"Hey, weren't we supposed to solve this with negotiations?"
Listening to the non-stop screams of the Twilight Ogre members inside, Wakaba couldn't help but complain.
"As expected, there's just no comparison." Macao sighed at the sight.
For seven years, he'd only been able to cower before Twilight Ogre, but the moment Makarov returned, he marched straight in, beat them black and blue, and paid back every insult and grudge they'd suffered.
"Still, seeing it now, it really feels like we're back seven years ago."
"So nostalgic."
Seven years ago, they'd been this lawless, charging at anything that rubbed them the wrong way.
Forget a small guild like Twilight Ogre. Even a major one like Phantom Lord hadn't scared them.
Seven years had dulled their edges and robbed them of their old courage.
—
Magic Council.
"Elder Org, thank you for your hard work today." Lahar greeted Org as he approached.
Org nodded. "Mm. You've all heard, I take it?"
"You mean the return of Fairy Tail's core members? Then the burden on your heart can finally lift, Doranbolt." Lahar glanced at Mest beside him.
"..."
Mest stayed silent.
The return of Fairy Tail's core did ease his mind. Though he'd had no power to help back then, he'd still been unable to save anyone. Yet Wendy, just a little girl, had been dragged in because of him, and the guilt of failing to rescue a single soul had haunted him for seven years.
"The magic world will probably stir again. Seven years ago, Acnologia and Zeref were discovered, but sadly we still don't know where they are. Our recon squads will need more manpower. These seven years have been far too calm."
"Two-thirds of the Balam Alliance have been crushed, yet the last one, Tartaros, remains so secretive it's shown no suspicious movement at all."
"But such stillness is eerie—like an endless night. Perhaps dawn is about to break? Will it become a magnificent sunrise for the magic world?"
Mest asked, "You mean… Fairy Tail?"
"Mwahaha! I claim to hate Fairy Tail, yet here I am thinking of them. I must be getting old."
With that, Org walked off.
As a two-term Council Member, he knew how much Fairy Tail had done to keep the magic world at peace. Without them, Oración Seis and Grimoire Heart would have turned the world upside down long ago.
He used to loathe Fairy Tail for the endless trouble they caused, yet now that the trouble was gone, he almost missed it.
Two weeks slipped by, and news of Fairy Tail's core members' return hit the papers. As the former strongest Mage Guild in Fiore, it still carried some weight.
Sorcerer Weekly even came for an exclusive, though its impact was limited.
To many, Fairy Tail was now a flower of yesterday.
"Sabertooth?"
"Exactly. Sabertooth. While you were gone these seven years, Sabertooth became Fiore's strongest Mage Guild."
Gray frowned. "Never heard of them."
Alzack explained, "They were nothing special seven years ago, but their Guild master recruited five powerhouse Mages and shot straight to the top."
Lucy was stunned. "Just five people made that big a difference?"
Natsu perked up. "Ooh, I like where this is going."
Wendy asked curiously, "Then what rank is our guild now?"
Happy winced. "You really wanna know?"
One look at the guild's miserable state told the story.
"Dead last, of course."
"The weakest guild in Fiore."
Only then did Wendy realize her blunder. "Ahhh, I'm sorry I asked."
"Bahahaha! Perfect! Isn't this hilarious?!" Natsu leapt onto a table in excitement.
"Huh? What's so fun about that?" Gray looked totally lost.
"Starting from the weakest and clawing our way to the top—how is that not awesome? I'm fired up!"
Max sighed. "It's not that easy. Leaving monsters like Laxus, Gildarts, and Takeshi aside, the rest of us lost seven whole years. A lot changes in seven."
Natsu's eyes lit up. "Great! Then let's fight and see how strong everyone is now."
"Bring it on!"
In the past, Max would never have agreed. Natsu's Fire Dragon Slayer Magic was no joke, earning him the nickname Salamander.
Now it was different—he'd trained several years longer than Natsu.
Soon the group moved beside the guild. The place was remote, with plenty of open ground for a duel.
"Here I come!"
Natsu charged Max, fists flying but Max dodged every blow.
Sand Rebellion!
"Gyaaah!"
"Burn up!"
Natsu erupted in flames that scattered the sand.
Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!
Sand Barrier!
A wall of sand blocked Natsu's punch.
"I'm not the same as seven years ago. I've trained hard these years."
"What?!"
"Natsu can't beat Max?!"
Lucy and Wendy stared in shock.
Bisca cheered. "Unbelievable. Marcus is actually…"
"…pushing Natsu back."
Warren was dumbfounded. They used to stand no chance against Natsu.
"Does that mean we can take Natsu too?"
Seeing Max handle Natsu, Nab perked up. After all, this was Natsu they were talking about.
Fire Dragons Roar!
Natsu blasted fire, but the sand under his feet slid away, sending him crashing down.
Sand Trap!
The sand rushed in, wrapping him into a ball with only his head sticking out.
"Gah! What is this?!"
The moment Natsu struggled, the sphere spun wildly, making him nauseous.
"I still remember your weakness, Natsu."
"Urgh! I give up."