The lively, if one-sided, atmosphere of anticipation was shattered by a booming shout from the guild entrance.
"Ankh! Come and fight me!"
Every head in the hall swiveled toward the door.
There stood Natsu, practically vibrating with excitement with a fierce grin plastered across his soot-smudged face.
Beside him, Erza stood with one hand pressed to her temple, her expression the very picture of long-suffering patience.
From his reclined position, Ankh merely let his eyelids droop further, his voice laced with lazy indifference.
"A fight? What brought this on?"
Natsu bounced on the balls of his feet, fists clenched. "Before we left on that last mission, you promised! You said we'd spar when we got back!"
Ankh scratched his head slowly, a distant look in his eyes.
"Oh... right. I did say that, didn't I?" A faint smirk finally appeared on his face.
"Alright then, hothead. What are the terms?"
Natsu's grin widened into something truly feral. "Magic, of course! I want to beat you at your full strength, Ankh! No holding back!"
Ankh raised a single eyebrow as a flicker of genuine surprise cutting through his nonchalance.
'Was the salamander feeling especially brave today? Or just especially dense?'
Since they had all grown older and stronger, Ankh had long since stopped using serious magic in their little "lessons."
Subduing Natsu and Gray with pure physical technique and tactical pressure was more than sufficient.
For one, it prevented any real, accidental harm.
For another, the boys, knowing the vast gap between their power, never truly went all-out against him—and for Ankh to unleash his full arsenal in a guild spar would be both overkill and utterly pointless.
But now, Natsu was actively, eagerly requesting it.
A slow, intrigued smile spread across Ankh's face.
The original story most persistent and resilient punching bag was volunteering himself.
Why refuse such a perfect opportunity to gauge his current limits?
Oblivious to the perilous thoughts crossing Ankh's mind, Natsu continued to chatter with brimming confidence.
"My flames are way stronger now! I can totally take you on!"
Cana watched the exchange with keen interest, pinching her chin. "Well, well. This might actually be worth watching."
Mirajane gently withdrew her hands from Ankh's shoulders and stepped to the side, her cheerful demeanor returning.
"Why not take it to the main street? There's more space, and it'll be much more lively!"
"Doesn't matter to me!" Natsu declared, pounding a fiery fist into his palm. "Anywhere is fine!"
Yes, Ankh thought, his smile deepening, anywhere will indeed be fine.
...
The news of the impromptu duel spread through the guild like wildfire.
By the time Ankh and Natsu took their positions on the wide, cobbled street in front of the guild hall, a boisterous crowd of Fairy Tail mages had already formed a loose circle around them, buzzing with speculation.
"Natsu's challenging Ankh? Is he out of his mind?"
"Look at that fire in his eyes! The kid's got guts, I'll give him that!"
"Hey, serious question: how long do you think Natsu will last?"
A foolish, hushed question floated through the crowd, followed by a moment of contemplative silence.
Happy, floating above the spectators, was the first to offer a bet while raising his tiny paw.
"Ten seconds!"
Levy, pushing her glasses up her nose, offered a more analytical correction.
"Too glong. Given Ankh's casting speed and Natsu's predictable charge-in strategy... three seconds."
Elfman crossed his massive arms, muscles bulging as he pondered.
"Hmm.... maybe one second? A real man finishes things decisively!"
The crowd murmured agreement, their predictions universally pessimistic for Natsu's chances, yet they all found this assessment perfectly reasonable.
Natsu himself, standing in the makeshift ring, remained utterly unaffected by their gloomy prediction, his gaze locked on Ankh with unwavering, blazing confidence.
Just then, Gray arrived, having fetched Lucy from her apartment.
Taking in the scene, Lucy couldn't help but laugh nervously.
"So this is what a battle within the 'strongest team' looks like... The tension is palpable even before it starts!"
Gray turned his head, a look of genuine confusion on his face. "Strongest team? What are you talking about?"
Lucy blinked. "You, Natsu, Erza, and Ankh... Aren't you four considered Fairy Tail's strongest mages?"
Gray stared at her for a second, then turned away with a dismissive snort.
"Tch. How boring. Who even came up with a lame title like that..."
A sudden, profound silence fell over the section of the crowd near Gray.
Mirajane's sweet smile remained perfectly in place, but the air around her seemed to drop several degrees.
Mirajane: ?(ˉ?ˉ?)
The collective gaze of every nearby guild member settled on Gray, their expressions a mix of pity and morbid fascination.
Everyone: (〃′o`) (You're a dead man.)
Sensing the deadly chill, Gray's bravado evaporated instantly.
He dropped to his knees in a flawless seiza position, his forehead touching the cobblestones.
Gray: I'M SORRY!
He never did answer Lucy's question.
Elfman, ever the boisterous one, stepped into the conversational void.
"I admit Natsu and Gray are both real men! But the strongest? I can't agree with that!" he declared, pounding his chest.
"Fairy Tail is full of powerful mages! Like me, for instance!"
Lucy sweatdropped.
'That last part really wasn't necessary...'
Levy, taking pity on Lucy's confusion, leaned in and whispered with a sweet smile.
"It's definitely true that Erza is one of the strongest women in the guild. But for the men? Besides Ankh, there's also Laxus and Mystogan. They're all incredibly powerful."
Hearing this, Mirajane clasped her hands together with a hint of dejection in her voice.
"But... I just thought they all got along so well together as a team..."
Lucy's eyelid twitched violently. "But Mira, don't you spend half your time worrying that Natsu and Gray will destroy the guild the moment Erza turns her back?"
Meanwhile, Elfman refocused on the arena. "Anyway! This should be a spectacular battle!"
Gray, having survived his momentary crisis, scoffed. "Spectacular? I think Ankh will end it with ridiculous ease."
On the field, Ankh looked at the boy before him, steam already rising from his skin.
A faint sigh escaped him.
"It's been a long time since we've fight with magic like this."
Natsu clenched his fists, flames flickering to life around his knuckles. "Back then I was just a kid! It's different now—I've gotten stronger!"
A casual, almost playful smile touched Ankh's lips. "Oh? Is that so? Well then, I suppose I'll have to put in a bit more effort for old time's sake."
Scarlet fire erupted fully from Natsu's fists.
"That's what I want to hear! Bring it on!"
As both combatants settled into their stances, a tiny, authoritative figure suddenly leaped onto a nearby fence post.
Makarov, drawn by the commotion, raised a hand.
"Alright, you two! No permanent damage! Begin!"
"HYAH!" Natsu's eyes ignited like twin torches.
He shot forward, not with a straightforward run, but with a series of explosive, flame-propelled bursts, closing the distance in an instant.
His right fist, wreathed in roaring Dragon Fire, rocketed toward Ankh's chest.
Ankh didn't move from his spot.
With a lazy wave of his left hand, a circular, shimmering magic circle—Repulsion—materialized in his palm.
He didn't block the punch; he simply angled the circle and gave it a slight spin.
The ferocious column of flame slammed into the barrier and was instantly deflected skyward, scattering into harmless embers.
Unfazed, Natsu used the momentum of his missed punch to pivot.
Flames surged from the soles of his boots, and he launched a vicious, claw-like kick aimed at Ankh's side.
Ankh shifted the Repulsion circle with minimal motion, the magical barrier intercepting the fiery kick and dissipating its force with a soft whoosh.
Natsu became a whirlwind of fire—jabs, hooks, spinning kicks, each attack leaving trails of searing heat in the air.
Yet Ankh moved within the storm like a phantom, his footsteps light, the Repulsion magic circle dancing around him like a silver shield.
He deflected, dispersed, and neutralized every burst of flame.
The temperature on the street rose sharply, causing spectators to sweat, but Ankh's expression remained one of utter calm, not a single hair out of place.
Seeing Ankh content to merely defend, frustration boiled over in Natsu.
"Damn it! Fight back already!" he roared, unleashing a point-blank blast of fire from his mouth.
This time, Ankh's smirk turned sharp.
"As you wish."
He finally clenched his right fist.
A deep, thrumming power gathered around it, distorting the very light—the immense, gravitational force of Titan Magic.
The air grew heavy. Natsu's eyes widened, sensing the shift.
This was it.
"Halt! Stop this at once!"
A shrill, commanding voice cut through the tension like a knife.
A strange figure suddenly materialized between the two mages in a flash of administrative magic.
It was a woman with froggy features, dressed in the unmistakable uniform of the Magic Council.
She held up a webbed hand, her expression stern.
Natsu skidded to a stop, his flames guttering out in his surprise.
A deep frown etched itself on his face. "Hey! Who are you? We're in the middle of something!"
The Council envoy completely ignored Natsu.
She turned toward Ankh, and her stern demeanor melted into one of extreme, almost comical deference.
Bowing deeply, she offered an obsequious smile.
"Ankh-sama, my most sincere apologies for the interruption. The Magic Council humbly requests... no, invites your esteemed presence for a.... consultation. Would you be so kind as to accompany us?"
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