Although the current situation suggested that Marco had completely contained the beast tide in Nord Forest, keeping it confined within the woods, Makarov didn't want to gamble on that possibility.
What if Marco failed to hold them back? A major battle would inevitably ensue.
While Makarov wasn't particularly worried about the outcome—he firmly believed the mages of Ishgar would ultimately prevail—the chaotic nature of battlefields meant unpredictable twists.
No one could guarantee there wouldn't be any accidents.
Though none of the guild members shied away, Makarov had to consider the worst-case scenario.
Keeping Natsu, Gray, and the other youngsters behind was a responsible decision for Fairy Tail's future.
Even in the direst circumstances, these children could carry Fairy Tail forward, upholding its spirit and becoming the guild's pillars.
"If Marco were here, he wouldn't want you to go either," Makarov said, playing his trump card to the agitated children.
"..."
Natsu and Gray fell silent.
Outside, the rain had lightened.
Juvia knew Marco would never want them in danger.
If the situation was truly dangerous, he would never allow them to go.
"But is it really that dangerous?" Gray questioned skeptically.
Hadn't Marco single-handedly halted the beast tide?
Now, with so many reinforcements, were they still at risk? Wasn't this overly cautious?
"I can't say for certain," Makarov admitted, pausing.
Marco's feat was simply astonishing—enough to leave everyone stunned.
Many of the older generation had lived through the last beast tide, though most had been as young as Natsu and the others now, too inexperienced to be summoned then.
Yet they'd heard harrowing tales from their seniors.
The "Nord Forest Beast Tide" was like an urban legend to them—something terrifying despite never having witnessed it firsthand.
Marco stopping the tide alone shattered their long-held perceptions.
The only consolation was that this might just be the first probing wave, with the real onslaught yet to come.
That was precisely why Makarov insisted on keeping the children away—he feared they wouldn't be able to protect them if the battle escalated.
"The decision stands," Makarov declared firmly, cutting off further protests.
Anxious to depart, Erza and Mirajane helped rein in the rowdy youngsters.
"We can't afford to waste time here!" Erza barked, hands on hips, glaring until the children fell silent.
"Don't worry, kids. We'll bring Marco back safely," Macao reassured them with a thumbs-up and a smile.
Although his child was still young, Macao didn't hesitate for a moment before deciding to join the rescue mission.
His good partner Wakaba naturally wasn't willing to fall behind either.
All the moderately capable mages in the guild had joined the ranks, participating in this 'Saving Private Marco' operation.
Natsu looked displeased, clearly still wanting to go.
When this guy got stubborn, he was really stubborn.
'If they won't take me, I'll go by myself!' Natsu obviously had his own plans in mind.
Watching everyone depart, the guild became unusually quiet.
Natsu rolled his eyes, he was scheming—now that everyone was gone, he could sneak off directly.
"Natsu, what are you up to?"
However, Natsu's suspicious movements were noticed by Gray, who also looked unwilling to stay.
Watching Natsu and Happy tiptoeing around, Gray found it strange—what was this guy planning now?
"Aye! We've been caught, Natsu!"
Happy suddenly straightened up and shouted, his behavior clearly showing guilt, as if it was his first time doing something like this.
"Ha... haha..."
Natsu let out an awkward laugh, feeling somewhat annoyed inside.
His plan had actually been discovered by Gray of all people!
In reality, Natsu was overthinking it.
It wasn't just Gray who had noticed—all the kids in the guild had spotted him and Happy sneaking around.
"Are you planning to sneak off to the north?"
Seeing Natsu remain silent, Gray pressed further.
"Huh?! How did you know?!" Natsu's jaw dropped in shock.
He didn't expect Gray to see right through him.
"..."
Gray felt a vein pop on his forehead, thinking Natsu must take him for an idiot.
With Natsu's transparent nature, anyone with half a brain could tell what he was up to.
"Natsu, let's go together!" Cana stepped forward, speaking bluntly to Natsu.
She had been hesitating—should she defy Master Makarov's orders?
Would Marco really want them all to come?
After a moment of hesitation, Cana chose to follow her heart.
She decisively stepped forward and declared she would go too.
"Eh?!"
Natsu was stunned, not quite grasping the situation.
But before he could figure it out, the other kids started chiming in one after another.
"I'm going too!" Juvia quickly followed, speaking with utmost seriousness.
Although she hadn't been learning magic for long, her terrifying talent and dedication had already given her decent combat abilities.
And fighting to rescue Marco would fuel her with enough determination to unleash 200% of her strength.
"I'm going to save Master too!" Hisui also raised her hand.
She knew Master Makarov would never allow her to go, so she had stayed silent earlier, quietly shrinking into the background.
She had watched Natsu and the others argue their case, cheering them on in her heart—maybe she could sneak in with them.
Unfortunately, Natsu and the others had been left behind too, dashing her hopes.
She had no choice but to stay.
"We can form a small team and set off together." Levy looked serious as she proposed her idea.
She believed everyone would definitely want to go, so they might as well set out together—this would also maximize their safety.
"I think it's fine. This way, even if master scolds us, we can all take the blame together instead of just one person being punished."
Lisanna stuck out her tongue in agreement.
With many offenders, punishment is impossible.
Since this decision was made by all of them, any punishment would be shared by everyone.
Gray also voiced his support, while Elfman, Jet, and Droy had no objections whatsoever.
In the end, the group took a vote and unanimously passed the motion.
"..."
Natsu's jaw dropped.
He had originally planned to sneak off alone, but somehow it had turned into everyone going together.
"Alright! Then let's all go together!"
Though surprised, Natsu was swept up by the group's enthusiasm.
He felt that setting out together would make their mission even more impactful!
"Let's go! Go for it!"
With a collective shout, Fairy Tail's junior rescue squad was officially formed.
The group of children charged out of the guild in high spirits, leaving the mages assigned to watch them exchanging bewildered glances before chasing after them.
Only a few slow-moving members were left behind to mind the guild.
"Damn it! They just left us behind!"
The remaining members were frustrated, cursing themselves for not keeping up in time.
In the end, they had no choice but to stay behind and wait for the others to return.
They all knew those who had chased after the kids wouldn't come back—they would join the children in their mission.
Everyone wanted to contribute to 'Saving Private Marco'.
...
"Achoo!"
Marco who's standing before the Crystal Wall, sneezed and wrinkled his nose.
The stench was overwhelming—after all, there was a pile of corpses here.
Marco wondered how to handle them; leaving them unattended wasn't an option.
Though dumping them in the forest would allow the bodies to decompose naturally, it would take an extremely long time.
Moreover, the sheer number of corpses meant that improper disposal could lead to the spread of disease.
"Burning them would work too." Marco pondered—it was the simplest solution.
With so many bodies, anything less than a straightforward approach would be impractical.
Who would have the patience to sort through them all?
Besides, the monster corpses were already smashed to pieces.
Any valuable parts were likely destroyed, making the effort akin to searching for gold in a pile of dung.
Since the last beast tides, Marco had been standing guard here, waiting for the allied mages to arrive at Nord Forest.
During that time, no further monster rampages had occurred.
This outcome left Yajima somewhat uneasy.
If no more tides happened, wouldn't it seem like he had overreacted?
Of course, he didn't regret his decision.
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