"It's a real guild emblem!"
Happy stretched out his little paw and touched the back of Knight's hand, exclaiming in surprise, "But we haven't seen you before."
"I just joined the guild last night. I'm a newcomer, of course you haven't seen me before."
"So you're a newcomer."
Natsu instantly accepted the explanation and then asked excitedly, "Do you know where Igneel is?"
"I do."
"Please tell me! Please!"
Thud!
Natsu dropped to his knees, performing a perfect squat, pleading earnestly.
Knight's eye twitched at the sight. This guy really has no shame.
"Let's eat first."
Natsu's desperation for answers was no match for the promise of food. The meal was enjoyable, mostly for Knight, who didn't hold back and ordered several of the restaurant's popular dishes. Over dinner, the two of them—and Happy—got more comfortable with one another, sharing stories and laughs.
Half an hour later, they all left the restaurant, Knight feeling fully satisfied.
"Thanks for the meal, Natsu."
"You're welcome, Knight. I'm stuffed too." Natsu patted his stomach, then asked eagerly, "So, can you tell me where Igneel is now?"
Knight pondered for a moment, deciding not to reveal the truth directly. How could I explain the source of my information? Instead, he chose a more roundabout method. After all, it felt wrong not to give anything after enjoying a free meal.
"The Igneel you're talking about, he's a real dragon, right? A fire dragon?"
"Yeah!" Natsu's eyes lit up, full of hope.
"I know where you can find him."
"Where?!" Natsu's voice cracked in anticipation.
Knight raised his hand, and the ring on his finger glowed briefly. Suddenly, a translucent forum interface appeared before them.
"On the Internet."
"Huh?"
Natsu blinked in confusion, staring at the forum page. "What kind of magic is this?"
"This is a type of magic I invented. You can ask questions on the forum, and kind wizards from all over the world will answer."
Knight grinned, planning to create an anonymous account to drop clues for Natsu. He enjoyed the idea of playing a secret benefactor in the world of magic.
"Really?" Natsu seemed skeptical. "How do I ask a question?"
"You'll need a ring like mine to access it. We can go back to the guild and ask Mirajane for one."
Knight explained how to access the magic network and demonstrated some basic features of the forum and chat group.
When Natsu saw the "Fairy Tail Love Each Other" chat group, he was awestruck. "Whoa! This magic is amazing! You can chat from this far away?"
Unconsciously, they had walked to a high wall by the coast, where the cool sea breeze refreshed them.
"By the way," Happy piped up, pointing to a cruise ship in the distance, "during the day, some guy calling himself the 'Fire Dragon' said he'd throw a party on that ship. It must be that one."
At the mention of the ship, Natsu paled and covered his mouth, looking like he was about to vomit.
Knight swiftly stepped back to avoid the mess. "Fire Dragon?"
He followed Happy's gaze and spotted a luxurious cruise ship.
"Ai~ We came here to find Igneel, but this 'Fire Dragon' is a fraud. He's using charm magic to deceive people."
Natsu's nickname as a dragon slayer was "Fire Dragon." But this imposter clearly wasn't him.
"Wait, he's pretending to be me?!" Natsu's nausea momentarily subsided as anger took over. "He's scamming people in the name of Fairy Tail?!"
Knight chuckled to himself. Natsu sure is slow on the uptake.
"Well, let's teach him a lesson."
Without another word, Knight clenched his right fist, and a milky white aura enveloped it. He suddenly struck the air with force.
"Seaquake!"
Boom!
The atmosphere cracked like a shattered mirror, the ripples spreading out across the sea. A massive wave, thousands of meters wide, began to rise on the horizon, rushing toward the port city with terrifying speed.
"W-Whoa!" Happy screamed in terror. "A tsunami!"
As the wave grew taller, the wind picked up, threatening to blow Happy away. The blue cat clung to Natsu's scarf for dear life.
"Natsu! Knight! Help!"
Natsu, bracing against the wind, gawked at Knight's display of power. "Nate, your magic is insane!"
The once-sailing luxury cruise ship was swept up by the waves and slammed back onto the coast, crashing into the breakwater and splitting in half.
From the shadows, Makarov, who had been secretly watching, sighed heavily. "It's too much! I knew something like this would happen! The city was almost submerged!"
Despite his frustration, he had to admit: Knight's shock magic was extraordinarily strong. If Knight had more magic power, the damage could have been catastrophic.
On the coast, chaos reigned. People staggered out of the wreckage of the cruise ship, their bodies bruised and battered.
Polra, the imposter, gripped the breakwater, glaring at the destruction.
Nearby, a blonde woman in a burgundy evening gown climbed out of the debris. Lucy rubbed her bruised forehead, confused by what had just happened.
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out. "Lucy, why are you on this ship?"
"Happy?!" Lucy looked up in surprise to see the blue flying cat. Then, she spotted Natsu standing atop the breakwater, alongside a handsome young man she didn't recognize.
Knight casually pointed down at Polra. "Is that the 'Fire Dragon' you were talking about?"
Polra, annoyed, shouted back, "Yeah, I'm the 'Fire Dragon' of Fairy Tail! You should mind your own business—"
"You're the Fire Dragon? Then who am I?" Natsu growled, revealing the guild emblem on his shoulder. "I'm Natsu, the real wizard of Fairy Tail! Let me take a closer look at your face!"
"What?!"
Polra's face paled. His cronies, standing behind him, trembled in fear.
"No, boss, it's real! He's the real Fire Dragon!"
"We're in trouble now!"
As Polra's lackeys tried to flee, Lucy's eyes widened. "Natsu… He's really from Fairy Tail?"
"Love~" Happy, now perched on Lucy's shoulder, chimed in cheerfully. "By the way, Knight is the one who saved you, Lucy."
Lucy blinked, surprised. Knight? Is that him?
She glanced at the handsome black-haired man standing next to Natsu. Knight noticed her gaze and flashed a charming smile.
Meanwhile, Knight was already thinking about the additional reward for this mission: a Zodiac Key. It's probably useless to me... But how much should I sell it to Lucy for?
After all, Lucy was the daughter of a wealthy family. He couldn't sell it too cheaply, now could he?
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