Kaien spent the next while giving Makarov a detailed report of everything that happened during the Tower of Heaven incident—and it left Makarov shaken to the core.
Erza was like a daughter to him. He'd watched her grow up. Knowing she had to endure something so painful again tore at his heart.
"Erza is my comrade," Kaien said simply. "Of course I wouldn't stand by and let her be hurt."
Hearing that, Makarov nodded in satisfaction.
"Right, brat. Come early tomorrow—there's going to be a reporter here for an interview."
"An interview? So that's what this is all about… No wonder the guild's decked out with all this flashy nonsense."
Kaien had noticed the makeshift snack stands, open-air café booths, and stage props being set up throughout the guild.
"This 'nonsense' is our attempt at making a good impression."
Fairy Tail might be the strongest mage guild in the Kingdom of Fiore, but it was also the most notorious. Every time they caused trouble, they'd land on the front page. The public either loved them or hated them.
People like Lucy admired their wild individuality.
The Magic Council? They thought Fairy Tail was a menace to public order.
So Makarov wanted to take this chance—with their new guild building—to show the world a better side of Fairy Tail.
And of course, Kaien Blaze, their walking billboard, had to be front and center. After all, he wasn't just famous in Fiore anymore—he was the most talked-about mage across the entire continent of Ishgar.
"An interview, huh? Got it."
Kaien never thought a day would come when he'd be the one getting interviewed. That kind of thing was for celebrities and CEOs—not some guy who used to run errands for fast food.
The next morning…
"Ugh, what a mess…" Lucy muttered.
She had carefully styled her hair and outfit—this was a Fairy Tail Exclusive Feature in Sorcerer Weekly, after all. She wanted to make a good impression.
But when she walked into the guild, it was total chaos.
"Isn't this exactly what Fairy Tail is?" Erza replied, stepping in with a brand-new suit of armor. Even she had made an effort to dress for the camera.
Lucy blinked in surprise, then smiled.
"You've changed, Erza. The old you would've scolded everyone for this mess."
Ever since they'd returned from the Tower of Heaven, Erza had smiled more. The tension in her face was gone.
"Really? Maybe I have. Let's treat this like a little celebration for our new guild home. A little noise is a young person's privilege, right?"
Suddenly—
A voice shrieked behind them:
"Ohhh—!! Titania!!"
"No way… it's really her… OL! She's so cool in real life!! It's the real Erza Scarlet!! Freakin' awesome!!"
The source of the voice was Jason, a reporter from Sorcerer Weekly, camera swinging from his neck as he slid across the floor in a dramatic kneel.
"That ball of hype must be the reporter, huh?"
"Sorry about the mess," Erza said politely. "Our guild's a little rowdy today."
Jason waved his hand.
"No problemo!! I love this kind of unfiltered vibe!! If it's okay, could I ask you a few questions?"
"Go ahead."
"How many different Requip armors do you have?"
"Over a hundred."
"OL!!"
"Which one's your favorite?"
"Hmm… probably the bunny girl outfit."
"...The… bunny girl…? OL!!!"
After the Erza interview, Jason darted straight to Gray.
"Gray! Why do you always strip at random?"
Gray turned red and snapped,
"I don't just strip! Don't make it sound like I'm some perv!"
Meanwhile—
"Graaah! Where's that reporter?!" Natsu was flipping tables.
"Natsu!! Natsu the Salamander!! OL!!"
"You're the jerk who always writes crap about me, aren't you?!"
"Yes!!"
"Go to hell!!"
POW!!
Natsu socked Jason square in the face, sending him bouncing across the floor.
"Unbelievable!! Even his punches look so cool on camera!! OL!!"
Jason raced through the guild, interviewing anyone with even a hint of fame.
"Master! Tell us your vision for the new guild!"
Makarov, sweating bullets, fumbled his words.
"Uh… let us… engrave love and justice into our hearts… and constantly… improve ourselves…?"
Then Jason spotted someone at the bar chatting with Mirajane.
"That silhouette… That's Kaien!! It's really him!! I'm finally meeting him in person!!"
He sprinted over like a crazed fanboy.
"Uh… who's that?" Kaien asked.
Mirajane smiled.
"A reporter from Sorcerer Weekly."
She had once been a cover model for the magazine, so she knew Jason fairly well.
"Miss Mira! Long time no see! You haven't done a photoshoot in forever!"
Mirajane glanced shyly at Kaien. Photo shoots like that were a bit… revealing.
Jason turned to Kaien, eyes sparkling.
"Mr. Kaien! Can I ask you a few questions?!"
"Sure, go ahead."
"How many forms can you transform into?"
"Seven, for now. I'll probably gain more in the future."
"Seven?! OL!!!"
Kaien had only debuted recently. Most of the public had only seen him during the Oshibana incident against Phantom Lord—where he used two Take Over forms, both absurdly powerful. That alone had left a massive impression.
"Is Whitebeard your strongest form?"
Kaien shook his head.
"Nope."
"No—?! OL———!!!"
Jason was beside himself. That was big news. Whitebeard's form had become iconic—the one Kaien used to crush Jose, a Wizard Saint. And yet it wasn't his strongest?
Even Mirajane was surprised. She had assumed Whitebeard was his peak form.
But now that she thought about it—there was one transformation Kaien used to redirect Etherion itself. That had to be the strongest.
And she was right. The Fourth—the one Kaien used to redirect Etherion—was his true strongest form. Not just any version either—he had Taken Over the Fourth at his peak. The only issue was that his current mana reserves couldn't unleash its full potential.
Jason leaned forward, almost trembling with excitement.
"And lastly—are you and Miss Mirajane dating?"
"Yep. Mira and I are together."
Kaien smiled at her.
Mirajane's cheeks flushed a soft pink.
"OL———!!!"