"Gajeel! Why the hell are you here?" Gray roared.
Seeing the hostile atmosphere, Juvia quickly ran over to Natsu and Gray to explain. "Wait! Juvia was the one who recommended him!"
"Juvia is one thing, but this guy is the one who destroyed our guild!" Erza said, staring at Gajeel with a stern expression.
"Now, now. As the saying goes, 'Yesterday's enemy is today's friend,' right?" Makarov said from the side.
Levy chimed in, "Yeah, I don't mind at all."
"Are you kidding me? How can we work with a guy like this?" Natsu yelled, slamming his fist onto Gajeel's table.
Gajeel looked up at Natsu. "Don't worry. I have no intention of working with you."
"Why you...!"
Gajeel stood up and looked at Natsu. "I just wanted a job. I didn't expect to end up working in the guild that pisses me off the most. It's annoying."
"What did you say?"
"Gajeel was always so lonely. Juvia couldn't just leave him... and... it's not because Juvia likes him or anything!" Juvia explained flusteredly to Gray.
"Guiding a young man who lost his way back to the right path is the responsibility of the older generation. He's not a bad guy at heart," Makarov said, turning his head away and muttering softly, "Or so I'd like to think."
Erza calmed down after hearing the Master's words. "If this is the Master's decision, then I won't say anything further. However, I believe we should keep him under surveillance for a while. Chen Fan, don't you agree?" She turned toward Chen Fan at the end of her sentence.
That guy was already face-down on the table, fast asleep with a snot bubble growing from his nose. Multiple "anger" symbols appeared on Erza's head. Just as she was about to teach him a lesson
Suddenly, the lights in the hall dimmed. Pop! Chen Fan's snot bubble burst. He opened his eyes and saw the darkness. He stood up groggily and said, "Is it night already? Time to go home."
Suddenly, a spotlight hit the stage. Chen Fan looked up and saw Mirajane standing there with a guitar. He instantly perked up.
"Little Mira! I'm back! Are you going to sing for me? Sniff... I'm so moved!" he shouted.
"Now, to celebrate the safe return of Natsu, Gray, Erza, Happy, and Lucy, I would like to perform a new song for everyone."
"What about me?!" Chen Fan cried out, pointing at himself, but Mirajane completely ignored him.
"You were abandoned by Mira a long time ago," Macao teased. "Yeah, yeah," Wakaba added, nodding in agreement.
"Hmm...?" Chen Fan's eyes darkened as he glared at Macao and Wakaba. The two were startled and quickly looked away, pretending they hadn't said anything.
Then, Mirajane's beautiful voice filled the room. The song was a bit melancholic and nostalgic. Everyone closed their eyes to listen. Makarov looked at the guild members and felt a sense of pride. All these children have grown up. I'm getting old. Maybe it's time to retire.
Chen Fan happened to catch Makarov's expression and whispered to him, "What's wrong? Feeling old, old man? You really should retire soon." Of course, Chen Fan didn't actually want him to retire; he was just worried the old man would actually quit and leave the mess to him, so he was trying to provoke him.
Sure enough, Makarov couldn't take the bait. "Don't worry, I can still go for another ten years!"
When Mirajane finished her song, the hall erupted in applause and whistling, completely drowning out Makarov's voice.
"That was great! Who's next?" Macao shouted.
Thump. A spotlight hit the stage again. Everyone "petrified" instantly. "What is going on?" Natsu yelled, standing up.
"This is an original composition of mine. It's called 'Best Friend.' Please enjoy," Gajeel said, sitting on a chair while wearing a full suit.
The guild members started throwing things at the stage. "Who wants to hear you sing?! And why are you wearing a suit?!"
Gajeel ignored them and began to sing in his unique voice. "Glorious! Glorious! Shooby Dooby! The melody of love, metallic tones, doo doo doo, cha-la-la, shooby dooby, cha-la-la."
The petrified members practically shattered at the sound. A few people, including Elfman and Macao, actually started cheering him on.
"That is the worst song I have ever heard in my life!" Natsu screamed, covering his ears.
WHAM! Gajeel threw his guitar, hitting Natsu square in the face. Within moments, the guild hall descended into complete chaos. The newly built hall was being destroyed yet again. Makarov's tears flowed like rivers.
Chen Fan patted Makarov on the shoulder. When the old man looked back, Chen Fan flashed a grin and gave him a thumbs-up, a glint in his eye. Makarov began to cry even harder.
Chen Fan ran up to the second floor and stepped onto the railing, leaning back with his head held high. He pointed a finger at the floor below and shouted in a raspy voice, "Get him! Get him! Stomp on him! Bite him! Go, go, go!"
Thud! A bottle flew out of nowhere and hit him in the face.
"Get him! That bastard is always up there watching the fun! Let's see where he runs this time!"
"Get him! Charge!" A mob of guild members surged toward the second floor.
Chen Fan panicked and shouted, "Wait, aren't you guys forbidden from coming up here?!"
"That rule is ancient history! Get him!" The crowd swarmed him.
"Aaaaaah!" A pathetic scream rang out. Everyone paused, sensing something was off. They pulled back and realized that the person lying on the floor, bruised and swollen, was actually Macao.
They looked toward the exit to see Chen Fan standing there, wearing Macao's clothes. His hands were forming a seal. "Ninja Art: Substitution Jutsu!" He immediately turned and bolted, leaving a trail of curses behind him.
Chen Fan wandered through the park after his escape. He spotted Gajeel, Droy, and Jet. He was about to go over and say hello when he noticed Levy hiding behind a tree. He suddenly remembered this part of the story.
A moment later, Droy and Jet attacked Gajeel. Gajeel didn't dodge. Before long, Laxus Dreyar made his entrance.
"Is this what we call bullying?" Laxus's voice rang out. "Laxus!" Droy and Jet turned around in surprise.
"So this is the guy who made a mess of our guild? That old man... did he hire more trash for some pathetic reason? No wonder people look down on us. Dammit." Laxus's expression turned predatory.
Laxus's voice dropped to a low growl. "On my way back to town, I heard disgusting things everywhere. They said Fairy Tail is nothing special, that it's finished."
Crackle. Golden electricity surged around Laxus. Boom! He punched the ground, sending a bolt of lightning that tore through the grass. Kaboom! The strike hit Gajeel directly, causing him to let out a pained scream. Laxus began to kick Gajeel repeatedly.
"Even Laxus is strong, but Gajeel shouldn't be this helpless," Droy noted, watching as Gajeel refused to fight back.
"Don't tell me, from the very beginning..."
"Stop it, Laxus!"
Laxus looked back and shouted, "Trash should shut up!" He waved his hand, sending a bolt of golden lightning toward Levy.
Flash! The golden lightning was suddenly reflected back.
Suddenly, a voice rang out. "Laxus, are you the one bullying my little sister?"
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