"So... why was I chosen too..."
Lucy sat in the carriage, letting out an exasperated sigh as she looked out the window at the passing forest.
Erza, sitting upright with perfect posture, said confidently, "Of course, because Lucy is also a member of the Strongest Team. The Master has always emphasized teamwork the most."
"But... I'm just here for the money..."
"Alright, Lucy, stop complaining. Wendy is joining the Allied Forces too, and she's just a kid," Gray, who was unusually wearing clothes, chimed in.
He was leaning against the carriage wall, dozing off.
Wendy, sitting opposite them, also felt uneasy.
She clutched her skirt and said softly, "I asked Grandpa Robaul before because I wanted to take on missions farther away to find Grandeeney. He never used to let Carla and me go out before."
Carla crossed her little paws and said grumpily, "Yeah, the Master never let us travel far before. We couldn't even go buy nice clothes... this mission better be worth it."
Happy brought over a raw fish tied with a pink ribbon and flatteringly approached Carla, his eyes sparkling.
"Carla~ do you like fish? I caught it for you!"
"No, I don't. It smells."
"Wah~"
Lucy covered her mouth and giggled, "Happy got rejected again. Poor cat."
Happy ran off to Natsu in tears, "Aye! Lucy is the worst! She's laughing at my pain!"
Natsu, as usual, lay sprawled on the floor of the carriage, foaming at the mouth.
He was too dizzy to breathe properly.
"Ugh... kill me..."
As the commotion in the carriage behind continued, Ankh, sitting at the front of the boar-drawn cart driving the team, spotted a lavish villa not far away in the dense forest.
He pulled the reins. "We're here. Let's get off."
The group quieted down and hurriedly disembarked, entering the villa's front garden.
As soon as they stepped inside the hall, Lucy couldn't help but look around at the pink curtains and excessive heart motifs.
"The taste here is really... unique. And awful..."
Ankh explained, "This is the private residence of Blue Pegasus's Master Bob, so it's no surprise it reflects his style."
Lucy, who had met Master Bob before due to a mission, shuddered and said.
"No wonder, then."
Master Bob... was essentially a flamboyant man, which explained why the sculptures and decorations in the villa were filled with a distinctly "gay" vibe, as if they had stepped into a drag queen kingdom...
"Don't judge Master Bob by his appearance," Ankh said, leading them in. "He was actually very handsome in his youth and quite powerful. He was once in Fairy Tail."
Having accompanied Makarov on many occasions to meet Master Bob, Ankh knew that despite his flamboyant exterior, Bob was just as fiercely protective of his guild members as Makarov.
Natsu crawled in on all fours, still dizzy and groaning in pain.
"Are... are we there yet..."
Wendy kindly bent down and smiled, poking him. "We've been here for a while, Natsu-san."
"Welcome, Fairy Tail!"
Just then, a perfectly synchronized trio of voices suddenly rang out from the second floor of the villa.
Click.
Out of nowhere, a spotlight lit up, focusing on the center of the first-floor hall.
Three figures leaped down from above into the spotlight and delivered a cringe-inducing self-introduction.
"I am Hibiki of the Hundred Nights!"
"Eve of the Holy Nights!"
"Ren of the Empty Nights!"
They posed together.
"We are... Blue Pegasus's TriMens!"
Their introduction was accompanied by a mixed echo effect and a backdrop of twinkling magical stars.
The three handsome young men struck embarrassing poses, making a dazzling entrance intended to woo the ladies.
Though completely ignorant about the magical world's politics but well-versed in gossip magazines, Lucy exclaimed in surprise upon hearing the name:
"The Trimens?! They're so cool! They're the super idol team from the magazines!"
She pointed at the blonde one. "Especially Hibiki—he ranks high on the 'Most Wanted Boyfriend' list in Sorcerer Weekly!"
The others remained unfazed, appearing completely unfamiliar with the topic.
Feeling the awkward silence, Wendy tried to be supportive with a smile.
"That's... amazing. Very shiny."
"You don't need to pay attention to those men, Wendy," Carla bluntly interrupted. "They are perverts."
Erza frowned in confusion. "That list? I remember my brother and Gray were on it too, right?"
Gray crossed his arms expressionlessly. "It's alright, I'm not ranked as high as that Hibiki... I don't care about that stuff."
His tone was completely indifferent, and indeed he had never cared about such things.
Putting aside temperament and focusing solely on looks, Gray was among the most handsome males in the guild, second only to Ankh.
Other members like Natsu, Laxus, and Freed weren't bad-looking either.
However, they were eventually removed from the rankings for various reasons... such as violently handling enemies, blunt speech that hurt feelings, rumored same-sex relationships (Laxus and Freed), and other PR disasters.
In comparison, Gray's habit of taking off his clothes seemed much less significant to the fangirls...
The three men dressed in sharp suits, looking like hosts, ignored the Fairy Tail males completely.
They immediately began showering the three women with attention upon arrival.
Poof.
They somehow produced sofas and chairs from somewhere.
The charming Hibiki recited cheesy pick-up lines to Lucy.
The boyish Eve played cute while holding juice for Wendy (who looked terrified).
The tsundere Ren crossed his arms at Erza and said things like "Don't misunderstand, I'm not being nice to you."
Sitting on the sofa, Lucy suddenly felt the host trio wasn't as great as they appeared in magazines... it was exhausting.
After mentally criticizing the host trio's behavior with her ever-present sarcastic thoughts, Lucy felt disappointed.
"Hey there~ Don't overdo it~"
A magnetic voice rang out from the shadows, giving Lucy instant goosebumps.
"This magnetic voice... who is that?"
Ankh couldn't help but frown, recognizing the tone.
Erza shuddered violently and quickly pulled Ankh in front of her as a human shield.
"Protect me," she whispered.
Under the spotlight and starlight on the second floor appeared an orange-haired man whose height was a match for Wendy's!
A mage as thick as a vat but no taller than one, with identical measurements for head, chest, and hips.
His voice was accompanied by special effects, and his face resembled a startling ape-man.
Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki! The GOAT himself!
Upon hearing Ichiya's voice, the host club trio immediately put away the sofas, chairs, and tables.
They set off fireworks to greet him, "Ichiya-sensei!"
Ichiya, one hand fiddling with his hairstyle and the other making a strange gesture, produced an ear-grating sound like scraping a steel door—his version of heavenly music.
He struck a pose with all the grace of a public restroom and declared:
"Long time no see... Miss Erza?"
Erza hid behind Ankh, her face dark and trembling as she said, "I never expected you to join this mission... Ankh, kill him."
"I've missed you too~ Men~"
"That's right! It is I, Ichiya, who exists for you!"
Faced with Ichiya, whose voice and—for lack of a better word—face had their own special effects, it was Lucy who cracked first.
She let out a screech as sharp as a thousand birds.
"Men~?!!"
Ichiya, confident as an emperor, pointed at the three women with a sly smile.
"A fine Parfum indeed!"
Gray watched their antics impatiently. "If you're here to perform circus tricks, get out. Sending a bunch of pretty boys—did you even think about the actual battle?"
Ichiya immediately retracted his charm, sniffing the air. "The men should head back. You ruin the fragrance."
The host club trio chimed in teasingly: "You've worked hard, go on back~ Leave the ladies."
Gray's veins bulged, and he gritted his teeth. "You looking for a fight?"
Natsu, having recovered from his motion sickness, stood beside Gray. He clashed his fists together excitedly.
"You wanna fight, Blue Pegasus guys? I'm fired up!"
Ren brushed his hair back, smiling confidently. "A fight? We're pretty strong, you know?"
Eve, equally confident, grinned. "We'll show you that TriMens aren't just..."
BOOM!!!
A deafening blast, like thunder from a clear sky, shook the villa.
The floor of the hall caved in, dust and debris flying everywhere.
Ichiya's handsome face was slammed into the dirt by an invisible force, engaging in a rather intimate and friendly interaction with the soil.
"Oof!"
Ankh calmly withdrew his hand.
The mere leakage of his Magic Power made the air thick and stagnant, pressing down on everyone like a mountain.
"Shut your mouths."
His voice was calm, betraying no emotion, but Ankh carried himself like a mafia boss.
His gaze fixed on the Blue Pegasus group before him.
The first-floor hall fell into dead silence.
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