After some time, everyone disembarked, and the various guilds prepared to go their separate ways. Before parting, they exchanged blessings in their own unique styles.
"Lord Chen Fan, I hope to have the chance to challenge you one day," Jura Neekis said suddenly before leaving.
"What! Jura of the Ten Wizard Saints wants to fight Chen Fan?"
"Oh... now I'm fired up!" Natsu shouted.
Thud! Chen Fan kicked him off the deck. "You're blocking the way."
"We'll have a chance," Chen Fan said with a smile.
After this mission, everyone was well aware of Chen Fan's power. That inhuman presence of his was overwhelming, making him seem like a literal monster, even if he looked like an ordinary person most of the time. Chen Fan had every right to accept such a challenge.
The group finally returned to the Fairy Tail Guild Hall.
Wendy stood timidly in the center of the hall, Carla by her side.
"Hello, everyone! My name is Wendy, and this is Carla. We're joining Fairy Tail today. Please look after us."
"Ohh!"
"She's so cute!"
"Little sister, how old are you?"
"And what kind of magic do you use?" Mirajane Strauss asked, approaching the young girl.
"Oh... it's the real Mirajane," Wendy whispered in awe. "I use Dragon Slayer Magic. Sky Dragon Slayer Magic."
The guild went silent for a moment. Wendy looked uneasy.
Suddenly, a deafening cheer erupted. "Whoa! That's amazing!" "Just like Natsu!"
"It's actually Dragon Slayer Magic!"
"That makes three Dragon Slayers in our guild!"
"So cool, and so cute!"
Chen Fan stepped in front of Wendy protectively. "She's my little sister. Don't any of you get any ideas, or I'll find ways to make your lives a living hell."
"Who actually threatens people like that to their faces?!" Lucy sweated, deadpanning.
"Sigh... because everyone knows Chen Fan will follow through on it behind their backs too."
"Terrifying! Just what kind of person is he?"
"Honestly, Chen Fan, are you trying to hoard all the beauties in the guild? How shameless! Think about us single guys for once," Wakaba Mine complained.
"Oh? Is that so, Wakaba? Should I go tell your wife that you're claiming to be single and looking for a girlfriend?" Chen Fan threatened.
Wakaba immediately thought of his wife's temper and her... physical discipline. He instantly switched to a sycophantic smile. "Let's not do that. We've been friends for years, no need to report such trivial things. I'm always on your side! Go for it! Capture all the beauties in the guild!"
"Now that's my big brother. You know exactly what I want," Chen Fan laughed, putting an arm around Wakaba's shoulder.
"Is Chen Fan's personality always this terrible?" Carla asked, flying over to Happy.
"Aye... it only gets worse!" Happy replied, selling Chen Fan out immediately.
"Master, we're back," Erza reported to Makarov Dreyar.
"Good... you've worked hard! Destroying Nirvana means we can rest easy for a while."
"It wasn't hard. Chen Fan did most of the heavy lifting. We only helped a little," Erza said.
"Regardless, returning safely is what matters most," Makarov said.
"There's one more thing," Erza began, but Makarov jumped up and shouted, "Today, we feast! A welcome party for Wendy and Carla!"
"YEAH!" The guild erupted in excitement at the mention of a banquet.
"Make it louder! Make it livelier!" Makarov yelled.
"Ohh! I'm all fired up!" Soon, everyone was singing, dancing, and playing. Erza watched the chaos and shook her head with a smile. She had intended to report that the New Magic Council was planning to arrest Chen Fan, but decided against it for now. "I'll tell him later." She joined the party.
"This is such a happy place, isn't it, Carla?" Wendy said.
"I suppose," Carla muttered.
Chen Fan spotted Mystogan on the second floor and raised his glass to him. Mystogan nodded back and then vanished.
Just as the banquet reached its peak, a group of people burst through the doors.
"Who are you?!" Everyone was startled.
"Nobody move. We are from the New Magic Council," Laharl announced.
The Fairy Tail members dispelled their magic and turned to Makarov, waiting for his command. If the Master gave the word, they would attack without hesitation.
Makarov raised his head and glanced at the Council members. "The New Magic Council? What brings you to Fairy Tail? I don't recall us offending you recently." Though he was small in stature, he was one of the Ten Wizard Saints, and his words carried immense authority.
"We are here to arrest a criminal."
"Arrest a criminal? Why come to Fairy Tail? We have no criminals here."
"Based on an informant's report, 'God's Hand' Chen Fan has privately bribed Magic Council members in an attempt to control the Council. Furthermore, he has incited the public for his own hidden agendas and resisted arrest!" Laharl read from a document.
"Resisted arrest?" Everyone turned to look at Chen Fan.
"What? That wasn't resisting arrest! That was self-defense! Total self-defense!" Chen Fan argued.
"It was resisting!"
"Self-defense!"
The two began brawling with words in front of everyone. "Fine, I won't waste my breath on you. I'll go with you to this New Magic Council. Everyone else, keep the party going!" Chen Fan turned and said to the guild.
He followed Laharl outside. Two officers approached to handcuff him. Chen Fan didn't refuse, but the moment the metal touched his wrists, the handcuffs turned into slippery loaches and fell off.
"You!" Laharl pointed at him.
"That wasn't my fault. And you'd better stop pointing at me. Aren't you afraid I'll snap your finger? I'm a hardened criminal now, after all. A few more charges won't bother me."
"Chen Fan...!" The guild members looked at him, eyes filled with emotion.
"It's fine, everyone..." Chen Fan was touched.
But before he could finish, a group of them started cheering. "Yeah! This guy finally got pinched! He should've been in the slammer days ago!"
"Exactly! I can finally drink in peace without him around!"
"He's so annoying, always meddling in everything!"
"Serves him right! Finally caught him!"
Wendy was stunned. Chen Fan was being taken away by the Magic Councilthe equivalent of the supreme courtand yet they were celebrating?
"Haha, it's fine," Macao Conbolt said. "If it were anyone else, we'd be worried they were being mistreated. But with Chen Fan? The Council is the one that needs to worry. This guy is someone you just don't mess with."
"Exactly," Wakaba added, nodding.
"But... it's the Magic Council. If they really..."
"There is no 'if.' If the Council doesn't release him, we won't mind destroying it a second time," Mirajane said suddenly. Her words, though delivered with a sweet smile, were laced with a bloodlust that terrified everyone.
Looking back at the "ungrateful bastards" cheering for his arrest, Chen Fan wept inwardly as he followed Laharl. Laharl gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.
"Master, what should we do? It seems the New Magic Council wants to make an example out of Chen Fan," Erza said.
Makarov pondered for a moment. "Don't worry. Chen Fan will handle this perfectly. When have you ever seen him lose? Mirajane is right, though. If the Council doesn't know what's good for them, I wouldn't mind causing a stir with this new group."
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