Magnolia's vibrant streets seemed unusually quiet as the sun dipped below the horizon. The Fairy Tail guildhall, however, remained its lively self, with members celebrating successful jobs and trading stories of their adventures. Amid the laughter, a subtle tension buzzed beneath the surface—a growing unease that none could quite place.
Shiro sat at the bar, absently swirling a glass of water with his magic. Beside him, Mirajane leaned against the counter, her usual cheerful demeanor dimmed by a shadow of concern.
"Something's been bothering you," Mira said gently.
Shiro glanced at her, his calm expression betraying a flicker of unease. "It's probably nothing," he said, though his tone lacked conviction. "But on my last job near Oak Town, I caught wind of something… off."
Mira tilted her head. "Off how?"
"Phantom Lord's been moving a lot more openly," Shiro explained. "A few of their mages were stirring up trouble near the border, harassing smaller guilds. It doesn't seem like their usual style."
Mira's frown deepened. "Phantom Lord's always been aggressive, but they've never directly challenged Fairy Tail. You think that's changing?"
"I don't know," Shiro admitted. "But something tells me we should be on guard at the very least."
At a nearby table, Natsu and Seiran were locked in another verbal sparring match, their voices rising above the general clamor of the guild.
"You can't just punch your way through every problem, Flame Brain!" Seiran snapped, her icy glare fixed on Natsu.
"Why not?" Natsu retorted, slamming his fist on the table. "It works, doesn't it?"
Seiran rolled her eyes. "You're impossible," she began, "you think knocking out a merchant and citizen who had a minor dispute is solving the problem?"
Before their argument could escalate, Erza's commanding voice cut through the noise. "Enough, you two."
Both Seiran and Natsu fell silent as Erza approached, her armor glinting in the lamplight. Behind her, Izuna strode with his usual air of quiet confidence, his dark crimson eyes scanning the room.
"Everyone, listen up!" Erza called out, drawing the attention of the entire guild. "We've received reports of unusual activity near our borders. Phantom Lord seems to be stirring up trouble, and we need to be prepared for the worst."
"Phantom Lord?" Lucy echoed, her brow furrowing.
"They've always been our rivals," Levy explained, her tone serious. "But if they're targeting smaller guilds, it might mean they're planning something bigger."
"Let them come!" Natsu declared, flames flickering around his fists. "We'll show them who's the strongest guild!"
"Don't be so reckless," Shiro said, his calm voice cutting through the tension. "This isn't just about strength. If Phantom Lord's making a move, they'll have a plan, and it won't be as simple as a straight-up fight."
"Shiro's right," Izuna added, his deep voice carrying authority. "Phantom Lord doesn't pick fights without a reason. If they're coming for us, we need to find out why."
The guild descussion lasted for another hour or so, but it was decided that due to the magic council they absolutely can't be the aggressor, which serves to irritate certain members of the guild, and só until phantom lord made a move on them they would remain passive for now
2 weeks later
The sunlight filtering through the canopy of trees did little to ease the tension as Shiro, Seiran, Natsu, Lucy, Happy, and Gray walked along the road back to Magnolia after a successful escort mission. A faint hum of magic vibrated in the air, too subtle for most to notice, but not for Fairy Tail's dragon slayers.
"You feel it too?" Shiro asked, glancing at Seiran.
"I do," she replied, her icy blue eyes narrowing. "It's faint, but it's there. A lot of magic gathering in one place. Close."
Gray folded his arms, frowning. "You're both acting paranoid. Probably just leftover magic from someone passing through."
"No," Shiro said, his voice calm but firm. "This is too recent for it to be a coincidence."
Before Gray could reply, the ground beneath their feet erupted in a massive explosion of earth magic, throwing the group into chaos.
"Ambush!" Shiro shouted, water spiraling around his hands as the smoke cleared to reveal at least twenty Phantom Lord mages, each grinning with malicious intent.
"Well, well," the leader of the group sneered. "Fairy Tail's little brats. And the famous Heartfilia. You're coming with us."
Lucy froze, stunned by the implications that her friends were being targeted for what she assumed was her connection to her father and the Heartfilia name.
Shiro and Gray stood back-to-back, their shared experience showing as they effortlessly synchronized their attacks.
"Think you can handle these guys, Iceblock?" Shiro asked, a teasing smirk on his lips.
"Don't drag me down, you walking raindrop." Gray shot back, forming ice spikes in his palms.
The first wave of Phantom mages charged, but Shiro moved like flowing water, dodging attacks with fluid grace. "Hydro Barrage!" he shouted, launching a series of high-pressure water blasts that knocked four mages off their feet and sent them crashing into nearby trees.
Gray followed up, his magic surging as he extended his arms. "Ice-Make: Lance!" Shards of ice shot through the air, impaling three more mages' weapons and rendering them useless.
A mage wielding fire magic hurled a blazing attack at the pair. Shiro intercepted it with a wave of his hand. "Aqua Wall!" The flames hissed and disappeared as the water engulfed them, leaving the mage wide open for Gray to finish.
"Ice-Make: Hammer!" Gray's voice echoed as a massive block of ice slammed down, ending the fight for another set of mages.
The two shared a brief glance of mutual respect before charging at the remaining Phantom mages.
Seiran faced off against ten mages of varying skill, her frosty aura radiating a deadly chill.
"Ice Dragon's Claw!" she shouted, slamming her frost-covered fists into the ground. A surge of ice shot forward, freezing two mages solid where they stood.
"You think you can take us all on?" one mage sneered, summoning a barrage of crystal shards and hurling them at her.
Seiran smirked. "Think again. Ice Dragon's Frost Wave!" She unleashed a freezing wind that not only shattered the incoming crystals but also knocked three mages off their feet, leaving them encased in ice.
As the remaining mages hesitated, Seiran advanced with a chilling smile. "Ice Dragon's Lance!" She conjured a massive icicle spear, hurling it at the ground near her enemies. It exploded into shards, forcing the rest to surrender or flee.
"Pathetic," she muttered, turning her attention back to the others.
Natsu burned through the Phantom mages like wildfire, his fiery attacks leaving destruction in their wake.
"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" he roared, flames bursting from his arms in a sweeping arc. Five mages were sent flying, their clothes scorched and their weapons shattered.
"Is that all you've got?" Natsu taunted, flames crackling at his fists. Another group of mages charged, but he leapt into the air.
"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!" His flaming headbutt slammed into the ground, creating an explosion that knocked out three more enemies.
Before he could finish the rest, Gajeel Redfox appeared, his iron scales glinting ominously.
"So, the Salamander has some fangs after all." Gajeel said, his smirk full of malice.
Natsu grinned back, his flames intensifying. "You want some of this, Tin Can?"
Their clash was ferocious. Gajeel's "Iron Dragon's Club" met Natsu's "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist," the collision sending shockwaves across the battlefield.
"Fire Dragon's Talon, Wing Attack, Crushing Fist!" Natsu dealt a brutal combo of attacks that sent Gajeel flying, yet just as Natsu moved in to deal another crushing blow,
"Iron Dragon's Roar!" Gajeel countered, manoeuvreing himself while flying through the air to launch the attack at point-blank range, leaving Natsu unable to defend appropriately .
Natsu and Gajeel, both bruised, immediately got up after crashing into the trees and launched themselves at each other again.
Despite Natsu's strength, Gajeel's iron body absorbed much of the impact, and the fight reached a brutal stalemate. After a few more exchanges, Gajeel observed his thugs being defeated one after another, realizing that the other Fairy Tail members would soon join. He became reluctant to continue his fight with the Salamander.
"Bunch of useless nobodies," Gajeel muttered after another explosive clash. He used the momentum to make a swift retreat. "Next time we meet, Salamander, I'll bury you for good."
With that, Gajeel retreated, leaving his Phantom Lord guildmates groveling on the floor after their shameful display.
Back at the Fairy Tail guildhall, the mood was tense as the group recounted the attack. Makarov sat in his chair, his expression grim.
Cana leaned against the bar, her usual laid-back demeanor replaced by a rare seriousness. "They came after Lucy. That makes this personal."
Elfman slammed his fist on the table, his expression fierce. "Going after our family? That's not what real men do! We need to hit them back!"
"Calm down," Gray said, though his tone held the same anger. "We'll fight, but we need a plan."
Shiro exchanged a glance with Seiran, who nodded. "Whatever they're after, it's connected to Lucy," Shiro said. "And we need to find out why before they make another move."
Erza stood, her armor clinking as she crossed the room. "Then we prepare. Phantom Lord will regret crossing Fairy Tail."
"Phantom Lord has always been aggressive," Makarov said, his eyes flashing. "But if they think they can threaten my guild without consequence, they are sorely mistaken."
As the guild rallied around their next steps, Lucy sat quietly in a corner, lost in thought. She felt both touched and humbled by her guildmates' protectiveness. Even as a relatively new member, she knew she'd never trade Fairy Tail for anything. Whatever Phantom Lord was planning, they would face it together.
Yet deep down, Lucy couldn't shake her frustration. She hadn't been strong enough to make a real difference in the battles that surrounded her. Time and again, she relied on Natsu and the others to protect her, at Galuna Island, earlier when she froze, and now again. That had to change. From this moment on, she vowed to train harder, to truly defend herself and the people she cared about.
A fleeting image of a pink-haired idiot with an infectious smile crossed her mind, and she shook it away, cheeks warming at the memory.
To Be Continued…