Chapter 176 – Another First-Rate Mess
"Hey! Fire Dragon! Little girl!"
Gajeel called out, pointing a challenging finger. "Have the blue cat and the white cat fight my Lily!"
"What? Bring it on!" Natsu snapped, instantly fired up.
"Don't bring it on!" Happy groaned. "Why are you volunteering me?!"
Lucy glanced uneasily at Wendy. "You two have really caught the eye of a troublesome guy."
Wendy merely sweatdropped. "Uhh…"
Meanwhile, Gajeel seized Natsu's scarf and gave him a competitive glare. "By the way, I'm way stronger than you think."
"Hah! Happy is the top cat, you jerk!" Natsu roared back, acting every bit as fiery as his words.
Happy frowned. "Come on, I got beaten in an instant back in Edolas…"
"Don't give up before we start!" Carla scolded, already infected by Fairy Tail's spirit of never yielding.
Happy gasped. "Wow, you're encouraging me?!"
Raising a paw, Lily intervened. "No need for a fight. Don't judge me by my size – I was the Captain of the First Division over there. Senseless brawling only ends in injuries."
"Unexpectedly mature," Erza observed, smiling at Lily.
"Now, that's the spirit," the black cat said gruffly. "Let's all get along, Happy and Carla."
"Aye, Sir!" Happy chirped happily.
Carla simply turned away, humming her little tsundere "hmph!"
As for Natsu, Elfman, and Gray, they had already started a scuffle among themselves, toppling one another.
"Will you guys calm down—?!"
"Go for it, Natsu—!!"
…
Magic Council – ERA
"This is insane! How can there be so many complaints?!"
"All caused by a single guild?!"
"Fairy Tail. They've been a headache since the previous era."
One of the council members, Org, spoke up. "But it isn't all bad. They're also the ones who destroyed Oración Seis of the Balam Alliance."
Because Jellal and Ultear had infiltrated the old Council and triggered the Etherion cannon, the Council was reorganized. Nearly all the old members had been dismissed or replaced for negligence, leaving Org as the only veteran member among the new batch.
A new critic frowned. "There's no official record of Fairy Tail being allowed to engage in that fight."
"That local Guild Alliance operated without the Council's authorization," someone else added. "And strictly speaking, attacking even a Dark Guild violates the treaty forbidding guild-vs.-guild conflict. The Balam Alliance might retaliate."
"This is the new Council," declared the acting chairman, Grandoma. "We must show the world we can restore lost trust—by taking firm action. We'll impose strict sanctions on that problem guild, Fairy Tail! If they cause trouble again, we'll dissolve them. For the sacred order of the magic world!"
"Here, here!" The other councilors clapped in agreement.
Only Org sat there rubbing his temples. He recalled Su Yan's earlier assault on the Council—an event he had purposely kept quiet to prevent mass panic. But these overeager new appointees were itching to crack down on Fairy Tail. He couldn't help foreseeing trouble if they actually tried to disband the guild. Su Yan would surely demolish the Council again.
…
In a deserted region, a young man crouched by a stream, drinking. A pack of wild wolves crept closer, baring their teeth hungrily.
"N-no, don't come near me," the man pleaded. "I'm not your enemy."
Driven by starvation, the wolves ignored his words and lunged. In that instant, a dark aura burst from the man's body. The wolves toppled over, lifeless. Nearby trees withered, and birds fell from the sky.
"S-sorry," the man whispered. "I didn't mean to harm you. The world itself rejects me. Natsu… I really want to see you again…"
…
Magnolia
In Lucy's apartment bathroom, the Fairy Tail guild had partied all night to celebrate Lisanna's return. By morning, Lucy had slipped home for a refreshing soak.
"Aah~ It feels so good," she sighed, leaning back in the tub. "It's so relaxing at home—"
"A fine place indeed," said a second voice.
Lucy froze in horror. "Wha—?!"
She turned to see Cana perched in her bathtub as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Maybe I should move in," Cana mused.
"Eeeek! Cana?! Why are you in my house?" Lucy yelped.
Cana's grin was unsteady, and Lucy noticed she wasn't her usual bright self. "Nothing much… I've been thinking about quitting the guild."
"Huh—?!" Lucy nearly jumped out of her skin.
…
Back at the Guild
Lucy and Mirajane spoke quietly at the bar. Lucy seemed troubled. "Cana actually said she might leave for good! And she wouldn't say why!"
Mirajane gave a reassuring smile. "Don't worry too much, Lucy. Cana's been talking about that a lot lately."
"Really? Did something happen?" Lucy asked, puzzled.
Su Yan tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Is it that time again?"
Mirajane nodded with a soft laugh. "Yes, looks like it."
"Now that you mention it, it feels like only yesterday you and I had that conversation," Su Yan said.
Lucy blinked at them in confusion. "What's going on? You two are being cryptic!"
Mirajane just smiled mysteriously. "Oh, you'll see soon enough."