"A Demon of Zeref... defeated just like that?"
"Unbelievable..."
"That final attack was the most astonishing..."
"To think he can wield such powerful magic..."
"His strength is just... shocking."
The distant Guild Masters were the first to recover, and they immediately erupted into discussion, their faces a mask of undisguised awe.
"BWAHAHAHAHA!"
Makarov couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing, his voice overflowing with pride. "DID YOU SEE THAT?! AMAZING, RIGHT?!" He cackled, practically dancing with glee.
"That was super amazing! So cool!" Lucy cheered, a huge smile on her face.
"Aye!" Happy added, his paw raised in the air, full of pride.
Noah, meanwhile, had already cast several different detection spells, confirming that no trace of Lullaby remained. He dispelled the barrier and walked out with Erza, Mirajane, and the others. They all heard Makarov's boasting and couldn't help but smile.
"It was nothing!" Natsu said, striking a heroic pose.
"Too easy," Gray added, nodding.
Kageyama just watched the Fairy Tail members, feeling the stark difference in their atmosphere compared to Eisenwald. He'd never seen such a harmonious, loving-brawl. He found himself wishing he could be in a guild like that.
Just then, the other Guild Masters walked over. Master Goldmine looked at Makarov. "I'm not sure of all the details, but it seems we all owe Fairy Tail a great debt."
"It's nothing, nothing at all! BWAHAHAHA!" Makarov beamed.
The other masters looked awkward. "But... about this..."
Makarov saw their hesitant expressions and finally followed their gaze. He looked behind him... and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Erza and the others also turned around. Erza froze in delayed horror. Mirajane just covered her mouth to hide a giggle.
"DON'T YOU THINK YOU OVERDID IT?!!" the Guild Masters all roared in unison, staring at the massive crater, which was easily several hundred meters wide.
"The... the destruction is incredible," Lucy whispered, staring at the abyss.
"Aye!" Happy said, flying over it. "A couple of hills are just... gone."
Makarov looked at the crater, and his legs gave out. He slumped to the ground. "Master! Are you okay? Hang in there!" Lucy and Happy rushed to his side. Erza and Mira also ran over, but they could see he was just in shock.
"Hahaha! We really wrecked it!" Natsu laughed.
"ARREST THEM!" the masters yelled.
"No problem! I'll help!" Natsu replied, cracking his knuckles.
"YOU'RE BEING ARRESTED, TOO, YOU IDIOT!"
"Heh," Goldmine sighed, watching the chaos. "Like father, like son, I suppose."
"It brings back memories of our active-duty days...♡" Bob said wistfully.
"I-Idiots..." Kageyama muttered from the ground, his entire worldview shattering. These were the people who had just defeated his entire guild?
"You know, Kage-chan, you remind me of myself when I was young♡," Bob cooed, leaning over him. Kageyama stared at him, horrified. Bob pulled out an old photograph of himself, Makarov, and Goldmine. He pointed to a dashing, black-haired man in a sharp red suit. "This handsome man was me! See the resemblance~♡"
"THAT'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSON!" Kageyama shrieked.
"Yes, the resemblance is uncanny, isn't it!♡"
"THERE IS NO RESEMBLANCE AT ALL!"
"Well, anyway," Goldmine said kindly, patting the mentally-broken Kageyama on the back, "it seems you've woken up a bit. Guilds are good places. Find a new one. Start a new life."
"Alright," Noah said, stepping forward and stopping Natsu, who was still trying to 'arrest' someone. "Let me fix this. It's a good thing I put up that barrier, or it would be much worse."
"Right! Noah's here!" Erza said, her panic vanishing.
Makarov, who had been muttering incoherently, snapped back to reality. "You can fix it?"
"If I'd destroyed that building," Noah said, pointing to the guild masters' meeting hall, "no. I can't restore complex structures." Makarov broke into another cold sweat, realizing how close they'd come. "But empty land? That I can fix."
Noah walked to the edge of the crater and stomped his foot. A wave of magic radiated outward. The ground began to rumble.
"Roooolllll...!"
Before their eyes, the earth surged up, filling the massive crater. As soon as the ground was level, a second wave of magic washed over it. Countless saplings sprouted, growing at an impossible speed, becoming a lush, dense forest in seconds.
Where a giant crater had been, there was now a forest, teeming with life.
"Th-That's... AMAZING!" Lucy was speechless.
"Aye!" Happy agreed.
"It's breathtaking every time," Mirajane said, smiling softly.
"Yes. It's incredible. I can't do that," Erza added quietly.
"WHOA! That's awesome! Teach me!" Natsu yelled, his eyes sparkling. (He was thinking he could just fix his own destruction and avoid the bills.)
"This would be... very difficult for you, Natsu," Noah said. "You'd be better off just trying to earn more money for the repair bills."
Natsu's face fell.
"That... that's even more impressive than the attack!"
"Destruction is easy, but restoration... that's true mastery!"
The Guild Masters were stunned.
"BWAHAHAHAHA!" Makarov was back, his arms spread wide. "DID YOU SEE?! THAT'S A FAIRY TAIL WIZARD! AMAZING, RIGHT?!"
The other masters just looked at him with undisguised envy. They understood his pride. To have one such wizard was a blessing. But Fairy Tail had several of these young powerhouses. They were set for decades.
"Young man," one of the masters suddenly said, walking up to Noah. "Let me tell you about my guild, our benefits are excellent..."
"Young man, my guild's benefits are even better..."
"My guild has the best pay!"
The other masters, realizing what was happening, all swarmed Noah, trying to poach him. They started trying to recruit Erza and Mira, too.
Makarov's proud smile vanished. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU VULTURES DOING?!" he roared. "YOU'RE NOT POACHING MY WIZARDS!"
"We're not poaching! We're just... networking!"
"Young man," another master cut in, "I have a beautiful granddaughter, just turned 18. I'd love for you to meet her..."
"I have a granddaughter, too! She's 16, also very pretty! You two should talk!"
"My guild has many lovely female wizards who would love to meet a strong man like you. You should come by and visit..."
The masters swarmed Noah, offering him their guilds, their granddaughters, their female wizards. Noah, trying to be polite to the old men, was completely flustered.
"!!!"
Erza and Mirajane, who had been fending off their own recruiters, heard the "granddaughter" talk. They looked at each other, and in a silent instant, they both acted. Erza requipped, Mira activated her Take Over, and they leaped into the air. They swooped down, grabbed Noah by the arms, and pulled him out of the crowd, landing a short distance away.
Noah let out a huge sigh of relief. That was more stressful than the fight. "Thanks!"
Seeing that he looked relieved and not at all disappointed, Erza and Mira both relaxed. Mira began to straighten his clothes, which had been ruffled by the old men, while Erza took out a handkerchief and gently dabbed the sweat from his forehead.
"Thank you all for your concern and your kind offers," Noah called out to the masters. "But I love Fairy Tail. Thank you."
The masters, seeing Erza and Mirajane flanking him protectively, knew they had lost.
"Of course, of course. Well, you must come and visit our guilds! It's good for the younger generation to network!"
"I will," Noah promised. "When I have the time."
"Well done, all of you!" Makarov said, his smug smile back in place.
"Hehe, it was nothing!" Natsu laughed.
Noah looked at the time. "Gramps, isn't your meeting still going on? We should go in... I'm starving."
They had been busy all day and hadn't eaten. The other masters immediately lit up.
"Yes, yes! The feast is still going! You must all join us!"
Erza and the others, also realizing they were hungry, followed Noah into the hall.
~~~
Get early access to 50+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn