Night fell over Magnolia. On a hill overlooking the city, Laxus Dreyar stood wrapped in a black coat, staring at the newly rebuilt Fairy Tail guild hall. From this distance, it already looked like a monument. A landmark.
And to him, a target.
A feral grin spread across his face.
"The Thunder God Tribe is finally back," he muttered. "And the time has come. Fairy Tail will tear itself apart. Old man, your era is over. From today on, I'll lead this guild to true strength."
"Thunder God Tribe, assemble."
Three figures emerged from the shadows, two men and one woman, standing behind him in silence.
Laxus turned to the green-haired mage among them.
"Freed. When you set up the barrier tomorrow, add one more condition. No cats are allowed to leave the guild."
Freed blinked. "No cats? You mean Happy?"
That didn't make sense. Happy wasn't a fighter. Worse, the more conditions a magic barrier had, the weaker it became. The original plan was simple and brutal: prevent anyone over eighty years old and all stone statues from leaving. That alone would neutralize the guild master and turn the statues into hostages. Adding another restriction diluted the spell.
"It's not Happy," Laxus said flatly. "While you were away crushing dark guilds, a new… cat joined Fairy Tail. His name is Rowan Mercer. If we don't lock him down, he'll be more troublesome than Erza and Mystogan combined."
Laxus had been preparing for this for a long time. He mocked the guild for being soft, but he understood its strength better than anyone. He had kept a close eye on every major change.
Rowan Mercer wasn't an unknown to him.
In Laxus's estimation, Rowan was a full-fledged S-Class mage with too many tricks to count. Letting him roam free would be a fatal mistake.
"A repair mage… who's a cat?" Freed and the others stared at each other in disbelief.
They had heard rumors during their missions. Fairy Tail had gained a powerful repair specialist who handled aftermaths no one else could. None of them imagined it was a cat. Or that Laxus would personally consider him a threat.
In Laxus's eyes, only a handful of people in the guild truly mattered. The guild master. Gildarts, who had taken the Hundred-Year Quest. Mystogan. Even Erza was just a manageable nuisance.
That made Rowan's presence all the more unsettling.
The next morning, Rowan Mercer flew low over Magnolia, wings beating gently as he carried supplies for the evening's magic parade. The entire town had transformed. Colorful balloons and ribbons hung from every street. Houses were decorated, shop windows gleamed, and laughter filled the air.
For Magnolia's citizens, the Harvest Festival was their Christmas and New Year rolled into one.
Children ran through the streets pretending to be Fairy Tail mages, shouting spell names with wooden sticks in hand. People poured in from the train station nonstop. Some were locals returning home. Others came from distant towns just to witness Fairy Tail's famous annual parade.
Turning a corner, Rowan spotted Mirajane and Makarov waiting for him.
"Master, Mirajane, all set?" he asked as he landed.
They checked their purchases, confirmed nothing was missing, and headed back together toward the guild hall.
"The whole town feels alive," Makarov said, watching the smiling crowds with deep satisfaction.
Mirajane nodded. "Everyone in the guild is preparing their performances for tonight's parade."
"Of course," Makarov laughed proudly. "This is Fairy Tail's greatest spectacle. Rowan, you'll lead the parade with that lightning giant Erza mentioned. Give them a show they'll never forget."
The parade didn't need destructive magic. It needed spectacle. And Rowan's thunder giant was spectacle incarnate.
Mirajane hesitated. "It would've been even better if Laxus were here. His lightning paired with Rowan's would be incredible."
She sighed softly. Despite Laxus refusing to return during the Phantom Lord incident, later reports showed that several Phantom Lord branches had been destroyed by the Thunder God Tribe. He pretended not to care, but his actions told another story.
Rowan's assessment had been simple. Laxus was rebellious. And deeply tsundere.
At the mention of his name, Makarov's expression hardened.
"Hmph. Don't mention that ungrateful grandson."
Rowan glanced at him and spoke carefully. "Master… I think some things might be better said openly. If this keeps going, misunderstandings will only grow. And sooner or later, that causes real trouble."
Rowan had heard the old stories. Laxus once idolized his grandfather. Everything changed when Makarov expelled Ivan Dreyar from the guild. To protect young Laxus, Makarov had hidden the truth of Ivan's betrayal and ambitions.
So Laxus grew up believing his father was cast out over ideals. That his grandfather refused to step aside. From Laxus's perspective, the resentment made sense. His mother was gone. His father loved him deeply and even secured a dragon crystal for him. And yet, that father was driven away.
From Rowan's own observations and occasional glimpses through mental perception, Laxus's feelings for Fairy Tail and for Makarov ran deep. He was just twisted up inside. Proud. Awkward. Unable to express it.
If Makarov laid everything bare, Rowan believed things could still be salvaged.
Makarov let out a long sigh.
"Maybe… but even if I told him now, he wouldn't believe me."
The three continued walking, unaware that the first pieces of an internal war had already been set in motion.
...
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