"Boom!"
In an instant, the gravel beneath Chen Fan's feet exploded like a field of landmines. The stones shot toward the members of Phantom Lord like bullets from a close-range machine gun, even generating brilliant sparks as they whistled through the air.
Everyone caught in the crossfire erupted into a mist of blood. Some lost legs, others lost hands, and those unlucky enough to be struck in the head died instantly. Screams of agony filled the air.
The aggressive members of Phantom Lord were instantly scattered like birds in a panic.
But Chen Fan had no intention of letting them go. He stomped his foot, causing all the scattered stones to levitate around him. He ran his fingers lightly over the gravel; where his fingertips touched the stone, the air rippled like a pebble dropped into a still pond.
"Whoosh!" Streaks of fire lanced through the air. Each flash was followed by a wretched scream that sent a shiver through anyone listening.
Finally, with the last scream, the world went silent. Chen Fan looked up and closed his eyes. How long had it been? How long since he had last indulged in a slaughter? He missed this feeling. A faint smile played across his lips.
Lowering his head, Chen Fan turned his gaze toward Fairy Tail, the smile still lingering on his face. Suddenly, his expression froze.
Every member of the guild who met his gaze instinctively retreated several steps or looked away. Not a single person dared to look him in the eye.
A sense of despair washed over Chen Fan. He had always known that a day might come when he would no longer be accepted by them, but he hadn't expected it to happen so suddenly.
His eyes began to take on a dark gray hue. He couldn't see it himself, but if he had, he would have recognized the symptom of nearing Level 5. In his past life, when he reached Level 5, his eyes had turned silver-gray.
Suddenly, Chen Fan felt an intense gaze on him. He turned his head and saw Mirajane. Her eyes were filled with worry, concern, and a strange sort of excitement. Chen Fan felt a jolt in his heart, and his eyes returned to their deep, soul-piercing black.
After a long moment, the other members of the guild snapped out of it. The deep-seated fear had vanished. Though they were still somewhat rattled, it wasn't like before. They were wizards, after all, not ordinary people. They had seen magic with far greater destructive power than Chen Fan's; his methods had simply been a bit more visceral.
Natsu and Gray ran up to him, slamming their hands onto his shoulders. "Chen Fan, you're amazing! You're even stronger than you were the other day!"
Thwack! Gray punched Natsu. "What do you mean 'stronger'? Chen Fan just didn't show his full strength that day."
"Yeah, that's right!"
"Chen Fan is truly powerful."
"I told you guys my boss was incredible, but you didn't believe me," Elfman shouted from the crowd. A few starstruck members even whispered, "Rage for a beauty... I want to find a man like that." Mira's face flushed with an awkward tint at the comments.
The sudden shift in atmosphere was a bit much for Chen Fan to process. Then he remembered this was the Fairy Tail style. He let out a relieved chuckle.
Suddenly, a loud, slow clapping rang out. Everyone turned toward the source of the sound: the Phantom Lord guild building. Chen Fan realized the old man was still alive; he had been too distracted to notice.
"Impressive, impressive. As expected of Fairy Tail, to have a character like you. Where is Makarov? Has he run away in fear?"
"What did you say?!"
"You're not fit to speak our Master's name!"
"Who do you think you are?!" The members of Fairy Tail immediately began hurling insults at Jose. Chen Fan raised a hand for silence, and the guild quickly quieted down. Perhaps his display of power had been so shocking that, in the Master's absence, they had instinctively begun to follow his lead.
"Heh, Guild Master Jose," Chen Fan said mockingly. "Our Master is a busy man. He doesn't have time to deal with rotten potatoes and stinking bird eggs like you, so he sent me to play with you instead. By the way, so many of your members just died, and you haven't shed a single tear? Aren't you afraid they'll come back to haunt you?"
Crack. The sound of something breaking echoed from within. It seemed Jose was genuinely provoked by Chen Fan's taunts.
"Sharp-tongued brat. I wonder if your strength matches your mouth. Jupiter, prepare to fire!" As Jose's voice fell, the muzzle of the magic cannon began to gather magical elements once more. A ball of light, blue to the point of being black, reappeared at the tip.
"Boom!"
Jupiter fired once again at Fairy Tail. The momentum was even more spectacular than the first time; the moisture on the sea's surface evaporated instantly. The blast was more than twice as large as the one Erza had faced.
"Chen Fan, get out of the way!"
"You can't block this one!"
"You don't have Erza's Requip! No matter how strong you are, you can't stop that!" These guys really thought Chen Fan was just some brute; just because his superpowers didn't produce magic circles didn't mean they lacked complexity. They really had no imagination.
Chen Fan turned sideways and gave them a small smile. He extended his left hand toward the incoming magic blast. While Chen Fan intended it to be a confident smirk, to the rest of the guild, it looked like a smile of farewell. They screamed his name, some even breaking into tears.
The magic from Jupiter struck Chen Fan's hand as intended, and the blue-black light swallowed his silhouette.
"......!"
"Boom!" The magic projectile was reflected back at an even higher speed. It slammed into the muzzle of Jupiter, triggering a massive explosion. The enormous mobile headquarters of Phantom Lord hadn't even begun its transformation before it collapsed onto the sea, sending up a massive spray of water.
The members of Fairy Tail stood with their jaws on the floor, unable to believe what they had just witnessed.
After a long silence, a deafening cheer erupted. Every face was covered in smiles as if a giant weight had been lifted from their hearts.
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