Akane Resort, also known as the Jewel of the Coast or Akane Paradise, was the undisputed king of tourist destinations in the Fiore Kingdom.
This place was a marvel of magical engineering and luxury. It not only featured a massive theme park filled with lacrima-powered rides but also boasted a luxurious high-end hotel that towered over the coastline.
It was a destination designed to be addictive; a place where wallets went to die, and memories were minted in gold.
Outside the hotel, the world opened up into a charming, pristine beach and an endlessly beautiful, vast ocean that glittered like sapphire under the summer sun.
The members of the "Strongest Team" of Fairy Tail had finally arrived.
Casting aside their missions and worries, they threw themselves into the seaside activities.
"Ugh... the water is moving... why is the water moving..."
Natsu, who suffered from severe motion sickness on anything that moved, had insisted on following Lucy into the ocean to try surfing.
"It's just a board, Natsu! Stand up!" Lucy yelled, riding a wave gracefully.
"I can't!"
The result was predictable.
Natsu was tossed around by the waves like a piece of driftwood, turning green as the ocean churned him like a washing machine.
Meanwhile, further up the shore, a far more violent activity was taking place.
"Take this!"
"Hah!"
Gray and Erza were enthusiastically playing beach volleyball.
However, given their superhuman physical abilities, the scene looked less like a friendly game and more like a murderous battle for survival.
BOOM!
Erza spiked the ball.
The sand exploded upon impact, creating a crater.
"Nice try!" Gray shouted, diving and saving the ball with a slide that kicked up a sandstorm.
Meanwhile, Ankh didn't join in the chaos of the water or the violence of the volleyball court.
Instead, he sat quietly near the dunes, playing in the sand like an ordinary boy.
He hummed a tune, his fingers dancing. Before long, with the subtle help of his Gravity Magic to hold the grains together, Ankh built a massive, intricate sandcastle.
It was over twice his height, featuring flying buttresses, detailed spires, and a moat.
Passersby stopped in their tracks, their eyes nearly popping out.
"Is that... a scale model of the Royal Palace?" a tourist whispered.
Inside Ankh's mind, however, a deep, ancient voice grumbled.
[Too plain. Can't you build a necropolis instead? Or a temple to our glory?]
It was Seram and he sounded bored.
Ankh rolled his eyes, replying helplessly in his thoughts.
'It's just made of sand. It's for fun, not worship…'
While bickering with the Seram in his head, Ankh obediently started constructing an even larger wing to the palace to appease Seram.
But just as the enormous sandcastle was completed..... disaster struck.
"WOAHHH!"
Natsu, who had been swept up by a particularly large wave, came flying through the air like a wet missile.
CRASH!
He landed squarely in the center of the castle.
The sand castle that Seram had been so fond of was instantly obliterated.
"Hahaha! Sorry, Ankh!"
Without a care, Natsu laughed foolishly, shaking off the sand.
He immediately ran off to bother Gray again, leaving Ankh staring at the ruins and Seram cursing violently in the mindscape.
[Kill him. Kill him. Do it now.]
"Calm down," Ankh sighed, dusting his hands.
Soon after, chaos erupted again.
Natsu swiftly stripped off Gray's swim trunks while the ice mage was distracted.
"I got 'em!"
Like a monkey king emerging from a heist, Natsu ran along the wave-washed shore, holding the underwear aloft like a flag and scattering bell-like laughter all around.
"NATSU!"
Furious, Gray looked down and panicked.
He grabbed Happy who happened to be flying by, and used him to cover his privates.
"Give those back, you ash-brained idiot!" Gray roared, chasing after Natsu.
"Aye! My eyes!" Happy wailed.
Not far away, hiding behind a thick coconut tree, was a figure in a deep blue swimsuit.
Juvia gazed with starry eyes at Gray's bare backside as he ran into the distance.
Steam practically rose from her head.
"Ah..." Juvia sighed with admiration, clutching her cheeks. "Gray-sama is so wild! So bold! He is showing off his pp just for Juvia!"
Laughter and joy filled the beach.
It showed that no matter how powerful these individuals were, their playful hearts remained intact—even Ankh was no exception.
But happy times are always short-lived.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the waves slowly receded.
Golden twilight bathed the sea and sand, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene of purple and orange.
Seeing the beachgoers gradually disperse, Ankh and the others gathered their things and headed back to the high-end hotel for dinner.
The meal was a feast—seafood, steaks, and endless desserts.
After satisfying their appetites, the group split up to rest.
Ankh lay comfortably on his king-sized bed.
He watched the deep twilight spilling across the balcony, listening to the distant sound of the ocean.
"This kind of life…" Ankh sighed contentedly, closing his eyes. "Is truly wonderful. No dark guilds, no paperwork, no screaming fans…"
Just as he was drifting off to sleep, a violent knocking suddenly erupted at the door!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
"Ankh! Wake up! Come on!"
Ankh's eyes snapped open.
A vein throbbed in his forehead. Recognizing the voice and the frantic knocking as Natsu's, he couldn't help but roll his eyes.
With these guys around, I'll never have a moment of peace…
Yawning, Ankh rolled out of bed and opened the door. Natsu and Gray stood there, dressed in casual evening wear and full of energy.
"You guys really have endless stamina," Ankh remarked, leaning against the doorframe. "We've been playing at the beach all day. Aren't you tired?"
Gray grinned, pointing downward. "Tired? The night is just starting! The most famous part of Akane Resort is actually the underground floors. I heard there's a magical amusement park and a high-stakes casino down there—that's where the real fun is!"
Ankh couldn't help but give Gray an extra glance. "You sound quite experienced with this? Since when do you gamble?"
Gray scratched his head. "I just heard about it from Loke. He said it's a great place to meet... people."
'Honestly,' Ankh thought, 'with the monthly earnings Gray makes, coming to such a luxurious hotel casino still feels a bit extravagant for him...'
However, seeing their excitement, Ankh shrugged. "Alright then. Let's go. I could use a drink."
Happy eagerly pointed toward the opposite corridor where the girls' rooms were.
"Aye! Should we go wake Lucy up?"
Ankh facepalmed internally.
He reached out and pat Happy's head. "Stop picking on Lucy all the time. She's not as clever or energetic as you..."
He paused, thinking. "Actually, just let Lucy know. Tell her and Erza where we are going. If they want to join, they can come later. We'll head down first to scout the area."
Happy saluted. "Got it! Aye, sir!"
With that, the boys' group tidied up their appearance and cheerfully ran downstairs to the elevators.
Just as Gray had described earlier, the underground entertainment floor was truly fantastical.
The vast floor was brilliantly lit with neon magical lights. It was a chaotic mix of vices and innocent fun.
To the left, there were rows of gambling tables, card games, and slot machines ringing with jackpots.
To the right, in a massive cavernous space, there were amusement rides—roller coasters looping near the ceiling, merry-go-rounds, and a Ferris wheel.
It had to be said, combining a casino and an amusement park into one underground facility was a bold choice.
The hotel owner was certainly an imaginative (and greedy) fellow.
The boys' group quickly found their preferred spots.
"Whoa! Look at that!"
Natsu and Happy rushed over to a machine called the "Magic Ball Lottery." It was a loud, flashing contraption.
They started excitedly shouting numbers while dancing around it, attracting stares.
True to his reputation as a ladies' man, Gray soon sat down at a high-stakes card table. He found himself seated with some richly jeweled wealthy ladies and immediately began charming them, dominating the game with a cool smirk.
Ankh wandered around for quite a while, hands in his pockets.
Eventually, his eyes locked onto one particular spot, and he stood there, unable to tear himself away.
"A shooting game?"
Before Ankh stood an exquisitely polished and decorated Magic Crystal console.
It displayed a first-person perspective of hands floating within the crystal, somewhat reminiscent of Counter-Strike or Call of Duty from his previous life.
"Interesting," Ankh muttered.
As Ankh connected his Magic Power to the crystal, his consciousness linked with the game.
His first-person perspective quickly appeared on the screen. Several magical guns materialized on the table in front of him, shimmering with holographic light.
Ankh picked up two handguns.
He immediately immersed himself in combat. Enemies—goblins, dragons, and soldiers—began appearing one after another in the Magic Crystal.
Bang! Bang!
Ankh's reflexes were godlike. He moved with a lazy precision, headshotting targets without breaking a sweat.
However, after just three short minutes, Ankh boredly put down the guns and exited the game.
"Too easy," Ankh sighed. "The npc is predictable. I might as well suggest to Frey when I return that her family develop some better entertainment—maybe a battle royale game. This world's recreational culture is seriously lacking innovation."
After wandering around aimlessly for a bit more, nothing else caught Ankh's interest.
Instead, he spotted something else.
Sitting at a bar nearby was Juvia. She had changed into a low-cut, sexy evening gown that hugged her curves.
She was wearing the Fairy Tail necklace Ankh had seen earlier around her neck.
She was staring intently at the card table where Gray was playing, sipping a drink.
She was probably here to build up the courage to chat him up.
Ankh didn't bother with the love-struck pair.
He looked around.
'Where are the others?'
Seeing no other entertainment, he decided to look for Erza and Lucy instead.
But his true intentions lay elsewhere.
Ankh's expression darkened slightly. He knew what was coming. His main purpose in coming to this specific resort wasn't just relaxation. It was to draw out Erza's former companions from the Tower of Heaven.
According to the timeline, Sho, Wally, Millianna, and Simon should be making their move tonight.
'I need to find them,' Ankh thought, stepping away from the bright lights of the casino.
'I need to be there when they approach Erza. I have to prevent them from hurting Lucy, and ensure Erza faces her past without being taken by surprise.'
He moved silently toward the exit that led to the quieter parts of the underground complex, his vacation mode officially suspended!