First Sparring Match, What Exactly Did You Come Here For?

At dawn, as the sun rose, Ed opened his eyes, sprang up from bed in a flash, quickly got dressed, and strapped on the ninja tool pouch he had prepared before going to sleep the night before. Looking in the mirror, he said, "I'm just as handsome today~ But it feels like something's missing. I should have a few ceremonial cloaks custom-made when I have time and properly cosplay Minato~"

With the Flying Thunder God's signature flash, Ed appeared at the guild entrance. A crowd had already gathered there, while Gray stood waiting in the open space before the guild. "You're slow, Ed. Don't tell me you're scared?" Gray casually pulled off his shirt and provoked him.

"It's only nine o'clock. You never said what time to be here. Also, please pay some attention to your appearance." Ed raised one hand to cover his eyes, wearing an expression that said he could not bear to look at Gray.

"When did you—?!" Gray hurriedly put his shirt back on. "Is this your strategy? Distracting me with clothes to mess with my emotions? How despicable, Ed!"

"I seriously..." Ed trailed off, sighed, and gave up on arguing with Gray. Instead, he began stretching his legs to warm up. "Then let's get ready and start?" Once he finished warming up, Ed rolled his wrists. He looked fully prepared for battle.

"Oh~ It hasn't started yet. Made it, made it!" A pink-haired boy squeezed out of the crowd. "Don't shove, Natsu!" Cana and Levy, who had been pushed aside, protested. "Exactly!"

"Aye! Natsu heard Gray was dueling the newcomer and rushed back overnight!" A small blue cat walked out from beneath Natsu's legs and spoke to the two girls.

"You're back, Droopy Eyes. How'd the mission go? Didn't cry after getting beaten up by a monster, did you?" The moment Gray saw Natsu, he began provoking him like Tom spotting Jerry.

Natsu bristled like an angry cat and charged straight at Gray. The two pressed their foreheads together and began straining against each other. "Huh? What did you say, you droopy-eyed bastard? A mission like that wasn't hard at all. You're the one who should worry about getting flattened by the newcomer. It's fine—after he beats you, I'll duel him and avenge you for getting flattened." Natsu opened with pure mockery. A vein bulged on Gray's forehead. "You flaming bastard, are you tired of living? Once I beat the newcomer, I'll take you out in seconds and show you who's stronger!"

"Then try it, you ice bastard! How about you forget dueling the newcomer? Right here! Right now! Let's settle it! The winner gets to fight the newcomer!"

As the two wrestled and argued, the battle that had yet to begin took a strange turn.

"Don't mess up a duel that's already been arranged!" Bang! With a stern rebuke and a crisp blow, a red-haired girl in armor suppressed Natsu with a single punch just as he was trying to stir things up.

"Erza! You came too!" Gray's whole body jolted. He instantly stood straight, feet together, arms hanging naturally at his sides in an attention stance.

"I heard you were dueling the newcomer, so we were all waiting nearby." Erza dragged Natsu back toward the crowd and pointed at the people beside her. "And it wasn't just Natsu. That bellybutton girl rushed back after hearing about the duel too."

"What did you call me, armor girl?!" "Sis! Calm down!" Ed looked in the direction Erza pointed. A white-haired girl in a black midriff-baring outfit was being tightly held by another white-haired girl with short hair. Beside them, a burly white-haired boy with a weak-looking face was quietly trying to calm them down.

"So... so beautiful." Ed's eyes seemed to contain only Mira, who was still fuming. Her face was flawless, her features bright and stunning. It was as though every description of a beauty he had ever heard had suddenly taken on a real, tangible form: willow-leaf brows, almond eyes, cherry lips, every bit of it.

Her fair skin glowed with a rosy tint, like a ripe peach. Her figure was lush and graceful, swaying like a willow in the breeze, so beautiful that he could not look away. Any more would have been too much, any less too little. Most of all, that long white hair struck directly at Ed's weak point. Before he could think, Ed decisively walked toward Mira.

"Ed! Where are you going?" Gray watched Ed head toward the crowd with a puzzled expression.

"Hello! I'm Ed, a mage who just joined Fairy Tail!" Ed rushed in front of Mira. "You must be Miss Mira Strauss!" He clasped Mira's left hand in both of his. "This may be sudden, but it was love at first sight! Please give me a chance to pursue you!"

"Whaaaat?!" The surrounding crowd cried out in shock.

"Confessing the first time they meet... That's so bold..." Levy and Cana were so stunned by the scene that they did not know what to say.

"What... Wait... You... How dare you... What the hell are you doing?!" Mira froze the instant she heard him, as if her mind had crashed and she could not form words. Then her anger seemed to break through her embarrassment. "Are you messing with me?!" Mira yanked her hand free, grabbed Ed by the collar, and shouted in humiliation and fury.

"No, I'm serious. And I'm not using this as an excuse to confess. I'm expressing my feelings while asking for a chance to pursue you." Ed looked completely earnest. "After all, whether it's sincerity or a joke will be easy to tell after some time."

"Sis... why not give him a chance? He seems pretty serious. Maybe someday..." Lisanna recovered from her earlier shock and began teasing her sister. "Is... is this really okay...?" Elfman still seemed unable to recover from his disbelief.

"Lisanna! Whose side are you on?!" Mira, red-faced with embarrassment, nearly broke down as she complained to her little sister, that black-hearted padded jacket. "Is being serious even the issue here? I only learned his name just now! Stop making things worse!"

"That bellybutton girl actually made someone fall in love at first sight..." Erza looked as though she had suffered a blow.

"Hm?" Mira seemed to sense something. She looked up, saw Erza's expression, and immediately felt something strange. "Hm... If he confessed to me, doesn't that mean I'm way more charming than Erza, that armor girl? You armor girl nobody wants!" Mira found the crucial point and instantly began gloating.

"What?! You damn bellybutton girl! Skinny girl! Idiot! Moron!" Erza lashed back at Mira without thinking.

"I have someone pursuing me. You don't."

"You! Just you wait!!" Erza retreated in defeat.

Mira had crushed Erza head-on for the first time, but the reason for her victory was somewhat subtle, making the whole thing feel rather strange.

Gray, who had been forgotten off to the side, roared, "Ed! What the hell did you even come here for?!"

Ed seemed to remember something. "Oh, right, you too. Come on, I've been ready for a while!"

Ed returned to the center of the clearing, pulled out a kunai, and readied himself for battle.