Stepping out from the second floor of the guild, Chen Fan realized that the others hadn't returned yet. Did I finish too quickly? he wondered. He walked outside and surveyed the area. They had gone a bit overboard this time; many houses had been damaged. Chen Fan rubbed his temples. More apologies and compensation were on the way. No wonder Makarov was always broke.
Suddenly, a wave of mental energy brushed against his mind. Sensing no malice, Chen Fan allowed his consciousness to merge with the network. As expected, it was Warren using his signature Telepathy.
"Hey! Can everyone hear me?" Warren's voice echoed in the minds of every guild member.
"Warren!"
"Something big is happening! Everyone, look at the sky! If you've been knocked out, get your asses up!" Warren shouted.
Chen Fan looked up. It seemed he really had moved too fast. He had taken down the boss, Laxus, before Erza and the others had even finished destroying the Thunder Palace. He felt like he had skipped a few pages of the script.
Warren continued, "Anyone still fighting, stop immediately! Listen up: use every means necessary to destroy the things floating above the city. That's the magic Laxus used to hold the town hostage. There's no time left, everyone together!"
"Warren, how do you know about the Thunder Palace?" Erza's voice cut in.
"That voice... Erza! Are you okay?" Gray asked.
"Gray? I see, it was you," Erza replied, understanding how Warren had found out.
"Yeah, took me a while to find this guy," Gray answered.
The telepathic link became a cacophony as others joined in. "Erza, has the petrification magic worn off?" Macao asked.
Erza's face flushed as she remembered the sensation of Chen Fan's "divine touch" during her recovery. Chen Fan, listening in, felt a surge of irritation. Macao, you idiot, stop bringing up the awkward stuff. Just say 'glad you're okay' like Gray did.
Though, Chen Fan had to admit, that sensation had been quite nice. A lewd grin spread across his face, and he began to snicker to himself, a bit of drool escaping his lip. Passersby gave him wide berths, eyeing him as if he were a mental patient.
"If Erza is fine, then that means..."
"What about the others? Where's Levy?" Droy and Jet finished each other's sentences with their usual uncanny timing.
"Everyone is fine, don't worry."
"Juvia is safe too," Elfman chimed in.
"Bisca is okay, Alzack," Mirajane added gently.
"Is that so? Thank goodness... thank goodness," Alzack sighed in relief from his corner.
Warren tried to steer the conversation back. "Sorry, my Telepathy can't reach the whole guild at once. Just listendestroy the things in the air"
"Warren, you bastard!" Max interrupted. "Did you forget what you did to me earlier?"
"Max, I was just trying to save Erza and the others!"
"I'm Droy, do you hear me? Alzack!"
"I hear you... sorry about before."
"A 'sorry' isn't enough! That sneak attack was cowardly!"
"You too, Wakaba!"
"That is absolutely unforgivable!"
The mental link devolved into utter chaos as the guild members began bickering over their internal scuffles.
Standing behind Warren, Gray's expression darkened. Finally reaching his limit, he screamed into Warren's ear, "Save the bickering for later!"
A louder roar pushed Gray back. "That's not for you to say!"
Gray grabbed Warren's ear and yelled again, "We don't have time! Destroy everything in the sky!"
"You guys don't even know how strong I am when I get serious!"
"What? Stop talking nonsense!"
"Who are you to talk, you jerk!"
The mental chat was a mess. Chen Fan sighed. This was Fairy Tail's style, for better or worse. Just as he was about to intervene, Lucy's voice rang out.
"Everyone, listen to me! This is no time to fight! If this continues, the people in the town will be in danger! Let's work together to protect Magnolia! As long as we unite, no difficulty is insurmountable! That is what I learned here.
I haven't been in Fairy Tail for long, but my love for this guild is second to none! Fairy Tail has always been my dream, my aspiration, and it still is! I'm begging youall of youwork together and protect our guild, protect our city!"
Her voice carried such conviction that even without Warren's magic, it seemed to resonate in everyone's ears.
"If you won't do it, then even if I'm alone, I will destroy every one of those Lacrima!" Lucy drew her whip, her eyes fierce.
Hearing Lucy's words, Chen Fan realized he had been looking at things the wrong way. No one here knew the future like he did, and no one else had his overwhelming power. He had been looking at the situation like a baseball game where he could just step up to the plate and hit a home run whenever he wanted.
Over time, he had forgotten that the most precious thing about Fairy Tail wasn't its raw power, but the way they cherished every individual, protected their family, and gave their all for one another. He had become just like Makarov, shouldering all the responsibility himself. It was time to let them fight for their home.
A bit ironic, he thought. I just told the Master he was overprotecting them, and then I went and did the same thing. Must be my age getting to me.
While Chen Fan was lost in thought, the counterattack began. Spells of every shape and color whistled through the air, converging on the Thunder Palace in a spectacular display of light.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions rippled across the sky. Chen Fan winced, covering his face. Really? I thought you said you were working together. Look at those time gaps between hits. Fine, let them suffer a bit. It won't kill them anyway.
Just as Chen Fan predicted, the guild members' cheers were cut short as the Organic Link magic sent bolts of lightning surging back at them. Screams of pain echoed through the telepathic link, making Chen Fan's heart ache slightly.
"Everyone, are you alright? Honestly, you guys are too reckless," Erza's voice finally came through.
"Look who's talking."
"Our guild really is a great place, isn't it?"
"If only Laxus wasn't going through his rebellious phase."
"Laxus!" Erza suddenly remembered the cathedral. Ever since the light of Fairy Law had faded, there had been no sound from that direction. Was Chen Fan defeated? She struggled to pick herself up from the ground.
Suddenly, Chen Fan's voice rang out in everyone's minds. "Yo! Good work, everyone!"
"That bastard! His voice sounds perfectly fine. He was definitely slacking off!"
"You were just watching the show, weren't you?"
"Now, now, don't be like that. Hearing your heart-wrenching declarations of friendship almost moved me to tears. By the time I snapped out of it, you'd already taken down the Thunder Palace. I didn't even get a chance to help!"
"He's doing it on purpose! He absolutely did that on purpose!"
"Wrong. I didn't do it 'on purpose,' I did it intentionally! Gahaha!"
"You jerk! Just wait until I see you! I'm going to strip you naked and make you run through the streets!"
"Yeah! And draw 'X's and 'O's all over his body!"
"No, write the word 'Meat' on his forehead!"
"Find a man to" All sorts of creative punishments were being hurled Chen Fan's way. Chen Fan broke into a cold sweat. He hadn't realized the people he teased on a daily basis were this ruthless. Maybe I've been too kind. Looks like they need more 'discipline.'
"Shut up!!" Erza's authoritative voice silenced the crowd instantly.
"Chen Fan, you were fighting Laxus. What happened?"
The others gasped. "What? Chen Fan was fighting Laxus?"
"Is that why that pillar of light looked so familiar?"
"Oh, I already took Laxus back to the Master. Don't worry about me, I'm fine."
"Drop dead! Who would worry about a pervert with a filthy mind like yours?" Erza snapped.
Chen Fan realized he was in trouble the moment she said it.
"Filthy mind?"
"Pervert?"
"Speak! You bastard, what did you do to our Titania?"
"Talk!"
"You jerk!" The mental link exploded again, with everyone aiming their fury at Chen Fan. Chen Fan simply blocked the mental signal and let out a long sigh. The power of the masses is truly terrifying.
Suddenly, Chen Fan felt a chill run down his spine. He looked around and pulled his coat tighter.
Elsewhere, Mirajane was muttering under her breath, "So, Chen Fan, you dared to make a move on Erza. No wonder you looked so nervous when I woke up. Just wait until we get home." Without her even realizing it, her Satan Soul form began to manifest.
Elfman, Juvia, and Cana huddled in a corner, trembling as they watched the black aura of resentment radiating from Mirajane. Elfman silently prayed for his boss. Big Bro Chen Fan is really in for it now...
"Achoo!" Chen Fan sneezed loudly on the street. He rubbed his nose. I wonder which lovely lady is thinking about me? Honestly, being this charming is such a burden. He gave his hair a jaunty flip and continued walking.
A bystander happened to catch Chen Fan's flamboyant expression during that hair flip. It triggered a sudden, vivid memory of something truly unfortunate.
"Blegh..." The person rushed to the side of the road to vomit.
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