There sat someone.
Erza.
Strangely, she wasn't wearing the casual clothes the guild had given her yesterday. Instead, she had put on a full suit of heavy Silver Armor.
She hadn't even taken it off for breakfast. She looked completely out of place.
She sat alone, head bowed as she quietly ate her cake. It was as if an invisible barrier separated her from the bustling guild.
"What's wrong with her?"
Lu Chongwei carried his milk over and sat down beside Cana.
"She's been like that since early this morning."
Cana sighed and spread her hands helplessly.
"She barely responds to anyone who talks to her. And she keeps wearing that armor—even when she sleeps, she won't take it off."
Lu Chongwei nodded thoughtfully.
He understood.
It was a sign of extreme insecurity.
For Erza, who had endured hellish torture, only that sturdy armor could offer her even the slightest sense of protection.
Just then,
a swaggering set of footsteps sounded.
Gray, wearing only a pair of shorts, sauntered toward Erza with an obnoxious swagger.
"Hey, newbie!"
Gray reached her table and kicked the chair beside it, sending it crashing over with a bang.
The loud noise drew everyone's attention.
Erza stopped eating and slowly raised her head, fixing Gray with a cold stare.
"What is it?"
Her voice was completely flat, cold as ice.
Gray put his hands on his hips and looked at her provocatively.
"What's with all that metal? You have to wear that around the guild just to show off that you can afford armor?"
"And that stuck-up look of yours really pisses me off!"
Gray pointed at Erza's nose and shouted,
"I challenge you to a duel! I'll show you who's boss around this guild!"
Lu Chongwei covered his face with a hand.
That kid was trying to get himself killed again.
Erza watched Gray in silence. Her gaze slowly traveled down to his bare upper body and the pair of shorts he was wearing.
A trace of mockery appeared at the corner of her mouth.
"Before you criticize how someone else dresses..."
Erza said coolly,
"shouldn't you learn how to get dressed yourself, pervert?"
"Pfft—"
Someone burst out laughing.
A moment later, the whole guild erupted in laughter.
"Ha ha ha! Pervert! Well said!"
"Gray, she's right! Put some clothes on first!"
Gray's face instantly turned a deep red.
He looked down and only then realized that he'd taken his clothes off again without noticing.
His embarrassment flared, but it was quickly overtaken by even greater anger.
Being mocked by a newbie in front of so many people—how was he supposed to show his face around here after that?
"Shut up!"
Gray flew into a rage, cold mist bursting from his body.
"A fight! Right now! If I win, you take off that damn armor!"
Erza stood up.
"And if I win?"
"Do whatever you want!"
"Fine."
Erza's gaze sharpened.
"If I win, stay away from me from now on. Don't bother me."
With that, she headed for the guild's entrance.
Gray followed close behind, unwilling to back down.
Makarov sat on the counter. Instead of stopping them, he excitedly waved his glass.
"Good! Young people should spar more often! Go outside! Don't break the tables!"
In the open space outside the guild,
the two stood facing each other.
The onlookers formed a circle around them. Some had even started taking bets.
"I'm betting on Gray! He's been here longer!"
"I'm betting on Erza! Just look at her—she's clearly not someone to mess with!"
Gray faced Erza, preparing to make his move.
Suddenly, Lu Chongwei stepped out of the crowd and stood between them.
"That's enough, Gray."
Lu Chongwei sighed.
"She's still eating breakfast. Don't make a fuss."
Gray was already worked up and wouldn't listen.
"Lu Chongwei! Mind your own business!"
Gray pointed at Lu Chongwei, his fighting spirit rising even higher.
"If you're going to protect her, then I'll take you on too!"
He looked at the Zanpakuto at Lu Chongwei's waist and shouted,
"Draw your sword, Lu Chongwei! I know you're strong, but I'm not the same as I used to be!"
"Once I beat you, I'll prove I'm worthy of challenging her!"
Lu Chongwei looked at Gray's earnest expression and shook his head helplessly.
"Draw my sword?"
Lu Chongwei patted the scabbard.
"I don't need this thing to deal with you. It's too powerful. If I burn you to ashes, the guild master will kill me."
"You dare look down on me?!"
Gray completely lost it.
That casual, dismissive attitude stung more than any insult could have.
"Ice-Make: Lancer!"
Gray slammed both hands against the ground.
Cold mist surged, and dozens of sharp ice spears formed in an instant. With a shrill whistle, they shot toward Lu Chongwei in a sweeping barrage.
The attack was much faster and more powerful than before.
The crowd gasped.
But
Lu Chongwei simply stood where he was, without even blinking.
Just as the ice spears were about to touch the tip of his nose,
"Flash Step."
Whoosh—
Lu Chongwei vanished into thin air.
Gray's pupils contracted sharply.
That move again!
Before he could react, a gust of wind was already rushing toward him.
Lu Chongwei appeared before Gray like a ghost, less than four inches away.
There was nothing fancy about the move.
Lu Chongwei raised his right hand and drove a simple straight punch into Gray's stomach.
"Thud!"
Gray's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
The intense pain knocked him unconscious. His body curled up like a boiled shrimp, then toppled straight to the ground.
A one-hit knockout.
The entire crowd fell silent.
Lu Chongwei drew back his fist and shrugged at Gray, who lay motionless on the ground.
"I told you not to make a fuss."
Makarov jumped in, raised a hand, and loudly announced,
"The winner—Lu Chongwei!!!"
"Woooooo!!!"
Cheers erupted once more.
Everyone looked at Lu Chongwei with awe.
He'd knocked Gray out with a single blow. As expected, his strength was unfathomable.
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