"So that's how it is. I haven't had the chance to congratulate you yet," Yukino said. Her expression remained calm, and only the faintest trace of goodwill could be heard in her voice.
Mirajane looked a little disappointed. "Come on, give me more of a reaction. At your age, it wouldn't hurt to be a bit livelier."
Yukino replied evenly, "I've heard about you. Demon Mirajane is only a year older than I am."
Mira puffed out her cheeks at the bluntness, but after a moment of thought, she decided being considered "young" wasn't such a bad thing. She let go of Rhodes, took Yukino's hand, and smiled warmly like an older sister fussing over her sibling.
"Are you in the capital for a mission or for fun? Have you found a place to stay yet? Want to come eat with us? I could even be your tour guide for a few days~"
Yukino seemed unused to such kindness. She tried to keep her face composed as she answered each question one by one. "The mission is already complete. I came to the capital for personal reasons. I'm waiting here for my companion."
Just as Mira was about to reply, a human-shaped figure of shifting light suddenly appeared beside Yukino.
Rhode's hand instantly went up, ready to strike the strange thing down.
But Yukino quickly said, "Wait, it's my companion."
The light solidified, and a man in black attire appeared, wearing a mask that made him look like a ninja. He stood at Yukino's side and said curtly, "Yukino, we're late."
He stopped mid-sentence when he noticed Rhodes and Mira. Recognition flickered in his eyes. "You are, Saint Wizard Rhodes, and Demon Mirajane of Fairy Tail."
Yukino quickly introduced him. "This is my senior in the guild, Dobengal."
"So it's you," Dobengal muttered, recalling the newspaper articles. He folded his arms and gave Yukino a stern look. "Have you already forgotten the Master's words?"
"I..." Yukino opened her mouth but no sound came out.
She remembered all too clearly what had happened the last time she returned to Sabertooth after completing a Fairy Tail request. Someone had asked her about Fairy Tail, and she had answered honestly:
"Although the guild looks a bit old, the people there are kind, the atmosphere is warm, and the townsfolk love them."
But her guildmates had only heard the first part, or rather, only the word "old." They immediately scoffed and sneered at Fairy Tail.
Yukino had wanted to explain further, to tell them that Fairy Tail had incredibly strong wizards, people who were as reliable as family.
Instead, Master Jiemma himself heard her words and flew into a rage.
To him, kindness, warmth, and camaraderie were nothing but the weakness of the feeble huddling together. Sabertooth's philosophy was clear: the strong rise, the weak fall. That was the creed that had carried them to the title of "Number One Guild in Fiore."
For calling Fairy Tail "good," Yukino was reprimanded harshly. Jiemma told her that if she dared speak such shameful things again, she would be expelled without hesitation.
Remembering that day, Yukino fell silent.
Sabertooth was not the guild she had imagined, but it was the "number one guild" she had once longed for. And she had her reasons not to be cast out.
Rhodes and Mira exchanged a look, bewildered.
Aside from one request Yukino had once completed for Fairy Tail, they had never had any real dealings with Sabertooth. So why did this man look at them with such hostility?
And why did Yukino seem so hesitant, almost… cornered? Was she being mistreated in her guild?
Mira leaned in gently, her voice full of concern. "Yukino… are you in some kind of trouble?"
Yukino shook her head lightly. "No. Nothing."
Dobengal cut in sharply. "Even if there were trouble, Sabertooth can handle it. You don't need to interfere. So stay out of our way. Yukino, let's go."
Rhode's eyes narrowed. His voice turned cold as he stepped forward, blocking their path.
"If you're going to say that, then I'll need to ask for some clarification. Does Fairy Tail have a grudge with Sabertooth?"
Dobengal halted and fixed Rhodes with a cold stare. "There's no grudge. But when people who are behind the times hold high positions, that alone is a mistake."
Sensing the mood turning dangerous, Yukino quickly tried to intervene. "Dobengal-san—"
He raised a hand, cutting her off, and immediately shifted into a combat stance. "This is a rare chance. Since you've stepped in my way, let me see for myself if you're truly worthy of being called one of the Ten Wizard Saints!"
Rhodes arched a brow, his lips curving in amusement. 'This kid's seriously coming for me? A classic chuunibyou type.'
Dobengal lunged forward to strike, but his body betrayed him, his arm shook uncontrollably, sweat poured from his brow, and his knees nearly buckled.
His heartbeat thundered in his chest, erratic and suffocating. For a terrifying moment, he forgot how to breathe.
Gulp.
The instinctive swallow snapped him back, but his stance had already collapsed. The mask over his mouth shifted as he gasped for air.
Rhodes chuckled lightly, as though nothing had happened. He waved his hand, tone teasing: "Go on, I'm ready. Don't hold back on my account."
Dobengal's face flushed scarlet.
Yukino, not understanding what had just occurred, only saw her senior faltering inexplicably.
His chest heaved as he forced out words through clenched teeth. "Don't… underestimate Sabertooth's wizards!"
With a desperate shout, Dobengal pushed off the ground, fist blazing with multicolored magic, and drove it straight at Rhodes.
Rhodes caught Yukino's troubled expression in the corner of his eye. Out of courtesy to her, he decided not to humiliate her guildmate. He reached out with one hand and effortlessly caught Dobergal's punch mid-swing.
The impact froze there, fist locked in Rhode's grip. No matter how much strength Dobengal poured into it, he couldn't move forward, or even pull back.
"Impossible! Even Master Jiemma wouldn't! The gap can't be this wide!" he cried, disbelief written all over his face. He fumbled for the weapon strapped to his waist with his free hand.
"A frog in a well should occasionally look up," Rhodes said calmly.
'Then maybe you'd realize the sky is far broader than you imagine.' He left the thought unsaid, only shooting Mira a knowing glance.
Mira smiled gently. With a flick of her finger, a sparkling bubble of enchantment drifted out and popped. "We don't want to hurt you. But for now… rest."
The soothing magic washed over Dobergal. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed, slipping into harmless slumber.
Seeing Yukino's anxious face, Mira reassured her softly, "Don't worry. He's only asleep. He'll wake up in about an hour."
Rhodes snapped his fingers, summoning one of his ugliest Shadow Wolves, which padded over to hoist Dobengal onto its back. He looked to Yukino, voice even. "Tell me, what's going on in your guild?"
Yukino hesitated, then explained quietly, "Dobengal isn't a bad person. But like everyone in Sabertooth, he's… proud.
"And because Fairy Tail was once Fiore's strongest guild, Sabertooth has always viewed you as the benchmark to surpass. That's why their attitudes can be…" She trailed off, clearly trying hard to smooth things over.
Rhodes and Mira exchanged a glance and both nodded, recognizing the sincerity in her attempt to defend her comrades.
...
Stones Plzz
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