The S-Class Wizards

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At the Fairy Tail guild, Mystogan silently approached the request board, picked up a mission with a reward of 1,000,000 J, and handed it to Makarov for approval.

This was part of the guild's process: the Guild Master had to verify whether the person taking on a mission was capable of handling it. It wasn't just protocol—it was for the safety of the members.

Mystogan, one of the S-Class wizards of Fairy Tail, had no issues with the request. Missions on the first floor were routine for someone of his caliber.

"I'm heading out," Mystogan said curtly.

Makarov sighed. "At least undo the sleep spell!"

Without pausing, Mystogan started counting, "Five… four…"

Before he could finish, he noticed someone wide awake, casually flipping through a book.

"…"

Mystogan froze. Everyone else in the guild, including Makarov, had succumbed to his sleep magic, yet this young man sat there as if nothing had happened.

"Hello," greeted the calm figure.

Mystogan hesitated but replied, "Hello."

The man was Uchiha Kitaro. Mystogan had heard about him but hadn't expected to encounter someone who could resist his magic.

Mystogan quickened his pace and left the guild, his hood hiding his face.

Moments after Mystogan's departure, the rest of the guild began waking up.

"What just happened? Was that Mystogan?"

"That guy!"

"His sleep magic is still as powerful as ever. I wonder how it compares to Kitaro's Sharingan-induced hypnosis."

"Wait, who's Mystogan?" Lucy asked, still disoriented.

Loke, standing nearby, explained, "He's one of Fairy Tail's strongest candidates for the title of most powerful wizard."

As he realized he was speaking to Lucy, Loke quickly backed away, nervous about being too close to her.

"Apparently, he doesn't like people seeing his face," Loke continued, "so he puts the entire guild to sleep every time he comes to pick up a mission. Aside from the Guild Master, no one's ever seen his face."

Suddenly, a voice from the second floor interrupted:

"Hmph… That's not entirely true."

Everyone looked up to see another prominent figure.

A man with short blond hair, a lightning-shaped scar across his face, and earphones hanging around his neck leaned casually against the railing. It was Laxus, another S-Class wizard of Fairy Tail.

"Laxus!"

"You're here?"

"Didn't expect to see you around…"

Lucy blinked. "Who's that?"

Gray answered, irritated, "He's another contender for the title of the strongest wizard in the guild."

Laxus, puffing on a cigar, smirked as he glanced at Kitaro. "It's not just me who's seen Mystogan. That new guy sitting there saw him too."

The room fell silent.

"Kitaro… you saw Mystogan?"

"You weren't affected by his magic?"

Kitaro casually closed his book and said, "My eyes don't just hypnotize; they can also reflect and nullify hypnosis. Standard sleep magic or illusions don't work on me."

"Still, I didn't see much of him. He was covered head to toe, except for his eyes."

"Wow!"

"Your eyes are amazing!"

The guild marveled at Kitaro's Sharingan abilities, impressed by how versatile they were.

"Anyway, Mystogan's just shy," someone commented. "Don't push it."

Meanwhile, the commotion woke Natsu, who noticed Laxus.

"Laxus! Fight me!" Natsu roared, leaping onto a table.

Laxus chuckled. "You can't even beat a newbie. What makes you think you can take me on?"

Kitaro raised an eyebrow. Was that a jab at him?

"Once you've beaten everyone else in the guild, then you'll have the right to challenge me," Laxus declared.

Erza stood up, her tone icy. "What are you implying?"

"Easy, Erza," Makarov interjected, trying to calm the tension.

Laxus spread his arms and declared arrogantly, "What I'm saying is… I'm the strongest!"

"You bastard! Get down here!"

"If you want me, come up here."

Fuming, Natsu bolted toward the stairs, only to be stopped by Makarov's giant fist slamming him to the ground.

"You're not ready for the second floor," Makarov said sternly.

Laxus sneered. "Looks like you made the old man mad."

"Laxus, that's enough," Makarov warned, casting a glance his way.

Laxus smirked and shrugged. "The title of Fairy Tail's strongest belongs to me. Not Erza, not Mystogan, not the old man, and definitely not the newbie.

"I am the strongest!"

With that, Laxus turned and disappeared into the second-floor chambers.

Natsu, still steaming, turned to Kitaro. "Didn't that piss you off?"

"Why would it?" Kitaro replied, flipping a page.

"He just claimed to be the strongest in the guild!"

"So what? Let him say what he wants. Saying it doesn't make it true. I could claim I'm the strongest in the world—would you believe me?"

Natsu clenched his fists. "I just can't stand how smug he is!"

"Then work harder. Train, study, and grow stronger. Knowledge is power. Understand that."

Natsu stared at him, wide-eyed. "That… was so cool!"

Kitaro sighed, muttering under his breath, "Just focus on improving yourself instead of worrying about others' opinions."

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