"Listen up, everyone! Official requests are being processed starting today!"
"Even though we're working from this makeshift counter for now, let's show everyone that Fairy Tail is back in business!"
Mirajane's voice rang out, accompanied by her trademark warm, inspiring smile. With the Magic Council's ruling finally settling the matter, the guild was officially cleared to resume work.
"YEAAAAAAAAH!!"
"Finally! I'm starving for some jewels—!!"
The announcement triggered a stampede. Mages who normally spent their days lounging and drinking rushed the request board like a pack of hungry wolves, eyes darting across the papers for the best-paying jobs.
"What's with them?"
Lucy asked, watching the chaos with a raised eyebrow.
"Usually, they just sit around and drink until the sun goes down. I've seen that board overflowing with requests before and nobody even glanced at it."
"Heehee! They haven't been able to work for a while, Lucy. Most of them are completely broke!"
Mira let out a soft giggle. She knew the guild members better than anyone. They were the type to live for the moment—when they had money, they spent it on parties and luxuries, and they only bothered working when their pockets ran dry. After the forced hiatus, their savings had evaporated a long time ago.
"Mira, any S-Class requests yet?"
Kael pushed through the crowd to the counter. He'd just checked the board and found nothing but lower-ranked jobs. Subjugating petty thieves or tracking down lost pets didn't interest him in the slightest.
"You might have to wait a few more days, Kael. Because of the recent trouble, the Council temporarily diverted those high-priority requests to other guilds. Now that our status is restored, it'll take a little time for high-level clients to start sending their contracts back to us."
Mira shook her head apologetically. She pulled a few sheets from beneath the counter.
"I do have some high-level subjugation missions here. The rewards are actually pretty close to S-Class payouts."
Kael sighed. High-level subjugation missions were great for money, but his priority was different. In the eyes of his system, those were still just "A-Class" missions. Completing them would only give him one draw chance. He needed the S-Class label to maximize his growth. If he took an A-Class job now and an S-Class request appeared while he was away, he'd regret it for the rest of his life.
"Nothing, huh? Alright, I'll pass for now,"
Kael said, waving a hand dismissively. He found a quiet corner, sat down, and ordered a drink to wait out the drought.
"Why is he so obsessed with S-Class missions?"
Lucy asked, leaning over the counter.
"Is it just for the money?"
"No one really knows,"
Mira mused, glancing toward Kael.
"But his attitude completely changes when it comes to S-Class work. It's like he's hunting for something more than just jewels."
As Kael sat alone, a sudden presence made the air feel heavy—charged with static. Someone sat down directly across from him.
"We need to talk."
The newcomer wore a golden leopard-print coat, large headphones, and an expression that radiated absolute superiority. Laxus Dreyar—Fairy Tail's most arrogant S-Class mage.
"Hm?"
Kael looked up, genuinely surprised. In the year he'd been with the guild, he and Laxus had barely exchanged a word. Laxus kept to his own elite circle and looked down on everyone else, and Kael had never felt any need to stroke the man's ego.
"What do you want, Laxus?"
"Kael… what do you honestly think of the current state of Fairy Tail?"
Kael shrugged.
"I think it's great. The Master treats us like family, and the guild's more united than it's ever been."
"Wrong. That's exactly the problem. This guild… is weak."
Laxus cut him off with a sharp, derisive laugh.
"Strongest?"
Kael countered, voice steady.
"Aren't we recognized as the strongest guild in the kingdom right now?"
"Strongest?"
Laxus leaned forward, golden electricity sparking in his eyes.
"That title is hollow. It's propped up by a handful of people—like you, me, and the old man. Look around this room, Kael. Aside from the S-Class mages, what do you see? Bottom-feeders. Dead weight."
He gestured toward the cheering mages swarming the request board.
"They have no real power, yet they coast on the reputation of being in the 'strongest guild.' They don't deserve to wear the mark. The 'strongest' I want isn't a guild full of small fry. I want a guild where every single member is elite—elite among elites. Only then will we truly deserve that title."
His voice sharpened, ambition flaring.
"Work with me, Kael. Let's join forces and purge the weakness from this guild. Together, we can rebuild Fairy Tail into the strongest force in history—not just in Fiore, but across all of Ishgar. We can create something that surpasses every guild that's ever existed."
"And the others?"
Kael asked, eyes narrowing slightly.
"The ones you call 'weaklings'?"
"Kick them out,"
Laxus said flatly.
"They're holding us back."
CRASH!
The table beside them exploded into splinters. A voice trembling with fury cut through the air.
"Say that again… I dare you!!"
The entire guild fell silent. Every head turned toward the source of the impact. Erza Scarlet stood there, fists clenched so tightly her knuckles had gone white, eyes burning with a murderous glare.
"Erza. So you were listening,"
Laxus said, not looking the least bit bothered.
"Good. Saves me the trouble of repeating myself. This guild doesn't need people who can't pull their own weight."
"Laxus, you've gone too far!"
Gray shouted, stepping forward.
"You bastard—do you think you can just walk back in and act like you own the place?"
Lucy watched, uneasy. It was the first time she'd ever seen Erza this angry.
"Is Laxus always like this?"
She whispered.
"Aye,"
Happy replied, hiding behind a pillar.
"He's back, and he's being a jerk."
Laxus stood, addressing the room while keeping his focus on Kael.
"Do you know why Phantom Lord thought they could look down on us? Because the old man is soft. He lets any stray cat or dog join the guild, and it's turned us into a joke. These people contribute nothing, yet they enjoy the best resources—and they tarnish our name every time they fail a simple task."
He swept his gaze over the crowd, his sneer deepening.
"Tell me—what right does a weakling have to call themselves a Fairy Tail mage?"
"LAXUS, SHUT UP!!"
Natsu lunged, his fist wreathed in roaring flames as he drove a punch straight toward Laxus's face.
Zzzzt!
Laxus's body dissolved into a bolt of golden lightning, reappearing several feet behind Natsu an instant later.
"I'm going to settle the score with you right now, you heartless jerk!"
Natsu roared, spinning around for another strike.
"Hahahaha!"
Laxus laughed.
"You can't even touch me, Natsu. What makes you think you're qualified to 'settle a score'?"
He dismissed Natsu like an annoying insect, then turned back to Kael, eyes narrowing.
"So, Kael—what's it going to be? Are you going to join me and create the greatest guild in history… or are you going to keep playing house with these losers? Give me your answer."