Fairy Tail: Vector Manipulation Chapter 17

"That's amazing—I really made it to Fairy Tail." Lucy spoke excitedly.

"Natsu's back..." Gray said, then went to pick a fight with Natsu.

"Boys should settle things with their fists." Elfman had copied the two words Chen Fan wore on the back of his clothes: "Number One." But the moment he struck a pose, Natsu and Gray punched him flying.

"Honestly, you're all so noisy." Rocky put his arms around two women as he spoke.

"Is there no normal person here?" Lucy continued to complain.

Boom. A huge foot stomped Natsu beneath it. "Won't you idiots stop already?"

"So big..." Lucy continued, "A newcomer...?"

"Yes!"

Makarov slowly shrank. "So small."

Suddenly, Makarov jumped up to the second floor, holding a stack of documents. "Take a look! These are all complaints from the Magic Council. But what are we? We're mages! To hell with those bastards!" With that, he coolly set the papers in his hand on fire and tossed them down.

"Wow, so cool!" Lucy said admiringly.

"Tch..."

"Tch..." Everyone said disdainfully.

"Why...?" Lucy was confused.

At that moment, Mira added from the side, "Because afterward, the master will cry and ask Chen Fan to help plead his case."

"Who's Chen Fan?" Lucy asked in confusion.

"That would be me." Chen Fan finally made his entrance. The moment he saw Natsu kick down the door, he knew the story had begun. Afraid of getting caught up in the fight, he immediately ran to the second floor—after all, only S-Class Mages were allowed up there. While watching the fight below, Chen Fan had even been cheering them on. Only after it was over did he come down.

Seeing Chen Fan's iconic outfit, his flowing black hair, and handsome face, Lucy cried out in surprise, "Hand of God!"

Chen Fan was still quite famous back home, often appearing on magazine covers, and his outfit was his trademark. Many people outside were now cosplaying Chen Fan, but in Fairy Tail, only Chen Fan dressed like this, making him easy to recognize.

Hearing Lucy call him that, Chen Fan waved his hand. "Please don't call me that. I merely extend a helping hand to those who cannot be saved." As he spoke, he reached out his hand.

Smack. Mira knocked his hand away, then turned to Lucy and said, "Don't believe him. He's the best at deceiving girls here."

"Better than that guy?" Lucy pointed at Rocky.

"Far better," Mira whispered to Lucy.

Chen Fan, however, heard every word clearly. He shouted at Mira, "How can you say that about me? My heart for you could bear witness before heaven and earth. You've truly broken my heart."

"Don't use the same lines you told Levy on me." Her smile was still the same smile, but her words made Chen Fan shudder. He immediately fell silent.

Chapter 10: Furious Rebuke

Sensing the hostility in Mira's tone, Chen Fan immediately wilted. Seeing Mira chatting happily with Lucy, he felt too embarrassed to interrupt, so he walked over to Natsu and Gray and said to Natsu, "Yo, Natsu. You're back."

Natsu reflexively wanted to run, but he held himself back. It seemed Chen Fan had left quite a powerful childhood shadow on Natsu. Gray, on the other hand, was much better.

He was no longer afraid of Chen Fan. Over the past two years, Chen Fan had constantly pursued the girls in the guild, and Gray had come to understand that Chen Fan's preferences were fairly normal. Besides, now that they had grown up, they knew what they needed to know and understood what they needed to understand. In any case, they had all matured quite a bit.

There was even less need to mention Natsu. After Lisanna left, Natsu seemed to grow up overnight. He did not blame Lisanna's brother, Elfman. Instead, when Elfman was at his most devastated, Natsu encouraged him and helped him pull himself together. Along with the experiences he had gained outside over the past few years, his mindset had matured considerably.