The air over the sea was still crackling with residual magical energy.
August stood on the cliffside, leaning on his staff.
His eyes were fixed on the distant horizon where the Alvarez fleet had disappeared into the clouds.
He watched until the last speck of Larcade's flagship vanished.
He wasn't worried about them feigning compliance. Larcade was ambitious, but he wasn't stupid enough to defy a direct order from him while he was still in range.
Just to be certain, August had taken the precaution of placing invisible magical trackers on Larcade and Neinhart.
If they turned back even a degree, he would know instantly.
And he would end them.
August sighed, the weight of his years pressing down on him.
He hadn't yet decided what to do about the future.
His father, Zeref, was currently wavering.
The Emperor was torn between his love for life and his curse of death, between destroying humanity and saving it.
This indecision gave August time.
But one thing August was certain of: He cannot seize the Fairy Heart.
He couldn't bring himself to disturb his mother's slumber to fuel a war.
Yet, he also couldn't bring himself to openly defy his father.
It was Zeref who had found him, named him, and raised him from nothing. The bond of loyalty and filiality was a chain he could not break.
He turned away from the sea.
Mavis Vermillion was sitting on a grassy patch nearby, looking bored. She was reading a book she had bought in town, her legs swinging back and forth.
When she saw him return, she closed the book.
"Has the matter been resolved?" Mavis asked, tilting her head. "What happened out there?"
She had sensed the massive collision of magical power earlier.
Since August seemed unharmed, her curiosity got the better of her.
August hesitated.
He looked at the girl who was physically younger than his own student, yet was the source of his life.
He decided not to lie.
"Father's subordinates took it upon themselves to lead an army to attack the Ishgar continent," August explained gently. "Both sides were in a standoff at sea. I sensed the cursed power of Larcade Dragneel—a demon created by Father—so I intervened."
He paused, gripping his staff.
"I ordered them to retreat back to Alvarez. They've withdrawn now, Mother. The danger has passed. We can continue our journey."
"Attacking Ishgar again?"
Mavis pinched her chin with her small hand, her brow furrowing in thought.
"Why?" she murmured.
She had been at the Guild during the last time the Alvarez Empire attacked the Ishgar continent, so she was aware of it.
"Perhaps they seek territory," August lied. "Or perhaps just glory."
She still didn't know Alvarez Empire was targeting the Fairy Heart.
....
Crocus: Council Headquarters
The tension at the border remained high for two more days.
The Ten Wizard Saints and the Council's elite troops stood vigil, waiting for the enemy to return.
They didn't.
Scouts reported that the occupied islands had been abandoned. The Alvarez forces had vanished like smoke.
Chairman Crawford Seam finally declared the emergency over.
"Thank you, Wizard Saints and all Guild Masters," Crawford said, bowing his frog-like head. "Your swift response saved the continent."
Makarov and Ur didn't stay for the political back-patting.
They found a quiet communication room.
"Raizel, Ultear," Makarov said into the lacrima. "We are safe. The war has ended before it began. Do not worry."
...
Back in Magnolia, Ultear and Erza breathed sighs of relief.
They had heard horror stories from Raizel about the strength of the Spriggan 12.
Knowing their parental figures were safe lifted a heavy burden from their hearts.
Makarov and Ur caught the first train back to Magnolia.
...
Fairy Tail Guild Hall
The double doors swung open.
"WE'RE BACK!"
"To celebrate the end of our boring meeting," Makarov shouted, leaping onto the bar counter, "LET'S HAVE A PARTY!!!"
"YEAH!!!"
The guild erupted.
Natsu and Gray, who had been restrained from fighting for days, immediately started a brawl. Barrels were rolled out. Music started playing.
Makarov laughed, raising his mug. He didn't want the children to worry about the near-invasion, so he drowned the truth in ale and cheer.
Suddenly.
RUMBLE...
The floorboards vibrated. The mugs on the tables shook.
Then, a violent tremor hit the building.
"Whoa!" Wakaba stumbled, spilling his beer. "An earthquake?!"
"No," Macao said, his face paling. "This rhythm... this shaking..."
BING BONG.
The magical loudspeakers throughout Magnolia crackled to life.
"ATTENTION CITIZENS. MAGNOLIA WILL NOW SWITCH TO GILDARTS MODE. ALL CITIZENS, PLEASE MOVE TO DESIGNATED SAFE ZONES IMMEDIATELY. THIS IS NOT A DRILL."
The guild fell silent for a split second.
Then chaos.
"GILDARTS MODE?!"
"HE'S BACK!"
Raizel looked up from his drink looking quite interested.
"Has it been a long time since Gildarts last returned?" Raizel had been staying at the guild for the past two years, yet he had rarely encountered Gildarts.
Since the great battle during the Harvest Festival of X778, Gildarts had only returned once.
"Over a year," Ultear nodded, clutching her drink to keep it from vibrating off the table. "His quests take him to the ends of the earth."
Outside, the entire town of Magnolia began to shift.
Buildings slid apart on rails. Streets split down the middle. The town reconfigured itself to create a single, straight path from the entrance of Magnolia directly to the Fairy Tail guild hall.
Why? Because Gildarts tended to walk through walls if they were in his way!
BANG!
The guild doors flew off their hinges.
A tall, muscular man with slicked-back orange hair and a stubbly beard stood in the doorway. He wore a tattered cape and carried a heavy bag.
"I'M BACK!" Gildarts roared.
He immediately scanned the room, ignoring everyone else.
"WHERE'S CANA?! WHERE'S MY CANA?!"
Silence.
Unfortunately, Cana wasn't there. Even if she were, it would be hard to find her, as the guild had already descended into chaos.
"Aww..." Gildarts slumped, trudging dejectedly toward the bar. "My little girl isn't here to welcome her papa..."
"Let's settle this, Gildarts!"
A ball of fire launched itself from a table.
Natsu leaped into the air.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Gildarts didn't even look up. He didn't break stride. He simply extended one hand, grabbed Natsu's face mid-air, and slammed him into the floorboards.
CRASH.
A crater formed in the wood. Natsu lay there, twitching.
"Oh," Gildarts blinked, looking down at his hand. "It's Natsu. Hey, kid."
'You didn't even look before attacking?!' Gray thought, sweating profusely.
Gildarts reached the bar and sat down next to Makarov and Ur.
"Welcome back," Makarov said, sliding a mug of ale over. "How did the quest go?"
"Easy," Gildarts grinned, flashing his teeth. "Completed an SS-Class Quest and a 10-Year Quest."
He raised a thumb.
"Piece of cake."
"Congratulations," Raizel raised his glass. "Finishing a 10-Year Quest in one year... you really are a monster."
"Hahaha! Thanks, Raizel!" Gildarts laughed, slapping Raizel on the back hard enough to dislocate a normal man's shoulder.
"So," Ur asked, leaning forward. "What's next? More 10-Year Quests? There's a nasty hydra in the north."
Gildarts took a long swig of ale.
He set the mug down, his expression suddenly turning serious.
The playful uncle vibe vanished, replaced by the aura of the strongest mage in the west.
He slowly shook his head.
"I might not take any more of those," Gildarts said quietly. "I feel like I've hit a bottleneck. The 10-Year Quests... they don't push me anymore. I'm stagnant."
He looked at Makarov.
"I want to try it, Master."
"Try what?" Makarov asked, though he already suspected the answer.
"The 100-Year Quest."
CLATTER.
Makarov dropped his mug. Ale spilled everywhere.
"A CENTURY QUEST?!"
The shout echoed through the hall.
Everyone froze.
Even the brawlers in the back stopped mid-punch. Natsu, who had just woken up in the crater, sat bolt upright.
"A... a what?" Natsu asked, confused.
The room was dead silent.
"Are you insane?" Makarov whispered. "No one has ever returned from a 100-Year Quest. Not in the history of the guild. Not in the history of any guild."
The ranking system was brutal:
Regular Quests: For normal mages.
S-Class: For the elite. Hard.
SS-Class: For the best of the best. Deadly.
10-Year Quest: A job that has remained uncompleted for a decade. Only monsters like Gildarts completed these.
100-Year Quest: A job that has remained uncompleted for a century. A suicide mission.
"I have to know," Gildarts said, his eyes burning with a strange light. "I have to know what's out there. What kind of power exists that has stumped wizards for a hundred years."