Chapter 74 : Magic Performance!!

"Everit!"

Laxus quickly reached out his hand, pulling Everit behind him as he used his body to shield him from the flying beer.

"Everit, come with me!" Mirajane burst onto the scene, grabbing Everit and whisking him away from the chaos.

"Let's give these idiots some payback!" Everyone around them started tossing their drinks at the rowdy group, adding to the pandemonium.

Laxus and a few others stood there, watching everyone laugh and have a good time, a mix of bewilderment and relief on their faces.

"Thanks," Laxus finally muttered.

"Shut up, Laxus," someone yelled. "That's not like you! Even if you make mistakes, don't change who you are. Stay strong and proud like you always are. You don't need to change for anyone!"

Laxus seemed taken aback by the blunt advice.

Cana looked across the table at Master Makarov, who was observing the chaos with a hint of amusement and resignation.

"These idiots," Makarov whispered under his breath, then took a swig of his drink. Cana noticed a tear in the corner of the old man's eye as he watched his guild having fun despite the madness.

"Phew," Mirajane exhaled, finally managing to get Everit off the stage and away from the mess.

"Mirajane, I sometimes feel like your abrupt behavior comes from a place of illogical reasoning, and that reasoning stems from a lack of trust in my abilities," Everit said, sounding slightly annoyed.

Mirajane let out a sigh, half in relief, half in frustration. Everit was sharp and observant, but he always had a way of cutting straight to the point, no matter the situation.

Mirajane said, "It's not anything rude; I just plan to go on stage to sing, so I need to change my outfit. Could you come over and tell me if this dress is appropriate?"

Everit nodded with a grin. "Got it. Sounds like I'm in for a treat."

Mirajane used her costume-changing magic.

With a quick flicker, she appeared in front of Everit wearing a sleek purple mini-dress. Her shoulders were bare, and her long legs were accentuated by the outfit's simplicity.

"Wow, simple but stunning," Everit remarked.

To be honest, the dress itself wasn't particularly fancy, but Mirajane made it look breathtaking. She had a way of making the simplest things seem extraordinary, drawing attention and holding it effortlessly.

Everit gave a playful smirk and raised his left hand. "Five points."

"Only five points?" Mirajane looked a bit let down.

"Five out of five," Everit clarified, reaching into his pocket with his right hand, as if he was pulling something out.

Mirajane tilted her head. "What's that for?"

Everit produced a card and transformed it into a delicate purple flower. The petals were soft and fragrant, a perfect match for her dress.

"Just missing a little something, right?" he said, handing it to her.

"Thank you," Mirajane replied with a bright smile as she pinned the flower to her dress.

She then headed to the stage, where her beautiful singing soon filled the air. Meanwhile, Everit slipped backstage and began setting up the projection device behind the curtain, preparing for the rest of the performance.

Mirajane's song ended, her sweet voice fading into the Guild Hall's ambiance.

Everit stepped onto the stage, a gentle smile on his face. The audience, still mesmerized by the soothing music, turned their attention to him, anticipation in their eyes.

"Next, I'll be performing some magic for everyone," Everit announced, his voice carrying a playful tone. "Also, I'll soon be opening a small shop within the guild. I hope you'll all support me when it's ready."

"Everit's opening a shop?" Lucy's curiosity piqued. "Doesn't he already have a store? What will the new shop sell? More magical items?"

"Snap!"

Everit snapped his fingers, and the curtains behind him slowly parted. A projection appeared on a large screen, resembling a menu on a TV. However, the details were fuzzy, with blurred names and avatars, making it hard to discern.

"My magic is called—" Everit paused dramatically, building suspense, then finished, "Mind Reading!"

The audience reacted with a mix of excitement and skepticism.

"Is everyone interested?" Everit asked, a sly grin spreading across his lips.

"Sure, Everit, let's see it!" one of the guild members shouted.

"Yeah, show us what you can do!" another chimed in.

"Even if your magic is strong, mind reading seems a bit far-fetched!" someone else commented, skeptical but intrigued.

The room buzzed with murmurs, some curious, some doubting, but all eager to see what Everit had in store.

"Dong, dong." Everit tapped his cane on the floor, signaling for silence. The crowd quieted down, giving him their full attention.

"I've never failed in my magic show," he said confidently, looking around at the expectant faces. "As for my mind-reading skill, it's quite simple."

He took out two cards and, with a quick flick of his wrist, turned them into two blank pieces of paper. The audience watched closely, eager to see what would happen next.

Everit stood at the center of the room, a confident smile spreading across his lips as he held up two sheets of paper. The gathered crowd watched with a mixture of curiosity and skepticism, eager to see what trick the magician had in store.

"On this first piece of paper," he began, gesturing to one of the sheets, "I will write down the answers that are in everyone's minds after I read them."

He then held up the second piece of paper, continuing with a flourish, "On this second piece of paper, I will write down what everyone wants to say in advance. Then, I will 'manipulate' everyone to say what's written on this paper."

The room buzzed with excitement and doubt. Everit's claim seemed outlandish—could he really predict what everyone was thinking? And then control their words? It seemed impossible. 

Despite the skepticism, Everit maintained his air of confidence. "It's a simple but magical trick, right?" he said, his smile widening as the crowd leaned in, intrigued.

"Okay, let's get started," he declared, looking around for a suitable surface to write on. Finding none, he sighed, muttering to himself, "I could really use an assistant magician for times like these. It's just not right to have to do everything myself." 

With a flick of his wrist, he pulled out a card and tossed it to the ground, where it transformed into a small table. The crowd murmured in approval, and Everit placed the two sheets of paper on the table, writing a few words on each before folding them carefully.

"To ensure no one accuses me of using magic to cheat," he announced, holding up the folded papers, "I will give these two papers to Laxus."

Laxus, who had been watching from the sidelines with his arms crossed, seemed caught off guard by this development. Freed gave him a nudge, encouraging him to go up on stage. 

With a begrudging expression, Laxus stepped forward, grumbling under his breath. He accepted the papers and glared at Everit. 

"You'd better not mess this up, or I'll look like an idiot," he said, his voice gruff but with a hint of playful annoyance.

Everit clapped Laxus on the shoulder, unperturbed. "Don't worry," he replied confidently. "Laxus will ensure I don't cheat. Right, everyone?"

The crowd nodded in agreement, satisfied that Laxus, with his no-nonsense attitude, would keep things fair. Now it was time for Everit to demonstrate whether his bold claims would hold true.

Everit explained, "The second step of this magic is to borrow the projection spell behind me." He gestured to the screen behind him, which was blurry and indistinct, showing a vague collection of shapes and names—most likely members of the guild.

"It's complicated to explain," Everit continued. "So I'll use an example to make it easier for everyone to understand."

He randomly selected an avatar from the screen and clicked on it. Although there were many options, everything remained fuzzy, making it difficult to make out the details.

Everyone leaned in, squinting to make sense of the image.

"Is that a long airplane nose?" someone asked, noticing a curious shape on the screen. "And is it holding a pipe in its mouth?"

It wasn't a common look among guild members, so the crowd began murmuring in confusion.

Everit clicked on one of the options, and a new page popped up. The picture was still blurry, but they could make out a humanoid figure clutching its head with both hands, twisting its torso left and right as if in a strong wind.

At that moment, there was a distinct click.

Wakaba's pipe dropped from his mouth, landing with a soft thud on the table. His body began to tremble, and sweat poured down his face like a waterfall. 

Yet, despite the sudden heat, he felt a chill spread across his skin, leaving him weak and shivering. It was as if the sweat had drained all the warmth and energy from him.

****

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