"Ooooh! The super manly old man appears!"
"Wait, Gildarts from Chase's side? Wasn't he kept back at the guild by the Master?"
"Why did he suddenly come? Is he here to participate in the final battle?"
"Hey Gildarts! Fight me!!"
Gildarts's sudden appearance successfully captured everyone's attention.
Future Natsu, the reckless idiot, charged in without a second thought, fists blazing, and was immediately knocked out cold.
When it came to putting people to sleep, Fairy Tail's S-Class mages clearly had plenty of experience and brutally efficient techniques.
No one at the scene cared. Some even laughed mockingly.
Only Future Happy, who wasn't human, flew over and kindly kicked the little white spirit emerging from Future Natsu's mouth back into his body.
Future Natsu revived instantly, a bright smile on his face as he looked at Gildarts with admiration. "You really are strong!"
"Wasn't that already obvious?!" Future Lucy retorted.
"Oh my, Master, didn't you go to collect from the organizers? Why did you bring Gildarts back instead?" Future Mirajane asked in confusion.
"Haha! Mira, I saw your fashion showdown. It was amazing!"
Gildarts immediately recognized this as the future world's Mirajane and went over to greet her. If it had been his own world's Mira, she'd be all over Chase right now.
"Probably had to ransom him out," Chase said with a shake of his head.
Though he didn't know why Gildarts had suddenly come to Crocus, he could more or less guess what had happened from Old Makarov's dejected expression.
"Sigh..."
Makarov and Future Makarov inside the card both let out deep sighs, confirming his guess.
To get more compensation, the two Makarovs had even prepared a draft before meeting the organizers, ready to argue from the angles of costs incurred, severe consequences, and potential impacts to justify their protection of the venue.
But they never expected that before they could even open their mouths, the royal family handed them a letter of damages.
A man had appeared in the southeast of Crocus that afternoon, causing varying degrees of damage to surrounding buildings and infrastructure. After witness identification and guard investigation, it was confirmed that the culprit was a Fairy Tail mage!
So the organizers, who had been about to contact Fairy Tail, ran right into Makarov, who had come to collect fees.
In the wrong, Makarov could only apologize profusely. After negotiation, using his and Chase's contributions to protecting the venue as leverage, he successfully got Gildarts back.
After hearing the full story, the others didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Sorry about that, Master. The terrain here is way too complicated. Nothing like Magnolia's convenience," Gildarts said with a helpless scratch of his head, looking rather unapologetic.
Future Lucy muttered quietly: And whose fault is it that Magnolia is so convenient?
"You brat! I told you to stay put at the guild!"
Makarov slammed the table and stood up angrily, baring his teeth like a rabid beast, spittle flying everywhere.
The whole reason he hadn't brought Gildarts to Crocus was precisely because he knew about his habit of unconsciously releasing magic when lost in thought.
"So why did that idiot father from your side come here, and where's this side's idiot father?" Future Cana asked.
Upon seeing his beloved daughter, a sheepish Gildarts instantly transformed into a doting father, completely ignoring which world she was from. He lunged at her and wrapped her in a tight hug.
"...Die!"
Future Cana kicked him straight into the tavern ceiling, where he stuck.
Future Natsu and Future Gray clung to each other in terror: "S-So scary!"
After the commotion.
With a size-40 shoe print on his face, Gildarts slowly recounted the full story.
After watching the match between Chase and Future Jura at the guild, he had started itching for adventure. His first choice wasn't Crocus, but his future self from seven years later.
From the guild's request records, he had learned roughly where Future Gildarts had gone, and tracked him there in disguise.
After all, they were the same person with the same thoughts and tendencies. Soon, in a remote village plagued by a giant magical beast, he found Future Gildarts.
It turned out that shameless bastard had gotten involved with a beautiful village girl!
Gildarts couldn't stand it. He and Future Gildarts went out to the outskirts and had a massive brawl.
Future Gildarts thus learned of the existence of another world's Fairy Tail and had an epiphany.
The village had a magic device broadcasting the Grand Magic Games live.
At first, he had thought Chase was an "outside ringer" hired by Makarov.
In the end, after winning the girl's affection, Future Gildarts promised to stay hidden during the Grand Magic Games to avoid exposure.
And so, after all that wandering, Gildarts had finally arrived in Crocus that afternoon.
"Damn it! While we were participating in the Grand Magic Games, Gildarts had this kind of romantic encounter!"
"Still, it's amazing you managed to find this place."
"A real man—"
"Is a playboy!"
The others immediately started chattering. Future Cana looked at Gildarts with utter disgust.
"Haha, as expected of you, old man. You can find beautiful love anywhere~" Chase laughed heartily and patted Gildarts's shoulder.
At that, the disgust in Cana's eyes deepened. She shifted away, putting a completely unfamiliar distance between herself and Gildarts.
Gildarts's mouth twitched. That damned card brat did that on purpose!
He immediately launched a counterattack, pointing at Future Mirajane beside Chase. "Not bad yourself, Chase. In just a few days, you've gotten this close to the other Mira?"
"Of course. We're guildmates after all. I'm pretty close with Lucy and Natsu too," Chase said matter-of-factly.
"Oh my, as a guildmate, Chase is certainly reliable~"
Future Mirajane showed no embarrassment whatsoever. Instead, she rested her chin on her hand with a gentle smile.
Gildarts: "..." Miscalculated. I should have gone for Future Erza instead!
Future Erza, who was sitting nearby eating strawberry cake, suddenly froze.
"Alright, alright. Let's get back to business."
Makarov cleared his throat twice, interrupting their conversation. He hopped onto the tavern counter, his expression turning serious.
"Now that Gildarts is here, I'll announce the lineup for the day after tomorrow."
Thanks to Chase's intervention, Princess Hisui had remained quiet. She hadn't done anything stupid like locking Lucy up to ensure the Eclipse Project proceeded smoothly.
So they didn't need to split into two teams. They just needed to win the championship securely and wait for the Eclipse Gate to open.
Hearing this, both Natsus in the tavern and in the card space stopped what they were doing, looking at Makarov with eager anticipation.
When Gildarts had appeared, Chase had opened the information-sharing channel between the card space and the tavern. The battle-hungry members like Elfman and Gajeel also showed the same reaction.
The final day's event was a five-person survival battle. There was no doubt they could fight to their hearts' content and make Fairy Tail's name known!
Future Lucy and Future Wendy, however, had the opposite reaction. They both took half a step back.
Like students hoping not to be called on by the teacher, they lowered their heads, afraid to meet Makarov's gaze.
The tavern owner behind them kept wiping the table corners, pretending to be busy, while subtly angling his ear to eavesdrop.
Fairy Tail's performances over the past few days, especially today's, had been so dazzling that even this former bystander had unknowingly become a fan. He was dying to get the inside scoop to show off to other fans.
Unfortunately, Old Makarov was very particular about secrecy. He had Future Warren use Telepathy Magic to establish an internal channel.
"Considering the competition between Teams A and B is still ongoing, the first four members will be."
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Makarov slowly spoke. "From the original Team A: Erza and Future Gray. From Team B: Future Laxus and Cana!"
Hearing this, the battle-hungry members' hearts sank. Future Lucy and Future Wendy, however, couldn't help jumping for joy, shouting "Yes!"
"Still can't get off the ban list, huh..." Chase sighed with some regret.
Though Old Makarov's arrangement seemed unexpected on the surface, upon reflection, it was actually quite reasonable and fair.
Each team had one S-Class mage and one quasi-S-Class mage. This ensured they could secure the championship without completely crushing their opponents' spirits.
It also gave opportunities to members who hadn't had a chance to perform in previous days.
"Old man! The fifth member is definitely me, right?!" Natsu asked with hope.
"You idiot! The Master said he's considering team balance. Why would he pick from us?!" Lucy dashed his final hope.
"Aye~ Could it be me?"
Happy crossed his paws, feeling pretty good about himself. "Though the other guilds might surrender on the spot, for the guild's honor, I wouldn't mind making an appearance!"
Carla couldn't help but roll her eyes. "You're overthinking it."
"Lucy's right. The last member isn't from the official or substitute roster."
"That person is—"
At this, Makarov deliberately paused, successfully drawing everyone's attention and curiosity. Then he suddenly grinned in the most insufferable way. "Temporary secret~"
"That's all. Tomorrow is a rest day. Aside from Gildarts, everyone can enjoy Crocus freely. Be at your best for the final victory!"
With that, without giving anyone a chance to question him further, the old man hopped off the counter, grabbed Gildarts's hand, and turned to leave the tavern.
Gildarts: "W-Wait, Master. This is a bit intimate, don't you think?"
"Haha! I told you, you can't leave my sight. Come on, let's go have tea with little Ya~!"
The crowd, feeling like ants crawling all over them: "COME BACK HERE!!!"
That night, many people were destined to lose sleep.
The next day.
With no Grand Magic Games matches, Crocus was unusually bustling. Tourists filled the streets, even livelier than the preliminaries.
This year's tournament had far exceeded previous ones in excitement. Many who hadn't planned to attend in person had rushed over, wanting to experience the final survival battle live.
Crocus's overall revenue skyrocketed, ushering in its final hurrah.
Chase, Mirajane, and Erza walked along the wide avenue. This was their first three-person date.
Mirajane wore a black off-shoulder dress and red high heels. Her white hair, clearly carefully styled, fell naturally. On her iconic bangs was the flower Chase had given her earlier.
Erza wore an elegant burgundy gown. Her high ponytail, tied with a black ribbon, also had a flower pinned to it.
Unlike the disdain and mockery they had faced on their first day in Crocus, now just their normal stroll drew gasps of admiration.
In a magic world where strength commanded respect, their performances in the Grand Magic Games had turned their Fairy Tail emblems into symbols of honor. Every passerby cast them looks of admiration and respect.
"Lucy and the others are so rude. They said since it's a rare rest day, they want to explore the card space. They didn't even consider your magic power consumption," Mirajane pouted.
"Well, it's mostly just Old Makarov and a few others who use up a lot."
Chase smiled. "And this works out perfectly. Our companions can all come out and enjoy themselves."
"Lucy is so lucky to have a brother like you, in any world," Mirajane said with a hint of envy.
She couldn't help but recall her childhood, being treated like a monster, hiding with Lisanna and Elfman.
If only she'd had a reliable big brother like Chase back then!
Because this world's Lucy and Fairy Tail have been through too much, Chase thought to himself.
"Haha, and not just that. In the future, she'll have you two as big sisters too."
Catching his meaning, Mirajane's face flushed. "Wh-What are you saying, you card nerd! I might not even marry you!"
"M-M-MARRY!!"
Triggered by those two words, Erza on his other side instantly started steaming.
She hadn't fully recovered from the sheer audacity of the "three-person date" idea, and now she was even more flustered, picturing herself and Mirajane walking toward Chase in wedding dresses.
"Heh. There's no escape for you two now." Chase raised his hands, interlacing his fingers with both women's.
It was both a firm response to Mirajane's comment and a way to help Erza adjust. "Hmph. What a bossy guy."
"I-I-I'm willing!"
"Oh my, speaking of which, why isn't the old-fashioned girl wearing her stiff armor today?"
"None of your business, you white-haired schemer who only knows how to fake cry!"
Seeing them about to go at it again, Chase quickly interrupted. "So, is there anywhere you two really want to go today?"
Mirajane and Erza stopped bickering and turned to speak in unison: "Tequila Paradise!"
***
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