Ankh was panicking.
Truly, genuinely panicking.
Sitting in the large porcelain bathtub, the strongest mage of his generation—a man who had faced down demons, defied the Magic Council—didn't dare move a single muscle.
He was frozen, stiff as a board, terrified that even the twitch of a hair might shatter his fragile reality.
This was infinitely more thrilling, and terrifying, than fighting any S-Class monster.
The source of Ankh's acute distress was entirely due to the voluptuous young woman sitting directly in front of him in the water.
Without asking for permission, without even a knock to herald her arrival, Erza had wordlessly slipped into his bathroom, dropped her towel, and slid into the tub.
The splash had startled him so much he nearly jumped out the window.
But then, a paralyzing realization had rooted him to the spot:
'He wasn't wearing any clothes either.'
The bathroom was filled with thick, white steam, creating a hazy, dreamlike atmosphere.
Through the mist, the blurry, pale figure of Erza's back was agonizingly close.
Seeing her silhouette so near inevitably made Ankh's mouth go dry.
'Calm down,' Ankh screamed internally. 'Get a grip!'
He quickly bit the tip of his tongue sharply. The sharp sting of pain jolted his mind back to some semblance of clarity.
'No! Absolutely no lewd thoughts! She is your sister!'
Ankh closed his eyes tight, his eyelashes trembling.
He desperately tried to recall the noble conduct of ancient monks, reciting mathematical formulas and magical theories in his head to distract himself.
'The square root of 4,096 is 64... Magic power density equals volume times intensity...'
He resolved to be like a stone.
No matter what temptations came his way, he would remain unmoved.
However, shutting his eyes only heightened his other senses.
The sound of water splashing, the faint scent of strawberry soap, the humidity in the air—it all proved overwhelmingly stimulating for a healthy young man in his prime.
Erza, on the other hand, appeared completely natural.
Oblivious to her brother's internal war, she hummed a soft tune.
Her fair cheeks had turned a healthy, rosy pink from the heat of the water, making her look utterly adorable and far removed from the armored "Titania" the world feared.
She diligently scrubbed her body, washing her arms and neck with the casual ease of someone who viewed this merely as a hygiene ritual.
Occasionally, as she moved to reach the soap, her smooth skin would brush against Ankh's knee or arm.
Every accidental touch sent a jolt of electricity through Ankh, pushing him closer to the brink of a nervous breakdown.
He couldn't take it anymore.
Ankh shook his head with a bitter smile, subtly shrinking backward until his back was pressed against the cold tiles of the wall.
"Erza," he murmured, his voice strained and cracking slightly. "Don't you think it's a bit... inappropriate for people our age to bathe together like this?"
"Hm?" Erza turned her head slightly, water dripping from her crimson hair.
"We aren't children anymore," Ankh explained, gesturing vaguely at the water. "Certain boundaries between men and women should be maintained, don't you think?"
Erza blinked, looking genuinely confused.
She shook her head nonchalantly and pouted. "What boundaries? We are family. Besides, it saves hot water."
'...Saves hot water? I'm rich! We can afford the water!'
Ankh buried his face in his hands.
He had almost forgotten that Erza was naturally this unconcerned with trivial matters like "modesty" or "social norms."
Her upbringing in the Tower of Heaven, followed by the rough-and-tumble life of the guild, had left her with zero sense of boundaries.
In the stories Ankh knew, Erza had once dragged Natsu and Gray to bathe with her even as teenagers, much to Lucy's shock.
In this timeline, Ankh had protected her from such situations, teaching her some propriety.
But in a cruel twist of fate, that lack of boundaries was now being directed solely at him.
"This is comfortable," Erza sighed happily.
She leaned back, resting her head against Ankh's chest as she often did when watching the stars or relaxing in the living room.
Ankh froze.
His heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird.
'Too tormented to speak.'
For Ankh, this was undoubtedly the longest bath of his life.
Minutes felt like hours.
He felt like his bones were dissolving into the water, his soul slowly leaving his body through the steam vent.
Eventually, after much awkward persuasion and promising her an extra slice of cake for breakfast, Ankh managed to coax Erza out of the bathroom first.
"I need to... soak a bit longer. Alone," he had lied.
Once the door clicked shut, Ankh practically deflated.
He dragged himself out of the tub, dried off, and returned to his room filled with pent-up frustration.
He collapsed face-first onto his bed, staring miserably at the empty space beside him.
It was going to be a long, lonely, sleepless night.
Across the hall, in the guest room, Erza slept particularly soundly.
Curled under the soft duvet, she sank quickly into a sweet dreamland.
As a child, and even now, she could only find a true sense of security at Ankh's place.
Here, the nightmares of the Tower didn't dare intrude.
Here, she was just Erza, not Titania.
Meanwhile, the night was not quite as peaceful for the master of the house.
Deep in the night, Ankh began his habitual sleepwalking.
He wandered around his room, muttering incantations, reorganizing books on his shelf with his eyes closed.
Fortunately, he didn't try to leave the room or resort to violence, otherwise the manor would have been rubble by morning.
The clever Erza had anticipated this.
It was why she slept in the guest room—she knew Ankh needed space to "patrol" in his sleep.
In this regard, at least, she respected boundaries.
If she hadn't, and Ankh had sleepwalked into her room... well, Ankh preferred not to think about the consequences.
...
The morning sun broke through the curtains, signaling a new day.
Ankh and Erza woke up early, the awkwardness of the bath seemingly washed away with the night.
They enjoyed a hearty breakfast prepared by the happy maid—complete with morning cake for Erza—and then hurried toward the guild.
The streets of Magnolia were bustling, but as they approached the guild hall, the atmosphere shifted.
Ankh's sharp ears picked up hushed whispers from a few guild members who were loitering outside the entrance.
"Natsu's got some nerve, huh?" one whispered. "Taking on an S-class mission without permission. That's a major violation."
"I'm not surprised about him," another replied, shaking his head. "But that pretty blonde rookie, Lucy was it? She went along too. She's got guts, I'll give her that."
"Yeah, guts or stupidity. Let's hope they can stay tough when they're dragged back by the Master. Punishment is going to be brutal."
"Well... bringing them back might be difficult if they already left the port."
Upon hearing the gossip, Erza stopped walking.
She furrowed her delicate brows, her expression turning stern.
"S-Class quest?"
She looked at Ankh, but he simply signaled for her to enter.
Inside the guild, the mood was heavy.
Makarov sat at the bar counter, nursing a drink despite the early hour.
He looked calm, but his aura was radiating irritation.
Erza couldn't hold back.
She marched up to him, armor clanking. "Master! What is this I hear? What is going on with Natsu and Lucy?"
Makarov opened one eye, sighing deeply. "It is exactly as you heard. Last night, Happy flew up to the second floor and stole an S-class quest. Natsu and Lucy formed a team and sneaked off to Hargeon to catch a boat."
"Which mission?" Erza demanded.
Mirajane stopped her work as she spread her hands helplessly.
"They stole the request for Galuna Island. You know the one—the 'Cursed Island'."
Ankh, who had quietly taken a seat next to Erza, crossed his arms.
He looked at the old man with a critical eye.
"Logically speaking, Old Man," Ankh said calmly, "taking on an S-Class mission without permission is a severe offense. It usually results in expulsion. Why didn't you stop them? Or better yet, why didn't you send Laxus to intercept them immediately?"
If Laxus had gone, he could have dragged Natsu back by the scarf before they even reached the harbor.
It would have saved everyone the trouble.
Makarov flinched slightly.
His nature was kind and gentle; everyone knew he couldn't possibly drive his own children out of the family for a moment of recklessness.
He was hoping to resolve it quietly.
At the mention of Laxus, Mirajane's face immediately darkened.
The sweet barmaid vanished, and a hint of her inner "Devil" emerged.
The air around her crackled with dark energy.
"Laxus," she spat the name out. "He was on the second floor. He witnessed Happy stealing the request. But he didn't stop him. He said he 'didn't see anything' because he was busy, and he refused to go after them because looking after brats isn't his job."
"That stubborn mule..." Ankh sighed, rubbing his temples.
"He just wants to watch the world burn," Erza muttered angrily.
Ankh patted Mirajane's shoulder, soothing her.
"Relax, Mira. This is Natsu's fault to begin with. Laxus is just being Laxus. If Natsu didn't break the rules today, he would have done it tomorrow."
Mirajane took a deep breath, suppressing her dark side.
Her pretty face filled with worry again as she nodded silently.
Erza looked around the guild hall.
It felt emptier than usual.
"So," she asked, "if Laxus refused, who has gone after them to bring them back?"
"Gray," Mirajane replied. "He volunteered this morning. He said he would drag Natsu back."
"Gray?" Ankh raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. He seemed very determined."
"Not enough," Ankh sighed, decisively rejecting the idea.
He stood up from his stool.
"Why?" Erza asked. "Gray is responsible."
"Gray is responsible?" Ankh scoffed. "Gray is Natsu's rival. He didn't go there to enforce the rules. He went because he was jealous Natsu took an S-Class quest before him."
Ankh didn't even need to refer to his knowledge of the original story.
It was obvious.
Gray was undoubtedly strong, but he was an enabler.
If he caught up to Natsu, they would argue for five minutes, fight for two, and then Gray would likely get roped into helping them just to prove he could do it better.
"Besides," Ankh continued, his voice turning serious. "Gray and Natsu are evenly matched. If Natsu goes into his explosive mode, Gray can't subdue him without destroying half the port. He can't bring them back."
Ankh looked at Erza, a silent communication passing between them.
"Galuna Island isn't just a cursed island," Ankh said, thinking of the Moon Drip and the iced body of Deliora.
"There are things there that Gray isn't ready to face alone. Especially ghosts from his past."
He turned to the Master. "I'll go. And Erza will come with me."
"We will treat this as a disciplinary retrieval mission," Ankh stated, a glint of anticipation in his eyes.
"And perhaps... an S-Class request completion on the side."
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