Chapter 19: Return to the Guild
When Bora saw his ship reduced to splinters, his face contorted with rage. "My ship! Damn you, brat! Prominence Whip!"
A stream of purple-red flames lashed out like a whip toward Natsu.
WHOOSH!
The fire struck Natsu head-on, engulfing him completely.
"Natsu!" Lucy cried out.
But then the flames began… disappearing? They were being sucked into Natsu's mouth like noodles. He swallowed the last wisp and made a disgusted face, sticking out his tongue. "Blegh! That tastes awful! This is the worst fire I've ever eaten! Do you even know how to use fire magic properly? You call yourself a fire mage?"
"He… he ATE the flames?!" Lucy's brain was short-circuiting.
Bora's eye twitched. "Damn it! Prominence Storm!"
Flaming meteors rained down on Natsu like a deadly shower, but the Dragon Slayer weaved through them effortlessly, flames passing harmlessly around him.
Natsu grinned wildly, his fists igniting with scorching flames. "My turn! Fire Dragon's ROAR!"
ROOOOAAAAAR!!!
A massive torrent of fire erupted from Natsu's mouth, a blazing inferno that turned the air itself into a heat haze.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The flames shot past Bora, demolishing the building behind him completely. The slaver's face went pale, cold sweat dripping down his forehead. His own fire magic was useless against this monster, and he could feel it—this kid's mastery of fire magic was on a completely different level.
"Tch! Lucky brats! I'll let you off this time!" Bora conjured flames beneath his feet, launching himself into the air. "But next time we meet, you're dead!"
"Bastard! Get back here and fight me like a man!" Natsu roared, shaking his fist at the sky.
Then Dino's voice rang out across the entire town, calm but carrying an unmistakable edge of menace. "You disrespect Fairy Tail and think you can just fly away? Not happening."
VWOOM~~~!
The familiar white sphere of energy formed around his fist once again.
CRACK!
A compressed ball of air pressure shot from Dino's fist like a cannon, hurtling toward the fleeing Bora. The slaver glanced back just in time to see the white sphere of destruction fill his entire field of vision.
"GYAAAAAAAH!!!"
BOOOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The shockwave detonated in midair, and Bora plummeted like a meteor, crashing into the ground so hard it created a crater. The impact sent tremors through the entire town—buildings cracked, windows shattered, and the cobblestone streets split open like broken eggshells.
Lucy stood slack-jawed amidst the destruction, her legs trembling. "This… this is WAY too much!"
"Aye…" Even Happy looked a bit sheepish.
Then, from the distance, the sound of marching boots and shouting voices echoed through the ruined port.
"MOVE OUT! Apprehend all mages engaged in unauthorized combat on the waterfront!"
"It's the Rune Knights!" Natsu's expression shifted from triumphant to panicked in an instant. Both he and Dino had zero interest in dealing with the military—fighting them would be pointless, but getting arrested would be incredibly annoying.
"Crap! Went too hard again! RUN!" Dino grabbed Lucy's wrist and bolted.
"Wha—HEY!" Lucy stumbled after him.
Natsu followed immediately, apparently well-practiced in tactical retreats.
Happy fluttered alongside them, munching on his fish. "You know, Dino, running away seems kinda pointless. Everyone already knows it was you."
"As long as they don't catch me red-handed, I can deny everything!" This was wisdom Dino had accumulated over years of experience. Plausible deniability was key.
Natsu pumped his fist excitedly as they ran. "Man, Dino, you're crazy strong! We GOTTA have a rematch when we get back to the guild!"
Lucy, being dragged along against her will, shouted over the chaos, "Wait! Why am I running with you people?!"
Dino flashed her a grin. "You wanna join Fairy Tail, don't you? Then come with us!"
Magic Council ERA Headquarters
The Magic Council was the kingdom of Fiore's regulatory body for all things magic-related. They supervised the various mage guilds and handed down punishments to those who broke the rules. At its head sat the Ten council members—all highly accomplished mages with considerable influence and power.
An older councilman slammed his hand on the table. "Those idiots from Fairy Tail caused another incident! This time they nearly leveled half a port town!"
Another council member pinched the bridge of his nose. "It was definitely Dino Maxim. Only that man causes this level of destruction. He stays quiet for six months, then the second he resurfaces, an entire district gets demolished. Someone that dangerous shouldn't even be allowed to practice magic!"
"Then go stop him yourself," someone muttered.
Silence.
Everyone in the room remembered what happened five years ago when the Council had tried to discipline Dino. He'd nearly destroyed half their headquarters in retaliation. If Makarov hadn't personally intervened to calm him down, the entire building might have been reduced to rubble.
Recalling that terrifying earthquake still gave the elder councilmen cold sweats. The title "Walking Disaster" was well-earned. And that was when Dino was only fourteen years old. No one wanted to imagine how much stronger he'd become since then.
One of the calmer members spoke up. "Fairy Tail is a double-edged sword—there's bad and good. According to our informants, Dino destroyed the Dark Guild Phoenix not long ago."
"What?!" Several councilmen sat up straight. The Dark Guild Phoenix was moderately powerful and had been increasingly active recently. Their master was cunning, making them difficult to apprehend through official channels.
"Dino's eliminated numerous dark guilds over the years. This time he also rescued several dozen young women from a human trafficking ring."
The chairman sighed heavily. "The damage was contained. No civilian casualties. We'll let it slide… again."
Another councilman muttered under his breath, "Not like we could do anything about it anyway…"
Magnolia Station
Stepping off the train, Dino took a deep breath of familiar air. "Magnolia… it's been a while. Almost feels weird being back."
Suddenly, air raid sirens began wailing across the entire city.
WEEEE-OOOO! WEEEE-OOOO! DING-DING-DING!
Lucy, visiting for the first time, nearly jumped out of her skin. "What?! What's happening?! Is the town under attack?!"
A magically amplified voice boomed from speakers throughout the city:
"ATTENTION, MAGNOLIA RESIDENTS! ATTENTION! DINO MAXIM HAS RETURNED TO TOWN! I REPEAT, DINO MAXIM HAS RETURNED!"
"All residents, please prepare emergency procedures! WARNING: If tremors occur, remain calm! Do NOT panic! Do NOT jump from buildings! Move to open areas when possible! If indoors, take shelter under sturdy furniture or in doorway corners!"
"Repeat! Prepare emergency procedures! If tremors occur, do not panic! Move to open spaces! If indoors, take cover!"
"Activating 'Dino Mode'! All citizens, stay alert!"