Though the Magic Beast Tide might indeed be stronger than before, his connection with Aries had deepened, and his mastery over the Aries Gold Cloth had grown.
The Marco now was completely different from the one who had faced the tide last time.
They were about to witness the true power of Aries!
The meeting ended, and everyone dispersed to make preparations.
But the next wave of the Magic Beast Tide arrived much sooner than expected.
.....
That very night, as defenses were being set up, strange movements erupted in Nord Forest.
The roars and thunderous sounds from the forest jolted everyone awake, filling them with tension.
The sheer scale of it was far more terrifying than they had imagined.
The Crystal Wall stood firm, blocking enemy attacks but not muffling sounds or obscuring vision.
The allied forces could hear everything happening on the other side with chilling clarity.
"They're coming!"
In the defense zone of Quatro Cerberus, Bacchus was practically buzzing with excitement.
His group was fired up, not a trace of fear in them.
"No one retreats!" Goldmine stood beside them, shouting orders.
Their section wasn't small, but he was determined to hold it with his men.
On another front, Bob of Blue Pegasus stood ready with his guild's main forces, led by Ichiya, all stern-faced and prepared.
The guilds hadn't set up camp right next to the Crystal Wall but kept some distance for a buffer.
They couldn't afford to have the beasts right on top of them if the wall fell.
"BOOM!"
Glowing orbs shot into the sky, illuminating the pitch-black night.
It was Makarov's magic—the master of Fairy Tail who's skilled in light magic, which proved incredibly useful now.
"They're here! The Magic Beast Tide!"
As their vision cleared, the situation beyond the wall became much more visible.
Many could now see the figures of the magic beasts charging toward them—countless, endless, sending waves of shock through the onlookers.
Some couldn't help but step back.
It was hard to blame them.
Anyone who could remain unmoved in the face of such a sight was truly remarkable.
The overwhelming pressure of the endless Magic Beast Tide was almost suffocating.
"What's happening?!"
Behind the allied forces' defensive line, a group of children had stealthily approached.
Soon, they too heard the commotion.
"Those sound like magic beasts! Has the battle already started?!" Gray listened intently, recognizing the roars of the beasts.
The ground itself seemed to tremble, a clear sign of the sheer number of beasts.
A magic beast uprising had indeed occurred!
"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's go!" Natsu immediately sprang up, charging ahead toward the defensive line set up by the allied mages.
"Follow him, quick!" Gray didn't hesitate either, rushing after Natsu while urging the other children to keep up.
No one could afford to fall behind.
Cana, Juvia, and the others followed closely, their faces tense with urgency—yet not a single one showed fear.
"BOOM!!!"
Before Natsu and Gray could reach the defensive line, an intense surge of magical energy erupted outward in all directions.
Above them, the starry sky swirled, and the constellations of several star signs materialized vividly in the night, glowing brilliantly.
Among them, Aries, the first of the Zodiac, stood out the most.
Starlight cascaded down, rendering even Makarov's light magic unnecessary.
The radiant glow of the stars alone was enough to light up the sky and allow clear vision in the darkness.
'Hum!'
Under the shimmering blue starlight, the once-invisible "Crystal Wall" began to gleam with celestial radiance.
The entire barrier became clearly visible, standing like an insurmountable wall of starlight, instilling a deep sense of security in everyone.
"It's Marco's magic!" Juvia shouted immediately, recognizing it at once.
Of course, all the children did.
The magic that could command the stars in the sky could only belong to their 'leader', Marco.
They knew it all too well.
"So powerful! As expected of master!" Hisui couldn't help but exclaim in awe.
She, more than anyone, could feel the resonance of the celestial power.
She could clearly sense that Marco's strength had grown even greater!
As for Marco's other apprentice, Lucy, she hadn't been brought along.
Lucy had only just joined Fairy Tail recently and hadn't even begun her formal magic training under Marco.
No matter how reckless they were, they wouldn't drag a complete newcomer like Lucy into this.
Unbeknownst to the children, however, Lucy had secretly followed them anyway.
With several Celestial Spirit keys in her possession, Lucy had the means to protect herself.
Though limited by her own magical reserves—even the Zodiac spirits weren't particularly strong in her hands yet—she could still handle ordinary mages with ease.
Bringing up the rear behind Natsu and Gray's group, Lucy had also caught sight of the celestial phenomenon unfolding in the sky.
"What is this?!"
Dressed lightly with a stunning figure, the pure and beautiful Aquarius, a Celestial Spirit of the Zodiac with long blue hair and a mermaid tail, was gaping at the star chart in the sky.
The constellations' radiance continuously showered down magical brilliance, as if all of them were shining for one person alone.
"That's Marco's magic!" Lucy exclaimed happily, which made Aquarius pause in surprise.
"The master you always talk about?" Aquarius asked, clearly somewhat familiar with the topic.
Her relationship with Lucy was extraordinary—they were extremely close.
During Lucy's most disheartened and sorrowful days, it was Aquarius who had accompanied her, and Lucy relied on her deeply.
"Yes! That's my master! He might be in battle right now! Aquarius, let's go help him!"
Lucy nodded firmly, then anxiously dashed forward, eager to lend a hand.
"..."
Aquarius was speechless.
What help could they possibly offer?
Just escorting Lucy here had already drained them significantly—where would they find the magic power to fight?
Lucy was too worried to even notice her own magic was nearly depleted.
"This Marco... What kind of magic is he using? How can he even command the constellations of the Zodiac to..."
Aquarius wore a complicated expression as she was utterly baffled.
She was deeply shaken, feeling as if she had witnessed something that defied all logic—the entire sky of stars responding to one person's call, something even Celestial Spirits like her couldn't achieve!
In truth, Aquarius wasn't the only one stunned.
Within the defensive zone of Blue Pegasus, Aries, another Celestial Spirit of the Zodiac, stood frozen with her mouth agape.
Normally timid, she even ignored Karen's orders, staring blankly at the Aries constellation in the sky, her eyes filled with disbelief.
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