Fairy Tail: Collapsing Stars

"Master Precht, please don't accuse me of such things!" Makarov exclaimed, his face pale and his expression nervous as he responded to Precht's accusations. "I have never thought of world domination!"

"Not willing to admit it, huh? Well, it makes sense. You're not the same Makarov anymore," Precht sighed. "You've grown up. Now, you've learned how to control your guild members with gambling, drugs, and prostitution. You've also participated in human trafficking to maintain a steady flow of talented individuals into the guild."

"I have to admit, Makarov, as a light guild master, I'm not as capable as you. And as a dark guild master, I'm also not as effective as you," Precht remarked with a sense of defeat in his voice, recalling the last time he felt so thoroughly outdone—when Zeref delivered Mavis' lifeless body to him. He discovered the reason behind her death and the new life within her.

"Master Precht, you must be mistaken! I haven't done any of those things you're accusing me of!" Makarov protested, his eyes wide with shock. He couldn't understand why Precht was misunderstanding him so deeply. Unbeknownst to Makarov, the chaotic and unconventional nature of his guild could easily lead to such misconceptions.

"Sigh… At this point, I won't blame you anymore. After all, I too have fallen into darkness. But Makarov, I advise you to tread carefully," Precht said, lost in his memories as he gazed at the guild's ceiling.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the first Magic Exchange Competition between Fairy Tail and Grimoire Heart is about to begin! Let's get excited!" Evan suddenly announced from the center of the guild hall, microphone in hand, addressing all the guild members.

"What? A fight to watch? Great, I've been waiting for this!" Fairy Tail's members instantly perked up, rushing to surround the central stage in excitement.

"Place your bets, everyone! Today, I'm feeling lucky!" "Tomorrow we'll see who's celebrating and who's at the rooftop," the gambling enthusiasts in the guild called out, eager for the action. Unfortunately, Macao and Wakaba, the senior gamblers, had already been knocked out by Gildarts and missed the chance to bet.

"If I win today, I'm going to Blue Pegasus and booking five hosts!" one female mage declared, taunting the male gamblers.

"No way! I won't lose this time!" a male mage shouted back, unwilling to back down. The previously quiet guild was now buzzing with excitement.

"And you still say you're not using gambling to control your guild members?" Precht asked, giving Makarov a sidelong glance.

"Uh, this is their own doing. It has nothing to do with me!" Makarov replied, his face turning red as he tried to defend himself.

"Now, let's introduce the participants!" Evan continued. "On one side, from the strongest dark guild in Ishgar, we have Bluenote, Azuma, Rustyrose, Kain, and Zancrow!"

"As for the other side, representing Fairy Tail, we have Erza Scarlet, Mirajane Strauss, Gildarts Clive, Laxus Dreyar, and Kurnugi!"

Evan waved his hand, and the five members from Grimoire Heart appeared on the left side of the stage. "Huh?!" Bluenote, Azuma, Rustyrose, Kain, and Zancrow were all taken aback, sweating as they realized they hadn't even noticed how they were brought there.

"Boo! Grimoire Heart! Trash!" the Fairy Tail members jeered, surrounding the stage and mocking their opponents.

"Ugh, I really want to crush them!" the five from Grimoire Heart fumed, barely restraining themselves from attacking the jeering Fairy Tail members.

"Fairy Tail! Unstoppable!" the Fairy Tail members chanted in unison as their representatives took their positions.

"Ugh!" Zancrow, with his long blonde hair, looked like a wild beast ready to pounce, glaring at the Fairy Tail members.

"Hmph! I'll see how strong these so-called light mages are," Rustyrose muttered, his eyes flashing with anger.

"We'll crush them all," Bluenote said calmly, evaluating his opponents.

"Which one of them is the strongest?" Azuma wondered, his arms crossed as he surveyed the Fairy Tail members.

"So many cute girls… No, this must be a trap! I need to stay focused!" Kain, trying to calm himself, struggled to maintain his composure.

Meanwhile, the Fairy Tail members seemed much more relaxed.

"Ouch, this hurts," Gildarts said lazily, standing on the right side of the stage, bandaged up and wincing in pain. Although Evan had healed his internal injuries, his external wounds remained as a small punishment from Evan.

"Are these my opponents?" Laxus, listening to heavy metal on his headphones, scanned the five Grimoire Heart members, his eyes narrowing as he locked onto Bluenote.

"That guy is mine…" Erza and Mirajane both pointed at Bluenote at the same time.

"Huh? I picked him first!" Laxus protested, glaring at the two women.

"When did you pick him? Did you say anything? Does he have your name on him?" Erza and Mirajane shot back, uniting against Laxus.

"Ugh…" Laxus, unwilling to argue with girls in front of everyone, especially with his reputation as a role model, backed down.

"Alright, alright. Let's not fight. If it comes to it, you can all watch from the side. I'll take care of them myself," Gildarts said nonchalantly, looking bored as he glanced at the Grimoire Heart members.

"What do you mean, Gildarts? Are you trying to steal our prey?" Erza and Mirajane snapped, redirecting their anger toward him.

"Such a hassle," Gildarts sighed, scratching his ear, too lazy to argue.

"These guys are too weak. I can handle them all by myself," Kurnugi added, showing little interest in his opponents. None of them were Dragon Slayers, and he doubted any of them could break through his defenses.

"Just a bunch of trash. They think they can beat Fairy Tail?" a Fairy Tail mage jeered from the sidelines.

"What did you say? Wait till you see us crush your guild members!" one of the Grimoire Heart members shouted back, eager for the fight to begin.

"As a special treat for the first competition between Fairy Tail and Grimoire Heart, we have a special guest!" Evan announced, snapping his fingers.

With a flash of white light, a middle-aged man wearing a crown and royal attire appeared beside Evan.

"Our special guest, King Toma E. Fiore!" Evan smiled brightly at the bewildered king.

"Haha, Evan found an actor to play the king for us! This is hilarious!" the Fairy Tail members laughed, thinking it was all a joke.

"Where am I?" King Toma, completely disoriented, asked. He had been in a meeting with his ministers just moments ago.

"Old Toma! I teleported you from the capital. You wanted to see a magic duel, right? I arranged this competition in the Fairy Tail guild just for you," Evan smiled, patting the king's shoulder.

"This is Fairy Tail? You transported me thousands of kilometers in an instant?" King Toma's eyes widened in shock.

"Calm down. It's just basic magic," Evan said with a smile. With his current level of magic, he could easily perform long-distance teleportation spells like those used by the Magic King August and Irene.

"Uh…" King Toma, realizing the extent of Evan's power, felt both terrified and relieved. If Evan had wanted to kill him, he could have done so effortlessly. But Evan's willingness to negotiate for the Dragon Cry showed he had his own code of conduct.

"Haha, since I'm here, I might as well enjoy the show!" King Toma laughed, deciding to make the best of the situation.

"So, what do you have to say now? Your guild members have kidnapped the king of this country!" Precht said coldly, turning to Makarov.

"I… I really can't explain this…" Makarov sighed, tears welling up in his eyes as he watched the spectacle.