"Ahahaha! There are still so many good people in this world! Now I can ask the old man to build a Dragon's Nest~!"
Natsu suddenly popped up, interrupting Lucy's complicated thoughts.
"We're a legal wizard guild. What exactly are you thinking, wanting to build something that weird in a town?!"
Lucy sighed heavily, set aside her guesses, jumped in, and shredded the bizarre, ugly image of a Dragon's Nest that was forming in Natsu's mind.
"That won't work, Natsu. The shape of the guild hall has already been decided, you know."
For once, Happy wasn't on Natsu's side. He shook his head and put on a troubled expression.
Lucy was about to compliment him for being so unusually reasonable—until Happy continued with a completely serious face: "Since it's a new guild hall, we definitely need to buy a super huge aquarium as a centerpiece."
"When everyone's tired from work, they can watch it and relax!"
Lucy immediately shot him a skeptical look. "Not a bad idea. But are you sure that's what you're really thinking?"
"Aye~!" Happy raised his hand excitedly.
"'Aye,' my ass—"
Lucy pointed indignantly at the drool continuously dripping from the corner of Happy's mouth. "Before saying stuff like that, can you at least wipe your drool first?!"
Talking about relaxing—this damn cat just wanted a free all-you-can-eat buffet.
"I get it now, Lucy. You're just eliminating the competition. You want to use that good person's billion Jewels to buy those revealing clothes!" Happy fired back.
"Yeah, yeah! A Dragon's Nest is way more interesting!" Natsu also stepped up to condemn her.
"Wh-Where are there any revealing clothes?!"
Lucy immediately panicked, dashed over, and clamped her hand over Happy's stinky mouth. At the same time, she emphasized, "And that billion Jewels is the guild's public funds!"
"Ara ara~ Sounds like I accidentally overheard some explosive news."
Mira at the counter was smiling brightly. "No wonder Lucy is so popular in the guild~"
Lucy's face instantly turned bright red. She was socially dead on the spot.
"You two are idiots beyond compare. You still don't know who donated the funds."
Gray walked over and looked at Natsu with a disdainful glance.
"Pervert! Who are you calling an idiot?!"
"Whoever answers—that's who. That's right, Natsu, I'm talking about you!"
"You really dare to say that?! You want me to knock you down right now?!"
"Try me! I still haven't settled accounts with you for yesterday's fusion!"
At the drop of a hat, the two rivals were forehead-to-forehead again.
But this time, they didn't start fighting like usual—a barrel suddenly flying in from the side sent both of them, dazed and dizzy.
"Say that again, you bastard!"
A harsh scolding followed.
Lucy and Mira stopped joking and looked up with serious expressions.
Erza's face was dark. Her fists were clenched tightly, as if she was holding back her anger.
Across from her, Laxus sat with his legs crossed, wearing an arrogant, untamed, punchable smile.
"I've already made myself very clear. This guild doesn't need weaklings."
"I heard there were a few pathetic guys who almost got taken out by Phantom Lord's attack. Who were they? Hah. Disgraces to the guild. I can't even be bothered to remember their names."
Levy and her two teammates, who had been called out, lowered their heads in disappointment.
"And you—that Celestial Spirit mage over there. Thanks to you, the guild got destroyed like that. Useless and nothing but trouble—"
"Laxus!"
Mira couldn't listen anymore. She braced her hands on the temporary counter and emphasized sternly, "This wasn't anyone's fault. You ignored the recall notice. You have no right to criticize anyone here. That's what the master told me!"
"This has nothing to do with me. If I had joined the fight, those Phantom Lord bastards wouldn't have even made it to our door!"
Laxus was unmoved. Instead, his attitude became even more arrogant.
"You bastard!"
Natsu, having recovered, yelled and charged at Laxus with a fiery fist—but he missed. Laxus had simply turned into a bolt of lightning and dodged his attack.
"You heartless bastard! If you've got guts, fight me right now!" Natsu roared in frustration.
"Hahahaha! You can't even touch me. You think you can fight me?!"
Laxus regrouped his physical form, spread his arms wide, and laughed extremely arrogantly.
"If I become the guild master, I'll expel all the weaklings and everyone who defies me! I'll build the strongest guild—one that no one can just walk up and attack, one whose very name makes people tremble in fear!!"
Hearing this, everyone around lowered their heads unwillingly.
Even though they couldn't agree with what Laxus was saying, the fact remained that they weren't as strong as him.
Erza's patience had reached its limit. Even gentle Mira began to emit dark purple magic waves from her body.
"Oh? I thought there was a bad smell at the construction site today. Turns out it's just you running your mouth, Laxus."
A somewhat taunting voice came from the
entrance of the fence.
Relieved sighs came from the guild members as Chase, followed by Dark Magician Girl, walked in with a smile and slowly approached Laxus.
His arrival brought a subtle change to the tense, oppressive atmosphere.
"You sure know how to pick your timing, Chase—"
Laxus put away his arrogant, arrogant posture. The muscles hidden under his clothes tensed slightly.
Due to the venue constraints, Erza and Mira could at most put on a show. There was no way they would actually start a fight with him here. No need to worry about them.
But that guy Chase? He didn't care about that. He really might just come at him with a full-powered attack!
After mentally preparing for battle, Laxus continued, "I heard about your fight with Jose."
"You're different from those weaklings. So how about it? Want to come over to my side?"
"If we team up, we can definitely turn Fairy Tail into the strongest guild in Fiore—no, in all of Ishgar!!"
Facing his "enthusiastic" invitation, Chase had only one cold sentence: "Are you done?"
Whoosh.
A flash of light. Several cards instantly appeared between Chase's fingers.
The message of rejection was quite clear.
"You! Hmph! One day, I'll make you realize what a stupid decision it is to stay with these weak wastes!"
In the end, Laxus's momentum weakened.
He knew very well what punishment he would face in the guild for attacking his comrades. At least for now, he could still endure. He didn't want to completely ruin his relationship with the old man.
After leaving behind this harsh statement, Laxus turned into yellow lightning and vanished.
With his departure, the tense, tense situation immediately relaxed.
"What a disliked, rebel child."
Chase put away his cards and sighed, shaking his head.
Now that he had Polymerization and God Slayer magic, he was completely confident that he could beat Laxus to a pulp. But that wouldn't solve the core problem.
Laxus's rebellious nature—only when his own patience reached its limit, when he started a civil war and released all his pent-up emotions, would he realize during the fight how much he truly valued his comrades.
That was the logic. But just now, for a moment, Chase had really been ready to throw down—Laxus at this stage was just too damn punchable!
When it came to "patience," the contest between the two had actually begun long ago!
"How magical. The moment that annoying fly leaves, the air immediately becomes fresher."
Chase took a deep breath, put on a relaxed and comfortable expression, and walked straight toward the temporary counter.
Before he even arrived, Mira had already taken a warm breakfast out from behind the counter and pushed it in front of him with a beaming smile.
***
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