The front doors of Phantom Lord's guildhall exploded inward before Makarov had finished lowering his hand.
Wood, metal, and stone scattered through the entrance hall, forcing the mages waiting inside to shield their faces. A cloud of dust swallowed the doorway, followed by a silence so brief that it felt less like peace and more like the breath before an execution.
Yukari stepped through the smoke first.
Golden flames curled around her shoulders and ran down her arms, illuminating her violet eyes with a vicious light. She had not launched the attack that destroyed the entrance. Makarov had done that himself.
Still, every Phantom Lord mage staring at her seemed to understand that the doors had been the fortunate ones.
Behind her came Natsu, Gray, Erza, Cana, Mirajane, Happy, and the rest of Fairy Tail. Their footsteps echoed through the damaged hall as one united rhythm, carrying fury into the heart of the enemy guild.
A Phantom Lord mage near the staircase raised his weapon.
"For Phantom Lord!"
Yukari lifted one hand.
A wave of golden fire swept across the floor, splitting around the Fairy Tail members before surging toward their enemies. It struck the first line of defenders without burning through flesh, but the force behind it hurled them across the hall as though they had been caught by a charging beast.
Bodies crashed into walls, tables, and support pillars.
Natsu stared at the destruction. "Hey! Leave some for us!"
"You can have the ones who survive," Yukari replied.
Gray cracked his knuckles. "At this rate, there won't be any."
More Phantom Lord mages flooded down the stairs, filling the balconies and corridors above. Their spells formed a violent storm of blades, chains, wind, and compressed magical energy.
Erza stepped forward, already summoning her armor, but Yukari moved before anyone else could react.
"Inflexible Dawn Shield."
A vast barrier of golden fire rose in front of Fairy Tail. Every spell that struck it vanished into the flames, absorbed without leaving so much as a crack. The shield grew brighter with each impact, feeding on the magic thrown against it.
Yukari's expression slowly changed from anger to something much worse.
Amusement.
"You attacked our guild in the middle of the night," she said, advancing while the shield moved with her. "You tortured three of our friends and displayed them like trophies."
The Phantom Lord mages continued firing, though panic had begun to poison their faces.
Yukari curled her fingers into a fist.
The barrier collapsed inward, gathering around her arm until the stolen energy burned like a miniature sun around her knuckles.
"You should have spent less time provoking us and more time learning what Fairy Tail actually is."
She punched the air.
The released force tore through the hall in a golden arc. It shattered weapons, broke defensive spells, and sent dozens of mages flying into the walls. The building trembled from its foundations, while cracks spread across the ceiling in branching lines.
Erza looked upward as dust rained onto her armor. "Yukari, try not to destroy the entire structure while we are still inside."
"I am trying."
"That was you trying?" Cana asked.
Mirajane smiled with unsettling sweetness. "She is being very restrained."
Several Phantom Lord members who heard her immediately retreated.
The battle spilled into every corridor of the guildhall. Natsu charged through one group with flaming fists, shouting Gajeel's name as he searched for the Iron Dragon Slayer. Gray froze the ground beneath another squad before sending them crashing into each other. Erza cut through enchanted weapons with precise, merciless strikes, while Cana's cards exploded through the air in bright flashes.
Yukari and Mirajane moved together without needing instructions.
A mage attempted to strike Yukari from behind, only for Mirajane's arm to transform into a dark demonic claw and catch him by the face.
"You should not interrupt her," Mirajane told him gently. "She is already in a bad mood."
She threw him through two walls.
Yukari glanced at the new opening. "You heard Erza telling me not to destroy the building, right?"
Mirajane examined the hole with mild interest. "That was already damaged."
"It had a wall."
"It was an unnecessary wall."
Despite the rage burning through Yukari, a brief laugh escaped her. It disappeared when another group surrounded them, their magic circles forming across the floor and ceiling.
Yukari stepped closer to Mirajane until their backs touched.
"Just like old times," Mirajane murmured.
"Except now I get to kiss you after."
Mirajane's smile sharpened. "That is certainly an improvement."
The spells came from every direction.
Mirajane transformed partially, black wings bursting from her back as demonic energy wrapped around her arms. Yukari spun with her, sending ribbons of golden fire through every opening Mirajane created. Their movements flowed together with effortless familiarity. Mirajane drove enemies into the path of Yukari's flames, while Yukari's fire forced others to retreat directly into Mirajane's waiting claws.
Within less than a minute, the corridor fell silent.
The only remaining Phantom Lord mage stood pressed against a pillar, staring at them with trembling knees.
"Where is Gajeel?" Yukari asked.
"I don't know!"
Her flames rose higher.
"I swear! He isn't here!"
Mirajane placed a calming hand against Yukari's shoulder. The fire did not vanish, but it stopped spreading.
A violent surge of magical power shook the entire building.
Every member of Fairy Tail felt it.
Makarov had entered the battle.
The guild master moved through Phantom Lord's forces with terrifying authority, his enormous fist smashing through floors and defenses alike. No ordinary mage could stand before him. His anger had stripped away every trace of the cheerful old man who drank and laughed with his children.
Today, he was one of the Ten Wizard Saints.
Today, he was a father confronting the people who had harmed his family.
"Jose!" Makarov's voice thundered through the building. "Show yourself!"
Yukari felt relief beneath her rage. With Makarov advancing toward Phantom Lord's master, this battle would not last much longer.
A strange pressure suddenly brushed against her senses.
Cold air drifted through the corridor.
Yukari turned sharply, searching the shadows above them. For one fleeting moment, she saw a tall figure wrapped in white, his expression hidden beneath fabric.
A single eye watched from the darkness.
"Master!" Yukari shouted.
The warning came too late.
Aria appeared behind Makarov without a sound and spread his hands.
"Airspace."
The atmosphere twisted.
Makarov's immense magical presence vanished as though someone had torn the sun from the sky. His body stiffened, his eyes widening as his magic was violently drained from him.
The guild master collapsed.
Across the building, every Fairy Tail member froze.
Yukari stared at Makarov's motionless body, unable to understand what she was seeing.
Her golden flames went completely still.
Mirajane reached for her, but the heat around Yukari erupted with enough force to split the stone beneath their feet.
The windows shattered.
The walls groaned.
Far above Phantom Lord, the clouds began to glow gold.
Yukari slowly raised her head, and the fury in her violet eyes no longer looked human.
"Mirajane," she whispered, her voice frighteningly calm. "Take the others and get Master out of here."
Mirajane tightened her grip on Yukari's arm. "What are you planning?"
Yukari stared toward the place where Aria had disappeared.
"I am going to find the man who touched my family."
The entire guildhall began to burn.
Author's Note
It has been almost a year since the last update, and I sincerely apologize for disappearing for so long. University, work, and personal responsibilities became much heavier than I expected, and when I finally had time to write again, I realized I needed to reread the story and reconnect with the characters instead of rushing a chapter that would not feel right. Yukari's journey means a lot to me, and I wanted to return only when I could give this story the energy it deserved. Thank you to everyone who waited, reread the previous chapters, or simply remembered this story after all this time. Ember of the Starry Sky is finally back.