At this point in time, Saber Tooth wasn't particularly famous, and the guild had no direct connection with Fairy Tail.
So then... what was with this glaring hostility?
Is it because of Minerva?
Chase furrowed his brow as he thought back.
During the incident on Demon Ruins Island, he hadn't been completely sure whether the girl who shouted "You can do it!" was truly that Minerva the heiress of Saber Tooth.
After all, there was a seven-year gap between the present and the timeline he remembered. He didn't exactly have a clear image of what Minerva looked like as a child.
But later, after the Council meeting, Makarov casually mentioned that someone had reportedly awakened the Magic of the Eighteen Battle Gods of Evil a rare and terrifying power.
That comment had all but confirmed it for Chase.
"Hey, brat. What's your problem?"
Guildmaster Jermain's voice cut through the tension. He still had his thick arms folded over his chest, radiating arrogance. His tone was steeped in disdain as he watched Chase approach him without hesitation.
Despite himself, Jermain was a bit surprised.
This kid has guts… marching straight up to me, a guild master?
Around them, the other guild leaders exchanged confused glances, their interest clearly piqued.
Isn't that Jermain from Saber Tooth?
Since when did Fairy Tail have dealings with them?
A hushed buzz rippled through the room as more eyes turned toward the two.
But Chase didn't falter. He stopped a few steps in front of Jermain and met his beast-like gaze head-on.
The air in the room grew heavier. The friendly atmosphere from earlier now felt tight and charged, like a thunderstorm about to break.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Chase tilted his head slightly, one brow raised.
"…What are you looking at?"
Germain, who had come fully prepared with his words sharpened and a whole accusation of "disrespecting a guild master" locked and loaded found himself completely speechless.
"…?"
Wait, seriously? You storm over here just to say that?
For a moment, Germain genuinely doubted his own judgment. The boy standing in front of him didn't seem reckless or hot-headed at all not like the rumors had described.
"…Tch. Are all Fairy Tail wizards this unreasonable?" Germain snorted with mock disdain. "From what I saw in the papers, that whole 'saving Demon Ruins Island' thing looked more like an overblown publicity stunt."
It was bait clear and simple.
But Chase didn't bite.
"None of your business," he replied flatly, his tone cold but unshaken.
Chase could read Germain like a book. He knew exactly what the man was trying to do and there was no way he'd fall for it in front of a room full of guild masters.
If we're going to settle this, we'll do it somewhere quieter.
"Heh. Arrogant, are we?" Germain sneered, shooting a glance at Makarov, who stood off to the side with his arms crossed, watching calmly but saying nothing.
But then, that sneer twisted into a grin.
"I like punks like you."
Germain took a step forward, puffing up his chest with dominance.
"I'm Germain, guild master of Saber Tooth. A pleasure."
He stretched out a thick, muscular hand toward Chase.
It looked like a handshake but everyone in the room knew better. This was a test. A warning.
As a guild master, Germain held seniority. If Chase refused to shake his hand in public, it would humiliate all of Fairy Tail.
But if he did shake it, Germain renowned for his brutal physical magic was fully prepared to crush the boy's hand right then and there.
After all, it was practically a joke across the magic world:
Card mages have no physical strength.
To his surprise, Chase didn't hesitate.
With a friendly smile, he reached out and took Germain's hand firmly.
"So it's President Germain. I look forward to learning from you."
You naive little fool…
Germain's grin widened. Without another word, he clenched his hand.
The veins on his thick forearm bulged as he applied pressure, ready to make the boy's bones pop.
Buzz!
A thick wave of purple magic erupted from Germain, swirling around him like a violent storm centered on his massive frame.
But almost instantly, an opposing surge of dark golden energy exploded from Chase's body. The two auras clashed midair, their powers locking and spiraling, whipping up a swirling tempest of raw magical pressure.
Their hands remained tightly clasped, neither backing down. Under the crushing weight of their combined magic, the space between them trembled, and a powerful shockwave burst out across the hall.
The entire meeting hall shook as their combined magic flooded the room.
Yet none of the guild masters present showed fear. These were veteran leaders they didn't flinch at raw power. Instead, they watched with narrowed eyes, intrigued.
When did Saber Tooth and Fairy Tail become enemies?
And why is Germain going this far to intimidate a Fairy Tail wizard himself?
But the most surprising part...
Wait a minute... judging by the force of that magic... it looks like Germain just hit a wall!
The realization spread among the guild masters.
As expected from a monster of Fairy Tail...
An S-Class mage, huh?
One of the more eccentric presidents began thinking to himself.
I should definitely find a way to steal Makarov's protégé. Maybe introduce him to my granddaughter… she's tall, beautiful, 1.78 meters…
"Oi, Makarov," Goodman of Four Hounds said with a smirk, glancing at the clashing pair. "Your kid's being attacked. You're not gonna step in?"
Makarov, lounging with his legs crossed, barely glanced at them.
"What are you talking about? This is just a friendly greeting," he said casually, waving his hand as if this was all routine.
With one look, he already knew: Germain was in over his head.
The pressure Chase was releasing was well beyond what Germain had expected and the boy hadn't even gone all out yet.
What I want to know, Makarov thought, is why that Saber Tooth kitten suddenly feels like baring his baby fangs.
"It seems being too famous has its downsides, Makarov-chan~" sang Bob of Blue Pegasus, flashing a flirty wink.
"Don't call me that, you freak! It's disgusting!" Makarov yelped, his skin crawling as goosebumps popped up across his entire body.
As the other presidents chuckled and exchanged banter, Germain's confident expression began to falter at the center of the storm.
Beads of sweat formed along his forehead.
What the hell is this pressure...? He doesn't look that strong... so how does he have this much magical power and force?!
Could the reports have been wrong...? Is this brat actually a physical-type mage, not some weak card caster?!
Germain winced as pain shot through his palm. His hand felt like it was being crushed under an iron press. He gritted his teeth, stunned.
As proud as he was, he refused to back down against a mere "kid." A low growl rumbled from his throat as he summoned every ounce of strength in his body ready to go all-in if he had to.
Chase, meanwhile, did feel the pressure increase. After all, his magic specialty wasn't brute force. The clash of raw physical strength was slowly beginning to strain his hand.
But even so, his face remained calm. Not a flicker of discomfort showed in his expression.
Just then, a gentle but firm voice cut through the tension.
"You two… would you please give me some face and end this here? Let's not delay the regular meeting."
An elderly figure slowly stepped into the eye of the magical storm, completely unfazed.
He was a thin, kind-looking man dressed in a chief's ceremonial robes.
It was Roubaul the guild master of Cait Shelter.
A man who existed not for his own glory, but for the sake of one person.
The moment Chase recognized that voice, he immediately released his grip on Germain and withdrew his magic aura, letting it dissipate quietly.
Among all the guild leaders present, very few truly earned Chase's respect.
Roubaul was one of them.
To seal away Nirvana, Roubaul had transformed himself into a spirit-like entity, guarding the ancient evil for countless years. For the sake of a little girl Wendy he had projected dozens of illusions over time, creating an entire guild from nothing just to keep her from being lonely.
A man like that didn't need to raise his voice to command attention.
"...Tch."
Germain gave an annoyed grunt as he inconspicuously flexed and shook out his aching hand.
He shot a cold glance at Chase before turning and walking away, silent and stiff.
"Hey, Germain! The regular meeting's about to start where are you going?" a nearby guild master called out, surprised.
"This meeting's a joke," Germain replied without looking back. "If you've got business with me, tell the Council to send a letter."
Without another word, he stormed out of the hall, vanishing around the corner of the arched doorway.
Once he was sure no one was watching, Germain stopped just beyond the gate. He leaned heavily against the wall, cheeks puffing as he furiously blew on his bruised and swollen palm.
"Fff… Hahh… Dammit… That brat! That smug, smug brat! Hoo hah! There's no way… is he really a card wizard?!"
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