He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the anger churning inside him. When he opened his eyes again, they were filled with grave concern.
"...Blanc, you did well!"
The Guild Master's voice was quiet, but the anger simmering beneath it made every member at the entrance instinctively sober up.
"Take him down, bring him to the basement, and wake him up."
"I have questions for him!"
The guild's first basement level, their temporary base.
Gajeel had been securely bound to a thick wooden stake again.
Apparently, Mira had felt that leaving him naked was far too indecent. She had found a baggy old coat somewhere and thrown it haphazardly over him to cover him up.
Blanc strolled over, rolled up his sleeves without a word, and delivered several sharp slaps. Smack, smack, smack!
The brisk movements and resounding slaps made the onlookers' mouths twitch uncontrollably.
"Ugh..."
Gajeel's brows twitched a few times before his eyes snapped open.
Almost the instant he regained consciousness, he instinctively began struggling like mad. But the vines binding him remained as immovable as steel bars.
Then he took in the scene before him-an unfamiliar room, surrounded by a ring of hostile Fairy Tail Wizards watching him like hawks.
Among them stood that terrifying figure who had toyed with him the night before, someone he would recognize even if he were reduced to ashes.
The humiliating memory of being ground into the dirt last night flooded his mind.
Gajeel's face alternated between livid and pale. Then he belatedly noticed his ridiculous outfit. His original clothes had been stripped off, leaving only his underwear and a shabby coat to preserve his modesty.
"You bastards-!!!"
His roar, filled with humiliation and fury, made those nearby clap their hands over their ears.
"Shut up!"