Ace couldn't help but laugh as well.
He glanced around and, sure enough, saw Mirajane's figure by the window on the guild's second floor.
She was holding a cup of black tea, smiling as she watched the chaos on stage, clearly pleased with her prank.
"Good thing she didn't turn into me," Ace muttered to himself, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
"Otherwise, when she comes down, I'll have to give her a good spanking."
On stage, Macao was frantically trying to restore order.
"Ahem! It seems contestant Mirajane played a little joke on us! But no matter, we still have more wonderful contestants to come! Let's welcome contestant number four, Mirajane's younger sister, who is also incredibly popular—Lisanna Strauss!!!"
The music became light and lively, and Lisanna bounced onto the stage.
She wore a pure white two-piece swimsuit. It was simple in style but had a strong sense of design.
The top was a halter neck, revealing her fair shoulders and back; the bottom was a high-waisted brief, and on her upper left thigh, the white Fairy Tail guild mark was clearly visible.
Her silver-white hair was tied in a high ponytail that swung cheerfully with her movements, and her blue eyes shone like jewels in the sunlight.
"Hello everyone! I'm Lisanna!"
She waved energetically to the crowd, her smile so bright it could dispel any gloom.
"Unlike her sister's elegant maturity, contestant Lisanna has always gone for the energetic girl route!" Macao narrated. "But what they both share is perfect beauty and amazing figures! Contestant Lisanna, is there anything you'd like to say to everyone?"
Lisanna took the microphone and scanned the audience.
Her gaze quickly locked onto Ace, who was leaning against the tree.
Her eyes grew even brighter, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.
"Um... Ace," her voice carried across the entire venue through the megaphone, "did you see?"
The entire venue fell silent in an instant.
Everyone's gaze turned to Ace in unison.
Ace's hand froze around his mug.
He could feel countless gazes piercing him like needles—envy, jealousy, resentment, curiosity... a bit of everything.
"Whoa, whoa, what's this? A public confession?"
"That stupid summoner... not only has the older sister, but he's going after the younger one too?!"
"Damn it! Lisanna is my goddess!"
The crowd began to stir.
Several young men glared at Ace. They were grinding their teeth, and their eyes were practically shooting fire.
"Don't hold me back! I have to kill him!!!" a red-haired young man roared.
"No one is holding you back," his companion said calmly. "You go first, and I'll be right after you."
The red-haired young man fell silent.
Lisanna seemed to realize she had said something outrageous, and her face grew even redder.
But she didn't back down; she just looked at Ace, her eyes full of expectation.
Ace raised his mug and, under her expectant gaze, offered a word of praise to the Lisanna on stage.
Lisanna immediately broke into a smile brighter than the sun.
She spun happily on stage before bouncing off under the glares of the jealous crowd.
"Ahem! It seems contestant Lisanna had someone special she wanted to show off to!" The host wiped the sweat from his forehead, forcing the atmosphere back on track.
"Next up is contestant number five! The strongest woman in Fairy Tail, the queen of the battlefield—Erza Scarlet!!!"
The music became solemn and stirring. Erza walked onto the stage.
She wore neither armor nor a swimsuit, but an exquisite, perfectly tailored long black dress.
The dress was made of layers of lace and satin.
The collar and cuffs were trimmed with delicate black lace, and the hem was adorned with silver ribbons.
Her scarlet hair was draped over her shoulders, and she wore elaborate makeup—pale foundation, dark eyeshadow, and deep red lipstick.
It added a touch of mystery and cold beauty to her already gorgeous face.
"Contestant Erza, the talent you wish to display is..."
"Requip," Erza said calmly.
She clasped her hands in front of her chest, and the light of a Magic Circle instantly bloomed.
In the light, her figure began to change—not into someone else, but into a more detailed and gorgeous "Requip" based on her existing Gothic dress.
The lace became more intricate, the satin's sheen more dazzling, and the ribbons on the hem fluttered as if alive.
Most strikingly, a pair of decorative wings made of dark energy, resembling bat wings, unfolded from her back.
Her entire being exuded a strange charm that was a mixture of holiness and corruption, beauty and danger.
"Is this... a Dark Gothic style?!" the host exclaimed.
The audience was silent.
Everyone was stunned by Erza's appearance.
It wasn't just beauty, but a heart-stopping charm that reached straight to the soul.
Erza slowly spun once in the center of the stage.
The decorative wings behind her flapped gently, scattering specks of dark purple light.
Then, she gave a slight nod to the audience and turned to leave the stage.
It wasn't until her figure disappeared behind the curtain that the audience erupted in thunderous applause.
"So... so beautiful..."
"As expected of Erza..."
"That dangerous yet alluring feeling... I'm gonna die..."
Ace watched Erza's retreating figure with a complex look in his eyes.
He could feel that what Erza had just displayed was not just a simple "Requip," but a materialization of a part of her heart—a re-understanding of her inner self after the Tower of Heaven incident.
"Next up is contestant number six!" The host's voice pulled everyone out of their shock. "Fairy Tail's star of wisdom, the little fairy who combines cuteness and intelligence—Levy McGarden!!!"
The music became light and cute. Levy walked onto the stage, looking a little nervous.
She wore a light purple one-piece swimsuit. It was conservative in style but still very stylish.
The neckline featured an adorable ruffle, a matching bow was tied at her waist, and the back had a crisscross strap design.
Her blue hair was tied in pigtails, adorned with purple bow hair clips.
She wore light makeup, making her already delicate features look even cuter.
"Contestant Levy is going for the cute route today!" the host narrated. "But as a Solid Script Mage, contestant Levy's talent display must be very special, right?"
Levy nodded, took a deep breath, and formed a hand seal.
"Solid Script Magic!"
Colorful letters flew from her hands, spinning, combining, and transforming in the air.
The letters were not only of various colors, but they also emitted a soft glow that enveloped Levy in a dreamlike halo.
She spun gently with the dancing letters.
Her light purple swimsuit shimmered like a pearl in the light, and her pigtails swayed with her movements.
She looked as adorable as a pixie from a fairy tale.
"So cute—!!!"
"Levy! Levy! Levy!"
The crowd erupted in enthusiastic cheers.
Jet and Droy of Shadow Gear were so moved that they hugged each other, tears of emotion welling in their eyes.
"Our Levy has grown up!"
"She's become so cute!"
"We must protect her! We can't let those scumbags get near her!"
Ace watched Levy glowing in the light on stage, a gentle smile unconsciously forming on his lips.
He could feel that as Levy performed, her gaze would occasionally drift towards him.
Whenever their eyes briefly met, a faint blush would appear on Levy's cheeks, and she would quickly look away in a fluster.
After her performance, Levy bowed to the audience and scurried off the stage as if she were fleeing.
"Next up is contestant number seven!" the host continued. "The green-haired, mysterious, and beautiful sniper—Bisca Mulan!!!"
The music changed to a slightly melancholic guitar piece. Bisca walked slowly onto the stage.
She wore a deep purple two-piece swimsuit that was simple yet sexy.
The top was a string bikini, and the bottom was a low-rise brief, perfectly showcasing her healthy, tanned skin and well-proportioned figure.
Her green hair was draped over her shoulders with a purple iris tucked into it.
Her expression was calm, even a little cold, but that "ice queen" temperament made her all the more attractive.
"Contestant Bisca rarely participates in guild events, so it's a rare treat to have her compete today!" the host said.
"Contestant Bisca, is there anything you'd like to show us?"
Bisca quickly demonstrated her marksmanship, gave a slight nod to the audience, and turned to leave the stage.
The whole process took less than ten seconds.
The audience was quiet for a moment, then erupted in even more enthusiastic cheers.
"So cool!"
"All hail the ice queen!"
"That cold attitude... I'm dead!"
Ace watched Bisca's retreating figure, lost in thought.
He hadn't had much contact with the sniper mage; he only knew that she was Alzack's partner.
She was usually quiet but very strong.
It seemed her personality today was even more unconventional than he had thought.
"And now, we've finally reached our last contestant!" Macao's voice suddenly rose. "Contestant number eight, the beautiful girl with shining blonde hair, the Celestial Spirit Mage—Lucy Heartfilia!!!"
The music became cheerful and bright. Lucy took a deep breath and walked onto the stage.
She wore a bold, gorgeous, golden-yellow two-piece swimsuit.
The top was a bandeau studded with sparkling sequins; the bottom was a brief with golden side tassels.
Her blonde hair was tied in a high ponytail and adorned with star-shaped hairpins.
She wore exquisite stage makeup, making her already beautiful face look even more dazzling.
"Contestant Lucy has chosen a dazzling gold today! It really fits her identity as a Celestial Spirit Mage!" Macao said excitedly. "Contestant Lucy, the talent you wish to display is..."
Lucy took the microphone with a confident smile on her face. "Today, together with my Celestial Spirit partners, I will perform a cheerleading dance for everyone!"
She took out her golden keys, and three Magic Circles opened simultaneously.
When her three Celestial Spirits appeared on stage, they had all changed into cheerleading outfits matching Lucy's, complete with golden pom-poms.
"Alright, let's begin!" Lucy nodded to her spirits.
Upbeat music started playing. Lucy and her three spirits began to perform their well-rehearsed cheerleading routine.
Their movements were synchronized and full of energy, and their golden pom-poms traced brilliant arcs in the air.
Lucy's smile was radiant, her blonde hair shining in the sun. Her entire being exuded an invincible, youthful charm.
"Good! Very good! This is a really high level of performance!" the host narrated excitedly.
The audience watched, captivated.
Ace watched the energetic Lucy on stage, but a sudden sense of foreboding rose in his heart.
Based on his knowledge of the "plot," with Lucy's terrible luck, things would usually...
Just then—
"That's enough."
An arrogant female voice suddenly rang out, interrupting the music and the dance.
Everyone looked toward the sound.
On the other side of the stage, a figure had appeared out of nowhere.
"The fairy is me," the person said slowly, her voice magically amplified throughout the venue.
"The most beautiful is me!"
Ace almost spat out the cider in his mouth.
If he hadn't remembered he was in the world of Fairy Tail, he would have thought she was Jessie from Team Rocket in the Pokémon world.
It was a tall woman wearing reflective round glasses and a sexy green leather outfit.
The corner of her mouth was curled into a mocking smile as she crossed her arms, looking down at Lucy on the stage.
"That's right, I represent it all!"
The woman took off her glasses, revealing the beautiful eyes behind them, which were now glinting with a strange light.
"The winner, of course, will be me—Evergreen!"
"Evergreen?" someone in the crowd exclaimed.
"From the Thunder God Tribe..."
"Lucy! Don't look at her eyes!" Gray's roar came from offstage.
But it was too late.
Lucy had subconsciously looked into Evergreen's eyes.
The moment their gazes met, Lucy's body suddenly froze.
A grayish-white, rock-like color spread rapidly upwards from the soles of her feet.
Her calves, thighs, waist, chest, neck... In the blink of an eye, Lucy had turned into a grayish-white stone statue, frozen in the center of the stage in her dancing pose.
Dead silence.
Everyone in the audience was stunned, unable to process what had just happened.
"Petrification Magic..." Ace put down his glass.
Evergreen chuckled lightly, put her glasses back on, and slowly walked to the center of the stage.
"Annoying nuisance," she said contemptuously.
She then turned to the audience and spread her arms wide.
"Well then, the winner of the Miss Fairy Tail contest is, of course, me: Evergreen. Any objections?"
The audience was dead silent.
Everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events.
Ace slowly stood up straight.
The Digital Soul began to circulate within his body, and a dark golden light flashed in the depths of his eyes.
He could feel that the magical fluctuations around the guild had become completely abnormal.
It wasn't just Evergreen; several other powerful magical presences were rapidly approaching.
'The Thunder God Tribe...'
The Fairy Tail civil war was about to begin!
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