Fairy Tail: Collapsing Stars

Chapter 431: Lucy: So Dragons Really Do Live Beside Each of Us~

”Ah...”

Lucy opened her mouth, having nothing to say about what was happening before her.

”Oh no, Natsu! Lucyʼs eyes... are dead!”

Happy spread his snow-white wings and flew beside Lucy. He looked at Lucyʼs beautiful amber-like eyes, which were always sparkling, and saw that they had already lost their usual color. Without a doubt, Lucyʼs eyes had lost their highlights.

”Lucy, pull yourself together!”

Happy spoke to Lucy in a deep voice.

”Um...”

”What is up with this guy?!”

Lucy looked at Happy with a cold expression. She was confused by this young man with short white hair and a handsome face, but who was not wearing a single piece of clothing.

In response, Lucy really wanted to ask Happy whether this white-haired young man had been kicked in the head by a Magic Beast when he was little, so there was probably something seriously wrong with his brain?!

If it were someone like Gray, with proper looks, a slender body, clear abs, and wearing underwear, Lucy might feel embarrassed and ashamed.

Because as long as Gray was still wearing underwear, it meant Gray at least still had a sense of shame and could not really be counted as a pervert. After all, at the pool, everyone dressed like that too, although they were wearing swimsuits...

But once it crossed over to the level of this white-haired young man before her, Lucy would no longer feel any shame at all...

She would only feel that this guy with the Kuroko no Basket look was a complete and utter pervert with something wrong in his brain...

”Aye~”

”Lyon is like this~”

After hearing Lucy, Happy nodded lightly in agreement and echoed her.

”So why are you saying aye?”

”You stupid cat who only knows how to echo others!”

In response, Lucy launched a venomous-tongued attack at the one stupid cat in all of Fairy Tail she could bully.

”Aye~”

Unfortunately, Lucyʼs attack was too weak. Happy had grown up listening to Charleʼs venomous tongue and had already become immune to this kind of insult.

”You stupid cat!”

In response, Lucy cursed at Happy again, but there was nothing she could do.

”No, why am I getting angry with a cat?! I feel like after entering this Guild, my brain has also started becoming insufficient...”

Lucy gently held her forehead. In just a few short minutes, her tiny brain had endured far too much information and felt like it was about to explode.

”Fighting, half-naked, alcohol abuse, fully naked...”

”Seriously, what exactly is this Guild trying to be?”

Lucy gently rubbed her temples with her fair, jade-like hands. Looking at the chaotic demons dancing inside the Guild before her, she felt a headache. Everything before her could not be said to be merely different from the Fairy Tail she had imagined. Rather, aside from sharing the same name as the worldʼs number one Mage Guild in her imagination, there was not a single thing here similar to the Fairy Tail she had imagined.

”Uh, hehe...”

”Did I come to the wrong Guild? Should I take advantage of the current chaos and run away?”

Lucy gave a bitter laugh. Then she seemed to think of something, and her gemstone-like amber eyes lit up again.

”Oh my, are you a newcomer?”

Just as Lucy stared at Fairy Tailʼs door, thinking internally and even planning to run away, a soft female voice suddenly sounded beside Lucyʼs ear.

”Hm?”

Hearing this, Lucy looked toward the direction of the female voice. What entered her eyes was a woman, a woman who even made Lucy feel amazed.

The woman had beautiful white hair like a waterfall of snow, a pair of sapphire-blue eyes as bright as gemstones, an exquisite face as if God had gently painted it with a brush, and a perfect figure that would make any male feel his blood surge, even making Lucy, as a woman, take a few extra glances.

”Mirajane!”

The moment Lucy saw this almost perfect woman, someone who made it impossible to find any flaw, she subconsciously spoke the womanʼs name.

”Oh my~”

”You know me?”

This beautiful woman was none other than Mirajane.

At that moment, Mirajane wore a fitted long dress that perfectly set off her figure, smiling gently, dignified and beautiful, elegant and graceful, giving off an aura of noble beauty...

”She is simply the perfect image of a young lady in my heart~”

Of course Lucy knew Mirajane. After all, Mirajane was the ace gravure model of Sorcerer Weekly! She was the idol in the hearts of countless young girls...

At that moment, Lucy was like someone at a celebrity meet-and-greet. She stretched out her fair hand to cover her mouth, preventing herself from making an ugly expression in front of Mirajane!

After all, the moment Lucy saw Mirajane, she could hardly control her smile. That was because the Mirajane before her looked even more like a young lady than Lucy, the true young lady of the Heartfilia family...

And most importantly, Mirajane did not have the overbearing attitude of the young ladies Lucy had met before. She gave off a very approachable feeling!

This was exactly the image of a young lady Lucy had always dreamed of. Simply put, Mirajane perfectly matched Lucyʼs tastes. In Lucyʼs words, if she were a man, she would definitely marry Mirajane!

”Hm?!”

”Is there something on my face?”

Mirajane, who had been stared at by Lucy the entire time, felt somewhat strange. And so, she revealed a bitter smile and asked Lucy.

”No! N-No...”

”Iʼve simply long heard of Mirajaneʼs great name. Seeing you today, I found that you are even prettier than in the weekly magazine!”

Hearing this, Lucy immediately shook her head, then praised Mirajane.

This was not nonsense from Lucy. Mirajane really was prettier than in the weekly magazine! Speaking of which, others might find it hard to believe, but Mirajane belonged to the type that was completely not photogenic. The Mirajane in photos was far less vivid than the real Mirajane. Even so, Mirajane still relied on those photos to seize the position of Sorcerer Magazineʼs ace gravure model, sitting at the throne atop countless models and idols, worthy of the title Gravure Queen!

”Haha, youʼre called Lucy, right?”

”You really know how to speak~”

”I heard you want to join Fairy Tail. Is that true?”

”If itʼs true, then let me stamp our Fairy Tail Guild mark on you~”

”From now on, you and I will be Mages of the same Guild~”

Mirajane leaned close to Lucy, getting familiar with her while asking.

”Uh, mm...”

Lucy looked at Mirajane leaning in front of her, her pretty face turning red. Then she nodded, expressing that she really did intend to join Fairy Tail.

With Mirajaneʼs disastrous beauty leaning close, who wouldnʼt get dizzy? In any case, Lucy was somewhat unable to withstand it!

”Um, I just feel like I seem a little out of place with them.”

Lucy looked at Lyon, who was currently fighting Natsu with Kuroko no Basket exposed, and smiled bitterly.

”Who said that?!”

”I heard everything from Natsu. You destroyed half of Hargeonʼs dock as soon as you appeared! This kind of troublemaking ability is already quasi-first-rate even in Fairy Tail~”

”Without a doubt, you are naturally born to be a Fairy Tail member! Besides, once other Guilds know that you once mixed together with Fairy Tail members and destroyed half a dock, no other Mage Guild will dare take you~”

Mirajane squeezed out a gentle smile on her charming face, but her sapphire-blue eyes flickered with strange, ominous light.

”Huh? Accidentally destroying half a dock right at the start really was my fault...”

”But if destroying half a dock only counts as quasi-first-rate in Fairy Tail, then how terrifying is first-rate? Directly destroying all of Hargeon?”

”Then for super first-rate, wouldnʼt that mean directly destroying the entire Kingdom of Fiore? Sister Mirajane, your Fairy Tail Guild is a little too dangerous, isnʼt it?”

”And that last part, about spreading the news that I destroyed the dock and mixed together with Fairy Tail members so no one would dare take me anymore...”

”Youʼre threatening me, right? You are definitely threatening me, right?!”

After hearing Mirajane, Lucy really could not hold back anymore and kept complaining like a chatterbox.

At the same time, Mirajaneʼs image in Lucyʼs heart dropped greatly. The originally angel-like Mirajane had already become a white lotus with a black heart in Lucyʼs eyes...

”BOOM!”

Just as Lucy kept complaining about Mirajane, accompanied by a roar, a figure smashed toward Mirajane.

”Hm?!”

Because Mirajane was pretending to be weak in front of Lucy, she failed to dodge in time and was directly smashed into the ground by that figure.

”Uh...”

Lucy looked at the person who smashed Mirajane into the ground. It was none other than Natsu Dragneel!

”Natsu?!”

Lucy froze when she saw Natsu. She could not imagine that Natsu, who could create a sun with his bare hands, would actually be sent flying, and so far at that?!

”Damn it, I was careless! I didnʼt expect Gray to team up with Lyon!”

In response, Natsu merely cursed, then stood up from Mirajaneʼs body. Flames erupted from his body as he continued charging toward Gray and Lyon.

At this moment, Fairy Tailʼs chaotic battle had already spread across the entire western area. Elfman, Lisanna, and Cana were not spared. In Fairy Tail, during the year-end S-Class Mage Promotion Trial every year, the S-Class Mage candidates who were frequently selected to participate in the trial were now almost all participating in the fight...

All kinds of magic bloomed inside Fairy Tailʼs hall. Every single spell was so gorgeous and dazzling! Outside Fairy Tail, dark clouds had already gathered in the sky, and lightning flashed from time to time within the clouds!

”M-Mirajane, are you all right?!”

Lucy looked at Mirajane, who had just been struck by justice from the heavens by the airborne Natsu. Her eye twitched slightly, and she carefully asked Mirajane.

”Ha, haha...”

”Of course Iʼm fine~”

Mirajane, lying inside a human-shaped crater, twitched the corner of her mouth after hearing Lucy. She laughed lightly twice, then slowly rose from the pit.

”Mirajane, are you really, really all right?!”

Regarding Mirajaneʼs current condition, Lucy could not help asking repeatedly.

”Lucy dear~”

”You just stand here obediently for now~”

”Stand right there and donʼt walk around casually...”

”Iʼll go have a proper talk with them first~”

Mirajane first gently dusted off the dirt on her body, then smiled at Lucy and spoke.

However, completely opposite to Mirajaneʼs smiling and seemingly delicate appearance, at that moment, Mirajaneʼs entire body released an enormous ink-black magic power. That powerful magic power nearly distorted space, making the air inside the Guild become extremely viscous...

The waves of pressure released along with Mirajaneʼs magic power made Lucy, who stood before her, turn pale and tremble with fear...

As a result, Lucy did not dare say anything to refute Mirajane right now! At that moment, little Lucy was intimidated by Mirajaneʼs enormous magic power and stood frozen in place, not daring to move.

”Uh, o-okay...”

After hearing Mirajane, Lucy nodded in place with a greenish face.

”Good girl~”

”Once I come back, Iʼll stamp Fairy Tailʼs Guild mark on you~”

Mirajane first gently stroked Lucyʼs little head, then turned around and walked toward Natsu, Gray, and the others, who were currently engaged in fierce battle, like a witch.

”Ah, ah, ah~”

”Just pretending to be like this inside the Guild already makes me very annoyed~”

”Canʼt you little bastards behave yourselves for me?”

As Mirajane spoke, her body underwent a strange transformation.

”Full-Body Take Over: Underworld King Mard Geer Soul!”

Mirajane did not waste words and directly received her strongest Demon Soul, the terrifying soul of Underworld King Mard Geer, the former acting Guild Master of the Dark Guild Tartaros, whose strength could rank among the top even among the great demons created by Zeref.

The instant Mirajane received the soul of the Underworld King, her white long hair instantly turned black, her sapphire-blue eyes became crimson and cold, the dress on her body turned into a pitch-black coat, the bangs combed over her forehead naturally scattered, and the long hair originally draped over her shoulders automatically tied itself into a ponytail that would not interfere with battle...

Yes, Mirajane used her full strength right from the start. After all, the ones she had to deal with were Mages of Fairy Tail just like her! Of course, she had to use all her strength to deal with her adorable companions!

”Prepare yourselves! This lady doesnʼt know what it means to hold back!”

As Mirajane spoke, supported by waves of violent magic power, she walked into the chaotic battlefield at the center of Fairy Tail.

At this moment, what had originally only been a battle among Fairy Tailʼs S-Class Mage candidates finally welcomed the Demon Kingʼs entrance. Yes, an active S-Class Mage of Fairy Tail had chosen to join the battle!

”Thorns!”

Mirajane was too lazy to talk nonsense and directly used Mard Geerʼs signature Curse, Thorns.

Almost instantly, the entire Fairy Tail hall was filled with enormous green vine-like plants...

These vine-like plants instantly bound the Mages fighting each other inside the Guild! And they tied these Mages up quite artistically.

”Itʼs over!”

Mirajane looked at the Mages controlled by her Thorns and spoke coldly like a queen.

”Sister, I was wrong~ Hurry and let me go~”

”Ah, that Demon Mirajane has made her move!”

”Now thereʼs no way to continue fighting.”

Inside the Guild, the Mages tied up by Mirajane, including Lisanna and the others, were now suspended in midair in righteous yet sexy poses, declaring their surrender to Mirajane.

”S-So scary!”

”And so strong! She actually subdued Natsu and Gray, who could fight evenly with Natsu, in an instant! Is this Mirajaneʼs true form?”

Lucy looked at the scene before her and widened her eyes. Originally, with Natsuʼs strength, he was already in the unbeatable category in Lucyʼs eyes. However, after seeing Mirajane, Lucy finally understood that inside this Guild, Natsuʼs strength was not much at all. Fairy Tail was filled with strong people and hidden dragons and crouching tigers.

At the same time, Mirajaneʼs originally gentle young-lady-like image in Lucyʼs eyes had shattered completely!

Replacing it was an incomparably brutal Great Demon King...

”Of course Mirajaneʼs strength is amazing~”

”After all, she is an S-Class Mage of Fairy Tail~”

Just as Lucy was shocked by the strength Mirajane displayed, a dry-looking little old man in clown clothes appeared beside Lucy at some point. The little old man stood with his hands behind his back and smiled as he spoke to Lucy.

”Huh? Grandpa, when did you appear beside me? You really scared me!”

Lucy looked at the little old man beside her, who had appeared at some unknown point, and stepped back half a step, speaking in shock. If this little old man had not spoken, she would not have noticed anyone coming beside her at all...

”Hahaha...”

”Hello~ Newcomer~ I remember your name is Lucy, right?”

”I am Fairy Tailʼs former Guild Master, the current assistant to Fairy Tailʼs Guild Master, and also Fairy Tailʼs next Guild Master. My name is Makarov~ Please take care of me~”

The little old man in clown clothes was none other than Makarov. Sensing that a newcomer wanted to join Fairy Tail, he did not intend to let her go and planned to seize the opportunity to take Lucy in and make her a member of Fairy Tail.

”Makarov?! Could you be that Makarov, one of the Ten Wizard Saints?”

Lucyʼs expression was shocked. Of course she had heard of Makarov.

To be precise, in the entire Ishgar magic world, how many people had not heard Makarovʼs name?!

”Hehe, those are all empty titles...”

”Compared to the title of Ten Wizard Saints, I prefer others to call me Fairy Tailʼs acting Guild Master. Of course, you can call me former Guild Master or next Guild Master too. Thatʼs fine...”

Makarov stood with his hands behind his back and smiled at Lucy.

”Uh? You really have a lot of titles~” After hearing Makarov, Lucyʼs eye twitched as she crazily complained inwardly. ”What do you mean Fairy Tailʼs former Guild Master, current assistant Guild Master, and next Guild Master?! Adding these titles together is way too strange, right? Is he Fairy Tailʼs Guild Master or not?!

”Uh...”

”Although old Mr. Makarovʼs titles are very strange...”

”But for some reason, when placed inside Fairy Tail, they actually feel just right~”

”After all, from just now, there hasnʼt been a single normal person in this Guild~”

After complaining about Makarovʼs titles, Lucy seemed to think of something and helplessly thought inwardly.

Originally, after meeting Mirajane, she had thought that she had finally met a normal person in Fairy Tail. But once Mirajane revealed her true nature, Lucy had nothing left to say...

In short, if Makarov were the Guild Master of some other Mage Guild and had such a huge mess of random titles, Lucy would definitely find it very strange and even suspect that the Guild might not be a proper Guild...

But when Makarov was placed inside Fairy Tail, where everyone was strange, Lucy instead felt that Makarov was very normal.

”But Senior Makarov is one of the Ten Wizard Saints after all. He should be one of the strongest Mages in Fairy Tail, so he should be Fairy Tailʼs Guild Master, right?! As for the titles former Guild Master, current acting Guild Master, and next Guild Master, Senior Makarov is probably just teasing me, right?”

Lucy silently thought in her heart.

”In short, Iʼll call you Guild Master, all right?”

And so, Lucy looked at Makarov before her and asked tentatively.

”Oh~ Thatʼs fine! Everyone in the Guild calls me that anyway~”

After hearing Lucy, Makarov nodded lightly. He did not feel anything was wrong, because every Mage in Fairy Tail called him Guild Master.

”So Mr. Makarov really is Fairy Tailʼs Guild Master? In that case, Mr. Makarov really was teasing me earlier? As expected, Seniorʼs mental state is also very suspicious~”

At that moment, Lucy completely misunderstood Makarovʼs identity. At the same time, Makarov officially became another abnormal member of Fairy Tail in Lucyʼs eyes.

”Um, Guild Master Grandpa, do we really not need to stop them?”

After confirming Makarovʼs identity, Lucy pointed at Mirajane, who was currently slaughtering everyone, and asked Makarov.

”Hehe, thereʼs no need to stop them.”

”After all, even if I wanted to stop them, I wouldnʼt be able to~”

After hearing Lucy, Makarov laughed, his expression carrying some helplessness.

Makarov had already become accustomed to group fights in the Guild.

”Huh? What do you mean even if you wanted to stop them, you couldnʼt?”

Lucy froze. Makarov was Fairy Tailʼs Guild Master! And he was also one of the famous Ten Wizard Saints, a powerhouse standing at the peak of Ishgar. How could he possibly be unable to stop his Guild members from fighting?!

”Haha...”

”Because Iʼm already old. I can no longer beat Natsu, Gray, or Mirajane~”

Makarov scratched his head and laughed softly at Lucy.

”Huh? How is that possible?”

”You are a Mage standing at the very peak of Ishgar! One of the Ten Wizard Saints selected by the Magic Council!”

Lucy looked at Makarov in shock, because the Magic Council ERA put great effort into promoting the Ten Wizard Saints.

Therefore, even Lucy understood the Ten Wizard Saints. She knew the meaning of that title. It was a title only the ten strongest Mages on the continent of Ishgar could possess.

”Haha, thatʼs why I said those are all empty titles!”

”What Ten Wizard Saints? Among the Ten Wizard Saints list selected by the Magic Council, aside from the first place, everyone else is just there to make up the numbers...”

”With this little strength of mine, if placed in todayʼs Fairy Tail, forget the top ten, I would even have trouble entering the top twenty~ If I worked hard, I might be able to compete for the top thirty...”

After hearing Lucy, Makarov waved his hand and used a proud tone to brag about Fairy Tailʼs current combat power.

”Huh?!”

Lucyʼs expression suddenly changed. She could tell that Makarov had no intention of deceiving her.

But precisely because Makarov had not deceived her, Lucy felt incomparably shocked!

What had she just heard? Makarov told her that inside Fairy Tail, there were at least thirty monsters with strength comparable to or even above the Ten Wizard Saints?!

”All right, Lucy, be careful. Another monster has entered the field!”

Just as Lucy looked at Makarov in shock, her mind still immersed in what Makarov had just said about Fairy Tail having thirty Ten Wizard Saints-level monsters, a beautiful scarlet figure walked from the Guildʼs eastern area toward Mirajane.

”Mirajane, youʼve got quite the nerve!”

”You actually dared destroy my cake...”

The beautiful scarlet figure carried an unconscious Natsu in one hand and walked toward Mirajane step by step.

It turned out that just now, Mirajane had punched Natsu flying, and Natsu had unfortunately landed right on this scarlet beautyʼs cake...

Thus, the current scene came to be...

”Erza, donʼt you just want to fight me?”

”Come on! Face me head-on!”

Facing the scarlet figure aggressively walking toward her, Mirajaneʼs phoenix eyes narrowed slightly. Then she spoke arrogantly.

”Arrogant! Today, I will defeat you head-on!”

The scarlet figure was none other than Erza, who had come to the Guild to secretly eat cake. After hearing Mirajaneʼs words, the anger in her heart could no longer be stopped. In the blink of an eye, she turned into a red light. At some unknown point, armor had covered her body, and a katana had appeared in her hand. Then she charged straight toward Mirajane and slashed.

”BOOM!!”

Accompanied by bursts of roaring sounds...

The entire Fairy Tail Guild began trembling!

”The Guild! The Guild is going to collapse!”

Lucy felt the current earth-shaking sensation, her forehead covered in sweat.

”Lucy, to tell you the truth...”

”In reality, our Guildʼs emblem has an automatic life-saving function. As long as someone has our Guild emblem stamped on their body, they can survive safely. But those who donʼt have the emblem...”

Makarov looked at Lucy, whose head was covered in sweat, and spoke with a smile.

”Youʼre threatening me, right? You really are threatening me, right?”

Lucyʼs eye twitched slightly. Even during an earthquake, she still did not forget her main duty: complaining.

”I understand! Please hurry and stamp Fairy Tailʼs Guild emblem on me!”

Lucy understood. She completely understood. And so, she looked at Makarov and requested it.

”You said that yourself. I did not mean to forcefully stamp the mark on you~”

After hearing Lucy, Makarov smiled and spoke.

”Y-Yes...”

”You absolutely did not mean to forcefully stamp the Guild mark on me~”

Lucy felt like her eyes were bleeding, but in order to survive, she still said this to Makarov.

”Okay~” Makarov said, pressing the stamp onto the back of Lucyʼs hand.

Then Makarov looked at Lucy and continued, ”Actually, I hadnʼt finished speaking just now! In reality, even if your body doesnʼt have our Fairy Tail Guild mark, itʼs not a big deal~”

”Hahaha, I made an old manʼs joke for you. I wonder if youʼre happy?”

Makarov smiled at Lucy.

”I think I know where the source of this Guildʼs strange atmosphere comes from!”

After hearing Makarov, Lucyʼs eye twitched as she complained.

”Oh my~”

”I donʼt understand what youʼre talking about~”

Makarov covered his ears, acting as if he did not understand what Lucy was saying.

”BOOM!!”

Just as Makarov and Lucy were joking, the battle between Mirajane and Erza gradually intensified. The impact of their magic power had already spread throughout all of Fairy Tail.

”Ah? Who woke me up?”

”I was so close! Just a little more, and I could have beaten up my mother!”

”Damn it, unforgivable...”

”ROAR!!”

Kurnugi, who had originally been sleeping on the central stage of Fairy Tail, was awakened by Mirajane and Erzaʼs magic power. Already having a bad temper after waking up, he roared in anger.

That was not the roar of a human, but the long cry of some kind of beast!

Immediately afterward, Kurnugiʼs body gradually grew larger. Countless scales grew across his fair skin, wings that blotted out the sky emerged behind him, his mouth filled with fangs, and his limbs became thick and powerful...

”Hey, hey, hey! No way, right?!”

”That is... a dragon?!”

Lucy, who had originally been complaining about Makarov, heard the deafening roar and turned her head. Then she saw something she would never forget for the rest of her life!

She saw a roaring dragon nearly twenty meters long appear inside the Mage Guild Fairy Tail at some unknown point...

And the Mages of Fairy Tail seemed to have already grown used to the dragon before them. They seemed to have fully accepted the fact that such a terrifying creature existed inside the Guild!