If he didn't know how dangerous his potential future enemies were or how essential Devil Fruit abilities were, Chu Yan might not have been so diligent about "Awakening." But he felt a constant sense of urgency; to him, a Devil Fruit user who couldn't reach the level of Awakening was no different from a failure.
Shortly after Chu Yan left the ruins, a few people dared to poke their heads out—including the thugs who had tried to rob him earlier.
Looking at the massive crater, they felt a wave of lingering fear. Only now did they realize what a suicidal stunt they had nearly pulled. Robbing that monster? It would have been easier to rob a whole country. If the guy had been even slightly more cold-hearted, they would have ended up just like the members of that dark guild.
"I... I think I'll be a good person from now on!"
"Me too!"
Chu Yan, who had already moved on, had no idea he had inadvertently scared a few lost youths back onto the path of righteousness. Even if he knew, he wouldn't have cared—right now, he was eager to get home.
On the streets of the abandoned city, a man walked up to the edge of the crater Chu Yan had left behind. Looking at the terrifying destruction, he was speechless. "So... so terrifying. Who was it? Who destroyed the dark guild Phoenix?"
Suddenly, he caught sight of Chu Yan's retreating back. His heart jolted, and his face turned pale. "That back...! Fairy Tail's S-Class Wizard, the 'Humanoid Natural Disaster' Chu Yan! He disappeared for half a year, but that man is back! This needs to be reported to the Council immediately!"
Hargeon Town
As Chu Yan walked down the street, a sudden commotion broke out ahead. He went to take a look and saw a swarm of girls surrounding a man in his thirties, clamoring for autographs. "Groupies? I thought there'd be some excitement. Boring, wasted several seconds of my life."
Suddenly, Chu Yan heard a familiar voice: "Igneel! Igneel!" He then saw a pink-haired boy pushing through the crowd.
"Where is Igneel?"
Happy chimed in with a sigh, "Look closely, there's no way a fire dragon would be in a city!"
"Ah! I missed him!"
"Natsu? Happy?!!!"
Hearing that voice, Natsu and Happy froze. They turned their heads toward Chu Yan, and the moment they saw him, their faces lit up with pure joy. "Chu Yan!!!"
Happy spread his wings and lunged into Chu Yan's arms, crying out with tears in his eyes, "Chu Yan! I missed you so much!"
"Especially for that bluefin tuna you gave me. I haven't eaten a fish that expensive since. Let's go catch fish right now!"
Chu Yan smiled and patted Happy. "I'll take you fishing once we get back to the guild!"
"Aye~!"
"Chu Yan! ..." Natsu was incredibly moved. If Erza was like the big sister of their generation, Chu Yan was the big brother who always looked after everyone.
"It's been half a year, hasn't it? Natsu, you've grown taller!" Chu Yan gave Natsu a light, playful punch on the chest.
"Shut up! You disappeared for six months without a word; I thought you weren't coming back!"
Suddenly, several annoying voices cut in. "Hey! You two are being too rude! You're ignoring him!"
"That's right! This is the great wizard, Lord Salamander!"
"Apologize! Apologize right now! ..."
Chu Yan was in a great mood because of the reunion, but hearing these people chirping in his ear made him frown. He spat out a single word: "Beat it."
The moment the word left his lips—Hum—!! A vibration rippled through the air, and the ground trembled slightly. Crack, crack! The glass windows of the surrounding buildings fractured, then—Shatter!!—the glass fell to the ground in heaps.
"Waaaaah!!"
"Aaaaagh!!"
"What happened?"
"Was that an earthquake?" ...
The girls screamed in terror. The middle-aged man with the fake smile immediately comforted them. "It's alright, it's alright. Everyone stay calm, it was just a minor tremor. To calm your nerves, I'll be holding a party on my ship tonight. Everyone is invited!" With that, purple flames erupted from his feet, and he flew toward the harbor.
"He's so kind!"
"As expected of Lord Salamander! Such a gentleman!"
"Exactly! Not like some people." ...
Chu Yan frowned again, and the girls immediately scrambled away. Even if they thought the earthquake was a coincidence, they felt an instinctive, inexplicable dread toward him.
Natsu looked at Chu Yan with excitement. "Chu Yan! Awesome! You've gotten stronger again! Fight me!" The others didn't know, but as a comrade who had lived with him for so long, Natsu knew exactly what happened. That vibration was caused by Chu Yan—and it was triggered just by speaking a single word. It made his skin crawl with excitement.
Happy, the cat with zero filter, remarked, "Natsu, you're going to lose so badly."
"I don't care! I at least want to show him the results of my training! Gurgle—!" Just as he spoke, Natsu's stomach let out a loud growl. The sound was contagious; soon, Happy and Chu Yan's stomachs followed suit.
"Let's go eat first!"
Suddenly, a girl's voice rang out. "Um, if you don't mind, let me treat you to a meal."
Chu Yan and Natsu turned around and saw a beautiful blonde girl standing not far away.