A few days later, the "A-Class Wizards" had gradually all arrived.
Most of those who had been out on missions had returned after receiving the message.
Early that morning, they gathered by the large lake behind the guild hall.
"What's this all about? Such a big gathering," Macao wondered curiously.
As a "veteran A-Class Wizard," he had naturally been notified.
His old partner Wakaba stood beside him, pipe in mouth.
Around these two thirty-six or thirty-seven-year-old veterans gathered several older "A-Class Wizards."
"Looks like a major event. All the A-Class Wizards are here," Wakaba remarked, glancing toward the side where the younger members had also clustered together, chattering excitedly.
"I hope there's no big problem," Totomaru frowned with concern.
His life had become very stable lately—teaching students in his free time without taking on missions—and he didn't want this peaceful routine disrupted.
Though not particularly old, Totomaru had naturally integrated into the middle-aged crowd.
"Finally, something big is happening?!" In contrast to the generally worried "middle-aged and older group" who hoped for no major upheavals, the "youth and teenage group" was brimming with excitement.
Especially Natsu, who was practically vibrating with energy, constantly exclaiming that he wished for the biggest event possible.
This was natural.
The older members had mostly settled down with families and responsibilities, so they preferred stability and smooth sailing.
With Fairy Tail already thriving, everyone was living comfortably.
The younger ones, however, were at an age where they yearned to "make their mark."
For them, participating in major events—like the previous "Beast Horde incident"—was thrilling and a chance to build their reputations.
Marco's example went without saying, and Laxus had also earned his fame by battling Jose Porla.
In a way, Jose Porla was like "Hanzo the Salamander," while Marco and Laxus were like the "Legendary Sanin"—both achieving renown, except here the "old Hanzo" was directly defeated by the "young Three Ninjas."
"I'm so excited! Are we going to charge into Edolas?!" Jet and Droy were equally thrilled.
Ever since learning they were considered the "strongest candidates" in the Fairy Tail of Edolas, they had grown intensely curious about that world.
Both had since resolved to train harder; even if they couldn't become the "strongest candidates," they wouldn't hold the team back anymore.
That this news had such a motivating effect was something Marco hadn't anticipated, but it was a good thing.
"Mystogan isn't here, so probably not," Gray, shirtless as usual, scanned the crowd and noted Mystogan's absence.
He concluded that this assembly wasn't related to Edolas—after all, if they were planning an expedition there, it made no sense for Mystogan, the key figure, to miss it.
"They're here! The Master and Marco are coming together!"
Amid the lively discussions, Elfman suddenly shouted.
Being tall, he spotted Marco and Master Makarov at a glance and immediately called out, drawing everyone's attention to the two.
Marco and Makarov walked over together, looking at the gathered guild members before them.
"Fairy Tail" truly had an abundance of talent, especially the now-maturing "Golden Generation," each of whom possessed remarkable strength.
Natsu, Gray, Gajeel, Elfman, Jet, Droy, Alzack, Marcus, Vijstar, Loki, Joey, Warren, Nab, Reedus.
This generation, ranging from their teens to thirties, could be said to have no weak links.
Even the least among them surpassed the average "A-Class Wizard" and were generally stronger than the older generation beside them.
In addition, there were those absent—"Thunder God" Laxus and his "Thunder Legion" members Freed and Bickslow, as well as another "S-Class Mage," Mystogan—who were even more formidable.
If this lineup were fully assembled, ordinary forces wouldn't stand a chance.
And that was just the male members. The female lineup was no less impressive.
Mirajane, Lucy, Hisui, Juvia, Lisanna, Laki, Cana, Levy, Wendy, Bisca, Mickey, Chico, and the absent Evergreen, along with Erza, who still hadn't arrived, were equally talented.
"There really are quite a lot of people," Makarov remarked, looking at the dense crowd of "A-Class Wizards."
His expression could be summed up as "a happy problem."
It couldn't be helped—the guild's foundation was just that strong.
With so many "A-Class Wizards," even if quality were disregarded and only numbers considered, other guilds would struggle to gather this many.
"The old-timers shouldn't participate," Marco stated outright, excluding the middle generation.
Seeing everyone gathered, he had only just realized how many "A-Class Wizards" the guild already had.
"What?! Why are we being excluded?!" Macao widened his eyes.
Though no one wanted any major trouble, cutting them out like this was just too much!
"Exactly! What's this all about? We can contribute too!" Wakaba chimed in from the side.
Their sense of belonging to the guild was no less than anyone else's.
As the bridging middle generation, they might not excel in strength, but their love for the guild was second to none.
They wouldn't back down when the guild needed them.
"Ahem, Macao, Wakaba, don't misunderstand. It's not that we're deliberately excluding you, but this mission requires only a small team. It's a surprise attack, and we're forming an elite squad," Makarov explained on Marco's behalf.
"Master, what exactly is this about?"
As soon as Makarov spoke, the previously agitated middle generation settled down, all looking at him curiously.
"Let Marco explain it to you," Makarov stepped back, letting Marco take over.
"Macao, Wakaba, you two can head back first. What I'm about to discuss is confidential and not suitable for your ears."
Marco stood at the front, his opening remarks pointed yet delivered with a smile, clearly teasing the two older men.
"Brat! we're going no matter what!"
Macao and Wakaba weren't angered by his words.
They laughed and bantered back, long accustomed to joking with Marco like this.
No matter how great Marco's achievements became, their bond remained unchanged.
After all, they had watched him grow up.
When Marco was adopted, they were just seventeen or eighteen, witnessing his growth step by step.
The group burst into laughter, the atmosphere warm and harmonious.
Marco had a habit of relying on the two older men to lighten the mood before discussing serious matters.
If they weren't around, he'd turn to Natsu and Gray for the same purpose.
Macao and Wakaba always played along, while Natsu and Gray tended to get chaotic whenever they were together.
"Before we begin, let me make this clear: this mission carries significant risks. If you lack confidence in your abilities, feel free to leave now. There's no need to feel embarrassed—it's about taking responsibility for yourselves and the team. Participation is not mandatory."
Marco looked at the many A-Class Wizards and spoke plainly.
Fairy Tail was like a big family, with no need for unnecessary complications. Being straightforward was better for everyone.
"In that case, I'll sit this one out. These old bones can't handle the strain, and I doubt you would pick me anyway."
As soon as Marco finished speaking, Reinhardt raised his hand.
He understood Marco's implication—this mission wasn't meant for a large group—so he took the initiative to set an example.
Voluntarily withdrawing could be somewhat embarrassing, and some might hesitate out of pride.
Reinhardt, whose strength was average among A-Class Wizards, stepping forward first served as a benchmark, allowing those of similar or lesser ability to gauge their own standing.
"Alright, no problem."
Marco nodded at Reinhardt, acknowledging his intent with a meaningful glance.
"Then I'll withdraw too."
As expected, after the first withdrawal, many others followed suit.
The key influence was Reinhardt's remark, "you wouldn't pick me anyway."
If everyone could participate, no one would voluntarily withdraw.
Backing out just because of danger wasn't the style of Fairy Tail's Mages.
Their reason for withdrawing now was the belief that they wouldn't be selected in the first place.
After this wave of withdrawals, those who remained were the more capable ones, confident in their chances of being chosen for the Elite Squad.
Interestingly, it wasn't just the "middle generation" who withdrew voluntarily; even some of the "younger group" did the same, feeling they stood little chance of being selected.
With so many skilled individuals, they could already envision the likely lineup.
"Let me briefly outline the mission objectives."
Looking at the remaining A-Class Wizards, Marco began explaining the mission, discussing matters related to the Tower of Heaven and the Evil Cult.
Naturally, he also mentioned Erza and old man Rob, which immediately stirred up everyone's emotions.
The companions who had voluntarily withdrawn earlier also grew excited, clamoring one after another that they no longer wanted to drop out of this operation.
Nobody paid much attention to this so-called "R-System" or "Tower of Heaven"—it didn't seem much different from the usual missions of eliminating Dark Guilds, except this time the target was an Evil Cult.
However, the fact that a companion from Fairy Tail had died there, killed by that Evil Cult, that Erza had suffered immense torment there, and that friends were still trapped there—this struck a chord with everyone, triggering key emotions.
The cohesion of Fairy Tail, its unity and bonds, were built through repeatedly seeking justice for companions.
These didn't emerge out of thin air.
Whenever a companion was harmed, wronged, or treated unfairly, everyone would stand up for them, restoring their dignity.
Anyone who dared insult Fairy Tail would face members stepping forward voluntarily to fight for the guild's honor.
And now, this damned Evil Cult building the Tower of Heaven had clearly crossed Fairy Tail's bottom line.
While most of the younger generation didn't know old man Rob, some from the middle generation remembered him and were willing to avenge him.
The younger generation all knew Erza and were eager to seek justice for her.
"Natsu, Gray, Gajeel, Elfman, Alzack, Joey, Warren, Reedus, Mirajane, Lucy, Hisui, Juvia, Cana, Levy, Bisca. That should be all."
Seeing the impassioned A-Class Wizards, Marco began calling names one by one.
He listed fifteen names in total.
Including himself, Makarov, and Erza, that made eighteen people—quite a substantial number for an Elite Squad.
"YEAH!!!"
Those called naturally erupted in excitement, while those not selected groaned in disappointment, loudly insisting they wanted to help too.
"Take me with you, Marco! My magic is really useful!"
Vijstar shouted loudly, convinced he could contribute.
His Dancer Magic was an area-effect spell that could enhance combat abilities for allies within a ten-meter radius while simultaneously weakening selected enemies' combat capabilities, even directly forcing control over their bodies.
Bringing him along would provide buffs for the entire team and facilitate coordination—he was an excellent support with aura effects and crowd control.
"Alright, you're in."
Marco nodded.
Vijstar had joined relatively late and was younger, just sixteen this year, but his magic was indeed valuable.
Like Warren's Telepathy Magic, it served auxiliary and control purposes—Warren could establish "squad comms" for everyone and use Telepathy Magic to launch mental attacks.
"Marco! I'm actually really strong too! Believe me! I can bury them all with sand! Take me along!"
Seeing Vijstar successfully selected, Max grew anxious.
He rattled off a string of words—this guy was a real chatterbox, once he started talking he never stopped, boasting extravagantly about his magic.
"Enough. You need more time to develop, kid." Marco shook his head.
He didn't deny that Max had remarkable talent and that his "Sand Magic" held great potential.
But the boy hadn't fully unlocked his abilities yet.
At seventeen, Max was far less mature than several girls his age—he still needed to grow, even needed some setbacks.
"Alright, that's enough. It's settled."
Noticing many others still wanting to plead their cases, Marco waved his hand and made the final decision.