"Is this for real?"
"Cana actually lost a drinking contest?!"
"This is the first time I've ever seen Cana drunk!"
As Cana collapsed, the members of Fairy Tail erupted in disbelief.
The wicked-looking man, after laughing triumphantly, suddenly reached out and snatched away the only piece of clothing covering Cana's upper body.
Swaying slightly as he staggered toward the door, he declared, "I'll be taking my spoils of victory~ Hic~"
"What the hell are you doing?!"
"You're gonna get killed by Gildarts!"
Wakaba and Macao exchanged glances, their expressions turning serious as they stared down the wicked man.
"Give it back!"
"Don't underestimate our guild!"
Macao made the first move, throwing a punch at the man.
However, to everyone's surprise, just as the fist was about to land, the man suddenly leaned backward, dodging it with ease.
At the last second before hitting the ground, he sprang back up, swinging his fists and legs in what appeared to be a chaotic motion—yet, in an instant, he effortlessly took down Macao and the others.
"What the—this guy!!" Warren exclaimed in shock.
"Dad!" Romeo cried out in distress upon seeing Macao knocked to the floor.
"Stop it, Bacchus."
A clear, composed voice suddenly rang out, making the wicked-looking man pause for a moment.
He snapped his head up to see who had called his name.
"Yo, isn't this Noel? Hic~"
The man, called Bacchus, squinted to make out the figure in front of him before letting out a drunken laugh.
"Still the same old tough guy, huh?"
"It's been a while, Bacchus," Noel said with a smile.
"Oh? I heard you disappeared for seven years?" Bacchus slurred, his voice heavy with drink.
"That's right," Noel nodded before asking in return, "You didn't participate in the Grand Magic Games, did you?"
At his words, a sharp glint flashed through Bacchus's drunken eyes, but then he burst into laughter again.
"Wahahaha! This time, I wanted to leave it all to the younger generation. After seeing how weak Warcry is, I've managed to hold myself back. That's the spirit of a true man... But, using a reserve member slot, I got myself in anyway. My soul is trembling with excitement! Hic~"
Noel's expression remained unchanged, still maintaining a faint smile as he locked eyes with Bacchus.
However, his heterochromatic eyes—one blue, one purple—gradually sharpened.
"If we end up facing each other tomorrow, let's settle this with a proper fight," Bacchus said as he staggered toward the door.
Then, turning back, he mumbled incoherently, "A soul... is always... wild—?"
Noel was silent for a few seconds before replying in an utterly expressionless tone, "...Oh."
"You're no fun at all, Noel!!" Bacchus shook his head in exasperation and stumbled out.
A moment later, a series of loud crashes echoed from outside—apparently, Bacchus had run into something again.
"What's up with that guy?" Lucy, standing beside Noel, asked.
"A Wizard Saint-level mage from Quatro Cerberus, named Bacchus. He's incredibly strong," Noel answered quietly.
"Even seven years ago, he was already on par with Erza."
From a short distance away, Erza gave a slight nod, her expression serious.
"Yes. Bacchus, the Drunken Falcon, master of Drunken Fist. I've fought him several times, but every battle ended in a draw—there was never a clear winner."
"Evenly matched with Erza?" After hearing Noel and Erza's description, Lucy broke into a cold sweat.
"Erza has fought him before?"
"What? That was in the past, right? There's no way Erza would lose now!"
"If I fight him, I'll win for sure!"
Natsu and Gray, as usual, were bickering while voicing their own opinions.
..............
"Carla, I was wondering why I couldn't find you. So you were here all along. Why didn't you go to the hotel?"
After finally managing to slip away from the hotel, Wendy opened the door to her room and looked at Carla, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, gazing out at the night sky.
She asked in confusion.
"Sorry, Wendy… I just didn't feel like joining their celebration," Carla shook her head.
Wendy furrowed her brows slightly.
Being incredibly familiar with Carla, she could tell that something was off.
And right now, Carla's expression… it looked just like back then…
"You saw something, didn't you, Carla?" Wendy asked seriously.
Carla's body trembled slightly but said nothing.
Wendy sighed, sat beside her, and spoke softly, "Tell me, Carla. What did you see?"
Carla remained silent for a long while before slowly speaking, "I saw… small fragments… A massive dark structure… A crumbling castle… A gigantic magic circle…"
"Is there more?" Wendy asked.
"A sight beyond belief…" Beads of cold sweat formed on Carla's forehead.
"What exactly did you see, Carla?" Wendy pressed further.
"…A radiant path leading to the sky… A world woven of light and darkness… And then… there was Noel, with his white wings broken, murmuring something under his breath…"
..............
After leaving the Mercurius palace, Arcadios gradually quickened his pace.
When he reached a certain spot on the street, he glanced around to make sure he wasn't being followed before slipping into a house.
"It seems everything went smoothly," a voice emerged from the darkness.
As the shadows receded, the figure of Garlos became visible, his face adorned with a faint smile as he looked at Arcadios.
"It was much easier than expected," Arcadios replied.
However, strangely, his deep masculine voice had transformed into a light, feminine one.
His pupils had completely turned blue as well.
"Although he is the captain of the royal knights, Arcadios himself isn't powerful to the point of being uncontrollable. Besides, with the restriction personally placed by Stella-nee, there have been no signs of rejection so far."
"This kind of long-range possession requires you to perfectly replicate habits, tone, and even memories. It must be exhausting for you, Ophelia," Garlos nodded before continuing, "The others should be in position by tomorrow. Once that happens, the setup will be complete. What about the progress of that matter?"
"With Princess Hisui's full support, it has been going smoothly," Arcadios— or rather, Ophelia, who was remotely controlling him— responded.
"The magic power collection is almost complete. Seven years of the Grand Magic Games… this will be the final one."
"Indeed," Garlos replied with a complex expression in his eyes.
"Everything will come to its conclusion on the fated day… ushering in a dawn of rebirth within the unfathomable abyss of darkness."
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