"Since it's a guild that Su Mo - senpai likes so much, I know I won't be disappointed."
That's what Lucy had said before.
Back then, she was still basking in the glow of being rescued by a hero. Even though she knew that Natsu and Happy — those two slightly strange mages — were members of Fairy Tail, her admiration for Su Mo and the guild itself made her ignore the warning signs.
At the time, Lucy hadn't realized just how different the real Fairy Tail might be from the image she had in her head.
After leaving Hargeon Port and finally arriving at the real Fairy Tail guild under Su Mo's guidance, Lucy was completely stunned by what she saw.
"I'm back!!"
That was the opening act — Natsu kicking the front door wide open with a shout.
And then… that very same guy who had been throwing up miserably on the ship suddenly leapt into a full-on brawl the moment they stepped into the guild.
Apparently, it was all due to some kind of "miscommunication."
Then came a guy named Gray, who got so excited upon seeing Natsu return that he challenged him to a fight — and for some reason, immediately began stripping off his clothes.
If Su Mo hadn't stopped him, Gray probably would've kept going.
Before long, the scuffle had dragged in Elfman, Loke, Cana, and a whole crowd of mages. Brilliant, multicolored magic circles lit up one after another — they were actually fighting each other with magic!
Out in the real world, magic was considered dangerous and needed to be used with extreme caution.
But in this guild? Magic battles seemed to be part of the daily routine.
Watching the chaotic scene unfold, Lucy's dreamy ideal of what Fairy Tail would be came crashing down from a whole new angle.
"Is there anyone normal in this guild besides Su Mo - senpai?" Lucy couldn't help but complain.
"Nope!" Mira replied cheerfully, stepping over with a warm smile. "They're just playing around like usual. Don't take them too seriously."
"Ah! Miss Mira!"
Lucy's eyes sparkled like a fangirl spotting a celebrity.
Just then—
Wham!
A bottle came flying her way.
Smash!
Mira raised her hand calmly. With a casual wave and a burst of magical energy, she shattered the bottle mid-air.
Thanks to Lisanna never having died in this timeline, Mira hadn't closed herself off emotionally. As a result, her strength was completely unrestrained — even stronger than her canon counterpart.
To her, a flying bottle was no more threatening than a mosquito.
Yet Lucy was completely stunned.
Even someone as beautiful and kind-looking as Mira could nonchalantly crush bottles midair? Compared to these powerhouses, she, a normal girl with ordinary strength, felt like a clueless bunny that had wandered into a den of wolves.
The brawl was growing wilder by the second — on the verge of turning into a full-blown melee.
And just as things were spiraling out of control—
"KNOCK IT OFF, YOU IDIOTS!!"
A thunderous roar erupted like a bolt from the blue.
A gigantic figure loomed over the scene.
Instant silence.
"Oh, you're here, Master," Su Mo greeted casually.
The towering giant began to shrink down, returning to his normal size — a tiny old man, barely taller than a barrel.
This was Makarov, Guild Master of Fairy Tail.
He looked around at the havoc and began scolding everyone with a long-suffering sigh.
"You guys are at it again! More 'great deeds,' huh?!"
"Gray — you finished your mission and then ran naked through the streets!"
"Cana — you drank fifteen barrels of ale at the pub and billed the Magic Council!"
"Loke — you flirted with a council member's granddaughter and tried to hit on a celebrity!"
Makarov looked utterly furious as he pointed a trembling finger at Su Mo.
"But the biggest headache… is YOU, Su Mo!"
"You dumped all the cleanup work on the Magic Council, and you publicly questioned their authority!"
"At the port, one hundred soldiers expressed dissatisfaction with the Council. Twenty resigned outright! Some even started shouting about reforming the Magic Council!"
Makarov clutched his head, utterly exasperated.
He still couldn't believe that just a few words from Su Mo could cause such a massive ideological shift.
"I got summoned and chewed out by the Council for hours because of you!"
His face darkened at the memory.
Lucy shivered at the sight, thinking the Guild Master was about to explode.
But Su Mo remained calm and collected.
"A single spark can ignite a prairie fire. At this rate, even forcing the Council to reform might not be so hard."
"You idiot! You can't just go around saying that kind of thing!"
Makarov cut him off mid-sentence.
Yet… he didn't actually deny it.
And then—
Under Lucy's anxious gaze, Makarov took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"To hell with the Magic Council!!"
"???"
Lucy froze on the spot.
Did the Guild Master just say… what she thought he said?!
How could he say something like that?!
"Power that transcends logic is still born from logic itself. Magic isn't some divine miracle — it's a strength that comes from within us," Makarov declared, beginning his usual speech to welcome newcomers.
"If we spend our lives worrying about the higher-ups, we'll never make progress in the magical arts."
"So don't be afraid of those idiotic council members."
"Follow the path you believe in!"
"That… is what it means to be a Fairy Tail mage!"
It was a speech — but also a declaration of his personal conviction.
"YEAHHHH!!!"
The entire guild erupted in cheers.
Even Lucy, caught up in the electrifying atmosphere, found herself swept along.
"So this is Fairy Tail!"
Her eyes sparkled as she finally understood what made this guild truly special.
She turned to Su Mo with admiration.
"You were right. Fairy Tail is the greatest mage guild!"
"Welcome to the family," Su Mo replied with a smile.
…
…
Later, Mira led Lucy away to receive her Fairy Tail guild mark.
Meanwhile, Su Mo and Makarov slipped out the back of the guild to speak privately in the courtyard.
"How's your situation coming along?" Makarov asked, concern in his voice.
He was referring to the reason Su Mo had been so driven to master elementalization lately.
Su Mo hadn't said much, but Makarov had already guessed it — that he was preparing for some inevitable confrontation with a powerful enemy.
That was why Makarov had passed on Fairy Law to Su Mo — just in case something unexpected happened to the boy he had pinned so many hopes on.
And today, Su Mo had surprisingly taken the time to go out and capture some criminals, instead of diving headlong into training again.
Judging by that, it seemed the problem had been resolved?