"We're finally back!!"
Natsu and Happy shouted with glee as they returned to Magnolia.
This mission had been fraught with danger, but they'd made it through by the skin of their teeth. Completing an S-class mission meant no one could mock them anymore, but more importantly, they'd seen a dragon—and fought it! Sure, they'd been sent running, but still.
The airship landed in front of the guild, but the closer they got, the heavier their hearts grew. From the sky, they could see the guild hall pierced by massive iron pillars, reduced to a wreck.
"What the hell happened?!"
"Did someone attack Fairy Tail?!"
Natsu was the most furious of all. If Erza hadn't held him back, he would've leapt off the airship to get answers. "Those bastards! Who did this?! I'll make them pay!!"
This was the place they'd grown up in, their home. No one could see it like this and stay calm.
Kira had a hunch. Based on the story's progression, this had to be the start of the war between Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord. Those iron pillars wrecking the guild? Probably Gajeel's handiwork.
Timing-wise, in the original story, Natsu and the others returned from Galuna Island just as the guild was attacked. Though the mission and timeline were slightly different now, it lined up closely enough.
Thinking back to Gajeel's cocky delinquent vibe at the Council branch, Kira felt an itch to knock him down a peg. He'd been with Fairy Tail for eight or nine years—saying he had no attachment would be a lie.
Still, he'd heard Makarov mention at the Council meeting that Phantom Lord was joining the fight against the Oración Seis. He'd thought that might change the story, but apparently, they'd ended up here anyway.
"Let's head inside," Kira said.
In the tavern's basement, the mood was grim. Makarov was nursing a drink, likely stressing over this month's expenses again.
With a loud bang, Natsu shoved the wooden door open, and the guild instantly buzzed with life.
"They're back! Kira, Erza, Natsu, Gray…!"
"Finally, I can sleep easy. I haven't gotten a wink these past few days."
"Sob, sob, you're back! Our guild's been trashed—you've gotta make those jerks pay!!"
Natsu stormed in, shouting, "Who did it?!"
Everyone was downcast, and his fiery temper only made the mood heavier. Mirajane, the guild's all-purpose caretaker, stepped forward to explain. "Who else? Phantom Lord."
Just as he'd thought.
While Mirajane filled them in, Kira walked straight to Makarov. "Master, we're back."
The old man clearly didn't want them worrying about this mess, so he forced a smile. "Oh, you're back! How'd the mission go? Didn't disgrace the guild, did you? Natsu and Lucy, you're still getting punished, by the way. Oh, and who won your bet?"
"Heh, Erza won," Kira said, playing along with a grin. "We faced a crazy strong demon this time. Nearly had me beat!"
"Is that so? Sounds like Natsu's still got a long way to go! Hahaha…"
"Yeah, yeah. Oh, and we ran into Gildarts on this mission."
Makarov's eyes lit up. "Really? How's he doing? How'd his mission go? Did he come back with you?"
"He's doing okay, but his mission failed. He's off talking to the client, so he didn't come back with us."
Makarov relaxed slightly. "Good, good. As long as he's alive."
He took a swig of his drink to calm his nerves. "From what I know, no one's ever come back alive from that mission."
"Oh, and we ran into Acnologia. Nearly died. That was a close one…"
Pfft—!
Makarov spat out his drink, but Kira, expecting it, dodged to the side.
"You little punk, trying to scare me?!"
Among all the guild masters in Fiore, Makarov was one of the most knowledgeable. He'd heard of the apocalyptic dragon mentioned in the Book of Revelation.
"Surviving that thing must've been rough, huh?"
Even without seeing it himself, Makarov could imagine how harrowing the mission had been.
He didn't doubt Kira's story—asking the others would confirm it. More importantly, as the guild's "parent," he trusted his kids.
Kira nodded softly. "Yeah, if Gildarts hadn't been there—"
Makarov understood immediately. "So Gildarts saved you all. No wonder…"
"Well, if Gildarts hadn't been there, we wouldn't have run into Acnologia in the first place."
"Cough, cough…"
Kira acted nonchalant. "Huh? You okay, Master?"
Seeing Makarov brush off the guild's state and chat cheerfully with Kira, Natsu grew both angry and anxious. "Master, how can you act like nothing happened?! This is our home!!"
"Enough, Natsu! We all feel the same way!" Kira cut him off, seeing Makarov's troubled expression. "Try to understand the Master's position for once. Don't keep piling pressure on him!"
Makarov felt a wave of gratitude. Kira's such a good kid.
Watching Makarov walk away, Natsu was even more confused. "Kira, how can you laugh at a time like this? Aren't you pissed?"
"Of course I'm pissed," Kira said, shrugging helplessly. "But if the Master's worried about the guild alliance agreement, we can't make things harder for him. If a dog bites you, do you bite it back?"
Natsu thought Kira was suggesting they let it slide and shouted, "So we're just gonna take it?!"
Before he could finish, Kira continued, "At the very least, we'd hire a better chef, right? I've never tried it myself, but I hear dog meat's tasty and nutritious. Wanna give it a shot sometime?"
"Uh… Kira?"
"Don't worry! As long as no one sees, it wasn't us!"
"You mean…?"
"Let's wreck 'em!"
The group broke into grins, nodding. "That's more like it."
Suddenly, Kira remembered something and warned the guild. "Oh, and everyone, be careful the next few days. The guy who trashed our guild is probably still lurking nearby. Don't go off alone!"
It wasn't that Kira didn't want to protect his friends, but Gajeel's goal was to bait Makarov into confronting Phantom Lord. Even if he wasn't targeting the Iron Wheel team, he'd go after someone else. Kira couldn't stalk everyone like a creep to keep them safe, so a warning was the best he could do.
No one's gonna die anyway. He'll regret it later.
That night, a localized earthquake hit Phantom Lord's guild, reducing it to rubble.
When Kira returned to Fairy Tail, refreshed and satisfied, he learned that Levy's team had still been attacked the previous night. Luckily, thanks to his warning, Erza arrived in time to save them from Gajeel, sparing them the fate of being beaten and branded.
"Damn it! I could deal with them trashing the guild, but going after our family? I won't forgive those bastards!" Makarov roared, veins popping with rage. In front of the guild, he declared, "We're going to war with Phantom Lord!"
Before they left, Kira pulled Makarov aside. "Jose wouldn't break the guild alliance out of nowhere—he's got some ulterior motive. Those of you not fighting, stay at the guild to avoid another incident like Levy's. Mirajane, Lucy, take care of Levy and the others!"
"You got it!" Lucy said confidently, now armed with eight golden Celestial Spirit Keys.
Kira handed something to Makarov. "Master, take this."
"What is it?" Makarov, still fuming, didn't look closely but trusted Kira and pocketed it.
"An external magic source. Keep it on you, just in case. I heard Phantom's got someone who can drain magic. They're starting this war to lure us out. If they're not planning to hit the guild or the people staying behind, they might be targeting you. Be careful!"
Makarov calmed slightly at Kira's analysis. "Got it. Good call having you scout Phantom earlier."
He knew he had to stand up for his family but also understood he was the guild's backbone. If he fell, the others might not hold against Jose.
"Let's go! Time to get revenge for our family!"