A throbbing vein popped on Lucy's forehead. She grabbed the gloating cat, squeezing his soft cheeks with all her might, stretching them out as her teeth ground together. She hissed through clenched teeth, each word dripping with fury:
"As! You! Wish! My! Master!"
"Ow ow ow!!" Happy flailed, his little legs kicking wildly. "My whishkers! My preshious whishkers!!"
"I'm sorry, Lucy! I was wrong!" he wailed.
"Hmph!" Lucy tossed him onto a nearby chair like a discarded rag, then whirled on Natsu, her eyes blazing with confusion and anger. "I remember you were all there! So why am I the only one in that photo?! How did you guys avoid getting caught?!"
Natsu leaned back, hands behind his head, looking like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We dodged, duh. Photos like that can leak info about mages. It's a hassle."
"I thought you liked being famous, so you just stood there."
Lucy's vein felt like it was about to burst. She pointed at the scandalous photo in the magazine, her voice shrill enough to crack the roof. "Sure, I want fame! But I want cute, popular photos! Not some weird candid labeled 'special hobbies'—arghhh!!"
After her hysterical outburst, Lucy collapsed against the table, gasping for air, feeling like her soul was about to float out of her mouth.
Then a thought hit her. "Wait a second! If Natsu knew photos could leak info, why are you on that 'Most Wanted Boyfriend' list, Roger?"
Roger propped his chin on his hand, a sly grin spreading across his face. "And what does that list say about me?"
Lucy racked her brain. "It says you're famous for powerful illusion magic, nicknamed the 'Nightmare King.'"
Her words stopped short as her eyes widened. "Wait—Mirajane said after signing a contract with you, you can use our magic! So it's not just illusions—you've got other types of magic too?!"
"Bingo." Roger snapped his fingers, tapping the table lightly, his smile deepening with a cunning edge. "So, if someone reads that magazine and believes it, what's the first thing they'll do if they come after me?"
Lucy swallowed hard. "They'd use anti-illusion tactics to counter you…" She gasped. "And then you'd catch them off guard with completely different magic!"
"Smart girl." Roger's grin widened, fox-like and mischievous. "Sometimes, the info you know is exactly what someone wants you to know."
Lucy took two small steps back, staring at the seemingly harmless but utterly enigmatic guy in front of her. Her mind was reeling.
Whoa, this 'Nightmare King' vibe is way different from the rumors!
Wait—could even the 'Nightmare King' title itself be…?!
Just as Lucy felt like she'd stumbled onto some earth-shattering secret, the guild door was slammed open with a deafening bang! A panicked, pitchy voice tore through the air:
"Erza! Erza's back!!"
It was like pouring ice water into boiling oil.
The entire guild erupted into chaos!
"Erza?! Wasn't she on that crazy-hard SSS-Class mission?! How's she back so soon?!"
"Quick, quick, quick! Hide anything that shouldn't be out! Now! Right now!!"
"Straighten the chairs! Hide the booze! The floor—the floor needs wiping!!"
In an instant, the guild turned into a madhouse.
The screech of tables and chairs being dragged, the clatter of cups and plates, and stifled yelps filled the air. The laid-back vibe from moments ago vanished, and in under five minutes, the guild looked like it had been meticulously cleaned.
Windows gleamed, tables sparkled, and the place was spotless. Every member, no matter what they'd been doing, now sat ramrod straight, eyes forward, silent as soldiers awaiting inspection.
Lucy's jaw dropped at the military-level scramble, her mouth wide enough to fit an egg. "Erza—I know she's one of the guild's strongest female mages, but this… this intimidation is unreal?!"
Happy landed on her shoulder, his face uncharacteristically serious as he whispered, "Erza's strong. Really strong. Natsu challenged her once and got sent flying out of the guild with one hit—broke three ribs."
"(°°三°°) For real?! That Natsu?!" Lucy's jaw nearly hit the floor.
Gray, arms crossed, sidled up, rubbing his head with a lingering shudder. "I got caught in the crossfire of one of their fights once. Just a graze, and my skull nearly cracked."
Lucy swallowed hard, her voice trembling. "Y-You guys are exaggerating, right? No one's that strong—"
"Nope, that's not even the wildest part," Happy said gravely. "Erza once leveled an entire mountain during a fight."
"(0_0;) A mountain?! A human destroyed a mountain?!" Lucy's scream hit a new pitch, her legs wobbling.
Natsu nodded vigorously, his face full of terror. "You see that little grove near the guild's west wall? That used to be a hill! Erza flattened it! It caused such a mess that people complained, so they used magic to turn it into a forest!"
Lucy's teeth chattered. "This… this person is that terrifying?!"
Thud—thud-thud. Heavy footsteps, like drumbeats, echoed closer from outside the guild door.
Each step seemed to pulse in sync with everyone's heartbeats.
Lucy felt the floor vibrate faintly, her fear spiking as her voice quavered. "Those footsteps… are those really something a human can make?!"
A massive shadow filled the guild doorway. Lucy's terrified gaze locked onto a colossal, red-maned lion with ferocious golden eyes, stomping inside and splintering part of the doorframe!
Lucy's breath hitched, and she let out a piercing scream. "A beast!! A beast is attacking the guild!!"
She stumbled back, nearly collapsing.
"Calm down." Roger caught her with a steady hand, his tone tinged with amused exasperation. "Look closely at the 'beast's' right side."