The crystal ball in the center of the conference table suddenly glowed with a soft light. After a slight hum, two figures emerged above the sphere, and the projections of Mirajane and Lisanna were clearly visible.
Makarov's eyes lit up, immediately tossing his previous displeasure to the wind. His small body hopped over to the crystal ball, and he pointed a finger at the projection, showing off proudly to the surrounding guild masters.
"Look, look! These are the Poster Girl sisters of my guild! Aren't they beautiful? Aren't they?!"
His mustache twitched as he spoke, his face practically screaming "praise me." His smug demeanor was just like a peacock spreading its tail feathers.
Riyao was not to be outdone. With hands on his hips and chin held high, nostrils flared toward the sky, his voice was full of irrepressible pride: "One is my wife! The other is my sister-in-law!"
After speaking, he intentionally scanned the surrounding guild masters out of the corner of his eye. His expression clearly said: Envious? Jealous? Can't help it, that's just fate.
Seeing the two of them showing off in tandem, the corners of the surrounding guild masters' mouths twitched in unison.
Someone rolled their eyes, someone pretended to look at the ceiling, and someone silently raised a wine glass to hide their face. Did these two really have to show off this much?
Mirajane maintained her composure, but the joy on her face was impossible to suppress. "Riyao, and Master,"
Her voice carried a hint of excitement. "The Dark Guild Iron Forest has obtained Lullaby and is planning to assassinate all the guild masters at the regular meeting!"
This sentence was like a bomb, instantly shattering the relaxed atmosphere in the hall.
Lisanna poked her head out from behind her sister, her short hair swaying gently. She took over, her tone filled with unconcealed excitement: "But don't worry! Erza has already formed a team with Gray, Natsu, Happy, and Lucy, and they've set off to intercept them!"
When she mentioned those names, her voice noticeably jumped an octave. Her eyes were sparkling, her smile almost reached her ears, and her small fists were clenched in front of her chest.
The surrounding guild masters had varied reactions.
Some looked worried, brows furrowed as they whispered to those beside them; others didn't care at all, waving it off and continuing to drink as if it had nothing to do with them.
As for our Master Makarov, the moment he heard those names, it was as if his soul had been sucked out.
His complexion turned from ruddy to pale, then from pale to a deathly grey at a speed visible to the naked eye. His small frame swayed as if he might collapse at any moment.
His mustache, which had been perked up high, now drooped down. He lost all color, looking like a faded old photograph.
Bob rested his chin on one hand, his pinky finger lightly tapping his cheek as he teased with a smile, "Oh my, aren't those the most rambunctious members of your guild? Erza plus Natsu plus Gray... isn't that the legendary demolition squad?"
Makarov covered his face with both hands and let out a heart-wrenching wail.
"Why did these brats have to form a team?! My retirement fund!!!"
His voice echoed through the venue, carrying the infinite worry of an old man for his later years.
Riyao, sitting nearby, was laughing so hard he couldn't stand straight. He slid off his chair and crouched on the floor, clutching his stomach and laughing wildly, tears almost coming out. "Hahaha... cough, from the guild to here, I remember they have to pass through Oshibana Station. I bet a battle will break out there. Hahaha..."
Bob and several other masters covered their mouths and snickered, their shoulders shaking.
Makarov clutched his chest, twitching, wishing he could sprout wings and fly there to stop them. Images of the station being reduced to rubble and the Council sending a massive bill for damages already flashed before his eyes...
The considerate Riyao climbed up from the floor, reached into Makarov's pocket to pull out that medicine bottle, popped out two Vitamin C tablets, and stuffed them into the old man's mouth, then patted his back to help him catch his breath.
"Old man, I know you're anxious, but don't be anxious yet," Riyao said while patting him, his tone tinged with a bit of schadenfreude. "It's been a while since Mira sent the message. Even if you flew there, you'd probably only see the ruins of the station."
Hearing these heartbreaking words, Makarov nearly fainted. His eyes rolled back, and his body leaned backward.
('́͂̀] ∠)_
Far away at the regular meeting, Riyao's brow suddenly twitched.
He felt the magic formula he had left on Natsu become active, precisely intercepting the overflowing Dragon Force. It was almost imperceptible, like scooping a spoonful of water out of the ocean.
"Natsu, that stat monster... he's still too overpowered," Riyao lamented inwardly.
If not for Igneel's Dragon Force suppressing it within his body, that kid would have dragonized long ago. Zeref's masterpiece is truly no joke.
Riyao's lips curled slightly as he downed the Yongchuang Tiantang in front of him. The spicy liquid slid down his throat, bringing a burst of burning pleasure.
...
The sighing Makarov suddenly raised his head, his cloudy old eyes looking outside the venue.
The powerful masters present also noticed it. An aura thick with malice was approaching—cold and viscous, like something rotten spreading through the air.
"This aura..." Makarov's mustache quivered slightly, his voice deepening. "It's not magic power; it must be that Lullaby."
The capable guild masters rose one after another and walked outside with crisp movements. Meanwhile, some useless old fogies remained in the venue, some still drinking, others looking around blankly, completely unaware of the situation.
Next was Makarov's time to perform his art of speech.
He gave Kageyama a session of talk therapy, ending with a cool view of his back as he walked away.
If the blonde kid from the neighboring village saw this, he would definitely call him a fellow professional.
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps approached.
Erza arrived on the scene with Gray, Lucy, Natsu, and Happy. The group looked travel-worn, clearly having sprinted all the way.
Seeing Makarov, Erza didn't say a word but rushed over, grabbing Makarov's head and pressing it against her chest. "Master!"
"That speech you just gave... it brought tears to my eyes..."
Makarov's head was pressed against Erza's armor, letting out a dull thud. The old man's face was squeezed out of shape, his mustache skewed to one side, and a muffled groan escaped his lips: "So hard!"
Riyao took advantage of the chaos to lean in, patting Makarov on the head and saying with a grin, "Good job, old man!"
Makarov wanted to curse, but with his head still pressed down, he could only make "Mmph mmph mmph" sounds.
Just when everyone thought it was a Happy ending.
The defeated Lullaby on the ground suddenly let out a piercing laugh, sharp and distorted like metal scraping against glass.
"Too ridiculous... too ridiculous..."
A massive dark purple magic circle materialized in the air, its complex runes flickering with an eerie light in the darkness. In the center of the magic circle, a giant figure slowly emerged—the true form of Lullaby, a massive demon with three blood-red eyes and a mouth pulled back to reveal uneven... well, let's call them fangs.
"All just a bunch of useless Mages who are all show and no substance..." The demon's voice was like thunder, making the ground tremble. "I might as well just eat you all myself..."
The freed Lullaby looked down disdainfully at everyone present, its three eyes full of contempt and greed.
Seeing such a massive demon, the soldiers of the Kingdom's army were momentarily stunned, then began to cheer each other on: "Don't be afraid of the giant monster! Everyone, charge!"
Lullaby noticed this group of Muggles. Its three eyes narrowed simultaneously, and a cruel smile curled its lips. It opened its massive mouth, and a dark purple laser surged from deep within its throat.
BOOM!!!
The entire hilltop was instantly destroyed. Rocks shattered, trees turned to ash, and dust billowed into the sky.
"All of you, back off, you nobodies!"
Except its aim... was a bit off. The hilltop was gone, but the Kingdom's army was completely unharmed, though they were scared witless, scrambling and crawling as they ran back—
"Quick... retreat!!!"
Riyao watched these buffoons and couldn't help but sigh, facepalming. It seemed that in the anime, these Kingdom forces almost never served any purpose. The Council's Rune Force was the same—great at dealing with good people, but always late when dealing with the bad guys.
The guild masters had somehow already retreated to a distance, standing in a safe zone and shouting toward them, "Go for it, kids!"
Lucy twisted her hands together, saying with a bashful look, "Oh dear, it seems I don't have any usable Celestial Spirits today..."
Happy flapped his wings and flew over, deadpanning, "Those are just excuses."
Lucy's face instantly flushed red as she roared, "Shut up! You stupid cat!"
Riyao watched this scene, a slight smile playing on his lips. He raised his hands, and several magic circles appeared around him, runes flowing in the air: "You've been buffed. Now go in and feed."
His tone was relaxed and casual, as if he were saying, "The weather is nice today."
[Life Link: Hundred Battles]
[Enchantment Magic: Fire Enhancement, Frost Enhancement, Sharpness Enhancement...]
Beams of light shot out from the magic circles, enveloping Natsu, Gray, and Erza respectively.
The auras of the three surged instantly, surging power pulsing through their muscles.
Erza didn't waste any words. Light enveloped her, and a crimson magic circle appeared beneath her feet.
"Requip! Heaven's Wheel Armor!"
The light faded, and she held a longsword in each hand, their blades reflecting a cold light in the sun. With a tap of her toe, she soared into the air and charged toward Lullaby.
Gray followed closely behind, pressing his hands together as ice-blue magic power condensed in his palms, opening an ice-blue magic circle.
"Ice-Make: Lance!"
Over a dozen ice Lances formed out of thin air and shot toward Lullaby.
Natsu was probably low on magic power, as he launched himself like a cannonball, jumping into mid-air to give Lullaby a plain and simple "Fire Dragons Iron Fist!", a straightforward punch slamming hard into Lullaby's face.
And at this very moment.
Riyao pulled out two glow sticks from somewhere and waved them to cheer them on, shouting, "Fairy Tail's strongest team! Go for it!"
He didn't forget to shove two glow sticks into the hands of Lucy, Happy, and Makarov each.
Happy immediately started waving along with Riyao, his short legs hopping up and down as he shouted, "Aye sir!"
Makarov's small body swayed left and right to the rhythm, his mustache twitching along.
Only Lucy covered her face with her hands, peeking through her fingers with one eye, completely overwhelmed by shame. "Why... why are we doing this..."
Her voice was muffled by her palms, carrying a deep sense of despair.
Riyao turned a deaf ear and continued waving the glow sticks, even switching it up with a crisscross pattern.
"Keep it up! You're the best!"
Watching this scene, Lucy just wanted to find a hole to crawl into.