"The earthquake is over? Thank goodness!"
"That scared the life out of me! So terrifying! That's the first time I've ever experienced an earthquake; I didn't think Magnolia was prone to them."
"Luckily it came and went quickly, and the magnitude wasn't too high. Otherwise, it would have been a disaster!"
Makarov hopped up and delivered a sharp rap to Chu Yan's head, shouting angrily, "Chu Yan! You little brat! Didn't I tell you to keep the power low? Are you trying to tear the guild down?!"
Chu Yan looked aggrieved. "I only used one hand, and I controlled the output. If the guild is cracking, it's clearly because of shoddy construction. There's something wrong with the building, don't blame me."
Only then did the others realize that such a coincidence was impossible—an earthquake happening exactly when a boy was about to demonstrate his magic. Macao asked with a stunned expression, "Master... was that earthquake caused by him?"
Makarov nodded, his expression turning solemn and serious. "Indeed. The magic Chu Yan uses is a Tremor-based Super Magic. It's a magic capable of triggering terrifying disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis. That tremor just now was the effect of his magic. This is a power that could potentially destroy the world."
The crowd was dumbfounded. Tremor magic wasn't unheard of, but no one had ever heard of it producing such an effect. Most practitioners used vibration waves to shatter stones; those more skilled might break larger rocks or a hilltop at most.
A world-destroying magic? If they hadn't felt that sense of helplessness against a natural disaster just now, they might have been skeptical. But seeing the raw power, they realized that if this boy grew up and went all out, he truly could destroy the world.
"Heavens!!"
"To think such terrifying magic exists!"
"Master, incredible! Where did you find such a monster rookie?"
"As expected of the Master!"
The gaze of nearly everyone in the guild shifted as they looked at Chu Yan. He appeared to be an ordinary boy, but once he moved, the earth shook. He was clearly a candidate for an S-Class Wizard—no, perhaps he already possessed the strength of one.
Hearing the praise, Makarov puffed out his chest proudly. "Hmph! Naturally, I have an eye for talent. Oh-hohoho!"
Everyone returned to the guild hall, crowding around Makarov as he recounted how he found Chu Yan.
While passing through a remote mountain village, he heard that dozens of tremors of varying sizes had occurred over the past half-month, causing many villagers to flee. Strangely, the tremors never happened at night, so some people stayed behind, waiting for them to end. People thought it was bizarre; did the earthquakes have a habit of sleeping?
Driven by curiosity, Makarov headed toward the source of the vibrations deep in the mountains. After a long trek, he found Chu Yan and brought him back to the guild.
He didn't go into the finer details, but the truth was that when he first saw Chu Yan, he was utterly shocked. The surrounding mountains were riddled with deep cracks, the ground was shattered, and the trees in the forest had been reduced to splinters.
Anyone seeing it would have assumed it was a horrific natural catastrophe. When he realized it was just a child practicing his magic, he immediately decided to bring the boy back. On one hand, it would bolster the guild; on the other, it would prevent such power from being misused. A power like that needed proper guidance to prevent a global disaster.
Through a mix of coaxing and persuasion, he successfully brought Chu Yan in, feeling in his heart like a hero who had just saved the world.
"Hey! Your name is Chu Yan, right? Fight me! I'm going to show you who the strongest wizard in Fairy Tail is!"
"Mirajane!"
While the crowd was still absorbed in the awe of Chu Yan's Super Magic, Mirajane stepped forward and issued a challenge. Her fiery temperament was well known in the guild. She loved to fight, loved being called the strongest, and acted as the "big sister" among the children.
Even though it was their first meeting and Chu Yan was a newcomer, the power he displayed made her feel her status was under threat. She felt she had to put him in his place.
Chu Yan looked at Mirajane. This girl was completely different from her later self; she was dressed in a rebellious style and looked ready for a brawl. He realized he had arrived quite early in the timeline; he preferred the other version of Mirajane, as this aggressive type was hard for him to handle.
"Oho! Is the battle for the strongest of the youth division about to begin?!"
"The strongest rookie boy vs. the strongest girl! This is going to be a show!"
"Go for it, Mirajane! Show this newcomer what you've got!"
As the crowd cheered, Chu Yan slowly raised his hand. "Uh... I don't fight girls." Well, with one specific exception.