— — — — — — —
"Wow, that's so cool!"
"Dance, My Blades"
"Heaven's Wheel Armor: Circle Sword!"
Erza controlled a massive number of steel swords, launching them at the cursed beast. Each blade pierced deep into its monstrous body.
"You pesky insects!"
The beast roared, spewing a barrage of magical projectiles straight at Erza.
"Ice-Make: Shield!"
Gray stepped in front of Erza, spreading his arms to summon an ice barrier.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The ice shield absorbed the onslaught of magic blasts.
"What… is that?" Lucy, who had only seen Gray's ice abilities briefly before, was amazed.
"Ice-Make magic," Happy explained. "It's a form of magic that lets him shape ice with his energy—and even dispel shapes made of ice."
"Ice Make: Freeze Lancer!"
Gray spread his hands wide, summoning a flurry of ice lances that rained down on the cursed beast.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Arghhh!"
The beast shrieked as chunks of its body were blasted apart.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
Natsu, having gathered his strength, unleashed a ferocious storm of flames from his mouth. This attack was far stronger than the one he had used during their fight behind Fairy Tail's guildhall.
BOOOOOM!
Another massive hole was blasted through the beast's body. Together, the three of them launched a relentless attack, and soon, the monster collapsed, defeated and unwilling to accept its fate.
"You guys are incredible!"
Seeing the beast fall, Lucy finally relaxed, smiling brightly. The display of power from her companions left her in awe. So this is what it means to be a Fairy Tail wizard…
— — —
The Council of Guild Masters
The official meeting of the regional guilds had just wrapped up. Now, the guild masters were gathered for a more informal affair, eating, drinking, and, of course, boasting.
"Makarov, your guild is as lively as ever," said Bob, the master of the Blue Pegasus guild. "Word is, some of your wizards gave an official a beating he won't forget!"
"Ah! That was our newbie Lucy's handiwork!" Makarov, slightly tipsy, waved off the comment with a grin. "Not to mention, she's got a veryimpressive big..… personality."
"Pervert!"
"It's great to see young wizards full of spirit," said Goldmine, the master of Quatro Cerberus. "But don't you think your guild takes things a little too far? Some of the Council members are worried that one day Fairy Tail might level an entire city."
"Pfft, if it happens, it happens!" Makarov chuckled, climbing onto the table and striking a playful pose.
"Speaking of your guild," Bob said, sipping his wine. "I've heard there's a handsome young man who recently joined alongside Lucy?"
Bob's intelligence network was top-notch. Naturally, news of Uchiha Kitaro's explosive debut—defeating the infamous Fire Dragon—had reached his ears. Rumors of his striking looks didn't hurt either.
"Oh, you mean Uchiha Kitaro! That kid's got a face as handsome as mine was in my prime," Makarov boasted, puffing out his chest. "And his strength? He's about S-Class. Absolutely extraordinary!"
"What?! S-Class?!" Bob nearly spilled his drink. Makarov wasn't one to exaggerate, which meant this boy's power was no joke.
"Damn you, Makarov! How do you always end up with all the talent?" Goldmine grumbled.
Fairy Tail had no shortage of powerful young wizards. The names alone were enough to make other guilds jealous: the Demon Mirajane, Titania Erza, Laxus, Mystogan, Gildarts, Blue Gray, the Fire Dragon Natsu,..…
Fairy Tail's reputation had grown so much that it was now considered the top guild in Fiore. And now, with Uchiha Kitaro joining their ranks, the gap in power between Fairy Tail and other guilds only widened.
Goldmine sighed. His guild, Quatro Cerberus, had only one S-Class wizard to its name, and here was Makarov with an entire roster of elites. Even among guild masters, such disparity was frustrating.
Suddenly, a magical messenger bird swooped into the room, clutching a letter in its talons.
"Master Makarov, a letter from Mirajane!"
"Hm?" Makarov opened the envelope, and a tiny, holographic Mirajane appeared on the table.
"Master, I hope you're doing well!"
Makarov grinned, puffing up his chest. "See this? One of our guild's finest beauties! Gorgeous, right?"
The other guild masters ogled the projection with their typical lecherous expressions.
Mira continued, "Something big happened while you were away. Erza took Natsu and Gray with her on a mission. It seemed serious, so I asked Kitaro to tag along as backup. I thought you'd want to know. That's all—take care!"
With that, the projection disappeared. Makarov's smug expression quickly melted into one of pure panic. Sweat poured down his face as he froze in place.
"Master Makarov!"
"Are you okay?!"
"What happened?!"
The other guild masters crowded around him as he collapsed to the floor, overwhelmed.
Why… WHY did those four end up on the same mission?!
Makarov felt a sinking dread in his stomach. This was a disaster waiting to happen. 'Just don't destroy the city until I get back, please! I'm begging you!'
For someone who had just been bragging about his guild, Makarov now looked thoroughly defeated.
After all, when Erza, Natsu, Gray, and Kitaro teamed up, they truly were capable of destroying an entire city.
.
.
.