"These seven years have been too quiet. Tartaros hasn't shown any signs of activity, and the recently famous Saber Tooth has been keeping an eye on them," someone in the Council commented.
"Neither the remnants of Grimoire Heart, nor any news of Zeref or Acnologia," another added.
"This kind of stillness isn't natural—like an endless night."
"Could this be the moment before dawn, when the magic world finally welcomes the bright morning?"
Mest bowed his head. "You're thinking Fairy Tail might be the spark that breaks the silence?"
Org closed his eyes thoughtfully. He recalled how Su Yan had singlehandedly destroyed much of the Council's might before and even clashed with the Council's ultimate weapon, the Etherion. If anyone in the world could stand against those two legends—Zeref and Acnologia—it was that man.
All of a sudden, Org laughed. "Hahahaha!"
Mest and Rahal exchanged surprised looks.
"I actually find myself looking forward to that troublesome Fairy Tail again. This old man must be getting sentimental."
—
Two weeks had passed since Su Yan and the other Tenrou Island members returned. News had spread across the continent of Ishgar, and even the reporters from Sorcerer Magazine had dropped by. Surprisingly, though, it didn't cause much stir. Seven years was a long time, enough for memories to fade. Plus, magical development had advanced rapidly in the Kingdom of Fiore during that span.
Fairy Tail's name now carried little weight.
In these two weeks, no jobs had come in; everyone mostly loafed around the guild.
"Saber Tooth?" someone asked.
"Yeah, they're the new 'strongest guild in Fiore,' surpassing Pegasus, Lamia Scale, and the rest," another member chimed in.
"Never heard of 'em," Gray remarked.
Neither Su Yan nor any of the other returning Tenrou wizards had, either.
Alzack explained, "They were pretty unimpressive seven years ago, but they grew a ton in our absence."
Max added, "They changed masters and brought in five ridiculously strong wizards. That was all it took to rise to the top."
Lucy was taken aback. "Just five people? Could they really be that powerful?"
Natsu grinned, fired up. "Sounds exciting."
Wendy asked curiously, "Where does that put our guild right now…in terms of ranking?"
"Happy" froze. "Um, that might be…"
Carla sighed. "Better not to ask."
Romeo answered quietly, "Dead last."
"The weakest guild."
"Basically, the bottom of Fiore."
Wendy realized her blunder. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to—"
"It's fine!" Natsu exclaimed, a gleam in his eye. "That's great news!"
"Huh?" Gray muttered, confused.
"Think about it! That just means we get the thrill of climbing our way up, beating everybody along the way! My blood's boiling—!"
Gray rolled his eyes. "Doesn't take much for you."
A couple of the others smiled at Natsu's enthusiasm.
Romeo perked up. "But with Su Yan, Gildarts, Erza, and Mira back, it won't be long before we're Fiore's strongest guild again!"
Someone asked, "Speaking of which, where is Su Yan?"
Mira replied, "He went off with Master Makarov; apparently they're visiting the old Fairy Tail site."
"Why would they go back there?"
"Who knows."
Natsu, restless, shouted, "Somebody fight me already! It's been half a month, and I haven't thrown a punch!"
Max smirked. "You know, it's been half a month for me, too…"
—
At the old Fairy Tail building
Su Yan followed Makarov deep underground, descending an unusually long stone staircase.
"So, Old Man, what are we doing here? I had no idea the guild had such a deep tunnel."
"We never told anyone. It's where Fairy Tail's greatest secret is hidden."
"Secret?"
"You'll see."
They arrived at a sealed door. Makarov traced a pattern with his fingers, causing a magic circle to appear. The door rumbled open, revealing an empty hall with a single stone walkway. In the center stood a massive lacrima-like crystal. Inside the crystal was a young girl—Mavis Vermillion, the First Guild Master, the same one Su Yan had met as a spirit on Tenrou Island.
"This is our guild's ultimate secret: Lumen Histoire."
"In other words, the 'Fairy Heart.' The body of our First Master—an infinite source of magical power. It's Fairy Tail's final trump card. In the wrong hands, it would be catastrophic."
"But…why show it to me?"
Makarov turned to Su Yan. "Because you're going to be Fairy Tail's next master, Su Yan."
Su Yan blinked in astonishment. The next Guild Master…
"That's… Old Man, aren't you skipping someone more qualified? Gildarts is older, stronger, more experienced. Shouldn't it be him?"
Makarov shook his head. "Gildarts is a free spirit. He'd hate being tied down to a desk, and Fairy Tail is meant to be a home, not a cage for its members. If you weren't here, Gildarts might've been our best option, but with you around, you're the perfect candidate."
Su Yan hadn't expected any of this. While he didn't have a strong objection, the thought of suddenly shouldering that responsibility put him at a loss. But he also couldn't bear to see the old man pushing himself, either…