"NANI?!!!"
Natsu's shocked yell echoed across the entire camp. Even the tent they were in seemed to flinch at the noise.
"Hey! You in there! Quiet down! You want to be put in solitary?!"
A guard's scolding came from outside.
Hearing this, Natsu finally settled down.
Mystogan, however, perked up, drawn by the words "solitary confinement."
But on second thought, solitary confinement required causing a commotion...
Yeah, never mind.
"To be honest, we were pretty shocked when we first heard about it too," Macao said with a look of amazement.
Mystogan hadn't said a word to any of them. They'd only found out from Makarov when the assignments were being handed out.
Aside from Erza and Mira, everyone else's reactions back then weren't much different from Natsu's.
Not that they doubted Mystogan's ability to wipe out all of Phantom Lord's branches—it was just that his role in the guild was so mysterious.
Even many long-time members were experiencing the full extent of Mystogan's power so directly for the first time.
"But when you calm down and think about it, it makes sense."
Wakaba, pipe clenched between his teeth, wore a matter-of-fact smile.
"Aye! After all, he's Mystogan!" Happy chimed in.
Natsu's blood was pumping, his desire to challenge Mystogan growing stronger.
But in the end, he forced the thought down. Chase was right—fighting here would cause trouble.
When it came to matters affecting the guild's principles, Natsu actually knew how to follow the rules.
"Hey, Mystogan, are you hungry? Want me to treat you to some fire?"
Unable to challenge him, Natsu's eyes darted around. A ball of high-quality flames sparked to life in his palm.
"Hey, you idiot. Mystogan's not a Dragon Slayer," Macao retorted.
"You're the idiot! If he eats, he'd have to take off his mask, right?!" Natsu shot back without thinking.
So that's what he was after Mystogan's true face!
"Ah, that makes sense!" Macao exclaimed in realization.
"Ha! Didn't think of that. Nice one, Natsu." Wakaba gave him a thumbs up.
"Hey, hey, Mystogan, want some fish? It doesn't have that crazy spicy stuff on it~"
Happy, ever the man of action, pulled out his prized Galuna Island saltwater fish and walked over, holding it out to Mystogan. His sparkling eyes were filled with anticipation.
This was a serious investment.
Mystogan: "..."
Even Chase, who'd just poured himself a cup of tea, was left speechless by this operation.
The idea was pretty good, and the logic was sound, but...
Setting aside whether Mystogan would actually take off his mask to eat fire or fish—were you guys seriously going to discuss your scheming right in front of him like that?
Is that really okay?!
Seeing Mystogan completely unmoved, Happy and Natsu hung their heads in disappointment.
"Heh. That man wouldn't fall for such an obvious trick."
"Natsu, Happy, you're too green. When push comes to shove, leave it to the adults!"
Macao and Wakaba exchanged a glance, instantly understanding each other. They stepped forward with unwavering confidence.
"Prepare yourself, Mystogan. Even if you see it coming, this is a finishing move you absolutely cannot resist!"
"The true face of Fairy Tail's most mysterious man—we shall be the ones to unveil it!"
Feeling the confident aura radiating from the two, Mystogan's brow furrowed slightly, a hint of pressure building.
The main reason he didn't immediately send them to dreamland was to be considered of Chase.
He had to be,if Chase got involved, things would definitely get even more complicated!
"Here we come, Mystogan!"
After a brief buildup, Macao and Wakaba shouted in unison and made their move, pulling out the secret weapons hidden behind their backs.
"Anti-Male Special Attack Magic: The Hottest Page from the Gravure Magazine!! " x2
The previously heated atmosphere instantly dropped to freezing point.
Crows seemed to caw outside the tent.
Staring at the sexy woman revealed on the page, Mystogan's mouth twitched. He sat there dumbfounded, almost regretting having taken them seriously.
"Hah? This is what you meant by 'a finishing move Mystogan absolutely cannot resist'?"
Natsu voiced the thought Mystogan couldn't bring himself to say. "What's so great about this? It's even lamer than Happy's fish!"
After how confidently Macao and Wakaba had been acting, he'd actually gotten his hopes up.
And this was it?
Might as well just look at Lucy!
"What? He's completely unfazed!"
The two men looked utterly incredible, unable to accept this outcome.
Sure, Natsu the idiot and Chase the card fanatic didn't react—but even Mystogan showed no interest whatsoever?
This was a finishing move so powerful it could make even the Master, one of the Ten Wizard Saints, drop his guard in an instant!
"Hey! Mystogan, are you nearsighted? Take a good look! These legs, this waist, and that bountiful—"
Macao pointed at the model in the magazine, ready to elaborate on the finer details, when suddenly his eyelids grew unbearably heavy.
Thud.
Before he could finish, he and his partner-in-crime Wakaba collapsed to the ground, fast asleep.
A wisp of mist drifted through the air, extinguishing the still-burning pipe that had fallen onto Wakaba.
"Ahahaha! Serves you right! You made Mystogan mad!" Natsu clutched his stomach, laughing at their misfortune.
Then, he too slumped to the ground.
Even Happy wasn't spared, falling from midair with eyes closed and landing squarely on Natsu's head.
Mystogan moved his hand away from his magic staves and looked at Chase with a quiet sigh. "Sorry. I'm not used to such a noisy environment."
"No worries. If you hadn't done it, I was about to use some sleep magic myself."
Chase glanced at the three humans and one Exceed, all snoring away.
For someone as reserved as Mystogan, enduring this long was already very considerate.
"You use sleep magic too?" Mystogan asked curiously.
He hadn't heard anything about Chase having a card with that kind of effect.
"Physical sleep counts too."
Chase grinned and raised his fist, the size of a small sandbag. Then he handed Mystogan the tea he'd just brewed. "Here. I tried it tastes pretty good. Must be Council special reserve."
"I see. I suppose I'm just ignorant," Mystogan said, slightly taken aback as he accepted the cup.
For some reason, his movements seemed unusually cautious, as if on guard.
If Chase turned out to be as interested in his face as Natsu and the others, things would get very troublesome. He had to be careful.
"Speaking of which, you're insane. I recall Phantom Lord had dozens of branches, right?"
As it turned out, his caution was unnecessary. Chase, already familiar with the story, had no intention of "unveiling the mystery."
"Compared to you, who defeated Jose of the Ten Wizard Saints, I still fall short." Mystogan breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
"It wasn't all my doing. Mostly, it was the old man and everyone in the guild backing me up," Chase said, showing rare modesty.
But it was the truth.
If he'd run into Jose in the wilderness and had to fight one-on-one, there would've been a lot more to consider. He couldn't have fought so freely and enjoyed it so much.
"Come to think of it, your magic power seems stronger than when we last met."
Mystogan's eyes narrowed slightly as he studied Chase.
"Ahahaha! That's what mages do—stay determined, keep fighting strong opponents, and grow stronger," Chase said, scratching his head with a laugh. "That's what the Master says."
"Hey, Mystogan, when are you going to—"
"Time to sleep. Good night."
Mystogan cut him off, setting down his cup and getting into bed. He pulled up the covers, rested his head on the pillow, and casually added a triple-layer magic barrier around them: Mirror Water.
The whole sequence was so fluid it left Chase no chance to continue.
"You bastard!"
Chase shook his head but didn't press further.
Grabbing Natsu and the others like chicks, he tossed them onto their respective cots. Then he turned off the light and climbed into bed.
***
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