"Will you idiots stop already?! You're about to tear the guild apart!"
A furious roar exploded through the hall.
The guild members, who had been brawling moments ago, froze instantly. The magic they had gathered dissipated on the spot, and everyone stood stiff as statues.
"So big!!"
Lucy spun around, eyes wide in shock—at the entrance stood a massive figure, towering like a small mountain.
"Oh my, you're back, Master," Mira said with a smile, standing beside Lisanna and Ultear.
"Hm? You must be the new member?" The giant figure's gaze fell on Lucy.
"Y-Yes! I'm Lucy!" Lucy stiffened as she answered.
"Hahaha! Look how scared you all are—this match is my win!" Natsu laughed, hands on his hips.
The giant figure didn't hesitate—he stomped down and flattened Natsu into the ground.
Lucy screamed.
Then, right before her stunned eyes, the enormous figure rapidly shrank, turning into a short old man wearing an orange coat, a hat, and a white undershirt.
"Wha—so small… This is the Master of Fairy Tail?!" Lucy stared in disbelief.
"That's right. The one before you is Fairy Tail's Guild Master—Makarov," Lisanna explained with a smile, patting her shoulder.
"Hello there. Take care of me from now on. Ultear, you're back too—report your mission later," Makarov greeted kindly, then turned to Ultear.
He leapt up to the second floor—only to smack his head straight into the railing.
Afterward, he got up as if nothing happened, coughed twice, then raised a thick stack of documents in one hand while placing the other behind his back.
"You lot have done it again! Look at this—a whole pile of complaints from the Magic Council! I get scolded by those fools every single day, it's just—just…"
Makarov trembled, as if about to explode with rage.
Lucy felt her heart tighten. The guild members fell silent. Even Natsu and Gray, who were usually rowdy, quieted down.
Only Mira, Lisanna, and Ultear remained calm.
"Damn it! To hell with those idiots at the Council!"
Suddenly, Makarov raised his hand. Flames ignited, burning the documents into a fireball, which he casually tossed toward Natsu.
"Listen well—all of you!"
"The power that surpasses perseverance comes from the will to persist!"
"Magic is no miracle—it is the fusion of the flow within your body and the flow of nature, shaped into tangible force!"
"It requires spirit and focus—no, only by pouring your very soul into it can magic truly take form!"
"If you're always worried about the eyes of those above you, your magic will never grow! Don't fear the Council—walk the path you believe in!"
"That… is what it means to be a Fairy Tail mage!!"
The passionate speech ignited the entire guild.
Even Lucy, who had just joined, felt her blood heat up, an uncontrollable smile spreading across her face.
After Lisanna stamped the pink Fairy Tail guild mark onto the back of Lucy's right hand, Lucy was as happy as a child, chattering nonstop with Ultear.
—
July 11th, X784
Eleven days had passed since Lucy joined the guild.
With the care of Ultear, Mira, and the others—and thanks to her own cheerful personality—she quickly blended in.
By the way, Lucy had also moved into Arlen's villa. However, Erza and Kagura were still away on missions.
She did meet Ur and the First Guild Master, Mavis—an experience that left her deeply shocked.
During this time, Natsu had invited Lucy to team up for a job involving burning books.
It was… barely a success.
They got the book, but Lucy discovered its secret and stopped the client from burning it—resulting in zero pay, which left her depressed for quite a while.
"Hm… I'm almost out of money. I need to find a suitable job."
Lucy walked to the request board, flipping through the job postings. The wide variety made her sigh—being a mage really meant doing all kinds of work.
"If you find something you like, let me know. I'll register it for you. The Master's at a regular meeting," Mira said as she walked over.
"A regular meeting? What's that?"
As a former rich girl, Lucy knew little about such things. She asked questions about everything—like a walking encyclopedia of curiosity.
"A regular meeting is…" Mira borrowed a light pen from Reedus and patiently explained.
"Oh right—Arlen attended one before too, though only once," Mira added with a smile.
"Really? Arlen actually went to one? That's amazing!"
Lucy's eyes widened as she looked toward Arlen, who was casually chatting with Gray and Natsu by the bar.
"What is it?" Arlen noticed her gaze and turned around.
Lucy blushed and hurried over. "Arlen, Mira said you attended a regular meeting—why didn't you go again?"
"Because it was boring. That time was a friendly exchange between guilds, so the Master had me go. Not just me—Erza, Kagura, Ultear, and Mira have all been before," Arlen replied casually.
"Wow… everyone's so amazing!" Lucy clapped in admiration.
"Don't let Arlen make it sound trivial. Communication between guilds is actually very important. If that breaks down…"
"Then the black ones will come knocking."
Before Ultear could finish, Natsu suddenly leaned in and added in a spooky tone, making Lucy jump.
"Hahaha! Look at you!" Natsu burst out laughing.
"What's wrong with you?! Don't scare me like that!" Lucy glared at him.
"Natsu's not wrong. The 'black ones' do exist—they're the Dark Guilds outside the official alliance," Ultear said seriously.
"Dark guilds? That sounds scary…" Lucy hugged her arms, shivering slightly.
"They take illegal jobs—assassination, plunder, even overthrowing nations—for money, power, or twisted ambitions. Very dangerous people," Lisanna said as she placed a glass of fresh juice in front of Arlen.
As they chatted—
Bang!
The guild doors were violently thrown open.
Loke rushed in, shouting in panic:
"This is bad! Erza—Erza's back!"
The words hit like a bomb.
The lively guild fell into instant silence. The next second, everyone's expressions changed drastically, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
"Why is everyone reacting like this…? Isn't it just Erza coming back?" Lucy asked, confused.
Then—
The crisp clank of armor and steady footsteps echoed through the guild.
Erza walked in, carrying a massive demon horn over one shoulder. Her steps were calm, her presence steady.
BOOM—
She dropped the horn heavily onto the ground, making the entire floor shake.
The moment she entered, her gaze didn't linger on anyone else—it went straight to the calm figure by the bar.
She gave a slight nod.
"So beautiful… This is Erza? She's gorgeous… then why is everyone reacting like this?"
Lucy was first stunned by Erza's beauty—then even more puzzled by the tense atmosphere.
—------------------------------
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