Fairy Tail.
Inside the guild hall, chaos reigned as always. Voices overlapped, laughter and shouting blended, and the entire place buzzed with boisterous life.
"Hahaha, come on, drink up! Bottoms up!"
"Cana, slow down already! You're about to drink the guild dry!"
"Gray! Your clothes, put your clothes back on!"
"Uwoo—waaah!"
Watching the bustling chaos, Makarov downed another gulp of beer.
Ah… My heart is tired. I really want to retire already.
Every time he recalled the moment when the Second Guild Master had forcibly handed him the position of guild master, Makarov felt the urge to leap up and punch that old man right in the knee.
Of all people, why did it have to be me?
Sure, being Guild Master had brought him plenty of joy over the years—but damn it all, this position was exhausting beyond belief!
Thinking back to his youth...
Once upon a time, Makarov had possessed a glorious head of golden hair. Now… Ah, it was all tears and regrets.
The hazy buzz from the beer dragged him deep into memories of his youthful days. Just as he was about to reminisce over some beautiful romantic past, a dignified female voice suddenly rang out beside his ear.
He nearly jumped out of his skin.
"Master, are you sure it was okay to send Levy and Ur on that mission?" Erza, clad in her armor, had approached him, her expression serious.
Makarov snapped back to reality, set down his mug, his gaze slowly growing serious. "Let them go," he said calmly. "That was Levy's own decision. That monster moves unpredictably—this time it finally showed itself. If I hadn't let her go, she would never have accepted it."
"But with Levy's strength, can she really handle that thing?" Erza asked, concern flickering across her face. "I checked the ancient records. It's a demon that has existed since the primordial age. Won't they be in danger?"
"Mmm… don't worry," Makarov waved his hand lazily. "Ur is with her. Nothing should go wrong… probably."
"Hmm?" Erza blinked. "Is Ur really that strong?"
"Who knows?" Makarov shrugged.
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Levy's magic allowed written words to take physical form, unleashing the power embedded within their meaning. The three-dimensional letters linked together like a rope, briefly restraining the giant beast's movements.
Cold light flashed in Ur's eyes. He leapt into the air, both hands gripping his sword. With the blade pointed downward and all his strength behind it, he drove it straight into the beast's neck.
Squelch!
Hot crimson blood sprayed across Ur's body.
"ROOOAAAR!!!"
The beast went completely berserk. Two surprise spells, followed by a blade plunged into a vital spot, while not fatal to a creature of such massive size, were more than enough to inflict serious injury. The intense pain finally shattered the demon's remaining sanity.
Crack! Snap!
The raging beast tore free from Levy's magical restraints and began thrashing wildly. Its thick tail whipped across the ground, smashing down again and again, blasting out deep craters in the sand.
In the critical moment, Ur yanked his blade free and leapt nimbly off the monster's back.
"ROOOAAAR!!!"
Realizing the annoying little creature on its back had escaped, the beast roared furiously. It raised its massive forelimb and slammed it straight down at Ur.
Boom!
The ground exploded as sand and debris flew everywhere. The beast's strength was terrifying. Even with Behemoth's Power coursing through him, Ur had no intention of facing it head-on. He dodged again and again, barely avoiding each devastating strike.
"Solid Script, Flame!" Seeing Ur under attack, Levy immediately provided support. She swung her pen-like magic tool, and the three-dimensional word Flame appeared in midair, instantly transforming into a burst of fire that shot toward the beast.
Whoosh!
The flames struck the demon, popping into what was essentially a tiny firework. Apparently feeling only a mild itch, the beast turned its head toward Levy and sent her flying with a casual sweep of its tail.
"Levy!" Ur shouted, alarmed.
"I-I'm okay!" Levy scrambled back to her feet. She looked battered and clearly in pain, but thankfully, she hadn't suffered any fatal injuries.
Seeing this, even though Ur knew he shouldn't be distracted, he couldn't help feeling speechless.
The bodies of mages in this world were truly abnormal. After being tempered by magic, their raw strength might not increase drastically, but their endurance and resilience were nothing short of ridiculous.
Levy was the perfect example.
Ur knew exactly how terrifying that demon's strength was. One swing of its tail easily carried five to six hundred pounds of force. Even an adult would struggle to survive such a blow—let alone a child.
Yet thirteen-year-old Levy had taken it head-on and only ended up injured. Which meant her body was now unbelievably… durable as hell.
Levy's resolve for revenge burned fiercely. Even while injured, she stepped back onto the battlefield, her eyes locked onto the towering beast with unyielding resolve.
"ROOOAAAR!!!" Seeing that its attack hadn't crushed the tiny creature, the demon grew furious.
It roared and then charged straight toward Levy.