The Kingdom of Fiore, the town of Magnolia.
A sudden commotion erupted down the normally bustling central thoroughfare.
Carts were abandoned, and local residents scrambled for the safety of the alleyways, fleeing in all directions.
Towering above the medieval-style rooftops, a behemoth of solid rock strode forward.
Each heavy footfall caused the cobblestones to tremble and windows to rattle in their frames.
This was the Giant Soldier of Stone.
Standing over ten meters tall, its silhouette was remarkably refined for a creature made of earth.
Two massive stone swords were embedded deep into its broad shoulders, and its glowing eyes swept the street with the fearless, valiant gaze of a seasoned warrior.
High above the panicked crowds, the biting wind snapped at a red and black windbreaker.
A somewhat slender young man stood casually on the stone giant’s shoulder.
His hands were stuffed deep into his pockets, his gaze calmly fixed on the end of the street.
There, the familiar, chaotic silhouette of his guild loomed.
“Where did this madman come from?
How dare he walk down the street so brazenly and disrupt traffic?!” A passing adventurer scowled, clearly taking personal offense to the spectacle.
A bright magic circle flared to life beneath his boots as he stepped squarely into the center of the road, blocking the path of the towering behemoth.
“Hey, hey, don’t do that, buddy!
Come back here!” A middle-aged local hurried over, grabbing the mage’s sleeve and trying to forcibly drag him back to the sidewalk.
As a long-time resident of Magnolia, he seemed to know exactly what that stone giant meant.
“That giant is just passing through.
If you just step to the side of the road, you’ll be completely fine!” “Step back?
Are you kidding me?” The man ripped his arm away, curling his lip in a sneer.
He rolled up his sleeve, confidently thrusting out his bicep to display a rather crude guild emblem.
“I am the strongest Mage of Black Teal’s Foot!” The middle-aged man blinked, staring blankly at the tattoo.
He scratched his cheek, looking genuinely apologetic.
“Never heard of that guild.” “Damn it!” The self-proclaimed ‘strongest’ mage lost his composure on the spot.
Cursing under his breath, he frantically pumped magic power into the circle beneath him, desperate to prove his formidable strength to the ignorant townsfolk.
“If you’re going to use magic, don’t blame me for not warning you!” The local resident threw his hands up in surrender, already backing away.
“That man standing on the giant’s shoulder is Fairy Tail’s S-Class Mage, Chase Lin Edogado!” Seeing the massive shadow of the Giant Soldier of Stone already falling over them, the middle-aged man acted decisively.
He bolted down a side street without looking back.
Whether you’re Black Teal’s Foot or White Chicken Hand, I’m out of here!
Fairy Tail?
S-Class?
Chase Lin Edogado!
Each word hit the arrogant mage like a physical blow, echoing deep in his mind.
In a fraction of a second, the fierce, battle-ready glare melted off his face.
His eyes went completely round, clear, and utterly harmless.
Thud!
The grand fantasy the man had just envisioned—repelling the monster and basking in the worship of the townspeople—evaporated.
The Giant Soldier of Stone didn’t even break its stride.
A massive stone foot casually punted the mage out of the way.
He spun two and a half times in the air before landing headfirst in a nearby trash can, his legs twitching in the air.
As if nothing had happened, the stone giant continued its march down the unobstructed street.
It finally halted in front of a three-story building that wasn’t particularly ornate.
It looked more like a rowdy tavern than a headquarters.
A flag bearing a dancing fairy emblem fluttered proudly in the wind.
Above the heavy double doors hung a wooden plaque inscribed with a single name: Fairy Tail.
The most famous Mage guild in the Kingdom of Fiore.
Snap!
Standing high above the street, Chase snapped his fingers.
A card with a swirling black vortex on its back materialized between his fingertips.
Instantly, a dazzling light flared beneath the feet of the Giant Soldier of Stone.
Red and black energies intertwined, constructing a slowly rotating, complex magic circle.
The massive behemoth dissolved into golden specks of light, raining down and merging back into the circle.
Losing his foothold, Chase dropped through the air, landing lightly on the cobblestones.
He smoothly slid the Yu-Gi-Oh!
card back into his deck.
The Pharaoh’s deck.
This was his magic, and for all intents and purposes, his cheat code since transmigrating into this world.
By infusing his magic power into the cards, he could summon the monsters from the deck into reality to fight for him—a system remarkably similar to Celestial Spirit Magic, but entirely his own.
“Over a year has passed without me realizing it.” Chase listened to the muffled clamor and crashing noises leaking through the ajar guild doors, a faint smile touching his lips.
“This feeling of suddenly coming home after a long job…
it’s truly nostalgic.” He raised his hand, curling two fingers into a very polite knocking gesture.
Then, he kicked forward.
With a deafening boom, the fragile wooden doors shattered inward, sending splinters and a thick cloud of dust billowing across the guild hall.
Normal people knocked when they came home.
But this was Fairy Tail.
Nobody followed normal procedures here.
“Is it an enemy attack?!” “Haha!
There’s actually someone crazy enough to come here and cause trouble!” “Manly!
Don’t anyone fight me for this!
Let me be the one to beat the intruder to a pulp!” “Get lost, Elfman!
This kind of long-awaited scene should be my moment to shine!” The sudden explosion instantly energized the mages inside.
They dropped their drinks, abandoned their brawls, and cracked their knuckles, all eyes locking onto the billowing smoke at the entrance.
If a normal guild had their front doors smashed in, they would be cautious, alert, and form a defensive line.
But Fairy Tail hadn’t even seen the intruder’s face yet, and they were already throwing punches at each other over the right to fight them.
“Oh?
You want to beat me to a pulp?” The inexplicably familiar, dryly amused voice cut through the dust.
The noisy crowd froze.
As the smoke cleared, the figure stepping over the splintered threshold made their eyes bulge and their jaws drop.
“Eh?” “Eh?!
Chase!!!” The moment he recognized the S-Class mage, the loudest voice in the room instantly wilted.
Elfman shrank back, quietly shuffling behind his guildmates.
He whistled poorly, looking toward the bar where Mirajane was wiping down a glass.
“Mira, where were we?
Oh right, the laundry at home hasn’t been brought in yet, right?
Very unmanly to leave it out!” Mirajane elegantly rested her hands against her red dress, tilting her head with a sweet, gentle smile.
“Mhm!” Under the flawless cover of his older sister, Elfman successfully escaped disaster.
Chase slowly swept his gaze across the room, locking onto the few people who had been shouting the loudest at the front.
Jet, Droy, Warren, and two extras took a synchronized step backward with remarkable tacit understanding.
Macao’s reaction was half a beat too slow.
Suddenly finding himself standing completely alone at the front of the pack, Macao became the center of attention.
“Bas-bastards!
Since when?!” Macao’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull.
He whipped his head around, cursing the scum who had retreated without him.
Damn it, you’re going to sneak off without even giving me a signal?
We are Fairy Tail!
Chase’s eyes narrowed.
He stepped forward, his boots clicking against the floorboards as he walked slowly toward the older mage.
Cold sweat beaded on Macao’s forehead.
Why didn’t this monster send a letter before coming back?
How unlucky…
I hope he doesn’t slap me in the face.
As a veteran member of the guild, he was intimately aware of how terrifying Chase could be.
He might have a chance of winning if he fought Natsu or Gray, but picking a fight with Chase was just asking for a shallow grave.
Macao squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the inevitable impact.
Instead, the deadly serious aura around Chase vanished.
He pointed right at Macao’s nose and burst into laughter, nearly doubling over.
“Pfft, hahaha!
Isn’t this Macao, the guy who couldn’t even beat a single Vulcan up on the mountain?
It’s been over a year, old man!
How did you get even more pathetic?”