Erza Is Back!

In just over a minute, Natsu, who should have been unconscious, suddenly sprang up from the ground as if nothing had happened.

The abnormal physique of Dragon Slayer was fully embodied in him.

Even if someone held a gun to his throat and shot him, it would probably only hurt for a moment.

"Damn it! Jiang Bai is still as strong as ever!"

Far from being discouraged, Natsu's eyes shone brightly, his face filled with excitement and fighting spirit. "Next time, I'll definitely last even longer!"

After watching a spectacular (one-sided crushing) show, everyone returned to the guild satisfied.

Although Cana's betting involved both wins and losses, everyone was just having fun, the stakes were low, and it was harmless.

As soon as Jiang Bai sat down, he immediately put on his dramatic act, snuggling up to Mirajane and leaning against her like he had no bones.

"Mira, I got up too early today, my head is so sore."

"Oh, really?"

Mirajane's face blossomed into a gentle smile that could melt ice and snow, and she patted her pair of fair, jade-like, shapely, and slender legs.

"Then let me massage it for you."

Without saying a word, Jiang Bai naturally rested his head on it, enjoying the softness and warmth that belonged only to him.

Not far away, Wakaba, who was smoking, saw this scene and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets with envy.

"I'm so... so envious!"

His shout, filled with bitterness and jealousy, drew unanimous nods from all the men around him.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

During these three days, Jiang Bai completely relinquished his responsibilities as a manager.

She didn't take on a single mission, spending all her time with Mirajane, shopping, dating, and enjoying sweet moments just for the two of them.

Natsu and Lucy teamed up again to complete a mission. Although the process was thrilling and exciting, the result was not satisfactory— Natsu did not accept the commission fee because he saw through the client's disguise.

However, Lucy also gained a brand new golden key belonging to one of the Twelve Zodiac Gates on her waist, so it wasn't a complete loss.

The guild hall was as lively as ever that day.

"Gray, clothes."

Cana, who was drinking, reminded him without looking up.

Gray looked down and was shocked to find that he had unknowingly stripped down to only his underwear.

"What?! When?!"

"How long-winded!"

Gray's arch-nemesis, Natsu, stood on the other side, looking impatient.

"Hey! Didn't you just say 'so long-winded'? You stinky flame!"

Upon hearing this, Gray instantly bristled, lunging forward and pressing his forehead firmly against Natsu's head.

"So long-winded! You're a freak!" Natsu retorted, not to be outdone.

"Bird's head!"

"Exhibitionist!"

"It's so hot!"

The two started arguing as if no one else was around, and it looked like they were about to come to blows at any moment.

Meanwhile, a handsome guy with short orange hair and a somewhat frivolous look quietly approached Lucy.

It's Loke.

"Lucy, how about we form a love team? Just the two of us."

He winked at Lucy.

"Huh?" Lucy looked completely bewildered.

"You're really beautiful," Loke said, taking off his sunglasses to reveal his deep, captivating eyes.

"If I didn't wear it, I would definitely be blinded by your brilliance."

"Then you should go blind," Lucy retorted without any politeness.

Loke was about to say something when his gaze inadvertently fell on the bunch of gold keys hanging from Lucy's waist, and his expression instantly changed.

"You... you are... Celestial Spirit Mage?" His voice trembled slightly.

"Yeah, right," Happy appeared out of nowhere, "And there are cows, crabs, and stuff too."

"How could fate be so cruel..."

Loke looked as if he had seen a ghost, and suddenly took several steps back, his face drained of all color.

"I'm sorry, this is the end of it."

After saying that, he ran away without looking back.

"We never even started!" Lucy yelled from behind.

Mirajane, arm in arm with Jiang Bai, walked over gracefully.

Watching Loke's retreating figure, she explained softly, "Loke isn't good at dealing with Celestial Spirit Mages; it seems he was hurt before."

Jiang Bai smiled but didn't say anything.

He knew the reason, of course; it was a story about the Celestial Spirit, their companions, and life itself.

However, he has no intention of interfering.

Let's leave this to Lucy, who's also a Celestial Spirit Mage, to handle. It'll be a good opportunity for her to recruit a powerful ally.

Natsu and Gray's argument was escalating into a full-blown fight, with the two arguing fiercely in the guild hall.

Lucy looked at the two of them speechlessly, "Why are you still arguing?"

"Ah~ you'll get used to it."

Just then, the guild's main door, which had only been repaired two days prior, was once again violently slammed open from the outside.

"Something terrible has happened!"

It's Loke again.

He returned, his face a hundred times more terrified than before, as if he had seen a ghost, and scrambled in as if he had stumbled into a room.

"Erza... Erza is back!"

"Buzz--"

The entire guild hall seemed to have been muted.

Natsu and Gray, who were fighting fiercely just a second ago, stopped instantly, their expressions even more horrible than if they had seen a ghost.

The group, who were drinking and chatting just a moment ago, froze on the spot, cold sweat dripping down their foreheads.

An atmosphere of "fear" instantly enveloped the entire Fairy Tail.

"Erza?"

Upon hearing this name, Lucy immediately thought of the woman Natsu had mentioned before—the most terrifying woman in the guild.

"Is she very good?" Lucy asked Mirajane in a low voice.

"Hmm," Mirajane nodded, the gentle smile on her face fading slightly, replaced by a serious expression mixed with admiration and competition.

"You could say she's the strongest female mage in Fairy Tail right now."

"I think it's quite cute~" Jiang Bai said.

The words had barely left his mouth.

"Thump--Thump--Thump--"

A series of heavy, rhythmic footsteps came from outside the guild.

The sound seemed not to be stomping on the ground, but rather striking directly on everyone's heart, causing the heartbeats of everyone in the guild to involuntarily pulsate in time with the beat.

The crowd, who had just been gripped by panic, now held their breath in utter silence.

Macao swallowed, his voice a little dry.

"That footsteps... it's definitely Erza."

Under everyone's tense gaze, a tall figure appeared at the guild entrance.

It was a woman dressed in silver armor, with a monstrous horn, larger than her entire body, perched on her shoulder.

The horn still emitted a faint afterglow of magic, clearly indicating that it had just been severed from the head of some powerful demon.

Lucy's eyes widened as she looked intently at the figure.

When she saw the other person's face clearly, she couldn't help but gasp.

Beneath that cold armor was an exquisitely beautiful face, with long, smooth, crimson hair as silky as the finest silk, casually draped behind her.

Her eyes were sharp as knives, yet possessed an indescribable clarity.

"So... so beautiful!"

Lucy exclaimed from the bottom of her heart.