Things Are Lively Again

Magnolia Town, Fairy Tail Guild Hall.

Sunlight streamed in obliquely through the newly renovated stained-glass windows, bathing the entire spacious and bustling hall in a golden glow.

The wooden floor was covered with ale barrels that had just been taken from the cellar, and the aroma of roasted meat fat and the crispness of malt mingled and swirled in the air.

"Welcome home, President!!"

Dozens of arms shot out at the same time, accompanied by deafening cheers. The diminutive Makarov was tossed high into the air, caught steadily, and then tossed up again.

"Oh!!"

Natsu was jumping around the most enthusiastically below, flames even shooting two plumes of white smoke from his nostrils.

On the leather sofa on the side of the hall, Riyao leaned lazily against the cushions.

Riyao sat to the side watching them, a gratified smile on his face.

At first glance, it looks quite serious.

The blond youth had his hands folded behind his head, his eyelids slightly lowered, and a gentle, spring-like smile on his lips. He exuded the kind of loving fatherly affection as he watched his younger generation grow up healthily.

However, Lucy and Gray, who were standing not far away, both shivered at the same time.

Both Lucy and Gray felt that this expression Present Riyao's face.

The cunning and ruthless demon king, whose primary principles are to slack off, sabotage his teammates, and enjoy the show, suddenly revealed a saintly expression of satisfaction, which was even more frightening than Acnologia changing careers to drive people around.

Gray rubbed his neck and muttered to Lucy in a low voice.

"Something's not right with this kid; he's probably up to no good."

Although the sound was not loud, it did not escape Riyao's keen perception.

The saintly smile on Riyao's face instantly vanished, and he rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"You two are really bored. Lucy, look behind you."

Lucy paused, a sudden chill running down her spine. She turned around and saw Juvia standing behind her, staring at her resentfully.

The blue-haired Rain Woman floated in mid-air like a ghost, her eyes wide open like copper bells.

"Ah!"

Lucy bounced half a meter into the air, instinctively raising both hands to protect her chest.

Juvia shoved Lucy aside and grabbed Gray's arm.

She clung to Gray like she had no bones, rubbing her face against his Gray arm, her eyes flashing like knives at Lucy.

"Lord Gray belongs to Juvia, your rival. You've already lost."

"I already said no, you're all together, stop harping on me."

Lucy clutched her hair, on the verge of tears, almost going crazy.

She explained it countless times throughout the year, but this love-struck girl's logic circuits remained rock solid.

Lucy quickly covered Juvia's resentful eyes.

Instead of covering your own face, cover her eyes.

The entire guild was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

After being tossed around twenty or thirty times by the group, Makarov finally landed on the ground, panting, and straightened his torn robe.

Makarov stepped onto the stage to the side of the guild hall, coughed twice, and drew everyone's attention.

The once noisy hall gradually quieted down.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at the short figure.

Makarov looked at the young and familiar faces below the stage, his eyes slightly reddening, his hands behind his back, and his body slowly bent down.

"I'm sorry, kids, I didn't think things through before disbanding the guild."

A deep voice echoed in the spacious stone and wood hall.

A year ago, in order to protect these children from being crushed by the war machine of the Western Continent, he resolutely disbanded the guild and embarked on a perilous journey alone.

This heavy burden weighed on his heart for a full year.

The Fairy Tail members looked at each other, and then someone burst out laughing, and everyone laughed too.

Natsu grinned widely, Gray scratched the back of his head and laughed, and even Laxus, standing by the second-floor railing, smiled.

"Haha, old man, let's just treat it as a vacation."

"Yeah, President, we've had a much more carefree year traveling around than you have."

"Speaking of which, what happened to the old man? He's not as cute as he used to be."

Someone suddenly blurted out this incredibly witty comment.

The laughter inside the guild grew even louder, and passing residents glanced over curiously, all remarking, "It's getting lively again."

Makarov's initial feelings of gratitude and guilt were instantly wiped away by his unfilial sons.

The old man's head swelled several times its original size in an instant, like a giant inflatable balloon covering half the stage, and his spittle sprayed all over Natsu's face in the front row.

"You bunch of brats, this old man is now mighty! What do you mean by 'used to be cute'?!"

The laughter from the audience grew even louder.

Cana laughed so hard she sprayed beer all over Macao's face, and Wakaba's pipe fell onto his trouser leg, burning a hole in it. The entire guild hall nearly had its roof blown off.

After laughing for a while, Makarov's large head slowly shrank back to its original size.

The previously comical atmosphere suddenly tightened, and the old man's expression became extremely serious as he scanned everyone in the hall.

"Alright, now I have something to say that concerns the future of the guild."

He laid bare the impending crisis Fairy Tail faced with the Alvarez Empire.

The terrifying war empire unified by more than 700 guilds, the legendary black mage emperor Zeref, and the Spriggan 12 of the Empire whose power surpasses that of the Ten Wizard Saints.

Makarov's voice was extremely heavy, even trembling slightly.

"Children, the enemy that comes next will be terrifying. It's not too late for you to retreat now."

The entire hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

A silence fell over the Fairy Tail guild.

Everyone stood silently; the air seemed to freeze for a moment.

However, the next second...

Bang!

Natsu, standing on the table, shouted, "What empire?! Watch me beat them all to a pulp!!"

A burst of crimson flames erupted from Natsu's body, shooting straight to the ceiling, while the long wooden table beneath his feet creaked under his feet!

"Yes!! Beat them all to a pulp!!"

"It's on fire!"

Everyone was full of fighting spirit; no one backed down.

Gray exuded a chilling aura, Wendy clenched her small fists, Cana crushed her wine glass in her hand, and even Elfman in the corner roared, "This is a real man!"

Looking at the group of young people below the stage, who showed no fear and were even eager to make a name for themselves.

Makarov pursed his lips, his eyes filled with tears, and his body trembled slightly.

She finally couldn't hold back her scalding tears, which fell in a series of pattering sounds onto the wooden stage beneath her feet.

"You brats."

Just as the emotions of the entire audience reached their peak.

"Wow! It's on fire!"

A petite figure hopped out, her light golden ahoge twitching as she landed barefoot in the center of the stage, like a forest sprite.

Isn't that the figure Mavis disappeared so long ago?

The expressions on everyone's faces froze instantly.

Makarov's tears were forced back into his eyes, and his jaw nearly hit the floor.

"The First Generation?! What are you doing here?"

"Can't I show up in the guild?" Mavis tilted her head.

The blonde little girl blinked her big eyes, put her little hands behind her back, and puffed out her cheeks, looking all wronged.

"You guys disbanded the guild before, I almost lost everything, sob sob sob."

She squatted down and drew a circle.

Its small body curled up into a ball, and it stretched out a delicate white finger, drawing circles on the floor with an extremely aggrieved expression, its whole body exuding a resentful dark aura.

"Ah?!"

Everyone's expressions became quite interesting, and Makarov was particularly at a loss.

The old man scrambled across the edge of the stage in a flustered manner, his hands flailing wildly in the air, sweating profusely with anxiety.

"First generation, I didn't mean to."

Seeing the old chairman terrified, Mavis on the ground suddenly burst out laughing.

Just kidding, hehe.

Mavis stood up, her eyes crinkling with a smile, showing no trace of the weakness that had almost vanished just moments before.

Lucy's lips twitched.

This familiar style... isn't it Warrod?

So you've been spending the past year with Warrod.

Back when I met Warrod, one of the four founders, on Tenrou Island, that old tree stump would tell corny jokes in this serious tone all the time to scare people.

This commotion completely dispelled the heavy atmosphere in the hall.

Mavis cleared her throat, instantly switching to a serious expression.

The blonde girl crossed her arms, her eyes suddenly becoming incredibly sharp, and the powerful aura of a "Fairy Tactician" burst forth from her petite body.

"Now, I will take command of you all as we face the Alvarez Empire."

Everyone's expressions immediately turned serious, and they all prepared to listen to the first chairman's tactical deployment.

However, Riyao, who was sitting on the bar sofa, slowly put down his teacup and stood up.

"Before that, First Generation, you should return to your body."

Riyao's figure appeared directly above Mavis without warning, like a folded ray of light!

Boom!

To everyone's astonishment, Riyao shattered Mavis with a single punch.

The golden specks of light formed from the Thought Projection were like glass being struck by a giant hammer, turning into countless fragments with a crisp sound, swirling and dissipating into the air of the hall!

The entire guild hall fell into a deathly silence. The next instant, a horrified roar completely ripped the roof off!

"What are you doing, you idiot?!"