"Who the hell are you?!"
Laxus' words instantly enraged Natsu.
He sprang up from the ground, ready to butt heads with Laxus.
Unfortunately, due to their height difference, he could only glare up at him.
Though Natsu was short, his temper was as fiery as his magic.
This stranger had just waltzed in and started insulting him—there was no way Natsu would take that lying down.
"Remember this—I'm Laxus, the future guild master of Fairy Tail."
Straightening up, Laxus ignored Natsu and delivered this line before stepping around him to leave.
Such a weakling wasn't worth another glance.
Once he became guild master, he'd kick out all the weaklings—especially idiots like Natsu.
People like him had no business being Mages.
They should just live ordinary lives.
"..."
Watching Laxus swagger away, Natsu was left utterly confused.
"Is he... messed up in the head or something?" Natsu glanced at Marco and asked in a hushed tone, careful not to let Laxus hear him.
It wasn't that he was afraid of Laxus—he just worried the guy might genuinely have some screws loose and he didn't want to hurt his feelings.
Sometimes, Natsu could be surprisingly considerate.
"..."
Marco couldn't help but twitch his lips at Natsu's words.
In his mind, these guys were all cut from the same cloth—none of them had the right to call the others crazy.
Ignoring Natsu, Marco's attention was already captured by the [Saint System].
Just moments ago, he had triggered another quest.
[Quest Name: "My Foolish Onii-san"
Quest Description:
Once obedient and warm-hearted, Laxus has now entered a rebellious phase. The harsh criticisms and unfair treatment from others have tormented him, slowly driving him to withdraw into his own world. He no longer communicates with others and has begun walking down an extreme path.
As his younger brother, it is your duty to pull him back on track.
Awaken him! Make him remember his original aspirations! Make him realize once more his love for the guild and the people around him!
Quest Progress: Pending.
Quest Reward: Random Gold Cloth.]
Looking at the quest, Marco's expression turned complicated.
Pulling Laxus—his foolish brother—back from the edge wouldn't be easy.
Over the past few years, Marco had begun to stand out, showcasing his magical talents.
Meanwhile, Laxus had entered his rebellious phase, growing increasingly sensitive to perceived 'injustice' and convinced he was being unfairly criticized.
Under the weight of these feelings, the once-close brothers had drifted apart.
Laxus no longer confided in Marco, sealing himself off completely in his own world.
Having gone through his own edgy teenage phase, Marco understood the pressure Laxus was under.
He had tried before to guide his foolish bother, but experience had taught him that some emotions couldn't be resolved by words alone—they had to be weathered and overcome by the person themselves.
'A Gold Cloth…'
The words made Marco's eyes practically glow with greed.
Even the [Equuleus Bronze Cloth] had given him a significant boost.
If it were a [Gold Cloth], the effects would be unimaginable!
'Too bad I can't get it right now. This isn't something that can be rushed. At least there's no time limit on the quest—I can take it slow.'
Without much hesitation, Marco set the quest aside for now.
There was no point obsessing over something he couldn't obtain yet.
"Natsu, you've recovered already? Were you looking for me?" Marco turned his gaze to Natsu as he spoke, simultaneously starting his daily physical training.
As a close-combat Mage, his body was his greatest weapon!
Natsu shuddered slightly as he recalled what had happened earlier.
Marco's fists had left a lasting impression on him, but what truly made him tremble was.... the memory of that slap he'd received while half-conscious.
"Was it Erza who hit me?" Natsu asked, his voice quivering.
"Huh?"
Marco, mid-way through a set of elaborate push-ups, gave Natsu a puzzled look before realization dawned on him.
He was asking about that slap.
Looking at Natsu's expression, Marco couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
'Damn, could a single slap really hurt a ten-year-old child that much?'
"It was Erza. What? You planning to get revenge?"
Marco didn't bother covering for Erza.
After all, she was the one who did it.
If asked, she'd admit it outright—that girl couldn't lie to save her life.
"I'm challenging her to a fight!"
Natsu gritted his teeth and roared loudly.
"Fine, challenge her then. No need to shout so loud. You hot-blooded idiots are always so noisy—utterly hopeless."
Marco did one-handed push-ups while pressing a finger to his ear in annoyance.
Natsu, probably because he'd just come from the wild and hadn't lived among humans for long, always spoke at an ear-splitting volume, as if terrified people wouldn't hear him.
Maybe his dragon dad's deaf.
"But let me warn you Natsu. At your current level, you stand no chance against Erza. Challenging her will only get you another beating—and unlike me, she doesn't hold back. She might just pummel you into bed rest."
Seeing Natsu's burning determination to avenge the humiliation of that slap, Marco gave him a well-meaning heads-up.
Though Erza looked every bit the delicate beauty, she was no fragile vase.
That girl's strength was nothing to scoff at—even Marco would have to fight seriously to beat her.
There was no way he could one-shot her like he had Natsu.
"Huh? She's that strong?"
Natsu blinked, skepticism creeping onto his face.
This "little fire dragon" had always thought himself pretty tough.
But after being instantly KO'd by Marco's 'Pegasus Meteor Fist' he wasn't so sure anymore.
"If we're including Laxus, then Erza's probably second strongest among our generation. Without Laxus, she'd be first."
After some thought, Marco gave his personal ranking.
At least for now, Erza definitely couldn't beat Laxus.
"Laxus..."
Natsu froze.
Wasn't that the name of that arrogant guy earlier?
That guy was that strong too?!
"Then where do you rank, Marco?"
It suddenly hit Natsu—if Laxus was first and Erza second, didn't that mean both of them were stronger than Marco?
"Me? I'm an exception—not included in the rankings."
Marco chuckled, giving an answer Natsu hadn't expected.