"Chen Fan?"
"Brother?" Erza and Lucy both cried out in shock. Although Natsu and Gray didn't say anything, they looked at Chen Fan with bewildered eyes, waiting for him to explain himself.
Chen Fan looked down at Wendy, who was clinging to his leg with immense affection. He felt a wave of happiness; it really had been a long time since he'd seen her.
Noticing the suspicious glares from the others, he cleared his throat and said, "Wendy was a child Mystogan rescued back in the day. He brought her to stay with me for a while."
Wendy, however, was too caught up in her own joy to hear what he was saying.
"Then why did you send her away later?" Lucy asked pointedly.
Chen Fan scratched his head and stammered, "Well, there were reasons... I mean, look at me. I'm so young; it would've looked weird if I was constantly seen carrying a child around. People would have started getting ideas."
"In other words, you sacrificed Wendy for your grand plan to pick up girls, didn't you?" Lucy said, her eyes narrowed with suspicion.
As soon as Lucy spoke, the others seemed to reach the same conclusion. They all stared at Chen Fan with judging looks. A cold sweat broke out on Chen Fan's back.
At the critical moment, Jura stepped in. "Ahem. Well, it seems all the guild members have finally assembled."
Brother, you're a real pal, Chen Fan thought, practically moved to tears of gratitude. For the sake of this favor, I'll make sure you don't get blindsided later.
"Are we getting straight to the point then?" Gray muttered to Jura.
"Speaking of which... for such a major suppression operation, Cait Shelter actually sent a single child? What on earth are they thinking?" Sherry asked, giving Wendy a careful once-over.
"Oh, she's not alone, you flamboyant woman," another voice piped up.
Everyone turned toward the source of the voice and saw a small white cat walking toward them step by step. Happy was instantly stunned.
"A cat?"
"Yeah."
"Just like Happy!"
"It's talking!"
"Calling me flamboyant... how rude!" Sherry huffed.
"That's what you're surprised about!?" Lucy retorted.
"Carla, you came along too," Chen Fan said, greeting the white cat.
Carla simply turned her head away with a sharp "Hmph!" and ignored him entirely, leaving Chen Fan feeling rather awkward.
Suddenly, Carla noticed Wendy still clinging to Chen Fan's leg. With a shing, a pair of wings sprouted from her back. She flew over and started tugging at Wendy, but Wendy refused to let go.
"I told you not to get close to this person!" Carla scolded while pulling. "This man is dangerous. He won't even spare the elderly or children!"
"Hey, hey! Do I really look like that kind of person? Watch your mouth!" Chen Fan barked back. He turned to the others only to find them staring at him with even deeper suspicion. It made his skin crawl.
He roared at the group, "I am not that kind of person! What is with those looks?!"
"No, it's nothing. We don't mean anything by it, really," they replied in unison, though their eyes said otherwise.
"Ahem. Now that everyone is here, let's discuss the plan," Jura said, stepping in for the second time to save Chen Fan. The frequency of his saves was starting to get suspicious.
Ichiya suddenly bounded forward. "Indeed! Allow me to explain the strategy. First, the gathering point of the Oración Seis is..." He paused mid-sentence, looking strained. "I need to go to the men's room to capture some 'aroma' first." With that, he bolted.
"Does he really use the word 'aroma' to describe using the toilet?" Gray asked, disgusted.
Meanwhile, the three members of Blue Pegasus clapped enthusiastically. "As expected of the Master!"
"The way you address him changed again!" Lucy complained.
While Ichiya was away, Happy flew up to Chen Fan's shoulder and whispered into his ear, "Hey, Chen Fan, you know that cute girl cat, right? Could you maybe..."
The corner of Chen Fan's mouth curled into a smirk. Rolling his tongue, he teased, "Hehe, having a thing for her, are we?"
"That tongue thing is my trademark! And yours was three times longer than mine!" Happy squeaked.
"Hehe, you have to fight for your own happiness, kid," Chen Fan told him.
"I know, but... it's just..." Happy fidgeted shyly with his paws.
Ichiya returned shortly after. Chen Fan looked him over carefully. To be honest, he couldn't see any difference. Magic was far more bizarre than superpowers, and Chen Fan was cursedor blessedwith the power of Vector Manipulation. If an attack hit him, he could reflect or redirect the direction of mental energy, physical force, or magical power.
As long as an attack fell within his calculations, he could neutralize anything. He was a walking Absolute Defense, but when it came to detection and tracking, he was out of his depth.
The 'Ichiya' before them continued, "To the north of here lies the dense Worth Woodsea. The ancients sealed a powerful magic within that forest. Its name is: Nirvana." He struck a dramatic pose as he said the name.
"Was the pose really necessary?" Gray asked.
"Nirvana?"
"I've never heard of that magic."
"What about you, Brother Jura?" Sherry asked.
"No, I haven't heard of it either," Jura replied.
"I only know it is a magic of great destruction that the ancients felt compelled to seal away," one of the Blue Pegasus members added.
"As for what kind of magic it is exactly, that remains a mystery."
"Destruction magic?" Natsu repeated.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Lucy said, trembling.
"The Oración Seis must be gathering in the woods to obtain Nirvana. We must stop them and take them down!" Ichiya shouted. He and the other three from Blue Pegasus struck a group pose.
Then, Hibiki introduced the members of the Oración Seis. Finally, Ichiya concluded, "In short, we just need to find their base. The rest will be handled by the pride of our guild, the magic bomber Christina. We will destroy them all in one go!"
"A magic bombardment ship?" Sherry said in surprise.
"Is it really necessary to go that far against humans?" Lucy asked.
"Our opponents are not ordinary people," Jura warned. "Listen well, everyone. Even if combat breaks out, do not face them alone. There are thirteen of us and only six of them. Move in groups of at least two."
Natsu slammed his fists together, looking fired up. "Oh, I'm getting excited now!" He smashed through the door and bolted out. The others, not wanting to be left behind, chased after him. Chen Fan had remained silent throughout the briefing, relegated to a forgotten corner.
Eventually, only Chen Fan, Wendy, Carla, and Ichiya remained. Ichiya started drifting toward Chen Fan. Chen Fan's brow twitched, and a faint smirk played on his lips. I didn't expect them to try and take me out first, he thought.
🚨 Note: Consider supporting this story on Patreon.com/kleinmoretti to access 100+ advance chapters and 2 new chapters daily! (Full story bundles also available without a subscription).