"Extra! Extra!! Read all about it!!"
"The Fairy Tail guild has officially challenged Phantom Lord!!"
"What?! Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord?"
"Are the two strongest guilds in the kingdom actually going to war?"
"Give me a copy—quick! I need to see this!"
As dusk settled over the kingdom, the evening papers turned every city into a hive of activity. Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail were widely considered the two most powerful guilds in Fiore. They were a constant topic of gossip, but no one expected a direct confrontation between the titans.
Crowds gathered under streetlights to read the headline:
"To the respected Guild Master Jose of Phantom Lord: In order to thank you for the 'care' you have shown Fairy Tail, and to deepen the friendship between our two sides, we sincerely invite you to a friendly exhibition match. The goal is to promote mutual progress and see which guild truly stands at the top. The event will take place three days from now at the Onibus Arena. Each side will send six representatives for a series of one-on-one battles. The winner stays in the ring until one side is completely defeated. We look forward to seeing if you have the courage to show up."
"Why would Fairy Tail suddenly invite them to a match?"
Someone asked.
"Are you kidding? It sounds polite, but it's a declaration of war! I heard Phantom Lord trashed the Fairy Tail building last night. Fairy Tail isn't taking it lying down—they want payback!"
"Then why not just go over there and fight?"
"Because the Magic Council would shut them down. By calling it a 'friendly spar' in an arena, they can get their revenge without breaking the law. It's a genius move!"
Elsewhere, Gajeel—the "Iron Dragon" and the man responsible for the attack on the guild—read the paper with a savage grin.
"Hah! I was planning on hunting down a few of those Fairy Tail losers anyway. I didn't think they'd be desperate enough to jump into the ring. This is going to be fun."
Naturally, the news reached the Phantom Lord guild hall in record time.
"Ha! Those Fairy Tail weaklings are cornered like rats!"
"They actually challenged us? They clearly don't know who they're messing with!"
"We have the Element 4 and Gajeel! We'll crush them!"
In the inner sanctum of Phantom Lord, Master Jose sat with his elite team—the Element 4.
"Heh heh… quite a surprise, 'Brother' Makarov,"
Jose sneered. "This wasn't part of my original plan, but it works out perfectly. This is the ideal stage to show the entire country the gap between those Fairy Tail failures and my elite wizards. You four had better perform flawlessly. I want you to humiliate them in front of everyone!"
"Yes, Master!!"
The Element 4 replied in unison.
Soon after, Phantom Lord officially accepted the challenge. The entire Kingdom of Fiore buzzed with excitement. While arena duels were common, a clash between the two top-tier guilds was a once-in-a-decade event. People began heading to Onibus overnight, desperate to secure tickets before they sold out.
That evening, after the guild closed, Kael escorted Mira home as he always did. When they arrived at his front door, Kael turned to her, expression serious.
"Mira, after what happened to the building, it's possible Phantom Lord might start targeting us individually. I don't think it's safe for you to be alone right now. Why don't you stay at my place for a while? I'd feel a lot better if I could keep an eye on you."
Mira's cheeks turned a soft shade of pink.
"Th-that… are you sure? Is it appropriate?"
"What's inappropriate about staying safe?"
Kael took her hand gently. They were both adults, and they both knew how they felt about each other. Mira didn't pull away. She knew that if she didn't make a move, girls like Cana might beat her to it.
Kael felt a surge of excitement.
Today's the day! I'm finally moving things forward!
Creak!
He pushed the door open, ready for a quiet, romantic evening. Instead, he froze.
Sitting in his living room—looking entirely too comfortable—were Natsu, Gray, Erza, Lucy, and Happy.
"What are you guys doing in my house?!"
Kael shouted. "And how did you even get in? This is breaking and entering!"
"The spare key is always under the flowerpot by the door,"
Happy said casually, munching on a snack.
"You thieving cat!"
Erza stood, her expression grave.
"Kael, we realized that since Phantom Lord attacked the guild, they probably know where we all live. It isn't safe for us to stay alone right now. We decided it was best to stay together until the match."
Natsu grinned.
"And we all agreed your house is the biggest and best place to hang out, so here we are!"
"Don't I get a say in this?! This is my house!"
Kael complained.
Happy noticed Kael and Mira were still holding hands and flashed a mischievous grin.
"Oooooh! Kael, you brought Mira back here all by yourself… were you planning on doing something 'bad'?"
"They're in looooooooove!"
Happy teased.
Kael panicked.
"No! It's not like that! I just… I thought she'd be safer here! That's all!"
Lucy sighed.
"Honestly, Kael, you're probably the most 'unsafe' person for her to be around."
But despite the teasing, everyone could see the spark between them. Even Lucy—the newcomer—could tell they were more than just friends.
"Sleepover party!"
Natsu cheered.
"Aye!"
Mira laughed, the blush fading into a warm smile.
"Well, since everyone is here, I'll make us all some dinner. The guild kitchen was destroyed, so I'm sure you're all hungry."
"I'll help!"
Lucy offered, eager to be useful.
As the girls headed into the kitchen, Erza's face hardened with focus.
"Kael, while we're here to stay safe, we also need to talk strategy. We have to decide which six of us are going into that arena. Phantom Lord has accepted, and the honor of Fairy Tail is on the line. We cannot afford to lose."
Natsu slammed his fist into his palm.
"What's to discuss? Put me in! I'll go out there and flatten every single one of them myself!"
Gray rolled his eyes.
"Typical. You'll just charge in and get yourself frozen again. We need a real plan if we're going to shut them up for good."