Was Makarov Dying?
In July, the Magnolia Town gets light early, and the heat gradually intensifies.
The Fairy Tail guild, which had been bustling until late last night, was now somewhat quiet. Through the gate, one could vaguely see patches of "corpses" lying on the ground, and the strange postures of the people were both terrifying and thought-provoking.
The sound of footsteps grew louder and louder in the quiet environment.
Before the dawn could shine upon the Fairy Tail guild, its doors wide open, it was greeted by Makarov, his body wrapped in bandages.
Exhausted, Makarov's face was now filled with intense anger.
Along the short stretch of road from Magnolia Station to Fairy Tail Guild, more than a dozen townspeople have already filed complaints against Fairy Tail Guild with him.
Some complained that guild members Kikoku at night, preventing people from resting; others complained that guild members were misusing magical power, causing lightning to strike houses.
Stepping into the guild, Makarov looked around, slightly bewildered and lost, his pack slipping off his body in shock.
Makarov blinked in disbelief. Was this really the guild he knew?
The once neatly arranged tables and chairs inside the guild hall were now broken and scattered with shattered food plates and bottles.
The air reeked of alcohol, and the squeals of pigs were deafening.
Gildarts, conspicuously positioned, lay sprawled on the floor in the center of the guild, snoring incessantly, his hands stroking one bare leg, his expression strange.
Makarov followed the hairy thigh down; it was Wakaba's leg.
Wakaba, on the other hand, was fast asleep with his mouth wide open, except for a hand sticking out of his mouth—that was the hand of his neighbor, Macao.
Not only the three of them, but more than 80% of the guild members were sleeping in the guild hall at this time; some were lying face down on the few remaining tables, while others, like Gildarts, were sprawled on the floor, each in a different sleeping position.
Makarov frowned. Judging from the current disgraceful state of Gildarts and his men, they must have been partying wildly until late last night. No wonder the townspeople complained about them disturbing the peace.
After silently cursing Gildarts and the others in his mind, Makarov looked towards the still-open back door of the guild.
There used to be a beautiful lake there, and in front of the lake was a lush green meadow.
At this moment, the lake has dried up, and the green grass has turned black.
Makarov's already furrowed brows deepened, and he muttered to himself, "I'm probably just too exhausted and hallucinating!"
He rubbed his eyes and looked around carefully again, but the area behind the guild was still a scene of desolation.
"So I wasn't mistaken after all..."
Makarov's tightly furrowed brows relaxed, but his temples twitched from time to time, and a large "well" character appeared on his forehead.
A surge of magical power enveloped Makarov, whose small frame slowly grew enormous, raising a fist a full third the size of the guild.
The giant fist froze in mid-air. Makarov was conflicted. If this punch landed, the guild would probably be shattered, and rebuilding the guild would cost a lot of money.
But if I don't smash it, I'll feel uncomfortable keeping this anger inside.
As Makarov struggled to make a decision, Hughes was fast asleep in the corner, came into Makarov's view.
Hughes lay on his side on the ground, a lewd smile on his face, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth. The bundle that Gildarts never parted with was now clutched in Hughes's hand.
The package had been opened, and several slightly creased photo albums were placed around Hughes.
Makarov: (^ω^)
He wasn't angry, he wasn't angry at all; his current mood was as beautiful as the pictures of the beautiful women in the photobook.
No wonder he's angry!!
Makarov:(╬◣д◢)
He even faced a life-threatening situation while completing the task temporarily entrusted to him by the Magic Council.
Why is it that he risks his life outside while these bastards in the guild have it so easy?
The giant, golden fist descended like a massive iron hammer, striking Hughes, this tiny nail.
With a loud bang, the entire Fairy Tail guild shook violently, groaning and creaking, revealing a deep crater in the ground.
"You damned brats! I've only been away from the guild for a few days, and you've already turned it into this mess!"
The exaggerated noise, coupled with Makarov's furious roar, was like a vengeful ghost knocking on the door, waking most people up.
Except for Hughes, who was inside the pit, he slept even more peacefully than before.
I drank too much last night, and now I can't see people clearly. It took Macao a long time to rub his eyes before he recognized the figure in the distance as Makarov.
"It's the student council president!"
"You're back, so don't disturb people's sleep! You're 82 years old, don't you have any manners?"
Macao got up, yawned, put his hand back into Wakaba's mouth, and went back to sleep.
"Ugh, ugh!"
Macao's sudden thrust almost made Wakaba vomit. After spitting twice at Macao on the ground, Wakaba looked at Makarov with dazed eyes.
"President, could you bring me breakfast later? Just the breakfast place you usually go to is fine."
Wakaba continued to lie down and sleep, his thigh, which was being held by Gildarts, unconsciously stretched forward until his dark toes touched Gildarts's lips before suddenly stopping.
Makarov, having withdrawn his Giant Magic, heard the snoring that had resumed within the guild and sighed silently, his short figure becoming much more hunched.
Two lines of tears silently slid down my cheeks. Being a good person is meaningless; I just want to retire...
In the midst of grief, two small figures appeared at the guild entrance. One was Erza, dressed in armor with a knight's sword slung across her waist.
The other is Cana, who is filled with unease, carrying the breakfast she prepared for Gildarts.
Last night, the two of them returned to the guild dormitory very early, unlike Natsu and the others who played around in the guild until late at night.
Mira and her two siblings also went home early, leaving Hughes alone in the guild eating, drinking, and joking around.
Erza stood beside Makarov, glancing sideways at Makarov bandaged body. Her eyes widened in shock and worry. "Guild Master, how did you get hurt?"
Makarov is one of the "Ten Wizard Saints," how could he be injured?
Makarov's tears flowed even more freely; finally... finally someone cared about him.
"Erza..."
Makarov, wailing loudly, opened his arms, ready to give Erza a big hug.
He was so touched...
"Clang!"
Makarov's soft forehead struck Erza's hard armor with a resounding clang.
In an instant, Makarov's eyes rolled back, and his body stiffened as he collapsed.
"President, President!" Erza caught Makarov's body just before he hit the ground, shaking him violently.
Meanwhile, inside the deep pit, Hughes slowly awoke, sat up, and looked around in surprise.
Hughes: (·∀·)... It seems like someone took advantage of him while he was asleep!
It must be Gildarts. I won all of his photo albums last night, and that old bastard is holding a grudge and is taking revenge while I'm asleep.
Hughes glared angrily at Gildarts...
"Ah... this!" Hughes, instantly regaining his senses, quickly took out the Recording Magic Crystal and recorded the scene before him.
Based on what he saw, Hughes had every reason to believe that Gildarts had not attacked him.
Gildarts, still asleep, was now nibbling on Wakaba's toes, the slow, slurping motion disgusting to behold.
Erza was still shaking Makarov, saw Hughes wake up and, as if she had found her pillar of support, hurriedly shouted, "Hughes, come quick! The guild master seems to be dying!"
"What? The chairman's failing? Quick, find out where the pension fund is hidden!"