Fairy Tail: This Healing Mage's hits hurt so much!

Mirajane crouched down, her fingers receiving the claws, and gently hooked them.

Lucy's hands and feet were numb from being tied up. When the ropes loosened, she collapsed to the ground like a lump of mud, panting heavily.

Lucy rubbed her wrist, which was red from being bound, and moved her stiff joints.

"Th-thank you, Mira."

Riyao walked to the card table, bent down to pick up a card, and held it up to examine it carefully.

The card contained a middle-aged man wearing a floral shirt, clutching a handful of chips. He looked awkward and uncomfortable being stared at by Riyao.

The middle-aged man shrank back into the card, his face slightly flushed.

"Hey buddy, could you stop staring so intently?"

(´つヮ⊂︎)

Riyao smiled and examined the card from all angles, then pinched the edge of the card, feeling the residual magical energy fluctuations on it, before nodding.

"I was just trying to figure out how to help you untie it. It seems like it will untie automatically once the magic runs out, so don't worry too much."

He laid all the cards flat on the ground, one by one, spreading them out evenly, so that they wouldn't pile up when they came out, which wouldn't look very nice.

He then found a staff member and explained the situation.

"Come and help me out. Watch these cards and wait for the people inside to come out on their own. Don't let them get lost."

The staff member walked over cautiously, looked at the cards scattered all over the floor, swallowed hard, and nodded.

Lucy got up from the ground, ignoring the pain in her wrist, and was extremely anxious.

"I heard Erza was taken away, and Natsu and Gray are in danger too! Sunrise, you need to go check on them!"

Sunrise and Mirajane exchanged a glance and quickly walked towards the ruins of the bar.

The bar was completely destroyed, with shards of wood and glass scattered all over the floor, and the aftershocks of magic still lingered in the air.

In the middle of the ruins, a Gray lay there with his eyes rolled back, his expression stiff and motionless.

Riyao glanced down, then raised his foot and kicked out.

boom!

Gray's body shattered into several pieces, ice shards scattered everywhere, sparkling under the lights.

Lucy screamed in terror, her voice so loud that the entire casino could hear it.

"Sunburst! What are you doing?! Gray's shattered!"

Σ(っ°Д °;)っ

She rushed over in a panic, frantically trying to piece the broken ice back together, picking up one piece and pressing it onto another, but the ice wouldn't stay together at all, and it just kept breaking apart.

Riyao spoke slowly from the side, waving his hand.

"That's just Gray's ice sculpture."

Lucy froze, looked down at the ice cube in her hand, then at Riyao's indifferent expression, opened her mouth, and hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say.

Just then, a stream of water surged from the side, and the water droplets gathered, swirled, and condensed in the air, eventually forming the outline of a person.

As the mist dissipated, Gray appeared before everyone, unharmed, though a little wet.

Lucy saw Gray emerge from the water and jumped back in fright, hiding behind Mirajane with only half her head showing.

Juvia stood beside him, her hands clasped to her chest, her voice as gentle as if she were talking about the happiest thing in the world.

"Lord Grey is safe and sound inside Juvia."

Riyao stroked his chin and suddenly spoke.

"So, is Gray now essentially Juvia's child?"

The entire room fell silent for half a second.

Juvia's face instantly turned bright red, steam billowed from his head, and he looked like a kettle that had been boiled. He made "whooshing" sounds, covering his face with his hands, but the smile peeking out from between his fingers was impossible to hide.

She muttered to herself, her voice growing softer and softer, but the steam rising from her face grew thicker and thicker.

"Child...the child...Lord Gray's child..."

⁄(⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)⁄

Mirajane reached out and poked Sunshine's forehead, her tone slightly reproachful.

"Say less."

Gray stood there, soaking wet, his lips twitching several times, his fists clenching and unclenching repeatedly.

He really wanted to beat up Riyo, he really wanted to, but he couldn't, and Mirajane was watching.

He took a deep breath, and while taking off his soaked shirt, he said in a low voice, "It went completely black all at once. I made an ice double to check the situation, but as soon as the double was finished, Juvia swallowed me."

Lucy peeked out from behind Mirajane and asked timidly, "Swallow it?"

Juvia's steam rose even more intensely.

Riyao sat to the side, munching on sunflower seeds with a look of anticipation, only calming down after being glared at by Mirajane.

Just then, Natsu also woke up.

He sat up abruptly, his mouth opening and closing a few times as if sensing something, and then let out a roar.

"Who would shoot a good person in someone else's mouth like that?!"

Lucy rolled her eyes and retorted, "Who would survive being shot in the mouth?"

-_-||

Sunburst cast a healing spell, and green light enveloped Natsu's head, causing his injuries to heal at a visible speed.

"We almost didn't make it in time. If we had been any later, Natsu's mouth wound would have healed. I'll also check if you have any mouth ulcers."

Lucy was at a loss for words.

So you mean Natsu can heal on his own, and your healing magic was just there for show?

Natsu rubbed his forehead, feeling much better, then suddenly stood up, his face full of anger, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

"Damn bastards! I'm going to catch you and beat you up!"

He charged out like a raging bull, his footsteps thundering so loudly that the corridor floor shook.

Lucy called out from behind, "We don't know where the other person is either!"

Mirajane smiled slightly, clasped her hands in front of her, and looked confident.

"Natsu has a very keen sense of smell. Whenever I lose something, I ask Natsu to help me find it. There's never anything I can't find."

(*＾ワ＾*)

Lucy felt like she was about to burst with all the吐槽 (tu cao, meaning to complain or roast) energy she had tonight, and she opened her mouth with a twitching smile.

"Mira, you're treating Natsu like a dog."

Mirajane tilted her head, looking completely innocent.

"Isn't it very easy to use?"

Lucy was speechless.

Natsu rushed all the way to the beach, the sea breeze making his clothes flutter.

He stood on the beach, cupped his hands to his mouth, and shouted at the top of his lungs towards the dark sea.

"Hey! You guys come back here!"

The sound echoed across the sea, startling a few seagulls into flight, and then all fell silent.

The sea did not respond, nor did the enemy; only the sound of waves crashing against the beach could be heard.

The others ran out after him and, seeing Natsu shouting at the sea, all covered their faces.

Lucy sighed helplessly, "That idiot."

Gray crossed his arms, turned his head away, and pretended not to know Natsu.

Riyao, cracking sunflower seeds, nodded: "Yeah, definitely silly."

Mirajane suppressed a laugh and patted Natsu on the shoulder.

Natsu turned his head to look at Mirajane, then at the dark sea, and scratched his head.