After the chaotic dance, everyone remained in the residence for another two days, supplementing their earlier statements to help the Council's Review Division compile their report.
Since the cause and course of the incident were already quite clear, there was little left to dispute.
As a result, the Council completed their work two days earlier than the originally planned week-long hold.
On the afternoon of the fifth day, the Fairy Tail members were free to move about again, though they had to remain on standby to cooperate with any follow-up summons from the Council.
And so, under Makarov's lead, Fairy Tail made their triumphant return to Magnolia.
"Hey! Master Makarov, looks like you all came out of this one in one piece!"
"When Phantom Lord's Magic Giant appeared on the lake, we were scared out of our wits. Thank goodness it didn't cause too much damage in the end."
"That was so cool, Brother Chase! You even brought down a giant like that!"
"He's handsome, sure, but please, don't hang around our street if you've got nothing better to do!"
"Miss Mira! Miss Erza! You're both as beautiful as ever today~!"
The townspeople lined the streets, greeting them warmly.
Though Fairy Tail had been the main cause of the conflict, the fact that they had evacuated residents in advance and blocked the Magic Giant's indiscriminate attacks left everyone feeling safe and protected.
"Wow… Chase's popularity in Magnolia really is something else," Lucy murmured as she noticed his name being called more than anyone else's.
"Love~ Even a three-year-old knows to steer clear of Chase!" Happy chimed in, paw raised.
"It means… black and red is still red," Lucy sighed, pressing a palm to her forehead.
"After all, Chase is one of only two mages in our guild who enjoy exclusive privileges in Magnolia," Mira said with a gentle smile, her flawless face turning toward Chase who, at that very moment, had just frightened a small child into tears with a sharp glare.
"Exclusive privileges… in Magnolia?" Lucy blinked in confusion. "How have I never heard of something like that?"
"It's called the 'Chase Code.' Every resident of Magnolia knows it by heart and strictly follows the rules," Erza explained matter-of-factly.
The Chase Code
Lucy only had to imagine it for a moment before she guessed exactly what it must say. "Honestly… Brother Chase, you really are one of a kind."
"You've still got a long way to go before you can enjoy treatment like this. Keep your feet on the ground," Erza said seriously.
"Pfft! Do I really look like I'm aiming for that?!" Lucy spluttered.
Lucy's eyes nearly popped out of her head. She pointed at her own admittedly unimpressive self and protested, "Besides, that doesn't sound very glorious!"
"Wait Erza, you just said the only two…"
Natsu and Gray clearly weren't part of that group. If it were Mira, she'd definitely be a popular choice. So… could the other one be Mistgang? No, that didn't seem right. From Chase's perspective… could it be Laxus?
After her brief complaint, Lucy regained her composure and began analyzing the matter seriously.
"No, it's Gildarts the mage in our guild whose strength is second only to the Master. Magnolia even has a 'Gildarts Mode.'"
Mira raised one finger and smiled. "Because he's so powerful, he's usually not even included in debates about the strongest wizard in Fairy Tail."
"Gildarts… that means he's even stronger than Chase and Erza?!" Lucy's eyes went wide in disbelief.
From everything she'd seen so far, it was impossible for her to imagine just how terrifying that kind of monster could be.
"Compared to him, I'm just an ignorant child," Erza admitted, shaking her head slightly.
"Gildarts, huh… I'd really like to fight him if I ever get the chance."
Having just scared a child on the roadside into tears, Chase turned away with a gleam of fighting spirit in his eyes.
Although with his current strength, he probably wasn't even close to Gildarts's level…
But as Fairy Tail's strongest card user, surely he could create something impressive out of such a battle, right?
Come to think of it, getting beaten by him might not be such a bad idea. Chase had arrived in this world two years ago, while Gildarts had been away for more than three years on the Hundred Years Quest.
The two had never even met, much less fought.
"Chase, even you would suffer a miserable defeat if you challenged Gildarts recklessly," Erza warned with a serious expression.
"Damn it! Next time I see that monster of an old man, I'll defeat him!" Natsu declared, clenching his fists in determination.
"Ai~ Natsu, did you already forget that the last time you fought Gildarts, he knocked you out with a single punch and you couldn't get out of bed for three days?" Happy popped up to deal the finishing blow without mercy.
"So annoying! I'm way stronger now than I was three years ago!"
Gray smirked. "Heh, even if you had thirty years, you still wouldn't be able to catch up to Gildarts, you idiot fireball."
"Hey, hey after hearing all this, that old man sounds even scarier!" Lucy blurted out.
"Gray. Clothes," Mira said gently.
"Ah?! When?!"
Amid Natsu and Gray's daily squabbling, the group finally arrived at the site of their guild.
Five days of sun and wind had reduced what little outline remained into complete ruin. Even the "FAIRY TAIL" plaque had been broken clean in two.
No trace of Phantom Lord's Magic Giant could be seen on the nearby lake whether it had sunk to the bottom or been disposed of by the Council, no one knew.
But this was still their home, carrying countless memories. Looking at the heap of rubble before them, every Fairy Tail member felt a deep ache in their hearts.
Especially those like Cana, who had grown up within these walls.
There was a quiet sadness hidden deep in Makarov's old eyes.
Looking at the ruined remains brought back memories of the past. He was already eighty-eight years old… perhaps it was time to seriously consider retirement.
He had thought about this matter long ago, but no matter how he turned it over in his mind, he still couldn't find a truly suitable successor to take on the role of Guild Master.
His son, Ivan who had the right age, experience, and qualifications had gone astray, falling into darkness and becoming the master of a Dark Guild.
Gildarts was far too used to his freedom, rarely staying in the guild for any length of time.
And as for his grandson Laxus… there was no need to say more. The boy was rebellious to the core, treating his guildmates as if they were nothing but trash.
All things considered strength, experience, and how much one valued their comrades Chase was the most fitting candidate for the fourth master of Fairy Tail.
But…
Makarov's head throbbed at the thought of this troublemaker potentially dismantling the Magic Council one day.
Disaster!
Finding a worthy successor was truly difficult.
Well… I'll just keep going for as many more years as I can.
Makarov let out a long sigh, deciding he didn't want to dwell on such a headache-inducing problem for now.
"You little brats! What are you standing around for? The reconstruction of our new guild starts now! If you don't clean up this heap of rubble today, no one's going home!"
....
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