Natsu was stopped the instant he rushed forward.
"You're not allowed on the second floor until you become an S-Class Mage!"
Makarov's arm suddenly expanded, swelling to several times its normal size before slamming down like a giant hammer. The blow pinned Natsu firmly to the ground, stopping him before he could even take another step toward the stairs.
"Idiot. Talk to me again when you become an S-Class Mage," Laxus scoffed coldly from above.
Natsu gritted his teeth and struggled beneath Makarov's fist before finally forcing himself upright. Dust clung to his clothes as he stood, eyes blazing. He bared his teeth and pointed angrily toward the second floor.
"Then come down and fight me, Laxus!"
Laxus looked down at him as if he were staring at something insignificant. His lips curled with disdain.
"Come up if you dare."
Natsu froze.
His shoulders sagged almost immediately.
If only he could go up there. If the Master weren't watching him so closely, he would've rushed to the second floor long ago, even if it meant getting thrown back down afterward. Just thinking about the restricted area made him itch with restlessness.
Seeing Natsu fall silent, Laxus let out a short, amused chuckle. His gaze shifted away from him and landed squarely on Aux.
"If you've thought it through," Laxus said calmly, "have the Thunder God Tribe contact me. Don't miss this opportunity."
The next moment, lightning erupted around his body.
With a sharp crackle, Laxus transformed into a bolt of yellow lightning and vanished from the second floor entirely, leaving only faint sparks lingering in the air.
This was the application of Lightning Magic—fast, precise, and overwhelmingly powerful.
For several seconds, the guild hall was silent.
Then the surrounding members finally reacted, turning their attention toward Aux almost in unison.
"Wait… was Aux not asleep?" Mirajane asked, snapping back to reality.
If Laxus had spoken to Aux, then it must have happened while everyone else was unconscious.
Which meant only one thing.
Doesn't that mean Aux wasn't affected by Mystogan's sleeping magic at all?
"Huh? Why wasn't Aux asleep?" Natsu asked eagerly, eyes shining. "Is there some kind of trick? I wanna see what Mystogan looks like with my own eyes next time!"
Gray also looked unusually excited.
Not falling asleep when Mystogan appeared—just thinking about it made him envious. If he could learn that trick, he wouldn't collapse for no reason every single time.
Elfman leaned closer, curiosity written all over his face. "You saw Mystogan, right? What does he look like?"
Faced with so many expectant gazes, Aux paused. He pondered for two seconds, then frowned slightly before speaking.
"If your magic power is strong enough, you won't be put to sleep," he said casually. "As for Mystogan…" He tilted his head. "She's a very beautiful girl~"
The guild froze.
"A… very beautiful girl?"
Everyone stared blankly, their minds desperately trying—and failing—to match that description with the mysterious mage they'd known for years.
In their perception, Mystogan was absolutely male.
"Aren't you talking nonsense?" Macao shot back immediately. "Everyone in the guild knows Mystogan is a man."
Wakaba nodded in agreement. "Right! Mystogan's name is obviously a boy's name!"
Most of the guild members shared that belief.
Makarov, however, merely glanced sideways at Aux, clearly interested in how he planned to justify this claim.
"You've all been deceived."
Aux let out a deep sigh, his expression turning solemn. He looked at the guild members with eyes full of sincerity.
"You haven't even seen Mystogan. So how do you know She's definitely a man? I saw him with my own eyes—her figure was graceful, curvaceous, and incredibly beautiful."
No one spoke.
Should they believe him?
Come to think of it… they really hadn't ever seen Mystogan's face.
Is it actually possible he's a woman?
Macao crossed his arms, still unconvinced. "More seductive than Erza, Cana, Levy, Mirajane, and Lucky?"
Wakaba immediately corrected him. "Levy is cute. Don't put her in the seductive category."
Levy rolled her eyes hard.
I'm small, I'm sorry for not being sexy enough for you people…
Aux nodded seriously, then shook his head. "Mystogan's beauty is hard to describe. You can't truly understand it without seeing it yourself. You'll know when you meet her."
That only made things worse.
The guild instantly broke into hushed discussions.
"How is that possible? Mystogan is clearly male!"
"But if Mystogan really is male, why does he only show up when we're asleep?"
"They said he's shy, right? That sounds like a girl."
"So Mystogan really is female?"
"I just want to know how beautiful Mystogan has to be for Aux to describe them like that."
"I can't imagine it at all…"
Unable to reach a conclusion, they could only whisper among themselves, letting their imaginations run wild.
After successfully misleading the entire guild, Aux turned away with a satisfied smirk and calmly resumed savoring his coffee.
Makarov snorted. "If Mystogan hears you talking about him like that behind his back, he'll definitely come looking for an explanation."
No problem.
Aux wasn't worried in the slightest.
Even if Mystogan did come looking for him, so what? He could simply use Enchantment Magic and turn Mystogan into a woman on the spot. At that point, no explanation would matter.
"That Laxus brat has an extreme personality," Makarov said seriously. "He believes force can solve everything. You'd best not get too deeply involved with him."
As a grandfather, he knew Laxus's nature all too well. It ran completely counter to Fairy Tail's ideals.
Even now, he didn't understand how his grandson had become like this.
"So he acknowledges my strength?" Aux asked calmly.
Joining the Thunder God Tribe… he had almost agreed. The guild's internal tension alone made the offer tempting.
But in the end, he rejected the thought.
Fighting Natsu, Gray, and the others wasn't nearly as satisfying as fighting Laxus.
"You could say that," Makarov admitted.
Aux's current strength could no longer be ignored. If he truly went all out, it was possible—just possible—that no one could stop him.
"Is Mystogan an S-Class Mage?" Aux asked.
It had been mentioned in the original story, but he couldn't remember the exact year.
"No," Makarov replied.
That surprised him.
Mystogan wasn't an S-Class Mage in X782?
That didn't sound right.
"Mystogan should be on this year's exam list," Mirajane added.
Aux glanced at Makarov. The old man neither confirmed nor denied it.
That silence was answer enough.
"How long until this year's promotion exam?" Aux asked.
"Two months," Makarov replied.
I see.
Aux finally understood.
Mystogan would become an S-Class Mage this year. His main competitor would likely be Cana—but this year, she wouldn't be able to match him.
What a pity.
If this year's exam required forming pairs, someone would've remembered Mystogan's appearance long ago.
Still, Aux had joined too recently. There was a ninety-nine percent chance he wouldn't even be nominated.
Too bad.
If he were allowed to participate, S-Class would be trivial.
Then he could freely enter the second floor—and take the Galuna Island request ahead of schedule.
And obtain the Celestial Spirit Key in advance.
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