Kingdom of Fiore, Fairy Tail Guild
"Ahem! Everyone, listen up. I'm introducing a new guild member, Chu Yan. From now on, he's a member of Fairy Tail, so make sure you all get along!" The short-statured Makarov stood on the counter, introducing the boy standing beside him. The boy appeared to be around eleven or twelve years old, with black hair and pale violet eyes. Dressed in a blue short-sleeved shirt and black shorts, he looked remarkably composed.
"Master, you've brought back another kid from who-knows-where. Fairy Tail is turning into a nursery school!" Macao remarked immediately upon seeing Makarov return with another youngster.
"Yeah, exactly!" Wakaba chimed in from the side.
Makarov bellowed, "Shut up! It's only because you lot are so useless that I have to go out searching for talent. If everyone in Fairy Tail were as pathetic as you, the guild would be finished! To be honest, you're not even a match for Chu Yan."
"What?! Master, you're saying I'm not a match for a kid? It's one thing to call me useless, but saying I can't even beat a brat? I won't stand for that."
"Hahaha! Macao, you're being looked down on!" As Macao's old rival, Wakaba didn't hesitate to mock him.
"Macao! The guild is full of young people—do you have a problem with that?!" At that moment, a young girl with silver-white hair jumped onto the table in front of Wakaba and Macao, grabbing Macao by the collar with a fierce expression.
Macao flinched, quickly backing down with a forced smile. "No, no, Mirajane, you're different. You're a mature young lady."
"Macao! I can't let those words slide either!" A young girl with long scarlet hair said calmly while sipping her tea.
"Of course! Erza is different too!" Macao realized there was another person among the kids he couldn't afford to offend.
"Macao, that 'nursery school' comment was directed at me too. It looks like you and I need to have a fight!" A boy with pink hair glared at Macao, his knuckles cracking.
"Count me in! You're just an old man who's lived a few extra years; what's there to be proud of!"
"Me too!"
"And me!" ...
Seeing himself about to be mobbed by a swarm of kids, Macao completely lost his nerve. He looked toward Makarov with a pleading gaze. None of the kids the Master brought back were simple; they were all strong, and some were already more powerful than him.
The surrounding adults laughed heartlessly at Macao's predicament. "Hahaha! Macao, you've kicked a hornet's nest! That's what you get for having such a big mouth!"
"I can already see Macao getting thrashed."
"Chu Yan, show these guys what you can do. Make them shut up, or they'll keep looking down on you," Makarov whispered into Chu Yan's ear.
Chu Yan nodded. Everyone else gathered around to watch. It was well known that the Master liked to bring homeless children into the guild, and many of these children possessed formidable strength that could not be underestimated. Furthermore, every wizard was naturally curious to see a new type of magic.
"Is it really okay to do it here?" Chu Yan asked, glancing at the surroundings.
Makarov seemed to realize something and quickly waved his hands in a panic. "No, no! Go outside the guild to demonstrate! And don't release too much power! This isn't that remote wasteland we were in. If the power is too great, there's no telling how many lives would be lost."
The others grew even more curious. Given the Master's attitude, it seemed this boy named Chu Yan specialized in destructive magic with a wide area of effect. It must be incredibly dangerous if he wasn't even allowed to show it inside the guild.
Soon, the group moved outside. Mirajane stood with her arms crossed, acting haughty. "Hmph! Just a show-off! No matter what magic you use, my magic is the strongest! I'm the strongest wizard in Fairy Tail!"
Hum—!
A spherical, transparent white halo appeared around Chu Yan's right fist.
"It doesn't look like much," the pink-haired boy remarked. Others felt the same; usually, powerful magic showed an intimidating aura before being unleashed. This looked quite ordinary, and they wondered why the Master was so nervous.
Suddenly, Chu Yan swung his fist downward.
Crack!
The air itself cracked like glass. It looked as if the space would shatter completely if he applied any more force.
"——!"
BOOM!!!
"Aaaaaahhh!!"
"Whoa!!"
"It's an earthquake! An earthquake!"
A massive vibration rose from beneath their feet. The ground began to shake violently. Terrified, people screamed as they struggled to keep their balance, many falling to the ground.
Crrr-ack! A crack appeared in the guild's outer wall. After a long moment, the tremors finally subsided, and only then did everyone dare to slowly stand up.