Natsu slowly climbed out of the massive crater, stretching his stiff body and frowning. "Erza's weapons and armor are totally cheating. One hit, and your whole body slows down."
"And that Flame Emperor Armor she wears cuts my fire damage by, like, eighty percent!"
He crossed his arms behind his head, staring up at the sky. "How am I ever gonna get one up on Gray~?"
Happy waved a paw, looking exasperated. "You're still hung up on losing to Gray the other day? It was just a couple fewer knockouts. It's not like you fought him head-on and lost."
"It's not about the knockouts! It's a matter of pride!!" Natsu clenched his fists, fuming. "Every time I see that smug look on Gray's face, it ticks me off!!!"
"He's totally gonna rub it in every chance he gets, like, 'Oh, look, it's Natsu, who lost to me twice~' or some garbage like that."
Happy turned, ready to head back for some fish-winged lion. "Then just beat him again. It's not like you're ever gonna take down Erza or Loke and jump straight to S-Class."
Natsu's face grew serious, and he slammed his right fist into his left palm. "I hate to admit it…"
"But beating that jerk twice in a row is gonna be tough. What's a way I can really shock him and rub it in his face?"
Natsu pondered for a few seconds, muttering, "S-Class… S-Class…"
His eyes suddenly lit up. "An S-Class mission!"
"If I pull off an S-Class mission, that'll prove I'm just as good as an S-Class wizard!!"
"Plus, when I complete it, Gray's gonna be floored by my strength and guts. And the best part? S-Class missions give way more magic power than regular ones!!"
"Once I'm done, I'll surpass Gray and leave him speechless!!!"
The more Natsu thought about it, the more brilliant the idea seemed. He spun around, grinning at the cat's retreating figure. "Happy!!"
Hearing the shout, Happy flinched, pretending not to hear as he quickened his pace. But the sound of footsteps grew closer, and with a flash of blue light, he flapped his wings, ready to bolt from this trouble magnet.
A large hand grabbed the little knapsack on his back.
"Happy! Let's go tackle an S-Class mission together!" Natsu's voice was brimming with excitement.
Happy, far from catching the enthusiasm, struggled harder. "No way!! Taking an S-Class mission without permission will get us punished by Erza!!!"
"I don't wanna end up with my black-and-white portrait hanging on the guild wall!! I just wanna go eat fish-winged lion!!!"
"Let me go, Natsu!!!"
"Ohhh~? Not feeling up for a mission, huh?" Natsu dragged out his words, a sly grin spreading across his face.
"I seem to recall Erza misplacing a manga a while back… something called Detective Conan."
At the mention of the title, Happy froze. His flailing limbs slowed, then stopped entirely.
Natsu didn't let up, ignoring the petrified cat in his grip. "Sure, it got returned eventually, but the first page had a character circled in red ink with two big words written next to it—'The Culprit.'"
"When Erza saw that manga, she was piiiiiissed. Said she'd snap the fingers of whoever did it, right?"
Happy's fur stood on end, his ears drooped, and his tail curled nervously.
Natsu leaned in close, whispering in Happy's ear, "Wonder who did it~?"
A cold sweat broke out on Happy's back. He spun around, forcing a shaky smile. "Haha, so you're set on taking an S-Class mission, right, Natsu? Got it!!"
"I'll help you snag a mission request!"
Natsu laughed, patting Happy's head. "Heh, that's my trusty partner! So loyal~"
"Aye~" Happy's voice was laced with despair. He'd been so careful returning that manga—Erza hadn't even noticed! So how the heck did Natsu know?!
"Alright! Let's head back and chow down on some fish-winged lion!" Natsu strode toward the guild, practically bouncing with excitement.
Natsu's mood was sky-high, but Happy's was in the dumps.
"I never should've doodled in that book~!"
That night, the guild was empty, with only moonlight streaming through the windows, casting dappled shadows on the floor.
Happy, clutching a small glowing orb, quietly flew up to the guild's second floor. His heart pounded, and he kept his wingbeats as soft as possible.
Reaching the second floor, he used the orb's light to scan the mission requests, his paws carefully flipping through them.
"Gotta find a mission Natsu can actually handle. A subjugation one would be best. His strength is already S-Class level—he just hasn't passed the exam. An S-Class mission shouldn't be a problem."
"Breaking a seal shrouded in mist? Nope, Natsu's hopeless at brainy stuff. That's a no-go."
"Lifting a curse on an old mansion? Natsu's only good for smashing things. Pass."
"Escort mission—protecting a princess to another country? No way, Natsu might end up punching the princess."
It was all curses or escorts—stuff Natsu couldn't handle! Happy's ears drooped, his heart sinking into despair.
"We're so dead. Erza's gonna kill us." The mental image of her furious face sent shivers down his spine.
Happy clutched his head in desperation, accidentally loosening his grip on the orb. It rolled to his right, making a soft clatter.
"Oh no!" Happy's heart nearly stopped. He dove after it, catching the orb just before it tumbled down the stairs.
Grabbing it, he let out a shaky breath, wiping sweat from his brow. "Phew, that was close. No one's around, but doing sneaky stuff always makes me feel so guilty."
"Is someone up there?" Levy's voice suddenly rang out.
Happy's heart skipped a beat. He stared at the glowing orb in his paws, panic flashing in his eyes as they darted around.
"Is it Mirajane? Or Loke?"
Gritting his teeth, Happy shoved the orb into his mouth.
"Hot!!" he screamed silently.
"Hm? The light's gone. Was it just moonlight blocked by clouds?" Levy muttered, puzzled. Glancing at the book in her hand, she shrugged. "Whatever, I'll just grab this and go. Kagura's waiting."
Happy lay sprawled on the floor, ears twitching until he heard the faint creak of the back door. He exhaled in relief.
"Phew, good thing only S-Class wizards can come up here, or I'd be toast."
"=_= But seriously, the new back door's way too quiet."
"Gotta find an easy mission and get outta here, or I'll have nightmares tonight."
He looked up, scanning for a suitable request. Then a line caught his eye.
"Mission reward—a Zodiac Key?"
He read the details closely. "Breaking a curse on Galuna Island? Another curse mission…"
Happy was about to give up when his eyes gleamed, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Erza's terrifying, but she's a bit softer on newbies. Lucy's always writing novels—maybe she knows something about handling curses."
"Plus, this reward's the smallest one here, so it's probably simpler and easier to complete."
He yanked the request off the board. "This is the one!"
Decision made, he peeked out, confirmed the coast was clear, and carefully slipped out the back door with a flutter of his wings.
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