At this point in time, Sabertooth didn't have much reputation yet, and they had absolutely no connection whatsoever with Fairy Tail.
So that meant this muscle-bound meathead's hostility...
Came from Minerva?
Chase mused silently to himself.
Back on the ruins island, he hadn't actually been sure whether that little girl cheering was really Sabertooth's young miss.
After all, there was a seven-year gap in the timeline, and his impression of what Minerva looked like as a child wasn't very strong.
The reason he'd reached this conclusion was because Makarov, after returning from the Magic Council meeting, had mentioned that someone had accidentally awakened the Eighteen Demon Gods Magic!
"Got a problem, kid?"
Seeing Chase suddenly walking toward him, Jiemin maintained his arrogant, arms-crossed posture, his tone dripping with disdain.
That said, he was actually quite surprised that Chase would boldly walk right up to him, a guild master.
Just a mere guild mage...
Hearing this, the other guild masters all looked over with puzzled expressions, wondering what Chase was planning.
If they remembered correctly, that was Jiemin of Sabertooth, right?
Didn't they have absolutely no connection with Fairy Tail?
Under the gaze of the assembled masters, Chase's expression didn't change as he met Jiemin's fierce glare.
The atmosphere grew somewhat tense.
After a few seconds of silence, Chase finally spoke, demanding, "What are you looking at?!"
Jiemin, who had prepared for all sorts of scenarios—even planning to slap Chase with an offense for disrespecting a guild master—was left speechless.
Seriously, dude? You storm over here all aggressive just to say that?
For a moment, Jiemin suddenly felt that the young man before him wasn't quite as reckless and impulsive as the rumors suggested.
"Hmph! Are all you Fairy Tail people so unreasonable? That so-called rescue of the ruins island in the newspapers is probably just exaggerated hype to grab readers' attention."
Jiemin snorted coldly, trying to provoke Chase.
"None of your damn business."
Knowing full well what this bastard was trying to do, Chase naturally wouldn't lay a hand on him in front of all these guild masters.
At least... not until they were somewhere private!
"How arrogant."
Jiemin glanced at Makarov, who remained calm in the distance, and a sinister smile curled at the corner of his mouth. "But I appreciate brats like you!"
"I am Jiemin, master of Sabertooth. Pleased to meet you."
As he spoke, he proactively extended his muscular, broad palm toward Chase.
If you won't take the bait, then let me put you in your place first!
Although Sabertooth's reputation couldn't compare to Fairy Tail's, Jiemin was still a guild master and outranked Chase in status.
In front of all these masters, if Chase dared not shake his hand, then Fairy Tail as a whole would lose face.
If he did dare to shake, then Jiemin—who specialized in physical enhancement magic—had absolute confidence he could crush the other's hand.
After all, it was widely acknowledged throughout the magical world that card mages had relatively low physical strength!
"So you're Master Jiemin. I look forward to getting along."
To Jiemin's surprise, Chase didn't hesitate at all. Smiling, he extended his hand and shook Jiemin's!
Heh, ignorant fool...
Jiemin chuckled coldly, then veins bulged on his muscular arm as he squeezed with all his might.
BOOM!
A thick purple aura erupted from him, unleashing a powerful magical storm.
Almost simultaneously, surging dark golden magic burst forth from Chase, matching Jiemin's output.
Their tightly clasped hands trembled violently under the blessing of their immense magical power, and the oppressive force released by this collision permeated the entire venue, whipping up a violent storm!
Those present were all guild masters; they weren't frightened by this magical clash. Instead, they narrowed their eyes and watched with keen interest:
When did Sabertooth and Fairy Tail cross paths? Enough for Jiemin to personally step in and intimidate?
Wait, judging by the sheer magical power, it seemed he'd bitten off more than he could chew!
How monstrous. Fairy Tail's S-Class mages... I'll have to find a chance to poach from Makarov later. Perfect timing—this old man has a lovely 178cm granddaughter...
"Hey, Makarov. Someone's going after your kid. Aren't you going to stop this?" Goldmine of Mermaid Heel glanced at Chase and Jiemin.
Makarov sat casually in a chair, legs crossed, waving his hand dismissively. "Stop what? They're just having a friendly exchange."
With his keen eye, he could instantly tell that Jiemin was no match for Chase and was only asking for trouble.
More than that, he was curious why some nobody cat had targeted Chase.
"Fame isn't always a good thing, is it, Makarov-chan~" Bob of Blue Pegasus said sweetly.
"Stop calling me that! It's disgusting!!"
Makarov broke out in goosebumps instantly.
While they chatted easily, Jiemin, at the center of the magical
storm, was undergoing a dramatic change in expression. Beads of sweat the size of beans dripped from his forehead.
'He doesn't look that strong, but what's with this magical power and strength?!'
'Could the intelligence be wrong? Is this brat also a physical fighter, not some damn card mage?!'
Feeling the growing pain in his hand, Jiemin couldn't help but felt shocked.
Too proud to admit he was being overpowered by some mere brat, he growled and put forth every ounce of strength he had, clearly prepared to go all out!
Chase's advantage ultimately lay in his cards, and under such pressure, he too began to feel some pain.
Yet even so, his expression remained calm.
"Gentlemen, would you do this old man a favor and stop? We mustn't delay the meeting."
An aged figure slowly walked into the magical storm.
He was a small, thin old man draped in chieftain's robes, with a kind and benevolent appearance.
The master of Cait Shelter, the guild that existed for just one person—Robaul.
Recognizing the speaker, Chase immediately withdrew his violent magic and proactively released his right hand, which had been gripping Jiemin's wrist.
There weren't many guild masters here worthy of his respect, but Robaul definitely counted one.
To stop Nirvana, Robaul had transformed into something akin to a Thought Projection (actually a spirit), guarding the seal for decades or even centuries, waiting for someone to destroy Nirvana.
Moreover, to keep Wendy from feeling lonely, he had directly projected dozens of phantom personalities that persisted for years. The magical power of his original body was unfathomable!
"Hmph!"
Jiemin unobtrusively shook his arm, glanced disdainfully at Chase, and then directly turned and walked out of the venue.
"Hey, Jiemin! The meeting's about to start. Where are you going?" A familiar guild master called out.
"This boring meeting doesn't interest me. If there's a problem, the Magic Council can write to me!"
Without looking back, Jiemin walked out of the venue with a cold face and disappeared around the corner of the entrance.
Leaning against the wall in a corner, he looked around to make sure no one was watching. His indifferent facade immediately crumbled as he puffed out his cheeks and frantically blew on his swollen right hand.
"Hoo! Hoo! Damn it! That bastard brat! Hoo! Hoo! Is he really a card mage?!!"
***
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