What's the Problem? I Have Double Standards

As Marcus introduced her, Cana Arupelona strode confidently onto the stage.

Holding a stack of cards in her hand, she gave the audience a mysterious smile.

My performance is... a magic card show!

She suddenly threw the cards in her hand into the air, and the colorful cards instantly formed a dazzling barrier that completely covered her body.

Before the audience could even see it clearly, the card vanished without a trace, like a butterfly scattered by the wind.

When Cana reappeared on stage, she had changed into a revealing swimsuit with very little fabric, showing off her stunning figure.

"Oh oh!"

The wolves in the audience erupted in a deafening roar.

Jiang Bai stroked his chin and slowly raised the rating board. "83 points! Hmm, I still prefer fairer skin."

Makarov, standing nearby, didn't hesitate to give it a high score. "87 points! I like good figures!"

Marcus announced loudly, "Jiang Bai gave it 83 points, and the chairman gave it 87 points, for a total of 170 points! This is a very high score even in previous competitions!"

Cana triumphantly tossed her long hair and blew a kiss to the audience. "Looks like I'll just have to accept the prize money without hesitation!"

After she stepped off the stage, Marcus immediately invited the next person to come up.

"Now, please welcome contestant number two! Although she's a newcomer to the guild, her strength and charm are not to be underestimated! Let's give a warm round of applause to Juvia Rox!"

Juvia walked onto the stage somewhat shyly. She first manipulated the water flow to form a huge water sphere around her body, enveloping herself.

The water sphere spun and rose into the air, then burst open with a "pop," turning into a cloud of water mist.

As the mist dissipated, Juvia changed into a form-fitting swimsuit, much to the delight of the audience.

At least since the start of the match, no one has seen Makarov blink.

Backstage, Lucy watched all this, jumping up and down in frustration.

"What's going on?! Why is everyone wearing swimsuits?! Isn't this just selling their bodies?! At this rate, won't my chances of winning drop drastically?!"

"It's alright, Lucy," a steady voice sounded beside her.

"As long as you've tried your best, that's enough."

Lucy turned around and found that Erza had appeared behind her at some point.

"Hey? Erza, what are you doing here? Are you also participating?"

"Of course!" Erza's eyes blazed with fighting spirit.

"Just talking about winning and losing gets everyone's blood Boil!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Marcus on the stage shouted her name.

Erza's appearance immediately drew loud gasps from the audience, thanks to her formidable reputation as the "Titania," demonstrating her immense popularity.

"I'm going to perform my Requip Magic! Requip!"

Erza announced loudly, her body emitting a burst of light.

As the light faded, she appeared in an exquisite and elaborate burgundy Gothic Lolita dress, holding a small lace parasol in her hand.

"100 points!"

Jiang Bai raised the perfect score card without hesitation.

While the outfit was indeed stunning, it was ultimately a bit of a disappointment for the audience who were hoping to see swimsuits.

After several more female guild members passed by, it was finally Mirajane's turn, which everyone had been eagerly anticipating.

"It's over..." Lucy let out a wail.

"Even Mira is participating, how are we supposed to compete now...?"

Mirajane walked onto the stage with a smile and bowed to the audience, "What I'm going to demonstrate for you is Transformation Magic."

Before she finished speaking, her body rapidly transformed in a burst of white light into a gigantic python, coiled in the center of the stage, even flicking its tongue.

The expressions on the faces of those lecherous old men in the audience who had originally wanted to see Mirajane's devilish figure instantly froze.

That's not what they want to see! They want swimsuits like those worn by Cana and Juvia!

Immediately afterwards, the giant python transformed again, becoming a strange creature with a cat's head resembling Happy's and a body like Natsu's.

Makarov finally couldn't stand it anymore. In a tone that suggested he had been deeply deceived, he shouted onto the stage, "Mira! That's not what I want to see! I want someone like Cana!"

The audience members nodded vigorously in unison, expressing their strong agreement.

Mirajane then returned to normal, tilting her head with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Eh~ but..."

She drew out her words, her gaze falling on Jiang Bai on the judges' panel.

"Xiao Bai told Erza and me this morning not to make us wear clothes that are too revealing."

Instantly, everyone's eyes were focused on Jiang Bai.

Makarov glared at the brat next to him who had just given Mirajane a perfect score of 100. So that's the culprit!

Jiang Bai slowly raised his head, meeting everyone's gaze, and said confidently, "So what? I'm just that hypocritical."

"I like other people's girlfriends to wear as little as possible, but my girlfriend wears as much as possible."

After he finished speaking, his eyes narrowed slightly, and an invisible sense of oppression instantly enveloped the entire room.

"You guys have a problem with that?"

Sensing the chilling, dangerous aura emanating from them, all the audience members, including Makarov, shook their heads vigorously.

"No, no! We have no objection!"

"Jiang Bai is right!"

"We have absolutely no objection!"

After a minor incident, the beauty pageant continued.

Finally, it was the last contestant's turn, Lucy.

However, just as Lucy took a deep breath and stepped onto the stage, Jiang Bai, who was on the judges' panel, suddenly vanished into thin air.

"Huh?"

Lucy on stage froze, her prepared opening remarks stuck in her throat.

The judges' panel... is empty.

Where did Jiang Bai go?

Not only was she confused, but all the audience members, including Chairman Makarov, looked completely bewildered.

How did the judges who were sitting there giving their critiques just a second ago suddenly vanish into thin air?

"Uh... it seems our judge Jiang Bai has some urgent business to attend to and has had to leave temporarily?"

Host Marcus tried to smooth things over, but even he himself didn't know what had happened.

Amidst this sudden commotion and confusion, a muffled, deafening roar, accompanied by a piercing thunderclap, suddenly exploded from the backstage area!

Boom--!

The entire guild hall was shaken, and the chandeliers on the ceiling swayed violently, as if they might fall at any moment.

The violent aura of lightning caused the expressions of all the mages present to change instantly!

Immediately afterwards, a voice, cold and devoid of any emotion yet brimming with overwhelming killing intent, clearly resounded throughout every corner of the guild.

"Laxus, and you so-called Thunder God Tribe..."

"You dare to attack Erza and Mirajane? Do you want to die?"

It's Jiang Bai's voice!

Everyone in the guild could tell!

The anger contained in that voice seemed capable of igniting the air itself, sending a chill down the spines of everyone who heard it.

What exactly happened backstage?!

It turned out that the moment Lucy stepped onto the stage, Jiang Bai, with his terrifyingly powerful senses, keenly detected a wave of malevolent magical energy emanating from backstage.

That magical force was aimed directly at all the female contestants who had just finished their performances and were gathered in the backstage rest area!

Without the slightest hesitation, Jiang Bai's figure vanished from the spot, and in the next instant, he appeared backstage.

What he saw was exactly what Boil his murderous intent.

Evergreen, one of Laxus's "Thunder God Tribe, stood before all the contestants, a haughty and cruel smile on her face.

She had already removed her glasses, and her "Petrifying Eyes," capable of turning people to stone, were flashing with a dangerous light, ready to turn all the women present into her "hostages" and "trophies"!

Erza, Mirajane, Cana, Juvia, and the others were completely caught off guard by the attack from their own guild members and had no time to defend themselves!

However, just as Evergreen's magic was about to be unleashed, at the critical moment...

Laxus suddenly appeared, grabbed Evergreen and retreated. The next second, 'Azure' appeared where Evergreen had just been.

If Laxus hadn't intervened in time, Evergreen wouldn't have died, but she would definitely have been bedridden for six months.

It's Jiang Bai!