Qi Yan vs. Natsu

"What?!"

Makarov's eyes widened when he saw it.

"Kid, you're a newcomer. You've got some nerve taking on a job like this. No, pick another one."

Qi Yan said seriously, "Master! I'm confident I can complete this job!"

After all, he had drawn Ulquiorra. Although his magic power was relatively low and he couldn't unleash all of Ulquiorra's strength, it was still more than enough to deal with a bunch of small fry.

Makarov still shook his head. "This isn't a matter of confidence. It's a matter of strength."

"I have the strength to complete this job!"

"You brat, why are you so stubborn?"

Makarov slammed his hand on the table in anger.

"What happened? How did the newcomer make the master angry?"

"Seems like the newcomer wants to take a job, but the master won't allow it."

"What job would the master refuse?"

"The one to wipe out the Phantom Thief Guild."

"What?!"

The guild members were all shocked as well.

The Phantom Thief Guild was a newly risen band of magical thieves. Every member was a mage, and they committed every kind of robbery and atrocity.

Even the Dark Guilds looked down on what they did.

Though Dark Guilds often accepted shady commissions, they still diligently completed their employers' requests and collected their payment.

The Phantom Thief Guild, on the other hand, relied on the power of mages to murder, rob, and plunder innocent ordinary people. They had completely broken the rules.

The Magic Council had been hunting the Phantom Thief Guild, but the group came and went without a trace. They always escaped after every robbery, which was how they became notorious.

According to information provided by the victims, the Phantom Thief Guild had thirteen members—thirteen mages. At that scale, they were already comparable to a small Mage Guild.

To deal with a magical thief group like that alone, one needed at least the strength of an S-Rank Mage. Even if it were an elite mage as strong as Natsu, at least two people would be needed.

For mages of the guild's average standard, at least five people would be required, and it would still be dangerous. After all, they were up against more than ten mages.

That was why the job had been sitting there for several days without anyone taking it.

Yet Qi Yan, a mere newcomer, actually wanted to challenge such a job. It was practically asking for death. He really was a newborn calf unafraid of tigers.

"Master, I'm not being stubborn. I really am confident I can finish this job."

Qi Yan did not back down. His goal was a B-rank job worth over 500,000 J. Even if he chose another one, Makarov might not agree to it.

"If you can prove that you have that kind of strength, I'll let you take it."

Seeing Qi Yan persist so firmly, Makarov decided to make him back down in the face of difficulty.

"How do I prove it?"

"I'll find someone in the guild. If you can defeat them, I'll allow you to take this job."

"Alright!"

Qi Yan immediately agreed.

Makarov swept his gaze across the guild. He most wanted Erza to step up, but she happened to be out on a job and was not in the guild, so he could only settle for the next best option.

"Natsu!"

"Here!"

The moment Natsu heard Makarov say he would find someone in the guild to fight Qi Yan, he had been itching to give it a try. When the master really called his name, he could no longer contain his excitement and leaped straight onto a table.

"The master actually sent Natsu out!"

"The newcomer's in trouble now!"...

Qi Yan also looked toward Natsu. Natsu, the male lead of the Fairy Tail anime—Qi Yan had seen him the moment he entered the guild. After all, Natsu's cherry-pink hair was impossible to miss.

He had not expected the master to send Natsu directly against him. As the male lead of the anime, Natsu's strength was absolutely top-tier within the Fairy Tail Guild. Normally, he could not beat Erza because he could not bring himself to get serious against a guildmate. If he truly got serious, his strength was definitely S-Rank.

But Qi Yan felt somewhat excited as well. He did not know whether he or the current Natsu was stronger, and he wanted to face off against this protagonist himself.

Seeing this, Cana immediately pulled out a sign, wrote Qi Yan and Natsu's names on it, and shouted, "Place your bets! Place your bets!"

"Newcomer Qi Yan versus Natsu!"

"Bet on the newcomer to win and get two-to-one odds! Bet on Natsu to win and get even odds!"

Hearing Cana, the guild members all ran over to join in the fun.

"I'm betting on Natsu! 2,000 J!"

"I'm betting on Natsu! 3,000 J!"

"I'm betting on Natsu! 3,000 J!"...

Almost everyone bet on Natsu, which made Cana anxious. The amount each person bet was not much, but there were too many of them! If Natsu really won, she might lose an entire month's drinking money.

"Hey! Why are all of you betting on Natsu? Bet on the newcomer too! If the newcomer wins, I'll pay double!"

Macao laughed. "Haha! Of course we're betting on Natsu! Who would bet on a newcomer?"

Wakaba laughed along from the side. "That's right! That's right!"

Betting on the newcomer was far too risky, while betting on Natsu was a sure thing. Everyone knew which to choose.

"I'm betting on the newcomer! 3,000 J!"

A purple-haired girl with glasses chose to bet on Qi Yan.

Droy advised, "Hey! Laki, your opponent is Natsu!"

Laki pushed up her glasses and said, "It's fine! It's only one day's meal money anyway. It would be too pitiful if no one supported the newcomer."

Qi Yan glanced at Laki. He had some impression of her. Laki did not appear much in the anime and had originally been an overlooked background character, but when Fairy Tail fell on hard times, she was among the few who still insisted on staying with the Fairy Tail Guild until everyone returned from Tenrou Island.

The fact that she remained with the guild even under those circumstances was enough to prove how deeply she cared for Fairy Tail. From that moment onward, Qi Yan remembered this girl's name.

When Laki saw Qi Yan looking at her, she smiled at him.

"I'm betting on the newcomer too!"

"Mira?!"

The one who bet on Qi Yan was Mira.

"I think that since the newcomer dared to take on that kind of job, he must not be weak. He might not necessarily lose to Natsu."

Hearing Mira say that, the others thought it made sense. Though they were unfamiliar with Qi Yan, the fact that he dared to take that job meant he must have some ability.

More and more people began betting on Qi Yan, but there were still more people betting on Natsu.

Soon, everyone arrived at the open space behind the guild. There was a large clearing there, and beyond it stretched a boundless lake.

This place was often used to settle private grudges. Natsu and Gray, Mira and Erza—they had fought here plenty of times when they were children.

"Go, Natsu! Let the newcomer see what you can do!"

"Go, newcomer! My drinking money tonight is riding on you!!"

The spectators all cheered the two of them on.

"Hello, I'm Natsu. Please go easy on me."

"My name is Qi Yan. Please go easy on me."

Qi Yan and Natsu exchanged greetings.

Natsu asked curiously, "What kind of magic do you use?"

Qi Yan answered, "I use Take Over Magic."

Natsu's eyes lit up. "Oh! So it's Take Over Magic!"

The ones in the Fairy Tail Guild who used Take Over Magic were Mira and Elfman, the siblings. Both were very strong, especially Mira, who was strong like a monster. Unfortunately, she could not use magic now.

"Both sides, get ready!"

"Full Takeover! Ulquiorra Cifer!"

Qi Yan's body began to change. His originally black clothes became a high-collared, long-sleeved coat with a white front and black base. He wore white hakama trousers below, fastened with a wide black sash. A Zanpakutō was tucked into the sash, along with black socks and white shoes.

His skin turned faintly pale, his eyes became green, and green tear streaks appeared beneath them. A white horned helmet covered the left side of his head.

Anyone who had watched Bleach could immediately recognize Ulquiorra's attire.

At the same time, Ulquiorra's memories began surfacing in Qi Yan's mind.

From his birth to his final battle against Horned Ichigo and his death, that life flashed before Qi Yan's eyes, making him feel as though he and Ulquiorra had merged into one.

Once Qi Yan's transformation was complete, merely standing there gave off an overwhelming sense of pressure.