Natsu Dragneel

The atmosphere in the guild hall was, for a moment, incredibly awkward.

Makarov stood atop the bar, hands on his hips, his mustache twitching with indignation. His cloudy old eyes were filled with fury as he glared at Lu Chongwei, who had just returned.

"Four months! Four whole months!"

Makarov roared, spittle flying everywhere.

"Do you think this guild is a hotel, you brat? You come and go as you please? You didn't even send a single message back—are you trying to worry these old bones of mine to death?!"

Lu Chongwei shrank his neck, offering an apologetic smile.

He knew the old man had a sharp tongue but a soft heart; if he talked back now, it would definitely be like throwing oil on a fire.

"Oh, come on, Master, calm down."

Lu Chongwei stepped forward, skillfully kneading Makarov's shoulders with a technique that was nothing short of professional.

"I ran into some special circumstances, and I wasn't just idling around either. I brought back plenty of good things for our guild."

"Hmph! Don't try that on me!"

Makarov turned his head away with a huff, though his body honestly enjoyed the massage Lu Chongwei was providing.

"What kind of good things could possibly make up for four months of absenteeism? Let me tell you, even if the King of Heaven himself came down, I'm still docking your pay!"

Lu Chongwei chuckled, and as if performing a magic trick, he pulled a thick magazine from his coat.

The cover featured a photo that would make anyone blush at first glance, showcasing a model with a sizzling figure in a provocative pose.

"Ta-da!"

Lu Chongwei lowered his voice, speaking with an air of mystery.

"Master, this is a limited edition, out-of-print issue of Sorcerer Weekly that you can only get through internal channels in the capital. It's packed with the top three winners of this year's beauty pageant, and it's an unreleased swimsuit special, too..."

Before he could even finish his sentence.

Makarov's eyes widened to the size of copper bells. His face, which had been flushed red with anger, turned a deep, purplish hue, and two streams of nosebleed trickled down quite unceremoniously.

"Th-this is..."

Makarov's hands trembled as he took the magazine, stroking the cover as if it were a priceless treasure.

"Ahem!"

He quickly stuffed the magazine into his shirt and cleared his throat with a straight face. The anger on his features vanished instantly, replaced by a benevolent, kindly smile.

"Well... Lu Chongwei, you know, it's good for young people to get out and see the world. It's better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books. I believe in you!"

The entire room collapsed in disbelief.

"He was bought off just like that?!"

Wakaba was so shocked that his pipe fell right out of his mouth.

Having dealt with the biggest hurdle, Lu Chongwei turned to the crowd of onlookers and clapped his hands.

"Alright, alright, there's enough for everyone! You all have gifts!"

With that, he began pulling items out of his magical satchel—which seemed to hold an infinite amount of goods—like a generous benefactor.

"Uncle Wakaba, this is for you."

Lu Chongwei tossed over an exquisite wooden box.

Wakaba caught it, and his eyes went wide.

"Is this... the royal-exclusive 'Golden Leaf' tobacco?!"

Wakaba's hands shook with excitement. This was a top-tier luxury that money couldn't buy; it was said that one puff could keep you feeling refreshed for three days.

"Lu Chongwei, you're my own father!"

Wakaba clutched the tobacco box, moved to tears.

"Get lost, I don't have a son as old as you."

Lu Chongwei waved him off with a look of disdain before turning to Erza, who stood nearby looking both expectant and a bit shy.

"Erza."

Lu Chongwei beckoned her over.

Erza stepped forward, her usually sharp eyes sparkling.

"This is for you."

Lu Chongwei handed her a long blade with an antique design.

The scabbard was deep red, carved with intricate cherry blossom patterns.

Erza took the blade and drew it slightly.

"Clang—"

A crisp, ringing sound echoed through the hall. A flash of cold light shimmered, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop by several degrees.

"A fine blade!"

Erza was a connoisseur; she could tell at a glance that this blade was no ordinary item.

"This sword is called 'Crimson Sakura.' It's forged from a special magical ore with excellent mana conductivity, making it perfect for your Requip magic."

Lu Chongwei explained with a smile.

Erza caressed the blade, unable to put it down. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she revealed a captivating smile.

"Thank you, Lu Chongwei. I love it."

That smile caused the hearts of all the men nearby to race.

Was this really the terrifying woman known as "Titania"? She looked like nothing more than a girl next door!

Finally, Lu Chongwei walked over to Gray.

Gray maintained his usual cool, aloof demeanor, hands in his pockets (despite being shirtless) and his gaze wandering elsewhere.

"Hey, I don't really need anything, and I wasn't expecting anything anyway..."

Despite his words, the way his eyes kept darting toward Lu Chongwei's hands betrayed him completely.

Lu Chongwei suppressed a laugh and pulled out a blue necklace that radiated a faint chill.

"Just take it, stop pretending."

Lu Chongwei tossed the necklace to him.

"This is an Ice Crystal Necklace. It can help stabilize the flow of mana in your body and increase the durability of your Molding magic. The next ice shield you create shouldn't shatter so easily."

Gray caught the necklace, feeling the coolness emanating from it, and felt a warmth spread through his heart.

This guy—even though he always bullied him, he was actually quite reliable when it counted.

"Tch, meddlesome guy."

Gray muttered stubbornly, but his hands moved quickly, nimbly fastening the necklace around his neck before checking his reflection in a mirror.

Just as the guild was filled with harmony and everyone was sharing the joy of their gifts:

"BOOM!!!"

The guild doors were kicked open violently once again.

A vibrant figure charged inside.

"Lu Chongwei!!! Where are you?!"

Everyone turned to look.

A young man with cherry-blossom-colored hair and a white scale-patterned scarf around his neck stood at the entrance.

His eyes were blazing with fire, and he scanned the hall with an excited expression before finally locking his gaze onto Lu Chongwei.

"I've finally found you!"

The boy shouted, striking a combat stance.

"I am Natsu Dragneel! I challenge you!"

Lu Chongwei raised an eyebrow as he looked at the overly hot-blooded boy before him.

So this was the protagonist from the original story, the Fire Dragon Slayer, Natsu?

He certainly looked like an energetic fellow.

Before Lu Chongwei could speak, Gray, standing to the side, became annoyed. He had just received a gift and was in a good mood, only for it to be ruined by this sudden, loud intrusion.

"Hey, where did this wild brat come from? Screaming and shouting—don't you know the rules?"

Gray stepped forward, glaring at Natsu with displeasure.

Natsu turned his head and looked Gray up and down, his expression turning to one of disgust, especially when he saw Gray's bare upper body.

"Huh? Are you some kind of pervert? Walking around without clothes in the middle of the day."

"And what's up with your eyes? They're drooping so low they're practically hitting the floor. Did you just wake up? Droopy-eyes!"

Veins popped out on Gray's forehead instantly.

"What did you say?! You weird-haired freak! Your eyes are the ones that are slanted up! Slant-eyes!"

"Droopy-eyes!"

"Slant-eyes!"

"Bastard! You want to fight?!"

"Bring it on! You think I'm scared of you?!"

The two were like natural-born enemies; sparks flew the moment they met.

The next second.

They were directly locked in a brawl.

No magic was used—just raw, primitive fisticuffs.

You pulled my face, I yanked your hair, and we rolled around on the floor, knocking over several tables in the process.

"These two idiots..."

Lu Chongwei rubbed his forehead in resignation.

This was just a typical day at Fairy Tail.

Just as the two were locked in an inseparable brawl, a cold voice rang out above their heads.

"What are you two doing?"

Natsu and Gray's movements froze instantly.

They looked up mechanically, meeting Erza's emotionless eyes.

At this moment, Erza was gripping the "Crimson Sakura" that Lu Chongwei had just given her, her entire body radiating a suffocating killing intent.

"That was... a gift from Lu Chongwei..."

Erza pointed at the cake box (a dessert Lu Chongwei had bought on a whim) that had been knocked to the floor by the two, her voice terrifyingly low.

"You crushed it."

"Uh..."

Natsu and Gray broke into a cold sweat instantly, clinging to each other and trembling.

"Um... Erza, this is a misunderstanding..."

"Whether it's a misunderstanding or not, it doesn't matter."

Erza raised her fist, her armor glinting coldly under the lights.

"Destroying guild property, wasting food, and disturbing the peace."

"Death penalty!"

"Thud! Thud!"

Two dull impacts echoed.

Natsu and Gray didn't even have time to scream before Erza punched them both, smashing them directly into the floorboards.

The world went quiet.

With smoking lumps on their heads and their eyes rolled back, the two lay in the craters, their bodies twitching from time to time.

Yet even so, Natsu stubbornly raised a hand, pointing shakily at Erza.

"I... I will definitely... defeat you..."

With that, he passed out completely.

Lu Chongwei watched this scene and couldn't help but sigh.

"So this is the future Titania; she certainly lives up to her reputation."

However...

Seeing Erza's furious expression over the ruined cake, he found it somewhat amusing.

This girl seemed to be developing in a rather strange direction.

A moment later, Natsu wobbled awake, relying on the monstrous recovery abilities of a Dragon Slayer.

He touched the lump on his head, wincing in pain, but the fighting spirit in his eyes hadn't diminished in the slightest.

Ignoring the onlookers, he walked straight up to Lu Chongwei.

"Hey! Lu Chongwei!"

Natsu shouted loudly.

"I heard you're the strongest Fire Mage in the guild? I don't accept that!"

"My fire is the strongest! I'm going to beat you!"

Lu Chongwei looked at the persistent youth before him and set down his glass of milk.

He could feel the restless magic power within Natsu—the power belonging to a dragon.

Although it was still quite raw, that pure heat was truly impressive.

"You want to challenge me?"

Lu Chongwei smiled playfully.

"Alright."

He stood up and stretched his wrists.

"Since I just got back, it wouldn't be a bad idea to stretch my limbs."

Hearing Lu Chongwei accept the challenge, the guild instantly erupted.

"Oh, oh, oh! We've got a show!"

"The new Dragon Slayer is challenging Lu Chongwei? This kid's got guts!"

"Quick, quick! Get outside! Don't tear the guild apart!"

The crowd swarmed out of the guild in a flurry, gathering in the open space outside.

A duel of fire against fire was about to begin!