Fairy Tail: Strongest Creature

Natsu laughed triumphantly, "Ha ha ha! You all got so scared! Looks like I win this one!"

**Crack!**

Before he could gloat any further, Natsu suddenly felt a sharp pain as Master Makarov stepped on his foot.

"Ow—what the hell?!"

Lucy jumped in shock, looking fearful.

"You're new here, right?" Makarov asked, turning his attention to her.

"Y-Yes…" Lucy stammered, clearly intimidated.

Makarov let out a low hum as his towering figure began to shrink rapidly, transforming within moments into a short, elderly man barely a meter tall.

"Wha—?!" Lucy was stunned, staring at the drastic change in disbelief.

"Nice to meet you!" Makarov said, his diminutive form now much less intimidating.

Then, with a swift movement, Makarov leapt up, flipping mid-air.

**Bang!**

He collided with the guardrail on the second floor but managed to catch himself, clinging to it precariously before pulling himself up. Standing firmly on the railing, he held up a thick stack of documents in his hand, his face serious.

"You troublemakers have been causing problems again, haven't you? Just look at how many complaint letters we've received from the Council!"

"First up… Gray."

"Huh?" Gray grumbled, displeased at hearing his name. He couldn't think of anything he'd done wrong—were those Council members just looking for reasons to complain?

"It was fine when you busted that smuggling ring," Makarov began, "but why were you strutting around naked in the streets afterward? Not to mention, you even stole someone's underwear and ran off with it!"

Gray scratched the back of his neck, suddenly embarrassed. "Uh… it's just… I didn't think it was that bad to be naked…"

Elfman gave him an exasperated look. "Then maybe stop getting naked all the time."

Makarov sighed and turned his gaze to Elfman. "And you, Elfman! You used violence against your own client during a mission."

Elfman looked away, sheepishly rubbing his cheek. "But he said a real man relies on experience…"

Ignoring Elfman's excuse, Makarov moved on to the next report. "Cana Alberona, you visited a tavern, drank fifteen barrels of wine, then billed the expenses to the Council's account."

He flipped to the next page. "Loke, you flirted with the Councilman Reggie's honest granddaughter, and now a certain entertainment company wants us to pay damages for your actions."

He took a deep breath, clearly frustrated, then continued, "Natsu… you defeated the Devon Thieves, but you also destroyed seven houses, knocked down a historic bell tower, burned the church in Phrygia, ruined several streets in Lupinas, and caused a collapse at the Narina Valley Observatory, which is now shut down."

He rattled off a list of names. "Alzack, Levy, Krov, Lidas, Warren, Bisca… all of you have left me with enough grievances to last a lifetime."

The entire guild went silent. Makarov seemed on the verge of losing his temper, and Lucy, still new to the guild, didn't even dare to breathe too loudly.

Finally, Makarov grumbled, "And yet, those bureaucrats wouldn't know a real wizard if one hit them."

With a flick of his wrist, he ignited the stack of complaints with magic, the papers curling and burning away in an instant.

"Ehh?" Lucy watched in astonishment as Makarov casually tossed the burning documents aside. Natsu quickly dove forward, snatching them up with his teeth like an eager puppy.

Makarov addressed the guild. "Listen up! Every magic power begins with basic principles."

"Magic isn't some miraculous force. It's the harmony between the energy within us and the energy that flows through nature. It's the tangible manifestation of our very essence."

"Magic is about focus, determination, and pouring every ounce of your soul into what you believe in."

He looked around, his gaze firm. "If you're always worrying about the approval of those idiots at the Council, you'll never advance as a wizard."

"Don't be afraid of the Council's critics! Keep moving forward, on the path you believe in!"

"This is the true spirit of a Fairy Tail mage!"

"Ohhhhhhh!!!" Everyone cheered, raising their arms in solidarity. The intense atmosphere softened, and smiles spread across everyone's faces.

Su Yan smiled too. This was exactly why he loved Fairy Tail.

Soon, the guild was back to its usual lively state.

Makarov called Su Yan over to the guild counter. Since Su Yan had been away for a year, and completed many difficult missions, there was plenty to report.

"You did well, kid," Makarov said after hearing Su Yan's account of his time away. Despite his usual gruff demeanor, there was a hint of pride in his tone.

Deep down, Makarov was impressed. He had known from the moment he met Su Yan on Sirius Island that he was special. Now, Su Yan had proved his instincts right, growing into a formidable mage, perhaps even more capable than he had anticipated.

But he couldn't help but worry. Gildarts, another S-Class mage, had been away on a century-long mission for three years now with no news of his return. If it weren't for Su Yan stepping up and taking on challenging tasks, the guild might have struggled.

Still, Makarov thought, Su Yan was a bit too much like Gildarts—restless, rarely staying put, always off on some adventure.

"Stinky kid," Makarov grumbled, "how long do you plan on staying this time?"

Mira's ears perked up at this question. She was clearly eager to know Su Yan's answer.

Su Yan thought about it for a moment. "This time, I won't leave unless it's absolutely necessary." With everything that was starting to unfold, he knew he'd need to be close by if something went wrong, so he had no plans to run off anytime soon.

Mira's face lit up at his response, clearly pleased to hear he'd be sticking around.