A few days later, Lucy returned from a request with a few others. It seemed Erza had given herself a break to tag along for fun. Along the way, she had even bought a rare candied hawthorn skewer from a roadside stall, eating it as she walked, its red sugar coating shimmering in the sunset.
As they walked through the streets, the gossip of passersby buzzed in their ears like flies.
"It's the people from Fairy Tail. They don't seem to know yet..."
Unease filled their hearts, and their pace quickened.
Lucy stopped eating her candied hawthorn, and the half-skewer Erza had left was crushed in her grip, sugar crumbs scattering between her fingers.
When they returned, they saw the Fairy Tail Guild building riddled with iron pillars.
The massive iron pillars were stuck into the guild building like hedgehog quills; some pierced through walls, some were nailed to the roof, and others had smashed windows directly into shards.
Wood chips and broken bricks were scattered everywhere, and the guild's iconic banner had been torn by the iron pillars, fluttering powerlessly in the evening breeze.
Natsu exploded instantly, his fists igniting with flames. His eyes were bloodshot, and a low growl escaped his throat: "Those bastards!"
The others' expressions were also grim. Gray's fists creaked as he clenched them, Erza's lips were pressed into a thin line, and Lucy covered her mouth, her eyes welling with tears.
Arriving at the guild's first basement level, they found the atmosphere among the members was incredibly low.
Under the dim lights, members sat in small groups; some drank in silence, some stared blankly in corners, and others spoke in hushed tones. The air was thick with a heavy, stifling tension.
Jet was drinking, his cup slamming heavily onto the table, splashing liquor onto his hand. He said with a face full of discontent, "Phantom Lord and we have never gotten along. Those grandsons were bound to cause trouble sooner or later."
Droy said nonchalantly, crossing his legs and tapping a rhythm on the table with his fingers: "Why don't we just go and fight them? This dragging on is so annoying."
Levy sighed with her chin in her hands, her short blue hair hanging by her ears. She pushed up the glasses on the bridge of her nose and said in a tired voice, "Don't be impulsive. Attacking now will only make things worse."
Over at the bar, Riyao and Makarov sat side by side, each holding a glass of wine, leisurely clinking them together.
Ur walked out of the back kitchen carrying a tray, her wooden body making slight creaking sounds as she served the two a plate of peanuts and a plate of braised beef.
When the two saw Natsu and the others return, they both greeted them with smiles, as if welcoming old friends home for dinner.
"You're back."
Natsu roared, his fist slamming onto the bar, making the wine glasses jump: "Old man! How can you still be so leisurely! The guild has been smashed like this!"
Makarov ignored Natsu, picked up his glass, took a sip, smacked his lips, and leisurely asked Lucy if her mission went smoothly, his tone as if asking if the cabbage at the market was fresh today.
Erza looked at Riyao, her brown eyes filled with confusion and anxiety: "The Master is like this, and you are too. Do you even understand what the situation is right now?"
Natsu chimed in, flames dancing between his fingers: "Our guild was destroyed by someone else! And you're here drinking and eating peanuts!"
Riyao shrugged, picked up a peanut, tossed it into his mouth, and chewed: "The old man won't let me do anything, what can I do?"
Mirajane's fiery temper flared up. Her long silver hair seemed to be moved by an invisible wind of rage, and a dangerous light flashed in her eyes. She slapped the bar with her palm, making the peanuts bounce.
"Then let's go over there and ambush them! Put them all in sacks and sink them to the bottom of the sea!"
Riyao quickly pulled Mirajane aside to soothe her, putting his arm around her shoulder and whispering something in her ear. Only then did Mirajane's expression slowly soften, though she was still pouting, her cheeks puffed out like a hamster's.
Makarov comforted Natsu and the others, his small body jumping down from the bar. He walked in front of everyone with his hands behind his back, his tone steady: "What's the rush? I know what I'm doing."
Ur, who was watching the fun nearby, walked over, her wooden body creaking. She raised a hand and slapped Gray on the back of the head. She didn't control her strength well, and Gray's head was sent reeling forward, nearly plunging into a wine barrel.
"Don't just join in the commotion, listen to the Master."
Yes, Ur had joined Fairy Tail as a waitress.
After all, she needed Riyao's help to adjust her puppet body.
Gray clutched the back of his head, looking aggrieved: "Ur, be a bit gentler..."
...
At night, the cool evening breeze dissipated the day's bustle.
On the streets of Magnolia, the streetlights cast a dim yellow glow, throwing soft circles of light onto the bluestone pavement.
Shop signs swayed gently in the wind, and the distant clock tower chimed a long, echoing sound.
Riyao and Mirajane were walking hand-in-hand down the street, their fingers intertwined, their long silver and golden hair weaving together in the night breeze. Mirajane had been so angry today she didn't even want to cook, so the two had gone out and found a small stall to have a bowl of noodles.
Riyao squeezed her small hand, his thumb gently tracing circles on the back of it, his tone soft: "Let's not be angry anymore. When the time comes and Phantom Lord can't hold back, we'll crush them directly."
He added, lowering his voice: "If we attack now, the Council won't let it slide. Those old fogies have been waiting for our guild to make a mistake; they're dying for us to strike first."
Mirajane pouted, her cheeks still puffed out. Her silver eyelashes drooped slightly, and her tone held a hint of resentment: "I know, but I just can't get over it. They were the ones who moved first, so why do we have to endure it?"
Riyao pulled Mirajane to sit on a park bench, letting her lean on his shoulder. His chin rested on the top of her head as the scent of her silver hair filled his nose. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, his voice lazy.
"The Council has been vague about the destruction of the guild; they're no good either. They've definitely taken money from that old ghost Jose. That old man is best at doing things like that."
He spoke these words in a casual tone.
Riyao had intentionally brought Mirajane to wander around the area, waiting for Gajeel.
Based on his knowledge of the original plot, Gajeel would attack lone guild members tonight to further provoke Fairy Tail and force them to strike first.
The two sat for a while as the night breeze carried the scent of flowers. The surroundings were quiet, save for the distant chirping of insects.
Then, a dull thud broke the silence.
This was followed by the sound of metal clashing and a person's scream.
Riyao and Mirajane exchanged a look and stood up simultaneously.
They quickly arrived at the scene to find Gajeel attacking the trio of Levy, Jet, and Droy.
Gajeel's body was covered in iron scales, with sharp iron spikes protruding from his joints, making him look like a humanoid iron hedgehog.
Jet and Droy were on the ground, their bodies bearing obvious iron spike wounds. Blood seeped from the wounds, staining their clothes red.
Mirajane transformed in a fit of rage. Her long silver hair instantly turned deep purple, and her white dress was consumed by darkness, replaced by a purple-black skin-tight battle suit. Bat-like wings unfolded behind her, and her scarlet eyes burned with fury.
She rushed forward and began to pummel Gajeel. Her speed was like a purple-black bolt of lightning as she slammed a fist into Gajeel's face, the iron scales shattering under her punch with a piercing metallic clash.
"So you're the brat from Phantom Lord, huh! You dare to ambush our comrades!!!"
Her voice carried a demonic echo, resonating in the night sky. A second punch slammed into Gajeel's abdomen, and a third struck his chest, each carrying world-shattering power.
Gajeel was only at an average level; he couldn't even beat the current Natsu. Putting aside the protagonist's halo, Natsu would still win. You could tell from the fact that Gajeel didn't get motion sickness; a Dragon Slayer not getting motion sickness meant their Dragon Force was far from awakening.
Riyao walked over to Levy and the others to heal them, pale gold light flowing from his fingertips and slowly seeping into the trio's wounds.
As for stopping Mirajane from beating Gajeel, he didn't want to sleep on the floor tonight.
"Mira, don't kill him, or it'll be hard for the old man to handle."
His tone was relaxed and casual, as if saying "don't burn the food."
Gajeel could initially manage a few blocks, his iron fists clashing with Mirajane's claws in a shower of sparks.
But he was soon pinned to the ground and beaten by Mirajane. Purple-black magic wrapped around his limbs like chains, leaving him unable to move, forced to take a beating like an iron tin can.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Every strike shattered iron scales. Gajeel's face was deformed, and his iron-like skin was covered in cracks.
Riyao crouched down to heal Levy and the others. The pale gold light enveloped the three, and their wounds healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. He looked at them speechlessly, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness.
"The old man told you all to go home early today, yet you're still wandering around outside."
Levy said sheepishly, pushing up the glasses on the bridge of her nose. Her short blue hair was messy and stuck to her forehead, and her cheeks were slightly flushed.
"I just happened to be reading a book and couldn't stop..."
Riyao ruffled Levy's head, his palm gently rubbing her short blue hair. He gave a gentle smile, but that smile clearly held a bit of calculation.
"Hehehe, I need you three to cooperate with me for a bit."
Levy, Jet, and Droy trembled, feeling an ominous premonition from Riyao's smile. They were all too familiar with this smile; every time Riyao wore it, it meant someone was about to be unlucky.
And this time, they felt that the unlucky ones certainly wouldn't be them.
In the distance, Mirajane was still pummeling Gajeel. The iron tin can was about to be beaten into an iron pancake.
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150 POWER STONE = BONUS CHAPTER
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