Fiore Kingdom, Magnolia Town.
This is a small town famous for its magic, and the most famous thing in town is undoubtedly the Mage Guild located in the center of the town, which is both its glory and its center for trouble-making—"Fairy Tail."
At this moment, inside the guild hall, the usual scene of "peace" was unfolding.
"You bastard, Natsu! Did you steal the roasted meat I was saving for tonight again?!" A black-haired young man, wearing only a pair of shorts and bare-chested, glared at a pink-haired boy. He was Gray Fullbuster, the Ice Make Mage.
"Huh? How was I supposed to know it was yours!" The pink-haired boy, Natsu Dragneel, known as "Salamander," casually wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, grinning, "Who told you not to write your name on it! Besides, anything left on the table belongs to whoever sees it first!"
"You bastard... you're asking for a fight!"
"Just what I wanted, underwear brat!"
With words failing them, the two instantly started to brawl.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu took a deep breath and fiercely spewed a scorching dragon's breath, charring half of the wall behind Gray.
"Ice Make: Shield!" Gray clapped his hands together, and a massive ice shield rose from the ground, just barely blocking the flames, with melting ice water splashing everywhere. Immediately, he changed his hand gestures again, "Ice Make: Lancer!" Dozens of ice spears whistled as they shot towards Natsu.
The entire guild hall instantly transformed into a battlefield of ice and fire. Tables and chairs flew, and cups and plates shattered.
By the bar, the curvaceous Cana Alberona hugged a giant wine barrel, guzzling down drink while enthusiastically cheering them on: "Go, Natsu! Show him what you've got! Gray, don't lose to that idiot!" After saying that, she let out a loud burp, a satisfied flush spreading across her face.
At a table not far away, the blonde girl Lucy Heartfilia clutched her head, wailing in despair, "My rent... this month's rent is going to be gone again! You destructive maniacs!"
Only Mirajane Strauss, behind the bar, still wore her angelic sweet smile, elegantly wiping the wine glass in her hand, as if everything around her was just lively background music, showing no intention of stopping them. "Ara ara, everyone is still so energetic today."
"A man solves problems with his fists!" The burly Elfman shouted his catchphrase, attempting to join the fray, but before he could finish, a chair flying from who knows where accurately hit him in the face. After a scream, he too roared and charged in.
Laughter, brawling, curses, and the explosions of various magic spells intertwined to form a symphony unique to "Fairy Tail." Here, there were no strict hierarchies, no false pleasantries, only a group of companions who regarded each other as family, maintaining this irreplaceable bond in their most direct and passionate way.
Just as Natsu's "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist" and Gray's "Ice Make: Battle Axe" were about to make another intimate contact, triggering a new round of explosions—
"Whoosh—woo—"
An unusual, extremely sharp whistling sound, from far to near, as if something was tearing through the air at high speed, descending from the sky.
This sound was so sudden that it instantly drowned out all the noise.
Everyone in the guild seemed to be under a spell, stopping their actions in unison. Natsu and Gray remained in their punching stances, Cana's wine barrel stopped at her lips, and Lucy's complaints were caught in her throat.
Everyone instinctively looked up, towards the weathered ceiling, which had been burned countless times by Natsu, yet still stubbornly stood strong.