Chapter 106: The One Jumping Through the Ring of Fire Might Not Be a Wolf

As the time approached 7 p.m., a crescent moon hung in the sky. The moonlight wasn't particularly bright, and the stars twinkled, seemingly competing with the crescent moon for brilliance.

Whether they were out-of-town visitors like Mr. Ajima and Guild Master Goodman, or local residents like the Goodman family, all were waiting along the parade route.

Some impatient ones simply waited at the entrance of the Fairy Tail guild.

But the guild, which was expected to be brightly lit and bustling, was instead silent, causing people to wonder if the Magical Parade had changed its starting point.

Just as the second hand and the minute hand overlapped at twelve, a bright light suddenly rose into the sky in the distance.

Pop!

A dazzling red light accompanied by a crisp sound.

Immediately afterward, bright lights one after another around Magnolia trailed long tails into the sky, exploding into colorful fireworks.

Crackle! Pop!

Fireworks of various colors illuminated the entire night sky, with continuous bursts echoing in everyone's ears.

Even before the wizards had appeared, people's enthusiasm had already been ignited by the preliminary fireworks display.

The continuously flickering lights illuminated faces gazing up at the sky in surprise and anticipation.

The dazzling fireworks burst intensively for about three minutes before gradually becoming sparse, but then new lights appeared in the night sky near Fairy Tail.

They were magic circles—one layer, two layers, three layers... As many as five layers of gigantic magic circles of different colors lit up above the guild, drawing the audience's attention.

As the glow of the magic circles faded, a giant even taller than the guild building seemed to walk out of thin air, with ripples like water waves lingering in mid-air.

At the same time, cheerful music fitting for the festival suddenly began to play, even though no musicians were visible.

"That's Master Makarov!"

"As expected of one of the Ten Wizard Saints—such an overwhelming presence!"

"You're mistaken; Guild Master Makarov is really nice."

The local residents enthusiastically shared their impressions of Makarov, seeming to derive a mysterious pleasure from the greater the astonishment of the out-of-town visitors.

Boom! Boom! The giant Makarov seemed to make the earth tremble with each step.

The huge difference in size often brings fear, but when the audience knows it's a magical performance, the emotion turns into excitement.

Following closely were two rows of musicians, ten in total, composed of music enthusiasts from the guild.

They were the ones who had just played the festival music, using specially made magical instruments.

Even with fireworks still being set off, they could deliver the music into every audience member's ears.

After the band was a tall float, carrying the girls who had participated in the Miss Fairy Tail contest.

Cana, Levy, Bisca, and others were all there, wearing uniform outfits, waving ribbons and dancing in a cheerleader-like routine.

Even the chronically hungover Cana had a smile on her face at this time—as long as she stayed in this guild, one day she would achieve that thing she wanted to do.

On both sides of the float, there was a team of dancers accompanying them, wearing their favorite costumes, dancing simple and cheerful steps to the rhythm of the music.

People like Jet, Nab, Droy, and Vijeeter—those whose magic wasn't flashy enough for performances—were among them.

On the second float were Elfman, Reedus, and Loke.

Elfman's arms transformed into ferocious beast arms, displaying his masculine spirit.

Loke flexed his arm; the rings on his fingers emitted light, forming the guild's name under his control.

Reedus swung his paintbrush, rainbows and fireworks flew out from his belly, which served as his canvas, almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

Countless petals floated backward, flying toward the next float.

On this float, Mira, wearing a blue festival dress, danced gracefully. As she waved her arms, petals fluttered by, like a fairy among flowers.

Next was, of course, the float carrying Erza, who had changed into armor specially designed for the festival.

Sixteen long swords, also crafted for the festival, spun and danced with her movements, combining beauty and valor.

Many audience members, while marveling, also felt puzzled:

"Why didn't she wear this outfit during the beauty contest? Isn't this much better than having those obviously sharp swords flying over people's heads?"

On both sides of each float, there was a team of dancers following, and between floats, there was a musical band or dance group separating them. Everyone, either in festive attire or showcasing appropriate magic, gradually pushed the atmosphere to a climax.

The group responsible for bringing up the rear was Rhodes, Happy, Natsu, and Gray.

Gray and Natsu each rode an Ancient Stone Beetle, walking side by side.

Gray pressed his fists and palms together; huge ice crystal snowflakes rose into the sky, shattering into sparkling ice shards.

Natsu forced himself to perk up, spitting fireballs upward that rose alongside the ice crystals, exploding into bursts of fireworks.

Rhodes was carried into the air by Happy, skillfully weaving between the flames and ice crystals, spiraling upward.

Happy let go, and Rhodes began to fall naturally.

At this moment, a flock of red monster birds flew by. Rhodes stepped on their backs, strolling leisurely as if descending stairs.

When he was about to land, Happy grabbed him again, suspending him in front of Natsu and Gray.

Rhodes extended both hands, writing 'FIRE' with one hand and 'ICE' with the other.

The two words transformed into letters made of flames and ice crystals, descending.

Natsu opened his mouth to swallow the fire, then spat out flames forming the guild's name; Gray reached out to catch the ice, using magic to reshape it into the guild's emblem.

Macao and Wakaba, who were guarding on both sides, manipulated purple flames and smoke respectively, forming intricate patterns that encircled the guild emblem and name in the center.

When everyone had appeared, Mystogan, who was hiding in the shadows, retracted his staff.

Whether it was the magic circles at the opening or the guild master and floats appearing out of thin air, all were achieved through his illusions.

Now, the S-class special effects artist Mystogan exited, and the S-class security guard Mystogan began to work.

But when he silently climbed to the highest point of a building, he discovered two Canyon Swift Crabs disguised by Reedus's magic.

He had heard some rumors about the guild's newcomer—things like "trains very hard," "harboring intentions toward Mira," "cautious to a frightening degree," and so on.

Mystogan didn't know about the others, but he had witnessed the cautious part.

He should congratulate the guild master; it's rare to encounter someone so worry-free.

This Magical Parade started from the guild entrance, crossed the canal to Kardia Cathedral, and then returned to the guild via another route.

Everyone worked hard to perform, showcasing the magical side of the wizard guild, as well as the friendly side of the wizards.

Ajima stood among the crowd with his hands behind his back. "With so many excellent kids, no wonder little Makarov is so happy."

"Compared to them, the kids in our guild are still far behind," Guild Master Goodman crossed his arms, first feeling a bit annoyed, then happy. "Well, it's Fairy Tail after all."

Not far from them, a blue-haired little girl holding a small white cat didn't attract much attention.

"So beautiful, such an amazing guild."

The small white cat spoke human words: "You haven't forgotten why you came here, have you?"

"Tomorrow, definitely tomorrow..."

"You said the same thing yesterday."

"Charle~"

In a small alley, Laxus leaned against the wall, coolly watching the parade, not knowing what he was thinking.

The Thunder God Tribe, however, was diligently patrolling around the parade route—Laxus didn't want Fairy Tail to lose face; they didn't want Laxus to be unhappy.

Porlyusica, alone in the forest outside the city, gazed at the fireworks in the sky. A slight smile appeared on her face but quickly vanished:

"Why do they have to hold this kind of ceremony every year? So noisy—how's one supposed to sleep?"