Upon their return to the guild hall, Erza, Gray, Natsu, Lucy, and Happy are shocked to find it impaled by numerous giant metal rods. As they process the dire situation, Erza informs the team that the attack is the work of the Phantom Lord Guild.
"Old man, this is no time to be drinking!" yelled Natsu, his frustration boiling over. The master lets out a small growl in response, "Oh, you're right. You people stole an S-class quest and went off without permission." Gray and Lucy exchange surprised glances as the master continues his reprimand, "You will be punished.""But there's no time for that!" Natsu interjects urgently, only to be cut off by Makarov's swift action. With a chop on Natsu and Gray's heads and a smack on Lucy's rear, grinning somewhat pervertedly."Master, stop that right now!" Mirajane pouts, her disapproval evident, while Erza reaches her limit.
"Master, do you realize the situation you're in?" Erza questions sternly, her voice laced with concern. "The guild's in ruins," Natsu adds on, emphasizing the severity of the situation."Oh, pipe down! It's nothing to make a fuss over," Makarov replies calmly, seemingly unfazed by the chaos around him.While Gray and Lucy exclaim with shock, the master calmly sips from his mug, continuing his nonchalant demeanor.
"Phantom Lord's attack is the worst those fools can do. What's so great about vandalizing an empty guild?""Empty guild?" Erza asks, confusion evident in her voice. Mirajane then explains that the attack occurred at midnight after everyone had left.Makarov continues, "What's the use in getting worked up over a bunch of weaklings who can't rise above the ambush stage? Just ignore them."Natsu slams his hand against a table, "I can't do that! I won't rest until they're completely crushed.""This discussion is finished. We'll be taking jobs from the basement until the upstairs is repaired," Makarov declares, brushing off the protests from the others.
Mirajane explains to Natsu that the master is just as angry, if not more, but armed conflicts are strictly forbidden by the council.
Later, Lucy returns home, only to find the rest of her team in her apartment. Erza suggests that since Phantom Lord attacked, they may know where each of the guild members live, so it would be better if they stay together. While staying over, they discuss Phantom Lord and their long-term rivalry with Fairy Tail, being equal in power. Both guilds have elite teams, with Phantom Lord's elite team on par with Fairy Tail's five in terms of strength. Additionally, they discuss the Guild's strongest member, a dragon slayer like Natsu, whose element is iron."Wait, go back. Who are Fairy Tail's five?" Lucy asks, intrigued.
"Yes, the five current S-Rank Wizards. Erza, of course, is an S-Rank. Then there's Laxus, another S-Rank... but an unreliable one at that. Next is Gildarts, the strongest of us all. Of course, the last two... well, they're both on a quest. Mystogan, who we know is S-Rank, but none of us have ever seen him. Then there's Aniki," explained Gray.Natsu's eyes light up, a grin spreading across his face. "Heh, Aniki's the best! He always gets us cool stuff from his missions, and he's plenty strong," he declares with enthusiasm. Even Erza nods in approval, a slight blush adorning her cheeks, adding, "Y/n really is kind."Lucy, however, only looks more confused. "Aniki? Y/n? Who's he?" she asks, seeking clarification."I suppose you wouldn't have heard of him. Y/n, the light of Fairy Tail," Natsu continues, excitement evident in his voice.
"He specializes in light and defensive magic, which is why he lacks firepower. But he makes up for it with his knowledge of defensive and support spells," he gushes, his admiration for Y/n evident as he speaks fondly of his close friend. They're like brothers, as Y/n was the big brother figure for Natsu, guiding and supporting him through thick and thin. Gray and Erza nod in agreement, leaving Lucy shocked that Natsu and Gray could agree on something.
In the meantime, at Phantom Lord's base, Gajeel himself appears, eating different metal parts before telling his comrades about another attack on Fairy Tail. Having beaten the team and crucified them to a tree, the guild master then arrives on the scene. Now completely serious, he says, "I could look the other way when they made a ruin of our bar, but no father can see the blood of his own children and stand silent!" With rage evident, he crushes his staff. "This means war!"