Bang!
The dull thud made the glasses in the guild hall vibrate, and the wooden door was kicked flying, with wood chips rustling down in the air.
Who kicked the door???
"It's you! Riyao, you big genius!"
Accompanied by a loud shout, Riyao was like a cannonball out of the chamber. His right foot, carrying a sharp wind, didn't slow down at all after hitting the door panel. The moment the door panel slammed into the entrance...
Makarov, who was about to go out with a pipe in his mouth, was caught off guard and kicked squarely in the chest. The old man let out a miserable "Ow!" and, like a golf ball being hit flying, drew a perfect parabola and crashed into the bar with a "Boom!"
Wine bottles and glasses shattered all over the floor, and red wine flowed down the edge of the bar, gathering into a small red stream.
"Oh-ho~" x10086
Riyao glanced at the human-shaped hole in the bar and, without a moment's hesitation, grabbed the door frame and turned around, his toes digging into the floor as he prepared for a hundred-meter sprint to make a run for it.
How could Gray let him escape? He even skipped his usual iconic two-handed clasping spell-casting prep. Fine ice shards instantly condensed on his fingertips, and he pressed his hands hard onto the floor. The "crack-crack" sound of ice cracking spread along the floor, and in the blink of an eye, a layer of slippery ice covered the center of the hall.
"Hey! You want to run after hurting our beloved Master?!"
Riyao had already exerted force with his feet and couldn't stop. His feet slipped, and he fell onto the ice with a "splat" like a round snowball. His butt hit the floor so hard it trembled, making him hiss in pain.
Natsu always managed to seize opportunities accurately at times like this. His ears perked up with excitement, and with a howl, he pounced, clinging to Riyao's back like an octopus, his legs firmly hooked around his waist: "Hahaha! No running! I'm definitely going to beat you up this time!"
Gray was not to be outdone either, grabbing Riyao's waist and pressing down. The weight of the two of them combined made Riyao grunt, his face almost pressing against the ice.
"Mira! Save me!" Riyao flailed his arms and legs in a panic, his voice cracking from shouting.
Mirajane leaned against the bar, her shoulders shaking as she giggled behind her hand. The lace handkerchief in her hand waved like a farewell flag, and the corners of her eyes curved into crescents: "Sorry, Riyao, the Master is in a real temper right now, I wouldn't dare touch that bad luck~ How about I bake your favorite honey cinnamon bread for you tonight?" That "unable to help" look was just like someone seeing off a lover on a long journey.
"You brat! You still dare to call for Mirajane to save you?!"
Makarov crawled out of the ruins of the bar with wood chips on his head. His Gray beard stood up one by one in anger, like a dandelion blowing apart, and sparks were almost flying from his pupils.
He instantly turned into a giant and, like picking up a little chick that had stolen a snack, he pinched the scruff of Riyao's neck and lifted him up. Riyao kicked his legs in the air, looking just like a Husky being held up, wailing and shouting.
"Wuwuwu, Old Man, this really was an accident! I originally just wanted to kick the door to test its quality. Do you believe me?"
Makarov snorted coldly, his fingertips tightening: "Hehe, it doesn't matter, child. This old man simply wants to beat you up right now."
Gray and Natsu nearby immediately got excited. Natsu bounced around, waving his fists: "Exactly! Kicking the Master flying is one thing, but you even broke the door! Beat him! Beat him!"
Gray crossed his arms and pretended to be serious, but the corners of his mouth were secretly curling up: "Damaging guild property and attacking the Master—according to guild rules, you must be severely punished!"
The others in the guild weren't afraid of things getting bigger. Erza stood with her hands on her hips, holding back a laugh; Cana raised her wine glass and whistled; even the usually quiet Levy covered her mouth and shook her shoulders. The shouting and heckling mixed together, almost lifting the roof off.
Riyao was hanging in mid-air, glaring at them indignantly: "Just you wait, every single one of you! Wait until next time you're injured and fall into my hands."
Before he could finish, Makarov's fist hit his back with the wind, making a "thump-thump" sound like a drum. Riyao curled into a ball, holding his head, his eyes teary but still stubborn: "Gentle! Gentle! Even if I'm tough, you can't beat me like this!"
The familiar force, the familiar feel—it was clear the old man was very experienced in beating people up.
As for why Riyao didn't use "Life Link - Modified"? Firstly, Makarov had long ago issued a ban, strictly forbidding him from using magic to fight in the guild; secondly, he still wanted to feel the impact of the blows in the future, and Life Link - Modified wouldn't bring that kind of fun.
Natsu was about to come over and join in when Makarov suddenly slapped his forehead: "Oh no! I still have to go to the Council for a meeting! I can't be delayed!" Saying that, he let go, and Riyao fell to the ground with a "thud." The old man walked hurriedly toward the door with his short legs, giving the broken door panel a hard kick to vent his anger as he passed.
Riyao sprang up from the ground like a black bass and immediately kicked Natsu's butt. Natsu flew out with an "ow" and happened to crash into Gray, who had just finished picking up his clothes. The two rolled into a ball, their heads and faces covered in ice shards.
Having dealt with the two little troubles, Riyao rubbed his butt and ran to Mirajane's side, pouncing on her like a large Golden Retriever. He rested his chin on Mira's shoulder, circled his arms around her waist, and rubbed his head against her, his voice as soft as melted marshmallows: "Mira, Mira, it hurts so much. Can you blow on it for me?"
Mirajane's fingertips slid down his hair, and she smiled as she poked his cheek: "Hurry up and heal yourself, otherwise there won't be any honey bread for you tonight." It was only with Riyao that Demon Mirajane could be a bit gentler.
The guild members had long since become accustomed to this, their resistance to public displays of affection maxed out.
Macao and Wakaba leaned against the bar and glanced at each other. Their eyes held a mix of "Young man, you'll be henpecked sooner or later" sympathy, and a sour jealousy of "I'm so envious that Mira can be so gentle."
Alzack, wearing his Western cowboy outfit, gripped his holster. Watching the two acting all lovey-dovey, stars appeared in his eyes, and his mind was full of images of himself kneeling on one knee to present flowers to Bisca.
Just then, Bisca looked over while holding a glass of juice and gave him a gentle smile. Alzack's face instantly turned red to his ears, he tripped and almost fell into a trash can, and his ears smoked as he stalled on the spot.
Jet and Droy of Shadow Gear were squatting in a corner. Jet rubbed his hands and said excitedly: "Look, look, Brother Riyao can be so intimate, let's try it too!" Droy nodded, clutching a small slip of paper and taking a deep breath.
Just as they were about to walk toward Levy, they saw Levy wave her hand without even looking up: "Sorry, I still need to study ancient texts, maybe next time." The two instantly became like deflated balloons, drooping their heads and squatting on the ground drawing circles.
Happy flapped his wings and flew over, his claws grabbing Riyao's arm. His blue eyes were watery, and his small mouth was pouting so much it could hold a jar: "Riyao~ I'm so hungry! That idiot Natsu went out on a request and blew up a building again, and now we have no money for food!"
"That was an accident! It's... it's because the Fire Dragon's Roar has a mind of its own!" Natsu climbed up from the ground, clutching his fists and jumping high, his face flushed red.
Riyao looked up and glanced at him, deliberately drawing out his words: "Poor Happy, following a certain idiot and going hungry every day, you're not even growing taller. Look, even the Master is a head taller than you~"
As he spoke, he took out a bag of dried berries and handed them over. Happy's eyes lit up, and he took the dried fruit and flapped his wings to find Cana to share a seat.
Riyao sat back down beside Mirajane, clutching a bottle of star-silver nail polish. He dipped a bit with his fingertip and gently spread it on Mira's fingernail. The silver nail polish shimmered with fine light in the sun, like a layer of stars had been sprinkled: "Look at this color, it's a perfect match for you."
Mira looked down at her nails, her fingertips gently rubbing them, and said with a smile: "It's really pretty. Shall I paint one for you too? I think sapphire blue would suit you very well."
The reason the two of them didn't go to the second floor was simple: there was a tsundere lying in a room on the second floor who had been getting increasingly paranoid lately, snapping at everyone like a bristling Husky.
Riyao didn't bother with it either, knowing he wasn't a hot-blooded idiot like Natsu and couldn't beat sense into that fool. After all, he had flattened him many times before, and it never seemed to have any effect.
If Laxus knew what Riyao was thinking, he would definitely retort angrily: "You just come up and fight, and after the fight, you just leave a sentence like 'Do you understand your father's painstaking efforts now?' and walk away. Is that right? Seriously, guys."
On the other side, Elfman gripped his arm, which was covered in a layer of brownish-brown scales, his muscles bulging. Lisanna was jumping around beside him: "Elfman is so amazing! He can already partially take over the Beast King's Arm!"
Natsu immediately leaned in, waving his fist and shouting: "Elfman! Come and have a fight with me! Let's see if your Beast King's Arm is stronger or my Fire Dragon's Fist!"
Gray crossed his arms, his mouth twitching: "Don't mind this hot-headed idiot. Elfman, come and compete with me in ice magic!"
Cana walked over with her wine glass, her eyes scanning Gray's waist and abdomen, and she let out a mischievous whistle: "Gray, when did your pants slide down?"
Gray looked down and saw his waistband had slipped to his hips, revealing his pale waist. His face instantly turned bright red, and he jumped up with a yell, holding his pants and running toward the locker room, shouting, "Who did this! It was definitely Natsu's doing!"
Levy sat on the sofa flipping through a book. Jet and Droy leaned in again, and just as they were about to speak, they saw Levy say without looking up: "I've said it many times, I just want to study ancient texts right now and am not considering these things for the time being." The two once again drooped their heads and left dejectedly.
The guild hall was noisy, with laughter, shouting, and play-fighting mixed together. Sunlight poured in through the stained-glass windows, falling on everyone's faces, warm and cozy—this was Fairy Tail. No matter when, it was full of a reassuring sense of life, like a home that would never end.