The guild's main doors were slammed open, the metal panels clattering against the wall with a loud bang, shaking the ornaments and stirring up a layer of fine dust. The noisy guild hall paused for a beat before resuming its usual clamor.
Erza arrived covered in dust, her armor clinging to grass clippings from the mission site. With her cloak draped over her shoulder, she slammed the completion certificate onto the counter. Her sharp gaze swept across the hall, eventually settling on the high stool by the bar.
Mirajane was sitting on the high stool with her legs crossed, a wine glass spinning between her fingertips. Her white hair brushed against the bar top as her wrist moved. Her short top revealed her waist, and her leather boots were stained with a bit of mud, forming a sharp contrast with Erza's tidy armor.
Their gazes met in mid-air, and the atmosphere seemed to freeze for a moment.
Erza's brow furrowed, her armor making crisp clanking sounds with every step as she strode through the crowd. She came to a halt in front of Mirajane, her hand resting on the hilt of the sword at her waist, her fingertips tracing its patterns.
"Mirajane." Erza's voice wasn't loud, yet it steadily rose above the surrounding noise. "This outfit doesn't comply with guild standards; it will affect Fairy Tail's image."
Mirajane slowly pressed the wine glass onto the counter with a click and stood up, nearly coming nose-to-nose with Erza. A smile played at the corners of her eyes, her tone clearly provocative.
"Standards? Erza, your rigid, by-the-book attitude is what's truly irritating."
At a nearby table, Natsu was reaching his fork toward the roasted meat on Gray's plate, a matchstick dangling from his mouth.
"Hey! Fire-breathing bastard, that's mine!"
Gray grabbed Natsu's wrist, ice shards sprouting from between his fingers.
"What's wrong with having one piece, you stingy ice-face!"
Natsu's other hand grabbed directly for the steak, sparks from his fingertips splashing onto the back of Gray's hand.
The two instantly began scuffling, knocking over a nearby wooden chair. The chair rolled toward a wine barrel, spilling half a cup of ale.
Sparks clung to the tips of Natsu's hair, while ice shards stuck to Gray's brow. As they rolled onto the floor, they knocked over a jug of mead, filling the hall with a sweet, alcoholic aroma.
By the second-floor railing, Riyao leaned against a pillar, swinging his legs. He swirled half a cup of leftover juice and shouted down, "Mira! Erza! What's the point of just staring? Think about it, wouldn't it feel much better to just punch each other right now?"
Mirajane and Erza looked up simultaneously, glaring fiercely at Riyao. Both of their eyes showed clear annoyance as they shouted in unison.
"Shut up, Riyao!"
But the nearby conflict had already escalated. Natsu and Gray rolled into the center of the hall, one with smoking hair and the other with a thick shell of ice on his arm, fists swinging at each other's faces.
A vein throbbed at Erza's temple, and she turned abruptly. She stepped over to the scuffling pair and clenched both fists. Bang! Bang! Two dull thuds landed on their heads. Natsu bounced up before crashing back down, seeing stars, while Gray's ice shards scattered everywhere as he clutched his head and groaned on the floor.
Erza shook out her hands and looked at Mirajane. The latter was raising an eyebrow at her, a playful smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.
"Fighting is prohibited within the guild." Erza's tone was stiff, her pauldrons shifting slightly as she spoke.
Mirajane let out a snort and sat back down on the high stool. She waved a hand dismissively at Erza, completely ignoring her words.
Riyao jumped down from the second floor, landing with a silent pivot of his ankle. He cheerfully patted Erza's shoulder. Her armor rattled from the impact, and she instinctively moved away, frowning at him.
"The old man's pension is saved!" Riyao pointed toward the wine cellar behind the counter, looking smug.
"Riyao, can't you at least try to maintain order? You are an S-Class Mage of the guild, after all!" Erza's voice held a hint of helplessness, her fingers resting on her sword hilt.
"Oh, kids are just energetic." Riyao scratched his head, his gaze drifting toward Lisanna, who was picking up chairs. He silently calculated his own age. Combining both lives, he wasn't much older than Natsu, but considering Natsu's actual age plus the time spent dead and the time since the crossover, Natsu was definitely the oldest in Fairy Tail.
"You aren't that old yourself," Erza pointed out, her tone teasing.
"Exactly! I'm still just a child, I can't manage—" Before Riyao could finish, someone locked their arm around his neck from behind.
Mirajane's arm was circled around his throat, her fingertips applying light pressure. Her breath carried the scent of lavender, and her gentle voice sounded in his ear, though it was laced with a threatening undertone. "Are you planning to join the Erza Faction?!"
Riyao's face instantly turned beet red. He kicked at the ground and struggled, his hands clawing at Mirajane's arm. "Big Sis Mira, let go, I'm gonna croak!"
Erza frowned and stepped forward, grabbing Riyao's calves to start a tug-of-war with Mirajane. Each stood on one side, pulling back with all their might. Riyao's feet were two inches off the ground, his rear scraping the floor, looking like a rope being pulled taut.
"Let go of Senior Riyao."
Natsu and Gray, having just scrambled up, rushed over to help Erza pull his legs, eager to join the chaos. Natsu gripped the edge of Erza's armor, while Gray grabbed her wrist. "Whoa! I'm fired up! We're definitely taking down Mirajane today!" Natsu shouted, pumping his fist. "Hmph, the fire-breather is right for once!" Gray chimed in, the ice shards on him not yet fully melted.
"Natsu, let go right now, or I'll ignore you." Lisanna hugged Mirajane's waist. "A real man... must help his sister!" Elfman also stepped in to help.
The other guild members didn't care about Riyao's well-being and began cheering for both sides.
Cana held up an empty wine glass, leaning against the bar. "Let's place some bets! Which side will win?!"
Macao sat at a table, waving a paper cup so hard it almost flew out of his hand. "Go for it, Erza! If you win, I'll treat you to strawberry cake!"
Wakaba pounded the table and shouted, "You have to smack Erza's face hard! Let her know the guild isn't just about rules!"
Erza and Mirajane had forgotten what they were arguing about in the first place; they only cared about pulling the other over. As they exerted their strength, Riyao's eyes began to roll back, feeling as though he had been stretched an inch taller.
Out of the corner of his eye, Riyao spotted Makarov sneaking down from behind a pillar on the second floor. He was clutching a crumpled gold coin pouch and marking tallies in a small notebook, clearly placing bets.
He rolled his eyes and gave up. Anyway, being held by Mirajane smelled nice, so he might as well let them mess around.
Lost in thought, he accidentally blurted out, "Mira smells so good."
Mirajane's face instantly flushed red, and her arm tightened around his neck. Riyao's face turned even redder, not just from the choking but from having his thoughts exposed.
"What are you saying, you pervert!?" Mirajane's voice was panicked, yet she still didn't let go.
Riyao tried to defend himself, but he was so choked he couldn't speak in full sentences: "No... it's... listen to my... sophistry..." As a result, this only made Mirajane angrier, and she tightened her grip even more.
Riyao exerted force from his waist, spinning two and a half times in mid-air. He kicked over a nearby table and knocked over a jug of ale, using the momentum of the spin to fling Erza and Mirajane off.
He landed on one knee, dusting off his pants in a superhero landing pose. Just as he was about to stand up, a rough hand pressed down on his shoulder.
Makarov crouched beside him and said earnestly, "Riyao, as an S-Class Mage, don't be so stingy. Just be a rope for a little while."
Riyao rolled his eyes and looked up at him. "Old geezer, listen to yourself. Don't think I didn't see you betting just now!"
Without a hint of shame, Makarov quickly turned around, pretending to look at the others in the guild hall. He even coughed twice, acting as if nothing had happened.
Riyao patted Makarov's hand and was about to stand when Erza and Mirajane pressed down on his shoulders from both sides. Erza's hand, with the cold touch of her armor, was on his left shoulder, while Mirajane's warm hand was on his right. Riyao felt a chill down his spine, sensing that this wouldn't end today.
He cleared his throat, put his hands behind his back, and puffed out his chest, intentionally putting on the dignified air of an S-Class Mage. "Hmph, you dare offend this venerable one? Do you know how many floors a bag of rice must be carried?"
Erza silently withdrew her hand, her eyes filled with speechless disbelief. Mirajane, however, continued to squeeze his shoulder, even giving it a hard pinch with a mischievous, dark smile. "I don't care how many floors your rice goes! Prepare to die!"
Riyao was about to shout Life Link - Modified when he saw Levy and Cana emerge from behind the bar. Levy pushed up her glasses and slapped a specially-made magic card onto Riyao.
Cana shouted loudly, "Go on, get him!"
Riyao tried to tug at the card on his forehead but found it wouldn't budge. He raised an eyebrow. "Oh? It only seals Life Link - Modified? No wonder it's so effective."
He shook his wrist, and his black-and-gold bracelet transformed! It became a slender, ideal firewood stick. "However, I'll allow you to run ninety-nine meters first."
Lisanna, clutching her forehead which had just been bumped, leaned in and asked softly, "Am I going to get hit too?"
"Yep." Riyao spun the stick in a flourish. The firewood stick grew and shrank in his hand as the magic runes on it glowed faintly. He didn't even bother activating the Hundred Battles Technique.
Mirajane was the first to charge, her fist aiming straight for Riyao's face. Riyao dodged to the side and flicked her forehead. "Big Sis Mira, you actually tried to hit me. That's too much."
The firewood stick suddenly extended and tapped the top of Erza's head. "Since you're already here, Erza, you might as well stay down too."
Erza clutched her head and glared at him, reaching out to draw her sword.
Riyao's firewood stick retracted, sweeping across Natsu's feet. Natsu nearly tripped, only to be tapped on the head by the stick. "Stupid Natsu, stay down, stay down, stay down... You're quite durable."
"Pervert Gray, stay down; little drunkard Cana, stay down..." Riyao continued his flourish, tapping the heads of the guild members one by one. Dull thuds echoed through the hall. Everyone except Mirajane was now crouching on the ground, clutching the large bumps on their heads—even a passing dog got a tap.
Only Mirajane stood to the side, without a bump, watching with her arms crossed.
Lisanna clutched the bump on her head and leaned toward Riyao, whispering, "There's definitely something going on between you two~"