Lucy forced down her fear, squinting to get a better look. There, beneath the massive lion-like beast's right side, stood a striking figure in gleaming silver armor, her crimson hair flowing like fire. With just one arm, she effortlessly held up the enormous creature's hulking body!
The size difference was so stark that, at first glance, it almost looked like the lion had strolled in on its own!
Lucy's pupils shrank to pinpricks. "Sh-she's lifting that huge magical beast with just one hand?!"
Okay, okay… maybe Natsu and the others weren't exaggerating as much as she thought.
With a casual flick of her arm, Erza tossed the unconscious beast to the center of the guild hall with a loud thud. The impact shook the entire floor, sending a few empty mugs on the bar clattering to the ground.
Her sharp gaze swept over the freshly cleaned guild hall, and she nodded approvingly. "Hmm, even when I'm gone, everyone's keeping the guild in tip-top shape. The Master will be pleased."
Her words eased the tension in the room, and everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.
Lucy, however, glanced at the guild's front door, now completely wrecked by the giant beast. Terrified as she was, she couldn't help but think, The Master's definitely not gonna be pleased about that door…
"But—" Erza's tone shifted abruptly.
That single word carried a strange power. Every guild member, previously sitting upright, froze. Cold sweat broke out across their foreheads, and they looked like they wanted to crawl under the tables.
Erza's eyes scanned the room. "I heard that some guild members have been causing a lot of property damage on their missions lately."
Anyone caught in her gaze flinched hard.
Lucy trembled, even though she wasn't the one who trashed Duke Everlue's mansion. But would the "Fairy Queen" even listen to excuses before landing a fist on her? She didn't dare think about it—her skull already felt like it was throbbing!
"Natsu!" Erza called out.
Natsu, and Lucy beside him, both jumped as if they'd been zapped, shouting in unison, "Y-Yes?!"
Erza paused mid-reprimand, her eyes narrowing as she noticed Lucy's unfamiliar face. "A newbie?"
"Yes!" Lucy shot to her feet, her mind blank and stars practically spinning in her vision. Acting on instinct, she started rattling off her introduction like a job interview. "I-I'm Lucy! Celestial Spirit Mage! I love books and my spirits! I'm 160 centimeters tall! My weight's a secret! And, uh, my measurements are—"
"Stop." Erza cut her off decisively.
Lucy gasped for air, only to freeze as a worse thought hit her. Panicking, she blurted, "W-Wait! Duke Everlue's mansion wasn't my fault—mmph!"
Before she could finish, Happy, quick as a flash, stuffed a raw, fishy-smelling fish into her mouth to silence her.
Erza's brow furrowed. "Duke Everlue?"
Natsu and Happy plastered on the guiltiest, most ingratiating smiles, shaking their heads like bobbleheads. "N-Nothing! Lucy's just… uh, had a bit too much to drink! She's spouting nonsense!"
"Ugh! This fish is gross!" Lucy finally yanked it out, gagging and clutching the table, her face scrunched up in disgust.
Roger stepped forward with a grin, standing beside Erza. His eyes fell on the beast—a crimson lion with wings and strange scales covering its legs. Hesitantly, he asked, "Is this… the legendary beast that's said to combine the essence of land, sky, and sea? The 'Fin-Winged Lion'?"
Erza's face finally broke into a smile, the first since she'd returned. She nodded. "Yup, looks like it. It was dumb enough to attack me, so I brought it back. Figured it'd make a nice feast for the guild."
Lucy, still recovering from her gagging, caught sight of Erza's smile and forgot her nausea for a moment. "Erza… smiling? And Roger—he's not scared of her at all?"
Happy leaned in, whispering quickly in her ear. "Roger and Erza joined the guild together. They trained and went on missions as kids. They're super close! Sometimes they even team up for jobs."
"What?!" Lucy gasped, her eyes wide and her jaw practically hitting the floor. "So… they're childhood friends?!"
The revelation obliterated her fear of Erza and her embarrassment over some tabloid photos. All that remained was pure shock and a burning curiosity for gossip.
Meanwhile, the guild's chubby chef poked his head out from the kitchen. When he saw the massive creature, his eyes nearly popped out. "T-That thing's huge! You're seriously telling me to cook that?!"
He shuffled closer, his kitchen knife trembling as much as his legs. Standing beside the mountain-like beast, he stared nervously at its glassy, unblinking eyes. "I-I'm really supposed to cook this? What if it jumps up and chomps my head off like a snack?!"
"Relax, it's dead," Erza said, patting the beast's cold hide. She tapped her chin, eyeing its wide-open eyes. "Guess I punched it so fast it didn't even have time to react before it went down."
Her words sent a collective shudder through Natsu and the other troublemakers, their faces turning pale. They instinctively clutched their stomachs, imagining that punch landing on them.
Erza raised a fist casually. "Bajiquan's really handy. One hit's enough to pulverize a beast's insides. Otherwise, I'd have been covered in blood on the way back—total horror movie vibes. Could've scared some kids. Good thing it went smoothly."
Everyone else, listening to her nonchalant explanation, broke out in a cold sweat. Scared? They'd probably faint before they could cry!
The chef steadied himself, mustering his courage. He cautiously tapped the beast's thick leg with his knife. A sharp crack rang out. The blade spun out of his hand like a top, flying through the air and landing with a thunk in the wall—right next to Lucy's head!
"(O_O;)" Lucy sucked in a breath, her scalp tingling as a few strands of her blonde hair floated to the ground.
Her neck creaked like a rusty robot as she turned to stare at the still-quivering knife handle. "W-Wah!" Her legs buckled, and she gripped the bar to stay upright, clutching her pounding heart. Her voice came out in a squeak. "I-I almost died just now! Not from an enemy, but from a bouncing kitchen knife?!"
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