"Hey, Blanc, wait for us! Why are you suddenly walking so fast?"
Lucy and the others paused, baffled to find themselves so far behind. After exchanging glances, they hurried to catch up.
Soon, the guild's entrance came into view.
But the devastation before them stopped everyone dead in their tracks, their pupils contracting sharply. The sight filled them with anguish and fury.
The once grand, imposing guild building, home to countless moments of laughter, had been pierced through by enormous iron pillars!
Large sections of the walls had cracked and crumbled away, most of the roof had collapsed, and broken timber and rubble littered the ground.
The sign bearing the words "Fairy Tail," which had once hung high above them, had been smashed to pieces, its fragments scattered across the wreckage at the entrance.
Natsu clenched his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, his entire body shaking violently with overwhelming rage.
Alongside that fury, tears of grief welled uncontrollably in his eyes.
He clenched his fists tightly. It took him a long time to accept the reality before him.
Then a voice strained to its breaking point forced its way out of his throat:
"Who did this?!"
Blanc's expression turned frighteningly dark as he surveyed the ruined guild.
He vaguely remembered how this incident had unfolded, but not exactly when. He hadn't expected it to happen so soon.
Staring fixedly at the massive iron pillars, he growled:
"Phantom Lord!!"
Fairy Tail's temporary base, one floor underground.
The dim basement was packed with people. Watching Blanc and the others slowly descend the stairs, Mirajane forced a gentle smile and stepped forward to greet them:
"Welcome back, everyone."
Another greeting came from nearby:
"Oh! Blanc, Natsu, Gray, you're finally back."
Seated off to one side, Nab raised his head with a