After mentally preparing himself, Charles finally led the group into the uniquely "tasteful" mansion.
But the moment they stepped inside, Charles's mental defenses immediately broke.
This was the residence of Blue Pegasus's guild master, so naturally, members of Blue Pegasus were in charge of welcoming them.
Charles wasn't entirely sure what Blue Pegasus's internal culture was like, but judging by the three "pretty boys" in front of him, he couldn't shake the feeling he'd just walked into a host club.
One thing was clear—the guild master Bob had done a remarkable job "training" his members. These three even had their own stage names.
They were TriMen's, a three-man mage team and regulars in magical fashion magazines.
"Midnight Rave" Hibiki, "Holy Night" Ichiya, and "Sky Night" Ren—these were the mages Blue Pegasus had sent for the joint mission.
But the moment they appeared, they were only interested in flirting with Erza and Lucy, leaving Charles unsure how to even respond.
As outlandish as they were, Charles could sense that they weren't weak mages. No wonder Blue Pegasus had chosen them.
Then, just as Erza felt a growing sense of dread, the leader of the Blue Pegasus team appeared.
Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki, the commander of TriMen's.
Everyone knew Blue Pegasus only recruited beautiful men and women—except Ichiya was clearly the exception.
His appearance was as indescribable as Blue Pegasus's overall aesthetic.
"Erza! You're as fragrant as ever!"
As Ichiya approached, literally sniffing the air, it was the first time Charles had ever seen Erza completely flustered.
Charles sighed. "Let's cut the jokes here. We're not here for a party."
Ichiya spun around like he was dancing and said, "This mission is already in good hands with us! Everyone else can go home—except Erza and Miss Lucy, of course!"
"Exactly! That's right!" the three flamboyant mages chimed in.
Natsu and Gray immediately rolled up their sleeves, ready to brawl.
Charles held them back and calmly said, "So this is how Blue Pegasus approaches a joint operation?"
Though he stopped Natsu and Gray, Charles unleashed his magical pressure toward the Blue Pegasus team.
Not just them—even Natsu, who'd been shouting a moment ago, went quiet.
The sheer weight of Charles's magic stunned everyone.
The Blue Pegasus team stopped clowning around; even sensing Charles's magic alone left them gasping for air.
It was a joint operation, yes—but everyone still represented their own guild. There was no way Charles would allow Fairy Tail to lose face. When necessary, he had to show strength.
Just then, a new voice rang out.
"Since we'll be fighting together from here on, please be a bit more tolerant, Charles-san."
Charles turned to the door and saw three people walk in.
Two of them—a man and a woman—were Leo and Sherry, whom he'd seen in Galuna Island.
After being defeated by Gray, Leo had taken his advice and joined a guild—Lamia Scale. Sherry, his former subordinate, had followed him.
Lamia Scale was one of the top guilds in Fiore. Besides Leo and Sherry, the person leading their group was someone even more notable.
"Rock Iron Jura," Charles said, withdrawing his magic.
Natsu scratched his head. "Rock what? Who is this guy? Is he famous or something?"
Charles sighed. "Could you learn some basics already? He's one of the Ten Wizard Saints—same as Master."
Jura was bald, his simple attire clinging to his muscular frame—he exuded raw power at a glance.
Gray greeted Leo, and Charles exchanged glances with Jura.
Jura spoke politely. "Master Makarov is my senior. I still have a long way to go to reach his level. And the title of Wizard Saint is just that—a title. From the magic you just released, I'd say you've already surpassed that realm, Charles-san."
Before departing, the master of Lamia Scale had specifically warned Jura to keep an eye on Fairy Tail's Charles during this operation.
Jura had already heard the rumors.
During the war between Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord, it was Charles who defeated their master, Jose—also one of the Ten Wizard Saints.
If anything, Jura owed his own promotion to Charles knocking Jose off the list.
As Charles had said before, not all Wizard Saints were equal. In his view, Jura was more of a filler choice—someone added for balance by the Council.
Still, there was no denying Jura's strength. Having such a reliable ally on a joint mission was certainly welcome.
Jura looked around and said, "Seems like three of the guilds are here. That just leaves Cait Shelter's team."
Ichiya said, "Those people? I heard Cait Shelter only sent one person!"
"Only one?" Lucy gasped. "For a mission this dangerous? What kind of monster would they have to be?!"
At that moment, a figure ran in—and immediately tripped, landing face-first in front of everyone.
Charles sighed, walked over, and offered his hand. "Still as clumsy as ever. Didn't hurt yourself, did you?"
The girl looked up and froze when she saw his face, then used his hand to stand.
"Th-thank you! I'm Wendy from Cait Shelter. Sorry I'm late!"
"A girl!"
"A child!"
"Wendy?"
Everyone was stunned that Cait Shelter had only sent a young girl for such a dangerous mission. Natsu, however, found her name oddly familiar.
Charles sighed. It seemed not just Gajeel, but Wendy had lost her memories too.
Though there was a bit of sadness, he was genuinely happy to reunite with his younger sister.
While the others were still doubting Wendy's abilities, a white cat stepped forward beside her.
It was Carla, an Exceed like Happy—another special being with the power to foresee the future. Like Happy was to Natsu, Carla was Wendy's constant partner.
Apparently, all Dragon Slayers kept cats. Maybe Charles should go find an Exceed for himself too.
As Charles zoned out and Happy flirted shamelessly with Carla, Ichiya suddenly announced he needed to use the restroom.
Right before they were about to begin the strategy meeting, no less—how typical.
But when Ichiya returned, Charles immediately sensed something was wrong.
He stepped forward and blocked Ichiya's path.
"If I hadn't met Loki—or as you know him, Leo—I might've been fooled. You can transform completely into others… You're Gemini, the Celestial Spirit of Gemini."
Everyone had been confused at first, but seeing "Ichiya's" expression made them instantly alert.
Just then, a sultry woman's voice rang out.
"You saw through it, huh? That's right—they're Gemini, spirits bound by a contract with me."
As a mist rolled through the room, "Ichiya" transformed into two tiny, blue plush dolls—and a scantily clad woman stepped into view.
Hibiki shouted, "You're Angel from Oración Seis! What have you done with Master Ichiya?!"
Their visitor was clearly the enemy—and one of their primary targets.
Charles spoke calmly. "Since you attacked Ichiya, I assume our operation plan is already compromised.
In that case, let's get this started. We were going to beat you all eventually anyway."
"About time! I'm fired up!"
Natsu shouted as flames burst from his fists and he charged forward.
The mansion's roof exploded, and more shadows descended from above.
Charles grinned. "Looks like we don't even have to go find them—they're coming right to us."
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