Lucy: (•ิ_•ิ)
What kind of proper person asks a girl something that private the first time they meet?
"Don't ask such creepy questions with that calm, polite, totally normal tone of voice!"
Her cheeks puffed with frustration as she pointed furiously at Ches.
"Ahahaha, sorry, sorry. Maybe that was a little sudden," Ches said with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of his head.
Then, after a moment of genuine thought, he said seriously, "In that case… I'll tell you mine."
"I don't want to know! Who the heck cares about your useless measurements?!"
Lucy completely lost it. Whatever admiration she'd felt for this powerful, mysterious S-Class Mage had been shattered in an instant.
Her voice shot up several octaves as she yelled at him, eyes blazing with disbelief and rage.
Spit flew with the force of her outburst right into Ches's face.
But instead of getting angry, Ches just laughed and wiped it away with the back of his hand.
"Hahaha, don't be so worked up. It was just a joke."
"…That wasn't funny at all!"
Lucy was still fuming, practically steaming like a saw-toothed beast ready to bite.
But Ches only smiled, clearly pleased with her reaction.
"Compared to the timid and guarded look you had when I first saw you… honestly, I prefer this side of you, Lucy."
He said it lightly, but there was something warm behind his words.
"W-Well, thanks for your "
Lucy started to snap back, but the moment she caught the smile on Ches's face, something in her expression changed.
She paused.
Wait a second… Was that whole inappropriate joke just now not really meant to tease me?
Was it all just his way of helping me let go of my nervousness?
That natural, easygoing attitude… Could it be that Ches was trying to help her stop fearing him as some unreachable S-Class Mage?
"Laughing when you feel like it, yelling when you're mad, throwing fists when needed that's how we do things as partners in Fairy Tail!"
Ches's next words confirmed everything.
"Mr. Ches, you…"
Lucy was stunned.
The kind of life he described full of warmth, openness, and freedom was something she'd never known.
She had grown up in a world that was cold, strict, and full of expectations.
A world that never let her speak her mind.
But this?
This was the kind of life she had dreamed of.
"Compared to things like that," Ches said with a grin, "it really doesn't matter at all."
"Hey! Ches, hurry up and fight me!!"
A loud, impatient voice suddenly interrupted the quiet moment of reflection in Lucy's heart.
From the crowd, a young man with short, spiky pink hair and a scarf around his neck burst forward. Flames flared up in his hands as he charged toward Ches with a fiery grin.
There was no mistaking him this was Natsu Dragneel, Fairy Tail's most hot-blooded Dragon Slayer!
"Natsu?!"
Lucy, still standing next to Ches, jumped in surprise. Her nerves tensed instinctively at the sight of fire bursting to life right beside her.
And yet, she managed to shout, "With that kind of posture, you're not giving the other person a chance to say no!"
Happy swooped down from above, flapping his little wings with ease.
"Lucy, Natsu already said hello."
"What kind of greeting is that?! You're supposed to let people prepare first!"
Lucy rubbed her forehead in frustration, completely speechless.
"The opponent is Ches," Happy said matter-of-factly. "Even if you warn him in advance, you won't stand a chance."
Then, after thinking it over for a second, he added, "Though honestly, you wouldn't have a chance even with a sneak attack."
"Natsu? Surprise attack? No chance?!"
Lucy was stunned. After all, she had seen firsthand how powerful Natsu's Dragon Slayer Magic was.
It was hard to believe anyone could so casually dismiss him like that.
But while she stood there confused, Natsu had already closed the distance.
He charged straight at Ches, his right fist ablaze with blazing Dragon Fire.
They were face to face just a few inches apart!
Lucy's instinct kicked in. She opened her mouth to shout a warning, but in that instant
A burst of light erupted from beneath Ches's feet as a glowing Magic Circle flared to life.
The blinding flash forced Lucy to shield her eyes.
When she looked again, her wide, astonished gaze landed on an unbelievable sight.
Natsu, who had just leapt in for the first strike, was completely frozen mid-air.
His fist still burned with flames, but no matter how much he struggled, he couldn't move forward even a single inch.
Beneath Natsu's feet, golden lines shimmered and formed a detailed six-pointed star. The outer ring of the magic circle was engraved with ancient runes, glowing faintly with a mysterious light. A powerful force radiated from it, locking Natsu in place as waves of restraining energy pulsed outward.
"Still as reckless as ever, Natsu."
Ches's voice was calm as ever. With a slight flick of his hand, a card appeared between his index and middle fingers.
Trap Card: [Six-Pointed Star Binding]Creates a magic circle using the caster's own magic power to severely limit the target's ability to move.
"Damn it, Ches!" Natsu growled, veins bulging with frustration. "Don't look down on me! I'm dozens of times stronger than I was a year ago!!"
His Magic Power exploded in a fiery surge. His entire body ignited, blazing with intense flames.
With a defiant roar, Natsu broke free from the Six-Pointed Star Binding through sheer force. His burning fist rocketed straight toward Ches's face.
"Ahahaha! Got him!!" Natsu shouted with glee.
Ches didn't move an inch. A subtle smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Sore wa dou kana," he murmured.
Bang!
A burst of flames erupted on impact.
When the smoke cleared and the noise died down, Ches was still standing in place.
Completely unharmed.
A round, chestnut-colored furball with wide, blank eyes suddenly popped into view between Ches and Natsu.
It looked like a harmless plush toy, but it intercepted the blazing Fire Dragon Iron Fist with a soft squeak and took the full brunt of the impact.
Monster Card: [Kuriboh]A cheap but reliable defensive creature. When attacked, it can negate one instance of damage.
After absorbing the hit, Kuriboh let out a faint chirp and dissolved into sparkling motes of starlight.
Ches looked up at Natsu, smiled, and playfully remarked, "You're exaggerating, Natsu."
He tapped his chin thoughtfully and added, "That level of flame… it's more like something you'd use to light candles on a birthday cake."
Natsu gritted his teeth, his fists clenched so tightly that veins bulged along his arms.
"You jerk! Don't mock me! This is the magic Igneel taught me!!"
With a furious roar, Natsu's magic exploded once more. Fiery Dragon Flames swirled around him, far hotter and more intense than before.
"Magic from the Fire Dragon King, Igneel…" Ches murmured.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and the easygoing expression he wore vanished completely.
It wasn't because Natsu's power had reached a threatening level he was still far from being able to pressure an S-Class Mage like Ches.
No.
What stirred something deep in Ches was the name that echoed behind Igneel in his memory.
Fire God Dragon Ignia.
In the original story, Ignia was introduced as one of the Five Dragon Gods who rose after the fall of the Black Dragon, Acnologia.
He was also the biological son of the Fire Dragon King Igneel, making him Natsu's half-brother same father, different mother.
But more importantly…
He was the terrifying monster that Ches had accidentally encountered during his ten-year mission on the Kilteana Continent.
Even now, the memory of that encounter sent chills down his spine.
He could still see it an inferno that reduced entire cities to ashes, flames of pure purgatory that scorched the very sky.
Compared to that overwhelming, nightmarish power… Natsu's current flames really did feel like something you'd use to light birthday candles.
Meanwhile, tucked into a corner of the guild, Lucy blinked in amazement as she watched the battle unfold.
"So cute…" she murmured, still thinking about Kuriboh. "Is Mr. Ches using some kind of summoning magic? Like Celestial Spirit Magic?"
As a Celestial Spirit Mage herself, Lucy was especially sensitive to summoned creatures especially when they were that adorable.
"Not exactly," said Happy, hovering beside her like a tiny blue commentator. "Kuriboh, the little guy who blocked the attack, is a monster card. And that six-pointed star circle from earlier? That was a trap card. They're both part of Ches's magic Card Duelist Soul!"
As Happy explained Ches's magic, he casually reached into the little pouch tied behind him, pulled out a few shiny gold coins, and fluttered over to the betting table set up by Macao and the others.
Without a word, he dropped his coins directly onto Ches's side of the table.
Curious, Lucy leaned over to take a look.
And the moment she did, her eyes widened.
Every single chip was stacked on Ches's side. Not a single coin even a measly copper had been placed in Natsu's betting zone!
"Hey hey, Lucy," Happy said with a sly grin, "wanna get in on the action? If you bet on Natsu, the odds are super high~"
The others turned toward her with eager looks, clearly hoping for some entertainment... or easy winnings.
Lucy stared at them, then slowly pointed at her own face.
"Do I really look like the kind of fool who'd just hand over free money?!"
She may have been a newcomer who didn't yet fully understand all the inner workings of Fairy Tail, but from the way everyone including Happy had bet against Natsu…
One thing was perfectly clear.
S-Class Mage Ches was terrifyingly strong.