Chen Fan sat quietly by Makarov's side, looking at the deep wrinkles on the old man's face. He couldn't help but recall their first meeting and all the little moments over the years. Tears began to flow down his face unconsciously.
Creak...
The sound of the door opening made Chen Fan turn. He hurriedly wiped his eyes with his sleeve and looked toward the entrance. Porlyusica walked into the room.
Seeing that Chen Fan hadn't slept, a flicker of happiness for Makarov rose in her heart. They were all such filial children. However, her face remained largely expressionless; she had long since forgotten how to express her emotions.
She walked over to Chen Fan and spoke coldly, "You should get some sleep. I heard what happened. It's not your fault. That old fool has had this ailment for a long time. You just happened to be there when it triggered."
"No, it's my fault. This condition is triggered by intense emotional stress, isn't it? Don't lie to me; I'm a doctor myself." Seeing that Porlyusica didn't refute him, Chen Fan clutched his head in pain and continued, "It must be because I didn't listen to him. I made him angry. It has to be that."
Looking at the guilt-ridden Chen Fan, Porlyusica felt a slight ache in her chest. Although she had no fondness for humans in general, she thought quite well of Chen Fan, whom Makarov praised constantly. She had heard his medical skills were excellent and had even thought of making him her successor, though she had never said it aloud.
Suddenly, Chen Fan spoke, as if to her, yet also to himself. "The first person I met when I came to this world was the Master. He saved my life. From that moment on, I decided to repay him. Since I lost my relatives early, I've considered the Master my closest family for years.
Fairy Tail is my home, and the guild members are my family. This feeling makes me feel safe and happy... a feeling I hadn't experienced in a long time. I cherish it, but now I... I..." Chen Fan clenched his fists, his lip trembling as he lost the ability to speak.
"Then stay here and continue to wallow in self-reproach," Porlyusica said before walking out. For someone like her who stayed away from crowds, she had no idea what words to use to express her feelings.
Chen Fan remained by Makarov's side until his eyelids grew heavy and eventually closed. When he woke up, it was morning.
He looked up and realized the bed was empty. Panicked, he scanned the room until he saw Makarov standing by the window. Seeing Chen Fan wake up, the old man greeted him, "Yo, brat. You're finally awake."
Seeing Makarov looking so energetic, Chen Fan sighed in relief. He joked with a laugh, "Yo, old man. How are you so fragile? You flew off after just a tiny touch." He held up his thumb and forefinger to show a tiny gap.
Hearing this contempt, Makarov jumped like a cat that had its tail stepped on. He shouted at Chen Fan, "What?! How dare you speak to me like that! I just wasn't in top form yesterday! Have a go at me again if you've got the guts!" He began rolling up his sleeves as if preparing for a brawl.
"Fine by me! Come on then!" Chen Fan taunted him.
"You come here!"
"No, you come here!"
Suddenly, a voice interrupted them. "Master! It's terrible! The members of the Phantom Lord guild are attacking us!"
"What?!" Chen Fan and Makarov shouted in unison. Chen Fan finally remembered the event where Phantom Lord attacked Fairy Tail, but he hadn't expected it to happen so soon. With the Master away, he had no idea what state the guild was in. Panic flared in his heart.
He grabbed the messenger by the shoulders and shouted excitedly, "Tell me! How is the guild? Is anyone hurt? How are Erza and Mira? And..."
"Brat, calm down," Makarov said.
Chen Fan snapped out of it. Too much had happened lately, and his brain, which hadn't needed to think critically for years, was struggling to keep up. He released the man's shoulders and apologized, "Sorry, sorry. I was a bit impulsive just now." The man waved him off, indicating he was fine.
The messenger turned back to Makarov. "Master, Phantom Lord is currently leading an assault on our guild. What should we do?"
Makarov sank into thought before suddenly looking up at Chen Fan. "Brat, I'm leaving this matter to you."
Chen Fan instinctively wanted to decline, but seeing the gravity in Makarov's eyes, he swallowed his words. With a serious face, he said to the Master, "Don't worry. I'll take care of this." With that, two whirlwinds appeared under his feet, and he flew toward the Fairy Tail guild hall.
Watching Chen Fan fly away, Makarov muttered to himself, "I wonder how many trump cards you're still hiding, brat." He realized this was the perfect chance to see Chen Fan's true strength. He wondered how much Jose could force out of him. He quickly followed behind.
At that moment, the muzzle of the Phantom Lord's magic convergence cannon, Jupiter, was aimed directly at Fairy Tail. Magic elements were gathering at the tip, forming a sphere of energy that transitioned from deep blue to pitch-black.
Erza was standing in front of the guild hall, having already requipped into her Adamantine Armor. The shields on her arms were held firmly in front of her.
Boom!
With a deafening explosion, the magic blast was fired. The sea and the earth it passed over were gouged out, leaving a deep trench behind.
Bang!
The blast slammed into Erza's shields. She poured every ounce of her magic power into her defense, but she still couldn't hold it back.
Her body was sent flying.
Whoosh!
A figure suddenly appeared beside Erza, catching her just before she hit the ground. With a casual wave of his hand, he erased the remaining magic energy from the air.
"Chen Fan!"
"Chen Fan is back!"
"The guild is saved!" The members were ecstatic. After all, Chen Fan was someone who could trade blows with Makarov and even knock him back. Even if Makarov hadn't been in top form that day, no one could deny Chen Fan's power.
Natsu started to move forward to check on Erza and ask about the Master, but Mira stopped him. She looked at Chen Fan, then back at Natsu, blinking to signal him not to interfere.
At that moment, Erza spoke with difficulty. "I'm sorry... I couldn't protect the guild." A strained smile appeared on her face.
"It's okay. You did very well. Get some sleep; I'll handle the rest," Chen Fan said to her gently.
Hearing his response, Erza closed her eyes in relief, a slight smile remaining on her lips.
Chen Fan gently laid Erza on the ground and stood up. He turned toward the members of the Phantom Lord guild, his expression twisting into something truly hideous and savage.
"You... all deserve to die!" Chen Fan stomped his foot onto the ground.
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