"Everyone, gather in the center of the village!" Natsu shouted as he ran, his eyes fixed on the sky.
"Natsu!" Lucy cried out, but Chen Fan reached out and stopped her.
"Just do as he says," Chen Fan said calmly.
He was carrying Gray on his back, strolling toward the village square without the slightest hint of urgency. His leisurely pace, as if he were taking a walk in a park, made the frantic Lucy turn back and yell, "Hurry up!"
Boom!
A massive explosion rang out as a giant fireball collided with the liquid pouring down from the sky. Countless droplets splattered in every direction, but every drop that headed toward Chen Fan seemed to slide away mid-air, leaving him completely dry.
The villagers marveled at his incredible luck, but Lucy watched him with a flicker of suspicion, as if she had suddenly realized something.
"You certainly are lucky," a voice sneered. Chen Fan glanced toward the source of the sound and saw a man casually kicking over Bobo's headstone.
Chen Fan's brow furrowed. He was usually the one putting on a show; he couldn't stand it when others tried to act cool in front of him. If you're going to be a side character, have the common sense to act like one. His eyes narrowed as an invisible Air Cannon blasted toward the man.
Thump!
The man was sent flying by the impact. Superpowers were truly convenient; unlike magic, which was always flashy and loud, they were silent and subtle.
Because the attack had been so stealthy, the other two were startled, looking around warily, completely unaware of what had happened.
"Be careful, that guy is strange," the man who had been hit by the compressed air groaned as he struggled to his feet.
"Shut up, we noticed! Woof..." Toby shouted back.
"Angelica!" Sherry screamed, and the giant rat lunged toward Chen Fan.
"Don't look down on me! I'm a member of Fairy Tail too! Aaaah!" Lucy grabbed onto the rat's leg and was hauled up into the sky. Chen Fan covered his face with his hand, speechless. He thought to himself that if everyone in Fairy Tail acted like this, it was a miracle they hadn't been wiped out long ago.
Natsu ran over and called out, "Chen Fan, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, but Lucy seems to be having some trouble," Chen Fan said, pointing up at the giant rat plummeting from the sky.
Natsu watched them fall and remarked, "Whoa, they're falling. I wonder if they'll get flattened."
Chen Fan gave Natsu a sharp punch to the head. "This isn't the time for commentary! Happy, fly up and see how Lucy is doing."
"Aye!" Happy chirped, soaring toward where Lucy had landed.
"Alright, Chen Fan, stay back. I'll handle these two," Natsu said, his expression turning serious as he faced the opponents.
Suddenly, a voice cut in. "Wait, I can fight too." Gray had regained consciousness and, seeing Natsu facing two enemies alone, tried to intervene.
Thwack.
Chen Fan chopped the back of Gray's neck. Gray turned back in shock just in time to hear Chen Fan say, "Your spirit is still weak; you need to rest. Besides, when have you ever seen me lose?" He gave Gray a reassuring smile, and Gray lost consciousness again, looking peaceful.
"Alright, Natsu, go play with the doggy. I want to have a word with this guy."
"I'm not a dog! This is just a decoration! Woof!" Toby barked.
"Can you handle him?" Natsu asked Chen Fan.
Suddenly, Chen Fan's face became incredibly solemn. He stared intensely at Natsu, making the Dragon Slayer feel so uncomfortable that he backed away, crossing his arms over his chest. "What... what are you doing?"
"A man! Must never say he can't! Even if he can't, he must!" Having delivered his line, Chen Fan turned around coolly, leaving Natsu staring at his back.
Chen Fan walked up to Yuka and beckoned him with a finger.
"Wait a minute, who are you? I've never heard of a person like you in Fairy Tail."
"Who gives a damn who I am? Stop wasting time. Here I come." Chen Fan cracked his knuckles.
With a heavy stomp, he lunged at Yuka.
"Wave!" Yuka shouted, thrusting his hands forward to create a blue barrier. "It's useless! All magic is powerless before me! Aaargh!" Before he could finish his boast, a scream escaped his lips as he was sent flying, crashing hard onto the ground.
"Damn, I really hate it when people try to act tough in front of me."
"How... how is that possible? How did you pass through my Wave barrier?" Yuka stammered, struggling to crawl back up.
"Want to try again?" Chen Fan asked with a playful glint in his eyes. Yuka nodded.
"Fine then." Chen Fan charged again. Startled by the sudden movement, Yuka threw his hands out once more. "Wave!!!"
Whoosh... Chen Fan stopped right in front of the blue barrier.
He slowly extended his fist until it lightly touched the barrier. Looking at Yuka, he said, "This is how I pass through. Your calculation speed is just too low!"
Shatter! The sound of breaking glass echoed as cracks spread from Chen Fan's fist across the blue magical barrier. Piece by piece, it crumbled into the air.
Yuka's jaw dropped. He stared at Chen Fan's fist in a daze, forgetting to even dodge.
Chen Fan's fist suddenly accelerated. Boom!! Yuka was sent flying once again, his eyes rolling back as he fell unconscious.
"Tch, you should have just stayed down and played dead. Now you've made me do extra work," Chen Fan spat on the ground.
He turned back to the still-fighting Natsu. "Aren't you done yet? I've been waiting forever."
Seeing that Chen Fan had finished his fight first, Natsu slammed his fists together and glared at Toby. "Alright, the next hit is going to send you flying."
"What are you talking about? I've been the one chasing you this whole time! Woof!"
"Fire Dragon's Roar!" A torrent of flames erupted from Natsu's mouth, striking Toby directly and launching him into the distance until he vanished like a twinkling star on the horizon.
Chen Fan shielded his eyes with his hand, watching Toby disappear. "Oh, he flew! He really flew!"
Suddenly, a grim voice rose from behind him. "You're about to fly too!"
Chen Fan jumped and spun around, finding Erza standing behind him with a dark, brooding expression. She raised a massive hammer and swung it toward him.
"Aaargh!" A blood-curdling scream rang out, making everyone who heard it shudder. In their hearts, they offered a silent prayer for the poor soul, crossing their foreheads and chests before clasping their hands. "God, have mercy on this poor child."
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