to commit such an act against the wind—what incredible courage!"
"I heard that those participating in the struggle aren't just boys; there are even girls!"
"Wala?! Fairy Academy truly lives up to being 'the magic academy thirty years ahead of its time.' Even such unique social trends are displayed so undisguised? I'm impressed! Completely impressed!!"
"Just what kind of girl has such immense attraction?"
"Not sure, but I heard she's an exchange student from the Royal Capital Magic Academy assigned to the first year of middle school!"
"So she's from the Royal Capital; she must be beautiful!"
"Probably. Word is the girl is being called the 'Fairy Princess' by everyone now!"
Half a day later, things began to develop rapidly in an unexpected direction.
"It's been found out. There are several students competing for the 'Fairy Princess,' three of whom are the ones publicly criticized by name by Principal Grandma at the school assembly; additionally, rumors say the members of the Fairy Society have already opened a betting pool on who will win in the end!"
"Sss... pulling a stunt like that right under Principal Grandma's nose—are they tired of living?!"
"Only the folks at the Fairy Society would dare do such a thing; any other club would likely have been disbanded long ago!"
"Wait! Looking at the situation, it seems whoever can come out on top in this sports meet will win the favor of the 'Fairy Princess'?"
"Whether they win her favor is uncertain, but they'll certainly be in the spotlight. At least in my memory, nothing similar has happened in the past ten years... Wait! What are you doing?"
"Hehehe... if others can use this sports meet to get famous, why can't I? As long as I defeat all the participants, won't that prove I'm currently the strongest in the academy? It's a rare opportunity!"
"Makes sense, makes sense. Then I'm going to seize the 'Fairy Princess' too!!"
"Me too!"
"Same here!!"
"Count me in!!"
As the rumors spread, more and more busybodies joined in!
The rest of the exchange student squad soon received the news as well.
"What on earth is that girl Juvia doing? Having finally secured a chance to study at Fairy Academy, she actually goes and starts a romance with male classmates? And causes such a massive commotion?!"
"Hahaha... isn't this interesting? I think the only reason you're throwing such a tantrum is purely because the person involved isn't you, Sorano!"
"If it were Sorano, she'd probably have her nose turned up to the sky by now!"
"Shut up! I'm not that kind of person!!"
"This matter is indeed a bit unexpected, but it's actually a good opportunity!"
"What opportunity?"
"The opportunity to demonstrate the strength of our Royal Capital Magic Academy to Fairy Academy, of course!"
"You mean..."
"Juvia is one of ours from the Royal Capital, after all. As her seniors, how can we stand by and watch her be snatched away by people from Fairy Academy?"
"Therefore, we're joining this 'Struggle for the Princess' competition too!"
"We absolutely cannot lose face for the Royal Capital Magic Academy!!"
In the Principal's office.
The homeroom teacher of the first-year middle school class was standing tremblingly before Erza, cold sweat pouring down. Erza sat behind the desk, looking at him with a face full of gravity.
"You had better explain to me exactly what is going on!"
"The 'Puppy Love Prohibition' notice issued previously—did you actually emphasize it properly to the students?!"
The homeroom teacher cried out "Woe is me" in his heart and replied shakingly: "Well... about that... Principal, you know how those kids are. Kicking them doesn't move them, and talking to them doesn't make them listen!"
"You can't blame me for this!"
"So you're saying it's my fault?"
"..."
The homeroom teacher didn't dare speak further. Everyone knew that even if you were in the right, even if volcanoes erupted or meteors fell, you must never try to reason with an elderly woman. If that woman was a grandmother in her seventies or eighties, held a high position of power, possessed immense strength, and had a forceful personality, and you still foolishly tried to argue to prove you weren't wrong, you were definitely seeking your own death!
Fortunately, in the end, Erza let the innocent homeroom teacher off. The reason was that, at the end of the day, the situation wasn't as bad as imagined. After all, she could see that the "Fairy Princess" business was just a gimmick; the students mostly wanted to use this sports meet to compete with one another, which was a rare experience for this group of young wizards. Besides, looking at the current trend, this sports meet next month would be more lively than any of the previous ones!
...
Time flew by, and the day of the school sports meet soon arrived.
Due to the many events in this sports meet and the fact that nearly every item required a large venue, the academy had set up the various competitions in different locations across the campus. In addition to the large playground, the academy woods, the swimming pool, and the three teaching buildings were all temporarily commandeered.
The format of the sports meet was also different from previous years—rather than holding events in a pre-arranged sequence, the events were held simultaneously in different places over a period of five days. This allowed participants to compete in a "ring challenge" style during this time. This way, the participants wouldn't all be crowded in one spot and could compete freely.
On the first day of the sports meet, the first-year middle school students gathered at the large campus playground. Natsu, Gajeel, Gray, Lyon, Erzi, Cana, Juvia, and Elfman—the entire guild group—were present, with no one absent.
As the class of the "Fairy Princess" and the core figures who triggered this campus craze, their every move was the focus of the entire school's attention. As soon as the group arrived on the scene, bursts of exclamations erupted from the surroundings.
"Look! It's the rumored 'Fairy Princess'!"
"Which one? Which one?"
"The blue-haired one who looks completely infatuated!"
"Oh~ so it's her... she's actually quite cute!"
"While she is cute, she's not as cool as Senior Ultear, not as beautiful as Senior Mira, and her chest isn't as big as Senior Brandish's. How disappointing!"