Outside the front gate of the Fairy Tail Guild, the afternoon sun spilled down at an angle, casting mottled light and shadows across the bluestone-paved plaza.
The guild members gathered in small groups; some were squatting, some were standing, and some simply sat on the ground, forming a massive circle.
In the very center of the circle, Erza and Natsu stood face-to-face, the air between them seemingly crackling with tension.
Erza stood with her arms crossed, her long scarlet hair fluttering gently in the breeze, a hint of gratification visible in her eyes?
Before heading out to subjugate Iron Forest, she had promised Natsu a duel. Natsu had remembered this promise the entire time and couldn't wait to challenge her the moment they returned.
Natsu was dancing with excitement, acting like a monkey just released from its cage, jumping up and down while letting out strange cries: "Wahahaha! I'm definitely going to knock you flat today! Erza, just you wait!"
He waved his fists as he spoke, flames dancing between his fingers, his eyes shining like two pieces of burning charcoal.
Normally, Cana would be the one squatting on the ground taking bets, but Cana wasn't short on money now. Ever since she and Gildarts recognized each other, her wallet had become a "Gildarts-brand S-Class Wallet"—those who used it knew the perks.
So, at this moment, Cana was leaning against a nearby tree trunk, hugging a wine barrel and watching the fun with a relaxed expression.
Consequently, the one squatting on the ground taking bets now... was Riyao.
He sat cross-legged on the ground with a tattered wooden board in front of him, upon which the words "Betting Station" were written in crooked chalk letters.
He propped his chin with one hand while twirling a piece of chalk in the air with the other, a cunning smile on his face as he called out to the crowd.
"Come one, come all! Place your bets! Bet on how long Natsu can last! One minute? Three minutes? Five minutes? Or will he be insta-killed? Don't miss out as you pass by!"
Mirajane squatted beside Riyao, a small cloth pouch tied to her white apron, busy collecting money.
Her long silver hair shimmered in the sunlight, and a gentle smile graced her face, but her eyes clearly sparkled with the light of "making money is so much fun."
Makarov also snuck over, his small body squeezing through the crowd. He pulled a wad of bills from his pocket and said to Riyao in a low voice: "I'll bet on... three minutes."
Riyao took the money and noted it down in a small notebook with a grin: "Received. The Master bets on three minutes."
Lucy stood on the outskirts of the crowd, hands on her hips. Seeing the guild members acting so unprofessionally, she couldn't help but press a hand to her forehead and sigh: "Is our guild... always this unproductive?"
Her voice was thick with helplessness and despair.
Hearing this, Riyao looked up and stared at Lucy as if she were an idiot, his lips twitching slightly:
"What are you talking about? Didn't you read the newspaper when you were in Hargeon? You were even lying on a bench, kicking your legs with joy."
Lucy's face instantly flushed red, and she jumped up like a cat that had its tail stepped on, shouting in her usual shock: "How did you know that!? You stalked me! Miss Mirajane, look at him!"
She grabbed Mirajane's sleeve and pointed at Riyao with a look of grievance.
While counting the bills in her hand, Mirajane said without looking up: "Virgo was the one following you back then. He had cross-dressed to go look for some fun."
She spoke in a relaxed, casual tone, as if she were saying the weather was nice today.
Lucy froze, her brain stalling for three seconds.
"Cross... cross-dressed?!"
Only then did she remember the cross-dressed Riyao back on the ship.
Just then, Virgo popped up from the side, her long black hair fluttering in the air, an elegant smile on her face.
"Boss gave me the recording crystal ball and told me to tail the Princess to record her beautiful life."
As she said this, a weird light flickered in her eyes, and the corners of her mouth moved up by a single pixel.
Lucy covered her face in utter despair and squatted on the ground, her shoulders shaking—Why! Why was her dark history recorded?!
Gray walked over and patted her shoulder, his tone carrying a bit of comfort.
"It's fine. Everyone in the guild has had their dark history recorded by Riyao. You're not alone."
He spoke with a very serious expression, as if sharing some life experience.
Cana covered her mouth and snickered from the side, her eyes teasing: "Gray, if you do that, Lucy will be very troubled, you know."
As she spoke, she extended a finger and pointed at Gray's body.
Gray blinked and looked down at himself.
Then his face instantly turned bright red, like a cooked Magikarp, and he began frantically searching the ground for his clothes: "Where are my clothes?! How did I strip again?!"
Riyao watched this scene, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly. Acting very generous, he announced to the surroundings:
"Anyone who wins their bet today can take back a copy of their own dark history~ Don't miss out as you pass by!"
This sentence was like a bomb, instantly detonating the entire guild.
"I bet five minutes!"
"I bet Natsu gets insta-killed!"
"I bet Erza wins in one move!"
The guild members boiled over, pulling out their wallets to place bets. Coins and bills flew toward Riyao and Mirajane like snowflakes.
In the center of the circle, Natsu and Erza were both raring to go, the atmosphere growing more and more tense.
Makarov stood between the two and cleared his throat, his small body standing straight.
"Ready... Begin!"
The moment the words fell, a flash of light erupted from Erza's body.
"Requip! Flame Empress Armor!"
The light faded, and she was now clad in a set of red armor with flame patterns. Her entire body radiated a scorching aura, and the blade in her hand burned with a raging fire.
Seeing this, Happy immediately turned around and pulled out money: "Riyao! I want to bet on Erza winning within one minute!"
Riyao took the money, happily stuffed it into Mirajane's pouch, and then turned to look at Mira.
"Mira, let's tie some twin-tails too."
Mirajane blinked, then with a beaming smile, she reached out and nimbly tied Riyao's hair into twin-tails.
"Not bad, not bad. Riyao looks very cute."
Riyao touched his twin-tails with a look of satisfaction.
In the center of the circle, Natsu took a deep breath, his chest swelling high.
He opened his mouth, and a stream of fire erupted, but its power was clearly diminished, acting like a flamethrower as it chased Erza around.
[Fire Dragon's Roar: Youth Version]
Erza dodged easily; the flames didn't touch her at all, but they did make the spectating members howl.
"Natsu! Aim better!"
"My eyebrows! My eyebrows got singed!"
"Who stepped on my foot!"
Elfman stood to the side with his arms crossed, looking very composed as he nodded deeply.
"Whoa! A real man!"
Lisanna walked through the crowd carrying a tray, delivering cold drinks to the spectators, her short white hair swaying gently with her movements.
"Erza is still so composed. It looks like Natsu is going to get a beating again today."
She spoke with a smile, her tone carrying a hint of nostalgia.
Just as everyone was enjoying the show...
"That's enough."
A cold voice rang out.
The crowd parted automatically as a frog-man walked in from the outside. It wore a Council uniform, its green skin glistening in the sunlight, and its bulging eyes scanned the surroundings.
"I am a special envoy from the Council." It held its head high, its tone carrying a hint of arrogance.
Riyao, still squatting on the ground, looked up with a smile and chimed in: "A special scapegoat from the Council."
Hearing this, the frog-man's expression changed instantly, its bulging eyes widening even further.
"Who are you!? How dare you offend the Council!"
It pointed a finger at Riyao, its tone full of anger.
Riyao spread his hands, looking indifferent.
"Take a guess, you unlucky frog. You were tricked into handling a hot potato and you're still all Happy about it—if that's not a scapegoat, what is?"
He spoke in a relaxed, casual tone, as if he were saying the weather was nice today.
The frog-man's companion, a human wearing a Council uniform, quickly walked over and whispered a few words into the frog-man's ear.
The frog-man's expression shifted from anger to shock, and then from shock to terror. Its companion likely hadn't expected this idiot to be tricked into coming here without knowing anything.
After listening, the frog-man's attitude immediately did a 180-degree turn, becoming almost fawning.
"Haha... Lord Riyao, please excuse my rudeness."
It rubbed its hands together, its face covered in a flattering smile, its bulging eyes full of awe.
In its heart, the frog-man had already cursed its colleague's ancestors for eighteen generations. Poor froggy me, I guess this is where my journey ends.
The surrounding guild members showed surprised expressions, with Lucy's reaction being the most obvious. Her eyes widened, her mouth formed an 'O' shape, and she asked the question everyone wanted to ask most.
"Why is the Council so respectful to Riyao?!"
While counting bills, Mirajane explained proudly: "Because many of the high-ranking officials in the Council are Riyao's former patients. There are even several Councilors who, while not sick, rely on Riyao to help prolong their lives and restore vitality to their bodies."
As she spoke, her face was written with the pride of 'my Riyao is truly amazing.'
Makarov, standing to the side, was so smug his head was almost tilted back to his spine, his mustache curling high.
"Hmph, he's the star of our guild!"
The frog-man rubbed its hands and spoke cautiously.
"Um... Lord Riyao, it's like this. There are orders from above. We need to arres... invite Erza Scarlet to the Council. What do you think..."
Its tone carried a hint of testing the waters, for fear of saying the wrong thing.
Erza dispelled her Flame Empress Armor, changed back into her regular clothes, and said, "I'll go with them, Riyao."
Her tone was calm, as if she were talking about something perfectly ordinary.
Riyao rubbed his chin, thought for a moment, and a cunning smile curled his lips.
"I'll go along and have a look too."
The frog-man's face instantly slumped, but it maintained its respect on the surface.
"This... this might not be appropriate."
Riyao waved his hand, his tone playful.
"I'm just going to see Councilor Yajima. You shouldn't stop me, right~"
As he said this, his eyes carried a hint of pressure.
The frog-man completely resigned itself to its fate—couldn't provoke him, couldn't provoke him. It could only nod and bow in agreement, then lead the team back to the Council.
Riyao and Erza followed. Before leaving, Riyao turned and kissed Mirajane on the cheek.
"I'm going to go have some fun."
Mirajane touched the spot where she was kissed and waved with a beaming smile.
"Remember to come back early."
In the center of the circle, Natsu lay on the ground rolling around, letting out wails: "I finally got to have a fight with Erza... Waaaah..."
His flames were completely extinguished, and he looked like a deflated ball.