Who Gets Kicked Out

"Oh? Is that so?"

Lu Chongwei's voice drifted over.

Natsu and Gajeel froze, their arrogant bluster vanishing without a trace.

The two of them slunk back to the corner and crouched down, muttering under their breath in frustration.

On the other side of the hall, Lu Chongwei, Mirajane, Romeo, and Nancy sat around a round table, chatting casually.

"Romeo." Lu Chongwei looked at the young man before him, emotion in his eyes.

"Seven years. You've grown a lot."

"That two-colored flame just now is already enough for you to stand on your own."

Romeo's cheeks flushed slightly, and he scratched his head in embarrassment.

"You're praising me too much, Brother Chongwei. I'm still nowhere near good enough."

"During the seven years everyone was missing, all I could do was train like mad. I didn't want to drag the guild down."

His gaze dimmed slightly.

"But no matter how hard I worked, the title of Fiore's number one guild was still taken away."

The atmosphere in the hall fell briefly silent.

"Who's the number one guild now?" Lu Chongwei asked.

"It's Sabertooth." Romeo gritted his teeth, full of unwillingness.

Mirajane reminded him softly.

"Chongwei, do you still remember what happened seven years ago?"

"The ones who bewitched Race and sowed discord were people from Sabertooth."

Lu Chongwei lightly tapped his fingertips on the tabletop.

"So it was them. Interesting."

In the next instant, his attention was drawn to the strawberry cake Mirajane handed over.

"Try it. I made it fresh this morning."

Mirajane smiled gently, used a small fork to pick up a bite of cake, and brought it to his lips.

"It tastes great. More to my liking than the dessert shops outside." Lu Chongwei opened his mouth and ate it, his expression softening.

"You always know what to say."