In the neglected outskirts of Magnolia stood a shabby building, with the words "Fairy Tail" roughly nailed onto the entrance using wooden planks, appearing extrely crude.
The hall was completely visible upon entry. Macao's son, Roo, had grown into a thirteen-year-old youth and had officially joined Fairy Tail.
Roo sat at a table, chanically flipping through a book with a numb expression, while Macao and Laki stood behind him looking incredibly worried.
"Roo... are you really not going to check it out?" Macao asked his son nervously.
Roo, like an emotionless robot, turned the pages chanically and murmured:
"What's there to see? We've been searching for seven years and never found a single clue..."
Macao lowered his head and sighed. "This ti... it's news brought by Blue Pegasus. They might have really found sothing."
Roo's hollow eyes showed absolutely no light as he continued, "It's been seven years already..."
Macao had no response.
He knew exactly what his son was worried about.
At first, not being able to find everyone was truly despairing, but after so much ti had passed, finding them now might... not be good news.
After all, the probability of anyone still being alive after seven long years was too small...
"Well, well, well... why are there even fewer people today?!"
Just as the atmosphere grew heavy again, the guild's creaky wooden door was kicked open.
Five oddly-shaped people swaggered in with their hands in their pockets.
The leader, an ugly man carrying a spiked club, loudly mocked as soon as he entered.
"Can this still be called a guild? It's more like a hobby club! Hehe..."
"Thibault! We agreed to pay you back next month!"
Macao imdiately tensed up upon seeing the unwanted visitors.
Thibault sneered. "Can't help it. Our Guild Master isn't willing to wait~ Better hand over the money today."
Macao gritted his teeth hard, clenching his fists without speaking.
The Guild Master of Twilight Ogre was nad Banaboster, a cunning rchant Mage.
With decent combat magic and ruthless business acun, he had co to Magnolia early on to establish himself.
However, at that ti, Fairy Tail dominated Magnolia completely, effortlessly forcing Banaboster to give up his plans.
But after the Celestial Spirit Mages disappeared, Fairy Tail's status declined steadily.
Catching wind of this, Banaboster imdiately moved back into Magnolia, entirely replacing Fairy Tail's position in the city.
Later, seeing Fairy Tail's financial situation worsening, Banaboster sched to have Macao borrow a large sum of money with completely exorbitant interest rates.
Unbeknownst to Macao, Banaboster had already bribed certain local connections.
Instead of getting more work to pay off the money, the guild was illegally burdened with compounding interest and various extortionate fees—like protection money—making their situation even more dire.
Unfortunately, Macao was unaware of all this for the ti being.
Moreover, whenever Twilight Ogre's mbers ca to collect debts, he felt too guilty to fight back due to their perceived moral disadvantage.
Otherwise, with the strength of those currently present, they wouldn't have been bullied by soone like Thibault.
Thibault, emboldened by his advantage, laughed arrogantly:
"What's with that look? Don't forget, you bunch of relics discarded by the tis are no longer the strongest guild you once were!"
"Let give you so advice. Why not just sell this guild? Maybe after paying off your massive debts, you'll even have so spare change left! Hahahaha!"
Macao's eyes nearly blazed with fury, but he instantly dismissed the idea of abandoning the guild.
Just as he was about to speak, Roo, who had been sitting at the table nearby, suddenly sprang to his feet.
Roo threw his book aside, his heart filled with pure rage, and strode toward Thibault.
Positioning himself directly in front of Macao, he shouted at them:
"We won't disband, and we won't let scum like you run wild here!"
Thibault looked down at Roo and sneered, "What's with the attitude, kid?"
Purple flas ignited in Roo's palm as he said solemnly, "If this continues, the na of Fairy Tail will be irreparably tarnished!"
"I don't want to be a coward! I want to fight!"
Thibault drew his spiked club and snorted coldly, "Your na is already mud."
Macao's eyes widened, and he rushed toward Roo, shouting.
"Stop!"
Thibault rcilessly raised his spiked club and swung it violently down toward the crown of Roo's head, jeering.
"Trash like you will always be beneath our feet!"
The club descended viciously, but Roo's eyes showed absolutely no hesitation.
He stood his ground, refusing to dodge, bracing his slender fra against the lethal blow.
"Scum."
A cold voice suddenly rang right in Thibault's ear.
The next mont, he felt his club fly completely from his grasp, and his body was slamd heavily into the ground as if crushed by a massive steamroller.
In the next instant, raging flas, sharp ice shards, an extending iron rod, and a massive fist rained down upon the intruders.
The four ugly n accompanying Thibault were instantly defeated in a single, perfectly coordinated move.
Macao and Wakaba stood completely frozen in place, while Roo stared dazedly at the large group of people who had miraculously appeared before him.
Laki, Nab, and Bisca, upon seeing those impossible, familiar faces, couldn't hold back their tears as they wept uncontrollably.
Ankh twisted his foot, violently grinding Thibault's face into the floorboards.
He looked at the stunned Roo and chuckled softly, "That was brave of you, Roo."
Roo trembled all over.
The shocked cries of his father and the others echoed in his ears, and right before him were the familiar faces he hadn't seen in so long.
It felt as if his soul had just returned to his body, and his entire being was transported to another world.
Ankh, the Guild Master, Natsu, the strongest team, Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe, Gildarts and his daughter, Gajeel and Levy, the three Strauss siblings, Juvia, and the three Exceeds...
And... a few unfamiliar faces, along with certain companions who had gone out to search for Tenrou Island.
Roo's soul returned to his body, the weightless sensation fading away as the feeling of solid ground beneath his feet beca vividly clear.
He finally confird it—this wasn't a dream, but reality!
The warm, incredibly emotional atmosphere spread through the hall.
By now, no one cared whether Thibault and the others on the floor were dead or alive, as everyone rushed desperately toward the companions they had missed so dearly.
They embraced each other in tears, gesturing animatedly while sharing endless, overlapping stories.
After so many long years, lively commotion had once again beco the main the of this guild hall.
Natsu noticed Roo still staring at him in a total daze and couldn't help but flash his familiar, sunny smile, sighing with genuine emotion:
"You've grown so much, Roo!"
Imrsed in the warm atmosphere where tears and laughter intertwined, and seeing the bright smile and hearing the words of the person he admired most, even though the building remained as dilapidated as ever, Roo felt as if he had returned to the comforting, safe environnt of his childhood.
Roo could no longer contain his longing.
Tears stread down his cheeks as a long-lost, genuinely happy smile spread across his face. His voice trembling, he responded.
"Natsu-ni... everyone..."
"Welco ho!"
---------
Read 40 chapters ahead and support on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator
User Comments
0 comments from readers