Preparing for the Second Battle

"All right, all right, all right." Ifrit nodded repeatedly and gritted his teeth. "You forced me to do this!"

He pulled out a stack of photos, held them high, and said, "Who wants to see photos of Cana taking wedding pictures?"

"You bastard!" Cana, who always wandered around in a swimsuit, blushed like an innocent little girl whose First Kiss had been stolen. She shouted, "Don't use magic to deceive people!"

"Deceive?" Ifrit grinned. "Let me remind you—the 23rd."

"Urgh..." Cana was instantly rendered speechless.

"Cana, what's this about taking wedding photos? You're getting married?!" Erza stared at Cana with wide-eyed shock.

"N-no, nothing like that!" Cana hurried over to Ifrit, grabbed him by the collar, pulled out a bottle of liquor from behind her back, and shoved it toward his mouth.

"Glug, glug."

The person in front of her drank the liquor, but it was not Ifrit.

Cana suddenly realized that she was force-feeding Gray alcohol.

"Damn it!" Cana turned around to search for Ifrit.

"Cana, you should understand. If I'm on guard, you can't touch me." Ifrit sat beside the counter, one hand pressing down on the photos.

"You..." Cana gritted her teeth, walked up to Ifrit, and decisively bowed. "I'm sorry for trying to drug you with sleeping pills!"

"Very good." Ifrit nodded in satisfaction.

"Give me back the photos, and explain it too!" Cana said viciously.

"Take them." Ifrit pushed the photos toward her.

Cana hurriedly scooped them up, but after checking them, she discovered that they were not photos from when she had taken wedding pictures. They were merely photos of her winning the town drinking contest.

"You..." Cana was speechless.

"Ah, I only saw it from far away at the time. I didn't get the chance to take any pictures." Ifrit smiled.

He had been quite far away then and thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. He had even suspected it was someone else. By the time he got close enough to confirm it was Cana, she had finished trying them on and entered the changing room.

"..."

"Cana, what exactly happened?" Erza's curiosity had reached its peak. Everyone else was curious as well. Even Lucy, who had been crying just moments ago, had stopped and leaned in to listen.

Cana said helplessly, "It was a commission. That shop wanted me to endorse their swimsuits, so I had to try them on before deciding."

They wanted Cana as an endorser?

Everyone recalled Cana's usual attire and nodded.

That made perfect sense.

"Then the people from the wedding dress shop next door saw me and thought I suited their clothes too, so they wanted me to endorse them as well." Cana pouted. "I tried one on, but it didn't feel right, so I turned them down."

"Why has no one asked me to endorse anything?" Erza looked somewhat disappointed.

Because you always wear armor. An armor shop should be asking you.

That was what everyone thought.

"So, Cana, you're not getting married..." a girl said disappointedly.

"Well..." Cana smiled. "I don't have any plans in that regard yet."

"Laxus, what do you mean you're not coming back to the guild?!" Mirajane's angry voice suddenly rang out.

Everyone looked behind the counter.

Mirajane was speaking with Laxus through a communication crystal.

"It means exactly what it says," Laxus replied from the other end.

Mirajane said angrily, "Lucy, our companion, is in danger, and Phantom Lord is watching us like a hawk. The next war could come at any moment!"

"Hah..." Laxus yawned. "What does that have to do with me? Lucy? Ah, that pretty girl. If she sleeps with me, maybe I'll consider saving her life."

"Laxus!"

Natsu's furious roar rang out.

Terrifying flames erupted from him, like an enraged dragon.

"Natsu?" Laxus frowned. Seeing Natsu's furious expression, he fell silent for three seconds before bursting into laughter. "Hahaha, Natsu, are you looking to put yourself in chains?!"

"Natsu, don't act rashly. He isn't here!" Gray stopped Natsu.

"Laxus, how can you say something so excessive?!" Mirajane said angrily.

"So what? Are you challenging me?" Laxus replied indifferently.

"Forget it. What's the point of talking to him?" Cana said angrily. "We can handle this ourselves!"

"Haha, then handle it yourselves." Laxus laughed.

"Are you planning to come back and take over the guild after Phantom Lord and we destroy each other, Laxus?" Ifrit gently moved Mirajane aside and faced Laxus himself.

"What do you mean?!" Laxus's expression turned serious when he saw Ifrit.

"Nothing, Laxus." Unlike everyone else, Ifrit did not look angry at all. He said calmly, "You'll wait until we're all badly injured, until Phantom Lord can no longer fight, then descend like a god to make your entrance."

"Laxus... just as expected of you. What a wonderful plan."

Ifrit tilted his head, his smile filled with mockery.

"I never thought that! I'd never stoop to taking advantage of someone's weakness!" Laxus said angrily. "I'll take the Guild Master's position openly and honorably!"

"Ifrit, if the old man is no longer capable of serving as Guild Master, and if you know your own limits and admit that you can't shoulder the burden, then I might come back. But..."

Laxus tilted his head as well and grinned savagely. "You'll have to beg me!"

"Heh heh." Ifrit chuckled. He picked up his cane and drew Hani, the long blade.

He gently stroked the blade and said flatly, "I am going to defeat Phantom Lord's Guild Master—Jose Porla."

After saying that—

"Ifrit!!!"

Laxus flew into a rage.

Crash!

But Ifrit slashed the communication crystal apart with one stroke.

"Ifrit?" Everyone was greatly surprised.

Ifrit slowly sheathed his blade and smiled. "It's a provocation. Of course Laxus understands that, but..."

"He'll still fall for it."

"Hiss—"

Seeing Ifrit's smile, everyone could not help but shudder.

Ifrit adjusted his glasses, a gentle smile covering his face.

Laxus was a proud man. Regardless of how he intended to inherit the guild, he could never tolerate Jose being defeated by Ifrit!

Beyond the dim underground passageway—where there was only one candle every five meters—

Several dark figures gathered in the underground temple at the end of the passage.

"Woohoo..." Crying broke the temple's silence.

Someone asked in surprise, "Knight of Mercy, you were actually injured?"

Knight of Mercy cried, "Woohoo... An evil demon that destroys peace wounded me. I want to judge him, but his magic is extremely troublesome."

"Who?"

"Fairy Tail's Elegant Magician."

"Let me check. Found it. Deception Magic—it deceives the five senses and manipulates emotions. What terrifying magic."

"Knight of Honor, can you create a magical tool capable of dealing with him?"

"Of course. I've killed forty-six geniuses like him!"

"Thank you."

"All right, it's time. Let's end the trivial matters here," someone reminded them.

"Ah—great Ansa, please bless us and protect the peace of this world."

"Great Ansa—"

The group knelt around a stone statue.

The candlelight flickered, shadows shifting.

Under the dim light stood a lifelike stone statue three meters tall.

He had wings on his back, like an angel.

He had eight arms, each holding a different weapon.

His face was sorrowful and kind.

"Great Ansa—"

The group bowed again.