Guild Acceptance and the Battle of the Strong

"Child, your name is Erza, right? Come, come, let's get that stamp on you first!"

He looked so impatient, as if he were afraid Erza might change her mind and run off the very next second.

Erza was caught off guard by this sudden burst of enthusiasm.

She looked toward Lu Chongwei.

Lu Chongwei smiled and nodded, giving her an encouraging look.

Erza took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"I want it on... my left shoulder."

Though her voice still trembled slightly, it carried a note of determination.

"And make it red."

"No problem! Red is great! Red is festive!"

Without a second word, Makarov grabbed the stamp and slapped it onto Erza's left shoulder.

The bright red emblem looked exceptionally striking against her fair skin.

Once the stamp was applied, Makarov jumped straight onto the bar counter.

"Listen up, you brats! Everyone, quiet down!"

He waved his arms and roared at the top of his lungs.

The rowdiness in the hall died down in an instant.

"From today on, Erza is our new family! If anyone dares to bully her, I will show no mercy!"

"Ooooooh!!!"

The guild erupted into a wave of enthusiastic cheers.

Everyone raised their mugs, offering Erza warm, friendly smiles.

That sense of unconditional acceptance finally allowed the heartstrings Erza had kept taut for so long to fully relax.

Just then.

A man with a pipe in his mouth and a roguish look on his face sidled up to Lu Chongwei.

It was Wakaba.

He nudged Lu Chongwei in the ribs with his elbow, winking and grinning lecherously.

"Hey, Lu Chongwei, this little girl is quite the beauty, isn't she?"

Wakaba exhaled a ring of smoke, looking full of gossip.

"Don't tell me she's a little girlfriend you snatched up while you were out?"

Lu Chongwei rolled his eyes and retorted irritably:

"Don't talk nonsense. I found her out at sea; she had nowhere to go, so I brought her back."

"Oh—"

Wakaba drew out the sound, wearing an expression that said, "I get it, I get it all."

"Found her, huh... tsk tsk, you young people today, you've got some deep schemes."

He patted Lu Chongwei on the shoulder and said in a tone of mock sincerity:

"Don't worry, your uncle here is tight-lipped; I won't go blabbing about it. The 'raising them yourself' type, eh? I understand."

Watching the lewd expression on Wakaba's face, a vein throbbed on Lu Chongwei's forehead.

What kind of garbage was this old man thinking about?

"You don't understand a damn thing!"

Lu Chongwei gave Wakaba a cold, mirthless smile:

"Uncle Wakaba, it seems you're looking to spar with me?"

Seeing the "kindly" look on Lu Chongwei's face, Wakaba shivered all over.

Are you kidding me?

This kid even dared to burn Gildarts; how could his own old bones handle such a beating?

"Ahem... well, I just remembered I didn't turn off the stove at home! I'm off!"

Wakaba greased his heels and slipped into the crowd, vanishing in a flash.

Lu Chongwei shook his head helplessly.

He glanced at Erza, who was being fussed over by Mirajane and Cana, and after confirming she was starting to settle in, he prepared to head home and rest.

This voyage had truly worn him out.

Just as he reached the door.

"Creak—"

The guild doors were pushed open.

A sharp, fierce aura swept through the room, causing Lu Chongwei to stop in his tracks.

A tall, blonde young man walked in.

He wore a leather coat with a fur collar and magic headphones around his neck. A lightning-bolt-shaped scar ran across his right eye, and his gaze was as sharp as an eagle's, exuding an air of wild, unbridled arrogance.

Laxus.

Makarov's own grandson and one of the strongest in the guild's younger generation.

Laxus paused slightly when he saw Lu Chongwei.

Their gazes met in mid-air, and the atmosphere instantly grew tense.

The two had clashed once before, and that time, Laxus had been suppressed by Lu Chongwei's formidable physical techniques and a fraction of his Shikai's power, a fact that had been weighing on him ever since.

"Hmph."

Laxus let out a cold snort and walked straight up to Lu Chongwei.

He looked down at Lu Chongwei from his height, a provocative smirk playing on his lips.

"I hear you've been quite active lately, Lu Chongwei."

Laxus took off his headphones and hung them around his neck.

"But don't get too full of yourself. I've completed quite a few S-class difficulty missions during this time; my strength is no longer what it used to be."

He reached out a finger and poked Lu Chongwei in the chest.

"The S-class Mage promotion exam is starting at the end of the year. When that time comes, I'll show you who the true strongest is."

Lu Chongwei swatted his hand away, his expression calm.

"Then I'll be looking forward to it."

Laxus narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the members brawling in the guild, a flicker of disdain crossing his eyes.

"Also, a piece of advice."

He lowered his voice, his tone laced with arrogance.

"Stop hanging around these weaklings all day. Spend too much time with the weak, and you'll become weak yourself."

"In this guild, only the strong deserve to survive."

Lu Chongwei frowned slightly.

This guy still hadn't changed that foul, power-obsessed temper of his.

"Laxus, we're all comrades; there's no distinction between strong and weak."

Lu Chongwei said indifferently.

"Comrades?"

Laxus acted as if he had heard a joke.

"That sort of thing is just an excuse for the weak. The strongest will only ever emerge from among us; the rest... are nothing but dead weight."

With that, he ignored Lu Chongwei and turned to walk toward the mission board on the second floor.

He casually tore off the mission request with the highest bounty and the greatest difficulty, didn't even glance at it, jumped straight down from the second floor, and strode out of the guild.

Throughout the entire process, he didn't even acknowledge his grandfather, Makarov.

Lu Chongwei watched his retreating back and sighed helplessly.

This wasn't the mindset of a strong person.

This was clearly just a rebellious teenager in the middle of a phase, desperate to prove himself to his family.

"Craving recognition, yet choosing such an awkward way to get it..."

Lu Chongwei shook his head.

Although Laxus's words were harsh, his obsession with becoming stronger was not entirely unlikable.

After leaving the guild.

Lu Chongwei passed by a cake shop.

A sweet, rich aroma wafted out, stirring his appetite.

"Yo, young man Lu Chongwei! Freshly baked strawberry cake today, want to try some?"

The shop owner greeted him enthusiastically.

Lu Chongwei's eyes lit up.

"I'll take two slices!"

He sat down in the shop, dug a spoonful of cake, and put it in his mouth.

The dense cream mixed with the sweet and tart strawberries melted on his tongue, and that sense of bliss instantly dispelled all his fatigue.

"Truly excellent."

Lu Chongwei narrowed his eyes, his face full of satisfaction.

"This is what life is all about."

The next morning.

Lu Chongwei arrived at the guild as usual.

"Morning, Lu Chongwei."

Cana sat at a table, fiddling with her tarot cards, and greeted Lu Chongwei.

"Morning."

Lu Chongwei walked to the bar and ordered a glass of hot milk.

He scanned his surroundings, his gaze landing on a table in the corner.