"So Lucy sent a bunch of kids like you here?"
"Like me?"
Anmi froze and repeated the words.
Ankh also looked at him in surprise and asked, "Natsu's daughter, Gray's son, and Gajeel's son and daughter—didn't they come here with you?"
Anmi quickly shook his head, his eyes drifting a little as he said, "I wanted to come, but you… didn't agree. The senior mages decided to send my older sister here to carry out the mission. I secretly followed her…"
"Hiss—"
Ankh sucked in a sharp breath and asked in shock, "So… I still have a daughter out there that I haven't found?"
"Mm…"
Anmi lowered his head guiltily and muttered, "She's the strongest among us. Everyone trusts her more."
Bang!!
Ankh knocked Anmi on the head, giving his wonderful son a small dose of fatherly intimidation.
"You should've said something this important earlier!"
Anmi bared his teeth and covered the bump on his forehead, while Ankh paced around the study with some concern, afraid that this daughter he had never met might be hurt.
"Ankh~ We're back!"
Just then, the door to the study was suddenly pushed open.
The moment Anmi heard that voice, every hair on his body stood on end, and he shot up from his seat.
Mirajane opened the door and ran in, excitedly throwing herself into Ankh's arms.
"I missed you so much!"
Holding the soft, delicate body in his arms, Ankh said helplessly, "Didn't we only separate a little while ago?"
Mirajane rubbed her face hard against his chest and hummed in satisfaction.
"Even a little while is too long!"
"Mira, why don't you look around the room first?"
After Ankh reminded her, Mirajane quickly raised her head and looked around the study.
Sure enough, she spotted a little fellow trembling under the desk.
"Who are you?"
Mirajane stared at him cautiously.
Anmi could only awkwardly crawl out from under the desk and greet her with a forced smile.
However, Mirajane was not moved at all. Her eyes were filled with the urge to "beat him up."
Anmi: …
This was exactly why he was so afraid of his mom…
She was a pure love-brain.
Even after they had been married for years, she still clung to his dad every day.
Sometimes, when he, her own son, went to play with his dad, Mirajane would get jealous and kick him away!
Ankh looked at the flustered Anmi with amusement. Of course, he knew about Mirajane's personality flaws.
When she had been young and independent, she had been extremely self-centered, confident, and unwilling to listen to anyone.
After being taught and softened by Ankh, she had become deeply attached to her family and fallen in love with peaceful daily life, but in exchange, she had lost that lonely confidence and ambition she once carried.
That was also why the gap between Erza and Mirajane's strength had become increasingly obvious.
Mirajane's heart had long since been softened by sweet ordinary life. She only fought like her life was on the line for the sake of her companions.
Erza, on the other hand, continued pushing forward toward greater heights with a warm yet unyielding will.
Seeing Mirajane acting like a lioness baring her teeth, Ankh quickly rubbed her head and explained.
"He's our son, Anmi."
Mirajane's temper instantly faded under Ankh's touch, but she still looked at him in confusion.
Then she turned to look at Anmi.
After that, she turned back and looked at Ankh again.
"He didn't inherit any of your domineering presence at all. Don't joke around, Ankh."
Mirajane, who trusted Ankh deeply, said this with half-belief and half-doubt.
Anmi inexplicably felt as if his mother had stabbed him in the heart again!
"Did you bring Natsu and those kids back? I'll explain everything to all of you at once."
Mirajane clung to his arm like a sticky little spirit and pointed outside. "They're all outside. Those kids didn't seem very willing to come, but Gajeel persuaded them."
Gajeel?
How did he persuade them? With his fists?
…
Ankh walked into the living room.
After greeting Natsu, who was lying bored on the table, his gaze quickly swept across the group of children.
Gajeel's posture was exactly like someone holding down a struggling pig during New Year's slaughter.
He was firmly pinning the stubborn troublemaker Garell to the floor, and the father and son were enthusiastically and healthily engaged in a father-son wrestling contest.
Levy and Galena were chatting happily.
Naciel was also looking at Natsu with worshipful eyes as he and Gray started brawling on the spot, cheering for Natsu from time to time.
Grinju, meanwhile, was sitting on Juvia's lap with an awkward expression.
Juvia loved this child who looked so much like Gray and was playing with him like he was a figurine.
Lucy looked at Ankh and Mirajane leading out a boy who greatly resembled both of them, and she could not help crying out in surprise.
"Eh? He looks so much like you!"
Thinking back on the various boys and girls they had encountered throughout the day, all of whom had felt strangely familiar, Lucy's brain seemed to suddenly light up, and an astonishing, bold guess began forming in her mind.
When the four little ones saw Anmi behind Ankh, their expressions all turned serious.
Naciel's little face changed, and she pointed at Anmi as she shouted, "You jerk! How could you run here on your own without permission?!"
"Exactly! We even went around asking for news about you," Grinju said indignantly, jumping out of Juvia's arms and pointing at him.
"To save you, we stayed hungry this whole time!"
"Save me? Don't make me laugh."
When facing these true peers of his, Anmi instantly lost the obedient, timid attitude from earlier.
His face turned arrogant as he coldly said, "I never asked you to come looking for me. Go back already! I can handle this mission by myself."
"Bastard!"
Garell slipped out from Gajeel's grasp like an eel and flexed his wrists, glaring at him furiously.
"We were specially sent by Naciel's mom to bring you home. Hurry up and come with us. Don't delay your sister's mission."
Anmi snorted coldly, and waves of spatial Magic Power began stirring around him.
The three across from him showed no weakness either.
Three different but equally powerful Magic Powers erupted, not losing to Anmi in the slightest.
Galena sighed helplessly and was just about to step forward as the peacemaker when Anmi's head suddenly made a crisp sound, like a wooden fish being struck.
Anmi clutched the back of his head and grimaced in pain.
Ankh calmly withdrew his fist and lectured him, "Don't use that kind of attitude when speaking to your companions."
"But when you and Uncle Laxus tease Uncle Natsu, you're obviously even worse than me…" Anmi muttered quietly.
"Hm?!"
Ankh glared at him.
Anmi shrank his neck and reluctantly said, "Yes, Dad."
"Dad?!"
The moment that word came out, everyone present cried out in shock at the same time, their eyeballs nearly flying out.
Still shaken, Natsu pointed tremblingly at Anmi and guessed, "No wonder Mirajane didn't come to work yesterday. So that's what happened!"
Ankh and Anmi both rolled their eyes hard.
Lucy slapped Natsu on the back and snapped, "Please, what do you think they're doing.... laying an egg?"
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