Fantasy Parade

Before the guild entrance

"Everyone, look! Ye is here!"

"What's that in his hand? It looks alive."

"Let me see... What?! It's Laxus!"

"So Ye won?"

Ye said coldly, "Where is the Master?"

Everyone was frightened by Ye's expression, and no one answered his question.

Seeing everyone standing there in a daze, Ye stopped asking. He looked up, then headed inside.

When Mira saw that Ye had finally returned, she hurriedly threw herself into his arms.

"You're finally back! I was worried sick!"

Ye's expression relaxed slightly. He patted Mira's back and asked, "How's the old man?"

"After Grandma Porlyusica treated him, the Master has mostly recovered."

At last, Ye put down the heavy stone in his heart.

"That's good, that's good. I'll take Laxus in first, then I'll come back out."

When Ye opened the door, he saw Makarov being scolded by Grandma Porlyusica.

"You're already so old, yet you still refuse to take your medicine properly. See? Now something happened."

"Don't you know what condition your body is in? Do you still think you're a young man?"

"If you do this again, then go die. I can't be bothered with you anymore!"

Makarov nodded and bowed humbly.

"Yes, yes, you're right about everything. I'll take my medicine on time from now on, hahaha."

Just then, Ye walked in.

"Grandma Porlyusica, please take a look at Laxus."

"You brat, why are you sending me another patient? I just finished treating one reckless fool, and now you've brought me another troublesome brat."

"Sorry to trouble you, Grandma. Just this one, there's no one else, hehe."

"Enough! Leave him here, and get out. I hate humans most of all."

"Um, Grandma Porlyusica, how is the Master?"

"Ye, I'm perfectly fine now. Killing a tiger wouldn't be a problem!"

"Don't listen to him. He's best at putting on a brave front. Remember, don't let him suffer any more shock in the future. It was already very fortunate that we could save him this time."

"I understand, Grandma Porlyusica."

"Mm, get out now. I need to begin treatment."

"Alright, Grandma. Sorry to trouble you."

After saying that, Ye left the room and came to the guild hall, where everyone was chattering away about what had happened.

"Alright, stop arguing for now. The old man is temporarily fine. And as for what you did today, all of you go apologize. Pay whatever compensation you need to pay."

"Did you hear me?!"

"Yes, sir!"

Seeing everyone call him sir, Ye felt rather speechless.

Everyone actually understood that Ye was not in a very good mood right now, and no one wanted to provoke him. Besides, the damage they had caused to the town really had gone too far.

"Remember to clean up the streets after you leave. Today's parade should still be held as planned."

"Yes, sir!!!"

"Alright, you can begin."

Everyone scattered at once. Those who needed to apologize apologized, those who needed to pay compensation did so, and the cleanup of the streets proceeded smoothly. At this pace, it would be finished in a few hours.

In the infirmary, Grandma Porlyusica had already left after finishing the treatment. Only the Master and Laxus remained in the room.

"Enough! Since you're awake, stop playing dead. Do you know how grave a mistake you made today?!"

Laxus still did not move at all.

"What, are you trying to anger me to death?!"

Laxus knew he could not keep pretending. He slowly sat up, but still did not dare look his grandfather in the eye.

"Look me in the eyes, Laxus!!"

"A guild is a place where companions gather, and a place where they work. For children with nowhere else to go, it is even their home. It does not belong to you alone."

"A guild exists upon the trust and principles of every single person. It is strength, resilience, and bonds that make it unbreakable!"

"But you betrayed those principles and threatened the lives of your guildmates. That is absolutely unforgivable."

Laxus fell silent for a while, then said with a remorseful expression, "I only... I only wanted to make the guild stronger."

Makarov looked at Laxus and sighed. From Mira's report afterward, he had learned that Laxus had used Fairy Law without harming a single person. Makarov understood then that Laxus was still the kind-hearted child he had once been. He had merely been blinded by obsession and could no longer see his own heart clearly.

"What a clumsy child. Put down the burden you carry. Look more at the people and things in the guild, and listen to the words you once refused to hear. Your life will become far more colorful."

"As long as this old man can watch you grow up happily and joyfully, I'll be satisfied. I don't need you to possess such great power."

Only after hearing his grandfather's words did Laxus understand that he had forced everything upon himself.

Makarov clenched his fists and made a major decision. "Laxus! I am expelling you from the guild!"

Laxus could hardly believe he was being expelled from the guild, but when he thought back on what he had done today, he accepted it.

"Ah... thank you for everything, Grandpa!" Laxus stood, picked up his clothes, and walked out.

The moment the door closed, Makarov could no longer hold back his tears.

"Laxus, you little brat... It isn't that Grandpa wanted to expel you from the guild. What you did truly made it impossible for me to forgive you. I hope you'll grow well out there, you brat!"

Standing outside the door, Laxus heard his grandfather's muttering, and tears kept welling up in his eyes.

"I understand, Grandpa!"

After saying that, he wiped away his tears and strode forward. When he opened the doors to the guild hall, everyone in the guild turned to look at Laxus.

Natsu angrily rushed forward, wanting to beat Laxus up, but Ye stopped him.

"Ye?"

As Laxus passed Ye, he said,

"I'll leave the old man in your care."

"Yeah! Got it! Be careful out there."

"Mm, I know."

With that, he walked straight ahead.

Suddenly, Mira came out and said,

"This is bad! The Master is throwing Laxus out of the guild!"

Everyone was shocked by the news.

"How could this happen?!"

They had expected Laxus to receive severe punishment. After all, he had threatened the lives of guild members and ordinary townspeople, and even made the guild members fight each other. They had considered many punishments, but expulsion from the guild was the one thing they had never expected.

The three members of the Thunder Legion ran up to Laxus. "Why are you the only one being expelled? We bear responsibility too!"

"Yeah! At worst, we'll leave together."

Looking at the three people before him, Laxus could not describe what he felt. They had gone along with his foolishness, and he had not treated them well, yet they still stood by his side.

"Alright, stop talking. This is Grandpa's decision. The mistake I made this time was truly too serious."

"I'll find Ye and ask him to plead with the Master for you."

"There's no need."

"But—"

"No buts. I've accepted this outcome too. You three must stay in the guild and protect this place for me. Do you understand?"

The three said unwillingly, "W-We understand."

"You three, take care of yourselves."

With that, Laxus left directly.

"Laxus! Laxus!"

"Damn it! What meaning does the Thunder Legion have without Laxus?!"

Fried watched Laxus's retreating figure and somehow felt that they would meet again in the future.

After Laxus left, the guild fell silent. Just then, the Master came out of the room.

Natsu ran straight to the Master. "Grandpa, why did you drive Laxus away? He made a mistake, but expelling him from the guild is too severe, isn't it?"

Ye said, "Alright, Natsu. The old man is hurting too. Say less."

"Cough, cough! You little brats, do you know how many mistakes you made?! Did you properly apologize to the people in town?!"

Macao said, "Master, we've handled everything. Don't worry."

Everyone nodded.

"Alright, since everything has been settled, prepare for tonight's parade."

After saying that, Makarov returned to his room to rest. Everyone knew they could not persuade him, so they all went to prepare for the evening's Fantasy Parade.

That night, Magnolia Town was bustling with excitement.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Brilliant fireworks blossomed over Magnolia Town, and the Fantasy Parade officially began.

The people of Fairy Tail wore costumes from fairy tales and performed dazzling magic as they paraded from the Fairy Tail guild hall to beautiful music.

Travelers from all over the world lined both sides of the streets to watch the Fantasy Parade.

Lucy, Levy, and the other adorable girls sang and danced on the stage.

Gray and Juvia performed Frozen.

Erza danced with her sword, Natsu breathed fire, while Ye sat on his throne like a young king from a fairy tale, looking down at everyone.

Makarov wore a clown costume and twisted his body back and forth.

Laxus stood at a street corner, watching the scene and remembering how his grandfather had brought him to watch the parade when he was little.

In the past, Laxus would have found it incredibly embarrassing. But now, seeing that his grandfather was already so old yet still so full of energy, he felt very happy. Seeing that his grandfather was fine, he could leave without worry.

When Laxus turned around, he froze.

He saw his grandfather holding his left fist against his chest, while extending his right fist with his index finger and thumb raised in the shape of a gun, its fingertips pointing toward the sky.

Everyone in the guild was making the same gesture.

Laxus's body trembled uncontrollably as he tried to stop his tears from falling. This gesture was the signal he had invented when he participated in the Fantasy Parade as a child.

From that gesture, Laxus understood the message Makarov wanted to convey to him.

"Even when I'm not by your side, I'll watch over you and protect you from afar!"

Suddenly, powerful energy gathered at Ye's fingertip atop the throne. The energy gradually grew larger, and the enormous sphere of light illuminated all of Magnolia Town. Then it flew into the sky like a rising moon. Once it reached a certain height, it exploded instantly. White energy scattered through the air and slowly drifted down into every corner of Magnolia Town, illuminating every face filled with happiness and lighting the road that the traveler ahead was about to walk. Thus, the Fantasy Parade came to an end.