Porlyusica's cottage, deep in the woods outside Magnolia.
A heartbeat later the door flew open again—only for Porlyusica to charge out with a broom.
"I hate humans the most! Shoo! Shoo!"
"Waaaah!" the whole group yelped, retreating under a hail of broom swats.
"She was Master's old flame," Gray muttered.
An apple thudded off his head. "Idiot! Absolutely not!" Porlyusica barked before slamming the door once more.
Back at the guild
The members crowded around as Macao—still technically the fourth master—stood on a table to give his "farewell" speech.
"A‑hem! Seven years ago, Fairy Tail—"
"Keep it short!" Wakaba heckled.
"Call me Master, you lout!"
Macao cleared his throat. "I have two announcements. First: Laxus is hereby reinstated as a full member of Fairy Tail."
Gasps, then cheers. Laxus blinked in disbelief; the Thunder God Tribe whooped.
From the bar, Makarov roared, "Quit acting on your own, brat!"—but he was grinning ear to ear.
"Second," Macao went on, "I appoint Makarov Dreyar as the fifth master of Fairy Tail."
A collective "Ehh?!" rippled through the hall. Makarov spun toward Su Yan, who simply smiled and gave a thumbs‑up. (Su Yan had quietly asked Macao to restore both Laxus and the old man.)
"It's back to how it was," Alzack murmured, nostalgia tugging at him.
"Sometimes the best way forward is to return to the start," Bisca agreed, holding little Asuka's hand.
Natsu leapt onto a table. "Alright! Since everything's reset, let's make Fairy Tail the number‑one guild in Fiore again!"
"Men must be number one!" Elfman roared.
Max sweat‑dropped. "That's easier said than done…"
Erza smiled. "Big goals keep us sharp."
But Gray frowned. "The era's moved on. Saber Tooth's at the top; Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus are way stronger than before. We've got our elite back, sure—but except for monsters like Su Yan, Laxus, and Gildarts, the rest of us are stuck seven years in the past."
Lucy nodded. "Natsu couldn't even beat Max earlier…"
Max flailed. "Was that a compliment or an insult?!"
Happy tilted his head. "Isn't there a shortcut to raise our magic fast?"
Romeo, who'd been quiet, suddenly jumped on the same table Natsu had used.
"We waited seven years—I don't wanna wait seven more!" he shouted. "There's a way to become number one right now!"
Macao paled. "Romeo, no! We already decided not to enter that!"
"Enter what?" Su Yan asked.
Romeo's eyes blazed. "While you were gone, a festival started—a tournament where every guild in Fiore battles for the crown. It decides the strongest guild in the kingdom. The event is called—
'The Grand Magic Games!'"