Makarov's Breakdown

Nine beautiful women, each with their own unique charm, stood neatly on the stage, with Strauss's three standing side by side, creating a striking visual effect.

Mirajane Lisanna with their white hair, along with "Qing" with her long, dark green hair and dragon horns, stood side by side, creating a scene as beautiful as a painting.

Before the men in the audience could recover from the visual shock, Max had already picked up the microphone, ready to continue hosting the next segment.

A gust of wind descended from the sky.

Evergreen descended from the sky, her long brown ponytail swaying in the wind, and landed steadily in the center of the stage.

"Contestant number ten is here!"

She put one hand on her hip, flipped her hair with the other, and struck what she thought was a stunning pose.

"I am the fairy, I am the beauty, that's right, I represent everything, and the victory naturally belongs to me Evergreen!"

As she spoke, she tilted her head, made a cute expression, and blinked her dangerous eyes.

Before the men in the audience could even criticize her narcissism, Evergreen suddenly turned around and looked directly at all the female guests on stage.

Remove the glasses, Petrifying Eye activates.

An invisible wave shot out from her eyes, passing through everything in its path.

All the female guests froze instantly, their skin turning grayish-white at a visible speed, their expressions and postures frozen in that moment forever.

The ambiguous smile on Qing Strauss's face froze, and the emerald light on the dragon's horns and tail completely dimmed, turning it into an exquisite stone statue.

Nine stone statues are neatly arranged on the stage, resembling some kind of eerie exhibition.

Max turned pale and threw down the microphone, frantically waving at the guests below the stage.

"Run! Guests, run! Get out of the guild!"

The guests were terrified and rushed towards the door, pushing and shoving, creating a chaotic scene.

Makarov leaped from behind the bar onto the counter, his short body trembling slightly with anger, his mustache bristling like two brushes, his voice making the windows buzz.

"Evergreen, what are you doing?! Release the petrification immediately!"

A flash of lightning streaked across the sky.

A blinding golden lightning bolt struck down from the sky, hitting the floor of the guild hall and leaving charred marks that spread outwards.

As the lightning dissipated, a tall figure appeared before everyone.

Laxus.

His golden hair gleamed in the electric light, a smug smile played on his lips, his hands were in his pockets, and crackling lightning crackled around him.

"Let's have some fun, old man."

Macao suddenly looked up at the two sides of the second floor of the guild hall.

On the left, Freed sat lazily on the railing, his long legs crossed, his green hair obscuring half his face.

On the right, Bickslow leaned against a pillar, his thick arms crossed over his chest.

"Freed, Bickslow!"

Macao's voice changed due to shock.

"Laxus Royal Guard, Thunder God Tribe!"

Makarov jumped off the counter and pointed at Laxus, yelling at him.

"That's enough! Put them back to normal immediately!"

Laxus didn't even glance at Makarov, flicking his finger lightly.

A bolt of lightning struck precisely next to the Riyao statue, scorching a crater in the ground and sending debris flying.

He strolled over slowly, put his arm around the Riyao statue's shoulder as casually as if he were putting his arm around a good buddy, and the upturned corner of his mouth was full of provocation.

How many people will survive before the Fantasia?

Laxus's voice was languid, yet carried an undeniable madness.

"I think we should use these women as hostages."

He looked around, his gaze sweeping over every angry face, and chuckled.

"If anyone breaks the rules, I'll smash all the statues to pieces."

He patted the Riyao statue on the shoulder, his tone casual.

"This is just for fun."

Makarov's fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and veins bulged on his forehead, but he dared not make a move.

He had no idea just how insane Laxus had become.

Freed jumped lightly from the second floor, his green hair fluttering in the air, landing silently with his hands in his pockets.

"Let's find out who the strongest member of Fairy Tail really is now."

Bickslow jumped down from the other side, echoing him in a muffled voice.

"It's just a game."

Laxus spread his arms wide, lightning crackling wildly across his body like raging golden snakes, and announced in a booming voice.

"The rules of the game are simple: the last person standing wins. The Fairy Tail civil war has begun!"

The entire room fell silent.

Everyone was stunned, unable to believe what they were hearing.

The next second, Natsu burst out of the crowd, his fists flaming, his eyes shining like two fireballs, and he shouted excitedly.

"This is great! Simple and clear, I'm fired up!"

Before he could finish speaking, he had already rushed forward, kicking the floorboards and creating a crack.

Laxus didn't even glance at him, flicking his finger lightly.

A bolt of lightning struck Natsu precisely in the chest, blasting Natsu away. He crashed into two tables, slid several meters, and lay motionless on the ground, smoke rising from his chest.

The entire audience gasped.

Evergreen covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

"The venue is the entire Magnolia, and the time limit is three hours, or they will turn into sand."

Makarov finally couldn't hold back any longer.

His short body suddenly swelled up as the Giant Magic was activated, instantly transforming him into a colossal stone statue-like giant, capable of shattering the ceiling with a single hand, his voice booming like thunder.

How long are you going to keep this up?!

Laxus laughed arrogantly, his body crackling with lightning, the golden light almost engulfing the entire hall.

When the light faded, Laxus, Evergreen, Freed, Bickslow had vanished without a trace.

Makarov returned to his normal size, his face turning ashen.

The guild members all rushed towards the door, their footsteps and shouts blending together.

Elfman charged ahead, his fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white, his eyes bloodshot, and his voice hoarse as he roared.

"Sister! Little sister! I will make Laxus pay!"

Alzack didn't speak, but stood in front of Bisca's statue, reaching out to gently touch her frozen cheek. His fingers touched the cold stone, and his lips pressed into a thin line.

"Wait for me, I'll definitely handle it."

Makarov, his blood boiling, ran swiftly toward the guild gate, his beard fluttering in the wind.

"I will stop it!"

Bang!

Makarov was violently bounced back by an invisible wall, landing on his backside and sliding two meters across the floor.

Gray happened to run over and was completely bewildered by what he saw.

"What are you doing, sir?"

He reached out to try to pull Makarov out, but felt a strong resistance, as if he had hit an invisible wall.

Gray tugged hard a few times, but it wouldn't budge; the confusion on his face turned into shock.

What's going on?

Makarov rubbed his sore backside, got up from the ground, and explained in a deep voice.

"This is Freed's spell, which can be understood as a barrier. You must follow the rules to leave the barrier. Generally, it is most effective when set up in advance. It seems they were prepared."

He looked up at the top of the door frame, where a line of glowing text appeared, and Makarov squinted.

"The rules above state that no one over eighty years of age is allowed to enter or leave the stone statues."

Gray's lips twitched, and he couldn't help but sigh.

"That's the magic of the first to speak wins!"

Makarov suddenly thought of something, his eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands.

"Riyao's Hundred Battles is also a technique. Right! What about Riyao? If it's Riyao, his Life Magic might be able to break the petrification!"

Gray paused for two seconds, then slowly raised his hand to cover his face, revealing a look of utter despair through his fingers. With his other hand, he pointed to the stone statue with its dragon horns standing upright on the platform.

"That Qing Strauss is Riyao."

Makarov looked in the direction Gray was pointing and saw the stone statue with its dragon horns standing upright and its tail swaying.

His expression shifted from anticipation to confusion, from confusion to shock, and from shock to collapse.

His short body swayed, his white beard trembled, and his mouth opened and closed repeatedly.

He couldn't utter a single word for a long time, his face scrunched up as if someone had stuffed a mouthful of lemons into it.

Finally, he managed to squeeze out only one sentence, his voice as hoarse as sandpaper grinding iron.

"That kid... is dressed as a woman again?"