Chapter 157: The Festival of Fear
A week quietly passed. The tension from Laxus's sudden appearance and departure seemed to fade, replaced by a new, infectious energy. Magnolia Town welcomed its annual Harvest Festival, a grand celebration held to commemorate a bountiful harvest.
The streets were unrecognizable, draped in colorful banners and streamers. The air was filled with the sounds of lutes, the laughter of children, and the enticing smells of roasted meats, sweet pastries, and spiced ale from dozens of food stalls.
At this time, the newly rebuilt Fairy Tail Guild hall was the epicenter of the celebration, filled to bursting with town residents and visitors. They had all come to watch the main event of the day, hosted by the guild itself: the Miss Fairy Tail Pageant.
The stage was lit, the crowd was buzzing, and Macao Conbolt, holding a primitive magical microphone, stepped into the spotlight.
"Citizens of Magnolia, and friends from nearby towns!" he boomed, his voice echoing through the hall.
"What's this I hear? We have friends who came all the way from the Land of the Dead to watch this competition? Amazing! Please return to your graves after the show, we don't need any ghosts haunting the new guild!"
"Hahahaha!" The crowd, packed in shoulder-to-shoulder, roared with laughter.
"Thank you all for waiting! Our lovely fairies are about to present a beautiful, dazzling feast for your eyes!" Macao struck a pose. "The Miss Fairy Tail Pageant... now begins—!"
"I, Macao Conbolt, the Mage of Purple Fire, will be your host for this prestigious selection!"
In the front row, Gray complained, "I thought he was a convenience store clerk last week. That guy is really busy."
"Shhh, it's starting!" Natsu hissed, uncharacteristically focused.
"And now, let's introduce our judges!" Macao gestured to a raised table at the side of the stage. "Serving as judges for this selection are the one, the only, Guild Master Makarov of Fairy Tail! And... the man, the myth, the monster... the nationally renowned Mage, Master Ren!"
Ren and Makarov stood up. Makarov waved enthusiastically, loving the applause. Ren gave a small, slightly awkward wave, feeling out of place. Being a judge for a beauty pageant wasn't exactly in his job description.
"Oh oh oh oh oh oh!"
"It's Ren! He's really a judge!"
"He's so much more handsome in person!"
Many people cheered wildly when they saw Ren; his popularity after the Phantom Lord and Tower of Heaven incidents was incredibly high, especially among the younger generation.
Gray grumbled again, "How did Ren get roped into being a judge? He looks like he'd rather be fighting something."
"He's the acting Master, you idiot," Elfman said from the next table. "Being a judge is a real man's duty!"
"Our first contestant!" Macao announced. "Contestant No. 1, an exotic beauty with an... otherworldly appetite for booze!! Cana Alberona!!"
Cana, looking confident and playful, stepped onto the stage, blowing a kiss to the crowd, which shouted and cheered in response.
"Next up is the magic talent show!"
Cana smirked. "Watch this!" She waved her hand, scattering a pile of magical cards into the air. The cards didn't just fall; they began to spin, faster and faster, forming a whirlwind around her. "Requip: Card Dress!"
After the cards dissipated, Cana was no longer in her usual top. She was now in a very revealing, sexy two-piece swimsuit.
The cheers from the men in the crowd grew even louder, with several wolf-whistles.
"Contestant No. 2!" Macao shouted over the noise. "A new member, but S-Class in strength! A woman who is one with the rain, a true water-sprite... Juvia Lockser!"
Juvia walked onto the stage, her hands clasped nervously. "Juvia... Juvia will do her best... for Gray-sama!"
Her body suddenly dissolved into water, creating a giant wave that rose up, twisted into the shape of a massive heart, and then crashed back down. When the water cleared, she, too, had changed into a cute, blue swimsuit. She posed, looking directly at Gray. "Gray-sama... how does Juvia look?"
Gray, who had been taking a drink, choked. "Gah! Why is she looking at me?!"
Lucy, watching from the wings backstage, was furious. "Another one selling her body!! Is this a beauty pageant or a swim meet?!"
"Contestant No. 3! A tiny fairy, but charming and intelligent! Give it up for Levy McGarden!"
Levy, blushing bright red, walked out. "H-hi everyone! I'll perform my Solid Script magic!"
She wrote in the air, and glowing, three-dimensional words—[SPARKLE], [CUTE], [FAIRY]—popped into existence, dancing and floating around her head like little cherubs. The crowd aww'd at the adorable display.
"Contestant No. 4! The sexy sharpshooter from the west! The fastest gun in Fiore... Bisca Moulin!"
Bisca confidently strode out, Requipping her favorite rifle. "Macao, if you please?"
Macao, helping out, launched several clay pigeons into the air at once. Bisca didn't even seem to aim. She fanned the rifle, firing a succession of shots so fast it sounded like one long bang. Requip! She swapped to a sniper rifle, shooting a target at the very back of the hall. Requip! She pulled two pistols, shooting the last two pigeons out of the air without even looking. The crowd was amazed at her unerring marksmanship.
"And now... Contestant No. 5!" Macao's voice cracked with excitement. "Possessing the name of the strongest, a Mage combining strength and beauty! The Fairy Queen, Titania... Erza Scarlet!!"
"She's here!!"
"Erza!!"
"So cool—!!"
The guild hall erupted. Lucy peeked from backstage, exclaiming, "Her popularity is so high. It's not fair..."
Erza already had a certain level of fame, but her battle to protect the guild from Phantom Lord had elevated that fame to another level. She was currently the most popular female Mage in the kingdom.
She walked onto the stage in her standard Heart Kreuz armor, looking serious. "Let me show you my treasured Requip."
"Here it comes!" Natsu yelled, bouncing in his seat.
"Requip!"
Erza activated her magic. In a blinding flash of light, her armor peeled away. For a split second, her armor vanished before her new outfit appeared, revealing the stunning, faintly visible outline of her body, leaving very, very little to the imagination.
At the judge's table, Makarov's eyes popped, and a fountain of blood erupted from his nose. "Hooooh..."
Even Ren's calm expression faltered, his eyes widening slightly as he quickly looked away, a faint blush on his cheeks.
Finally, the light faded, and Erza appeared in... a frilly, black-and-white Gothic Lolita outfit, complete with a parasol, which she twirled shyly.
The entire guild, after a moment of stunned silence, dropped their jaws.
"GOTHIC LOLITA STYLE?!" Gray and Natsu shouted in unison.
Lucy immediately felt immense pressure backstage. "She... she went for the 'gap moe'?! That's the ultimate trump card! How can I compete with that?!"
"Contestant No. 6!" Macao yelled, wiping his own bloody nose. "The guild's original poster girl!! Her beauty captivates the entire continent!! The one... the only... MIRAJANE!!"
"I've been looking forward to this!!"
"A contender for the championship, for sure!"
"It's her in person!! She's even cuter than in the magazines!"
Mira's appearance on stage immediately drew incredibly enthusiastic cheers. Compared to the others, Mira's popularity was that of a true idol. She was, after all, the most famous model Weekly Sorcerer had ever had.
"Hello, everyone!" she chirped, giving her signature sweet wave. "I'm best at Transformation Magic, so I'll perform Transformation Magic for you all."
With that, Mira's body was enveloped in magical light. In the next instant, a figure in pure white, with black wings and a fragment of a bone-white mask, stood on the stage. The sweet aura was replaced by a cold, hollow pressure.
"This is Ren in his 'Black-Winged Great Demon' form."
The light flashed again. The new figure wore a simple, red kimono and held a katana. The pressure vanished, replaced by an aura of absolute, calm, sun-like lethality.
"This is Ren in his 'Sword God' form."
Flash! "This is Ren in his 'Flame Emperor' form." Magma dripped from her hand.
Flash! "This is Ren in his 'Ice Tyrant' form." The stage frosted over.
Flash! "And finally... this is Ren in his 'Whitebeard' form."
The transformation was shocking. Mira's body expanded into the massive, towering form of Whitebeard, complete with the bisento and the crescent-moon mustache. She struck a pose, radiating an aura of a world-conquering king.
After transforming five times in a row, Mira released the magic, returning to her original, smiling appearance.
The entire guild fell silent for a moment, processing what they had just seen. But then, they erupted into the loudest, most enthusiastic cheers of the day.
"AMAZING—!"
"Is that what 'Whitebeard' looks like?! It's my first time seeing him in person!"
"And all the others! So that's what he used to beat Jose!"
"So, those famous figures... those were all Ren?! He has so many transformations!"
Lucy was completely dumbfounded backstage, her soul looking like it was about to leave her body. If there was a way to report, she would desperately want to report now.
Although Mira didn't sell her body or create a 'gap moe' contrast, transforming into Ren was just too unfair. Wasn't that just riding on his popularity? Each of Ren's transformations was incredibly famous, especially the final Whitebeard transformation, which was currently the most popular and feared figure in Fiore.
She felt the 500,000 Jewel prize money slipping further and further away.
At the judge's table, Ren hadn't expected Mira to transform into several of his forms. He felt a mix of pride at her skill and slight embarrassment at the display, but he couldn't deny... it was indeed quite imposing.
"And now... Contestant No. 7!" Macao announced. "The guild's super rookie! A Mage whose brilliance is guided by the stars! The Celestial Spirit Mage... LUCY!!"
Lucy, despite her broken spirit, took a deep breath and walked onto the stage, forcing a smile. "I'm... I'm going to do a cheerleading dance with my Celestial Spirits."
Even though her hopes of winning the championship were slim, she still had to try her best for her rent.
Suddenly, as Lucy was about to summon Cancer, a woman with long, green hair appeared behind her.
"Contestant No. 8," the woman said, her voice cool and arrogant. "The fairy is me. The beauty is me. Yes, everything is me. The outcome is decided. The champion is me... Evergreen. Alright, this boring competition ends here."
"Evergreen!!"
"When did she get back?!"
The guild members immediately recognized the woman on stage. It was Evergreen, a member of the Thunder God Tribe.
Lucy, furious at being interrupted, spun around. "Don't mess things up!! My livelihood depends on this!!"
Evergreen simply lifted her glasses, her eyes meeting Lucy's. "You're in the way. Stone Eyes."
"Huh...?"
Lucy froze, her expression of anger twisting into one of terror as a gray, stony texture spread up her body. In an instant, she was turned to stone.
"What... what's going in?!"
"Is... is that stone?"
"What a realistic talent show?!"
The citizens were all a bit confused at this point, thinking this was part of the act, until Macao, his face pale with dread, roared into the microphone: "DANGER!! This is not an act! Citizens, get out of here quickly!!"
It was then that everyone realized this was real. The hall erupted into panic. People screamed, trampling over each other as they all scattered and fled.
At the judge's table, Ren's mind flashed back to the Weekly Sorcerer magazine, to Laxus's rage, to the confrontation. He knew. At this moment, his expression changed. He stomped his foot, shattering the judge's table, and rushed towards the stage.
Crack—!
A massive, golden lightning bolt descended from the sky, aimed directly at Ren.
Ren was forced to halt his steps, leaping back.
BOOM—!
The golden lightning struck the ground in front of him, blasting a deep crater where he had been about to step. Laxus's figure slowly materialized from the static, his arms crossed, a cruel smirk on his face.
"Yo! Ren. We meet again."
"Laxus! What are you doing?!" Makarov, his face purple with rage, angrily strode towards his grandson. "Are you trying to ruin the festival?!"
"A festival wouldn't be complete without some entertainment, right, old man?" Laxus sneered. He ignited the stage curtain with a spark from his finger. The curtain burned away in an instant, revealing the backstage scene.
All the girls participating in the Miss Fairy Tail contest—Cana, Juvia, Levy, Bisca, Erza, and Mira—had all been turned into stone statues.
"What!"
"Everyone in the dressing room... turned to stone?!"
"Sister!" Elfman roared in horror.
"Even Erza!!" Natsu screamed.
Ren's pupils constricted. He ignored Laxus. His burning, cold gaze locked onto Evergreen, who was standing on the stage, looking smug. The temperature around Ren dropped, and a terrifying, oppressive magic power began to leak from his body.
"Evergreen," Ren said, his voice lethally quiet. "If you don't want to die... immediately, right now, restore them to normal."
[Akarin Note:
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