"Your meaning is… that is Happy?!"
Moen pointed at the blue cat wearing a yellow bear hoodie and asked Erza.
"That's right."
Erza answered while covering her face. She suddenly remembered—wasn't the name "Happy" originally Moen's suggestion?
So… was the real reason because of this?
"Aye!"
Happy lay flat on his four legs, pretending to be a real cat, even letting out a cry—though it didn't sound like a cat at all.
Right now Happy didn't dare speak. He was completely frozen stiff, wondering whether he should pretend to be a stuffed toy instead.
"Y-y-y-yes, M-Moen-nii!"
Beside Happy, a blond, swollen-faced Gray stared wide-eyed, even stuttering as he spoke. Clearly, he'd been frightened badly.
Gray hurriedly covered his face, then anxiously looked toward Erza and Lucy. Why were these two so calm?!
Dressed like that, did they seriously think they could fool Moen-nii?!
Gray didn't believe it at all. His swollen face from fighting Natsu would have worked better. If your face is puffed up like this, of course nobody can recognize you!
Erza and Lucy both looked embarrassed, not daring to even look at Gray.
At that moment, Gray suddenly realized something—Moen-nii had just arrived together with Erza. Did that mean they'd already been exposed?!
It had to be said: Gray's brain worked extremely fast as long as the matter didn't involve Natsu. In an instant he understood everything. Fundamentally, he was a smart kid.
Meanwhile, the black-haired Natsu was in a strange state. He stared fixedly at the pink-haired little boy lying by the riverbank.
"Lost… I lost to Gray."
The swollen, bruised adult Natsu kept muttering, completely unable to accept reality. His whole body trembled with rage.
Before the eyes of both adult Natsu and adult Gray, their childhood selves had fought—child Natsu lost to child Gray. Adult Natsu was utterly shocked. He couldn't accept it. He absolutely refused!
"AAAAAAAH!"
Natsu roared, leaping straight down the road toward the riverbank. He rushed to the unconscious small Natsu.
He grabbed little Natsu by the collar and slapped him twice. Two slaps weren't enough—next came a rapid chain of eighteen slaps!
Papapapa—!
Under the barrage of slaps, little Natsu slowly regained consciousness.
Strangely, he felt this sensation was familiar.
Last time… wasn't there also someone slapping him awake after he passed out? The starry-eyed little Natsu couldn't remember anymore.
"Stand up and keep fighting him! You haven't lost yet! I—!"
"How can you just give up?! Fight Gray again! Beat him! I—!"
Adult Natsu shouted while frantically slapping little Natsu. Everyone watching could barely hold their laughter.
Moen sighed and turned toward Erza beside him, his expression odd.
Didn't she tell them not to interact too much with their past selves? Natsu was about to beat his childhood self to death! What part of her warning did he even understand?!
"…"
Erza instantly flushed in shame. She had been questioned by childhood Moen!
But she did warn them!
It was all Natsu's fault for not following instructions! He completely ignored everything she said!
"Monster!"
Little Natsu, after being slapped awake, saw the disheveled, twisted-faced, teeth-baring, red-eyed adult Natsu in front of him and he broke completely. He bolted on the spot.
"You idiot! What do you mean calling yourself a monster?!"
Adult Natsu yelled with bared teeth, so furious that dragon scales were almost sprouting. He glared at his younger self like a disappointed parent.
"I don't understand what you're saying! You damn monster!"
Little Natsu, recovering from the initial shock, immediately prepared to strike back. But before he could attack, Moen stepped in front of him, facing the snarling monster head-on.
"M-m-Moen-nii?!"
Seeing Moen—much shorter than himself—standing there, adult Natsu's ferocious face twisted even more. This time, from fear.
"Moen-nii! Let's take him together! Let's beat this monster!"
Unlike adult Natsu, little Natsu reacted completely differently. The moment Moen appeared, he jumped out from behind him with a triumphant expression, staring at the terrifying adult Natsu.
"Monster, your doom is coming!!!"
Little Natsu shouted triumphantly. His magical power surged rapidly as he pointed at the hideous adult Natsu.
"Fire Dragon's Claw!"
Flames wrapped around little Natsu's hand as he swung a claw-like strike at the "ferocious monster."
Natsu had always been fearless since childhood. Even though he had been slapped silly by this monster moments ago, he was used to this sort of thing—Erza had slapped him before too!
"Useless! Idiot! The difference is way too big!"
Facing little Natsu's fierce Dragon Slayer attack, adult Natsu casually blocked it. The force rebounded, sending little Natsu's hand swinging toward his own neck.
Pa!
At the critical moment, Moen grabbed little Natsu's wrist, preventing him from scratching his own throat.
The bruised, hideous adult Natsu froze for a moment. Before he could react, Moen kicked him square in the face.
Pa!
Boom!
Adult Natsu flew backward and crashed into the ground.
He wasn't hurt at all—he immediately scrambled up, stunned.
"What the hell?! Why did you kick me?!"
After getting up, adult Natsu immediately yelled at Moen. Seeing this slightly immature Moen in front of him, he instantly felt his courage rise.
Always suppressed and never once able to win against Moen, Natsu finally couldn't resist letting out an inward "keh-keh" evil laugh.
'Bullying Moen-nii in this era… that might actually work! No way he'd ever know it was me!'
That was what big Natsu was thinking.
"Thud!"
But before big Natsu could even begin his "keh-keh" monster laugh, Erza's iron fist crashed onto his head.
"Splatt."
The black-haired big Natsu collapsed on the ground face-first.
"You bastard! What the hell have you been messing around with?!"
Erza, who had held back for a while already, finally snapped. She stomped him twice—bang, bang and with her fierce irritation, she beat the previously ferocious Natsu into complete silence.
"Monster!!"
Little Natsu, watching one monster get crushed by an even bigger monster, completely lost it. He grabbed Moen, ready to escape with him.
"…"
Moen couldn't help but laugh. Was this some kind of bloodline suppression?
Facing the berserk future version of himself, little Natsu wasn't afraid at all and even dared to throw punches. But the moment he saw the berserk future Erza, Natsu panicked instantly—as if looking at some kind of man-eating beast and turned to run for his life.
"Natsu, go back and call for reinforcements. I'll hold them off. We can't let these guys enter Magnolia!"
Moen pushed little Natsu forward, looking extremely fired up. Little Natsu froze for a moment, then immediately responded.
"Moen-nii! Hang in there! I'll go get everyone right now!"
Shouting as he ran, Natsu pumped his little legs as fast as he could, racing toward Magnolia to call for help.
Natsu wasn't stupid. He didn't insist on staying because he didn't want to drag Moen-nii down. His attack had been blocked effortlessly and had nearly injured himself. Staying here would only distract Moen, so he might as well hurry and bring reinforcements.
Watching little Natsu run off, Gray stood there stunned. He then looked at Moen, wondering—were they really supposed to fight little Moen? C-could they… win?
"You idiot Gray! Idiot Happy! Get over here right now! And Lucy—you too!"
Before Gray could finish panicking over whether to fight Moen, Erza was already raging. The "Fairy Queen" had one foot planted on Natsu and yelled at all of them to gather immediately, her face pitch-black with fury.
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