[Marvel's Magic Master] Chapter 275: The Beginning of the Fairy Tail Civil War

Night had fallen over the high slope outside Magnolia City.

Wrapped in a black coat, Laxus Dreyar stood, gazing at the Fairy Tail guild’s new headquarters—a landmark in its own right. A wild grin spread across his face.

"The Thunder God Tribe has finally returned. This moment has finally arrived. The fairies will tear each other apart, and old man, your era is over. From now on, I will lead the guild to become the strongest!"

"Thunder God Tribe, assemble!"

Two men and one woman stepped out from the darkness, standing behind Laxus.

Turning to the green-haired mage among them, Laxus ordered:
"Freed, when you set up the rune barrier tomorrow, add one more condition—no cats can leave the guild."

"No cats? You mean Happy?"

Freed hesitated. As far as he remembered, the only cat in the guild was Happy, Natsu’s companion. But Happy had no combat ability, so preventing him from leaving seemed pointless.

After all, when setting up a rune barrier, the fewer conditions imposed, the stronger the magic. The original plan only had two restrictions: preventing anyone over eighty years old and statues from leaving. This was to keep the most powerful guild master out of the fight and ensure the statues could serve as hostages.

Adding a restriction on cats meant three conditions in total, weakening the spell.

"Not Happy. While you were on your mission to wipe out the dark guilds, a new cat joined the guild. His name is George. If we don’t restrict him, he might be even more troublesome than Erza and Mystogan."

Laxus smirked.

He had been preparing for this plan for a long time and had closely monitored the guild’s developments.

Though he constantly criticized Fairy Tail’s mages for being too weak and soft, deep down, he knew the guild’s true strength. That was why he acted with such caution.

From what he had gathered, George had done quite a few remarkable things since joining the guild. While he didn’t know everything, he knew enough.

In Laxus’ judgment, George was a formidable S-Class mage with numerous tricks up his sleeve. He needed to be dealt with in advance.

"That repair magic user… he's a cat? And that powerful?!"

Freed and the others looked equally stunned.

While they had been away on missions, they had heard rumors about a "Repair Mage" in the guild, someone who frequently helped clean up after battles.

But they hadn’t known he was a cat—let alone one worthy of Laxus’ attention.

After all, in the entire guild, only Master Makarov, Gildarts (who was off on a century quest), and Mystogan had ever earned Laxus’ recognition.

Even Erza was nothing more than a minor nuisance in his eyes.

The Next Morning

George flapped his wings, carrying a bag filled with supplies for the evening’s Grand Magic Parade, as he made his way back to the guild.

The entire town was adorned with colorful balloons and streamers, with every household decorating their homes and streets for the Harvest Festival.

Smiles were everywhere. Children ran around the streets, playfully acting as Fairy Tail mages.

To the people of Magnolia, the Harvest Festival was akin to Christmas or the Lunar New Year—a cherished celebration.

As George passed by the train station, he saw a steady stream of people arriving, merging into the lively town.

Some were returning residents, coming home for the festival—much like workers traveling back for the holidays. Others were tourists from different towns, eager to witness Fairy Tail’s annual Grand Magic Parade, a spectacle famous across the continent.

"Master, Mirajane, did you get everything?"

Turning a street corner, George spotted Mirajane and Makarov, who were also out shopping. They were already waiting at the intersection.

The three quickly compared their purchases to ensure nothing was missing before making their way back to the guild, chatting along the way.

"The whole town is immersed in the festival spirit!"

Makarov looked around at the cheerful citizens, a pleased smile spreading across his aged face.

Mirajane nodded, smiling.
"Yes, and everyone in the guild is busy preparing their magic performances for tonight’s parade."

Makarov chuckled proudly.
"Of course! This is Fairy Tail’s grand parade—famous across the entire continent! George, you’ll be leading the procession with that lightning giant illusion Erza mentioned. Let’s give everyone a real show!"

The parade’s magic didn’t need to be powerful—it just needed to be dazzling. And George’s lightning giant was nothing if not spectacular.

Mirajane sighed wistfully.
"It’d be great if Laxus joined in. His lightning magic combined with George’s would make for an incredible display."

She still remembered how Laxus had refused to return when Phantom Lord attacked. But from what she later learned from Gajeel and Juvia, none of Phantom Lord’s branch members had participated in the final assault.

That was partly because Mystogan had wiped out many of their bases. But another reason was that Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe had also taken down several Phantom Lord divisions.

So despite what he said, deep down, he still cared about the guild.

As George put it, Laxus was just rebellious and a bit of a tsundere.

Makarov’s expression darkened at the mention of Laxus.
"Hmph! Don’t mention that ungrateful brat to me."

George sighed, deciding to offer some advice.
"Master, I really think you should talk to him openly. If this misunderstanding keeps growing, it’ll cause problems down the line."

Having frequently consulted Makarov on magic, George had also heard many stories from the old man.

He knew that Laxus had once idolized his grandfather. But their relationship fractured when Makarov expelled Laxus’ father, Ivan, from the guild.

Makarov had kept the truth hidden to protect Laxus. He feared that telling him about Ivan’s betrayal and ties to dark mages would traumatize the boy.

As a result, Laxus grew up believing his father simply had a different vision for the guild—one that clashed with Makarov’s leadership—leading to his exile.

From Laxus’ perspective, it made sense.

His mother had died early, and his father had always treated him well—even going to great lengths to acquire a Dragon Lacrima for him. Then, one day, his grandfather suddenly cast his father out, using a reason that didn’t seem justified.

Of course, Laxus couldn’t accept that. That’s why he kept talking about taking over as guild master.

After spending time around Laxus and occasionally using his telepathic abilities, George was certain—deep down, Laxus still cared about Makarov and Fairy Tail.

He was just too prideful and stubborn to show it.

If Makarov opened up to him and explained everything, things might not be so bad.

But Makarov simply sighed.
"Forget it… Even if I tell him now, he probably wouldn’t believe me."