As the Thunder God Tribe vanished from the stage, Natsu roared at the spot Laxus had just occupied, "Stop! Don't run!" He lunged forward, his fists wreathed in flames as he swung at the empty air.
"Stop, Natsu!" Makarov reached out to grab him, but it was too late.
Laxus, about to depart, shook his head. "You really haven't learned your lesson, have you? Fine, let me cool your head."
Zzzt! A bolt of golden lightning struck Natsu. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
"You have three hours. In three hours, they will turn to sand. If you run into each other, you fight. The combat zone is the entire Magnolia Town. I look forward to your performance. The Battle of Fairy Tail... begins now! Haha!" With another flash of electricity, Laxus was gone.
"That bastard."
"I'm going to kill him!" The members of Fairy Tail were incensed, charging out of the hall while shouting about the brutal ways they intended to take Laxus down.
Once most of the members had left, Makarov couldn't contain himself either. "Those damn brats... I... I have to stop them!" He sprinted toward the entrance.
Thud!
Makarov slammed into an invisible wall, leaving him dizzy and disoriented. As he reeled back, glowing runes appeared in the air.
Happy, who had stayed behind to look after the unconscious Natsu, flew over. "What's going on? Why could I go out?" Happy flew back and forth through the space easily.
Makarov looked at the floating letters and scowled. "This is Freed's Jutsu-Shiki. It prohibits anyone over eighty years old or stone statues from passing. Creating a Jutsu-Shiki takes time, so it's useless in a fast-paced fight, but as a trap, it's exceptionally effective. That brat... he was prepared for this." Makarov clenched his fists.
"Chen Fan! What are you still doing sitting there drinking tea? Go stop Laxus!" Makarov roared, his frustration boiling over when he saw Chen Fan lounging comfortably at a table.
"Now, now... don't be in such a rush. Leave everything to me," Chen Fan said with a calm smile, waving his hand dismissively.
Makarov grew even angrier at the smile. "Get your ass out there right now!"
"Fine, fine. I'm going." Seeing that the Master was truly fuming, Chen Fan finally stood up to leave.
Thud...
Chen Fan also slammed into the wall.
Floating runes appeared once more. Makarov read them aloud: "Those with filthy hearts are forbidden from passing."
Chen Fan turned to look at Makarov and Happy. Swish. Both of them simultaneously took a step back.
"Slander! This is pure slander!" Chen Fan protested, pointing a finger at the sky outside. "Look! My heart is as clear and pure as the open sky!"
Crack!
A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky. The once-clear heavens were suddenly swallowed by dark clouds, as if the world itself was mocking him.
Chen Fan's face stiffened as he turned back. Swish... This time, Makarov and Happy retreated nearly three meters, looking at him with profound judgment. Every time Chen Fan took a step toward them, they took a step back.
Suddenly, the sound of a small whimper caught their attention. Makarov and Chen Fan turned to see Reedus hiding behind a pillar. He clearly hadn't considered his own physique; the thin pillar barely covered a fraction of him. He should have at least looked for a thicker one... though, arguably, that was the thickest one in the hall.
Realizing he couldn't hide, Reedus squeaked, "I... I'm scared... of Laxus."
Makarov sighed helplessly. "It's fine. In that case, go to the forest to the east and find Porlyusica. She might have medicine to undo the petrification."
"Understood," Reedus chirped and ran out.
"Alright, Master, don't worry so much. Come and have some tea." Chen Fan had already brewed a fresh pot at the table.
Hearing Chen Fan's voice and seeing his unflappable expression, Makarov's anger strangely subsided, replaced by a sense of calm. Perhaps Chen Fan really did possess the charisma required to be a Masterthe ability to make others feel at ease. Makarov began to reflect; the moment he heard about the Battle of Fairy Tail, he had lost his cool. He was being outshone by a youngster like Chen Fan.
If he had known that Chen Fan only stayed calm because he already knew how it ended, who knows how Makarov would have reacted.
Makarov picked up a cup and took a sip, exhaling a long breath. He felt much lighter. "Oh... this tea is excellent. What kind is it?"
"Dragon Well," Chen Fan replied casually.
"What! Then I must savor it carefully." Makarov took another sip, making exaggerated slurping sounds that began to grate on Chen Fan's nerves.
"Enough of that. You can have this bag. I'll bring you more some other time. Stop acting like you've never seen money before." Chen Fan looked at him with utter disdain.
"Who else has as much money as you? I heard this Dragon Well costs a million Jewels for a single ounce!" Makarov shot back, quickly snatching the bag of tea leaves and tucking it into his robes. He kept peeking at it with a lecherous chuckle, leaving Chen Fan speechless.
Suddenly, Makarov stopped laughing and stared at Chen Fan. "Since you're acting so leisurely, you must have a countermeasure, right?"
Chen Fan met Makarov's gaze. They stared at each other for a full minute before Chen Fan finally opened his mouth.
"Nope!"
Crash! Makarov literally fell off his chair.
But he scrambled out from under the table instantly, leaping onto the tabletop and grabbing Chen Fan by the collar. "Are you going to tell me or not?!" he roared.
"Cough, cough!" Chen Fan gasped, finally prying Makarov's hands off. "I really don't have one! What do you want me to say?"
Makarov slumped onto the table, looking defeated.
"Old man, did you forget what I told you before?" Chen Fan asked. Makarov blinked, unsure of what he meant, but too proud to admit he'd forgotten. He scratched behind his ear, his eyes darting around. "Um, that... of course I remember. Yeah."
Seeing that expression, Chen Fan knew the old man had completely forgotten. A cross-shaped vein throbbed on Chen Fan's forehead. He clenched his fist, then slowly let it go. Fine, he's an old man. I won't get worked up.
Chen Fan looked Makarov in the eye. "I told you to leave everything this time to me. Don't interfere. The affairs of the next generation should be handled by the next generation. I will settle everything. Think of this as a trial for me as the future Master. After all, you could say this whole mess happened because of me."
"Can I really leave it to you?" Makarov asked, his tone turning grave.
"Have I ever let you down?" Chen Fan asked back.
After another minute of staring, Makarov spoke. "You have literally never not let me down."
"I'm going to blow a fuse!..." Chen Fan yelled, any lingering sense of tension completely evaporating.
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