Sunlight streamed through the tall windows as Rowan Mercer woke inside his newly purchased villa on the outskirts of Magnolia.
Thanks to the high-grade wand he'd acquired earlier, Rowan had crafted an oversized spatial artifact and sold it to a magic shop in the city for a small fortune. With the proceeds, he'd bought himself a spacious, well-guarded estate. Quiet, private, and ideal for spell practice.
After washing up, he used cooking magic to prepare breakfast, then stepped into the open courtyard to train.
His routine in this world had settled into a comfortable rhythm. Mornings were for spell practice at home. Midday meant lunch at the guild, trading jokes and rumors while staying up to date on anything unusual. Afternoons and evenings were reserved for study in the library.
"Fiendfyre."
A thin strand of blue flame ignited in the air above a cleared section of the yard. Rowan focused intently, guiding the cursed fire as it twisted and lunged at invisible targets. Only when he felt fully in control did he slowly increase its intensity. The moment it edged toward instability, he cut the spell short and extinguished it.
Fiendfyre was among the most dangerous fire spells in existence. Ordinary water was useless against it. Once unleashed, it burned until there was nothing left to consume. Legends claimed Grindelwald had once reduced an entire city to ash with it.
With his current wand, Rowan knew he could do something similar if he abandoned restraint. The difference was control. Grindelwald had wielded Fiendfyre like an extension of his will. Rowan, for now, could only manage it safely at limited strength.
By late morning, he was satisfied. He left the villa, unfurled his wings, and headed toward the guild.
As he passed the cathedral near the eastern forest, he spotted familiar figures sprinting toward the same destination. Natsu, Lucy, Erza, Gray, and Happy were running full tilt, expressions tense.
"Hey, Erza," Rowan called from above. "Back from a job?"
Erza looked up sharply. "Rowan! Have you heard? The guild was attacked!"
"What?" Rowan froze midair. "That can't be right. Everything was fine when I came back last night."
He accelerated instantly. Moments later, Fairy Tail came into view—and the sight made his eyes narrow.
The guild hall was a wreck. Massive iron rods were embedded throughout the structure, walls cracked, windows shattered.
"So it really was attacked," Rowan muttered. "Who's got the guts to pull this?"
Fairy Tail wasn't some minor outfit. With Master Makarov at its head, provoking them was practically a death wish.
They rushed inside. The main hall was devastated. Following the stairs down, they found Makarov and the other members temporarily gathered in a storage area near the basement library.
"Rowan, there you are," Makarov said cheerfully, lifting his mug. "Perfect timing. We were waiting for you to fix the place."
Erza and the others stared at him.
"Once Rowan's done, we'll head back upstairs," Makarov added casually.
Natsu exploded. "Old man! Why are you so calm? What happened?"
Makarov waved him off. "Relax. It was Phantom Lord."
The name made the room go quiet.
"They only struck when the guild was empty," Makarov continued. "Childish vandalism. Not worth losing sleep over."
"Phantom Lord?" Rowan echoed, genuinely surprised.
He'd been in this world long enough to know the major guilds. Phantom Lord was Fairy Tail's equal in reputation and power. Its master, Jose Porla, was one of the Ten Wizard Saints, just like Makarov. The two guilds had a long history of bad blood, stretching back to their founders.
Phantom Lord had numbers too. Far more than Fairy Tail. Multiple branches across the country. Four Elemental Lords at S-class strength. And beneath them, a Dragon Slayer known as their strongest fighter.
"I don't care," Natsu snarled, slamming his fist into a crate and shattering it. "I'm going over there and smashing their guild to pieces!"
"Enough, Natsu," Erza said firmly, grabbing his arm. She was furious too, but her voice stayed steady.
Makarov stood, hopped down from the table, and sighed. "That's enough. Rowan, please repair the hall."
Then he added, "Drank too much. Bathroom break."
As he walked off, Mirajane stepped forward, her expression gentle but serious. "Natsu, the Master's not wrong. The Council forbids guild wars. Push it too far, and they'll dissolve us."
"They started it," Natsu growled.
No one disagreed. The silence said enough.
Rowan said nothing. He simply flew back to the main floor and began casting repair spells. Stone realigned. Wood reknit. Metal slid back into place. Within minutes, the guild hall looked as though nothing had happened.
For Rowan, the decision was simple. If Fairy Tail went to war, he'd fight without hesitation. It would be good practical testing for his newer spells. If not, he'd keep studying. There was no reason to let anger disrupt his progress.
After lunch, he returned to the library with Levy. She was unusually quiet, her focus slipping again and again.
Night fell. The guild gradually emptied. Rowan, Levy, and Happy left later than usual.
This time, they didn't make it far.
As they passed South Gate Park, a man stepped out from the shadows, blocking their path. Long hair. Hostile eyes. Magic power rolling off him without restraint.
"Hey," he said coldly. "You're Fairy Tail mages, right?"
Levy stiffened. "We are. What do you want?"
Rowan's gaze sharpened. The man's magic was strong. Focused. And openly hostile.
This wasn't a coincidence.