As time passed, the scent of war permeating the air grew increasingly thick.
However, the members of Fairy Tail showed no signs of tension or unease despite the impending great battle.
They continued as before, eating, drinking, and fooling around as usual.
Nevertheless, some people remained vigilant without letting their guard down.
For example, Makarov.
"Warren, still no reaction from the Magic Radar?" Makarov, his expression grave, walked up to Warren and asked in a low voice.
"Master, you should go rest. The radar I created covers all of Magnolia. If there's any reaction, I'll notify everyone immediately," Warren said, looking at the visibly weary Makarov with concern.
Hearing Warren's words, Makarov nodded slightly.
However, he didn't actually go rest because of it.
After all, he was the Guild Master.
In his view, he had the responsibility and duty to protect every person in the guild.
"Even if my legs tremble, I cannot retreat. That is the duty of an elder!" Makarov looked at Cana and the others drinking over there, clenched his fists, and thought to himself with grim determination.
Besides Makarov, Erza was also not letting her guard down.
At this moment, Erza, dressed in a purple gown, stood at the edge of the Magic Airship, gazing down at the brightly lit town of Magnolia below.
"Erza-san..." Wendy, holding a tray inside the cabin, looked out at Erza bathed in moonlight and murmured worriedly.
With that, Wendy walked out.
When she reached behind Erza, Wendy handed a glass of juice from the tray to Erza.
"Here."
Hearing Wendy, Erza turned and accepted the juice offered by Wendy.
"Where's Kenichi?" Erza took a sip and casually asked Wendy.
"Kenichi, Mirajane, and Seilah are in the bath..."
"Erza, why don't you go relax too? I'll keep watch here. If there's any situation, I'll notify everyone immediately!"
Hearing Wendy's suggestion, Erza hesitated for a moment, then placed the glass in her hand onto the tray in front of Wendy.
Just as Erza was about to speak, Wendy's nose twitched slightly, as if she had smelled something.
"What is it? Did you discover something?" Erza knew that Wendy, as a Dragon Slayer, had an exceptionally keen sense of smell. Seeing Wendy's unusual reaction, she immediately asked.
Wendy didn't answer Erza immediately. She turned to look at a specific point ahead and said solemnly, "Something is flying towards us!"
'Something?'
Hearing Wendy's words, Erza immediately looked in the direction of Wendy's gaze.
But looking out, she could only see a pitch-black night sky… nothing else was visible.
However, Erza did not doubt Wendy's judgment.
"I'll go inform Kenichi and Mirajane!" After saying this, Erza headed straight into the cabin.
But before Erza could actually step into the cabin, Kenichi walked out accompanied by Mirajane and Seilah.
Seeing the serious expression on Kenichi's face, Erza knew he must have already noticed something.
Sure enough, after Kenichi stepped out of the cabin, he looked in the same direction as Wendy and said, "The war has begun."
Not long after Kenichi spoke, Erza, Wendy, Mirajane, and Seilah noticed a large number of massive flying warships in the sky ahead, advancing towards them in a mighty formation...
"They're coming from the sky?!" Looking at those flying warships, the faces of Erza and Wendy instantly changed.
At the same time, Makarov, Cana, and the others inside the Fairy Tail's guild hall all felt the ground tremble.
"What's going on?" Macao asked, looking at the swaying hanging lamp.
"This is..." Just then, Warren, who was watching the radar detector, looked as if he had seen a ghost, his face filled with horror.
"What is it?" Seeing the expression on Warren's face, Makarov asked gravely.
"The enemy is coming from the sky! There are a huge number of them, roughly 50 flying warships!" Warren stared at the multitude of moving red dots on the radar display in front of him, sweat beading on his forehead.
"What? 50 flying warships?"
"A single warship could destroy a guild, right?"
Hearing Warren's words, Macao and the others all panicked.
Although Makarov's heart also sank to the depths, he had long since resolved to stand in front of everyone and block the enemy.
He took a deep breath, regained his composure, and immediately issued orders to everyone: "Quick, sound the alarm! Everyone, prepare for battle!"
Clang! Clang! Clang!-
As the alarm bells resounded throughout the town of Magnolia, Gajeel, Laxus, Freed, and others who had been resting quickly rose to their feet.
"It's finally begun, huh? The war!" Laxus, draped in his cape, stood on the rooftop of a tall building, looking at the dense formation of large warships in the sky. He narrowed his eyes and spoke in a low voice.