After everyone had participated in the Grand Magic Games once, their enthusiasm for it was no longer very high.
Especially since that hot-blooded idiot Natsu was not around either.
That made it even harder for everyone to get interested.
To the guild members, the Grand Magic Games was not even as competitive as Magnolia's own Harvest Festival Battle, especially now that this year had added Kurnugi and the returning Lyon.
After learning under Jura and achieving success, Lyon left Lamia Scale and returned to Fairy Tail.
And returning by himself was one thing, but he even brought back the cousins, Sherry Blendy and Chelia Blendy.
Sherry had originally only joined Lamia Scale temporarily to follow Lyon, while Chelia followed her cousin.
...
X786, July.
With Kurnugi leading the team, Gajeel, Elfman, Lily, Yukino, and Lisanna boarded the guild's magic airship and set off to participate in the Grand Magic Games.
Makarov, Ur, Macao, and a large group of others also went along, intending to cheer them on and watch the fun.
Lamia Scale had lost Jura this year.
With Kurnugi and Gajeel, who had developed his Second Origin, Fairy Tail was basically unstoppable.
In this year's competition, the only real obstacles they encountered were the Cross Knights and Sabertooth.
Sabertooth in particular had grown impressively.
Sting, Rogue, and Minerva's strength had improved by leaps and bounds.
Although Yukino was still young, she showed her brilliance with the Caelum and Phoenix keys.
She even unexpectedly obtained a new Silver Key in Crocus—the Kirin Key.
Though it could not exactly be called an accidental gain.
Princess Hisui saw that Yukino had tremendous talent in Celestial Spirit Magic.
The two of them had a very pleasant conversation, and when Hisui noticed that Yukino currently only had two keys, she gave Yukino the Kirin Key from her own collection.
Although Hisui herself was a Celestial Spirit Mage, there were too few situations in her daily life where she could use Magic.
Toma only had her as his daughter, and no matter what, Hisui would eventually inherit Toma's position.
To her, it was better to entrust a good Silver Key to a worthy Celestial Spirit Mage than let those Silver Keys gather dust in her collection.
And then there was Natsu.
Natsu had returned.
With nearly a year's worth of uncut long hair trailing behind him, Natsu caused a huge commotion at the Domus Flau arena.
Then Natsu and Kurnugi suddenly locked eyes.
"What're you looking at?"
"What if I am looking?"
"Try looking again!"
"I will!"
"Fire Dragon King's Roar!"
"Sword Saint Dragon's Roar!"
Crimson-hot flames collided with a platinum beam of light.
Natsu's flames had become even darker in color, almost identical to the surface of Igneel's body.
The clash between the two dragons caused the entire arena to shake violently.
"Stop fighting already~ kabo!"
Toma, wearing his pumpkin head, fled while clutching his head.
"COOL!!!"
Jason continued filming despite the intense heat, displaying a level of professionalism that could only be called admirable.
Arcadios pointed toward the two dragons fighting in the arena.
"Cross Knights! Hungry Wolf Knights! Apprehend them!"
The knights all took one step back.
"We can't do that!!!"
Kurnugi could feel how high the temperature of Natsu's flames was and how powerful they had become.
When he traded punches with Natsu, he could even feel his arms burning.
Kurnugi even had the feeling that if he did not return to dragon form, he would not be able to take down Natsu in his bandaged-arm state.
"Time out!!!"
Yukino and Lisanna shouted at the same time.
Fortunately, Yukino and Lisanna stopped them in time.
Otherwise, Kurnugi and Natsu would have ended up tearing down the entire arena.
"You're pretty good!"
"You too!"
Then Natsu and Kurnugi returned to the guild with their arms around each other's shoulders, looking like the kind of people who became friends after a fight.
In Kurnugi's words, Lord Kurnugi had acknowledged this guy's strength!
Natsu's right arm was still wrapped in bandages.
While he and Happy wolfed down food, they told the guild members about their training over the past year.
"There's still more, so don't rush," Mira said as she continued cooking, smiling helplessly as she watched Natsu devour everything.
"We went to a lot of places! We even went to Tenrou Island to sweep the First Master's grave!" Happy said while eating fish, constantly complaining at the same time.
"Even though it was supposed to be a training trip, Natsu always just made things up as we went!"
Lucy could not help sighing.
"That really does sound like Natsu."
"Look at this! Isn't it awful?!"
Happy pulled out a photo of himself with an exploded afro as evidence.
Lucy rested her cheek on one hand and laughed nonstop.
"He really hasn't changed at all. Wait, so the Mount Altana melting incident was actually you guys?!"
Raizel helplessly shook his head.
"I have to say, that really is your style. Good thing you didn't give your names, or the fine would've been sent to the old man again."
"Oh, right, we also happened to run into Gildarts!"
"And then?"
"Of course I challenged him!"
Happy exposed him mercilessly.
"And the result was that Natsu got punched into the sky by Gildarts."
"And also! Gildarts, he—!"
Happy covered his mouth, deliberately keeping them in suspense.
"Hurry up and tell us!" Lucy quickly urged him.
"Gildarts and Natsu mixed up their luggage."
"Later, when we were about to eat..."
Gildarts stared at the leftovers in the bag—apple cores, slippers, fish bones, and all sorts of messy things.
Meanwhile, Natsu and Happy stared wide-eyed at a bag full of photo books.
Happy spread his hands helplessly.
"He chased after us while crying! Then the two of them started fighting again."
"That bastard old man!"
A vein throbbed on Cana's forehead as she tightly gripped her wine bottle with her right hand and slammed it heavily onto the table.
Seeing Natsu eat and drink his fill before patting his stomach, Raizel grew a little more serious.
"So then, how was your training this year?"
"No problem!"
Natsu bent his bandage-wrapped right arm and slapped it hard with his left palm.
"For these ten months, I mainly worked on fusing the power Igneel left me into my body."
"Shouldn't that be called making it your own? It was already inside your body when Igneel gave it to you."
"Ohhh!"
Natsu nodded blankly, his eyes carrying a kind of pure clarity completely untouched by knowledge.
"Wait, Igneel?!"
Kurnugi suddenly cried out in surprise.
"Yeah, Igneel. What about him?"
Natsu blinked and looked at Kurnugi in confusion.
"Fire Dragon King Igneel! He can be called the strongest Dragon King in dragon history!"
Although Kurnugi had been surprised by Natsu's flames, he truly had not asked where those flames came from.
Raizel gestured for Kurnugi to sit down and calm himself, then explained,
"He's the one I mentioned before, the one raised by Igneel and taught Fire Dragon Slayer Magic by him."
Kurnugi shouted with the expression of a fanatical admirer,
"I seriously worship Igneel!"
"We can tell."
The guild members nodded calmly in unison.
They had seen enough fanatical fans by now that it no longer felt strange.
"Ohhh, I see!"
Natsu also nodded with an expression that said he understood, although in truth he understood nothing at all.
"I've made a lot of progress this year too, Natsu. Want to spar sometime?"
Lucy had already learned Star Dress, and her close-combat ability had improved significantly. In addition, her various Star Dress forms allowed her to handle many different situations.
For example, in Taurus Star Dress, Lucy had overwhelming strength just like Taurus.
Natsu stared closely at Lucy, then looked completely bored.
"Nah. Fighting Lucy doesn't get me fired up."
Natsu's return made the guild feel even livelier.
Without him around, the guild had always been much quieter.
Now, only Gray and Juvia, who were still lying low inside the Avatar cult, had yet to return.
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