"Fairy Queen... oh no, The Fairy Queen. She certainly lives up to her name," Kira thought, watching Erza defeat Natsu in their fiery duel. He couldn't help but nod in satisfaction, his eyes gleaming with pride.
"This armor, crafted by yours truly, is a masterpiece!" he muttered to himself. "The color, the luster, the curvature, the craftsmanship! Ah, perfection!"
Gray, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow. "What's with that weird look on his face? He looks... intoxicated or something."
Lucy crouched down and whispered to Happy, "Don't you think Kira's looking at Erza kind of strangely?"
Happy, blissfully unaware of any hidden meaning, wagged his tail. "Maybe it's because he bet on Erza to win in Cana's betting pool!"
"What?! There was betting on this?" Lucy gasped.
Happy nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! Everyone knows Kira's involved whenever there's money in the guild!"
"Did you bet, too?" Lucy asked, incredulous.
"Yep!" Happy grinned, holding up two tiny fish in his claws. "And I won! Erza for the win!"
"You're unbelievable, you disloyal cat!" Lucy muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Well, Natsu's strong, but Erza's the strongest woman in the guild!" Happy replied with absolute certainty.
Lucy sighed, muttering, "Natsu single-handedly took out the entire Iron Forest. He could've had a chance!"
Happy shrugged, "Maybe, but against Erza? Not likely."
The battle raged for nearly thirty minutes, and it was clear to everyone that Natsu was reaching his limit. He was panting heavily, sweat dripping down his face, while Erza remained composed. Her Flame Emperor armor glowed faintly in the residual heat of the fight, with barely a scratch on it.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu unleashed his signature move in one last desperate attempt.
"Emperor Yan: Dayan Ring!" Erza countered, spinning with her flaming sword in hand. The enchanted blade sliced through Natsu's fiery attack and sent him tumbling to the ground.
As Natsu struggled to push himself up, Erza stood over him, her expression softening. "You've improved, Natsu," she admitted, the faintest hint of pride in her voice.
With a deep exhale, Erza dismissed her armor, returning to her everyday attire. Markov raised his hands and declared, "The winner is Erza!"
Cheers erupted around the battlefield.
"Erza won! Pay up!"
"Damn it! I should've bet on her lasting just under 30 minutes. I would've cleaned up!"
"Erza, you're the best!"
Even Happy was celebrating, darting off to Cana to claim his prize—a pair of freshly caught fish. Meanwhile, Lucy helped a bruised but grinning Natsu to his feet.
"Natsu, are you okay?" Lucy asked, concerned.
"I'm fine," Natsu replied, rubbing his head. His disappointment was evident, but there was also a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. "Next time, I'll beat her for sure!"
Cana, standing in a corner, was counting the money she had made from the betting pool. As she tallied her profits, a shadow loomed over her.
"Not bad, not bad," Kira said, snatching the money from her hands. "This will go toward paying off your debt!"
"Hey!" Cana protested, spinning around. "Give that back! That's my money!"
"Not anymore," Kira replied smugly, slipping the cash into his pocket. "It's part of what you owe me. Looks like you're one percent closer to clearing your tab!"
"Damn it, you greedy jerk!" Cana fumed. "At least leave me enough for drinks tonight!"
"Once it's in my hands, it's as good as gone!" Kira grinned. "And maybe you should cut back on the drinks. It's not exactly helping you get stronger."
"What about the president and Gildarts? They drink all the time!"
"Yeah, well, they're strong enough to back it up. You, on the other hand..." Kira trailed off with a smirk.
Cana groaned in frustration, giving up on arguing.
As Kira walked away, happily counting his earnings, he nearly bumped into an odd figure standing behind him—a humanoid toad dressed in official-looking robes. The toad's wide, unblinking eyes stared straight into his.
"Since when did toads learn to walk on two legs and wear clothes?" Kira asked casually, unfazed.
The toad clapped its hands, commanding the attention of everyone nearby. "Attention, Fairy Tail! I am a messenger from the Magic Council!"
The guild members froze, their cheerful atmosphere replaced by unease.
"The Council?"
"What's the Magic Council want with us this time?"
"I swear, if it's about the station Natsu burned down..."
The toad raised its voice. "In relation to the Iron Forest incident, Kira Hopelet, you are hereby under arrest for ten charges, including property damage and possession of forbidden magical artifacts!"
"What?!"
Gasps and murmurs spread through the crowd. Even Markov looked stunned.
Kira raised an eyebrow, remaining calm. "Huh, so this is about Lalabai. I should've guessed Kageyama spilled the beans."
"Kira!" Markov stepped forward, his expression serious. "You didn't hand Lalabai over to the Council?"
"Ah, about that..." Kira scratched the back of his head. "I meant to, but things got busy..."
Before Markov could respond, Erza interjected. "As the team captain during the Iron Forest mission, I take full responsibility! Arrest me instead!"
The toad shook its head. "The Council's decision is final. Kira Hopelet is the one who retained the forbidden item, and he must face the charges."
Erza frowned but said nothing, her stern gaze landing on Kira. Her look spoke volumes.
"I told you keeping Lalabai was a bad idea," her eyes seemed to say.
Kira raised an eyebrow in return, as if to reply, "What's the big deal? I've got this under control."
Mistaking his expression for reassurance, Erza nodded. "Very well. Take him."
"Wait, what?!" Kira exclaimed.
The toad sighed in relief as Kira complied without resistance. "Thank you for your cooperation. This could've been a lot messier."
As the toad escorted Kira away, the guild erupted into whispers and shouts.
"What the hell?!"
"They arrested Kira?"
"Isn't Natsu the one who destroyed the station?"
Markov turned toward the unconscious Natsu, now transformed into a harmless salamander by the guild master's spell. "Good thing I neutralized him... That boy would've burned the Council's messenger alive."
"I'll be back before you know it!" Kira shouted, waving to his guildmates with an exaggerated grin. "Save my spot at the bar!"
Despite his bravado, Kira couldn't help but wonder just how much trouble awaited him at the Council headquarters.
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