"Our guild… the guild!!"
Natsu's face twisted in fury, his eyes blazing with uncontrollable rage.
"What happened?! Who did this?!" Gray roared, clenching his fists, knuckles white with tension.
Lucy and Happy stood frozen, staring at the wreckage of their three-story home. The once warm, welcoming building was now little more than shattered wood and crumbling stone. It was hard to accept. Harder to breathe.
Chase, who had anticipated this outcome, remained outwardly composed but inside, fury churned like a raging fire.
Being mentally prepared was one thing. But actually standing here, staring at their desecrated home… that was something else entirely.
A surge of powerful magic surged from his body without control, forming a storm of pressure that whipped through the air.
"It was Phantom."
The voice came from behind.
Erza and Mira had arrived.
They had stayed outside the city entrance on purpose, worried that Chase and the others might rush off to fight Phantom on impulse once they saw the damage.
And they had been right to worry.
Especially Natsu. And even Chase if he hadn't known about this from the original storyline, he probably would've been flying full-speed on his Pteranodon, hellbent on retaliation by now.
Erza sensed the violent magic saturating the air. She bowed her head slightly, guilt heavy in her voice. "I'm sorry. I was here when it happened… and I still couldn't stop it…"
"It's not your fault," Mira said quietly. "They struck in the dead of night, when no one was around."
Even she, normally gentle and kind-hearted, had a storm brewing in her eyes.
Under their lead, Chase and the others headed into the guild's underground floor.
Originally just a cluttered storage basement, it had now become a makeshift bar and temporary gathering place.
Despite how cramped the space was, almost everyone was present. But it was nothing like the usual atmosphere. The guild that once overflowed with noise and laughter now sat in suffocating silence.
Kana wasn't guzzling booze. Makao and Wakaba weren't flirting. The engine-loving trio weren't striking goofy poses.
Even Elfman, who prided himself on manliness, looked slumped and hollow.
"Yo! Welcome back!"
Makarov raised a hand and waved from beneath the mission board. He sat on an old wine barrel, a faint smile on his face.
His cheeks were tinged red, and judging by the empty wooden cup beside him, he'd clearly been drinking.
"I shouldn't have left! Master, what are we going to do now?!" Natsu was the first to yell, his voice brimming with rage. "Let's go crush those Phantom guys right now!!"
Makarov slowly took a sip of his wine and said calmly, "Natsu, relax. Phantom and our guild have never seen eye to eye. There's no reason to kick up a fuss over something this small."
"This small?! They wrecked our guild!!"
Natsu exploded with fury, smashing his fist into the nearest pillar.
Crack!
The thick wooden post splintered and broke apart, shards flying in all directions. The sound of the impact echoed through the cramped underground space like a war drum.
The others in the guild felt it too this surge of anger and frustration. But despite the fire in their hearts, none dared to disobey the master. They could only clench their fists under the table, teeth gritted in silence.
"Old man, they've gone too far this time," Gray growled, his voice cold as ice.
Even Lucy, who usually flinched at the idea of confrontation, stood her ground. "They actually came into Magnolia and trashed another guild's home like it was nothing…"
Next to her, Erza remained quiet, but her eyes flicked toward Makarov, silently pleading.
She couldn't accept this either. This place was her home their home and seeing it desecrated like this... it cut deep.
But still, Makarov remained unmoved.
"Those Phantom guys are all about sneaky tricks like this," he said with a dry laugh. "There's no point in stooping to their level. Let them bark all they want. Our job is to stay focused take our commissions, finish our work."
Seeing that Natsu and the others were still seething with resistance, his tone turned suddenly firm.
"This matter ends here."
Silence fell.
Makarov's gaze swept over the room landing briefly on Chase, who stood unnaturally calm amidst the tension. A flicker of curiosity passed through the master's eyes.
But then, with a cheeky grin, Makarov dropped the serious act, hopped off his makeshift wine barrel throne, and ambled off toward the bathroom, laughing like a mischievous grandpa.
Leaving behind a bunch of stunned, frustrated mages staring after him.
"…Don't blame Master," Mira said softly, her brows drawn together as she watched him leave. "He's hurting too."
"After all, a war between guilds… that's something that could shake the entire balance of the magical world."
Especially between two giants like Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord.
"They started it!!" Natsu shouted, still trembling with anger.
"I know…" Mira sighed. "But that doesn't mean we can just retaliate."
The truth was cruel.
Phantom hadn't officially declared war. All they had done was destroy a building ugly, brutal, but not technically an act of war. Even if Fairy Tail struck back in kind, Phantom Lord had dozens, maybe hundreds of branch guilds. They couldn't wipe them all out.
And worse… if they escalated the fight, it wouldn't just be buildings that got hurt. Their own friends guildmates could end up caught in the crossfire.
Makarov wasn't weak. He wasn't spineless. He just… cared more about the lives of his children than about pride or revenge.
"…Man, I'm wiped out after that last job," Chase suddenly said, cutting through the tense silence. "Mira, bring me an iced Coke."
His casual request broke the tension like a pin popping a balloon.
"…Sure. Just a sec."
Mira's heavy expression softened into a faint smile as she turned to the bar.
In truth, the person Mira had been most worried about from the beginning… wasn't Natsu or Gray.
Natsu might explode, and Gray could lose his cool but with either of them, she or Erza could step in and hold them back.
But Chase?
If Chase truly got angry… it might take the master herself to stop him.
And that was the one scene Mira never wanted to see.
"Damn it! Lucy, I can understand… but even Chase is acting like this?!" Natsu yelled, slamming his fist against the floor.
A certain newcomer thought to himself in silence: Shouldn't I be flattered? But why is your first reaction to blame me too…
Eventually, though, maybe it was because he finally understood what Makarov had been trying to say or maybe he just decided to respect the master's words Natsu cooled down and slumped into a corner by himself, sulking.
Gray and Lucy sat nearby, both looking equally defeated and dejected.
The only slight comfort?
At least their punishment for accepting an unauthorized S-Class mission seemed to have been forgotten in the chaos.
On the other side of the room, Chase quietly chatted with Mira and Erza, recounting everything that had happened on Karuna Island Ulu's reappearance, Gray's long-lost master, and Urrutia's unexpected involvement as a Council member.
Both women were shocked.
They never imagined that Gray had such a tangled, emotional past.
As the day dragged on, the heavy, suffocating air in the guild began to settle into a gloomy quiet.
The sun was setting.
The remaining guild members started preparing to return home, still downcast and unusually quiet.
Then, just as the day seemed to be winding down, Chase who had stayed calm throughout the entire ordeal, earning occasional glances from Makarov finally stood up.
A soft light flickered across his fingertips.
Zing!
A glow of magical energy sparked to life, and a card shimmered into view.
"Chase! What are you doing?!" Makarov suddenly tensed up, alarmed.
But Chase remained calm, lifting the card between two fingers with a light smile.
"Relax, Master. I'm not going rogue," he said lightly. "I'm just… not convinced those Phantom guys are done with us."
Between his fingers were two familiar cards Chestnut Ball, the tiny monster, and the spell card Multiply.
As he activated the spell, a brilliant, cheerful magic circle lit up beneath his feet.
From within it, dozens of adorable Chestnut Balls flew out in a burst of light, each squeaking as they zipped through the air and transformed into shimmering temporary cards.
Each card gently floated down into the hands of a guild member one for everyone.
Chase wasn't taking chances.
Even though he knew from memory that Gajeel's main target was Team Levy, things could always change. The timeline wasn't perfectly stable not anymore.
And if his presence had already caused ripples… then caution was worth the cost.
He wouldn't allow anyone from Fairy Tail to be humiliated. Not like that.
So what if it drained a bit more magic power?
As the last cards fluttered down, the guild members looked at him with surprise, then quiet gratitude. They understood.
They cast glances filled with reassurance and respect toward Chase.
Even Makarov, who had been frozen in place moments before, slowly relaxed.
A deep sigh of relief escaped his lips, and the worry in his expression melted into a proud smile.
He nodded toward Chase with quiet approval.
Fairy Tail had taken a blow today.
But thanks to Chase… the next strike wouldn't catch them off guard.
.....
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