The figure who entered was Mystogan, Fairy Tail's enigmatic S-class mage.
"Long time no see, Mystogan," Su Yan greeted him with a smile. "You should drop by more often and have a drink with the others."
Mystogan paused briefly, then shook his head. "No, I prefer quieter settings," he replied softly, making his way to the quest board.
Mystogan's sleep magic had put almost everyone to sleep—everyone, that is, except Su Yan. Mystogan had even tried to strengthen the spell just for fun, but it had no effect on Su Yan. Accepting defeat, he simply proceeded with his business. Mystogan tore a quest notice from the board, a job to eliminate a volcano demon with a reward of one million jewels.
Approaching Makarov, he gave a brief nod. "I'll be going now."
"Release the sleep spell, please," Makarov reminded him.
Mystogan sighed and, as he walked out, counted down softly, "Five, four, three, two, one."
As his countdown ended, guild members throughout the hall began to stir.
"Huh? Mystogan's been here, hasn't he?" someone murmured.
"That spell of his is as strong as ever!"
"Ugh, that guy!" Natsu grumbled, rubbing his eyes.
Lucy looked around, confused. "Who's Mystogan?"
Loke leaned over. "One of Fairy Tail's top wizards, a contender for the title of the strongest." Realizing he was talking to Lucy, he recoiled slightly, stepping back nervously.
Gray chuckled, taking over. "He's secretive. Doesn't like people seeing his face, so every time he comes for a mission, he puts everyone to sleep."
"What? That's so weird!"
"That's why only the guild master and Su Yan have ever seen Mystogan's face."
Suddenly, a voice came from above. "Not just those two. I've seen him as well."
"Laxus!" several guild members exclaimed, glancing up.
There stood Laxus on the second floor, leaning casually on the railing. With his short blond hair, lightning-shaped scar, headphones, and a cigar in his mouth, he looked every bit like someone who thought he was untouchable.
Gray muttered under his breath, "Another one who claims to be the strongest…"
Laxus smirked, looking down. "Mystogan's just shy. Leave him alone."
"Laxus! Get down here and fight me!" Natsu yelled, instantly challenging him.
Laxus sneered, "Come up here if you think you can."
"Just wait!" Natsu shouted, charging toward the stairs.
But before he could reach the second floor, a giant fist slammed down, knocking him flat.
Makarov shook his head. "Not yet, Natsu. You can't go up there yet."
"Yoyo! Looks like the old man's mad!"
Makarov glanced up at Laxus. "Laxus, that goes for you too."
With a cocky shrug, Laxus laughed. "Sure, old man. But really, it wouldn't be fair to fight you, Natsu. You can't even reach the second floor." He leaned further over the railing. "Even if you could, you'd still be at the bottom. Among everyone in Fairy Tail, I'm the strongest!"
"The title of strongest in Fairy Tail is mine alone! Not Erza, not Mystogan, not even you, Su Yan!"
As he said Su Yan's name, Laxus cast a dark glance his way, clearly irked that Su Yan was ignoring him completely.
*Just wait,* Laxus thought bitterly. *One day, I'll make you taste defeat.*
With that, he turned and disappeared into the room on the second floor.
Makarov sighed, shaking his head. Laxus's obsession with strength had only grown over the years.
Su Yan, unfazed, scoffed to himself. *He's still holding a grudge from all those years ago. Maybe I'll put him in his place again sometime.*
When things settled down, Lucy turned to Mira, still curious. "What did the guild master mean about not being able to go to the second floor?"
Mira smiled. "It's something for later. The quests on the second-floor board are much more dangerous than the ones down here. They're S-class quests."
"S-class?!"
Mira nodded. "Only S-class mages can accept them. They're the highest-ranked members of the guild, and each one is incredibly powerful. One mistake in an S-class quest could cost you your life, but the rewards are much higher."
Lucy's eyes widened. "And what exactly is an S-class mage?"
With a thoughtful expression, Mira explained, "S-class mages are the elite of the guild. There's Mystogan, who you just missed, Laxus, who you saw up there, and also Erza and Su Yan."
Lucy let out a breath. "So, S-class mages… are basically monsters."
Mira laughed awkwardly. "Pretty much."
Lucy blinked, remembering Laxus's pointed glare. "Does Laxus have something against Su Yan?"
Mira's smile turned knowing. "Oh, it's nothing new. Let's just say Su Yan once taught him a lesson."