Capítulo 26: Chapter 26: 24-Hour Endurance Race? The Formation of the Strongest Team!
Crunch, crunch, crunch…
In a restaurant near the Fairy Tail guild...
Natsu, like a ravenous beast that hadn't eaten in days, devoured everything on the table with ferocious speed.
He gobbled down fruits, meats, vegetables—anything he could get his hands on—stuffing it all into his stomach. The other customers watched in wide-eyed disbelief.
Perhaps this was the secret to Dragon Slayer mages' boundless energy and strength—an appetite far beyond that of normal humans.
"Would the customer like to order more?"
The server, who had been nervously standing by Natsu's table, wiped the sweat from his forehead before forcing a polite smile and approaching Natsu and Ian.
"Ask him," Ian gestured to the server, giving Natsu the freedom to decide.
"Another round of roast chicken! Ten plates!" Natsu grinned widely, showing no sign of modesty.
"Ten plates?" The server blinked in disbelief, certain he had misheard.
"Yep, ten," Natsu confirmed, rubbing his swollen belly as if gauging how much room he had left.
"Alright... I'll get those right away," the server said, rushing off to the kitchen.
"Chef! Table A10 just ordered ten more roast chickens!"
"Ten roast chickens?!" The chefs, eyes wide with shock, couldn't believe it. "Is that kid even human?"
---
An hour later...
"Ah, I'm full! Thanks for the meal! I'll definitely come back!" Natsu announced with satisfaction as Ian paid the bill and they left the restaurant.
Back in the kitchen, the chefs and the restaurant owner gathered around Natsu and Ian's table, staring at the towering stack of empty plates. Each one was spotless, not a scrap of food left, not even the chicken bones.
"He really ate everything... Incredible." The staff marveled.
"That kid is from the magic guild next door, right? Fairy Tail?"
"Yeah, I think his name is Natsu. He joined about a year ago."
"From now on, whenever he comes in, give him a 50% discount," the restaurant owner declared, much to the shock of his staff.
"Wait, what?!" The employees and chefs were stunned. Their boss was notoriously stingy—never offering discounts, not even free side dishes.
"You didn't see it? That kid looked so happy while eating," the owner smiled faintly, walking away and leaving the staff utterly bewildered.
---
"Now that I'm full, I feel stronger!"
"Hehe, time to head back and train with Gray!" Natsu patted his rounded belly, grinning as he rushed toward the guild.
Bang!
He kicked the guild doors open and shouted, "Hey, Gray! Let's fight!"
Ohhhh!!
But as Natsu burst in, he found the guild in the middle of something exciting. Makarov stood on the platform, addressing the members, and everyone was cheering loudly.
"What's going on?"
"Did something interesting happen?" Ian asked as he walked into the guild, curious about the commotion.
"Ian, you missed it!"
"Just now, Master Makarov announced that in one week, we'll be having Fairy Tail's annual 24-hour endurance race!"
"And anyone who isn't out on a mission must participate—no excuses, unless it's for something really important."
"But that's not the best part! The prize for this year's winner is a whopping 1 million Jewel! Second place gets 300,000, and third place gets 100,000. Isn't that amazing?"
Ian's eyes narrowed as he scanned the room for Makarov.
"Old man, you have money for prizes but not for paying fines?"
Makarov quickly met Ian's gaze and, sensing the killing intent, nervously communicated through thought,
"You know, Ian… The guild's assets belong to everyone, while my personal assets are my own. I genuinely didn't have the money for the fines…"
"Whatever, I'll let it go," Ian sighed, giving up on the argument.
"Anyway…" Makarov cleared his throat, standing tall with his usual air of authority. "Now that Ian is back, I have a special request for him."
He spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Oh? What is it?" Ian raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"It's an S-Class extermination mission. There have been sightings of a wyvern in the eastern snow-capped mountains of Fiore. We need its scales for the endurance race. With your strength, Ian, you should be able to get back within a week, right?" Makarov explained, arms crossed behind his back.
"More than enough time," Ian smiled confidently, stretching his neck. With his current power, there were few creatures in Ishgar that could pose a threat to him.
"Then I'll leave it to you," Makarov said, his eyes full of trust in Ian's abilities.
"Do I have to part with Father already?"
Erza, who had been enjoying her time with her guildmates, suddenly looked downcast. She had only just reunited with Ian and now, after less than a day, he was leaving again. The thought saddened her.
Noticing this, Ian turned back to Makarov and said,
"It's just a wyvern. Why don't I take some guildmates with me? It should be fine, right?"
"Suit yourself. Just be careful," Makarov replied, having no objections.
"What? Ian's taking people with him to do an S-Class mission?"
"This is a rare chance to go on an S-Class job with one of the guild's top wizards!"
"Take me, Ian! I'm super useful!"
"Ian, let me come along! I don't even need the reward, I just want the experience…"
"Idiot! You think you can fight a wyvern? You're already thinking about the reward?!"
As Ian's suggestion spread, the guild erupted into chaos.
"Alright, I'll take the ones I name."
"Natsu, Gray, Cana, and Erza…" Ian announced, ignoring the uproar.
"Wait, what?!"
Natsu and Gray, who had been bickering, froze, then simultaneously grabbed each other's faces and yelled,
"Why are you bringing him along?!"
"I... I get to go?"
Cana, who had never imagined she'd be chosen for an S-Class mission, stood in shock, her wine glass slipping from her hand.
"Both of you, knock it off!"
"And for the record, you're both dead weight…"
Erza, clad in her knightly armor and sporting her fiery red hair, marched over and forcibly separated Natsu and Gray.
She scolded them with a stern voice.
"E-Erza…"
Natsu winced, still traumatized by the punch she'd landed on him earlier that morning. He had been out cold for so long, he almost missed lunch and nearly passed out from hunger.
"Alright, everyone, get ready to head out!"
Ian announced after selecting his team.
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