"It isn't that I look down on Gray," Ankh clarified, leaning back against the bar counter. "But sending him to retrieve Natsu is like sending gasoline to put out a fire."
The reality was infinitely close to Ankh's speculation.
Whether viewed through the lens of rationality or emotion, Gray Fullbuster was objectively the worst choice for this retrieval mission.
He was Natsu's rival, prone to getting swept up in competitions, and possessed a reckless streak only slightly narrower than the Salamander's.
Upon hearing this reasoning, Erza nodded sharply.
She slammed her armored fist into her palm.
"I'll go," she declared, her voice leaving no room for argument. "If they don't listen to reason, I'll just take action directly and drag them back by their ears!"
Ankh nodded approvingly. "That is the safest approach. But Erza, remember the priority: protect them first."
He lowered his voice, glancing at the Master.
"If you go, the authority to execute the S-Class mission falls to you. Technically, an S-Class Mage will be leading the team. This complies with regulations, meaning we won't put the Master in a difficult position regarding their expulsion."
A relieved, weary smile appeared on Makarov's aged face.
He looked at Ankh with profound gratitude.
'These words... finally, someone understands my burden.'
To the outside world, guild rules and regulations seemed annoying and bureaucratic.
But Makarov knew that without rules, there would be no order.
No matter how reckless Natsu and the others were, they couldn't blatantly break the guild's sacred rules without consequences.
If they did, the guild would lose its standing.
However, the reality of Fairy Tail was a delicate balancing act.
Even with these regulations in place, the Master—and now Ankh—would go to great lengths to exploit every loophole imaginable to protect their family.
This was the Master's duty: to maintain the precarious balance between Reason and Emotion.
If the system became too strict, the fiery emotions of everyone in the guild would be constrained.
They would lose their spirit.
It would be like the schools Ankh remembered from his past life on Earth, where rigid rules prohibited natural human connections like puppy love.
In the Fairy Tail world, such constraints were unnatural.
Why shouldn't childhood sweethearts love freely? Why shouldn't friends help friends?
But conversely, if the system became too lax, allowing emotions to dictate every action without check, it wouldn't be a proper guild anymore.
It would easily devolve into a chaotic mob, or worse, a Dark Guild driven solely by desire and impulse.
How to balance these two forces—when to bring down the hammer of the law, and when to show the compassion of a parent—was the hardest lesson for a Guild Master.
Currently, in all of Fairy Tail, only Makarov and Ankh truly understood this lesson.
After hearing Ankh's guidance, Erza immediately understood the script she needed to follow.
"I understand," she said, her eyes resolute. "First, ensure the safety of Natsu, Lucy, and Gray. Then, intercept the S-class mission, take the blame and responsibility onto myself so the paperwork clears, and let the violation vanish smoothly."
"Correct," Ankh grinned. "And finally?"
"Bring them back and implement severe punishment," Erza finished, a dark aura flickering around her.
"As for the degree of punishment," Ankh added quickly, seeing the fear in the bystanders' eyes, "certainly not to the point of expulsion. But... it shouldn't be light either. They need to learn."
Makarov nodded, relieved that the crisis was managed.
"Good. It is good that you understand, Erza. Go ahead, and remember to be careful. That island has a bad reputation."
"Understood." Erza bowed to the Master.
She grabbed her luggage, then turned to Ankh, her expression softening. "Brother, are you coming along?"
Ankh shook his head gently. "No. I have some matters to attend to as well."
Erza's eyes clearly showed reluctance.
Her shoulders slumped slightly. "Going on another long trip? You just got back."
Ankh laughed freely, ignoring the public setting to reach out and rub Erza's scarlet hair, messing up her bangs.
"It won't take too long, silly," he teased. "By the time you finish your business with the moon and return, I'll have mostly handled my matters. We'll likely meet up sooner than you think. Don't miss your brother too much."
Erza's usually composed and beautiful face suddenly turned crimson.
She swatted his hand away, turned her head to hide her blush, and snorted proudly.
"Hmph. Who would miss you?"
"Ankh," a soft voice interrupted.
Mirajane leaned over the counter, looking at Ankh with her gentle eyes.
Her expression was tender, filled with a warmth that went beyond mere friendship.
"Come back soon, okay? The guild is quiet without you."
Ankh's bewitching crimson eyes narrowed slightly.
He flashed an exceptionally captivating smile that made several female patrons sigh.
"Don't worry, Mira. I always come back."
Watching this scene, Makarov silently raised his tankard and sighed, shaking his head.
"Ah, to be young again... The springtime of youth."
However, Erza, observing the two in such an intimate atmosphere, felt her mood inexplicably sink.
'This feeling... I hate it.'
Erza furrowed her willow-leaf eyebrows, forcibly suppressing the discomfort rising in her chest.
It was irrational.
She knew her brother would eventually have someone he liked—a partner, a lover.
But seeing Mirajane look at him like that gave her the mistaken, bitter impression of being betrayed.
It felt as though her brother was being stolen away.
'If Mirajane's personality hadn't changed,' Erza thought darkly, 'if she were still the 'She-Devil' from our childhood, we would have probably started fighting out of sheer annoyance by now.'
Shaking off the feeling, Erza packed her belongings and immediately departed for the port, her heart set on dragging three troublemakers back home.
...
Not long after Erza left, Ankh also made preparations to set out.
His destination was likewise Galuna Island, but his mission parameters were vastly different.
This time, his objective was sensitive, and Ankh decided not to inform the guild members.
He was going to meet Ultear.
Ultear was currently operating as a member of Grimoire Heart, it wouldn't be beneficial if news of him colluding with a known villain leaked too early.
The Council would have a field day, and Makarov would be put in a compromising position.
Therefore, for this operation, Ankh decided to travel alone, moving through the shadows to avoid intersecting with Erza's flashy "disciplinary committee."
Time passed, and another half day went by in the blink of an eye.
Ankh and Erza took separate routes, arriving on Galuna Island successively.
By the time they landed, the situation on the island had already descended into absolute chaos.
Just as Ankh had predicted, Natsu and Lucy, along with the instigator Happy, had managed to persuade Gray to join their team.
It took minimal effort; Gray's conscience and curiosity outweighed his orders.
After witnessing the horrifying "cursed" demon villagers—humans transforming into beasts under the moonlight—they followed the clues regarding the purple "Moon Drip."
This led them to a hidden ruins site where they made a shocking discovery: the frozen demon, Deliora.
However, their investigation was cut short.
The trio encountered the Ice Emperor group, led by a white-haired mage named Lyon Vastia.
The revelation that Lyon was Gray's senior disciple shattered Gray's composure.
Lyon, ruthless and obsessed with surpassing their master Ur, sent his subordinates to destroy the village to prevent interference with the resurrection ritual.
Gray stayed behind at the ruins, intending to confront Lyon alone to protect Ur's legacy.
Meanwhile, Natsu and Lucy were forced to rush back to the village, where they threw themselves into a desperate defense against Lyon's oddball subordinates who were bombarding the settlement from the sky.
The battle on Natsu's side was... unique.
Although he was fighting two opponents simultaneously while the village burned around him, the Fire Dragon Slayer wasn't at a disadvantage at all.
In fact, he looked bored.
His opponents were a strange pair.
One was Yuka the Wave User, a short man with enormous eyebrows and a tall hat who specialized in "Wave Magic" that supposedly neutralized all magical attacks.
He was arrogant, claiming his anti-magic field was impenetrable.
The other was Toby, a man with beast-like ears and a protruding mouth who resembled a rabid dog-man.
He would occasionally bark, get angry at nothing, and throw fits.
His magic involved "Paralyzing Poison Claws"—super-long nails that could knock out anyone he touched.
On paper, a magic-nullifier and a paralyzing assassin sounded like a formidable team.
In reality, it took Natsu less than two rounds to dismantle them.
"My waves cancel all magic!" Yuka shouted, casting a vibration field.
"Oh yeah?" Natsu grinned. He didn't bother with a spell.
He simply coated his elbow in flames—using the fire as a thruster rather than a projectile—and lunged.
"Fire Dragon's... ELBOW!"
He smashed through the wave barrier with pure kinetic force, landing a direct blow to Yuka's face.
The wave mage crumbled instantly.
Magic might be neutralized, but a fist to the face was universal.
As for the comical dog-man, Toby, his defeat was even more humiliating.
He was actually outsmarted by Natsu—a man often considered a single-celled organism.
"I have a secret secret secret secret secret lethal point!" Toby barked, flexing his poisonous claws.
"But I'll never tell you it's on my head!"
Natsu blinked. "It's on your head?"
"AHHH! I TOLD YOU!" Toby screamed in panic, clutching his head with his own hands.
"Idiot," Natsu deadpanned.
The moment Toby grabbed his head, his own paralyzing claws dug into his scalp.
His eyes rolled back, foam appeared at his mouth, and he collapsed, defeated by his own stupidity.
The battle on Natsu's side concluded within mere seconds.
...
However, a short distance away, Lucy Heartfilia wasn't faring nearly as well.
She was trapped in a dense forest clearing, facing an opponent named Sherry Blendi.
Sherry was a woman with long, pink curly hair, dressed in a dramatic, gothic-lolita style dress.
One of the countless things that made Lucy want to facepalm was this woman's constant, nonsensical monologues.
"This is all for LOVE!" Sherry shouted, striking a pose. "My love for Lord Lyon will destroy you!"
"What does love have to do with destroying a village?!" Lucy cried out, dodging a flying rock.
Though her personality was unconventional—and frankly, annoying—Sherry's combat prowess was a hard counter to Lucy.
She wielded Doll Attack Magic: Marionette.
This allowed her to control any inanimate object, such as stones, wood, or the ground itself.
But worst of all, it allowed her to control Celestial Spirits.
"Open, Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!" Lucy had summoned her powerhouse.
"Oh, what a strong spirit! It must be LOVE!" Sherry squealed. She pointed a finger. "Marionette!"
Instantly, Taurus's eyes went blank.
He turned his massive axe toward Lucy. "Sorry, Lucy-san! My body... it's moving on its own! But your boobs is still nice!"
"Don't compliment me while trying to kill me!" Lucy shrieked, forced to close the gate to save herself.
Lucy was cornered.
She was panting, hiding behind a large rock as Sherry animated a giant mud golem to hunt her down.
Celestial Spirit Magic was completely countered.
If she summoned a spirit, Sherry would turn it against her.
If she didn't summon, she was just a girl with a whip against a golem.
But Lucy was a Fairy Tail mage..... And Fairy Tail mages didn't give up.
With her quick wit, she realized there was one variable Sherry couldn't control.
Or rather, one variable that was so volatile, controlling it might be worse than leaving it alone.
Calmly, Lucy fished out a golden key with a wave motif from her pouch.
Aquarius.
If there was one thing Lucy could boast about, it was suicide-style attacks.
She had plenty of experience in that department.
"You want to control something?" Lucy gritted her teeth, standing up near the shoreline. "Try controlling her!"
She plunged the key into the water. "Open! Gate of the Water Bearer!"