"Is it about time?" Rhode felt it was time to return to the competition.
Mira nodded: "Yes, but Warm seems like he hasn't had enough browsing."
"If you let him eat freely, he wouldn't be done in a year. Let's take him out again after the competition..." Rhode thought for a moment and suggested, "Or maybe let Warm join you on stage? Might get you a few more votes from the girls."
"Sure, let's have Warm accompany me with a dance."
Last year, Mickey brought Magic Bird Xiaobi on stage, so it was no problem for Mira to bring a Warm this year.
Rumor has it that Lucy plans to collaborate with Balrog for a cheerleader dance — intel from Hapi, worth one bite of braised fish.
Yes, just one bite.
In Hapi's opinion, Lucy's information isn't worth much, as long as Warm shares a bite of braised fish with him.
Rhode asked Mira about her plans: "Have you decided on what you'll perform later?"
"Of course, you just need to prepare your eyes and ears." Mira didn't want to reveal it just yet.
"Then I'll eagerly await."
A little surprise now and then is nice too.
Warm, reluctantly, followed the two back to the guild, still having so many things he hadn't eaten yet.
But Mira promised that if she won the prize money, she would buy him some delicious treats.
Warm suddenly perked up.
As the competition time drew near, the contestants had returned to the guild, and others who wanted to watch the performance gathered as well.
The guild was bustling with people, and Marcus, the host, was saying some words to warm up the crowd on stage, telling some cold jokes.
Using cold jokes to warm up sounds awkward, but Marcus did a great job. This was his favorite kind of event, and he just wished the guild had more activities.
"There's quite a crowd." Actually, what Rhode wanted to say was there were quite a lot of old pervs.
Mira waved to him: "I'm going to the waiting area now."
"Okay." Rhode stuck a number badge on Mira's chest.
"It should be on the waist."
"Oh."
Rhode removed the badge and stuck it on her waist instead, earning him an eye roll.
Such a cheeky fellow.
"Let's go, Warm."
Mira called out to Warm, making her way around to the backstage from the edge of the guild.
Rhode took out a self-written work ID, using it as an excuse to maintain order, and squeezed his way to the front.
Surprisingly, he didn't see the president in the front row.
He glanced around and saw the president had secretly set up a VIP section on the side of the stage, sitting with Wolian and Nicky.
The other side of the VIP section was occupied by Macao and Wakaba, both with fists clenched in anticipation, even hoping Marcus would say fewer words and get off the stage quickly.
As the time to start approached, Marcus spoke passionately:
"Thank you all for waiting, our 'Fairies' from Fairy Tail are about to engage in a beauty contest! The Miss Fairy Tail Contest begins now!"
"Let's welcome Contestant No. 1, the exotic beauty, Kana Alberona!"
Kana, rarely seen in a simple t-shirt and long pants, calmly walked up to the stage, letting countless cards fly from her hands.
The cards flitted around her like butterflies, emitting brilliant light and covering her completely.
When the light faded, Kana reappeared, now in a sexy swimsuit.
She struck a few poses, boldly showcasing her great figure.
—The last time, she missed out on the prize money because she was drunk, but this time, she was determined to win it all back.
"Wow~"
The crowd erupted in cheers, thinking this beauty could make a name for herself as Sosara's swimsuit model.
However, most of the admiration came from outsiders.
Among the Fairy Tail members, besides a few old gentlemen, the response was lukewarm.
Anyone else changing into swimwear might have been a surprise, but for Kana, it wasn't much of a surprise.
It was just swapping her regular pants for swimwear bottoms, hardly any difference.
"Next is Contestant No. 2, the Rain Woman who recently joined the guild but is exceptionally powerful—Jubia Locksha!"
Jubia walked out smiling, waving to everyone, her gaze quickly locking onto Gray.
"Gray-sama, please watch me!"
She spread her arms, and her body below the head turned entirely into water, creating waves on the small stage.
Jubia controlled the water to flow around the stage, even circling around Marcus, showcasing her exquisite Water Magic.
When her body returned to solid form, she too had changed into swimwear. Compared to Kana, Jubia's swirling waves made her swimwear feel more fitting for the occasion.
"Oh oh oh!!!"
The cheers this time were noticeably louder than for Kana, due to the stark contrast.
Usually, Jubia was always wrapped up tightly, and unless Gray was present, her expression often looked gloomy.
Considering her previous identity as Ghost Four Elements, many people felt a bit intimidated.
But today, everyone immediately recognized Jubia's cuteness, although she only wanted to show it to Gray.
Lucy peeked through the curtain from the side, disdainfully criticizing them for flaunting their sexiness.
Makarov, on the VIP seats, subtly wiped his nosebleed; the swimwear was indeed fantastic.
"Next is Contestant No. 3, known as the Demon yet also our guild's proud poster girl, Mirajane Strauss!"
Mira walked up the stage with a smile, waving as she went, followed closely by the round, fluffy furball.
The combination of beauty and a cute pet instantly elicited cheers and screams.