"Yo, Lucy! Renting a place as cheap as 70,000 J? You're a real pro!"
Gray walked right in, shirtless, and immediately sat down on the sofa. He casually swung his legs, as if he were in his own home. Lucy, who was engrossed in writing in her diary, was startled, and the quill in her hand fell to the floor with a "plop!".
"Hey! You're trespassing! And stop taking your clothes off in other people's houses!" Lucy yelled, hands on her hips, towering over Gray.
Gray, who now turned around with a serious expression, retorted, "Wait, wait, that's a misunderstanding!" He sighed, "I came in after taking them off."
"Get out!" Lucy shouted, pointing a trembling finger at the door.
"Listen," Gray said, ignoring Lucy's shouts, "you know, today is the day we talked about last time. I was afraid you'd forget, so I came here specifically to remind you."
"That thing?" Lucy frowned, confused.
Gray turned his head, his gaze piercing. "You really forgot, didn't you?! Didn't I tell you before we left?! The fight between Natsu and Erza!"
Suddenly, a flash of light seemed to jolt Lucy's memory. She immediately remembered and instantly ran off with Gray, leaving her apartment in a flash.
"Come on, come on! Show them, Natsu!" Wakaba yelled from the sidelines. However, when Lucy arrived, she accidentally bumped into him and he tumbled away, rolling like a bowling ball.
"Wait, are they really serious?" Lucy asked in shock. In the middle of the guild's crowd, Natsu and Erza were already in their fighting stances, their auras emitting immense pressure, as if splitting the very air.
"Oh, Lucy," Mira greeted with a gentle smile when she saw her.
"Of course, they're serious! Otherwise, how could they be called men?!" Elfman yelled, his muscles tensing, showing off his strength.
Mira turned to Elfman, her smile fading slightly. "Erza is a woman, you know."
"She's a female monster!" Macao interjected, his courage shrinking when Mira glared at him.
"But, if the strongest team clashes..." Lucy began, but Gray cut her off.
"The strongest team? What's that?" Gray said, his head still turned away, but a faint grin was visible on his face.
"It's Natsu, Erza, and you, the three strongest in Fairy Tail!" Lucy continued.
"Ah, nonsense. Who said that?" Gray cleared his throat, his smile growing wider. He was clearly very pleased to hear that moniker.
Suddenly, Mira covered her face and began to cry, triggering panic on Gray's face. "Hey, Miss Mira!"
Hearing that, Elfman rose gallantly. "I do admit Natsu and Gray's strength, but if you're talking about the strongest, I can't stay silent! Fairy Tail still has many strong existences, like me, and also my boss, Chen Fan!"
"And Laxus and Mystogan!" Macao added, his voice slightly trembling.
"Chen Fan?! That pervert? Is he really that strong?" Lucy said, surprised, and spontaneously labeled Chen Fan a pervert. Mira's eyebrow twitched slightly upon hearing that. She wondered what Chen Fan did during the trip and promised herself to interrogate him later.
"Achoo!"
Somewhere, Chen Fan rubbed his nose. He thought, 'Which little girl is thinking of me, I wonder? My charm is truly extraordinary!' He even flirtatiously tossed his hair, as if a camera were on him.
"Uh, in a sense, he can be said to be the strongest in our guild," Mira explained, trying to calm Lucy down.
"In a sense?" A huge question mark appeared over Lucy's head. She didn't understand what she meant at all.
In the battle arena, Erza and Natsu had already begun their clash. Erza wore her Flame Empress Armor, while flames blazed in Natsu's hands. The two exchanged blows, creating small explosions that made the crowd cheer.
Finally, just as Erza and Natsu were about to launch their final attack, a loud "Clang!" sound rang out. A man with a frog-like face walked in, pushing through the crowd.
"Everyone stay put, do not move. I am an envoy from the Magic Council," he said in a flat voice.
"The Magic Council?" Retribution said, surprised.
"Why is an envoy coming here?" Droy chimed in.
"Why isn't anyone commenting on his strange appearance?!" Lucy grumbled from the side.
"Regarding the incident in Iron Forest the other day, Erza Scarlet is being arrested on suspicion of property damage and 11 other charges," the envoy said expressionlessly.
Erza hadn't even had a chance to speak when Natsu furiously shouted, "What?! What are you saying?!"
Ignoring Natsu, the envoy immediately handcuffed Erza and took her away.
The atmosphere in the guild suddenly became tense. Makarov sat at the counter with his eyes closed, while the other members were silent. A heavy feeling weighed on everyone's hearts.