Fairy Tail: Strongest Creature

Fairy Tail's triumphant return to Magnolia was met with cheers that echoed down every street. Children waved banners; townsfolk danced in the wake of their heroes.

"Yay—victory!" Natsu yelled, brandishing the gleaming Cup of Kings overhead. The trophy's polished surface caught the morning sun, and the crowd roared in approval.

"Look, Mira!" Levy called, waving her hand. Millianna smiled back, her eyes bright with pride. Erza and Lucy, Erza's crimson armor scrubbed clean of battle scars, received smiles and applause wherever they went.

"Master Su Yan!" a dozen voices cried in unison. Su Yan inclined his head, the humble hero, as the town's admiration washed over him.

Natsu lifted Romeo onto his shoulders, the little Exceed clutching the Cup. "Raise it higher!" Natsu cheered, and Magnolia's citizens answered with thunderous applause.

At the mayor's podium, Chief Shi cleared his throat. "Fairy Tail has brought glory back to our town," he announced. "As thanks, Magnolia will restore their guildhall to its former grandeur—free of charge."

Makarov's eyes filled with tears. "You…you've done too much for us," he stammered. Shi waved him off. "No thanks needed—every shopkeeper and artisan on this street contributed. This is our gift to you."

When the gates of Fairy Tail swung open once more, guildmates stepped inside to find every brick repaired and every banner replaced—built anew by those they defended.

Later that evening, in a distant grove beyond Magnolia's borders, two familiar figures met beneath the moonlight.

Zeref, the ageless mage, stood cloaked in shadow. Behind him hovered Mavis, Fairy Tail's first Master, her youthful face grave.

"You watched the Dragon King Festival," Mavis said softly. "You were there seven years ago… and seven years before that."

Zeref's eyes darkened. "I sought my own end," he murmured. "Centuries of watching humanity repeat its errors… I longed for release."

"Humanity persists," Mavis replied. "It survives, it grows—and it will stand against your darkness."

Zeref sighed as the grass at his feet withered under his presence. "I have witnessed empires rise and fall. Now I bear a gift…or a scourge. The world may be reborn in flame, cleansed forever."

"Fairy Tail will stop you," Mavis vowed, wings of starlight unfurling behind her. "Your fate is sealed—and only you will perish this time."

A bitter smile curved Zeref's lips. "So be it," he whispered. "Let the final chapter begin."