Rubber is an insulator, immune to lightning—that's something Kira picked up from One Piece. As for whether it's scientifically accurate? Well, in a world of magic, who cares!
The Fairy Tail guild members were no strangers to Kira' bizarre magical gadgets, but this one took them by surprise. "A rubber shield… really? You've got this kind of random stuff too?" someone muttered.
To be honest, the thing was pretty useless except against lightning wizards. Kira had clearly made it with Laxus in mind. And it looked like this shield might even outperform Erza's Thunder Emperor Armor when it came to blocking lightning!
Of course, it would. Why would Kira sell gear better than what he keeps for himself? Erza's armor was built for battle, but his shield was purely for defense. Different purposes, different strengths—his shield was naturally better at shrugging off lightning.
"Been a while since we sparred, huh, Laxus?" Kira grinned. "What do you say? Feeling up for a fight? I'm in a great mood!"
Laxus' veins bulged as he smirked. "You're on, Kira! Let's settle who's the strongest in Fairy Tail, right here, right now!"
"Strongest? Just you two?" Erza stood up, clearly annoyed. "Don't underestimate the rest of us!"
Their gazes clashed in the air—lightning crackling around Laxus, armor gleaming on Erza, and Kira' Word Magic shimmering faintly. The intensity of their auras grew, shaking the guild hall. Everyone else froze, trembling, too intimidated to speak, caught between excitement for the showdown and awe at their power.
Seeing the three about to throw down, Makarov panicked. "Stop it, all of you! What do you think you're doing? Trying to wreck the guild?!"
"Hey, old man, Kira started it!" Laxus shot back, ignoring Makarov's plea. His eyes were locked on Kira, not even sparing Erza a glance.
Kira patted Makarov's tiny shoulder with a grin. "Relax, Master. The guild's always been full of brawlers. It's no big deal."
His eyes sparkled with mischief and fighting spirit—a rare sight. Kira loved watching fights, but he rarely jumped into the ring himself.
Natsu, however, wasn't thrilled. His brain didn't process things quickly, but he knew one thing: Kira had brushed him off earlier but was now challenging Laxus. "Hey, Kira, didn't you just say you were too tired to fight?"
Happy snickered. "Natsu, that was just an excuse because he didn't want to fight you…"
"But the Master's got a point," Kira said, easing off his magic first. "If we wreck the guild, that's no good." He turned to the crowd, raising his voice. "Everyone! The Harvest Festival's coming up soon, and let's be real—beauty pageants every year are getting old. How about we spice things up this time?"
Makarov's hair stood on end as a bad feeling hit him. Spice things up? What's this kid planning?! He's not gonna destroy Magnolia, is he?!
Sure enough, Kira' words sparked a buzz among the guild members.
"Beauty pageants are great, though!" someone protested.
"Yeah, exactly!"
"Cute girls, all soft and sweet—what's more exciting than that?"
"What's Kira up to? A showdown with Laxus?"
"What's he cooking up now?"
"Here comes the drama!" someone cheered.
The tavern erupted in heated chatter, everyone's faces lit up with excitement—except Makarov's, which was cycling between pale white and sickly green.
"Quiet!" Kira jumped onto the bar counter, shouting again to hush the crowd. They all fell silent, eyes fixed on him, waiting for his next words.
Seeing their eager anticipation, Kira flashed a wide grin. "This Harvest Festival, let's hold a 'Fairy Tail's Strongest' tournament! Everyone in the guild—except the Master—has to join. We'll find out who's the toughest among us!"
Gulp…
The guild went dead silent, stunned by Kira' proposal. Were they excited? Hesitant? It was hard to tell.
We're doomed, Makarov thought, clutching his forehead. He didn't need to guess—these battle-crazed lunatics were probably losing their minds with excitement right now!
Sure, teaming up for missions was one thing—that was work. But a tournament during the festival? With everyone in the guild? Magnolia was as good as demolished!
Three seconds later, the guild exploded into cheers.
"WOOOOH!!!"
"YES! Let's do this!!!"
"I'm in! I'm totally in!!!"
"A Fairy Tail tournament? That's gonna be epic!"
"How's it gonna work? A free-for-all?"
"I'M ALL FIRED UP!!!" Natsu roared.
Amid the shouts and screams, Kira looked up at Laxus with a grin. "What do you say, Laxus? Let's save our showdown for the festival!"
A guild-wide tournament was something Kira had always wanted to do. In the original story, Laxus would've sparked a civil war around this time. With Kira' involvement, the timeline was shaky, and he wasn't sure if his presence might cause unintended chaos. So, replacing a civil war with a peaceful competition was his way of taking control.
Plus, he'd get to set the rules! Maybe they could borrow from the Grand Magic Games—teams, mazes, wild challenges, or even a massive brawl. The possibilities were endless!
Laxus met Kira' gaze, a wild grin spreading across his face. "Sounds perfect!"
"Phew, I thought they were gonna throw down right here," Lucy said, slumping onto a table, still shaken. She listened to the guild's nonstop chatter around her.
"They're just delaying the fight," someone said. "But man, the festival's gonna be a show! I can't wait!"
"Who do you think's gonna win?"
"Hard to say."
"Place your bets, folks!"
Makarov, listening to the chaotic buzz, felt a pang of worry. These kids were like his own, but they were hitting their rebellious phase. "These brats are gonna be the death of me," he muttered.
Amid the noise, Lucy turned to Mira at the bar, curious about something Makarov had mentioned earlier. "Hey, what did the Master mean about not going to the second floor?"
"It's a bit early for you to know," Mira said kindly, "but the jobs on the first-floor board are nothing compared to the ones upstairs. Those are S-Class missions."
"S-Class?!" Lucy gasped.
"Yup. They're insanely dangerous—one wrong move could get you killed. But the rewards are huge. Only wizards approved by the Master can take them, and right now, only six people in the guild qualify."
"You don't have to take S-Class missions, though," Mira added. "You'd need a hundred lives to survive those kinds of jobs."
Lucy gave an awkward laugh, not dwelling on who the six were. "Yeah… good point."