As time passed, all guild members were gradually eliminated until only two remained—Arlen and Laxus. The two stood facing each other in front of the guild, while the rest of the members, along with Makarov, gathered at the entrance as spectators.
"Just as expected… it came down to Arlen and Laxus in the end," Macao said.
"Yeah, those two are seriously strong," Wakaba added, puffing on his pipe.
"Heh… so it's just you and me left, Arlen," Laxus said with a faint smile. "I've been waiting for this day for a long time. Even if it's just a water balloon fight, I'll treat it as warm-up. Next time, we'll have a real match."
"Anytime," Arlen replied calmly, holding a water balloon in each hand. "But this victory will be mine."
"We'll see about that," Laxus said, turning into a bolt of lightning as he shot forward at incredible speed.
"Hmph. Under my Gravity Magic, your speed will only slow down," Arlen countered. A magic circle appeared beneath his feet as immense gravity pressed down on the battlefield.
Laxus felt his movement stall for a split second—but then he forced his way through and accelerated again, appearing behind Arlen.
"Take this!"
In an instant, Laxus threw five water balloons at blinding speed, aiming to finish it in one strike.
"Impressive speed… but not enough," Arlen said. The gravity intensified again, freezing the incoming balloons midair before they dropped harmlessly to the ground.
At the same time, another magic circle lit up beneath Arlen's feet—his figure vanished.
When he reappeared, he was already behind Laxus.
"Damn it—Teleportation Magic!" Laxus reacted, trying to turn into lightning again—
Too late.
With another burst of gravity pinning him in place, Arlen's hand blurred, and five water balloons struck Laxus head-on.
"Gah—damn it!" Laxus roared unwillingly.
"I told you," Arlen said calmly, "victory is mine."
"Yay! Arlen-sama won! I knew it!" Ultear clapped excitedly.
"So cool…" Erza murmured, her cheeks slightly flushed as she looked at Arlen.
"Yeah… really cool," Kagura nodded, applauding as well.
"Tch… next time, I'm winning," Gray and Lyon muttered through gritted teeth.
"Ahem!" Makarov stepped forward, raising his voice. "The match is over! I hereby declare the winner of this Water Balloon Battle—Arlen Viviamilio! Let's hear it for him!"
"OOOH!!"
"That final showdown was amazing!"
"Yeah, Laxus was so close!"
"Arlen-sama is incredible!"
"Laxus was awesome too!"
Amid the cheers and laughter, the first Fairy Tail Christmas Special Event—Water Balloon Battle—came to an end.
And naturally, what came next was—
"Listen up, brats—time for a feast!" Makarov shouted.
The banquet began.
Thanks to their earlier preparations, everything was ready. First came a grand award ceremony, followed by everyone receiving their consolation prizes. Then, all those who could cook headed into the kitchen.
Smiles filled every face. Whether they won or lost, whether their gifts were valuable or not—it didn't matter. What mattered was the joy of the moment and being together.
Perhaps it was the lingering excitement of the water battle, or simply the holiday spirit—but this banquet was even more lively than usual.
Arlen, Laxus, Ultear, Erza, Kagura, Cana, Simon, Gray, and Lyon sat together at one table, chatting and enjoying the food. As for Ur, she had long since been dragged away by the female mages.
"This guild is really noisy," Laxus remarked, taking a sip of his drink.
"That's what makes it fun. This is Fairy Tail," Arlen replied.
"Arlen-sama, watch out!" Ultear suddenly shouted.
The next second—a mug landed squarely on Arlen's head, beer spilling down his silver hair.
In the distance, Wakaba and Macao were already yelling at each other.
"Idiot! That was my drink—I hadn't even taken a sip yet!"
"Then don't stand in the way!"
"Arlen-sama, are you okay?!" Ultear rushed over, frantically wiping his face and hair with a handkerchief.
"Pfft—HAHAHA! You actually look pretty good like that," Laxus burst out laughing.
Even Erza and the others couldn't help but chuckle.
"I-It's fine… this kind of liveliness is nice," Arlen said, forcing a smile.
"Tch. Keep telling yourself that," Laxus smirked.
"I'm not forcing it," Arlen insisted.
"Arlen-sama, watch out!" Ultear cried again.
Thud!
A wine bottle smashed into his back.
Arlen froze.
His fists clenched as he silently reminded himself to maintain noble composure. Veins bulged on his forehead, yet he somehow forced out a smile.
"…That's terrifying. He can still endure that?" Gray whispered.
"Your noble elegance is about to collapse," Laxus teased.
"N-No way… haha…" Arlen replied stiffly.
"Are you alright?" Erza and Kagura asked with concern.
"I'm fine… I just need to change clothes. Excuse me for a moment," Arlen said, barely holding it together as he turned—
BAM!
A chair smacked directly into his face.
It slid down slowly.
Erza, Kagura, and Cana all covered their faces in unison, unable to watch.
Gray and Lyon were already doubled over laughing.
"Arlen-sama!!" Ultear cried, rushing to support him.
"Hey, hey—your noble aura's gone now!" Laxus laughed mercilessly.
"…I've had enough."
Arlen snapped.
"To hell with noble etiquette—Macao! Wakaba! Reedus! You bastards—DIE!!"
With a roar, he charged straight into the brawl, punching anything that moved.
"Hahaha! What happened to your elegance?!" Laxus laughed wildly.
Gray, Lyon, and the others couldn't stop laughing either.
"You idiots—stop laughing and get in here!" Arlen roared, casting Gravity Magic and slamming them all onto the table, covering them in cake and food.
His logic was simple: If I suffer, everyone suffers.
"Damn it, Arlen—you've done it now!" Laxus jumped into the fight first, followed by Gray, Lyon, and Simon.
"M-My strawberry cake! Arlen, I hate you—Requip!" Erza exploded, instantly switching into armor and joining the chaos.
Only Ultear, Cana, and Kagura remained where they stood, staring at each other.
"…How did it turn into this?"
At the bar, Makarov and Rob didn't even bother stopping them. Instead, they cheered loudly, completely ignoring the destruction and expenses.
The chaos continued deep into the night.
Eventually, exhaustion claimed everyone. Guild members lay sprawled across the floor, fast asleep without a care. Ultear and Ur had fallen asleep at the table as well.
Above them, the star-filled sky and bright moon quietly watched over Fairy Tail… and Magnolia.
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