"I get it, but why are you following us?"
Seeing Jenny enter the same clothing store with them, Rhode couldn't help but want to pull out the Bursting Magic Crystal again.
A stalker, is it okay to blow her up a bit?
It's a huge problem, Mira pressed down on Rhode's backpack to prevent him from actually doing it:
"Jenny, are you here to buy clothes too?"
Jenny was unabashed: "No, I came specifically to find you."
Mira asked, "Is there something else?"
"Of course, it's to settle the score!" Jenny said, "Even if we can't compete at the anniversary gala, I have to defeat you in private!"
Rhode looked around at the environment, noticing quite a few people starting to watch; this was anything but 'private.'
"Since you're so insistent, I can't really refuse anymore." Mira had no idea where this fighting spirit came from, "What shall we compete in?"
"Pick clothes in this store and put together an outfit, then have a fair judge decide the winner." Jenny pointed at Rhode confidently, "To make you concede wholeheartedly, let him be the judge!"
"Me?" Rhode was taken aback.
Although he didn't know why a competition suddenly sprung up, he decisively grabbed Mira's wrist and raised it:
"The winner is Mirajane! Alright, show's over, the loser exits."
Jenny flew into a rage: "It hasn't even started yet!"
Mira laughed secretly.
Jenny took a deep breath to calm her mood: "Even though he's the judge, it's not like whatever he says goes... you understand what I mean, Mirajane."
"That's quite sneaky, but I accept it, I'm looking forward to your expression when you lose." Mira and Jenny locked eyes, a sparkle of electricity seemed to flicker between them.
Jenny flicked her hair: "Alright then, dear judge, please set the theme."
"Theme..." Rhode didn't understand what tacit understanding these two had reached, so he casually pointed to a nearby sign, "Leisure zone, how about that."
"Leisure? A very ordinary topic, but the more ordinary, the harder it is." Jenny confidently smiled and stepped towards the leisure zone, "Just wait and see!"
"Since I've decided to compete, I won't lose." Mira was also full of energy picking out clothes.
It seemed like these two found some sort of enjoyment, while Rhode wasn't as happy.
Originally, he was having a pleasant day accompanying Mira shopping, when suddenly a troublemaker appeared.
This competition involved picking clothes and changing outfits, who knows how long it might take.
Although Jenny was quite pretty too, but... what good is a pretty third wheel?
Just as he was preparing for a long wait, the two beauties gave him a surprise.
"Transform!"
"Transform!"
With two soft chants, Mira and Jenny both transformed into their chosen outfits, even their hairstyles changed to perfectly match their clothes.
"Do you guys change clothes using Transformation Magic? Then what is the point of Requip Magic?"
"Requip Magic is actually wearing the corresponding clothes, transformation is just changing appearances."
Mira said, "In the summer, you can transform into a coat and not feel hot, in winter turn into swimwear and not feel cold."
Jenny also said, "Don't be surprised, professional models use Transformation Magic to efficiently achieve the effect of changing clothes."
They could even secretly add beauty effects during the transformation.
"Alright, enough of this nonsense, let's evaluate our outfits separately, shall we?" Jenny said, "Please try to give a fair judgment."
Rhode looked at Mira.
Mira smiled: "Just speak from your heart, we have a way of determining the winner."
Do they have some magic that can detect lies? Rhode thought of Wolian, or maybe they can hear people's thoughts?
Estimating that lying was pointless, Rhode looked at Jenny and truthfully spoke:
"Miss Jenny, this outfit... looks great."
Jenny gave Mira a triumphant smile.
Then Rhode carefully scrutinized Mira: "The white tank top beautifully outlines the figure, paired with a light blue shirt for a clean, simple look.
Light blue denim shorts perfectly exhibit long legs without clashing with the upper cloth coloring.
The black belt is neither loose nor tight, showcasing an attractive waist, with the small black handbag being a nice complement.
Add a baseball cap and long ponytail, an aura of youthfulness overflows, full marks!"
Mira lightly caressed her cheek with her hand: "Ah, such straightforward compliments make me a bit shy."
"You..."
Jenny ground her teeth loudly, getting just 'looks great,' while Mira got almost three thousand words of description.
Although the judging standard did not depend on what Rhode said, such disparity was infuriating!
Mira showed a wicked smile: "Jenny, how's that?"
Jenny protested: "Once more!"
Rhode looked on bewildered as the two returned to the leisure clothing section.
This round was clearly won by Mira, but what was the judging criterion?
Word count of the comments?
It couldn't be that simple.
A few minutes later, they picked new outfits and returned to transform again.
Adhering to the principle of honesty, Rhode looked at Jenny and gave a 'very pretty' rating.
Then he examined Mira from head to toe, praising her all the way.
When Mira chose a dress and twirled for Rhode, he earnestly awarded a perfect score plus an extra ten points.
The continuous transformation contest attracted many onlookers.
While it somewhat disrupted business at the moment, the store manager was about to burst with glee.
Two stunning beauties providing free outfit showcases in his shop, it was like manna from heaven.
He was already pondering how to offer excellent service when the foot traffic boomed later.
Onlookers, intrigued, also tried rating from their perspectives.
Based on their discussions, the supporters between Jenny and Mira seemed evenly matched.
Except each time Rhode sincerely gave his opinion, quite a lot of people swayed, switching sides on the spot.
—That young man speaks so genuinely, and it sounds really convincing.
After the last round ended, Jenny dispelled her Transformation Magic, returning to her original appearance:
"Damn, I picked the wrong judge!"
The outcome of this competition had nothing to do with what Rhode said or how much he said.
The sole criterion was the 'stunning' factor evident in his gaze.
It was a difficult standard to gauge, but Jenny could discern it, as someone frequently under the gaze of many eyes, she had a keen insight into various looks.
Jenny initially assumed that Rhode and Mira were from the same guild, surely being very familiar with one another.
Thus, no matter how Mira changed her appearance, it would be hard to dazzle Rhode.
After all, men are creatures who love the new and loathe the old.
And she possessed a beauty and figure on par with Mira and was unfamiliar to Rhode.
This was a huge advantage, surely easier to amaze him.
This was practically an unbeatable contest!
But...
Jenny suddenly realized she overlooked a factor critical enough to affect the contest!
If only she had casually picked a passerby for a fairer competition, Jenny regretted deeply.