TWO DAYS LATER…

In the sparkling, vibrant coliseum of Domus Flau, located near the Royal Castle of Mercurius, the attendees of thousands gathered in the giant round circle. Although the annual Grand Magic Games did not start until the next five months, the scent compelling the citizens to join the event was irresistible. The audience anticipated the outcome of this momentous spectacle from start to finish.

"Greetings, sports fans! Welcome back to the 17th Annual Wizard Smash Tournament!" said a member of the announcer team. "It's been a long road to the final, and boy, do we have one heck of a match in store for you today! The last two contestants will clash in an all-out, no holds barred match in their bid to be crowned Wizard Smash Champion! I'm your host, Chapati Lola, and joining me today as guest announcer is 5-time Wizard Smash Champion and member of the Blue Pegasus Guild, Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki."

Sitting beside Chapati was a short and rather stout man with a distinctively big, somewhat rectangular face and wavy orange hair. He wore a white tuxedo with a bowtie and a blue rose adorned to the side, and white pants. The guest announcer in question cheered, "Finally! The Parfum has come back to Silver Dome of Fiore!" He then posed with lights flickering around him, "Man. It's good to be back, Chapati. I am so stoked for this match today."

Chapati nodded, "Indeed. Wizards from far and wide, guild member or independent, have all participated in this tournament. But only one will walk away as the champion. I can only imagine what our finalists have in store for us."

Ichiya chuckled smugly, "They should feel lucky that I chose not to enter the tournament, otherwise they would've been parfum'd. Man…"

"Uh, sure," Chapati agreed nervously. "Anyways, without further ado, let's introduce the finalists! In this corner, also known as 'Mr. Rainbow Fire,' he's a member of the greatest team of heroes, and the underdog of the magic world. Make some noise for the young magical sensation, Romeo Conbolt!"

Standing at the left corner of the arena, Romeo laughed happily and posed for the audience. Everyone was very excited to see one of Fiore's biggest heroes in action after so much hype.

Chapati commented, "Romeo is a member of Team Natsu, a three-wizard band hailed as the greatest heroes in all of Fiore, best known for saving Crocus and other neighboring cities from treacherous monsters the likes of Ophiuchus the Snake Charmer, Azuma the Great Tree, Bluenote Stinger the Gravity Core, and many others. Their mentor, the Eighth Islander Yajima, taught Romeo the Advanced Magic of Rainbow Fire, the ability to control multicolored flames at will."

Ichiya added, "I heard that Mr. Conbolt chose Rainbow Fire so that he could be on par with another Fire Magic user, Mr. Natsu Dragneel, the team's leader. I can assume that they're very close men."

Chapati continued, "In a recent interview three hours ago, Romeo told us that he wanted to embark on his own journey so that he could grow up to be Natsu's equal, hence competing as a solo competitor. He vowed to win the tournament and make Team Natsu proud."

From the lowest section of seats, Wendy Marvell and Carla saw Romeo warming himself up for the match. Wendy asked anxiously, "Carla, are you sure Romeo can handle it on his own? I mean, this tournament is his first solo fight…"

Carla assured, "This experience in the tournament will prove quite helpful. Win or lose, Romeo's strength and ability will mature considerably."

"I bet Natsu will be surprised that Rainbow Fire is equal to Fire Dragon Slayer Magic," Wendy giggled. "Speaking of Natsu, where is he?"

Carla answered, "He went to the Temple of Igneel with Happy. He wanted to inform his father about his recent experiences."

Wendy beamed hopefully, "Is he finally gonna rejoin the gods?"

Carla chuckled, "Don't get your hopes up, Wendy. Just wait and see."

Wendy asked, "What about Mr. Yajima?"

Carla replied, "He's at the Fairy Tail Guildhall. He said he'll be back shortly for the award ceremony with a very special guest. I wonder who it could be?"

"And introducing Romeo's opponent: another master of Rainbow Fire and Romeo's possible match, the samurai warrior, and a member of Phantom Lord's Element 4. Give it up for Totomaru of the Great Fire!" Chapati introduced, gesturing to the other contestant in the right corner. He was a samurai wizard with black-and-white hair tied in a large ponytail wearing a red outfit reminiscent of Japanese attire.

Gripping the helm of his katana, Totomaru laughed, "So, the young Conbolt finally graces the Great Fire with his presence. You claim to have total mastery of Rainbow Fire, yet you haven't gotten a taste of mine. My Rainbow Fire goes beyond that of yours. It is time you witness it!"

Romeo stretched his arms and yawned tauntingly, "Go ahead, loser. Give me your best shot."

"Gladly!" Totomaru readied himself.

"Well, we've kept you patient viewers waiting long enough," Chapati stated. "It's time for the final match of the Wizard Smash Tournament to go underway!"

That was the cue. The bell rang, starting the match.

"Red Fire: Charging Slash!" Totomaru started off by running towards Romeo in a blaze of fire, his katana unsheathed and at the ready.

"Blue Fire: Slide Kick!" Romeo countered by delivering a blue flaming kick that sent Totomaru's head crashing into a wall. Growling, Totomaru slashed with his katana several times, but Romeo dodged each attack, especially those powered by multicolored flames. When the samurai was left wide open, Romeo performed a Purple Fire 7-Hit Combo that sent him crashing to the ground.

"Yellow Fire: Great Balls of Fire!" Recovering, Totomaru summoned five giant yellow fireballs, which Romeo promptly avoided with great agility.

"Green Fire: Mother Nature's Clothesline!" Romeo counterattacked with a green fire-fueled strike that sent Totomaru spinning. "Purple Fire: Sweet Chin!" He delivered a deadly super-kick to the samurai's chin.

"Purple Fire: Spiked Ball!" Totomaru enveloped himself into a solid spiked ball of purple fire and rolled towards Romeo in a wild frenzy. The young wizard managed to elude each hit with much precision.

"Rainbow Fire: Blazing Ranbu!" When Totomaru emerged from behind, Romeo seized the opportunity to unleash a multicolored 30-hit punch and kick combination that decimated the samurai's body. Next, Romeo performed a blazing uppercut to Totomaru's jaw, flinging him up in the air. Finally, Romeo waved his hands in a circular motion and fired a massive multicolored flame that smashed Totomaru. In the end, the samurai fell to the ground, bruised and dizzied.

"Ouch…" Totomaru wheezed. "I'm a true master of Rainbow Fire… I am Totomaru of the Great Fire… A member of Phantom's Element 4… I can't… be defeated…" He then fainted, unconscious.

"Correction, you're a master of basic Rainbow Fire!" Romeo smirked, crossing his arms. "I've learned the most advanced skills of Rainbow Fire from the best trainer. By the looks of your flames, I don't know if your master was a genius or a loser. I mean, who made you a member of Phantom's Element 4? Why'd you come all this way to the finals?" He then shrugged, "Nah, it was worth it. I've had a lot of fun fighting other strong wizards, especially guys like you."

"Totomaru is unable to battle!" Chapati declared. "The winner of the match, and new Wizard Smash Champion, Romeo Conbolt!"

The bell rang, the audience cheered loudly, and Romeo did a victory pose. He cried excitedly, "Alright! I rule!"

Wendy cheered, "Yay, Romeo!"

Carla applauded, "Three cheers for Romeo!"

However, not everyone was cheering for Romeo. In the locker room, wizards from the Phantom Lord Guild were watching the monitor with angered, disgusted looks.

"Curses!" the first wizard exclaimed. "The whole Element 4 has fallen! All our efforts to beat Team Natsu with all the sabotaging, foiled! Totomaru is the weakest of them all"

"We must return to the Underworld!" the second wizard insisted. "Master Jose and Lord Mard Geer are waiting for us!"

With that, the Phantom Lord wizards unlocked a secret portal and disappeared into shadow.

Thirty minutes later, the award ceremony was commenced in Victory Lane, a large decorated area outside the arena. Surrounded by the press, Romeo, alongside Wendy and Carla, stood before Ichiya, while the cameras rolled or flashed.

Ichiya spoke, "As representative and co-host for this event, I'm pleased to announce that the Domus Flau Athletic Commission requested two very special guests to honor the tournament's victor, Romeo Conbolt, the Wizard Smash Trophy and the 10,000,000 Jewels reward. One of them is a renowned trainer of heroes, and the other, a member of Crocus's own Fairy Tail!"

"Oh, boy!" Romeo smiled. "I can't wait to know who that special guest is!"

Wendy suggested, "Must've been a member of Fairy Tail we haven't seen before."

Carla shushed, "Here they come!"

Ichiya performed a sparkling pose and declared, "And now, directly from the red carpet parfum, here they are!"

A large puff of red smoke emerged from the ground, and out of it emerged Yajima and the same elderly man with blue hair from Natsu's battle with Ophiuchus.

Yajima greeted Wendy and Romeo, "How's it going, junior heroes?"

Romeo explained with a proud smile, "I've kicked a lot of serious butt at the tournament, left and right! I've won the championship, and I gave 'em a show they'll never forget!"

"And for that, I'm grateful," Yajima remarked. "For your exceptional performance in the tournament, you'll be receiving the Wizard Smash Trophy and the 10,000,000 Jewels prize, presented by an old friend of mine." He added with a smile, "In fact, he's someone you should recognize. Someone you know very well…"

Romeo stood in silence, trying to comprehend what Yajima meant. The hero trainer gestured to the blue-haired man holding the golden trophy stashed with an enormous amount of money. He stared at Romeo with a warm glow in his eyes as he spoke, "Congratulations…" He paused to let this sink in, "…son."

"Huh?" There was a note of uncertainty in Romeo voice. Why did he call him "son?"

"Romeo, it's me," the man said, a smile crossing his face. "Your dad."

"W-W-W-What?" Romeo asked shockingly. "What did you say?"

"Dad?" Wendy and Carla both asked in confusion.

"You remember, don't you, kiddo?" the man laughed playfully. "We used to have lots of fun together in places 'round the world! We played cool games, we bought neat stuff, we ate yummy food… Y'know! It's me, Romeo! Your dad! Your daddy-o! Macao Conbolt! Remember?"

"Macao…? My… dad…?" Romeo stared for a few seconds, the smile on the elderly man's face never wavering. Family memories replayed in his head, recalling the good times and the bad; from the day Macao was the bluebird of happiness in the Conbolt family, to the day Macao left his family behind for reasons unknown. His face, his smile, the way he looked, the way he dressed… It finally struck him. Romeo's eyes welled with tears, extremely relived to see his father for the first time in many years. He ran towards his father, the hug sending the older man backwards.

"DAAAAAAAAADDD!" Romeo sobbed uncontrollably.

Macao stood up and scooped Romeo up into his arms and spun him around, hugging him with a joyful laugh. "Hey, kiddo."

"Dad! I thought I'd never see you again!" Romeo cried, hugging his father tightly.

Macao hugged back his son, "I worried you, right? I think I owe you a very long explanation."

Wendy asked Yajima, "Romeo's dad is a member of Fairy Tail? And he's your friend?"

Yajima chuckled, "I think I owe you a very long explanation."

Macao stated, "I just said that!"

At the Fairy Tail Guildhall…

Romeo, Wendy, and Carla took deep breaths as Macao and Yajima finished recapping the events of the past— the story of Macao Conbolt, a Purple Flare wizard who became one of the most prominent wizards of Fairy Tail, and a great friend to Yajima and the guild's late master, Gildarts Clive. It was hard enough to believe that Romeo's dad was an S-Class Wizard who had done so much for the magical community. Heck, as a Fairy Tail wizard, Macao took out thousands of Vulcans single-handedly on Mt. Hakobe!

Of course, Macao was more than just a follower of Gildarts, but his best friend. And Yajima, Gildarts' teacher, became a part of their circle. The three accomplished many great things together; you've never seen a teacher, a guild master, and an S-Class Wizard brought together in friendship. Those good times came to an end when Gildarts was killed by Ophiuchus.

Unlike the other wizards who were resentful of Yajima, Macao's only regret was that he should've been there to help Gildarts and Yajima on that fateful battle. Eventually, his relationship with his wife was strained due to his unbearable grief, leading him to run away from home and stay indefinitely in the guildhall. As such, he was declared Gildarts's successor— the new guild master of Fairy Tail.

"…and that's what happened," Macao concluded the story with a sigh.

"So let me get this straight, Dad," Romeo clarified. "You left me and my mom for a long time, because…"

Yajima added, "He can't get over his grief? Yes."

"I can't believe it," Romeo breathed. "All this time, everybody in my village thinks you're drunk with magic. Why didn't you tell me the truth? Why didn't you let me know you're okay?" He added with a bit of hurt in his voice, "Don't you love us anymore?"

"I still love you, guys," Macao replied. "I was so busy running the whole guild that I forgot to write letters to you and your mom. You're not angry with me? After I've left our house without even coming back and stuff like that? After all those years? Whatever your old man's doing, he's doing it just for you."

"No, I'm not angry with you," Romeo shook his head. "I just missed you so very much. I've looked everywhere for you, and now…" He felt an immense joy overtake him, "I'm back with you! You have no idea how happy I am to see you right now!"

"I think I do, kid," Macao smiled proudly, brushing Romeo's hair. "After all, you're a member of Team Natsu, the greatest band of heroes in all of Fiore! I'm very proud to see my boy all grown up to be a great wizard, just like his dad." Romeo smiled back to his father.

Wendy said cheerily, "Well, you finally found your dad."

Carla grinned, "We are so happy for you."

Yajima added, "All in a day's work."

Romeo chuckled, "Thanks, guys."

Just then, rapid knocks on the guildhall's doors were heard.

"What in the world?" Macao marched to the doors and opened them. "Who's there?"

Standing in front of the entrance was a light blue Exceed dressed in a priest's outfit. He spoke, "Is this the Fairy Tail Guildhall?"

"Yeah," Macao nodded. "So?"

"I've come to speak with Lady Carla," the Exceed requested. "May I please speak with her?"

"Did someone call me?" Carla flew up to the entrance. When she encountered the Exceed, she gasped and immediately recognized him. "Father Samuel!"

"Lady Carla!" Samuel breathed in relief. "I've been looking everywhere for you! It's from the Kingdom of Extalia." He took out a white envelope enclosed with the insignia of a wing, "An urgent message from Queen Chagot."

"Queen Chagot?" Carla asked in confusion, before she finally discerned the information with joyous surprise. "Mother?!"

"Yes," Samuel nodded. "The Queen requested you and Wendy Marvell to come to Extalia right away. She said it had something to do with Mard Geer Tartaros, God of the Underworld."

Carla gasped again, her mind crossed with suspicion. "Mard Geer Tartaros…?"