As Chen Fan finished speaking, everyone turned toward the source of the voice. Chen Fan walked forward step by step with a smile on his face, and the crowd automatically parted to create a path for him.
"Chen Fan!"
"Chen Fan is back!"
"Now things are getting interesting." Small whispers broke out among the crowd. After all, Laxus almost always ended up being the one who suffered whenever he went up against Chen Fan.
Laxus stopped his speech and narrowed his eyes at Chen Fan before letting his gaze return to a look of indifference. "Oh, I was wondering who it was. If it isn't the great hero of this incident, 'God's Hand' Chen Fan."
"Now, now, don't say it like that. You'll make me blush," Chen Fan said, covering his face with his hand, though there wasn't a hint of bashfulness in his tone.
"Stop playing dumb with me. I'll be the one talking to the Old Man. You're not fit to be the Guild Master. The only one who can take that position is me, haha!" Laxus laughed arrogantly, while Chen Fan simply stood aside and smiled.
"What do you mean? Why aren't you arguing back? Why are you still smiling? Is there something funny about me, huh?!" Laxus stopped laughing as soon as he saw Chen Fan's expression, his voice turning sharp and fierce.
"What do you want me to say? Your face looks so vicious, like you're about to eat me. I'm scared to death, so how would I dare speak?" Chen Fan's tone was incredibly grating.
"I hate that hypocritical face of yours more than anything. Come on, let's see which of us is truly the strongest in Fairy Tail and who is fit to be the Master," Laxus roared.
Zzt... Golden bolts of lightning began to crackle and dance across Laxus's body, and a ball of electricity condensed in his palm.
"Stop! Laxus, do you want to see the guild destroyed a second time?" Makarov's stern voice rang out. Everyone looked toward the source and saw Makarov standing on the counter, though no one knew exactly when he had appeared.
Hearing Makarov speak, Laxus realized that now was not the time to fight Chen Fan. "Tch," he spat quietly, pulling back his magic. Sensing he wasn't particularly welcome at the moment, he saw no point in staying. With a crackle, his entire body transformed into a bolt of golden lightning and vanished. Seeing that the show was over, the others returned to their own business.
"Master, Laxarov is..." Erza began to speak to Makarov.
Before she could finish, Makarov held up a hand to stop her. "Don't worry about him." Suddenly, Makarov shivered, feeling a chill run down his spine. He looked back to see Chen Fan standing behind him at some unknown point.
With a dark expression, Chen Fan cracked his knuckles. "Should I thank you for saving my life, Master...?"
"Oh... Mira-chan, Chen Fan is bullying an old man again!" Makarov lunged toward Mirajane, seeking help.
Erza suddenly stepped in between them, scooping Makarov up and pulling him against her chest. Makarov's head slammed right into Erza's metal breastplate. Clang!
"That hurts...!" Erza's grip only tightened.
"Don't worry, Master. I will protect you," she said, looking at Chen Fan with a provocative glint in her eyes.
Seeing Makarov suffering like that, Chen Fan's anger evaporated, and he began to chuckle. He said to Erza, "Alright Erza, I was just joking with the Master. If you don't let him go soon..." He trailed off.
Erza looked down at her chest and saw that Makarov's eyes were rolling back in his head. She quickly let go, and Makarov fell to the floor with a thud. Startled, Erza and Mirajane rushed to nudge him.
"Hey, hey, Old Man, stop playing dead. I'm here to give my report. If you don't want to hear it, I'm leaving." Chen Fan turned as if to walk away.
Makarov immediately bounced off the floor as if nothing had happened. He looked at Chen Fan and said, "Right, you still have to report to me. I need to see if you, a future candidate for Master, are actually qualified." After speaking, he walked toward a corner of the counter with his hands behind his back.
Chen Fan turned back to Erza and Mirajane, waving them off. "I have something to discuss with the Master. You kids go and get busy with your own things."
"What do you mean 'kids'? You're a year younger than us!" Mirajane and Erza shouted simultaneously. Everyone looked over, saw it was just Erza and Mirajane arguing with Chen Fan, and turned away again.
"Oh, it's just a family dispute. Better to pretend we didn't hear anything."
"Yeah."
Seeing the stubborn glares from Mirajane and Erza, Chen Fan had no choice. "Fine, fine, you can listen if you want. It's all boring stuff anyway." He then walked toward Makarov.
Victorious smiles appeared on the faces of Mirajane and Erza as they followed him. Lucy watched them for a moment, then forced herself to sit down where she was. About ten minutes later,
Makarov looked up at Chen Fan and asked, "So you're saying the Magic Council isn't pursuing any charges against Fairy Tail this time, and Phantom Lord has been disbanded? What about you?"
"Me? What would happen to me?" Chen Fan replied.
"You this time..." Before Makarov could finish, Chen Fan interrupted him. "I've known them for years; I understand how they work. In short, you don't need to worry about the Council. Just leave everything to me." Chen Fan thumped his chest.
Makarov looked at Chen Fan with a sense of relief. If Chen Fan hadn't been dealing with the Council all these years, who knows how much trouble he would have faced. His gaze softened. He wished Laxus could be even half as sensible as Chen Fan.
However, Chen Fan didn't appreciate the sentiment. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Please, Master, don't look at me with those disgusting eyes. My preferences are quite..."
With every word Chen Fan spoke, another vein popped on Makarov's forehead until he finally exploded. "Go to hell!" Makarov's fist grew massive.
Boom!! Chen Fan tried to block with both hands, but the force slammed him into the ground, seemingly knocking him unconscious. It was no wonder Laxus was always so angry; he truly was Makarov's grandson.
"I told you, our Master is still the best. The other day was just a sudden bout of illness," one guild member said to another. The other nodded, and similar comments echoed through the guild.
Hearing them, Chen Fan felt a sense of peace. The Master was a symbol of invincibility. As long as the Master didn't fall, the guild would never fall.
Makarov, however, had no intention of letting Chen Fan off easy. He roared at him, "Chen Fan, I've realized your mindset still needs more tempering! From now on, you'll be part of Erza's team until you are truly qualified to inherit the title of Master!"
"What?!"
"What..."
"What?!"
"What, Chen Fan is joining Erza's team?"
"No way."
"Is he going to help them wipe out other guilds?" Everyone was shocked. From the recent events, they had all gained a clear understanding of Chen Fan's strength.
"No... my money..." All Chen Fan was worried about was his coin.
That night, Makarov sat atop the ruins of the guild, looking at the moon with a sigh. "The guild needs to be renovated, and it's about time to hand it over to the next generation. Chen Fan hasn't been out much over the years, and his mindset isn't mature enough.
That brat Laxus is still at odds with him that's a big psychological issue. Mystogan gets along well enough with Chen Fan, but he can't communicate with anyone else. Erza? Her emotions are still a major hurdle." Makarov rubbed his chin.
Suddenly, a voice rang out. "Master! So you were here." Makarov looked down and saw Mirajane holding a stack of papers. "It looks like there's more trouble."
"Hmm?"
"Erza and the others went on a job, and they ended up destroying half the town." Mirajane held out the documents to Makarov.
"Ah..." Makarov turned a despondent shade of gray.
Suddenly, a howl like a wolf's echoed through the night. "As I thought, it really would be better to let Chen Fan take over as Master!" The sound startled countless sleeping families, who turned on their lights and opened their windows to shout, "Who's screaming? Can't someone do something about this?!" Slam! The windows were shut again.
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