Pink Hair Dryer

Natsu sat by the river, feeling depressed, clutching a twig and scribbling on the ground, his face full of sorrow.

Gildarts told him the truth about his injury, about the Black Dragon, and it weighed heavily on his heart, making it hard to breathe.

Happy flew down from the sky in a flash, its little wings flapping wildly. It landed rather inaccurately, bouncing off Natsu's shoulder before regaining its balance.

Natsu!

Natsu listlessly looked up at Happy, barely lifting his eyelids, his mouth slightly agape, looking completely distracted.

Happy hugged Natsu's head and patted his forehead with his little paws.

Natsu, Gray has challenged you to a fight tomorrow!

"Huh?" Natsu blinked, his mind still reeling.

Happy flapped his wings excitedly, his tail wagging like a rattle.

"It's said that Gray obtained some mysterious power from Riyao and wants to test his skills against you!"

"Ha!" Natsu chuckled again, but this time his tone was noticeably different.

Happy patted Natsu's head again, his little paws making a slapping sound.

"What are you huh about, Gray? I want to fight you, are you going to fight or not?!"

Natsu's head began to spin, like rusty gears being re-oiled, spinning faster and faster, the dullness in his eyes gradually being replaced by something more intense.

He suddenly jumped up, his mood instantly shifting from depressed to high-spirited, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, flames popping out from between his fingers.

"Wow! This is getting exciting! Forget about Black Dragons, we'll crush them all!"

Happy tilted his head, not understanding the connection between Gray and the Black Dragon, but seeing Natsu cheer up again, he happily flapped his wings and circled around Natsu.

Natsu led Happy home, his steps light as if he were on springs, a stark contrast to the dejected figure he had been by the river earlier.

"Happy, eat your fill tonight, we'll teach Gray a lesson tomorrow! Let him know who's in charge!"

"Yes! I want boiled black-backed bass!"

"No problem, I'll eat two!"

The next day, Riyao handed several bottles of potions to Gildarts. The liquid in the bottles had a faint pinkish luster, and if you looked closely, you could smell the fragrance of roses.

"Take it home and use it for a bath."

Gildarts took the bottle, held it to his nose, smelled it, frowned, and scratched his head.

"Is it really that complicated? Are you trying to keep me here longer on purpose? I'm coming back to stay until after the S-Class Exam, so there's no need to go to such lengths to keep me here."

"What are you thinking? Restoring your limbs is simple, but the new limbs won't be as nimble. The connection between the nerves and muscles needs time to adjust. To be as good as the original, the process will be a bit more complicated."

Riyao patted Gildarts's unaffected shoulder.

"If you find it too troublesome, I can give you a half-baked treatment, but then the adjustment period will be even longer."

"Okay, okay, but what's with the rose scent?"

Gildarts sniffed the bottle again, his expression one of disgust.

"Isn't it inappropriate for a grown man like me to do this? People will laugh at me if I go out like this."

"This was Cana's request; she thought your smell was too strong."

Gildarts squatted on the ground, drawing circles and muttering to himself, looking as aggrieved as a large dog that had been scolded.

"Enough said, enough said, Grenaz and the others are about to start, let's go watch the fun."

Riyao grabbed Gildarts and the two walked arm in arm toward the outskirts. Riyao's steps were suspiciously light, and the corners of his mouth kept turning up in a smile.

The two arrived at an open space in the suburbs just in time.

A crowd had already gathered in the open space. Makarov sat on the large rock at the front, Erza stood beside him with her arms crossed, Lucy, Juvia, Wendy, Carla, Lisanna, Elfman stood in a row, Ur was eating sunflower seeds, Happy was fawning over Carla.

Riyao happily went over and hugged Mirajane affectionately.

Gray stood on one side of the open space, his hands in his pockets, his expression stern, but the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, clearly confident in his new abilities today.

Natsu stood opposite him, his fists clenched, flames flickering between his fingers, looking like a powder keg ready to explode at any moment.

When Makarov saw that Dr. Riyao had arrived, he knew everyone was there, and he raised a small, short hand.

"Ready, set, go!"

The moment his hand landed, Natsu had already charged forward, his feet pushing off the ground with tremendous force, sending sand and dust flying.

He charged towards Gray like a burning arrow, his hands blazing with intense flames, crimson magic circles glowing before his fists, and the wind from his punches carrying scorching heat waves.

[Fire Dragon's Iron Fist]

"Gray! Take this punch!"

Gray snorted coldly, advancing instead of retreating. He clasped his hands together, and an ice-blue magic circle lit up in his palms, with chilling energy rapidly spreading from the soles of his feet.

[Ice-Make - Fallen Leaves]

Natsu was stunned; he'd never heard of this technique before, and his mind didn't process it.

A thin layer of ice spread out beneath Gray's feet, and the chill condensed into countless willow-leaf-shaped ice crystals, which gently swept towards Natsu, like a cold autumn wind carrying fallen leaves.

The ice leaf brushed past Natsu's body without causing any harm. Natsu raised his arms to block it, found nothing wrong, lowered his arms, scratched his head, and looked confused.

"Huh? What kind of move is that? You seem completely unharmed. Have you gotten weaker?"

Those watching from the sidelines could see it clearly.

Makarov stroked his beard, exclaimed in surprise, his small eyes gleaming.

"Gray has gotten smarter; he knows how to create opportunities for himself."

While Natsu was still stunned, Gray didn't give him a chance to catch his breath. He clasped his hands together again, and magic power rapidly condensed.

[Ice-Make - Thorns]

Ur paused in her sunflower seed-eating motion, scratched her head, and felt that this looked like one of her moves.

The thin ice beneath Natsu's feet suddenly cracked open, and several ice thorns burst forth from beneath the ice, moving as fast as snakes. They quickly wrapped around Natsu's legs and waist, the sharp thorns piercing his clothes and pinning Natsu firmly to the spot.

"Wow, they actually resorted to such a sneaky trick!"

Natsu struggled twice, but the thorns tightened their grip.

"But that's not enough!"

Natsu was engulfed in flames, and orange-red waves of fire exploded from his body. The thorns melted and broke rapidly under the high temperature. He suddenly broke free of his restraints, took a deep breath, and his chest expanded rapidly.

[Fire Dragon's Roar]

A torrent of red flames erupted from Natsu's mouth, carrying devastating heat as it hurtled towards Gray. The air crackled and popped wherever the flames passed, and the thin ice on the ground instantly evaporated into white mist.

Gray smirked, waved his right hand, and a straight longsword materialized in his hand. The blade was a translucent ice-blue color, and a chilling aura emanated from its edge.

[Ice-Make Tang Sword]

He did not dodge the Fire Dragon's Roar. His feet were firmly planted on the ice, and he held his knife in both hands, gathering his strength. The blade slowly moved back, revealing a pink tattoo on his back, and a chilling aura rapidly compressed on the blade.

"Last Breath"

The Tang sword was swung upwards, a streak of icy blue light slicing through the flames. Fragments of the newly spread ice were swept up by the sword's momentum, carrying a chilling aura as they rose with the blade, transforming into an icy blue whirlwind in the air.

The torrent of flames was extinguished by the climax, but the chilling aura did not stop, continuing to advance and enveloping Natsu completely.

The ice spread rapidly from Natsu's feet, freezing him from head to toe in a huge block of ice, the bottom of which merged with the thin ice on the ground.

It was as if the ice block had emerged from the ground, its tip pointing straight to the sky, refracting a dazzling icy blue light in the sunlight.

The entire room fell silent for a second.

Then a deafening gasp erupted.

"Oh! Natsu got instantly killed by Gray!" Lucy's eyes widened, her mouth forming an "O" shape.

"Lord Gray, you're so handsome!" Juvia cupped her cheeks in her hands, her face flushed, and her eyes sparkling with hearts.

Elfman slapped his thigh.

"This is how a real man fights!"

However, laughter followed immediately.

"Wait a minute, Gray's tattoo on the back... hahaha..." someone shouted first.

"Is it a pink hair dryer? Haha..."

"It looks like a pig... hahaha..."

"It's a pig that looks like a hairdryer, and it's pink! Haha!"

The crowd erupted instantly, with laughter rising and falling. Some people were doubled over with laughter, while others were patting the shoulders of the people next to them, laughing so hard they couldn't speak. Even Makarov was laughing so hard his beard was shaking.

Gray was still stylishly sheathing his sword, holding it with one hand, the tip pointing downwards, the chill slowly dissipating from the blade—his posture was as handsome as a painting.

Upon hearing the laughter from outside the venue.

His expression froze instantly, and he immediately conjured an ice mirror to examine the tattoo on his back.

In the ice mirror, the pink tattoo was clearly visible in the sunlight; the tattoo's design was finally fully revealed before his eyes.

Gray's face darkened, turning as black as the bottom of a pot. His temples throbbed, veins bulged from his forehead down to his neck, and his hand holding the ice mirror trembled so badly he almost dropped his Tang sword.

He whirled his head, his gaze sharp as a knife, and precisely locked onto the guy in the crowd who was laughing the loudest, his mouth practically stretched to his ears.

"Riyao!!"

Riyao stood behind Mirajane, an innocent smile playing on his lips. The moment he saw Gray turn his head, he turned and ran, his speed leaving only a blur in his wake, his laughter carried on the wind.

"Oh ho ho ho, good boy, no need to thank me."

"You just wait! Riyao!"