— — — — — — —
"Alright!"
"I'm ready to start accepting challenges again!" Natsu declared with his usual fiery enthusiasm.
"Nope! You're not there yet. Not even close to being a strong contender," came the blunt reply.
"…."
Natsu's face immediately fell, a cartoonish pout replacing his earlier excitement.
Erza, on the other hand, looked at Uchiha Kitaro with admiration. "I'm surprised. Someone your age being so... calm and sensible? Isn't this usually the time to be competitive and driven?"
Calm and sensible? Him?
This was the same guy who would hold a grudge against a dog barking at him and plot to kick it later.
Kitaro thought for a moment and then shrugged. "Maybe it's because I'm naturally... kindhearted?" he said with mock sincerity.
"…."
Everyone around him fell silent, visibly unimpressed.
Having spent some time with Uchiha Kitaro, they had already realized he was as unreliable as they came. If anything, his defining traits were an inflated sense of self-confidence and an ego big enough to rival a dragon. His self-awareness? Practically nonexistent.
Lucy, curious, decided to steer the conversation. "By the way, what did the Guild Master mean earlier when he said we can't go upstairs?"
Mira joined the conversation, answering with her usual cheerful demeanor. "Oh, it's because the jobs on the second floor are completely different from the ones down here."
"That's where we keep the S-Class missions."
"S-Class?" Lucy echoed, her eyes widening in intrigue.
Mira nodded. "They're incredibly dangerous. One wrong move can cost you your life. But the rewards? Astronomical. Only those who've earned the Master's approval are allowed to take them on."
"Right now, only five people in the guild are qualified, including Erza, Laxus, and Mystogan."
"Erza can go up there too?!" Lucy asked, glancing at Erza in surprise.
Erza gave a small nod. "I can, but the second floor feels too cold and detached from the rest of the guild. I don't like that kind of isolation. Besides, I don't take S-Class missions lightly. Even for me, they're extremely risky."
"S-Class missions are thatscary?" Lucy gulped, already feeling overwhelmed.
"They're terrifying," Mira confirmed. Then, turning to Kitaro, she added with a mischievous smile, "But I bet hecould handle one."
Erza glanced at Uchiha Kitaro, her expression thoughtful. She hadn't fought him yet, but from what she had seen of his abilities, he was undoubtedly stronger than her.
Kitaro waved it off lazily. "Work? Nah, not happening. I'm not cut out for that."
Mira turned back to Lucy, now more serious. "You shouldn't aim for S-Class missions anytime soon. These jobs aren't for thrill-seekers; they're life-and-death situations."
Lucy nodded quickly, realizing Mira was right. "Makes sense!" she said with a nervous laugh. She valued her life too much to risk it unnecessarily.
— — —
After all, Lucy was only 17, with her whole life ahead of her. Her current goal? A steady job to pay her rent. Maybe when she was stronger, she'd try her hand at tougher missions. For now, survival and stability came first.
"I'm going to work hard starting tomorrow!" Lucy declared to herself, opening the front door of her house with newfound determination.
"I'm back!"
"You're ba—"
Lucy froze mid-step, staring in shock. Natsu was standing in her living room, shirtless, drenched in sweat, and working out. The floorboards glistened with the aftermath of his training.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Lucy screamed, kicking him away.
"Gah!" Natsu groaned, clutching his abdomen.
"You reek! If you want to train your muscles, do it at your house!" Lucy scolded, glaring at him.
"What are you talking about? We're teammates!" Natsu said nonchalantly, handing her a pink dumbbell. "Here, I got this for you. You like pink, right?"
"I DON'T CARE ABOUT DUMBBELLS!" Lucy snapped, her patience already wearing thin.
Unfazed, Natsu continued his training. "Kitaro was right. If I want to get stronger, I need to work harder!"
"I've decided—I'm going to take down Erza, Laxus, and Kitaro! To do that, I need more power. I want to become someone others challenge, not the other way around!"
Lucy groaned, exasperated. "Good luck with that. Can you at least not do it in my house?!"
"Today marks Day 1 of my ultimate training!" Natsu declared dramatically, ignoring her protests.
"Can someone please save me?" Lucy muttered under her breath.
Suddenly, Natsu stopped his training. A new idea had struck him.
"I've decided! I'm going to do an S-Class mission!"
"What?!" Lucy gasped in disbelief.
Happy, ever the accomplice, produced an S-Class mission request from seemingly nowhere.
Lucy's jaw dropped. "Wait—how did you even get that?! Isn't the second floor off-limits?"
"I picked it up," Happy said smugly.
"You sneaky little thief!" Lucy cried, trembling. This cat was way too bold for his own good.
Natsu grinned as he slipped his shirt back on. "For our first S-Class mission, we picked the cheapest one. Even then, the reward is 7 million Jewel!"
"No way! We're not qualified to take on S-Class missions. Even Erza said she doesn't take them lightly. Mira literally just warned me about this!" Lucy's voice rose, her panic evident.
"That's why this is the perfect challenge!" Natsu countered. "If we succeed, the old man will finally recognize my strength!"
Lucy stared at him incredulously. "Didn't you just say you were going to train first and surprise everyone later? How did that turn into this? You have no patience!"
"Taking on missions is part of training!" Natsu argued.
"Aye!" Happy chimed in.
Lucy groaned. "You're always like this. Can't you follow the guild rules for once?!"
"If I wait around following rules, I'll never get a shot at an S-Class mission!"
"That's the whole point! You're not ready!" Lucy snapped. "Do whatever you want, but I'm not going. Count me out."
With that, Lucy crossed her arms and turned away.
There was no way she was risking her life for one of Natsu's harebrained schemes. Let them try if they wanted—she was staying right here where it was safe.
.
.
.