The Mysterious Powerhouse of the Land of Shinobi?

"So, you're protecting us?"

Inside the wooden house surrounded by trees, Chiba spoke with a strange expression.

"Yes." Tianna raised her pointed chin and said with a smile.

"But you can't beat your senior sister," Chiba said.

"This... this..."

"Idol, please don't send me away! I can do anything!" Tianna pleaded, as if afraid that Chiba wouldn't let her stay.

Chiba raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Can do anything?"

Tianna was taken aback, then her pretty face flushed red, and she said coyly, "If... if it's an idol, sacrificing oneself for... for justice isn't out of the question..."

"Ahem! Stop, stop!" Chiba coughed a few times quickly, and said righteously, "I'm not that kind of person, I was just joking."

Tianna wrapped one arm around his neck, like a big sister, and said with a grin, "I was just kidding. Even though you're my idol, you're just a kid who's still developing. Why would I be interested in a kid?"

"Damn... is this how you talk to your idol?" Chiba glared at her.

"Okay, okay, it's my fault. I formally apologize to you."

Seeing the girl's hands clasped together and her serious expression, Chiba couldn't help but chuckle.

"But remember what I told you, be extremely careful," Tianna said solemnly.

"Okay, I know," Chiba said helplessly.

Worried about his safety? You'd be better off worrying about your own. This guy, at his full power, dared to take on even the Ten Wizard Saints. How could he possibly die so easily?

After seeing Tianna off, Chiba asked Nuolin, "Senior sister, what do you think?"

Nuolin looked blank and shook her head, indicating that she didn't know.

Chiba: "..."

Never mind, forget I asked.

"It seems the war will drag on for quite some time. It's quite a coincidence that such a small battlefield has drawn the Shadow Skull and the Grimoire Heart into a direct confrontation. I really do have a connection with these two guilds." Chiba shook his head and chuckled.

If what Tianna told him is true, this will become a direct battlefield where the three forces clash. With the destructive power of mages, the surrounding area for hundreds of miles might be completely barren. This is practically a medium-sized war.

"The Grimoire Heart..."

He murmured something under his breath.

I just don't know if I'll ever run into her on the battlefield.

Meanwhile, Fairy Tail.

At the tavern table, Mira rested her chin on her hand, listlessly sipping her drink.

"Sister Mira, you're here!"

Behind her, Lisanna's energetic voice suddenly rang out, startling Mira.

Mira turned around, placed her hand on Lisanna's little head, and rubbed it vigorously, saying, "Why are you so startled?"

"But ever since Chiba left, Mira hasn't even stopped working. I'm a little worried about Mira," Lisanna said with a secret smile.

A blush crept onto Mira's pretty face, and she said fiercely, "Hmph! I'll go do it right now!"

As she spoke, she immediately stood up and walked quickly toward the taskbar.

"Your Excellency Makarov..."

At that moment, a somewhat solemn and aged voice rang out in the guild.

A tall, elderly man in black robes strode in through the doorway. The entire noisy guild fell silent at the sudden appearance of this old man, and everyone couldn't help but turn their gaze towards the entrance.

As mages, they could sense an extremely dangerous pressure emanating from this seemingly ordinary old man.

"Hmm? Lord Hodrian..." The little old man at the front desk, his eyes glazed with drunkenness, took a swig of his drink and chuckled, "What brings this old fellow here?"

Hodrian walked to the counter, ordered a drink, downed it in one gulp, and said in a low voice, "You haven't been drinking all night, have you?"

"Hmm? Haha!" Makarov chuckled somewhat awkwardly, then changed the subject, saying, "I'm afraid you didn't come here to drink, did you?"

"Hmm..." Hodrian nodded, lowering his voice, "I don't believe you didn't feel the magical barrier that enveloped the entire Magnolia yesterday."

Makarov put down the wine jar in his hand, a glint of light flashing in his dim eyes. He lowered his voice and slowly said, "That magic is unique; it carries an aura of darkness, yet also contains other energies..."

"It's Chakra..." Hodrian whispered.

"... Are you related to that brat Chiba?" Makarov asked.

"Hmm... he's most likely from the Land of Shinobi, since only the Land of Shinobi uses Ninjutsu, but... his magic is as deep as the ocean..." Hodrian frowned.

Makarov took another swig of wine and laughed, "Heh... it's not unusual for Land of Shinobi to use magic, anyway, he didn't have any effect on Magnolia."

Hodrian sighed, conjuring a silver magic circle in his hand. Immediately, a virtual image appeared on the magic circle.

That was Magnolia yesterday, a blizzard that lasted all day.

The arrival of the blizzard brought the city to a standstill; almost everyone stayed at home, and the usually bustling streets were deserted.

But suddenly, two figures appeared in the image. Hodrian zoomed in, and Makarov could see the two figures clearly.

It's Chiba and Nuolin.

The two walked through the snow, braving the wind and snow, and after a long while, they reached the edge of the town.

"They're here..." Hodrian reminded him, then zoomed in on the image.

In the scene, the two people step out of the town one after the other, but incredibly strangely... after they step out of the town, they vanish into thin air.

Even more strangely, the two disappeared one after the other as if they hadn't noticed anything. When Nuolin disappeared ahead, Chiba followed without suspicion.

"Spatial distortion, and done so without anyone noticing... such powerful magic... what... is going on?"

Makarov's aged face was filled with shock; clearly, the grand scale of the scene had greatly alarmed even this extraordinary figure among the Ten Wizard Saints.

Hodrian slowly spoke, "Such profound spatial abilities are beyond my comprehension. But this spatial barrier disappeared after the two of them vanished, so it's highly likely... it was prepared for the two of them."

"..."

Seeing Makarov remain silent, he continued leisurely, "Furthermore... according to the Magic Council, they arrived at their mission location this afternoon, on the battlefield against the Dark Guild south of Fiore."

Makarov: "?!"

"Teleport them to the battlefield? What is his purpose?" Makarov asked.

"I don't know yet... but the problem is the battlefield in the south..." Hodrian gave him a deep look and said, "The fighting there is escalating rapidly, and two of the Balam Alliance are very likely to engage in their final battle there. They are both in a dangerous situation, caught in that Uzumaki..."