— — — — — —
Instead of looking at Natsu, who was walking toward him, Kazuma looked at Mirajane.
"Hey Mira, bet you anything this guy's next line will be—"
"'Kazuma! You ambushed me before! I'm not okay with that! Let's fight again... for real this time! I swear I'll win!'"
Kazuma mimicked Natsu's tone perfectly, grinning as he turned to Mira.
"No way," Mira chuckled. "Even Natsu's not dumb enough to keep challenging you after getting his butt kicked that many times."
But the smile froze on her face the next second.
"Kazuma! You ambushed me before! I'm not okay with that! Let's fight again... for real this time! I swear I'll win!"
Natsu shouted and charged straight at Kazuma.
But before he even realized what was happening, Kazuma had already blurred forward and landed a clean punch right to Natsu's stomach, dropping him instantly.
"Natsu's not just your average idiot," Kazuma sighed, glancing down at the unconscious dragon slayer. "His brain doesn't even turn on. Other people at least remember getting hit — he doesn't even remember what he had for lunch yesterday. You really think someone like that learns from experience?"
Mira rubbed her temple, torn between laughing and sighing. She looked from Natsu to Kazuma, eyes narrowing. "You sure you didn't learn some kind of mind-reading magic?"
Kazuma raised an eyebrow. "Mind reading? Nah. Natsu's just way too easy to predict."
He shot her a teasing grin. "Besides, even if I could read minds, what's with that defensive pose?" He glanced at Mira's little movement. "I'm not a pervert— and no, I can't see through clothes. And even if I could, I wouldn't do something like that."
The truth was, Kazuma hadn't used Observation Haki or anything fancy this time. He didn't need to. Natsu was practically a walking open book.
"I wasn't thinking that!" Mira protested quickly, smoothing her shirt with suspiciously perfect innocence. "It just got a little wrinkled, so I was fixing it, that's all."
Her smile was angelic. Her lie was not.
"Yeah, right. Pretty girls are the best liars."
"Thank you for the compliment," she said sweetly.
"Okay, okay, enough messing around. I'm off to do a job."
Kazuma turned to leave, but he didn't make it far before Makarov's voice called from the bar.
"Take the new girl with you... Lucy, was it? Let her get some field experience."
The old man poured himself a drink, settled onto the counter, and spoke casually between sips.
"Eh, can't someone else handle that?" Kazuma frowned. "Bringing a newbie will just slow me down. Especially her. That girl's curiosity is a full-time job on its own."
"This was your recruit," Makarov said calmly. "Your responsibility."
He smirked. "And if you really want to be guild master someday, you'd better learn to take care of your comrades. But if it's too hard for you, I can always send Natsu instead. He's probably more reliable."
His eyes drifted to the floor, where Natsu was still passed out cold. "Then again, the kid is impressive. Out like a light already."
"Your reverse psychology's not gonna work on me, old man," Kazuma muttered.
He said that — but his feet had already stopped moving.
Natsu. More reliable than him?
That was a low blow. A humiliation he couldn't just swallow.
"Fine," Makarov said with a grin. "If you don't care, go on ahead. Once Natsu wakes up, I'll let him take the job instead. I've had a good feeling about him since he was little."
"Alright, fine! I'll take Lucy," Kazuma snapped. "But just so we're clear: it's not because your little trick worked. I just want to prove something."
He jabbed a thumb at his chest. "I'm not lazy because I can't do it. I'm lazy because I can. In this guild, I'm second to none — and whoever says otherwise, I'll knock them through a wall! And you, old man, you'd better watch out. One of these days I'm taking your seat."
With that, Kazuma stormed out to find Lucy and start the mission. With his strength, even with a rookie tagging along, the job would be a walk in the park.
Makarov chuckled, watching him leave. "So proud. He knew I was baiting him, and he still fell for it."
"Hahaha, so young~"
Mira laughed softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Didn't Kazuma say something before? What was it again…"
She thought for a second, then smiled.
"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough. So make your youth a storm, not a calm sea."
Makarov choked on his drink and coughed hard. "That brat can really talk. Those are some wise words."
He shot Mira a weary look, thinking to himself, 'She used to be fiery, a real storm—now she's just deviously sweet. Angel's face, demon's heart.'
Still, he couldn't deny Kazuma had a point.
"There are some things," he murmured, gazing out the window, "that you can only do when you're young. Hesitate too long, and the chance is gone forever."
If he'd lived as freely as Kazuma back in his own youth, maybe he wouldn't have as many regrets today.
Truth was, he had high hopes for that boy. Among all possible future guild masters, Kazuma was near the top — strong, capable, and genuinely caring toward others.
His only flaw was that he carried too much on his own shoulders. Like he needed to protect them all.
That was why Makarov wanted him to take Lucy, to learn what it meant to rely on a partner.
...
Meanwhile, Kazuma and Lucy had already met the client, settled on the payment, and begun the infiltration mission.
"So, um… since it's supposed to be infiltration, I noticed the target's hiring maids," Lucy said. "Maybe I could sneak in as one? I mean, I do have confidence in my looks."
She winked playfully, trying to show off her charm. Kazuma didn't even glance her way.
"Too complicated," he said flatly. "We'll just go in head-on. If we take out everyone inside, that is a perfect infiltration."
Before Lucy could react, he kicked the main door open and strolled right in.
"Wait... Why?! Isn't this supposed to be stealth?!"
Lucy froze at the doorway, watching him march in like a one-man army.
"What kind of infiltration is this?!" she wailed.
.
.
.