Outside, on Tenrou Island, the erosion of Death God Power on Ankh's body vanished, and the Divine Power contamination on all the members disappeared as if it had never existed.
The Fairy Sphere that Mavis had desperately unleashed now glowed with a stronger, more resilient light before instantly vanishing within the Black Dragon's roar.
The sea was blasted into a massive whirlpool, and the dark clouds in the sky dispersed entirely.
Acnologia, soaring through the air with a flap of his wings, looked down at the vanished Tenrou Island and a flicker of doubt rising within him.
'Something's wrong... I don't feel his disappearance...'
...
In X791, the magical world's structure gradually spiraled out of control after the war seven years prior.
According to announcements released by the Magic Council, Fairy Tail's main combat force, the Tenrou Team, had unfortunately encountered the Black Dragon Acnologia during their campaign against the strongest Dark Guild, Grimoire Heart.
Grimoire Heart was annihilated, and after a mysterious presence severely wounded Acnologia, the enraged Black Dragon destroyed the Tenrou Team along with the island, leading to their heroic demise.
The Council, with timely support from their allies in the Alvarez Empire, rushed to the scene and blockaded the waters around Tenrou Island, making immense efforts.
However, the critically injured Black Dragon managed to escape.
After consolidating the continent's intelligence network, the Council widely publicized the causes and outcomes of the war to highlight their decisive and courageous leadership.
Yet... many Mages scoffed at the Council's claims.
Especially the guild leaders, with the Guild Masters of Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, and Quatro Cerberus at the forefront, privately scorned the Council's self-praise.
It was obvious—the real formidable foes must have been Fairy Tail, who successively battled Grimoire Heart and the Black Dragon, and possibly even Alvarez and the Council.
Now, their achievements were being buried, with the Council even taking partial credit for themselves.
Blue Pegasus Guild Master Bob sat behind the counter, holding a newspaper.
His usual flamboyant yet gentle smile had vanished, the muscles on his face twitching as he slammed the newspaper onto the table.
"The Council bastards are insulting Fairy Tail Mages again!"
Beside him at the counter sat Hibiki, who had fought alongside Ankh years ago and had matured into an even more handsome man over the past seven years.
He picked up the newspaper, scanned it briefly, and let out a long sigh.
The newspaper didn't say much, but one column specifically reported on how the once strongest guild, Fairy Tail, now resided in a dilapidated building in impoverished conditions.
The interview clearly aimed to vilify these Fairy Tail members while ignoring their past achievements.
"They're being shameless. It's been seven years already..." Hibiki massaged his temples as he spoke.
Eve remained in his youthful, boyish form as he rushed over to report to Bob.
"Master, we've detected increasingly strong Magic Power fluctuations around Tenrou Island these past few months!"
The tsundere Ren asked: "Should we inform the Fairy Tail members?"
Bob regained his normal smile and nodded: "Go ahead. Discuss it with everyone at Fairy Tail—having some hope is always better than none."
At that moment, the starry Ichiya-sama leaped out, striking a pose as he declared firmly: "No problem! The perfume of lost companions doesn't smell good at all! Men!"
The handsome quartet immediately set out, boarding the Christina airship to head toward Fairy Tail.
Guild Master Bob sat alone behind the counter, gazing at a group photo of all the young guild masters from his youth. His tone was lonely and low as he murmured to himself.
"Macao... You must still be alive, right?"
...
Seven years passed in the blink of an eye.
Having lost all its powerful combatants, Fairy Tail was no longer Magnolia's only Magic Guild.
Deprived of its strong fighters and facing indifference from higher authorities, Fairy Tail soon retreated to Magnolia's outskirts.
Initially, the old mayor had protected them, but after the old mayor retired and passed away, the new mayor held no special affection for Fairy Tail.
Commissions given to Fairy Tail grew increasingly scarce.
The once-thriving guild saw its members dwindle away until it became Fiore's weakest-ranked guild.
With income failing to cover expenses, the guild naturally grew more dilapidated.
Today, members of Magnolia's Magic Guild, Twilight Ogre, had come again, smashing guild tables and chairs under the pretext of debt collection, bullying the members before leaving.
Amid the wreckage-filled guild, everyone remained slumped where they were, their expressions full of despondency and powerlessness.
Now officially in his forties, Macao sat helplessly collapsed before the counter, his hair thinning and a scruffy beard grown out.
Macao covered his face with his hands, hunched over in silence.
The air in the guild grew bitterly heavy as everyone looked at the shabby hall, their hearts weighed down by depression and suffocation that refused to lift.
Reedus, once plump, had become as thin as a bamboo pole.
He lowered his eyes and began flipping through his old sketchbooks.
The spirited Ankh and Laxus sat drinking together, surrounded by the Thunder God Tribe.
Makarov was shaking his hips while performing in the Fantasia Parade.
Gildarts proudly showed off a struggling Cana in his arms.
Shadow Gear striking poses, Gajeel tearfully hugging Lily, Lucy and Natsu playfully fighting, the Mirajane siblings taking a group photo, Erza scolding Natsu and Gray while Wendy held Carla back trying to mediate...
As the pages turned, the images appeared vividly before their eyes, as if... they were still here.
Everyone in the guild was in low spirits, their eyes moist, with sobs echoing clearly in the pin-drop silent hall.
Wakaba's pompadour had long disappeared, his hairline receding as he smoked a cheap cigarette, breaking the deathly silence:
"...It's been seven years already..."
"Has it been that long? How nostalgic."
The now grown-up Max sat helplessly on the remains of a broken stool, patting the tearful Warren beside him:
"Everything changed after that."
Jet, who had taken off his hat and tied up his hair, said with a trembling voice and tear-filled eyes.
"Since the Council told us the news, we've never stopped searching."
"Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale... everyone has been helping us look for traces of them, but we haven't found a single person..."
The now chubby Droy cried like a child, whispering.
"The concentration of magic particles detected on Tenrou Island that day far exceeded what humans could maintain their form with..."
"Why... why did Acnologia have to come for them!"
"Everyone might really have..."
No one present wanted to mention that word, even though the hope they could see now was incredibly slim.
Wakaba smoked silently: "Perhaps... we should end this too."
The former short-haired girl, the Wood-Make Mage Laki, as one of the few remaining female Mages in the guild now, suddenly stood up to oppose, tears streaming down her face.
"Please don't say that! Maybe... maybe everyone is still..."
Macao covered his face, trying to block the bitter and broken tears, trembling.
"Wakaba, I feel... I can't hold on any longer..."
"Romeo hasn't smiled happily even once since that day!"
Hearing these "weak" words from the middle-aged man who had shouldered everything when the guild collapsed, Wakaba still smiled and encouraged his best friend:
"You've done well enough, Fourth Generation..."
Just then, the guild's dilapidated building began to shake, and Macao stood up nervously:
"Dammit, is it those Twilight Ogre guys again?!"
"No!"
Jet looked out from the window and shouted: "It's Christina from Blue Pegasus!"
The pegasus visiting the fallen fairy—would the news they bring be joyful or sorrowful...