The punishment game concluded with Chen Fan being forced to cross-dress and take a commemorative photo with every single member of Fairy Tail. The picture even ended up as a headline in Sorcerer Magazine.
Chen Fan gained a whole new following of male fans, but for someone like him, who had long since sold his soul to Lucifer, it didn't really matter. He remained his usual self, leaving the others to wallow in regret.
No one had expected his skin to be thick enough to weather such a humiliation. Of course, the photos were still kept as treasures; after all, they might be worth some money if they ever ran into one of Chen Fan's obsessed fans.
"Wendy! Your Brother Chen Fan is here. Come, let me give you a hug and see if you've grown any taller." Chen Fan approached Wendy with an utterly shameless grin.
Wendy turned her head away with a huff. "Hmph! No."
"Aww... why not? Does Wendy not like me anymore?" Chen Fan began his "acting pitiful" routine, a staple of his girl-chasing strategy.
"I don't. Sister Mira told me that Brother Chen Fan loves to lie the most."
"What? Me, a liar? I am the most honest person alive!"
"Then why did you put medicine in mine and Carla's food yesterday?"
"Uh...! That was because the Master said we had to give it our all! I didn't want to hurt you, but I also didn't want you to stop calling me 'Brother' later, so I did it for your own good." Chen Fan chose the most pleasant-sounding excuse he could find.
"You talk a big game, but the main reason was just because you were afraid of the punishment," Carla interjected from the side. Chen Fan immediately produced a bag of dried fish.
"Don't think you can buy me off with" Carla yelled at him, yet her paws were already snatching the bag out of his hand.
"What would I be afraid of? Wendy, if you have any conditions, just say the word. Your big brother will definitely satisfy them. Besides, didn't I already serve my punishment?" Chen Fan patted his chest, making a grand promise. Everyone else in the guild perked up their ears, some whispering, "Ask for money! Money solves everything!"
"Alright, I don't want anything. I believe you, Brother Chen Fan," Wendy said softly.
"Sigh...!" A wave of disappointment washed over the crowd. Wendy was simply too kind. Chen Fan was a deep-pocketed tycoon, a true "tuhao."
Suddenly, two people burst through the doors, shouting, "This is bad!" At the same moment, the sound of countless bells began to echo throughout the city.
"What's going on? Those bells?"
Chen Fan paused for a second, a slight smile playing on his lips. That guy was finally back.
"Oh... Gildarts is home!"
"Gildarts!"
"Whoo!" The entire guild erupted into cheers.
Lucy and Wendy looked around, confused. "Gildarts? I've never heard of him. Just who is this person?"
Mirajane spoke up, "Gildarts is the strongest wizard in Fairy Tail."
"The strongest wizard? Even stronger than Erza?"
Erza shook her head with a smile. "There is a world of difference between us. I can't even compare."
"What about compared to Chen Fan?" Lucy's voice wasn't loud, but the question carried clearly to everyone's ears. The cheering stopped instantly. It was as if time itself had frozen.
"Ah... did something happen? Did I say something wrong?" Lucy whispered, covering her mouth.
Erza and Mirajane glanced at each other. They honestly didn't know. For years, Chen Fan had rarely made a serious move. Everyone used to think he was just a specialist at chasing girls and making money, but that he couldn't fight.
Recently, however, they had discovered that Chen Fan's combat prowess was seemingly unrivaled. Except for Laxus and Gildarts, every member of Fairy Tail had been thrashed by him at least once.
Swish! Every eye in the guild turned toward Chen Fan, who was sitting calmly next to Makarov.
Under the weight of their piercing gazes, Chen Fan spoke plainly, "Gildarts is the strongest wizard in Fairy Tail."
"Whoa... Chen Fan admitted he can't beat Gildarts!"
"Gildarts really is the strongest!"
"Yeah!"
"We have to let them fight! Gildarts needs to teach Chen Fan a lesson!"
"Hmm... Who said that? Step forward, I'll take you on one-on-one!" Chen Fan shouted, but no one dared to speak up. The others just went back to cheering.
Beside him, Makarov asked, "Why say that? The two of you haven't actually fought, and Gildarts might not necessarily be your match."
"We haven't fought, but in one specific area, I have definitely lost to him!" Chen Fan said in a heavy tone.
"In what area?" Makarov asked, his curiosity piqued.
"It's that the bastard has so many women, and every single one of them loves him dearly, while I'm still a bachelor! The most annoying part is that he brags about it to me," Chen Fan lamented, his face twisted in mock sorrow.
"Get out of here, you lecherous brat! Three years ago, you were barely old enough to even think about women!"
"By the way, Old Man, who was your wife? I see Grandma Porlyusica treats you pretty well. Why didn't you two end up together?" Chen Fan bolted as soon as the words left his mouth.
"Pffft!" Makarov sprayed his wine everywhere. "Cough, cough! You brat...! Don't let me catch you!" He immediately began chasing Chen Fan around.
"Anyway, it doesn't matter. Why is everyone so excited?" Lucy wondered.
"It's like a festival, Carla," Wendy remarked.
"This is one noisy guild," Carla sighed.
Mira explained, "It's no wonder they're excited. He hasn't been back for three years."
"Three years? What has he been doing?"
Mira continued, "Above S-Class Quests, there are SS-Class Quests. And above those, there are jobs known as 10-Year Quests."
"10-Year Quests?"
Erza added, "They are named such because no one has been able to complete them for ten years. The one Gildarts took is even more difficultthe 100 Years Quest."
"A 100 Years Quest? You mean a mission that hasn't been completed in a hundred years?" Lucy asked in disbelief.
"Yes."
Meanwhile, a commotion broke out among the townspeople outside. "It's Gildarts!"
"Gildarts is back!"
"Switching Magnolia Town to Gildarts Shift! Residents, please evacuate to the designated shelters immediately!"
"Isn't this a bit much?" Lucy asked, bewildered.
"Why?" Wendy and Carla didn't understand either.
"What exactly is this 'Gildarts Shift'?" Lucy pressed.
"Just look outside and you'll see."
The ground suddenly began to tremble. "Whoa! What's happening?" Lucy grabbed a nearby pillar to steady herself.
Out in the town, the streets and buildings began to slide and shift, accompanied by a thunderous mechanical roar. "What is this?"
When the vibration stopped, a straight path had been cleared from the edge of town directly to the Fairy Tail guild. It was a perfectly straight road, complete with directional signs on the ground and walls. This was done because Gildarts used to just walk through whatever was in his way.
"The city... the city split open!" Lucy cried out.
"It's because Gildarts uses Crush magic," Erza said calmly, crossing her arms.
"He can reduce anything he touches to dust. If he were to walk while daydreaming, he'd accidentally destroy people's houses."
"Terrifying...! What an awful man!"
As the sound of footsteps drew closer, Lucy couldn't help but swallow hard.
A moment later, a middle-aged man draped in a black cloak appeared at the guild entrance. It was Gildarts!
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