By then, the Fairy Tail guildhall was already packed solid.
Onstage, Max wore a crisp suit and bow tie, holding a microphone as he cheered loudly:
"Sorry for the wait, everyone! The annual highlight of Magnolia's Harvest Festival-the Fairy Tail Miss Selection Contest-now officially begins!!"
Below the stage, townspeople and tourists drawn from out of town all stood on tiptoe, desperately squeezing forward. Even the second-floor gallery was lined with people leaning over the railing.
All the tables and chairs in the hall had been pushed against the walls. Heads bobbed in the open space before the stage, with cheers and chatter rising one after another.
"I heard Mira's competing too! She's a popular model for Sorcerer Weekly. The championship's hers for sure!"
"No, no, the flyer said Titania Erza's entering too. There's no telling who'll win..."
At the very front of the audience, a huge banner hung between two thick support poles, with large, crooked letters reading: [Cana is the cutest in the world!!].
Beneath the banner, Gildarts held a glow stick in each hand, his face flushed as he yelled at the top of his lungs, "Cana!! Daddy's right here!!"
The nearby tourists silently shuffled a couple of steps away in distaste.
A few people away, Lisanna refused to be outdone. She cupped her hands around her mouth. "Mira-give it your all!!"
"My big sister's the strongest real man!!" Elfman's roar of support left the ears of those nearby ringing.
At the edge of the crowd, Alzack's face was so red it almost seemed ready to steam. After struggling for ages, he hesitantly squeezed out a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz:
"B-Bisca... g-good luck..."
But the moment the words left his mouth, two louder voices beside him drowned them out completely.
"Levy!!"
"Levy's the best!!"
Jet