The Twin Dragons of the New Era!

Gildarts ran away?!

Makarov's heart-wrenching screams were still echoing in the guild when another equally unwilling Roar followed.

"Grandpa! This isn't fair!"

Natsu pushed his way out of the crowd and shouted at Makarov, his face clearly saying, "I'm not convinced!"

"Why am I not on the list of participants for the Grand Magic Games?!"

"I want to go too!"

"That's right!" Gajeel also stepped out from the other side, arms crossed, letting out his signature "heh heh heh" laugh.

"If the Fire Dragon is going, then of course I have to go too!"

"You two brats!" Makarov was furious at these two troublemakers.

"This is for the guild's... cough cough, for the guild's honor! We must choose the strongest team!"

"Alright, sir."

Just as Makarov was about to launch into a lengthy explanation of the tactical arrangements, Jiang Bai lazily spoke up.

He patted Natsu on the head and then glanced at Gajeel.

"Since they want to go, let them go."

Jiang Bai's lips curled into a smile brimming with absolute confidence.

"Anyway, with me here, we're sure to win!"

Looking at Jiang Bai's calm yet undeniably authoritative expression, Chairman Makarov was suddenly overwhelmed with a strange sense of emotion.

This brat... he's really grown up.

Without realizing it, I've started to move closer to becoming a qualified president.

Although Jiang Bai hasn't agreed yet, he'll undoubtedly become the next president.

Perhaps soon I will be able to retire from this worrisome position as president and enjoy my old age.

"Speaking of which," Gray interrupted Makarov's remark,

When exactly does the Grand Magic Games start?

"Three more months!" Romeo immediately gave the accurate answer.

Yoshi!

Natsu raised his fist, his whole being bursting with energy!

"Jiang Bai's grueling training starts tomorrow! I can't wait!"

On the other side...

Somewhere in the Kingdom of Fiore, there lies a vast, desolate desert.

Two figures, one standing and one crouching, were sitting on a huge rock.

Suddenly, a large group of hooded, masked men in black robes emerged from beneath the sand. Without a word, they raised their hands and fired dozens of magical beams of different colors at the two people on the rock.

However, the next second, a horrifying scene unfolded.

Those magical attacks, powerful enough to flatten a small village, were swallowed whole by the crouching man just as they were about to hit their targets!

"Belch..."

The man with short blond hair, Sting, let out a burp, a satisfied expression on his face.

"After eating it, the power surged up!"

He took a deep breath, and a white magic circle unfolded in his mouth!

"The White Dragon's Roar!"

A massive, pure white beam of light, seemingly capable of purifying everything, burst forth from his mouth, instantly engulfing the group of black-robed figures below, leaving not a trace of ash behind.

The battle ended in an instant.

Two small Exceed flew over from a distance.

One of the brown kittens, wearing a stylish white Maka, is Sting's partner, Lector.

The other one, with green fur, always wears a pink frog onesie and looks adorable; its Frosch.

"Wow, as expected of Sting!" Lector looked at his master with admiration.

"They defeated the enemy so easily."

"Frosch thinks so too," Frosch, dressed in a frog costume, echoed in her slow, deliberate tone.

Beside him stood the cold, black-haired man, Rogue, who had stood there the entire time, watching the cleared battlefield with no change in expression.

He simply asked, "Have you heard, Sting?"

"What?"

"The Fairy Tail crew, who disappeared for seven years, have returned." Rogue's voice was as calm as still water.

"Among them are Natsu Dragneel and Gajeel Retfox."

So what?

Sting curled his lip dismissively and stood up from the rock.

"We used to idolize them, but now, we're no longer those two kids hoping to catch up with them."

His tone was filled with powerful confidence.

"We are now far stronger than them."

"That's true," Rogue agreed.

"I just don't know if they'll have the guts to participate in the Grand Magic Games this year."

"Even if they participate, they'll be easily defeated by Lord Sting and Lord Rogue!" Lector shouted, waving his little fist.

"Frosch thinks so too."

"However..." Rogue's eyes narrowed slightly.

"I heard that among them is a man named Jiang Bai, who was once the strongest in the kingdom."

"Ah, I've heard of him before." Sting's face showed a disdainful smile.

"However, someone who can't even beat a mere dragon seems to be unworthy of his reputation."

He grinned, his eyes gleaming with a fanatical fighting spirit.

"Then, on the Grand Magic Games stage, let's use our true strength to show him, and everyone else, what it truly means to be 'the strongest'!"

Rogue remained silent.

However, the slight upturn of his lips already indicated his complete agreement with Sting.