Dragging bags upon bags of supplies, the group returned to the guild. Arlen called out to everyone inside, "Come help carry these in! And then we'll start decorating the guild—let's all work together."
"OOOH!!"
The entire guild sprang into action as if pumped full of energy. The women carried ingredients, desserts, and cakes into the kitchen, organizing everything and preparing the food, while the men got to work decorating the Christmas tree, hanging ribbons and streamers, and blowing up balloons. Makarov took on the role of foreman, supervising while also helping sort out the gifts. The lively atmosphere was so infectious that even passing townspeople couldn't help but take notice.
"Wow, it's so lively—what's Fairy Tail up to now?" one passerby asked.
"Looks like they're decorating the guild. I saw Arlen and Laxus buying a ton of stuff earlier," another replied.
"They never slow down, do they? Still… watching them makes me feel energized too," someone else said with a smile.
"Tell me about it. Christmas is always like this. I can't wait for the Harvest Festival parade coming up," another added excitedly.
No matter what others said, the guild members remained immersed in their joy. At that moment, Warren walked over and said, "Master, we bought a lot of balloons—there are quite a few left over."
"Oh? Is that so?" Makarov glanced at the mountain of gifts, then at the leftover balloons. His mind worked quickly, and suddenly his eyes lit up.
"In that case, I'll organize a competition! A water balloon battle! Fill all the leftover balloons with water—not too big, just enough to hold in one hand," he announced loudly.
"Water balloons?"
"A battle?"
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him. Even Ur and the others came out of the kitchen.
"Ahem," Makarov cleared his throat. "It's hot today, so why not use these balloons for a match? The winner gets the most expensive gift—and 1,000 J as a bonus. Losers can pick a small gift as consolation. Just imagine—when those water balloons burst on our female mages… soaked head to toe… hehehe."
By the end, he wore a downright lecherous grin.
Of course, perverts existed everywhere—and Fairy Tail was no exception. Especially Macao and Wakaba, who instantly pictured the scene, noses practically steaming as they eagerly supported the idea.
The female mages were far less pleased, loudly calling them out as shameless perverts—but it had little effect. Ur, Cana, Erza, and Ultear, on the other hand, looked eager to join.
Makarov clarified that participation was voluntary, but after tallying the sign-ups… practically everyone in the guild had joined. The earlier complaints from the women seemed to have vanished entirely.
However, when Makarov and the others noticed the female mages' gazes drifting toward Arlen and Laxus—especially Arlen—they instantly understood. In their eyes, those looks were practically glowing green.
Once everything was prepared, Makarov stood on the second-floor railing and addressed the crowd below.
"Ahem! Since everyone's ready, let me explain the rules. Each person starts with five water balloons. The battle area is centered around Fairy Tail, and you can replenish ammo at designated points throughout."
He held up a large map showing the boundaries and supply spots.
"Two more things: first, we've placed protective gear around the area marked with the Fairy Tail emblem—you can use them to defend yourselves. Second, magic can be used to interfere with opponents, but not to attack directly. Eliminations only count with water balloons."
"Everyone has one life. If you're hit, you're out. The last person standing wins the grand prize and 1,000 J. Losers will draw random gifts—if you're unlucky, you might get a prank item. Now then…"
He raised his hand dramatically.
"I ঘোষণা the Fairy Tail Christmas Special Event—Water Balloon Battle—officially begins! You have five minutes to hide. Fight for your honor—begin!"
With that, everyone scattered like a swarm of locusts. Looking closely, though, some had already formed teams.
"Arlen, don't get eliminated too quickly," Laxus called out as he ran.
"You should worry about yourself," Arlen shot back. "Wouldn't want you getting knocked out early—that'd be embarrassing."
"Macao, just wait—I'm taking you down," Wakaba said, pipe in mouth.
"That's my line," Macao scoffed.
"Victory! I must win!" Erza declared, practically burning with determination as she switched into a sports outfit using Requip.
"Hehe… Erza's really fired up," Ultear said with an awkward smile.
"She always gets weirdly competitive out of nowhere," Cana muttered, holding her forehead.
"If Erza's this fired up, I can't lose either—I'm definitely taking down Arlen-sama!" Ultear suddenly declared, full of fighting spirit.
"And you were just talking about her…" Kagura said, her lips twitching.
"My, my… such youthful energy. But I won't lose either," Ur said with a gentle smile.
"Gray, Lyon—want to team up? We can eliminate a few people first," Simon suggested.
"No way, I'm not teaming up with him." x2
Gray and Lyon spoke in perfect unison, then glared at each other before snorting and turning away in sync.
Simon sighed. "Come on, there are too many opponents. We need to work together if we want a chance. Don't you want to beat Arlen and Laxus?"
"Beat Arlen and Laxus…?" The two exchanged a glance, then nodded firmly.
"Fine. Let's do it."
"We're in."
"Let's team up."
"We're taking down Arlen!"
"We're taking down Laxus!
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