After that, things played out just like in the original story.
Lucy treated them to a meal, The only difference this time was that Lucy's guests included Ankh, along with Natsu and Happy.
Ankh watched the familiar scene with interest as Lucy and Natsu chatted, sharing their dreams.
Namely, her desire to join the Fairy Tail guild and become proper Mages.
Seeing the adoring look in Lucy's eyes when she talked about Fairy Tail, Natsu paused his frantic eating for a moment before calmly continuing.
Even though this girl gave Natsu a good feeling, she was still basically a stranger...
Since Ankh stayed quiet, Natsu didn't directly invite her to join the guild right then and there.
'Hmm... better keep an eye on her a bit longer...'
Even though Fairy Tail had a lot of members, the process for new people to join was actually pretty strict.
After the meal, Lucy paid the bill, and then Natsu and Happy saw her off as she left the restaurant.
Watching Lucy walk away, Ankh smiled and remarked, "Her arrival will lead our guild into a new era."
Natsu turned to Ankh as he was confused.
Even though he'd liked the girl from the moment they met, surely it wasn't as big a deal as Ankh was making it sound?
The last person who had ushered the guild into a new era was Ankh himself.
When Ankh became the guild's S-Class Mage of their generation, he became the leading figure for the younger members.
He even influenced the wider magic world, motivating the guild's young talents to work harder and attracting new people to join.
While Lucy was also a mage, Natsu could sense... her magic power was really weak...
But Ankh knew something Natsu didn't.
Lucy's personal abilities weren't special; what made her important was when she appeared.
In the original story, after Lucy joined the guild, big internal changes started happening.
Among the S-Class Mages, Laxus—the second strongest after Gildarts—and Mystogan, both eventually left the guild, leaving Erza as the only top-tier fighter for a while.
However, with Erza as the core, other younger members began to awaken: Mirajane got her lost magic power back, while Gajeel, Juvia, Wendy, and the returning Lisanna all grew stronger alongside Natsu's group.
One event after another shook the magic world.
The decisive battle against Phantom Lord, the Fairy Tail civil war, the fight against Oración Seis, adventures in other worlds, conflicts with Celestial Spirits...
All these major, guild-shaking events happened after Lucy joined.
Even though she wasn't very powerful herself, Lucy's "protagonist aura" was great at making things happen...
...
After eating his fill, Natsu happily went for a walk.
Ankh, still wearing his mask, followed Natsu like a shadow.
Happy flew onto the railing of the seaside observation deck.
He looked at Ankh who's all wrapped up and blurted out his thought.
"Aye—Ankh, aren't you going to take off that mask? It's creepy!"
Before Ankh could answer, Natsu quickly covered Happy's mouth while whispering urgently.
"Idiot! Have you forgotten what happens when fans see Ankh's face?"
Happy shuddered, the memory suddenly rushing back to him.
The silly cat frantically shook his head.
"Never mind, Ankh! Keep the mask on!"
Their fear came from a small incident years ago...
Back then, after Ankh became a famous idol, his deep dislike and indifference toward the fame made his popularity drop from its peak for a while.
Later, a handsome new male idol appeared, almost replacing Ankh's position.
He even boldly declared.
"Ankh is just a washed-up Mage from a past era, he just doing odd jobs now."
This comment angered many of Ankh's fans.
All across the kingdom, nearly every young woman was talking about it.
Though "talking" mostly meant everyone finding creative ways to curse the new idol.
But that guy had thick skin and a sharp tongue.
He stubbornly refused to apologize and instead used the controversy to get even more famous.
At the time, Ankh's looks-focused fans and his skill-focused fans were so mad they sent countless threatening letters to the idol's home.
After all, in the past, Ankh had repeatedly topped the "Most Desirable Mage Boyfriend" lists just based on his looks, building a huge fanbase.
The incident caused a huge uproar, dragging Ankh, who had been living quietly, back into the spotlight.
Even his guildmates were constantly harassed by gossip reporters...
Luckily... the whole thing ended with the handsome idol issuing a humiliating public apology before completely disappearing from show business.
Rumors later spread that the idol had been cornered by one of Ankh's die-hard fans and beaten up so badly it scared him into retirement...
Even though it was a long time ago, Ankh still remembered it clearly.
Because after that incident, his popularity shot up even higher and never fell again...
The scary mask Ankh now wore all the time was a special magic tool he'd started using back then to hide his appearance.
His reluctance to show up often at the guild or around Magnolia was partly because of this too...
Ankh rested his chin in his hand gloomily and muttered, "I wonder who did it... Honestly, having that guy take my place back then wouldn't have been so bad..."
"At least it would have made going outside much easier..."
Nearby, Natsu overheard Ankh and guiltily looked down at the ground...
Youth always brings some impulsiveness...
But thankfully, Natsu was brave, not stupid.
There was no way he could admit that he and Gray had teamed up to trash the handsome idol's place!
No one got seriously hurt anyway, and luckily Gray was clever enough not to use the guild's name...
Natsu pretended nothing was wrong and started whistling innocently.
Happy looked at him curiously, while Ankh's eyes narrowed with suspicion.
Under Ankh's searching gaze, just as Natsu was starting to sweat and planning his escape, a group of women nearby started chattering excitedly.
"I heard the Salamander from Fairy Tail is having a party on that ship tonight!"
"Really? I'd love to go..."
"Yeah, and he's a Mage from Fairy Tail..."
Natsu's expression suddenly turned serious.
He stared at the women and murmured, "Fairy Tail?"
Ankh crossed his arms and walked over to Natsu, quietly reminding him.
"That guy from earlier isn't just pretending to be you. He's using the guild's name, too."
A beast-like ferocity flashed in Natsu's eyes.
"Damn it!" he growled.
If it were just about stealing his name, Natsu might have let it slide.
But if someone dared to misuse the guild's reputation... Whether you've done good or evil, you'll pay the price!
Looking out at the cruise ship in the distance, Natsu stepped up onto the railing, gritting his teeth.
"Happy! Let's go!"
"Aye!"
Using his Wing Magic, Happy flew behind Natsu, grabbed him, and soared quickly toward the large ship on the sea!
Ankh watched the man of action, Natsu, and chuckled softly.
"The real story is about to start."
With that, Ankh leaped over the guardrail, flipping down to follow closely behind them.
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