"What?!"
Everyone in the Guild was stunned by Qi Yan's words.
"Qi Yan... even you..."
Makarov hadn't expected Qi Yan to also want to retaliate against Phantom Lord.
"Old man, I know you want to settle things peacefully, but how can you be sure that they will stop after this attack and won't attack again?"
"What if Phantom Lord ambushes the Guild again right after we rebuild it?"
"Are you going to guard the Guild every night?"
"..."
Makarov was about to say something, but Qi Yan spoke first.
"There's a saying: 'A thief can steal for a thousand days, but you can't guard against him for a thousand days.' Sometimes, you might think enduring for a moment brings peace, and taking a step back opens up possibilities, but to them, that's a sign of fear and backing down."
"What?! I'd be afraid of that idiot Jose?!"
Makarov's voice immediately rose at the mention of it. He wouldn't be afraid of that idiot Jose, no matter who else he might fear.
"Maybe you're not afraid, but to others, it looks like you are. Many people in the Guild might think so too."
Makarov's gaze swept over the Guild members. Everyone avoided his eyes, except for Natsu, who was nodding his head oblivious to the danger.
"Not only that, if you don't respond this time, this matter will quickly be widely publicized. Soon, the entire Kingdom of Fiore will know. At this moment, you don't just represent yourself; you represent the entire Fairy Tail Guild."
"When we go out then, walking down the street, people will point at us and say: 'Look everyone! That's Fairy Tail, the cowards whose Guild was smashed by Phantom Lord and didn't dare to retaliate.'"
Makarov's eyes widened: "They dare?!"
"Of course they dare. After all, what they're saying is the truth. They won't care about your emotional journey; they only care about the outcome."
"..."
"Let me think, what else will happen then? Clients will gradually lose trust in the Fairy Tail Guild, Guild requests will drastically decrease, Guild members won't dare to announce their affiliation when they go out, and will cover up their Guild emblems. Out of necessity, everyone will have to find their own way to make a living, and then Guild members will be lost in large numbers. In just a few months, the Guild will only have twenty or thirty people left..."
"Stop talking! It's just enduring him once, does it have to be so exaggerated? If he dares to attack the Guild again, I definitely won't let him off!"
Makarov was somewhat speechless.
"Master, you might think enduring once is a small matter, but for us, it's a big deal. If you don't dare to take the lead, what will happen if Guild members are bullied by Phantom Lord?"
"What else can be done? Of course, we'll beat the hell out of him!"
"Perhaps, but I think more ordinary Mages would choose to endure it. After all, if the Master doesn't dare to resist, what do they have that they can't endure?"
"..."
"Sometimes, sneak attacks are like cheating; there's only zero times or countless times. Enduring once will only make others think you're easier to bully. This time they trashed the Guild, next time it might not necessarily be the Guild they trash."
Makarov's eyes widened: "He dares?!"
"Why wouldn't he dare?"
"..."
"Master, sometimes it's better to guide than to block. Endurance and concession will never bring peace. True dignity lies on the edge of a blade."
"..."
"Phew~~! You little rascal, tell me what you plan to do."
Makarov let out a helpless sigh. This kid's ability to incite people was strong; he felt like he was about to explode from frustration. Everyone in Fairy Tail also looked at Qi Yan, wanting to know what method Qi Yan was talking about.
Qi Yan knew Makarov had given in, and with a slight smile, he said, "It's simple. Since the Magic Council doesn't allow Mage Guilds to fight amongst themselves, we can spar with them!"
"Spar?!"
Everyone was stunned when they heard Qi Yan's words.
"Fighting violates the Magic Council's regulations, but sparring doesn't. We'll announce it as a friendly, amicable sparring match for mutual progress and to foster friendship between the two sides."
"The location will be a larger arena, for a six-on-six showdown. This number of people wouldn't constitute a fight in the Magic Council's eyes, would it?"
"We can also charge for tickets. As long as we completely crush them in this showdown, then no matter what underhanded tricks Phantom Lord pulls, even if the Master chooses to endure and do nothing like this time, people will only think Phantom Lord is despicable, and won't think Fairy Tail is cowardly."
Everyone in Fairy Tail's eyes immediately lit up upon hearing Qi Yan's words.
"That's right! Then the Magic Council will have nothing to say."
"And we'll stomp Phantom Lord underfoot in front of countless people; they'll never be able to hold their heads up again!"
"Exactly! Phantom Lord has always thought they were the number one Guild in Fiore, so this time, let them know who the strongest Guild in Fiore really is!"
"Wait, will Phantom Lord agree?"
Qi Yan said, "We can declare war on those guys through the newspaper. If they don't dare to accept..."
"They'll be ridiculed as cowards!!!"
"Master! You decide!"
"Yes, Master! I don't want to be mocked by others when I go out, especially by those Phantom Lord bastards!"
"If they dare to mock me, I'll definitely kill them."
...Everyone in the Guild was chattering, and Makarov actually knew what kind of treatment Guild members would face if this matter was endured.
But for the safety of everyone in the Guild, he chose to endure. However, if the other party truly escalated, he would regret it immensely. He also had some doubts as to why Phantom Lord would choose such an aggressive way to destroy the Guild.
Makarov stood up, raised his fist, and shouted, "Good! Then, as Qi Yan said! We declare war on Phantom Lord!!!"
"Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh—!!!"
Everyone in the Guild cheered when they heard this.
How many good-natured people join a Mage Guild? Being hit and not fighting back is not the Fairy Tail style.
Mira smiled and said, "I'll contact the reporters."
Mira had been a cover girl for Sorcerer Weekly, so she naturally had contact information for many reporters. Moreover, a Mage Guild is a semi-commercial organization that often needs exposure so that clients are willing to send requests to the Fairy Tail Guild.
Soon, the reporters, upon hearing the news, immediately became excited. A showdown between Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail—this was a super big event, and this news was sure to explode.
The news agency immediately had all reporters stop their current articles and work on this at full speed.
In less than two hours, the new front-page headline was out.