"Hey, Chase, are you sure your injuries are okay?" Mira asked, a little worried.
The "battle for the strongest" from the day before, which had leveled half the outskirts, was still vivid in her mind.
Especially when Chase had forcibly caught Laxus's final Secret Art — the Thunder God Dragon's technique — which had caused immense lightning damage to his arm.
Without Porlyusica's treatment, he might not even be able to move normally yet!
"Just superficial wounds. Fine after a night's sleep." Chase waved his hand casually.
Mira smiled and said nothing. She stepped forward and poked Chase's firm bicep with her fair, flawless finger.
"Hiss—" Chase's calm instantly vanished. He couldn't help but wince.
With Porlyusica's medical skill and his own recovery, ordinary physical contact couldn't possibly cause him pain.
That was why he had so readily let Mira touch his arm.
He hadn't expected this black-hearted white-haired girl to secretly cheat, infusing a small amount of magic power into her fingertip!
"See? Overdoing it isn't a good thing~" Mira's eyes narrowed into slits. She smiled happily.
Trying to act cool in front of me, you damn card addict!
Lucy, watching the whole thing: Suddenly, Mira-nee seems terrifying. If she were a girlfriend... For some reason, she looked at Chase with a hint of pity.
HUM!
A cool magic circle lit up just in time. Dark Magician Girl, in her blue-pink robe, made a flashy appearance, saving Chase from further embarrassment after his failed attempt at coolness.
"Mira-nee!"
Dark Magician Girl, barely steady on her feet, threw herself into Mira's arms.
"All done?"
"Still a lot left. But since I need to prepare for tonight's magical parade, I snuck out early!"
As a popular model for Weekly Sorcerer, Dark Magician Girl would naturally be in the parade. Many of her fans had come specifically to see her.
Judging by how quickly her merchandise had sold out at Marcus's shop, her popularity was immense!
"I see. And the Dark Magician?" Mira asked.
"I already invited him. He refused quite bluntly." Chase spread his hands, answering for Dark Magician Girl.
The Dark Magician's personality was naturally aloof. He rarely appeared in the guild, let alone performed on the street.
"That's a shame." Mira wasn't surprised. She sighed regretfully.
"Still, though—"
Gray looked around at the guild members, all more or less wrapped in bandages, and asked worriedly, "Is it really okay to hold the magical parade so soon?"
"Trust the master's decision. We absolutely cannot disappoint the people who are looking forward to this!" Erza's expression was serious.
Her heroic face radiated unparalleled earnestness and excitement.
"Ahaha! I'm fired up! This time, I'm going to cover the entire street with flames!" Natsu laughed heartily.
"Even if it's to meet the residents' expectations, that idea is way too extreme!!" Lucy couldn't help but scold him.
Inspired by Erza and Natsu, everyone else also gave their full passion, starting to look forward to the evening's magical parade.
As for Laxus...
Having joyfully received his expulsion notice from the master, he never appeared before everyone again. He simply packed his bag and quietly left through the back door.
The streets of Magnolia were lively.
Residents dressed as Happy and Plue, tourists with various Fairy Tail merchandise, children laughing and chasing each other, elderly men carrying their grandsons on their shoulders...
Laxus walked silently down the street, quietly absorbing this cheerful atmosphere that no longer Belongs to him.
He remembered many things from his childhood.
Only when he reached Magnolia's central park did his expression show a hint of emotion.
This was where he had arranged to say goodbye to the Thunder God Tribe.
For various reasons, and because Freed and the others had deeply realized their mistakes, Makarov hadn't been as severe with them as with his own grandson Laxus. He hadn't expelled them. Instead, he had given them relatively lenient punishments.
The Thunder God Tribe had strongly disagreed with this decision. They had wanted to continue following Laxus, but he had explicitly refused.
As the sun set, Freed and the others stood there, tears in their eyes, watching Laxus slowly walk away until he disappeared beyond the horizon.
They didn't know when they would see him again, but they always believed in — and waited for — that day.
Time flew by, and soon night fell.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Large magical fireworks launched into the air, exploding into colorful bursts, announcing the official start of Fairy Tail's annual magical parade!
As the salute sounded, accompanied by dreamy colored stars, hearts, circles, and other effects, the performance motorcade departed from Fairy Tail's guild hall, slowly circling all of Magnolia along a predetermined route.
The wide streets were packed with spectators. Cheers rose and fell.
At the front of the team was an oversized Happy doll, followed by a small platform.
On the platform, Cana, in cool attire, lightly raised her fingers. The tarot cards spinning around her flew into the air, raining down as sparkling sword lights.
Macao and Wakaba used their magic simultaneously. Smoke arrows shot through the rain of sword lights, tracing the word "FAIRY TAIL" in the sky.
The cool opening magic delighted the audience. They waved their cheering gear like crazy.
"Dad actually looks like a decent person at times like this~" Romeo, in the crowd, chuckled.
Behind Cana and the others was a green forest.
Jet and Droy played monsters, while Macus and Alzack, in hunter uniforms, could be seen.
They seemed to be simulating a wizard encountering a monster in the wild.
Before the audience could appreciate the details, they gasped — a stage of cute girls appeared.
Lucy, Bisca, and Levy wore gorgeous dresses. Ribbons swayed with their dancing, captivating the perverts in the crowd.
HUM.
Golden light flashed. Lucy, at center stage, changed into her adorably silly Canis Minor Star Dress, astonishing countless melon-eating bystanders.
"Boo hoo, this is wonderful. I never thought I'd live to see the young lady so radiant!"
On the roadside, the servants of the Heartfilia estate hugged each other in excitement. The head maid, Steyler, was even wailing.
In the original timeline, the Heartfilia Konzern would have been facing a financial crisis, about to go bankrupt. These people naturally wouldn't have appeared.
"Steyler, you're exaggerating." Jude's low voice came from beside her.
Considering the potential repercussions, he wore a Happy mask. It looked strangely funny.
Even so, the tears of joy in the old father's eyes were impossible to conceal.
Watching the happy, carefree Lucy on stage, Jude was grateful for his own "rebirth," allowing him to witness such a beautiful scene.
A few days prior, he had accidentally learned from a business partner about a conspiracy targeting the Heartfilia Konzern one ultimately abandoned due to fear of Fairy Tail's power. He had secretly broken out in a cold sweat.
If things hadn't changed, if they had followed the original trajectory, the Heartfilia Konzern would probably be bankrupt by now.
Hidden behind his mask, Jude's expression was full of gratitude and relief. He said silently to his late beloved, Did you see that, Layla? Lucy...
...is exactly the blessing we should be most proud of.
Behind Lucy came Elfman, in his Beast Soul form.
He opened his mouth and roared, scaring the little children into crying.
His sister Mira was equally impressive.
Her beautiful white hair flowing, Mira appeared from blooming lotus petals. With a flick of her hand, she transformed into a giant snake with a hair bun!
Watching such a bizarre performance, the visiting fans were stunned.
Fortunately, the pink streak of light that followed soothed their wounded spirits — Dark Magician Girl sat on her staff, drawing heart-shaped lines around the snake in the air.
Her ending peace sign garnered countless passionate cheers!
An ice castle slowly approached. Gray and Juvia stood at the front, wearing matching dark blue outfits (couple outfits?). (How did they convince Gray to wear clothes?)
They exchanged a glance and raised their hands in tacit understanding. Water surged, snowflakes fell, condensing into the signature "Fairy Tail".
"So cute! Is that girl Gray's girlfriend?" Ur exclaimed in the crowd.
Her scrutinizing gaze was just like a mother-in-law sizing up her future daughter-in-law.
Having recently taken over Sabertooth, she had many affairs to handle. So she had snuck out on the pretense of work, using guild funds for her personal trip.
What a fortunate guild Sabertooth is to have such a master...
Beside her stood Lyon, Sherry, Yuka, and Toby, who had joined Lamia Scale.
"Juvia..." Lyon gazed dreamily at Juvia on stage.
"Lyon-sama..." Sherry gazed dreamily at Lyon.
Seeing this, the old mother's mouth twitched. She realized things were not that simple.
The performance team continued to advance.
Whether it was Erza in her heroic outfit with four long ponytails, Natsu and Happy walking down a path paved with flames;
Or Lidas and Bickslow spinning on a small three-story castle, the four-man group of Nab, Warren, and others, or Laki displaying various wooden torture devices — each act delighted the audience's eyes and drew continuous praise.
Until a sudden symphony disrupted the harmonious, joyful atmosphere.
The music itself was no problem. The grand, passionate rhythm was stirring.
The key point was the performer: Gajeel, in a white suit and black sunglasses, sitting on an iron gallery!
"Hehe! Open your eyes wide. Next up is the passionate 'Duelist'!"
Announcing the song's name, Gajeel snapped his fingers.
A cyan magic circle lit up behind him. An iron throne slowly rose.
HUM!
Golden light burst from the cold throne, blinding the onlookers.
Deep within the vast, brilliant glow, a swirling wind blew a unique hairstyle and a dark blue cloak. A tall figure gradually became clear.
Having completed his dramatic entrance, Chase raised his right arm and flipped the Yu-Gi-Oh! card between his fingers.
SWOOSH, SWOOSH, SWOOSH.
Dark blue, red, and golden streaks of light flew from the card, condensing into three imposing phantoms in the sky.
That's right — the Three God Cards from Mutou Yugi's deck: Obelisk the Tormentor, Slifer the Sky Dragon, and The Winged Dragon of Ra!
Even though they were mere magical projections, the natural oppression of the Three God Cards made the tourists tremble and instinctively step back.
Why only the tourists?
Because the local residents, well-versed in "Chase's Code," had already created a safe distance the moment Chase appeared!
"Ooooh! So cool, damn Chase!"
"You scared me with this huge production! Pay up!"
"For today's special occasion, I'll reluctantly give you a like! D-Don't misunderstand! I don't like you or anything!"
Seeing there was no danger, the crowd finally dared to cheer.
Like before, there were familiar faces here too.
For example, Dave, the Magnolia tavern owner, and little Tom; Lambert, the merchant ship captain from Aslova; and the wizards of Black Pheasant Foot.
After Chase and Gajeel came the grand finale: the master himself, Makarov.
The old man's zany, funny costume and actions made the residents burst into laughter, finding endless things to complain about.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Suddenly, the massive fireworks sponsored by the Heartfilia Konzern exploded in the sky.
It was a signal. Including Makarov and Chase, everyone in the parade stopped what they were doing. They raised their right arms high, making the gesture that meant "I will always protect you."
No one specifically looked to see where the expelled Laxus was. But they believed he was there.
Just as the young Laxus had intended when he created this gesture, they used it to convey their unspoken goodbyes and blessings.
At that moment, in a dark alley.
A certain blond, witnessing this scene, was already in tears.
***
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