Chapter 68: There

“Itachi mean… it’s Happy?!”

Mo En pointed at the blue cat wearing a yellow teddy bear outfit and asked Erza.

“That’s right.”

Erza covered her face as she answered, suddenly remembering that the name “Happy” had originally been Mo En’s suggestion.

So… the reason is here?

“Meow!”

Happy lay on all fours, pretending to be a real cat, and let out a sound—but it didn’t sound like a cat at all.

At this moment, Happy dared not speak a word; he was completely frozen stiff, wondering if he should pretend to be a doll.

“Y-yes, Mo… Mo En-ge!”

Beside Happy, Gray—with his yellow hair and swollen, bruised face—stared wide-eyed, his speech stumbling, clearly terrified.

Gray quickly covered his face and anxiously glanced at Erza and Lucy—how could these two be so calm?!

Are Itachi really going to trick Mo En-ge dressed like this?!

Gray didn’t believe it for a second—this was worse than the effect of his fight with Natsu; his face was swollen beyond recognition!

Erza and Lucy looked embarrassed, too ashamed to even meet Gray’s gaze.

At that moment, Gray finally realized—Mo En-ge had just arrived with Erza… had they already been discovered?!

Needless to say, Gray’s mind works incredibly fast when it doesn’t involve Natsu—he’s simply a very intelligent kid.

Meanwhile, Natsu—with his jet-black hair—was in a strange state, staring fixedly at the pink-haired boy lying by the riverbank.

“Lost… lost to Gray.”

The swollen, bruised adult Natsu muttered incessantly, looking utterly unable to accept reality; his whole body trembled with rage.

Under the watchful eyes of adult Natsu and adult Gray, young Natsu had lost to young Gray—this left adult Natsu utterly stunned; he couldn’t accept it, he was furious!

“Aaaah!”

Natsu let out a roar, leapt off the roadside, and landed beside the small river where young Natsu lay.

He grabbed young Natsu by the collar and slapped him twice—then, unsatisfied, followed up with eighteen rapid slaps in succession!

“Slap! Slap! Slap!”

Amid the sound of slaps, young Natsu slowly came to.

For some reason, this feeling felt oddly familiar.

Last time… hadn’t someone also slapped him while he was unconscious? Young Natsu, seeing stars, couldn’t remember.

“Get up and fight him again! Itachi haven’t lost yet! I!”

“Don’t give up so easily! Fight Gray again! Defeat him! I!”

Adult Natsu swung slaps wildly at young Natsu while shouting, his insane actions making everyone lose their composure.

Mo En sighed and glanced at Erza beside him, his expression peculiar.

Didn’t I tell them not to interact too much with their past selves? Natsu’s almost beaten his younger self to death! What exactly did I say?!

“.”

Erza’s face flushed red—she had just been questioned by her younger self!

But she had indeed said it—this was all Natsu’s fault for ignoring her completely! He treated her words like wind passing through his ears!

“Monster!”

After being slapped awake, young Natsu looked at the wild-haired, grotesque-faced, snarling, bloodshot-eyed man before him—and was the first to break. He bolted away.

“Itachi idiot! What do Itachi mean calling yourself a monster?!”

Adult Natsu bared his teeth, his whole body trembling as if scales were about to sprout; he glared at his younger self with furious disappointment.

“I don’t understand what Itachi’re saying! Itachi damned monster!”

After his initial terror, young Natsu immediately prepared to strike—but before he could move, Mo En stepped in front of him, facing the grotesque monster head-on.

“M-Mo En-ge?!”

Seeing the much shorter Mo En before him, Natsu’s grotesque expression twisted further—this time from fear.

“Mo En-ge! Let’s take him down together! Kill this monster!”

Seeing Mo En appear, young Natsu and adult Natsu reacted completely differently—young Natsu immediately darted out from beside Mo En, smirking triumphantly at the grotesque adult Natsu.

“Itachi monster—your time’s up!!!”

Young Natsu spoke, radiating petty triumph; he pointed at adult Natsu as his magic surged rapidly.

“Fire Dragon’s Broken Fang!”

Flames wrapped around Natsu’s hand as he slashed his clawed fist toward the “grotesque monster.”

Natsu had always been fearless and reckless; though he’d been slapped repeatedly by this monster, he was used to it—Erza had slapped him before too!

“Useless! Idiot! The gap is too great!”

Facing young Natsu’s fierce Dragon Slayer magic, adult Natsu casually blocked it—the blow rebounded, sending young Natsu’s hand swinging backward toward his own throat.

“Slap!”

At the last instant, Mo En grabbed young Natsu’s wrist, preventing the claw from raking his own neck.

The swollen, grotesque adult Natsu froze in shock—and before he could react, Mo En kicked him square in the face.

“Slap!”

“Thud!”

Adult Natsu flew backward and crashed to the ground, but he wasn’t hurt—he immediately jumped up. He’d simply never expected Mo En to kick him; he’d been completely unprepared.

“What the hell?! Why’d Itachi kick me?!”

As he rose, adult Natsu roared at Mo En; staring at this still-juvenile Mo En, he felt a sudden surge of boldness.

Having been suppressed by Mo En his whole life, never once getting the upper hand, Natsu now couldn’t resist the urge to chuckle wickedly.

‘Maybe I can bully the younger Mo En-ge after all! After all, Mo En-ge will never know it was me.’

Adult Natsu thought to himself.

“Thud!”

But before the chuckling adult Natsu could act, Erza’s iron fist slammed into his head.

“Splat.”

The black-haired adult Natsu collapsed face-first onto the ground.

“Itachi bastard! What the hell have Itachi been up to?!”

Erza, having held back long enough, finally snapped—she kicked adult Natsu twice more, her fury palpable, instantly silencing the once-fierce adult Natsu.

“Monster!”

Watching the monster being subdued by another monster, young Natsu broke down—he grabbed Mo En and tried to flee with him.

“.”

Mo En couldn’t help but laugh—was this some kind of bloodline suppression?

Facing his furious future self, young Natsu wasn’t afraid—he dared to swing his fists. But seeing the terrifyingly furious future Erza, Natsu panicked instantly, as if confronted by a man-eating beast, and turned to flee.

“Natsu, go get help! I’ll hold them off—don’t let these bastards enter Magnolia!”

Mo En shoved young Natsu forward, sounding urgent—this left young Natsu stunned, then he instantly understood.

“Mo En-ge! Hold on! I’ll bring everyone to help!”

Natsu shouted as he sprinted off on his tiny legs, racing toward Magnolia to summon reinforcements.

Natsu wasn’t stupid—he didn’t stay. He didn’t want to hold Mo En-ge back. His attacks were easily blocked, nearly injuring himself—he’d only distract Mo En-ge if he stayed. Better to hurry and bring help.

Watching young Natsu run off, Gray stared blankly, then glanced at Mo En—was he really going to fight his younger self? Could he… win?

“Itachi bastards Gray! Happy! Get over here right now! And Lucy—Itachi too!”

Before Gray could decide whether to fight Mo En, Erza had already taken charge—“Fairy Queen” stomped on Natsu’s back, face dark, ordering them all to gather.

(End of Chapter)