"We're indeed Mages from Fairy Tail, but there's no need to be this scared, right?"
Ultear knew the guild was famous, but its reputation wasn't exactly stellar. Gildarts, Natsu, Gray—each of them was a destructive maniac in their own right.
"Don't come any closer!"
"Stay away from us!"
"We're sorry, we won't do it again! Please spare us!"
The customers overturned tables and hid behind them, trembling, not daring to look at Ultear and the others.
"What are you all talking about?" Erza turned to look.
Wherever her gaze fell, the customers crouched down in pleading postures.
"I have elderly parents and young children to support!"
"I have five kids to feed!"
"Um, are you also companions of Moulin Rouge?" a tavern staff member asked, peeking out from behind the counter.
"Moulin Rouge? Who's that?" The three women turned to look.
"You're clearly their companions, yet you're pretending not to know them?"
Ultear's expression turned serious as she spoke firmly. "No, we really don't know anyone called Moulin Rouge."
Kagura rested her chin on her hand, thinking carefully. "I'm certain there's no one or team called Moulin Rouge in our guild."
Beside her, Erza frowned deeply. "Tell us quickly. Who exactly is Moulin Rouge?"
"They're thieves who often come to plunder this area. I heard they only arrived on this continent recently."
Erza was puzzled by this answer.
"You said thieves?"
"Everyone has suffered because of that person!"
"That person is terrifying!"
"And I think she has a partner named Sunny or something," a customer complained from the crowd.
Seeing that Ultear and the others seemed slightly approachable, the tavern staff member elaborated.
"They appeared suddenly one day. Just a few days ago, they robbed a train, but they didn't seem satisfied—the next day, they robbed a bank."
Erza rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought. "No, wait a minute. How come I haven't heard about any such incidents happening these past few days?"
"That person said it herself, so it can't be wrong!"
"Many people have stepped up to challenge them, but they all ended up getting beaten up instead."
"I've suffered from them too."
"No one in this area can stand against them anymore." The customers chimed in one after another.
"In that case, you could've directly filed a complaint with Fairy Tail. There are many ways to do so." Erza placed her hands on her hips and spoke earnestly.
"How could we? That guild is full of monsters! If she called all her companions, this city would disappear from the map!"
"That's right, that's right. They're too famous."
"I heard that when they take on jobs, more than half the town gets destroyed..."
"That's why the Council sees them as a thorn in their side."
"I heard there's a guy who burned down most of a forest!"
"Not just that, there's one who summons thunderbolts to strike towns!"
"I've even heard there's one who can slice a mountain in half with a single sword!"
"And there's another who can punch a mountain into tiny cubes!"
"The number of Mages joining keeps increasing every year, and their influence is growing larger and larger!" The customers continued adding fuel to the fire.
Kagura and Ultear had no way to refute it. Everything the patrons said was actually true.
Of course, Raizel would argue that when he sliced that mountain, he was just helping the local mayor with a scheduled demolition!
It was just that Jason from the Weekly Sorcerer secretly filmed it, and through distorted retellings, it became a terrifying story of Raizel splitting a mountain with one sword.
Erza hung her head sheepishly, muttering, "They don't seem to be wrong about anything... This feels so complicated..."
After all, she was one of them too!
She just relied on Ultear's Arc of Time magic to clean up the property damage afterward.
"But look at us—do we really seem like such violent people?" Erza offered a "friendly" smile that radiated pure intimidation.
The customers looked at Erza in her full suit of armor, then at Kagura holding her bandage-wrapped Archenemy, and finally at Ultear, whose magical wrist guard looked downright sinister at first glance.
"Very much so!"
"I'd say it fits perfectly!" The customers nodded eagerly. "And who smashes the balls while playing pool?!"
"Anyway, with a guild that's one of the top on the entire continent backing them, there's nothing we ordinary folks can do."
"Unforgivable." Erza radiated killing intent, shooting a cold glare at the staff.
Kagura narrowed her eyes, tightening her grip on Archenemy.
One glowed with a fierce red aura, the other with a dark purple light.
Their immense magical power caused the tavern to tremble, dust beginning to fall from the ceiling rafters.
Erza furrowed her brows, her face pale with anger. "How dare they impersonate Fairy Tail to commit such heinous acts."
"Wait... the more I listen, the more something feels off," the staff member squeaked. "You mean Moulin Rouge isn't actually from Fairy Tail?"
"Of course not!" Erza glared at the staff, her tone dropping a few octaves. "Tell me quickly. Where is this Moulin Rouge you mentioned?"
"S-she should be at the dessert shop next door."
"If you really are from Fairy Tail, please go deal with them."
"We don't need you to tell us. We'll go."
With that, Erza led the way out.
...
"This must be the place." Ultear stood beside Erza, looking up at the dessert shop's pastel sign.
A cheerful bell chimed as they pushed the door open.
"Welcome!"
Erza looked at the various cakes and pastries in the transparent display case at the counter, smacking her lips and swallowing hard.
"As much as I'd love to have a dessert right now, I have to resist."
Ultear and Kagura, meanwhile, observed the people seated inside.
Bang!
A female customer slammed her fist on a table.
"What is this?! It's way too sweet!" Her shouting immediately caught Erza's attention.
"This... this is what you ordered yourself," the terrified waiter stammered.
"How am I supposed to eat something this sweet?!"
"But... we're a dessert shop, after all..."
"Enough excuses! I hate sweet things! Don't you dare look down on me as a customer!" A spirited young woman with short, light-green hair clenched her fists, her face filled with indignation.
"So you're Moulin Rouge?" Erza narrowed her eyes sharply, glaring at her like a hawk.
"Huh? Who are you?" Moulin Rouge leaned back in her chair, looking at Erza with disdain. "What do you want? If you've got nothing, get lost."
"I heard you're a Mage from Fairy Tail?" Erza stepped closer.
"So what? Who are you anyway? Looking for a fight? Aren't you afraid I'll call my companions and destroy this town?" Moulin Rouge laughed recklessly.
"If you want a fight, I'll oblige." Erza turned her left palm downward, magical power gathering in her hand.
A heavy two-handed sword materialized and slammed onto the table, shattering the plates.
Erza leaned heavily on the hilt, bending down to meet Moulin Rouge's gaze.
"Since you dare to pick a fight with someone from Fairy Tail, I assume you've already written your will?"
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