Fairy Tail: My Magic is a Yu-Gi-Oh! Deck — Chapter 143

Chapter 143: Give Your All for the Glory of the Guild!

By the time the group finally returned to Magnolia, night had already fallen over the quiet town.

However, the sheer magnitude of their arrival ensured that sleep was the last thing on anyone’s mind. Windows flew open along the cobblestone streets, framing the stunned faces of the local residents.

The chaotic mages of Fairy Tail—a guild practically synonymous with property damage and public nuisance—were actually arriving on a Magic Council-exclusive airship! The townsfolk rubbed their eyes, wondering if they were trapped in a collective fever dream. Chase’s neighbors, in particular, were dead certain they had simply gone to bed too early and were hallucinating.

Every single time the Magic Council showed up in Magnolia, it was to drag someone from Fairy Tail away for an interrogation over a blown-up mountain or a leveled city block. How on earth were they receiving a royal escort this time?

“Hey, hey, no way… did the Council actually send their own airship to drop them off?”

“Crap, do you think Chase finally snapped and conquered the Council?!”

“What in the world is happening? Honey, pinch me, I have to be dreaming!”

“Ow! Damn it, I said pinch me, not try to rip my cheek off!”

Amidst the rising tide of bewildered gossip, the massive magic airship slowly descended, its magical thrusters humming as it touched down gracefully on the surface of the large lake at the edge of town.

After stepping off the deck and offering a polite wave of thanks to Lahar, who had personally commanded the escort, Chase and the rest of the group made their way toward the construction site of their new guildhall.

Even after just a single day, the progress was staggering.

The main structural framework was already standing tall against the night sky. It was a grand, three-story building designed in the style of a classic Western castle, perched right on the edge of the water. Looking up at the towering scaffolding, one could already sense the imposing majesty the finished hall would possess.

The construction site itself was quiet, the workers having long since gone home. The only source of illumination came from the warm, flickering light of the temporary outdoor bar set up nearby.

Makarov, who had clearly received advance notice of their arrival, sat perched on the counter, a massive wooden mug of ale in his hand.

Spotting the group emerging from the shadows, the diminutive old man raised his free hand, his cheeks flushed with a drunken, cheerful glow. “Yo! Welcome back, brats!”

“We’re home, Master,” Mirajane replied, her signature sweet smile blooming across her face.

The group dispersed, pulling up chairs and settling around the scattered wooden tables opposite the bar.

Juvia, however, lingered in the back. She crouched alone in an inconspicuous, shadowy corner of the site, her knees pulled to her chest. Her entire focus was locked onto Gray, who had—at some point during the walk—completely discarded his shirt.

Although she had traveled back with them and the atmosphere had thawed considerably during the journey, she was still acutely aware of her status. She wasn’t a member of Fairy Tail. Standing in the presence of Makarov, a Guild Master whose magical power rivaled that of Jose, left her feeling incredibly intimidated.

“I heard all about what happened over there. Chase, Mira, you’ve worked hard.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Makarov suddenly burst into a fit of uproarious laughter. He hopped down from the bar, scurried over to Chase, and began slapping the young mage’s shoulder with heavy, rhythmic thumps. “Not bad! Not bad at all! You didn’t let this old man down!”

“Hahahaha! Yajima told me that Michello and Org looked like they’d swallowed sour milk! Oh, it’s just too perfect!”

Councilors Michello and Org had always been Fairy Tail’s harshest critics, constantly slapping the guild with fines, issuing warnings, and loudly advocating for their forced disbandment. Just picturing the scene of those two stuffy old men getting thoroughly humiliated in their own headquarters sent Makarov into another fit of breathless cackling.

“Setting your petty amusement aside, we have a serious problem, old man. You and I need to have a little chat.”

Chase casually reached up and peeled Makarov’s hand off his shoulder. His expression flattened into a deadpan stare. “What exactly is this ‘Ten Wizard Saints’ proposal you threw my way?”

Lucy, who had just sat down next to him, nearly choked on her own spit. Old man?! You can’t just call the Guild Master that!

“Oh my, Chase, you really shouldn’t be so rude to the Master,” Mirajane chimed in, though she was covering her mouth to hide a soft giggle.

Erza simply sighed, pressing her fingers against her temples as if fighting off an incoming migraine.

Even Natsu and Gray, who had been in the middle of trading vicious blows to each other’s faces, froze mid-punch and turned their heads to watch the drama unfold.

“Ah… ha, ah ha ha… Yajima told you about that, did he?”

Makarov immediately clasped his hands behind his back, furrowing his brow and sticking out his lower lip in an exaggerated display of innocence. “Why, it’s a title that every mage on the continent dreams of attaining! I naturally assumed you’d be thrilled.”

“I’m not like the two muscle-brained idiots in our guild who would gleefully jump into a pit of spikes just because someone drew a target at the bottom.”

Chase waved his hand dismissively. “Withdraw the proposal immediately. I have absolutely zero interest in taking that assessment.”

Veins instantly bulged on Natsu and Gray’s foreheads. “Damn it, Chase! Who are you calling an idiot?! Say that to my face!”

Lucy’s eyes widened as she watched the two boys completely miss the point. They really are idiots! They took the bait without a second thought!

From the shadows, Juvia’s cheeks flushed. Gray-sama looks so incredibly cool when he’s angry… he’s not afraid of Chase at all!

“I’m afraid that’s impossible. The Council has already officially passed the proposal. If we withdraw it now, the guild will be hit with an astronomical fine!” Makarov declared, crossing his arms as if the matter were entirely out of his hands.

“How much?”

“Eh?”

“I asked, how much is the fine?”

Chase leaned back in his chair, waving his hand with the casual grandiosity of a king dismissing a peasant. “Don’t bother deducting it from the guild’s funds. I’ll pay it out of my own pocket.”

For a man sitting on a personal fortune of nearly a billion Jewel, any problem that could be solved by throwing money at it wasn’t a problem at all.

Hearing this, Makarov’s jaw dropped. He had completely forgotten that Chase was absurdly, disgustingly wealthy.

“A total miscalculation! I forgot you aren’t one of the broke newbies who can’t even afford their monthly rent!” Makarov wailed, clutching his bald head in despair.

Lucy, who had just been silently judging Natsu and Gray, suddenly flinched, clutching her chest as if an invisible arrow had pierced her heart.

Is it really necessary to attack people so directly?! And what do you mean, a broke newbie who can’t pay rent?! My lease isn’t even up yet!

Happy’s head suddenly popped out from the cleavage of Lucy’s ample chest, his paws resting on her collar. “Hey, hey, Lucy, I think the Master is talking about you.”

“Shut up, you stupid cat!” Lucy shrieked, driving her elbow into Happy’s side.

“Ahem.”

Makarov coughed loudly into his fist, desperately trying to salvage his ruined strategy. He dropped the comedic act, his expression turning grave. “Chase, the money is a secondary issue. The real problem is the stain this will leave on Fairy Tail’s reputation.”

“If word gets out that we backed down, the entire continent will say our guild is full of cowards who surrender without even trying.”

“That’s perfectly fine. It’s your reputation taking the hit, not mine,” Chase replied smoothly, not missing a beat.

Makarov’s eye twitched violently.

“Honestly, Master, I understand what you’re trying to do. But if we’re talking about someone worthy of the Ten Wizard Saints title, we have mages far more suited for it than me.”

Seeing that throwing money at the problem wasn’t working, Chase smoothly activated his trap card: Scapegoat. “Take Gildarts, for example.”

“Aw, man, so it’s just Gildarts…” Natsu and Gray groaned in unison, their shoulders slumping in deep disappointment.

Lucy whipped her head toward them. “What exactly were you two expecting?!”

At the mention of that name, the lively spark in Makarov’s eyes dimmed. A heavy, deep fatigue seemed to settle into the deep wrinkles of his face.

“The Master actually brought this exact proposal up to him three years ago. In response, Gildarts immediately packed his bags and left to take on a 100-Year Quest,” Mirajane explained, a wistful smile on her lips.

“Is that so? Hey Mira, do we happen to have any 100-Year Quests available on the board right now?”

“You little brat, is that really your takeaway from this?!”

Makarov launched himself into the air, delivering a vicious, fatherly karate chop directly onto the top of Chase’s head. “A 100-Year Quest isn’t something you just casually pick up to avoid paperwork!”

While Chase’s growth had completely shattered Makarov’s expectations—reaching a level of power comparable to a Wizard Saint in just two and a half years—he was still young. With his current level of worldly experience, surviving a 10-Year Quest was his absolute limit. He was nowhere near ready to step into the abyss of a 100-Year Quest.

Those were legendary missions. Quests where the greatest mage teams in history had ventured out, only to never be seen again for an entire century. The sheer magnitude of danger involved was beyond human comprehension.

Looking down at Chase, who was currently rubbing the top of his head with an annoyed grimace, Makarov let out a long, heavy sigh. He turned his back to the group, his shoulders sagging as he began a slow, agonizingly sluggish walk back toward the bar.

“Forget it. Since you truly have no desire to participate in the assessment, I will travel back to the Council tomorrow and formally withdraw your name.”

His voice trembled slightly, thick with the sorrow of a broken old man. “At most, I’ll be mocked. Ridiculed by those stuffy politicians. Laughed out of the room. It’s fine. I can take it. I’m used to the humiliation…”

Watching that lonely, desolate figure shuffle away in the dark, Chase felt a rare twinge of guilt prick at his conscience. “Uh, Master, hold on. It’s not like I’m completely against the idea…”

“Really?! You’ll do it?!”

Makarov spun around with terrifying speed, his face completely devoid of sorrow, replaced instead by a blinding, triumphant grin. “Then it’s settled! Give your absolute all for the glory of the guild!”

Chase stared blankly at the old man’s beaming face. The aura of the tragic, lonely elder had vanished without a trace.

…This old bastard just played me.

“Oh my, oh my. As expected of the Master,” Mirajane giggled, clearly having seen through the act from the very beginning.

“I must admit, my own acting skills are severely lacking compared to the Master’s,” Erza noted, resting her chin on her hand in deep, analytical thought. She always applied her intense, unwavering seriousness to the strangest things.

“I really don’t think that’s a skill you need to practice, Erza,” Lucy muttered, taking a moment to silently mourn Chase’s defeat.

“Oh yeah! Now I’m fired up!” Natsu roared, igniting his fists.

“You aren’t the one taking the test, ash-brain!” Gray snapped.

And just like that, Chase found himself reluctantly roped into the Magic Council’s political circus.

However, he wasn’t about to roll over completely. He immediately laid out three non-negotiable conditions. First, he would put in a reasonable effort, but he absolutely refused to guarantee he would pass. Second, even if he did secure the title of Wizard Saint, he would not be dragged into the Council’s endless bureaucratic messes. Third, and most, he was not going to become the next Guild Master.

Makarov nodded eagerly, agreeing to every term without a second thought.

His true goal in pushing Chase toward the Ten Wizard Saints wasn’t to chain him to a desk. It was to force the boy to interact with the absolute pinnacle of the continent’s magical elite, to temper his character, and to broaden his horizons. As long as Chase took this first step, the future would naturally sort itself out.

With that massive headache finally resolved, Makarov’s posture relaxed entirely.

“Now then, there is one last piece of business.”

He shifted his gaze toward the dark corner where a certain water mage was still huddled. “Since you’re already here, I might as well address this now. Come on out.”

The moonlight spilled over the quiet construction site. For a moment, nothing moved among the dismantled steel pipes and wooden scaffolding.

“Gray, why on earth did you take off your underwear?! Put it back on, you exhibitionist!” Lucy’s voice suddenly shrieked through the quiet night.

Instantly, a head popped up from behind a stack of steel pipes, her eyes literally shaped like glowing pink hearts.

“Ahhhh! Gray-sama’s completely naked body!”

“My underwear? When did I—oh, wait, it’s still on!”

Despite the sheer chaos of the moment, the synchronized panic of the ice mage and the water mage felt strangely harmonious.

Realizing that she wasn’t actually going to see what she had hoped for, Juvia snapped out of her trance. Blushing furiously now that the entire group was staring at her, she slowly shuffled out of the shadows.

She stopped a few feet away from Makarov, her fingers nervously twisting the fabric of her coat. “M-Mr. Makarov… hello. Have you eaten dinner yet?”

“I have. Have you?” Makarov replied, his tone perfectly serious.

“Thank you for asking. I have as well,” Juvia nodded solemnly.

Lucy deadpanned. What is with this incredibly awkward, zero-nutrition small talk?

The silence stretched, thick and uncomfortable.

Clearing his throat loudly, Makarov decided to cut straight to the chase. “I’ll be direct with you, Juvia. Do you want to join Fairy Tail?”

He had noticed her presence long before tonight. In fact, the little water mage had probably spent more time lurking around the construction site over the past few days than he had.

“Ah?! I… I can?!” Juvia gasped, her dark eyes widening in sheer disbelief.

“Of course.”

“But… but just a few days ago, I did such terrible things to your guild… to your family…”

“That is already in the past. You were simply following Jose’s orders as a soldier of your guild.”

The heavy coat of the Ten Wizard Saints fluttered gently in the night breeze. Makarov offered her a warm, grandfatherly smile and extended his right hand. “As long as you are willing to walk a new path, the doors of Fairy Tail are always open to you.”

Guiding lost youths out of the darkness and into the light was the sworn duty of the older generation. It was a responsibility Makarov took more seriously than anything else.

Hearing those words, the dam broke. Tears welled up in Juvia’s eyes, spilling hot and fast down her pale cheeks.

During the time she had spent secretly watching Gray—and imagining an entire life with him—she had found herself completely captivated by the warm, chaotic, and fiercely loyal atmosphere of Fairy Tail. It was the polar opposite of the cold, ruthless, strength-obsessed halls of Phantom Lord.

This place felt like a real home.

“Yes! Juvia is willing!”

She lunged forward, grasping Makarov’s hand with both of hers as she sobbed freely.

Watching the scene unfold, the rest of the Fairy Tail mages simply smiled. None of them looked the least bit surprised.

“Juvia, welcome to Fairy Tail!” Lucy cheered, being the first to run over and offer her congratulations.

Finally! Now I’m officially a senior member of the guild! I need to make sure I act like a proper, reliable senpai, Lucy thought, her chest puffing out with pride.

Her triumphant fantasy was instantly shattered as Juvia slowly turned her head, fixing Lucy with a terrifying, venomous glare. “Love rival!”

“Huh?! No, no, wait! You’ve definitely got the wrong idea!” Lucy shrieked, frantically waving her hands in front of her face.

“Just you wait! Juvia will never lose to you!” Juvia declared, her magical energy flaring as her blue hair whipped wildly around her face, casting dark, menacing shadows across the dirt.

“…She’s not listening to a word I say!”

“Hey Lucy, you should probably know that Juvia was an S-Class Mage back in Phantom Lord,” Happy chimed in, raising a paw in a helpful, entirely unhelpful manner.

All the color drained from Lucy’s face. Terrified, she scrambled backward, instinctively diving behind Chase for protection. Her grand dreams of being a respected guild senior crumbled into dust before they even began.

“The new guildhall will be finished soon. We’ll handle your official registration and the public announcement once the doors open,” Makarov said, his calm voice cutting through the rising chaos and saving Lucy from further torment. “If everything goes according to plan, we should have another newcomer joining us by then.”

Earlier that day, while escorting the Trinity Raven assassins to the Council, Makarov had crossed paths with an old friend—the gentle, dove-leaning Councilor Belno.

During their brief chat, Makarov learned something fascinating. The Iron Dragon Slayer of Phantom Lord, Gajeel, bore a striking resemblance to Belno’s late son. Even before the war between the two guilds had erupted, Belno had secretly approached Gajeel, urging him to abandon Jose’s toxic influence and find a guild that would actually care for him.

Using that connection, Belno had provided Makarov with Gajeel’s current whereabouts, practically begging the old master to pull the boy out of the darkness and bring him into Fairy Tail.

Makarov had already been considering the idea himself. Doing an old friend a favor was just the icing on the cake, so he had agreed without hesitation.

He planned to track Gajeel down within the next few days. Once the new guildhall was complete, he would introduce both of their former enemies as the newest members of their chaotic family.