"Oh, Lucy, you look great here!"
At Lucy's house, Gray lounged casually on her sofa, shirtless as always, and greeted her with a grin.
"Illegal trespassing!" Lucy's voice echoed through her apartment as she kicked Gray squarely in the face. "And why are you taking off your clothes in my house?"
Gray rubbed his nose, looking confused. "Wait a minute… you misunderstood! I came here after I'd already taken off my clothes."
"Get out!" Lucy roared, her patience obliterated.
Once the ruckus settled, Gray finally explained his presence. "Today's the day. I came to get you because I figured you forgot."
"Forgot?" Lucy tilted her head.
"You really forgot," Gray muttered, scratching his head. "It's what Natsu said before—his duel with Erza!"
"!!!"
The front of the Fairy Tail guild was in chaos. A massive crowd of guild members had gathered, forming a wide circle around the main event: Natsu versus Erza.
It seemed like everyone who was still in the guild had turned out for the spectacle. Excited chatter filled the air as the two duelists stood in the middle of the ring, locked in a fierce staring contest.
When Lucy arrived, it became clear that neither had moved for what seemed like half the day.
"Wait a minute! Are these two… serious?" Lucy asked, flabbergasted.
She still wasn't fully accustomed to Fairy Tail's peculiar sense of camaraderie.
Elfman, standing nearby, puffed out his chest and explained, "Of course they're serious! If you don't take fighting seriously, you're not a man!"
Mira, standing behind him, smiled sweetly and added, "But Erza is a girl."
Marcus wiped the sweat from his brow nervously. "Yeah… a monster girl."
Lucy couldn't help but voice her confusion. "But… a duel between two of the strongest teams…"
Her words caught Gray's attention. "What do you mean, 'strongest team'?"
Lucy shrugged, gesturing toward the ring. "You, Natsu, Erza, and Kira—you're Fairy Tail's strongest combination, aren't you?"
Gray snorted, amused. "What? Who said that?"
Mira, who had been quietly sipping her tea, suddenly burst into tears, hiding her face. "I-I said that…"
"Ah?!" Gray stammered, clearly at a loss. He'd never been good at handling crying women.
Kira appeared seemingly out of nowhere, his usual mischievous grin plastered on his face. "Strongest team? You mean me, Erza, Gray, and Natsu? I guess I'll allow it."
"But," Kira continued, "if we're talking about raw power, you can't forget Gildarts. He's leagues ahead of everyone. Laxus and Mystogan are also up there, but they're a few Natsus short of Gildarts."
"Natsus? What kind of unit of measurement is that?" someone muttered in the crowd.
"Kira, why are you here today?" someone else asked.
"How could I miss this show?" Kira replied with a laugh. "Besides, Cana's taking bets on how long Natsu will last. You wanna join?"
"Wait, so no one's betting on Natsu winning?" Lucy asked, incredulous.
"Of course not," Kira replied, grinning. "I'd bet on him lasting five minutes tops, though Cana's offering the highest odds for twenty minutes. Honestly, I think she might lose money this time."
"Cana owes you money?"
"Doesn't everyone?" Kira replied nonchalantly. "She once said she'd 'pay me back by being my girlfriend.' Like I'd trade money for that!"
"Obsessed much?" Lucy muttered.
Kira turned to her, his grin widening. "You wouldn't understand, Miss Rich Heiress."
Lucy froze. "W-What are you talking about?"
Kira leaned in close and whispered, "Lucy Heartfilia, daughter of the Heartfilia Group. A railroad tycoon's fortune… several mountains worth of assets. Sound familiar?"
Lucy's eyes widened in panic. "H-How do you know?!"
Kira chuckled. "I'm Fairy Tail's intelligence collector. You think I wouldn't do a little background check on our new member?"
"Don't tell anyone!" Lucy hissed, clutching his arm.
"Relax, I won't," Kira reassured her, still smirking. "But… about that Golden Key I mentioned? The price just went up."
"What?! That's extortion!"
"You can always pay in installments," Kira offered generously. "Though it'll cost a little extra…"
Lucy fumed. "You're the worst!"
Kira raised an eyebrow. "As a Celestial Spirit Mage, don't you feel bad for those poor keys gathering dust in my shop? They're lonely, Lucy. Lonely and unloved."
"What are you talking about?" Lucy asked, suspicious. "Do you have more Golden Keys?"
Kira's grin turned devious. "That's right. In addition to Sagittarius, I've got Libra, Pisces, and even Ophiuchus—the legendary snake bearer key."
Lucy's jaw dropped. "You're lying!"
"Not at all," Kira replied smugly. "I acquired them during my travels. With those keys, you'd have a chance to complete the ultimate collection—all thirteen Zodiac Keys."
Lucy's heart skipped a beat. The thought of owning all the Golden Keys was a Celestial Mage's dream.
Kira leaned closer, his voice smooth and persuasive. "Think about it. You'd be the first mage in history to gather all the Zodiac Spirits. Isn't that worth a little investment?"
Lucy hesitated. "But… but I ran away from home. I don't have that kind of money."
Kira shrugged. "Then save up. I'm not going anywhere."
He glanced toward the center of the crowd, where Natsu and Erza finally began exchanging blows. The ground trembled with the force of their attacks, sending shockwaves through the crowd.
"Speaking of investments," Kira mused, "I should've bet on Erza. Poor Natsu doesn't stand a chance."
Lucy wasn't listening anymore. Her mind was consumed by the thought of the Golden Keys.
She whispered to herself, "All thirteen keys… the ecstasy of collecting them all…"
Kira chuckled to himself. Hook, line, and sinker.
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