A/N: Episode 201.

Enjoy!

edited on may 16th, 2025 @ 8:03pm

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𝓒𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙵𝙾𝚁𝚃𝚈-𝙴𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃,
𝓟𝚁𝙴𝚂𝙴𝙽𝚃.

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𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗢𝗪𝗡 𝗢𝗙 𝗠𝗔𝗚𝗡𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗔 𝗪𝗔𝗦 𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 as Fairy Tail made their return.

"Here they are! They're back!"

"Hurry up! Everyone, over here!"

"We've been waiting!"

"Welcome back, everyone!"

"Everyone! It's the guild who won the Grand Magic Games! Let's give them a big hand!" Banaboster announced.

"Welcome home, Fairy Tail!"

The citizens of Magnolia applauded. "We're home!" Natsu shouted.

"Aye, sir!"

"We won!" Natsu yelled.

"We did it!" Happy shouted.

"Look at all these people..." Lucy noticed.

"It looks like people from areas around Magnolia are here, too." Erza stated.

"Yay! Victory!" Makarov cheered with Asuka on his shoulders.

"Mira-chan! Look over here!"

"Hi!" Mira greeted.

"We did it, Lisanna!" Elfman exclaimed as Lisanna was on his shoulders.

"Put me down, Elf-nii-chan..." Lisanna said, embarrassed.

"Wow, this is somethin'." Lily commented.

"We're number one!" Gajeel exclaimed, pointing his thumb against his chest.

"Thank you all for your support." Wendy said, bowing.

"Jeez, stand up straight!" Carla scolded from behind her.

"Celebration booze!" Cana cheered.

"Lay off the sauce, Cana!" Laxus told her.

"Samuel-kun! Your battle with Lyon-san was amazing!" A girl shouted.

"Thank you!" Samuel thanked her, making the girl swoon, as well as her friends.

"I see you've gotten quite popular with the girls, Samuel-kun." Juvia teased.

"I-It's not like that, Juvia-nee!" Samuel exclaimed, scratching his cheek sheepishly as Juvia just smiled.

Samuel noticed Gray's expression as he looked lost in thought.

"Nii-san?" Samuel questioned, making Gray glance away.

"It's nothing." He responded, causing both Samuel and Juvia to cast worried looks at one another.

"Lucy! Great job!"

"My landlady!" Lucy waved in greeting.

"But we still need to talk about the rent!"

"Erza-san! You were awesome at that Pandemonium event!"

"No, when she fought Kagura!"

"When she fought Minerva!"

"This is embarrassing." Erza commented, looking sheepish.

"Everyone here was watching, huh?" Levy said.

"I'll show you guys somethin' cool." Natsu stated, raising the king's crown. "Ta-daaa!"

"The king's crown!" Wakaba exclaimed.

"You took it home?!" Wendy questioned.

Natsu placed the king's crown back in his bag. "Not this..." He said as if it wasn't a big deal.

"You took it...?" Wendy repeated.

Natsu raised the trophy in the air. "Proof of our victory! The King's Cup!" He announced.

"I don't believe it!" Droy said.

"We really won!" Jet exclaimed.

"After all these years of being in last place..." Warren added.

"We won!"

"Yay! Yay!"

"Come on, Romeo! Hold it higher!" Natsu instructed as Romeo was holding the trophy.

"Yeah!" Romeo said.

"It is an impressive accomplishment." Porlyusica commented.

Gray still had a sour look on his face as Samuel flicked his forehead, making him wince as he rubbed his head.

"What the hell, Sam?!" Gray exclaimed.

"Nii-san... I don't know what's been bothering you, but scowling like that in front of all these people is disrespectful. You should put on a smile, even if you have to fake it." Samuel told him, crossing his arms.

Gray's mouth turned upwards. "You're right." He agreed. "I have to smile for her. She saved you, after all."

"Thank you." Gray thanked him, making Samuel nod before smiling as well.

Banaboster cleared his throat. "The mayor of Magnolia would like to present you with a token of our appreciation!" He announced.

Makarov stepped forward, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Token of your appreciation? You shouldn't have..." He claimed.

"Fairy Tail members, this way, please." The mayor of Magnolia gestured to the left.

Everyone was in shock as they saw their newly renovated guild hall.

"Fairy Tail is the pride of our town. And so, we wanted to restore the guild's headquarters."

"Our old HQ is back!" Natsu cheered.

"Aye, sir!" Happy agreed.

Makarov had tears streaming down his face. "Mayor, I don't know what to say..." He said as he continued crying.

"I love this town!"

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"Natsu, Lucy, Happy!"

Lucy glanced over, seeing Erza, Gray, Samuel, Wendy, and Carla on a hill. "What are you guys doing down there?" Wendy asked.

"Playing in the mud?" Gray teased.

"Guys!" Lucy exclaimed.

The group was on a roof as Natsu and Lucy finished explaining what was going on. "I see. Then we'll give you a hand." Erza said.

"Although we'll take our share of the reward." Gray claimed.

"Yay! With Erza and Gray on our side, that mole doesn't stand a chance!" Happy stated.

"Is that even really a mole?" Lucy wondered.

"Who knows? So you guys are on your way back from a job?" Natsu questioned.

"Yes. We rid a town of bandits just by staying there." Wendy responded.

"While you guys are having a hard time with a mole. That's not worthy of the reputation of the guild that won the Grand Magic Games." Gray taunted.

"Shut up! If you're gonna stand there and jaw, get lost!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Is that any way to talk to a guy who offered to help?!"

"I didn't ask for your damn help!"

"Don't fight!" Erza ordered, having a scary look on her face.

"Okay..."

"But with mud this deep, you can't tell where the mole is hiding, right?" Wendy asked.

"No problem. I have a good idea." Lucy replied, pulling out a gate key. "Gate of the Clock, I open thee! Horologium!"

Horologium soon appeared from the gate. "It has indeed been a long time, everyone." He greeted.

Happy and Carla lowered Horologium — who was carrying Natsu — towards the mud.

"Natsu, we're gonna lower you down." Happy informed.

"We'll do it slowly and carefully." Carla added.

"'I'm lookin' forward to this!' he said." Horologium speaks for Natsu. "However, I myself am quite nervous about it."

"I'm sure it's tough, but please do your best." Wendy said.

"I'll wash you off later." Lucy promised as Horologium went into the mud.

The ropes began to shake. "There's a ruckus below!" Happy informed.

"Don't let go!" Carla said.

Erza, Gray, Samuel, Lucy, and Wendy were on a boat. "It's begun..." Erza stated.

"Where's it gonna come up?" Gray wondered.

The mole suddenly appeared from the mud. "He brought it up!" Happy cheered as Natsu flew out of Horologium, the both of them landing on a tree.

"Let's go! Everyone, attack it together!" Erza instructed.

"Sky Dragon's Roar!"

"Ice-Make: Lance!"

"Ice-Make: Eagle!"

"Fire Dragon's Roar!"

The four attacks headed for the mole, who dived under the mud before it could hit.

"Where'd it go?!" Gray asked.

The mole attacked the boat, sending Erza, Gray, Samuel, and Wendy into the mud.

"C'mere, bastard!" Natsu tried to attack the mole, but it dived once again into the mud, making him crash heads with Gray.

"That hurt, you jackass!" Gray shouted, grabbing Natsu's collar.

"You shouldn't have been here!" Natsu fired back.

"This is no time to fight!" Wendy said.

"Where's the mole?" Erza asked as the mole appeared behind them. They all screamed before swimming away.

"Put simply, we just need a high place, right?" Samuel questioned, creating an ice mountain with his Magic. "Climb up, everyone!"

Everyone began to climb up. "I can't! It's too slippery!" Wendy said.

Lucy extended her hand. "Grab hold, Wendy!"

Wendy takes her hand as everyone was finally on top. "You saved me!" Wendy said.

"It's so cold! My butt's freezing!" Lucy complained.

"Beggars can't be choosers!" Samuel told her.

"Where's it gonna come up next?" Natsu wondered.

"If it takes the bait and comes up here, we can ambush it, but..." Erza started to say.

"Be careful, everyone!" Happy suddenly warned.

"It's right below you! Directly below!" Carla added.

Everyone looked down to see the mole below the ice. "It's there?!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Natsu punched the ice with a flaming fist, causing it to evaporate and making everyone fall back into the mud.

"Think before you punch!" Gray scolded.

"It was a reflex action!" Natsu defended.

The mole then appeared in front of them. It glanced at Lucy. "What? Me again?!" She exclaimed as the mole began chasing her.

Lucy spotted a tree as she climbed up it. The mole made the tree topple over. Lucy used her whip to connect to a branch as she swung over.

"It won't give up!" Lucy shouted with the mole continuing to go after Lucy.

"That looks like fun! I wanna do it, too!" Natsu claimed.

"I'm not playing!" Lucy yelled in irritation.

"Lucy!"

"We'll save you!"

Happy and Carla both carried Lucy, who was in tears. Before the three of them ended up getting knocked by the mole while Natsu, Gray, Samuel, and Wendy tried attacking it again.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!"

"Ice-Make: Lance!"

"Ice-Make: Eagle!"

"Sky Dragon's Roar!"

The four attacks once again, headed for the mole who evaded it. "Hey, are you all right?" Natsu asked Lucy.

"I'm not at all all right." Lucy replied, tears streaming down her face.

"I've got grit in my mouth." Happy said, also having tears streaming down his face.

"I hate this. Why is it only chasing me?" Lucy questioned.

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The group soon returned to the mayor for more information. "It's a long story, but that mole was originally a villager's pet." He said.

"Pet?!"

"At the time, it was still a tiny, cute thing, but the owner suddenly moved far away and had to leave the mole behind here. The mole thought its owner had abandoned it, and turned bad. It ran away from the village, turned wild, and grew to a giant size along the way. And now the mole seeks revenge on humans."

"So that's what happened..." Gray muttered.

"The mole is making a point." Lucy said.

"Now that I know the circumstances, I feel sorry for it." Wendy claimed.

"That still doesn't explain why it keeps chasing Lucy-san specifically." Samuel pointed out.

"It's mole mating season now. The season of love. I'm sure it's attracted to Lucy-san, as she's a young woman." The mayor explained.

"In other words, it wants to marry Lucy!" Happy exclaimed.

"Don't joke about that!" Lucy scolded.

"I'm a young woman, too. Why doesn't the mole come after me?" Erza asked.

"You're wearing armor, Erza-san. It probably can't tell your gender."

"Um, I'm a young woman, too..." Wendy pointed out.

"It seems that mole has a preference for women with a large bust. So it wouldn't..."

Wendy exclaims in shock as she is in tears.

"But if that's the case, we can come up with a strategy." Carla informed.

"Yeah, there's a way to lure the mole out." Happy agreed.

"Stare..." Everyone eyes Lucy, who looks at them.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked.

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Lucy was on a boat dressed in a wedding gown. "This is what they meant..." She muttered as the others were on a rooftop.

"Lucy-san is beautiful!" Wendy complimented.

"I'm sure the mole will be pleased, too, and come right out." Erza claimed.

"Lucy, how about if we take a commemorative photo?" Happy suggested.

"You'd better not!" Lucy declined as the mole soon arrived.

"There it is!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Gate of the Virgin, I open thee! Virgo!" Lucy called out as Virgo appeared.

"Tell me what to do, Princess." Virgo said before dropping into the mud. "I'd actually like to go home and take a shower..."

"You just got here!" Lucy said.

The mole charged forward angrily. "Virgo, get that mole out of the mud! You're good at digging in the dirt, right?" Lucy asked.

"Understood, but first I'll take you to a safer place, Princess." Virgo grabs Lucy and drags her through the mud.

"This isn't safe at all!"

The mole chased after them. "That thing's fast for its size!" Natsu pointed out.

"It's keeping up with Virgo!" Happy added.

"Impressive!" Erza praised.

"Worry about me a little!" Lucy shouted.

"This way, Princess."

Virgo throws Lucy on a slab of rock. "Virgo, be careful!" Lucy warned.

"Now it's my turn to attack." Virgo claimed, diving underneath the mud.

The mole soon flew up into the air. "Now, everyone!" Lucy called out.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!"

"Sky Dragon's Roar!"

"Ice-Make: Lance!"

"Ice-Make: Eagle!"

This time, the attacks struck the mole, causing an explosion. "Go, Erza!" Natsu called out as Erza was on a tree branch, a hammer in her hand.

"I'll finish it off!" Erza exclaimed, striking the mole with the back of her hammer. The mole crashed onto the grass.

Erza landed on the ground. "I struck it with the back of my sword. It isn't injured." She informed.

"That's not really a sword... but whatever." Lucy claimed as the mole was caught in a net.

"Well, now that we've captured it, what do we do with it?" Erza questioned.

"It's the owner's fault for abandoning the mole." Wendy reminded.

"Although if we let it go, it'll cause more trouble." Carla informed.

"Hey, mole, you want a bride that badly?" Natsu asked as the mole nodded its head.

"But I'm human. We can't get married. You understand that, don't you?" Lucy questioned.

"Princess, I'm back." Virgo said, appearing on top of another creature.

"Virgo!"

"What is that creature?" Happy asked.

"I searched underground and found a female mole. I thought having a companion would soothe it enough to stop harassing the village." Virgo explained.

"That's not a mole, or even the same species..." Lucy mumbled as both creatures had heart eyes.

"Oh! It looks like they'll get along!" Erza said as the mole broke out of the net, causing everyone to be in shock as they were being dragged along.

"I'm happy I could be of use to you, Princess." Virgo commented as the group flew into the mud.

"I'm not happy!" Lucy shouted.

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In a forest, near Magnolia . . .

The small creature continued running down a path, leaping onto someone's shoulder. Mavis was levitating above them.

"So you were observing the Grand Magic Games, Zeref." Mavis spoke.

"I can't hear your voice or see your form. But I can tell. You're right there, Mavis." Zeref claimed as wind blew through his hair.

"You were near me seven years ago."

"Seven years ago, you were near me."

Mavis landed on the ground. "Are you still looking for a place to die?" She asked.

"I've already decided where I'm going to die. Over the course of several hundred years, I've seen many ages end. Conflict between people, hatred, wicked hearts... I always have hope that the new age will purify all of that. How many times has it happened? People repeat themselves. They commit the same mistakes, over and over." Zeref replied.

"Even so, they survive." Mavis argued.

"They haven't survived. Not in the true sense... The precious race called people has become extinct." Zeref stated as he turned around to face her.

"Are you done waiting?" Mavis questioned.

"I believe so. After thinking about it for seven years, I've reached a conclusion. If the world continues to reject me, I shall reject this world." Zeref responded, standing up.

"I'm sure Fairy Tail will defend this world."

"These shall be my two gifts. World harmony and regeneration." Zeref said as the trees died around him.

"Will there be a war?"

"No. Just one-sided annihilation. I won't let a single human live."

"Fairy Tail will stop you. You're the one who'll be destroyed." Mavis claimed.

Zeref and Mavis stared at one another.

"Natsu. The final battle is approaching." Zeref thinks to himself.

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A/N: Another chapter is finished! Thanks for reading!

Word Count: 2531 words.