In the Fairy Tail Guild hall, the afternoon sun slanted through the high windows, spreading a warm golden hue across the wooden floor.
Behind the bar, Mirajane wore a white apron, her long white hair tied back in a neat low ponytail. With one hand supporting a polished glass and the other rotating a cloth along the rim, her movements were fluid, a signature gentle smile gracing her face.
Lisanna stood beside her sister, her short white hair tucked behind her ear. Standing on her tiptoes, she stacked washed glasses onto the shelf, tilting her head each time to ensure they were straight while humming an unknown tune.
Right in front of the bar, Lucy was sprawled across the counter like a puddle of melted butter, her cheek pressed against the cool wooden surface.
She listlessly toyed with her empty wallet with her fingertips, flipping a coin over and back—there were only two, not even enough to buy a glass of milk.
"Rent... what am I going to do about the rent..." Lucy muttered, her voice muffled against the table. She stared blankly at the two lonely coins in her wallet as if they might self-reproduce if she looked long enough.
Resting her chin on her hands, she watched Lisanna and Mirajane, her blonde hair falling through her fingers. Her eyes darted around as a fantasy sequence automatically played in her mind: herself dressed in a flashy poster-girl outfit, standing behind the bar and collecting money with a sweet smile... The scene shifted to her trying to flirtatiously upsell a customer, who walked away without looking back, leaving her standing alone in the wind.
If Riyao knew what Lucy was thinking, he would definitely say: "Think about that shopkeeper who gave you a 1,000 Jewel discount, then think about that perverted Duke. Your seduction tactics have a zero percent success rate."
Mirajane leaned down and approached, tilting her head with a smile. "Lucy-chan, do you need a refill? Or rather—do you need me to introduce you to a part-time job?"
"No thanks! That part-time job you introduced last time almost cost me my life!" Lucy waved her hands frantically, shrinking back.
Lisanna stifled a laugh and whispered something into her sister's ear. Mirajane burst out laughing, her shoulders trembling slightly.
"Take this! Ice-freak!"
"You're the ice-freak! Flame-idiot!"
Gray, shirtless with his muscular upper body clearly defined, clashed fists with Natsu. The two stood forehead to forehead, veins bulging, their feet cracking the wooden floor like a spiderweb. Neither was willing to take a single step back.
Happy sat on a nearby ceiling beam, dangling his short legs and munching on a fish with a look of pure bliss.
Bang—!
The guild doors were slammed open, the panels hitting the walls with a deafening crash that shook dust loose. A sweating guild member leaned against the doorframe, shouting at the top of his lungs while gasping for air:
"Erza is back!!!"
It was as if the air had been hit with a pause button.
The noisy clamor in the hall evaporated completely within 0.3 seconds.
Dozens of guild members froze simultaneously. Cups stopped at lips, chopsticks hung in mid-air, and someone holding a chair aloft to smash it down solidified into a statue.
Natsu and Gray's reactions were the most spectacular—having just been at each other's throats, their arms released at a visible speed. They straightened their collars (though Gray had no collar to straighten) and then naturally put their arms around each other's shoulders, instantly switching to brilliant smiles.
"Natsu, we're best brothers today too." Gray hugged Natsu's shoulder, smiling with total sincerity despite his mouth twitching slightly.
"Aye! Gray and I are best buddies!" Natsu put his arm around Gray's waist and gave a thumbs up, his teeth gritting audibly as a drop of cold sweat slid down his cheek.
The two stood stiffly side-by-side like conjoined twins stuck together with glue, their smiles looking as if they were carved on.
Lucy watched this face-changing drama with her jaw nearly hitting the table.
She turned to the bar and asked Mirajane in disbelief, "What's wrong with them? They were just fighting to the death, and in the blink of an eye, they're acting like brothers... Is Erza that scary?"
Lisanna wagged her index finger like a little teacher and explained, "Erza is like the disciplinary officer of the guild. Plus, she's an S-Class Mage. The outside world calls her the Titania~"
"She's someone even Natsu and Gray don't dare to provoke." She lowered her voice and leaned in mysteriously toward Lucy. "Last time Natsu ate Erza's strawberry cake, he was chased and beaten across three whole streets."
"Okay, just kidding. Natsu couldn't run at all; he was hung from the guild roof and beaten for a whole day."
Lucy swallowed hard.
Mirajane set down her glass, the corners of her mouth curving slightly. A hint of pride and mischief flashed in her eyes as she carelessly brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Erza is only a little bit weaker than me."
Lucy's eyes widened, and she nearly jumped out of her chair. "Eh?! Mirajane, are you an S-Class Mage too?!"
Bang—!
The guild doors let out a tragic wail as the sound of twisting metal came from the hinges, as if complaining: 'I've had enough of this job, I want to retire.'
Erza strode into the guild, her long crimson hair trailing behind her in an arc, her armor reflecting a cold metallic luster in the light.
On her left shoulder, she carried a massive horn, its curve nearly touching the ceiling.
With her right hand, she pulled her luggage—not a single piece, but a small mountain of over a dozen trunks and bundles tied together with rope, clattering incessantly as she walked.
Her gaze swept across the hall like a hawk's, accurately locking onto Mirajane at the bar. She strode over, her heavy footsteps making the floor vibrate slightly as guild members along the way cleared a path in unison.
"Mirajane." Erza came to a halt and slammed the horn onto the ground with a boom, creating a shallow crater in the floor. "Tell Riyao not to use Enchantment Magic on you and then we'll try again!"
Mirajane leaned against the bar, her body tilting forward slightly. She smiled so broadly her eyes crinkled and deep dimples appeared, but her tone was clearly boastful. "Then you should find a lover who can support you too, bleh—"
She stuck out her tongue and made a face, her silver hair swaying gently with the movement. Her entire being radiated the smugness of 'I have a lover and you don't.'
Erza's eye twitched, and she let out a cold snort, turning her head away. Clearly, she didn't want to dwell on this topic.
She turned to face the hall, her gaze scanning from left to right across every guild member trying to act natural. Some pretended to read, some pretended to drink, and some pretended to be deeply engaged in conversation with the person next to them.
Finally, her gaze landed on Natsu and Gray, who were still arm-in-arm.
Erza walked over, every step carrying a sense of pressure. The two instinctively wanted to shrink back but didn't dare move, standing frozen with smiles that looked worse than crying.
Stopping in front of them, she reached out and patted each on the shoulder. The force wasn't heavy or light, but it was enough to make both their knees buckle simultaneously.
"Good, good. You two are very friendly today as well." Erza offered a smile, her voice gentle.
"Aye!" The two raised their hands and waved in unison like puppets on a string, their voices perfectly synchronized and their expressions mechanical and stiff.
Lucy's mouth twitched, and she slumped back onto the bar, thinking: 'These two idiots...'
Erza withdrew her hands and looked up at the second-floor corridor—it was empty.
She then looked beside Mirajane, where only Lisanna was wiping glasses.
She frowned slightly and turned to Mirajane. "Is the Master in the guild? Where is Riyao?"
Mirajane spread her hands and shook her head, her apron strings swaying gently. "The Master took Riyao to the regular meeting. They left early this morning."
Erza's frown deepened, her lips pressing into a thin line. Her fingers tightened around her sword hilt, her knuckles turning white.
Keenly catching the change in Erza's expression, Mirajane dropped her playful demeanor. She leaned forward and asked seriously, "Did something happen?"
Erza took a deep breath and looked around.
"On my way back, I heard about the movements of Iron Forest." Erza's tone suddenly darkened. "They've obtained Lullaby and plan to assassinate all the Guild Masters at the regular meeting."
The hall fell into a dead silence.
Mirajane's fingers stopped on the glass, water droplets sliding down through her fingers. She rubbed her chin, her silver eyelashes lowering as if she were quickly weighing something, then she looked up. "Riyao is there, and so many Guild Masters are present. It should be fine..."
Despite her words, her fingertips unconsciously tapped the bar, the rhythm a beat faster than usual.
Erza gripped her sword hilt until it creaked, saying in a low voice, "Lullaby can assassinate every living being within range through its song, including the caster."
These words were like a bucket of ice water being poured over them. The expressions of everyone present changed; that wasn't a normal assassination weapon, it was a weapon of mass slaughter.
Erza didn't give anyone time to react, decisively waving her hand to command. Her voice was powerful and resonant: "Mirajane, contact the Master's side immediately. I'll take people to intercept them on the way!"
Mirajane put away all her playful expressions and gave a crisp "Understood" before turning to pull out a communication crystal ball.
Although the two usually bickered, they never slacked when it came to serious business—they weren't like that idiot Natsu who would accidentally take out his own teammates during a competition.
Erza turned to face the hall, her armor letting out a sharp metallic clink. Her eyes were like torches as she began to call out names.
"Gray! Natsu!"
"Here!" The two stood straight as a reflex, their voices as loud as if they were in military training.
"Happy!"
"Aye sir!" Happy flew down from the beam and landed with a patter.
Erza's gaze finally landed on Lucy, who was shrinking back by the bar. She narrowed her eyes slightly. "And the newcomer, Lucy."
Lucy was stunned, her fingers still clutching her empty wallet. She sat up straight like a schoolgirl being called on in class.
"I heard Riyao gave you the key to Virgo." Erza walked up to Lucy and looked down at her. Her brownish-red eyes held a sense of scrutiny, but the corners of her mouth turned up slightly. "Let me see the newcomer Riyao has acknowledged."
Lucy's eyes widened in pleasant surprise. She gripped her keychain so hard her knuckles turned white. "Eh? Me? I... am I really okay?"
Her voice trembled with disbelief, but deep in her eyes, something had been ignited.
The guild hall instantly erupted.
"This is the guild's strongest team!"
"Erza plus Natsu and Gray, plus a newcomer. Isn't this the strongest demolition squad!"
"Poor Lucy, she doesn't even know what she's joined..."
"Let's have a moment of silence for the land that's about to suffer."
Mirajane had already taken out a crystal ball to record. She waved excitedly at Lucy, her long silver hair swaying gently, her face full of the joy of soon sharing this fun with Riyao.
Erza picked up the mountain of luggage again and strode toward the door.
Behind her, Natsu's fists ignited with flames, Gray exhaled a cold mist, Happy flapped his wings to fly onto Natsu's head, and Lucy jogged to keep up.