Location: Inside a ruined castle. Time: One week after the team was formed.
Bang! Gray knocked a man down with a single punch and stepped on his face arrogantly. "If you're this weak, don't try being a thief." A dozen men were already scattered across the floor.
"Don't think you'll get away with doing this to us!"
"Lord Danpeng won't just sit by!"
"That guy was beaten down a long time ago," Happy said from the side.
"This side is cleared as well," Erza said suddenly from the stairs behind them.
"As expected of Erza." Lucy turned and gave Erza a thumbs up.
Suddenly, Erza spotted Chen Fan lounging around doing nothing, and her temper flared. She roared at him, "What are you even here for? We're here to work! Work, do you understand? Why didn't you lift a finger, huh?"
Chen Fan lowered his head slightly, his left hand supporting his right elbow while his right middle finger pushed up his glasses. He raised an eyebrow and said, "I am a civilized man. I despise fighting. A true gentleman uses his words, not his fists." Having said that, he began to walk out.
One of the thugs on the ground saw an opening and lunged at Chen Fan from behind, his fist aimed at the back of Chen Fan's head.
Whoosh... Chen Fan's body shifted to the side in a blur, dodging the attack without even looking back. Thud! His right elbow drove into the man's stomach. The man let out a cry of pain, his mouth hanging open and his eyes bulging.
He turned his head with difficulty and gasped at Chen Fan, "Didn't you say you hate fighting?" Hearing the man's words, Natsu, Gray, and Erza all facepalmed in silence. They thought to themselves that this poor kid was beyond saving how could anyone believe a word Chen Fan said?
"I said I hate fighting, but I never said I couldn't do it. I hit... oh..." Chen Fan used his right elbow as a pivot and swung his fist in a clockwise arc. Pow! His fist slammed into the man's face, sending him into a graceful unconsciousness.
"Alright, mission accomplished. Let's go." Chen Fan spoke as he took the lead and walked out. Once outside, he breathed in the fresh air and stretched his arms. "Whew, work is so tiring."
"Hey, you didn't do anything at all! Why does it feel like you're the one who did everything?" Lucy complained.
"It was finished even earlier than expected." Erza was already used to Chen Fan's way of taking credit and didn't bother to call him out. She spoke to the whole group.
Natsu said with some dissatisfaction, "Agh... I haven't had enough fun yet."
"Haven't you caused enough trouble already?" Gray retorted.
Natsu ignored Gray and shouted at Chen Fan, "Chen Fan, I want to duel you! Here I come, ahhh!" Natsu's hands erupted in flames as he charged.
Smack.
"Gah...!" With a casual flick of his wrist, Chen Fan sent Natsu flying. Boom! Natsu was embedded into a dirt wall by the side of the road.
Happy flew over from somewhere, holding up a sign that read, "KO!"
"What number is this?" Gray turned and asked Lucy.
"Oh, let me check." Lucy pulled out a notebook from somewhere, glanced at it, and said, "That's his 99th total defeat. One more and he breaks a hundred."
Suddenly, Chen Fan spotted Loke nearby and called out, "Hey, Loke, you're around here too?" He began to walk over.
"Oh, it's you guys. What a coincidence," Loke said, greeting them. Lucy saw Loke and walked over as well. "Thanks for helping me find my keys last time."
But as soon as Loke saw Lucy approaching, he looked startled. He blurted out, "Sorry, I have something to take care of. I have to go!" He then turned and ran off in a hurry.
Lucy slumped. "What was that about?"
"Lucy, did you do something to him?" Natsu asked from the side. He had appeared behind them out of nowhere after pulling himself out of the wall, startling Gray and Erza.
"I didn't do anything!"
"Is that so?"
Chen Fan ignored their bickering and watched the fleeing Loke. Was that time coming soon? He glanced back at Lucy. Seeing the meaningful look in Chen Fan's eyes, Lucy shouted at him for some reason, "I don't have that kind of relationship with him! Don't get any ideas!"
"Uh, I actually wasn't thinking anything."
"Anyway, since we finished the mission so early, why don't we go to the Hot Springs to relax?" Lucy suddenly suggested.
"Lucy..." Erza's voice was low and heavy, startling Natsu and Gray. Lucy's heart skipped a beat.
"That is a wonderful idea!" Erza's face broke into a smile. Natsu, Gray, and Lucy all breathed a sigh of relief.
When Lucy suggested the Hot Springs, Chen Fan's ears perked up. When Erza agreed to go, he was so excited that he clenched his fists, and tears almost ran down his face.
This world might not have the internet, but if it did... if it did... Chen Fan struggled to contain his joy. He said nothing, maintaining a serious expression as he followed behind them.
Housenka Village was the most popular hot spring street in Magnolia. The architecture was reminiscent of ancient Chinese buildings, and it had become a famous tourist destination due to its bold and subtle architectural design. Naturally, Chen Fan held shares in this place.
"Boss, everything is ready," a waiter said, giving Chen Fan a thumbs up.
"Excellent. Go to the general manager and collect your reward," Chen Fan whispered, returning the thumbs up.
After speaking, he tiptoed toward a room. Natsu and Gray, curious about what he was up to, stealthily followed him.
Chen Fan stopped on a second-floor balcony. With trembling hands, he pulled out a pair of binoculars from somewhere and peered down. He winced. Wait, why is Erza still wearing her armor? And Lucy has everything below her neck submerged in the water.
Meanwhile, inside the hot spring...
"What is up with Loke? And what was with that look Chen Fan gave me?" Lucy grumbled.
"The moonlight is beautiful, and this hot spring is truly excellent," Erza said. Her voice drew Lucy's attention away from her complaints. Lucy looked at Erza and couldn't help but comment, "You're still wearing your armor."
"It helps me keep my mind calm."
"B-but isn't that uncomfortable?"
"Well, to be honest, it is a bit awkward. Since we're at a hot spring, we really should relax properly."
"Um... you're being a bit too stiff." As soon as Lucy finished speaking, a golden light flashed around Erza, and she stood in the hot spring completely naked.
Lucy stared, wide-eyed, and sighed. "Wow... Erza, you look quite spectacular without your clothes."
At that moment, Chen Fan was watching through his binoculars, blood dripping from his nose. "Spectacular doesn't even cover it. 'Magnificent' would be a much more accurate description," he muttered, wiping his nose.
Thump. Natsu clapped a hand onto Chen Fan's shoulder while he was still peeping and shouted, "Chen Fan, what are you doing?!" Chen Fan jumped in shock. In that split second, Gray snatched the binoculars and held them to his eyes. "Whoa... what is this? Everything is so far away but so clear!"
Hearing how fun the device was, Natsu shouted, "Let me see! Let me see!" He grabbed them from Gray. Chen Fan finally snapped out of it and realized things were about to go south. He quickly slipped away through the back.
Before long, Natsu and Gray started fighting over the binoculars. They crashed through the attic floor and fell from the second story, alerting Erza and Lucy. The binoculars rolled right to Erza's feet.
Chen Fan was currently hiding in some corner between two walls, covering his ears. Sure enough, the screams began shortly after, making his heart hammer against his ribs. He pressed his hands together and whispered, "Better you than me, brothers. Rest in peace. I will fulfill your final wishes for you."
Suddenly, Erza's roar echoed through the air. "Chen Fan, where are you?! Get out here right now!" Chen Fan wouldn't dare go out now. He pretended he hadn't heard a thing, deciding to wait until tomorrow when Erza's anger had cooled.
"Ah..." Finally back. Chen Fan stretched his arms in front of the Fairy Tail guild. Two "pig-headed" boys followed behind him, their faces swollen with bruises.
Everything had gone as Chen Fan expected; Erza had seemingly forgotten about the peeping incident by the next day. However, Chen Fan hadn't escaped without a price half of his hot spring inn had been destroyed.
Along the way, Chen Fan had kept Gray and Natsu in line with threatening glares. Every time they even looked like they were going to snitch, he gave them a "one-way plane ticket," knocking them around until they were too injured to speak.
Lucy, on the other hand, had been very quiet, appearing to have something on her mind. Chen Fan figured she must have met with Loke. Lucy walked over and sat at the counter, with Happy following her.
Once they were back at the guild and Erza had left, Chen Fan stopped preventing Natsu and Gray from talking.
"Chen Fan, that was so uncool! You were the one peeping, but you ran away and left us to face Erza's wrath!" Natsu complained, and Gray nodded in agreement.
"Hmm?" Chen Fan's expression darkened. "You have the nerve to say that? Weren't you the two who ran away first back on Galuna Island? You didn't even hold out for a minute before you sold me out, huh?" Chen Fan glared at Natsu and Gray with a murderous look, a black aura radiating from his body.
"We're sorry!" Natsu and Gray immediately wilted and ran out, not daring to stay near Chen Fan a moment longer. If he kept talking, who knew what other old scores he would bring up?
Suddenly, Lucy came running out in a panic, followed by several girls. She lunged behind Chen Fan and cried, "Chen Fan, save me!"
Chen Fan took one look and understood the situation. He shouted at the top of his lungs, "I just saw Loke! He's over by the bathhouse with a beautiful girl!"
"What?!"
"How dare she seduce my little Loke-loke!" The girls shouted and took off toward the bathhouse in a blur.
Chen Fan turned to the Lucy behind him. "Alright, you can go back now. Consider yourself lucky this time. This is your reward for not snitching on me along the way." He then walked into the guild, leaving behind a Lucy whose eyes were filled with complex emotions.
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