The next day, the Fairy Tail Guild was filled with public outrage!
The atmosphere in the hall was like a powder keg waiting to be ignited. Members were filled with righteous indignation, fists clenching with audible creaks, tables and chairs being slammed with loud bangs, and wine glasses rattling and tilting.
Levy and her two teammates were found "dying" in the park by residents out for early morning exercise. According to eyewitnesses, the scene was too tragic to look at.
An older woman carrying a vegetable basket recalled while patting her chest, the wrinkles on her face bunching together, "When they were found, their faces... they were beaten so red, it looked like blood could drip out!"
An old man walking his dog nearby shook his head and sighed, the leash in his hand going slack. "That little girl's head was buried in the ground—half her head was stuck in the dirt. It was heartbreaking to see."
Another woman exercising in the morning covered her mouth, her face full of horror. "Oh my, those injuries... they looked terrifying! Those two young men were covered in iron scraps!"
As for the Iron Dragon Gajeel, he was found passed out in front of the Phantom Lord guild's entrance.
When found, he reeked of alcohol, and his snoring was loud enough to rattle the door panels. After waking up, he couldn't remember anything from yesterday. Rubbing his head with a dazed expression, the others thought he had simply blacked out from drinking.
In truth, Mirajane had beaten him too hard. Riyao had thoughtfully helped treat Gajeel and tossed him back, but he had tinkered a bit with his brain area to make his memories of last night fuzzy.
Sometimes, forgetting pain is a good thing.
Mirajane felt completely refreshed after the fight and was smiling exceptionally happily today.
Her long silver hair shimmered in the sunlight. With a gentle and brilliant smile on her face, she hummed a little tune while wiping the bar, her steps as light as if she were walking on clouds.
Makarov glanced at Riyao, his eyes clearly saying "Look at the trouble you've caused," but he didn't expose him. His small body hopped onto the bar, and he slammed the table while shouting angrily, his voice aged yet booming, making the wine glasses tremble.
"Brat! Let those Phantom Lord scumbags taste our wrath!"
"Whoo! I'm fired up!"
Natsu was the first to respond, his fists erupting in flames, his eyes shining like two fireballs.
"Freeze those Phantom Lord scumbags into dross!"
Gray pressed his hands together, ice-blue magic power condensing in his palms.
"A real man must kick their asses hard!"
Elfman crossed his arms, nodding with a serious expression.
Riyao raised his hand and shouted, his voice louder than anyone's, waving his fist in the air.
"Hang them up and whip them for three days and three nights!"
Makarov pressed down on Riyao's shoulder. His small palm had surprisingly great strength, pinning him back into his seat.
"You stay behind and watch the house for me!"
"Ah! I don't want to!" Riyao grumbled like a child whose toy had been confiscated, slouching into his chair. "I want to go hit people too!"
Mirajane clenched her fist and waved it, her long silver hair tracing an arc in the air, her eyes flashing with battle intent. "I'll do your share of the hitting for you."
After saying that, she leaned over and kissed Riyao on the cheek. Her lips were soft and warm. Having kissed him in front of everyone, she even licked her lips with a lingering look of satisfaction.
Riyao's complaints came to an abrupt halt. The tips of his ears turned slightly red, and the corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily.
"Fine, then I'll stay behind."
Once they set off to crash Phantom Lord's place, the hall suddenly became quiet.
Riyao went to the infirmary and pushed the door open to see Levy and the other two leisurely reading. Levy was sitting with her legs crossed, flipping through a magic theory book, while Jet and Droy each held a manga, reading with great interest, showing no sign of being injured at all.
"Your acting skills still need some work," Riyao said, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed and a look of mock disdain.
Levy's face burned whenever she thought about the experience of lying like a corpse in the park this morning.
Riyao had even painted tragic battle-damage makeup on them—bruises here and there—and had specifically painted a large bump on her forehead. When people were staring, she just wanted to bury her head in the dirt and ignore reality.
"It's so embarrassing. I'm never coming home late again, waah..." She covered her face with her book, her voice coming out muffled from beneath the pages, her short blue hair scattered on the pillow.
Jet and Droy hugged each other and wailed, the two grown men crying messily with snot running down. "If only we were a bit stronger, we could have beaten that Iron Dragon ourselves!"
Riyao pierced their hearts with no sympathy in his tone. "Stronger? Then you could have chosen a more graceful pose for falling down."
The three didn't want to talk anymore. Silence fell over the infirmary, broken only by the sound of pages turning and occasional sobbing.
Ur walked in, her wooden body creaking. She leaned against the door, arms crossed over her chest, tilting her head as she looked at Riyao.
"If someone cut you open, you'd definitely be black inside."
Riyao shrugged with an indifferent look. "There's no other way. You can't guard against a thief forever. I can only rest easy if we completely dismantle them."
...
Soon, another patient was added to the infirmary. Makarov had been blindsided by Aria of the Phantom Lord's Element 4.
When the news reached them, the air pressure in the entire guild dropped to freezing point.
The members were dejected; some crouched in corners, some slumped over tables, and some silently wiped away tears.
Everyone was in low spirits. Mira leaned against Riyao's shoulder listlessly, her long silver hair hanging down and covering half her face. Her usual gentle smile had vanished, replaced by deep worry.
Riyao patted Mira's head, his fingers running through her silver strands, gently comforting her.
He felt like he was forgetting something—something flashed through his mind, but he couldn't quite catch it.
Elfman punched the table, leaving a dent in the wood and making the water glass on it jump.
"Phantom Lord is too despicable! Not like men at all! What kind of skill is a sneak attack!"
Cana facepalmed and complained, the wine glass in her hand wobbling.
"This has nothing to do with being a man. Can you stop relating everything to being a 'man'?"
Gray was so angry he even forgot to strip. He sat in the corner fully clothed, head in his hands, his shoulders trembling slightly.
Lisanna began contacting members who were away. Her short white hair swayed gently under the lights as her fingers moved rapidly over the communication crystal ball, preparing to settle the score.
Laxus's attitude was atrocious. His arrogant laughter came through the communication crystal ball: "Ha? The old man actually got blindsided? Hahahaha! I'm out and can't get back. You guys have fun."
Lisanna gritted her teeth, holding back from cursing at him.
They couldn't reach Mystogan and could only leave a message by letter. There was only silence from the crystal ball; that hooded man was always like that, coming and going without a trace.
Gildarts scratched his wild orange-red hair with a troubled look. "I can't make it back right now. It'll take some time."
Cana shouted at the crystal ball, her voice sharp like a cat with its fur standing on end. "You old geezer! Your daughter is being bullied!"
Gildarts instantly flared up. His furious voice came through the crystal ball, making even the image tremble. "Wait! I can't get back right now, but I'm going to go wipe out a few of their nearby branches right now! I'll let them know the consequences of messing with my daughter!"
Cana's eyes turned slightly red, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up.
A rumbling sound came from outside the guild, the ground trembling slightly and creating ripples in the water glasses on the tables. Everyone stood up and walked outside.
They saw the massive Phantom Lord headquarters approaching from the sea.
It was a mobile giant mechanical fortress, like a mountain of steel floating on the sea, blotting out the sun and casting a shadow that covered half the harbor.
Giant gears turned slowly on both sides of the fortress, making a dull roar as the seawater was churned into white foam. The Phantom Lord emblem was engraved on the fortress walls, reflecting a cold metallic luster in the sunlight.
Riyao looked out the window and clicked his tongue, hands in his pockets, his tone carrying a hint of mockery. "Old man, that old ghost Jose thinks he has us for sure. With such a big production, he's probably brought out his entire life savings."
Makarov poked his head out from under the covers. His Gray hair was messy, and although his face was still a bit pale, the fire in his eyes hadn't diminished at all. He spoke with suppressed anger, his beard twitching.
"That bastard actually dares!"
Mirajane's eyes widened, her silver eyelashes trembling slightly, her voice filled with surprise and disbelief. "Master, you're okay?"
Makarov sat up and moved his shoulders. Although his movements were still a bit stiff, he had clearly recovered most of his strength.
Riyao chuckled and stood up from his chair, hands behind his back with a proud look. "When you guys set off, I cast a Life Link on all of you. There were too many people and the distance was too far, so the effect was a bit weak, but the old man was fine by the time you returned."
He paused and added, "However, for that old ghost Jose to dare come over so brazenly, it means he's come prepared. The real show is about to begin."
Outside the window, the massive Phantom Lord fortress slowly approached, its shadow growing longer like a giant open mouth ready to swallow all of Magnolia.
Riyao certainly wouldn't say he intentionally let the old man suffer a bit so that when the Council came, they wouldn't be able to find fault with Fairy Tail.
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150 POWER STONE = BONUS CHAPTER
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