### Chapter 8: Battle, Gray VS Jiro
Feeling the somewhat oppressive atmosphere around him, Gray, who wasn't good at comforting people, could only change the subject:
"B-By the way, didn't you say I was going to help you awaken your magic?
Since you're full, let's start.
Follow me, I'll take you to train by the lake behind the guild. It's not only spacious there but the scenery is also uniquely beautiful."
As he said this, he hurriedly winked at Erza and Cana.
The two understood immediately and, without further ado, pushed Jiro out of the guild.
Jiro, who hadn't spoken since earlier, felt the strength of the three people pushing and pulling him from front and back. Although he didn't show it on his face, he felt their respective care for him in his heart.
*Really, like this, I won't be able to play pranks on them in the future.*
Experiencing the warmth and charm of the Fairy Tail guild for the first time gave him a unique feeling that couldn't be understood just by watching through a screen.
It was enough to move Jiro, an old slicker and attention seeker from before his transmigration, for a moment.
So, after leaving the guild, he took the initiative to explain.
"Alright, alright, I'm not that fragile.
Besides, the Master asked for it. Who told him to insist on bringing me back to the guild and treating me as a mascot?"
Hearing this, the three of them all paused. After carefully observing Jiro's expression for a while and confirming that he wasn't forcing himself to be calm, they quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Seeing this, Jiro unceremoniously reached out and rubbed Cana's dark brown hair and Erza's scarlet hair respectively, then put his arm around Gray's neck forcefully.
"You really are precocious little brats. You are clearly just little runts, but you insist on pretending to be so mature."
"Hey," Gray slapped the hand clamped around his neck hard and said dissatisfiedly:
"Before talking about me, look at your age. You are the one pretending the most, okay?"
"It's different. Although Big Brother me is young, my mental age is that of an adult."
"Where did you get that crooked logic?" Gray pouted unhappily, puffing up his cheeks.
Tidying up her hair messed up by Jiro, although she was a little angry about Jiro touching a lady's head randomly...
Looking at the two boys bickering in front of her, Cana chuckled unknowingly.
*He's fitting in fast, Jiro.*
Thinking this, she turned to look at Erza, only to see a faint smile on her lips as well.
Seeming to sense her gaze, Erza looked over too.
The two girls looked at each other like this, then smiled at each other and hurriedly quickened their pace to catch up with the two in front.
Walking shoulder to shoulder with them, they joined the dispute about whether Jiro was an 'adult' or not.
...
"Wow, what a spectacular view."
Arriving at the place Gray mentioned and looking at the boundless clear lake in front of him, Jiro, who didn't have the chance to see the sea in his previous life, sighed from the bottom of his heart.
"Hehe, not bad, right? This is where I usually like to practice magic facing the lake."
Gray boasted proudly as if claiming credit.
Hearing this, Jiro nodded repeatedly in agreement, "Indeed a good place.
With such a beautiful lake, if I could set up a fishing rod here and fish all day, it would simply be a blessing in life."
"Hey hey, why are your hobbies so much like an old man's?
Could it be that, like you said, you really have the heart of an old man like Macao?"
The three of them really couldn't understand what was so good about holding a broken wooden pole and staring at the lake all day without catching anything.
But for a veteran angler who followed his grandfather fishing since he was 8 or 9 years old in his previous life and had more than ten years of fishing experience...
Fishing was not only a sport but also an art that tested patience, skills, and vision.
Of course, now was not the time to say these things.
After taking a deep breath and silently memorizing this beautiful scenery in his heart, Jiro turned around and impatiently asked about the main business.
"Let's say, who goes first? Let me say this first, my fists are heavy. Don't cry if you get hit."
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Gray took a step forward and stood opposite him.
"Of course it's me. I'll return those words to you intact.
Even without using magic, it's impossible for you to be a match for me, a Mage!"
He hadn't forgotten the grudge of being deceived earlier and was already gearing up to teach Jiro a good lesson.
Seeing this, Cana and Erza also silently stepped back to make room for the two.
Only Cana shouted somewhat worriedly:
"Gray, Jiro, it's just a training session. Be careful not to get hurt."
Erza didn't speak, just stood aside with her arms crossed, staring at Jiro with a serious expression.
*A guy who can remain unharmed under Grandpa Master's hands is definitely not simple even if he doesn't know magic.*
*If Gray underestimates him because of this, he will definitely suffer a big loss.*
In the field, the two also assumed their respective fighting stances.
Gray adopted a conventional fighting stance, feet slightly apart, fists with the right in front and left in back, carefully protecting his face, especially his chin.
Compared to Gray, Jiro's stance was nondescript, but it also gave people a sense of incomprehensible shock.
Jiro, who had only fought in kindergarten and elementary school, naturally didn't understand various fighting stances.
He just suddenly thought of the classic pose of Son Goku fighting Vegeta.
So he began to imitate it convincingly.
With his left leg forward and right leg back, legs slightly bent to place the center of gravity on the right leg.
On his upper body, the ring finger and pinky of his left hand were curled, while the other three fingers formed a claw in front to protect his face. The five fingers of his right hand were clenched into a fist and placed behind his waist to store power.
Coupled with the confident smile on his face, for a moment, the three really couldn't gauge his depth.
"Hey, what is that weird pose? It looks full of flaws everywhere."
"None of your business. Come at me."
Hearing this, Gray also suppressed the curiosity in his heart.
After taking a deep breath, his legs exerted force violently, and he strode towards Jiro.
At the same time, pulling his right fist back and driving his entire upper body with power from his waist, he threw a fierce straight punch at Jiro's face.
From the moment he assumed the stance, Jiro's heart rate was rising rapidly, and the adrenaline in his body helped him forcibly overcome his subconscious fear of fighting.
Facing the straight punch thrown by Gray, he subconsciously used his left hand to block in front of his face, and then, without caring whether he blocked it or not, the right fist that had been accumulating power behind him swung out ruthlessly.
Considering that Jiro didn't know magic, Gray held back this time.
But when the straight punch he threw was firmly grabbed by Jiro's left hand...
And at the same time, another fist magnified rapidly in his eyes, Gray couldn't help but curse in annoyance in his heart.
*Oh no, I underestimated him!*
"Ow!"
With a scream, Gray's feet left the ground, tracing a beautiful arc in mid-air before flying backward and smashing heavily onto the ground.