Laxus looked down his nose at Natsu, a mocking smirk on his face. "You can't even get past Erza, and you think you're ready for me?"
Hearing this, Erza's expression soured. She narrowed her eyes at Laxus. "Care to repeat that?"
She knew Laxus was a monster in terms of power, but his blatant disrespect was starting to grate on her nerves.
"Whoa, Erza, take it easy!" Max quickly jumped in, waving his hands frantically. If Erza and Laxus actually threw down inside the guild, the entire building would be reduced to rubble.
Laxus threw his arms wide, his laughter echoing arrogantly. "It means what it means—I'm the strongest!"
"You bastard, get down here!!" Natsu roared, his fists already beginning to smoke. He couldn't stand that smug, dismissive look on Laxus's face.
"Make me," Laxus taunted, leaning back.
That was all it took. The hot-headed Natsu took the bait instantly and charged toward the stairs. "Just you wait!"
Whoosh!
In a blur, Makarov's arm expanded, stretching across the hall like a massive pillar.
CRASH!!
"Gah—!!"
Before Natsu could even reach the first step, he was slammed into the floor by the Master's giant fist.
"You're not going up there," Makarov said calmly, his voice leaving no room for argument. "You aren't ready yet."
Laxus peered over the railing, looking down at the flattened Natsu with a gleeful grin. "Ooh, looks like you've gone and upset Gramps."
"Hmph!!" Natsu grunted, struggling to pull himself out of the floorboards.
Makarov shot a warning glance at his grandson. "That's enough, Laxus. You've made your point."
Laxus stood tall and scanned the room, his gaze lingering on Kael for a split second. "The title of 'Strongest in Fairy Tail'... I'm not handing it over to anyone. Not Erza, not Mystogan, not the old man—and definitely not Kael. I'm the one at the top! Hahahaha!!"
With a final, mocking laugh, Laxus turned and vanished into the back room.
His attitude left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth.
Kael, however, remained unfazed. To be honest, knowing what he knew about Laxus's future redemption, he actually had a decent impression of the guy. Underneath all that "tough guy" arrogance was a man who truly cared about the guild, even if he was a pain in the ass right now.
But the current Laxus? Yeah, he was definitely a jerk. In the six months Kael had been here, they'd barely spoken—much like his relationship with the elusive Mystogan.
Elfman nudged Kael. "You're just gonna let him talk like that? Be a man and step up!"
He knew Laxus was on another level, likely stronger than Erza or Mirajane, but he had a feeling Kael was the real deal.
Kael blinked, looking confused. "What? He's just being cocky. I can't go around beating people up just because they have an attitude, can I?"
Gray chimed in, crossing his arms. "You should challenge him. Knock him down a peg or two, see if he still acts like he owns the place."
"Not interested."
Besides, Laxus was the Master's grandson. In his past life, Kael would have been trying to get on his good side, not looking for a fight.
"What, scared you'll lose?" Gray poked.
"Winning or losing doesn't matter. It's a waste of energy. I'd rather spend that time finishing missions."
Realizing he'd been lounging around for nearly two weeks, Kael felt a familiar itch. He was starting to get restless.
What's the best cure for anxiety? Only a ten-pull on the system.
Kael made up his mind. Tomorrow, he was taking an S-Class mission. He needed to get his hands moving.
That evening, after the guild closed, Lucy strolled along the riverbank, humming a little tune on her way home.
"Mystogan, Laxus, Erza, and Kael... Fairy Tail really is in a league of its own!" she mused.
"I think I've finally figured out the hierarchy. The Master is the boss, followed by that mysterious old-timer. Then it's the 'Big Four': Kael, Erza, Laxus, and Mystogan. And then... there's Natsu and me."
"Joining this guild was definitely the right move! Tomorrow, I'm giving it my all!"
Click.
Lucy unlocked her apartment door and stepped inside.
"Welcome back!"
"You're—"
"KYAAAAAAH!!"
She screamed at the top of her lungs. There, in the middle of her living room, were a shirtless Natsu and Happy, drenched in sweat and mid-workout.
Lucy's face twisted in disgust as she tried to shove them toward the door. "You're gross! Go build muscle at your own house! Get out!!"
Natsu just grinned, holding out a pink dumbbell. "What are you talking about? We're a team! Here, I got this for you. You like pink, right?"
"I don't want your dumbbells!!" Lucy barked.
Natsu ignored her and dropped back down for more push-ups. "If I want to beat Erza, Laxus, and Kael, I have to get stronger. Fast."
"Aye!"
Seeing them settle back in, Lucy wailed, "This has nothing to do with me! Just go home! Help!!"
Suddenly, Natsu stopped.
"I've decided! I'm taking an S-Class mission!"
Happy reached into his bag and unrolled a piece of parchment for Lucy to see.
When she saw the giant red 'S' at the top, Lucy's heart nearly stopped. "Wh-what is that?! We aren't allowed on the second floor! You know that!"
Mira had been very clear: the second floor was for S-Class wizards only. Even Natsu had been flattened by the Master earlier for trying to sneak up.
"I swiped it," Happy said proudly.
Lucy's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "You thief cat!!"
Natsu threw his shirt back on and flashed a confident grin. "It's our first one, so we took the cheapest S-Class job. But even then, the reward is 7 million Jewels! Once we finish this, Gramps will have to admit I'm ready."
"Wait..." Lucy's blood ran cold. "Isn't this the mission Kael was looking at?"
She remembered seeing Erza invite Kael to the second floor the other day. She'd caught a glimpse of the board, and this flyer looked identical.
"Yep! It was the only one left up there!" Happy chirped.
Lucy turned pale. "No... if you guys do this, and Kael finds out you stole his mission..."
Natsu's grin didn't waver, but he nodded slowly. "He'll definitely kill me, won't he?"
"Aye!"
Happy agreed. After six months, everyone knew Kael was obsessed with S-Class missions. He treated them like his private property. If he found out Natsu had snatched his "ten-pull" reward... he might not actually kill them, but he'd certainly make them wish he had.