Jiang Bai, Why Do You Have Dark Circles Under Your Eyes?

Meanwhile, deep within a vast and boundless primeval forest.

One of the Oración Seis, a man codenamed "Racer," stood before their leader.

"Boss, we've received news from the official guilds."

The man known as the leader, named Brain, took the letter, glanced at it, and a smile of interest curled at the corner of his lips, "Oh? So you're going to form an alliance to deal with us? That's a good decision."

Beside him, a man with a large purple snake coiled around his neck chuckled and stuck out his tongue, "Hehe! Looks like our recent actions have made these legitimate guilds uneasy."

On the other side, a tall man whose entire body, even his face, was composed of sharp, geometric blocks said in a deep voice, "I heard 'that man' has been sent here this time too, but it doesn't matter. As long as I'm paid enough, I'm willing to do anything."

The man sitting next to me on the flying magic carpet, who had been resting with his eyes closed, remained silent throughout.

"That man?" Angel, the only female member of the Oración Seis, asked curiously.

"Who is it? Is it famous?"

"Fairy Tail's ace, one of the Ten Wizard Saints, 'Infinity' Jiang Bai," Brain said calmly.

"Over the years, no matter what schemes the Dark Guild had, no matter how strong their opponents were, as long as they encountered him, without exception, they were all wiped out by him alone, without a single one left alive."

The man codenamed "Cobra" stroked the pet snake on his shoulder, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "'Infinity'? Sounds like a good prey. I really want to meet him."

Brain smiled and said, "There will be opportunities. We can't avoid it this time either. Let's see just how powerful this 'Infinity,' who's famous throughout the continent, really is."

At this very moment, sitting in the magic vehicle on its way to the meeting point, Lucy, one of the Fairy Tail members, was once again torn between her inner thoughts and her own.

"Ugh! Why did I say something so cool back then? I'm so scared now!"

"Lucy! You're leaking juice again," Happy teased from beside her.

"This is sweat! You perverted cat!" Lucy grabbed Happy and started squeezing his face hard.

"Ugh~ Lucy, we were wrong."

You know what, when you're feeling conflicted, petting a cat really does make you feel a lot better.

Just then, a golden light flashed, and Lucy's Leo Celestial Spirit Leo (Loke) made a dashing entrance.

"Lucy, my princess, don't be afraid, I will protect you forever."

"Yo! Loke, it's been a long time!" Natsu greeted him warmly.

Gray nodded. "Loke, no, Leo, long time no see."

Loke smiled and replied, "Just call me Loke, everyone."

Erza smiled and reassured Lucy, "Lucy, don't worry, I would never let anyone hurt my friends."

"Or rather," Gray said, arms crossed, analyzing the situation.

"The guild leader probably sent us here just to cheer them on. Jiang Bai's combat strength is already sufficient on his own, and I reckon the guild leader has no intention of relying on other guilds at all."

"Can you put your clothes on before you talk?" Lucy complained helplessly.

"Ugh! When?!"

"I don't want to be a spectator!" Natsu suddenly exclaimed, pointing fiercely out the car window.

"Jiang Bai, you just stay put and watch! I'll handle the Oración Seis this time!"

Natsu actually put some thought into avoiding motion sickness this time. He thought that if Jiang Bai used his Telekinesis to support him, he would be less prone to motion sickness.

I did it right away, and sure enough, I didn't experience motion sickness.

Jiang Bai, who was comfortably resting his head on Erza's lap with his eyes closed, waved his hand dismissively upon hearing this. "Hey hey~ I know, I was planning to let you each find an opponent and hone your skills when the opportunity arose."

"I'm going to take on six!" Natsu shouted recklessly.

"Duang!"

With a muffled thud, a large bump appeared out of nowhere on Natsu's head. His eyes rolled back, and he fell straight to the floor.

Jiang Bai used his Telekinesis to create a fist and punched him. "Listen to me, you should figure out how to defeat one of them first before spouting such big talk."

Natsu landed on the car, "Ugh~ I can't take it anymore, I feel like throwing up, Jiang Bai, quick, Telekinesis..."

Seeing Natsu's foolish appearance, Lucy's tense mood actually calmed down.

She thought about it carefully. She had teamed up with Natsu many times before, and she knew his strength very well.

As Natsu's rival, Gray's strength should be roughly equal to his.

Not to mention Erza, a powerful S-Class Mage.

Most importantly, Jiang Bai came along too.

Even if none of us could beat them, there was still the strongest person behind us to protect us. Thinking about it that way, it seemed like there was really nothing to be afraid of.

At this moment, Lucy looked at Jiang Bai, who was lying on Erza's lap with his eyes closed, and asked curiously, "Jiang Bai, why do you have dark circles under your eyes? Did something happen?"

Jiang Bai didn't even bother to open his eyes, and just lazily hummed in agreement.

"I encountered two very strong opponents, which took a lot of effort and energy."

Lucy gasped in surprise, covering her mouth. "Huh? There's an opponent who can make even you, Jiang Bai, feel the strain?"

"Of course," Jiang Bai's voice betrayed a hint of weariness.

"These past few nights I've just finished one job and then have to go do another one. It's like I haven't had a moment's rest."

"Jiang Bai worked very hard too!" Lucy said with admiration, then looked at Erza beside her.

"Speaking of which, Erza looks quite energetic; she seems radiant."

Hearing Jiang Bai and Lucy's conversation, Erza, who was sitting upright, already had a slight blush on her cheeks.

She subtly reached out and pinched Jiang Bai's waist hard before awkwardly saying to Lucy, "Ah... well... maybe it's because I've been resting quite well lately."

However, this conversation was observed by the experienced Loke.

He adjusted his glasses, revealing a knowing smile, "I know why."

Before Loke could reveal the explosive secret, he felt a gaze filled with tangible killing intent pierce him like a sharp sword.

He turned his head and met Erza's "kind" gaze. He had no doubt that if he said another word, he might really be "physically exterminated" on the spot.

Loke shuddered instantly, and the smile on his face froze instantly.

"Lucy, I suddenly remembered that I think I've finished cooking in the Celestial Spirit World, so I won't bother you any longer. I'll head back now!"

After saying that, without waiting for Lucy's response, Loke's figure transformed into a golden light and slipped back to the Celestial Spirit World without looking back.