Fairy Tail: Strongest Creature

Su Yan watched as Natsu hurried out of the guild, feeling relieved. Macao had been the first person Su Yan had defeated upon joining Fairy Tail, but over time, Su Yan had come to respect him deeply.

Macao was easygoing and always ready for a laugh, fitting right in with the rest of the guild. Like many of them, he had grown up in Fairy Tail, making the guild his home and family. Su Yan remembered that, despite his sometimes lighthearted attitude, Macao had always been there for Fairy Tail when things got rough. He valued the guild more than anything, even his pride—a loyalty that Su Yan deeply respected.

"Natsu…what was that about?" Lucy asked, puzzled by Natsu's sudden departure.

"It's because Natsu sees himself in Romeo," Mira explained.

"Huh?"

Mira continued, "Natsu's father also left and never returned."

"Wait… his father?" Lucy was surprised. "You mean his adoptive father… who's a dragon?!"

"Yes," Mira nodded. "Natsu was raised by a dragon named Igneel. He found Natsu in the forest as a child and taught him everything—language, culture, even magic. But one day, Igneel disappeared without a word."

"So… Igneel is real?" Lucy's eyes widened, remembering Natsu's mention of a fire dragon. She had thought it was just a nickname, but now it all made sense.

"Yes, Natsu's been searching for him ever since. It's kind of cute, really," Mira said with a soft smile.

"Fairy Tail wizards… we all carry our own burdens, our own pain and grief," Mira added quietly, her expression turning somber.

Su Yan could see the sadness in her eyes, knowing she was thinking about Lisanna. Two years ago, when Mira was promoted to an S-Class mage, she had taken her brother, Elfman, and her sister, Lisanna, on a mission to prove herself.

The mission seemed straightforward: kill the Beast King. Together, the siblings managed to bring it down, and Elfman attempted to take on its soul with his magic. But he wasn't strong enough. The Beast King's spirit overtook him, driving him into a frenzy. In the chaos, Lisanna was gravely injured—and ultimately vanished.

When Su Yan returned to the guild after the incident, everyone believed Lisanna had died. He knew otherwise, though. The plot he recalled from Fairy Tail told him that Lisanna hadn't truly died—she'd been transported to another world. Still, he kept this knowledge to himself, unable to act on it until the time was right.

The next evening, Natsu and Lucy returned to the guild, bringing a severely injured Macao with them. After reporting his safe return, Macao headed home to recover, and the guild settled back into its usual routine.

A week passed quietly. Su Yan spent his days at the guild, chatting with Mira, eating, drinking, and playing cards with the other guild members. It was a carefree, almost retired life—one he found surprisingly enjoyable.

Lucy, meanwhile, was examining the task board, searching for a job she could take on her own.

"Hmm… 'Bracelet that finds magic,' 'Magic to remove a cursed cane,' 'Use astrology to predict love?' 'Exorcise the volcano demon?!'" she read aloud, scanning the various quests.

"So, these are the kinds of requests we get here?" Lucy asked, finally taking a closer look at the task board. When she had first joined, she hadn't had much time to explore it, as Natsu had already insisted on teaming up.

Mira, noticing her interest, smiled. "If you find a job you'd like to take, just let me know! The Master's out right now, so I'm handling approvals."

"Oh, that's right," Lucy realized. "I didn't even notice Master Makarov wasn't here."

"He's at a regular guild meeting," Mira explained.

"Regular meeting?"

"Yes, it's where guild masters from all over come together to discuss matters and report to the Magic Council."

"The Magic Council?" Lucy was intrigued. She was still learning how the wizarding world worked.

"The Magic Council is made up of ten members who hold significant authority. They work with governments from various countries to keep the magic world in order and deal with criminal mages."

"Below the Council are the guild masters," Mira continued, "who relay Council decisions to their guilds, coordinate with other guilds, and manage the day-to-day affairs. It's a lot of work."

"Wow," Lucy murmured, "I didn't know guilds communicated like that."

"That's why it's important," Mira said, "and without this cooperation… well…"

Suddenly, Natsu leaned in close, whispering dramatically into Lucy's ear. "Dark guilds will come for you, lurking in the shadows…"

"Ahh!" Lucy shrieked, jumping in fright.

Natsu burst into laughter, thrilled that his prank had succeeded. "Haha! Scared ya!"

"Ugh! Don't scare me like that!" Lucy clutched her chest, her heart still racing.

"Scaredy-cat Lucy. Or should I call you Coward West?" he teased.

"Don't just give me random nicknames!" she shot back, exasperated.

Mira chuckled at their banter. "Actually, Natsu isn't wrong. Dark guilds do exist. They're guilds that operate outside of the Council's alliance. Because they aren't bound by the Council's rules, they can be very dangerous."