Somewhere in the city...
"Huff... huff..."
Two men panted heavily, their faces flushed with exertion. It was Macao and Wakaba, two longtime friends and guildmates whose strengths were evenly matched. They knew each other's fighting styles inside out—strengths, weaknesses, quirks—and after hours of battling, neither had managed to gain the upper hand.
"Rules have changed!"
Suddenly, glowing words appeared on the barrier surrounding them, updating its conditions.
"The two participants must reveal a deeply hidden secret about the other. The more valuable secret wins!"
Both men froze, staring at the new rule in disbelief.
This had to be one of Jehfrit's pranks, right? Fried wasn't exactly the type for nosy or trivial games like this. But before they could process further, a wave of uncontrollable emotions surged through them, forcing their tongues loose.
"Macao always hits on every new girl who joins the guild," Wakaba blurted out accusingly. "He even said that if Cana accepted his confession, he'd divorce his wife!"
"What?! You bastard, Wakaba!" Macao shot back furiously. "And you're no saint either! You once said Erza may be violent, but she's got charm too—and getting beaten up by her wouldn't be so bad!"
"You're spilling my secrets now?!" Macao roared, enraged.
"And yours are any better?!" Wakaba countered, equally livid.
Just as it seemed they were about to reignite their fight—this time fueled by raw fury—a familiar voice interrupted them.
"Wow, unexpected answers indeed." Jehfrit materialized nearby, looking slightly exasperated. "I honestly thought you'd just admit something harmless, like hiding extra cash from your wives. But this..."
"Jehfrit!!!!" both men shouted simultaneously, anger flaring—but quickly extinguished when logic kicked in. Picking a fight with Jehfrit under these circumstances would only make things worse.
Macao was the first to cave. "Please, don't tell my wife!"
"Same here!" Wakaba pleaded desperately. "If she finds out, I'm dead meat!"
Jehfrit tilted his head curiously. "So... how many needles did you stick into those cursed dolls of mine?"
The two froze, caught off guard by the sudden shift in topic.
"Uh... maybe two or three?" Macao ventured hesitantly.
"About the same for me," Wakaba chimed in nervously, then added hastily, "But I swear, it wasn't serious! Everyone was doing it; it's just a silly trend. I didn't actually think it'd work on someone like you."
"Yeah, yeah!" Macao jumped in, eager to agree. "We're grown-ups—we don't believe in such childish nonsense. I barely touched the thing and shoved it onto my figurine shelf with all the others!"
"Totally! Believe us!"
Their expressions were a mix of desperation and sincerity.
Jehfrit sighed dramatically. "Well… technically, you're lying."
The two stiffened, panic creeping into their eyes.
Then, suddenly, the fear vanished. They were ready to embrace death.
Only peace remained.
"But," Jehfrit continued, "considering I've already pranked you enough today, let's call it even."
"Thank goodness!"
"Jehfrit, you truly are as kind-hearted as you are handsome!" the pair gushed, visibly relieved. Despite his love for mischief, Jehfrit always had a line he wouldn't cross—at least, that's what they believed.
"That's what I'd like to say," Jehfrit began, gesturing toward another direction with an apologetic shrug, "but unfortunately, I promised your wives I'd find out where you're hiding your private funds."
Their blood ran cold as they turned to see two furious women storming toward them.
"Wakaba!"
"Macao!"
Half the street echoed with their outraged cries.
Jehfrit turned away tactfully, raising his camera with mock solemnity. Behind him came the unmistakable sounds of chaos.
*SQUEALCHHHH*
*Snap*
*Snap*
---
Meanwhile, high above the rooftops...
Happy soared through the sky, wings fluttering steadily. After helping Gray defeat Bickslow and rescue Mira, the duo had split up to tackle separate challenges. However, Happy's magic reserves were running dangerously low, prompting Gray to send him back to the guild for recovery under Master Makarov's care.
"Happy!" a voice called from below.
"Hmm?"
It was Maggie, the owner of the food shop who often treated Natsu and Happy to snacks.
"I've got some delicious fish treats fresh in stock. Want to try some?" she offered warmly.
"Aye!" Happy perked up instantly but hesitated. "Actually, I need to hurry back to the guild—they're dealing with something big right now."
"No problem," Maggie replied kindly. "Take some with you. If you like them, feel free to come back and buy more later!"
"Thank you so much!" Happy cheered, grabbing the bag eagerly. "If they're good, I'll definitely stock up!"
As Maggie led him into the store, Happy suddenly felt his magic fade entirely. His wings vanished mid-air, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Happy? Are you okay?" a concerned voice asked.
"J-Jehfrit..." Happy stammered, trembling as he realized the looming danger ahead.'It's a Trap!"
Meeting Jehfrit alone while drunk on whiskey was akin to signing your own doom warrant.
"Of course," Jehfrit grinned mischievously. "By the way, remember how fun it was using my magic through your little body recently?"
At that reminder, Happy shivered violently. Normally, Jehfrit's pranks were harmless enough—he had limits. But whiskey unleashed a darker side of him, driven purely by chaotic whimsy.
Recalling the infamous incident two years ago—the day the entire guild deemed a catastrophe—Happy scrambled to appease him.
"J-Jehfrit!" he cried, hastily unpacking his stash of fish. "Here, take all of it! Please spare me, a poor cute little kitty cat!"
"I don't want your fish," Jehfrit replied smoothly. "I'm looking for something else."
Something else?
Happy relaxed slightly. As long as Jehfrit didn't target him specifically, whatever he wanted, Happy would gladly provide—within reason, of course. After all, Jehfrit wasn't stupid enough to ask for something impossible.
"Alright, what do you want?" Happy asked cautiously.
Jehfrit smirked. "A bell."
"A bell?" Happy blinked, confused. "I don't wear bells."
"Hehe." Jehfrit chuckled darkly, his gaze dropping pointedly toward Happy's lower half.
A chilling breeze swept past, leaving Happy feeling oddly exposed.
"W-what are you planning?!" he squeaked, backing away nervously—and bumping straight into someone behind him.
Turning around, he saw several white-coated figures standing ominously close.
"This is the cat scheduled for neutering, correct?" the lead veterinarian asked calmly.
"Yes," Jehfrit confirmed with a nod.
"JEHFRRRIIIIITTTT!" Happy screamed, attempting to fly away—but a tranquilizer dart struck him squarely in the back.
"N-Natsu... help..." he mumbled weakly before collapsing unconscious.
When Happy finally woke up, disoriented and numb, he found himself lying on an operating table under bright surgical lights. Masked doctors surrounded him, their faces eerily calm.
"Oh, you're awake, little kitty," one chirped cheerfully, removing his mask. "Congratulations! The surgery went perfectly."
Wide-eyed with horror, Happy glanced downward—and screamed bloody murder.
His most prized possession was now adorned with a tiny cross bandage!
"NOOOOOOOO!"
*Snap*
In the corner, Jehfrit snapped another priceless photo, grinning ear to ear.
Ah, yes. Someday, when a certain female cat inevitably entered Happy's life, this picture would become infinitely valuable—for emotional blackmail purposes, naturally.