Having Fun in Fairy Tail

"The Alakitazia Gazette's new issue is out! Exclusive interview with the new Spriggan, Ajeel! Don't miss it!"

"Korano's red apples, only 8 silvers each!"

Street vendors called out as two men strolled through the bustling market. Victor walked with calm curiosity, his golden eyes occasionally scanning the stalls, while the blond man beside him looked far less impressed, his expression set in mild boredom.

Victor stopped at an apple stall, pulling out a small pouch of coins. "Three, please," he said, handing over the silvers. The vendor quickly packed the apples and handed them to him.

"You're stopping for apples now?" the blond asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Fuel for the mind," Victor replied casually, tossing one of the apples in his hand before holding it out to his companion. "Want one?"

"Nah, I'm good," the blond said with a dismissive wave. "I can just imagine I'm full—it works just as well."

Victor chuckled softly, taking a bite of his apple. "What a dull way to live."

"Eating wastes time," the blond replied with a shrug. "I'm a busy man, Victor."

Victor shook his head with a small smirk. "Busy or not, you're missing out."

"So, what do you think of Alvarez?" Gremmy asked as they continued walking through the lively streets.

"It's impressive. Better than Ishtar, for sure," Victor replied, his tone thoughtful. "The two continents aren't even on the same level—at least, not technologically. But I wouldn't say the same about their human rights."

"Agreed," Gremmy said, nodding as his eyes drifted to a group of soldiers breaking down a door and storming into a house. "They keep criminals in line through fear. It's effective, but…" he trailed off, his tone uneasy.

"Not ideal," Victor said quietly, limping slightly faster as he leaned on his cane. "I've seen what fear does to people. It's never a long-term solution."

Gremmy hummed thoughtfully, his expression unreadable as they walked on.

"So, why are we here?" Victor asked after a moment of silence. "I could be researching magic, yet you've dragged me all the way to this place. What's the real reason?"

"There are a few people on this continent worth our attention," Gremmy replied. "Zeref, August, and Irene."

"I know Zeref," Victor said, glancing at him, "but who are the other two?"

"August is the leader of the Spriggan Twelve—and Zeref's son, though Zeref doesn't even know he has one," Gremmy explained. "Irene, on the other hand, created Dragon Slayer Magic. But she paid the price, just like Acnologia. She was transformed by the magic she made."

"Are they strong?" Victor asked, his tone calm but curious.

"As strong as an S-Class mage," Gremmy replied.

Victor's eyes widened slightly before he regained his composure. "That's… impressive."

"Indeed," Gremmy said with a small smile. "They're some of the strongest in this world. I wanted to meet Zeref, but he's not in the palace. I assume he's still wandering. However, August is here."

Victor stopped in his tracks, his brow furrowing. "Wait a second, Gremmy. What exactly are you planning to do?"

Gremmy's smile widened. "Wake up the anthill."

Meetings were always such a drag for Ajeel. As one of Alvarez's elites, he couldn't stand sitting through hours of ministers—most of whom had never even seen a battlefield—lecturing them on how to wage war. The arrogance of it all made his skin crawl.

He'd been raised in a culture where excellence wasn't just encouraged—it was demanded. As a prince, he had to prove his worth, carry the pride of his lineage, and show the world he deserved his title. His grandfather had been the same way, even if old age had softened him now.

Despite everything, Ajeel cared deeply for the old man. His grandfather had been the one to shape him, teaching him magic, passing down their traditions, and showing him what it meant to lead, to fight, and most importantly, to win.

But the thing that made these meetings truly unbearable was Invel. That smug bastard strutted around the room like he was better than everyone else, just because he was the Emperor's right-hand man. Ajeel's jaw tightened at the thought. The guy acted like a lapdog, always bowing and scraping to the Emperor. It disgusted him.

They were supposed to be elites, not servants, for crying out loud.

"What's wrong, Ajeel? Frowning again?" an elderly voice broke through his thoughts.

Ajeel turned to see August, the old man who had taught him to respect his elders—by beating that respect into him more times than he could count.

"It's nothing, August," Ajeel replied quickly, trying to keep his tone calm.

August gave him a look but said nothing. Invel, meanwhile, continued his dull, self-important speech. Ajeel sighed, glancing to August's right, where Brandish was dozing off, clearly losing her battle with boredom. On the other side, Wall looked like he'd die of disinterest if this dragged on any longer.

Ajeel couldn't help but envy Brandish—at least she got to escape this nonsense by sleeping through it.

Suddenly, August turned his head sharply to his right. The seat next to him, usually reserved for Dimaria, was empty. But his focus wasn't on the chair—it was on something else entirely.

Ajeel reacted without hesitation. Sand swirled around his hands as he sent a wave shooting toward where August was staring. The sand rushed forward but stopped abruptly, as if hitting an invisible barrier.

"Intruders!" Ajeel shouted, jumping to his feet. The other Spriggan members quickly followed suit, except for August and Invel, who remained calm and composed.

"What a fascinating magic," August remarked, his tone steady and unbothered. He stepped forward, his piercing gaze sweeping the room. "Will you show yourselves, intruders? Or must we draw you out ourselves?"

"Relax, would you?" a voice echoed, calm but slightly annoyed. Suddenly, as if a veil had been lifted, two figures appeared in the room.

Ajeel's eyes narrowed at the sight. One was a blond kid who couldn't have been older than sixteen, and the other was a man with a cane, clearly frail and crippled. Ajeel's irritation flared, and his hands twitched, ready to summon his sand again.

"Your magic failed, Victor," the blond said with a smirk, glancing at his companion.

Victor sighed, rolling his golden eyes. "I told you it's still experimental."

"Stand down, Ajeel," August said, his calm voice cutting through the tension. The authority in his tone made Ajeel reluctantly lower his hands, though his frustration was evident.

"Who are these clowns?" Ajeel muttered, glaring at the newcomers.

"An interesting magic," August continued, ignoring Ajeel's comment. "You weren't invisible; you merely deceived our senses. Clever. You could have struck one of the Twelve before anyone even noticed. Now, tell me… what is your goal?"

"Our goal?" Gremmy repeated casually, his hands in his pockets. "It's simple. We wanted to meet you." He gestured to himself. "Name's Gremmy, and this here is Victor. I've heard a lot about the 'King of Magic' and wanted to see if the stories were true. Gotta say, you—"

Before he could finish, both Gremmy and Victor were frozen solid in an instant, encased in thick ice.

"Allowing intruders to talk as if they own the room," Invel said coldly, his irritation clear. "This is unacceptable. I expected better from the Shields. Such disrespect is an insult to His Majesty."

Ajeel snorted, clearly entertained, while Wall raised an eyebrow with mild interest. Brandish leaned back lazily, her narrowed eyes showing the faintest hint of annoyance.

Before anyone could respond, Invel's expression twisted into shock as he was suddenly launched through the wall, his body flying like a rocket into the distance.

August's brows furrowed slightly, the only sign of his surprise. He hadn't detected any magic being cast.

"As I was saying," Gremmy continued nonchalantly as the ice encasing him and Victor melted away as if it were nothing. "You do live up to the title, August. Not many mages can see through Victor's magic, even if it's still in an experimental phase."

"I wanted to see if you could replicate Victor's magic," Gremmy added, watching the wall Invel had destroyed rebuild itself, reversing as though time was rewinding. "But I guess that's a no."

He smiled lightly, spreading his hands. "Anyway, sorry for the little spectacle. I just don't take kindly to being attacked."

Victor sighed beside him, looking exasperated. "If you hadn't barged in like that, none of this would've happened."

"True," Gremmy admitted with a chuckle. "But where's the fun in that?"

Wall pointed at Gremmy, his analytical gaze sharp. "You don't seem to have a weakness," he said. "I can see your companion's flaws, but you… you're a mystery."

Gremmy smirked, pressing a finger to his lips. "I'm a man of many secrets."

He shifted his stance slightly, his tone turning more serious. "But I didn't come here just to mess around. I actually have a proposal for you, August. Since you're the one making decisions while the Emperor is away, I figured you'd be the right person to talk to."

He paused for effect before continuing. "First, I'd like to propose a trade agreement between Sindria and Alvarez. I think our kingdoms could benefit greatly from working together. Second, I wanted to tell you about the Sindria Games. It's a big event—a battle royale between six of our twelve guilds. Each guild has members as strong as me, if not stronger, competing to determine which guild is the strongest."

Gremmy let the words sink in before adding, "I'm proposing to broadcast the tournament here in Alvarez for everyone to watch. And, of course, we're willing to pay a hefty amount for the rights."

August's expression didn't change as he listened. When Gremmy finished, he finally spoke. "Huh. An interesting proposition," he said slowly. "But I think you've misunderstood something. I'm not the one in charge of such matters."

He motioned to the hole in the wall. "That would be the man you just sent flying."

Gremmy and Victor froze, their expressions deadpan. "Ah, shit," Gremmy muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

Brandish let out a quiet laugh, clearly amused, while Ajeel groaned, dragging a hand down his face in frustration. "You've got to be kidding me," he muttered.

Before they could process it further, Gremmy casually waved his hand, and August watched as mana shifted in an unusual pattern. Moments later, Invel came crashing back into the room, smashing through the wall again.

"Damn you, intruder!" Invel shouted angrily as snow began to fall over the capital, covering the area in a thick blanket of frost.

Ajeel leaned back in his chair with a smug grin. "I think you'll have to wait a while before he's ready to hear you out," he said, clearly enjoying the chaos unfolding before him.

The two intruders, Gremmy and Victor, watched as the furious Invel unleashed his power. Hundreds of ice lances materialized around him, the sheer pressure of his mana causing his glasses to crack and fall apart.

"Well," Gremmy said with a playful smirk, stepping forward with his hands still tucked casually in his pockets. "Let's have a little fun, then." His tone was light, but the teasing glint in his eyes showed he wasn't taking the situation seriously at all.

Invel stood by the window of his office, gazing out at the sprawling cityscape of Vistarion, Alvarez's grand capital, when the door creaked open behind him.

"August," he said with a nod, turning slightly to acknowledge the older man entering the room.

"I went ahead and accepted their proposal," Invel said, his voice calm and composed. "The trade agreement was far too beneficial to refuse."

"I'm surprised," August replied, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "I thought you'd reject it. They're far too unpredictable."

"Unpredictable? Not exactly," Invel countered, shaking his head slightly. "I've known about them for a while. They've been making waves in Ishgar—not these two specifically, but their guild. Rose Redemption is a highly dangerous organization, according to my spies." His tone was steady, though there was a faint edge of caution.

"And yet, you chose to sit back and watch," August said, a hint of amusement flickering in his voice.

Invel ignored the jab, steering the conversation elsewhere. "Did you uncover anything about the brat's magic?"

"Sadly, no," August admitted, his expression darkening slightly. "I couldn't replicate it. As for the other man, his magic appears to be a highly advanced form of rune magic."

"Rune magic?" Invel repeated, frowning. "Perhaps Irene might have some insight."

"Possibly," August muttered as he moved toward the door. Pausing briefly, he added, "By the way, His Majesty will be returning to the capital soon. You conveniently forgot to mention that during the meeting, didn't you?"

Invel watched the older man leave, his expression unreadable. After a moment of silence, he muttered under his breath, "Mind your own business, old man."

"So, you want these games in March?" Sinbad asked, lifting his head from the pile of paperwork to glare at Gremmy. "Seriously? That's less than two months away."

"Yeah, don't stress about it," Gremmy replied, waving a hand dismissively. "I'll handle creating the island for the games. You just need to get your trade federation to sell stuff and keep the money flowing. Easy enough, right?"

"'Easy enough,' he says," Sinbad muttered, closing his eyes like he'd reached his limit with Gremmy. "Fine, but you'll have to create more boats for me to trade with Alvarez—and crew them too. That's nothing much for someone like you, right?" he added with a sarcastic smile.

"Yeah, no problem," Gremmy shot back without missing a beat. "Actually, what I wanted to ask was—is everything good on the Ishgar side?"

"Yeah, we're set," Sinbad replied. "We got Fiore's king to agree to broadcast the games, and we've reached out to Bosco and the Magic Council as well."

"That's perfect! I knew I could count on Jafar!" Gremmy said with a grin.

"Thank you, I—wait, what? Jafar?!" Sinbad's face twisted in disbelief.

"Don't tell me you did it yourself?" Gremmy teased, raising an eyebrow.

"I did, you ungrateful little brat," Sinbad snapped, clearly annoyed.

"Wow," Gremmy said, clapping his hands mockingly. "I'm so proud. Sinbad actually did something kingly for once in his life!"

–

"Lord Jafar, someone has destroyed the flower garden," a servant rushed to me, their voice shaky with panic. I barely had time to process the words when the entire palace shook violently.

Before I could react, the front of the palace was obliterated by a massive beam of lightning that roared through the air with deafening force.

"Bararaq Saiqa!"

The words echoed as the parchments slipped from my hands. My eyes widened in disbelief at the destruction unfolding before me. The beam of concentrated lightning tore through the palace like it was paper, its immense power continuing onward to pierce not one, but three mountains in the distance. Each mountain crumbled into dust under the unrelenting force. The beam finally struck the sea, where it erupted in a massive explosion, sending waves and towering columns of water into the sky. The ground beneath my feet trembled from the aftershock.

The palace was in ruins—nothing but rubble and ash. My stomach dropped as I realized the library, along with so much else, had been utterly annihilated.

"Come back here, Gremmy! You're dead meat!" I heard my king's voice yell from the distance. Grabbing my daggers, I bolted after him.

"Sinbad, you bastard! How could you destroy all of this?!" I shouted, charging toward him, my daggers in hand. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw four other generals rushing at him with the same furious determination.

"Huh? Oh, guys, wait! I can explain—it was—" Sinbad's excuse was cut short as Masrur's fist connected with his face, sending him spiraling back into the already destroyed palace.

We all exchanged a quick nod before sprinting toward him again, our anger unrelenting.

"Wait, guys! It's really not my fault!" Sinbad shouted, scrambling to get up, his voice pleading as we closed in on him.

–

I watched in disbelief as Sinbad got absolutely pummeled by his own generals. They weren't holding back, and honestly, he kind of deserved it.

"Well, I guess I'll just rebuild the palace," I muttered to myself, a small grin tugging at my lips. "Taunting Sinbad is still as entertaining as ever."

Turning away from the chaotic scene, I focused my thoughts. With a wave of my imagination, I began crafting a new palace for the island. While I was at it, I added a chain of islands nearby—perfect for the upcoming games. Though, knowing how destructive things could get, they'd probably end up in ruins before long.

"Now, what kind of games should I create for them? And what sort of opponents?" I mused aloud, the excitement bubbling up inside me. I couldn't wait to see it all come to life. It was going to be so much fun. And on top of that, it might keep some troublemakers across the world occupied for a while. Maybe, just maybe, they'd think twice about crossing us after seeing the sheer power on display.

–

Chapter down, hope you liked it, little tournament arc for the guilds and after that we'd have the little tournaments for the 'weakest' member of the guilds with the Fiore one.

See you soon :)