"Match over!"

"The winner, Brandish!!"

"Contestants number 39 and 54, please prepare for the next match!!"

At the Individual Combat Tournament Area A arena, an exciting duel had just concluded. Both participants were major celebrities. One was Brandish, known among the students as the "Jade Fairy" and one of the "Three Great Fairies" of Fairy Academy.

As for the other, it was Gray. Currently, Gray was lying powerlessly on the ground, shirtless, his face filled with an expression of questioning his very existence.

The moment he realized his opponent was Brandish, Gray knew his chances of winning were slim. He had gone all out from the start, unleashing "Lance," "Ice-Make: Seven Slice Dance," "Hammer," and "Crossbow" all at once. However, before those ice weapons could even get close to Brandish, she used her "Command T" magic to shrink them so small they were invisible to the naked eye.

Subsequently, Gray himself was shrunk. Finally, Brandish walked forward, stepped down, and lightly pinned Gray under her shoe, ending the match instantly. The entire process took less than a minute!

"Talk about bad luck..."

"Why did I have to run into Brandish??!"

"Shouldn’t that girl be eating at some dessert shop at a time like this?!"

Brandish’s magic power and spells were among the best in the student body. Gray didn’t feel ashamed of losing to her. The problem was, he had just promised Natsu and the others that they would meet in the top four, only to be taken down in one hit. When they met later, he would definitely be ruthlessly mocked!

"Gray, are you okay? Can you move?"

Erzi crouched down beside Gray, offering gentle concern. Gray felt a sudden warmth in his heart. Although he had lost and would be teased by Natsu later, at this very moment, he still had a companion like Erzi to comfort him...

"I’m fine, don’t worry."

"If you’re fine, get up, put your clothes on, and get off the stage. It’s my turn to fight in the next match!"

Erzi picked up Gray’s shirt, threw it squarely in his face, and gave him a hard shove.

Gray: ?!

That jerk! Give me back my sentimental moment!!

Before long, someone stepped onto the Area A arena. A person with heavy makeup on their face and studs in their earlobes, looking somewhat androgynous? Erzi had a slight impression of this person.

"If I remember correctly, you’re one of the exchange students named... Mug??"

"It’s Macbeth!"

So it was a boy!

"Sorry, my name is Erzi!"

Macbeth’s expression was indifferent: "I know."

"You know...??"

Erzi was stunned for a moment, then it dawned on her: "Oh, I see. Juvia mentioned me to you, right? We’re on pretty good terms."

To her surprise, Macbeth shook his head: "It wasn’t Juvia. My relationship with her isn’t as good as you think."

"Huh???"

"If it wasn’t Juvia, then..."

Could this guy have a secret crush on me and has been following me for a long time? Oh my!! This is actually quite embarrassing!

⁄(⁄⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄⁄)⁄

If he confesses to me right now, should I say yes? Absolutely not! The setting is wrong, and lately, Principal Grandma has been strictly cracking down on campus puppy love... But looking closely, this guy is actually a bit handsome. If I agreed, it might not be a bad deal?

While Erzi was lost in her wild imagination, Macbeth had fallen into a state of utter bewilderment.

"...??"

What is wrong with this woman? Did she suddenly snap? It feels like she’s thinking about something very strange... Should I stop her?

Looking at Erzi’s eyes, which were gradually becoming "off," Macbeth faintly realized that if he didn’t do something, things might take a very bad turn. So, he decided to be blunt and explain.

"Erzi Lagrange, the only daughter of guild master Descartes. Whether for Magnolia or Fairy Tail, you are a significant figure. We exchange students were warned before coming here that we must absolutely not offend you!"

Hearing this, Erzi’s face froze: "That makes me sound like some sort of underworld princess..."

"You’re joking! How could a common underworld princess compare to you?"

Finding no praise or criticism in those words, Erzi could only maintain her smile, though it was extremely awkward.

Macbeth continued: "However, even though I’ve been warned not to offend you, this is an Individual Combat Tournament. I won’t go easy on you because of that!"

"That’s how it should be!"

Instead of feeling anxious, Erzi quite agreed with Macbeth’s approach: "If you were to hold back or throw the match out of concern for my status, that would be the greatest insult to me. Give it your all. I’m not as weak as you think!"

Macbeth nodded: "Then I am relieved."

Clang Clang Clang—

The gong sounded, and the match began!

Macbeth, knowing the value of a preemptive strike, immediately cast his "Reflector" magic. His target: her clothes!

As the magic was cast, the clothes on Erzi’s body suddenly seemed to gain a soul, rapidly twisting and shrinking inward like sturdy bandages and ropes, tightly binding the girl’s arms, legs, waist, and abdomen.

"So tight... it hurts..."

Erzi resisted with force, but her joints were bound by her clothing, making it difficult to apply strength.

Macbeth stood calmly, as if the abnormality occurring on Erzi’s body had nothing to do with him: "Since we were told not to offend you, we naturally have some information on you. You’re a Celestial Spirit Wizard, right? But in this situation, you can’t reach the keys at your waist, so you can’t summon spirits. Without their help, you’re just an ordinary person. So for your own sake, and to keep things from getting ugly, you should just surrender!"

Macbeth was truly afraid to use a heavy hand. Erzi was the only daughter of the current Fairy Tail guild master, Descartes. If something happened to her by his hand, the situation would become very serious!

However...

"You want me to surrender? No way!" 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Erzi sneered and looked at Macbeth: "Who says I can’t fight without my keys?"

As the words fell, a burst of intense light erupted from Erzi’s body.

"Hmm??"

While Macbeth was confused, the set of clothes controlled by his Reflector magic disappeared as if vaporized, and Erzi was instantly freed from the restraints. At the same time, she was now wearing a pink and white camisole dress, along with matching long gloves, thigh-high socks, and a wool scarf.

"Star Dress: Aries Form!!"