Chapter 61: Erza's Invitation
When Ren came back downstairs, the quest form clutched in his hand, the first sound that greeted him was the all-too-familiar chaos.
"You stinky fire-user!"
"Underpants thief!"
A chair splintered against a support pillar, followed by a blast of ice and a countering roar of flame. Natsu and Gray were at it again, tumbling through the center of the guild hall.
"You bastard! Can't you say anything else?!" Gray roared, dodging a fiery punch.
"Nope! It's all you deserve! Underpants thief!" Natsu cackled.
"Ah ah ah ah!!" Gray was somewhat broken at this point. In previous fights, they at least had a variety of insults to shout. But ever since Makarov read that complaint, that bastard Natsu had fixated on "underpants thief." He just borrowed a few pairs of someone else's underpants, didn't he? What was the big deal?
Even Lucy, a newcomer who had only joined the Fairy Tail Guild a week ago, was already used to it. She sighed from a "safe" table, nursing a drink. Natsu and Gray just didn't get along. They would almost always start fighting after exchanging just a few words. It was like a law of nature.
"So, are you going to take that quest?"
Ren looked away from the brawl, which was already starting to draw in other members, and saw Mira smiling at him from the bar.
He waved the request form in his hand, a grin on his face. "Of course. I can't miss an S-Class Quest, especially one this good."
Normally, an S-Class Quest would be a grueling affair, taking at least 20 days. But this one... Ren knew the secret to Galuna Island. Knowing how to complete this one, it would only take three or four days, round trip. This was, for him, the equivalent of a free ten-pull gacha, not to mention a rare Gold Key for Lucy and 7 million Jewel.
Suddenly, CLATTER—!
The Fairy Tail Guild's massive front doors burst open with a sound like a thunderclap, slamming against the stone walls.
A figure stood silhouetted in the doorway, panting. "Something's... wrong—!!"
It was Loki.
The Fairy Tail Guild, which had been a whirlwind of noise and violence, immediately fell dead silent. Everyone froze. Drinks stopped halfway to mouths. Fists paused in mid-air.
Everyone looked towards Loki, their blood running cold. Loki, the ladies' man, was never this panicked.
Loki, his face pale and his usual suave demeanor gone, said with pure, undiluted fear in his eyes, "Erza... is back!!"
"What—?!"
The reaction was instantaneous.
Almost everyone in the Fairy Tail Guild turned pale with fright. Their faces filled with a sudden, united panic, as if they had just been told the Magic Council's entire Rune Knight army was at the door.
"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Lucy asked, her heart starting to pound. Seeing everyone panic—even the men who had been fighting just seconds ago—made her feel anxious herself. "Who is Erza?"
Soon, heavy, rhythmic footsteps sounded from the street.
Clomp. Clomp. Clomp.
A figure, carrying a massive, monstrous horn on her shoulder, walked into the Fairy Tail Guild.
She had striking, scarlet-red long hair and a delicate, beautiful face that was currently set in a stern, no-nonsense expression. She wore gleaming silver armor over a blue skirt, a sword strapped to her hip. She looked both dashing and beautiful, like a queen from a storybook.
It was none other than the Fairy Tail Guild's S-Class Mage, the "Fairy Queen," Erza Scarlet.
"So beautiful... and so cool!"
The moment Lucy saw Erza, she was amazed by her powerful aura and her stunning appearance.
Thump!
Erza set down the Giant Dragon's horn, the end embedding itself slightly in the guild's stone floor. "I'm back. Is the Master here?"
Mira, the only person other than Ren who hadn't flinched, came forward with a smile. "Welcome back, Erza. The Master went to the regular meeting."
"Is that so..." Erza said, her eyes already scanning the room, taking in the upturned tables and the terrified faces of her guildmates.
Someone, trying to break the tension, couldn't help but ask curiously, "Er... Miss Erza... what is that huge thing?"
"Hmm? This?" Erza glanced at the horn. "It's the horn of a demon I defeated. The locals gave it to me as a decoration, and since I thought it was pretty, I brought it back as a local souvenir."
"The... horn... of a defeated demon?"
"So amazing..."
The guild members stared. This horn alone was over four meters tall; the demon it came from must have been over twenty meters tall.
At this moment, Erza's tone changed, becoming sharp and cold. "More importantly... you all... have been causing trouble again, haven't you? Even if the Master forgives you, I won't."
Everyone's heart skipped a beat upon hearing Erza's words. Sure enough, what was coming, came.
Erza's gaze swept the room like a hawk's.
"Cana, why are you drinking from the barrel in that posture? It is unladylike."
"Bixlow, if you want to dance, go outside. Your 'babies' are disturbing the peace."
"Wakaba, your cigarette ash is falling into Macao's drink. Be more considerate."
"Nab, you are still loitering in front of the bulletin board. You have been looking at that same quest for three weeks. Go to work quickly!"
"Honestly, you're all so worrying. I won't say anything more today."
Lucy couldn't help but retort in a whisper, "She said a whole lot! Is she the disciplinary committee or something?"
Happy, who had been hiding under a table, replied simply, "She's Erza."
At this moment, Erza's gaze swept over Natsu and Gray, who had been frozen in place, mid-fight.
"Y-yeah... hello, Erza!" Natsu stammered, his fire gone. "We're... we're getting along very well today... just being best buds!"
"Aye!" Gray added, his voice squeaking as he and Natsu, who had just been trying to kill each other, were now standing stiffly, arm-in-arm.
Both of them were terrified at this moment. After all, they had both caused significant, report-worthy trouble this time, and they had just been fighting, which Erza hated.
"Natsu has become like Happy again!!" Lucy's eyes widened. The last time she saw Natsu become this panicked and compliant was when she had just joined, and Ren had used his "Tyrant" form.
Erza, however, nodded with satisfaction. "Is that so? Good friends sometimes argue, but I like seeing you two get along so harmoniously."
"Ah... no..." Gray muttered under his breath. "I've said many times, we're not good friends..."
"Aye!" Natsu repeated, his face a mask of pure terror.
"W-what exactly is going on?! How did they both end up like this?" Lucy was completely bewildered. The Natsu she knew was almost always lawless, a force of nature... except for that one time he was scared by Ren. Now, he was actually this terrified.
Mira leaned over and explained with a mischievous smile: "Natsu and Gray are both very afraid of Erza. Natsu once challenged her to a fight and was beaten beyond recognition. He was in the infirmary for a week. Gray was walking around naked outside, and Erza 'educated' him on public decency... he also spent a week in the infirmary. And Loki... he tried to pursue Erza once. He was beaten half to death. He's lucky to be alive."
"Ren!"
Erza's gaze passed over the two trembling idiots and landed on Ren, who was still standing by the bar. Her expression, which was that of a stern drill sergeant, softened... just a fraction, into one of respect.
"Yo! Erza! Long time no see!" Ren raised his hand, waving the quest form to greet her. He and Erza had become much more familiar since they completed that SS-Class Quest together half a year ago. They were, more or less, considered good friends.
"It's good you're still here," Erza said, walking over. "Actually, there's something I'd like to ask of you. I heard about some... troublesome things at my workplace. It should have been decided by the Master, but he is away, and I think it's better to resolve this sooner rather than later. So, I'd like to ask for your help. Come with me."
"Eh—?!"
"What?!"
"W-what's going on?!"
"Erza... actually invited someone... and she invited Ren!!"
"The last time they teamed up was half a year ago!"
"Now that they're teaming up again... Oh god, are they going to destroy a country this time?!"
Everyone in the Fairy Tail Guild was shocked to hear Erza's words. Ren and Erza... the last time they went on an SS-Class Quest together half a year ago, Ren had taken down a Magic Dragon. That event was still a constantly circulating legend on the continent of Ishgar.
"We leave tomorrow morning," Erza continued, not waiting for the guild's panic to subside. "Go prepare. I will tell you the details on the way."
Erza finished speaking, nodded once to Ren, and then turned to leave, her armor clomping as she went.
"Wait..."
Ren quickly tried to call out to Erza, but she left without looking back, leaving Ren standing there in disarray, still holding his quest form.
"I... I was just about to go on an S-Class Quest!" he groaned, slumping against the bar. "You're too self-willed! I haven't even agreed to go yet!"
Mira smiled as she gently took the S-Class Quest request form from Ren's hand. "I remember now, Ren. S-Class requests need to be personally approved by the Master before they are official. You'll only be able to do this quest after the Master returns from the regular meeting, anyway."
She folded the paper and tucked it safely behind the bar. "Besides," she said, her voice a little more serious, "for someone as strong and as proud as Erza to personally invite someone... and to invite you... she must have encountered some very, very tricky trouble."
"Sigh! That's the only way, I guess," Ren grumbled, though he was already steeling himself for the new mission. It was rare for Erza to ask for help, so he naturally couldn't refuse. Doing the Galuna quest a little later wouldn't matter. "Mira, please keep this quest for me. That Gold Key is as good as mine."
Mira smiled. "Don't worry! I'll keep it safe for you."
As Erza left the Fairy Tail Guild, the hall, which had been silent, became abuzz with frantic whispers. Everyone was discussing what Erza could have possibly invited Ren to do. With those two together, the "Titania" and the "Tyrant"... the difficulty of what they were about to do might even be SS-Class.
What they did last time is still being talked about on the continent of Ishgar. No one knows how big of a stir they'll cause this time.
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