The Magic Council had sent its messenger to arrest Erza Scarlet and Allen Walker. That messenger had a very strange appearance, once again breaking the world's aesthetic—this was the first time Allen had encountered a functional humanoid. The Vulcan didn't count, since it was so wild.
The entire guild froze for a moment. While it wasn't unusual for the Council to "summon/arrest" mages, usually only a lone messenger was sent—after all, not even guild masters dared to refuse an order from the Magic Council, much less the mages themselves. However, this time the messenger had brought the Rune Knights along.
The Rune Knights were the personal army of the Council, tasked with enforcing laws applicable to mages. This made the situation feel excessive. They weren't dealing with a dark guild, but with an official one—Fairy Tail, no less. A guild that had even produced a member of the Magic Council.
This was a clear sign of disrespect and a power move.
Refuse?
That was also difficult. The other side held the highest authority in the magical world—within the country.
Gray muttered in irritation, "If the Magic Council says something white is black... It's black… tsk!"
"I see," Erza said with an expressionless face.
Her reaction wasn't one of surprise, as if she had already expected something like this—or maybe her mental strength allowed her to stay calm in this situation. But she frowned as she looked at the Rune Knights—something wasn't right. Their involvement in this matter made the whole thing feel off. One thing that needed to be clarified: most of the time when a messenger "arrested" a legal mage, it was symbolic. But before she could question what was bothering her, a loud thump came from the bar where Makarov stood.
"Why did the Council send the Rune Knights?!" Makarov was furious, so much so that his magic power began to visibly leak out, scaring everyone—including the frog messenger. The Rune Knights went on the defensive, but even with their training for extreme situations, some of them trembled and sweated beneath their armor. And rightfully so—standing before them was Makarov Dreyar.
Makarov wasn't just a guild master—he was one of the Ten Wizard Saints. A title that not just anyone could aspire to, and of course, making him angry was a death sentence.
"Fine, I'll go!" Erza declared loudly, interrupting both sides just as things were about to escalate.
She knew something was suspicious, but fighting against the Council was absurd. If things went south, they could be branded a dark guild. So Titania made the most responsible decision.
"Don't do it, Erza!" Natsu shouted.
"Erza-san?" Lucy looked at the redhead with concern.
"Erza..." Makarov muttered, trying to keep himself under control.
"I'll be fine…" Erza said with full confidence. Then she turned coldly to the messenger. "Let's go!"
"Wait, Erza!" Makarov interrupted. "They still haven't answered my question!"
"…" Erza sighed.
"…!" The messenger flinched again.
Seeing that the messenger couldn't carry out his mission, a man adjusted his glasses and stepped forward from among the Rune Knights. He was a young man with black hair tied in a short ponytail, wearing glasses, with a serious and strict demeanor. He showed no fear of Makarov.
"My name is Lahar, Captain of the Magic Custody Unit." Lahar scanned the entire area before focusing on the Guild Master. "Makarov Dreyar, you have ties to the Council and you're also a Wizard Saint. Because of that, your actions—and those of your guild—are often overlooked by the Council… as unpleasant as that may be. However, you must understand that no one is above the law, and therefore, no one is above the Magic Council. We must take Erza Scarlet and Allen Walker… especially the latter."
"What does that mean?! Are you saying Allen was the real target?!" Lucy immediately stood up. "That's irrational!"
"Don't give me that crap!" Natsu, of all people—who should've been the one to hate Allen the most—defended him too.
"You think you can just do that?!" Gray got defensive as well.
Elfman shouted from the back, "Allen's a man! He hasn't done anything wrong!"
'This is strange…' Levy thought, looking from Lahar to Allen, who seemed completely detached from the situation. 'You've got the guts to drink coffee right now?!… what a weird guy haha~'
"Are they really doing this?" Even the normally calm Mirajane sensed something was wrong and became upset.
"So the Council has time to accuse legal mages but not to go after dark guilds? What a joke." Cana threw her barrel to the floor and stood up.
Nab, Reedus, Wakaba, Macao, Veejitar, Droy, Laki, Jet—and even Loke, surprisingly—all gave their silent support. Regardless of whether they liked Allen, tolerated him, envied him, feared him, or downright despised him—they were still comrades. And no one worthy of being in Fairy Tail would turn their back on him in a moment like this.
Allen chuckled as he sipped his coffee. 'Idiots…'
...
Gwen – This is touching~
MJ – It makes me smile to see this~
Felicia – I expected this reaction from the girls, but seeing men defend Allen just after meeting him is new~
Diana – Allen has few friends, and most have known him for a long time...
Orihime – All good people!~
Donna – Didn't expect this... especially since we're talking about my master, but I'm glad!
Natasha – I think I really like this world~
Asia – Good people always gather~
Rouge – This world isn't rotten like others we've seen...
Jalter – I can't believe the day has come when I see the master defended by men...
Rebecca – When most of the time they hate and envy him! hahaha!
Nokotan – Wonderful! Nun!
Bocchi – In just one week?
Eve – If only our world could be like this...
Amanda – You need to see a world like this just to realize how messed up our world is...
Makima – I wouldn't be so optimistic, this probably only applies to that guild. Look at the Duke Everloo, that dark guild, and others—there are bad, selfish, cruel people everywhere...
Annie – Like Allen said, this world is like a fairy tale, but Makima is right. Maybe only Fairy Tail is like this. Still, it's very pleasant.
...
Makarov was torn. Normally, he wouldn't oppose the Council, because—as mentioned before—these kinds of "arrests" were usually a sham. The Magic Council arrested legal mages involved in incidents or events that went too far. Depending on their involvement, they were asked to give a statement and then released without consequences. This was done to maintain the appearance of authority—to prevent the public and the government from thinking that mages could do whatever they wanted without repercussions. So Erza would be taken and released the same day—it wouldn't be the first time Makarov had seen this happen.
'But in Allen's case… something smells off,' Makarov frowned. In front of him stood a Rune Knight captain. They didn't move just for show.
Makarov's silence caused the mages of Fairy Tail to begin preparing for battle. In any other guild, this would've been pure madness—leaving Lahar speechless.
"Fairy Tail, think carefully about what you're doing!" Lahar raised his voice, and his subordinates increased their alertness.
It was more than obvious that Allen was their primary target—not Erza. Titania had been a guild pillar for years; if it were about her, their behavior might make sense. But Allen Walker? This guy hadn't even been with them for a whole week—were they really going to risk everything for him?
But this was Fairy Tail. They didn't know the details of the Oshibana Town incident. They didn't know why Allen was wanted, or if he was guilty or not. But it didn't matter—Allen hadn't hurt anyone in the guild or betrayed them. That was enough for them to protect him.
…! A bead of sweat ran down Lahar's cheek. Even someone like him couldn't ignore how things were spiraling. There's a reason the three dark guild pillars still existed—they hadn't been destroyed because of their power. Just like how the Yonko were tolerated in One Piece, or how no village in Naruto would go to war alone against Akatsuki—the strength of an organization determines how it's treated. Fairy Tail had too many strong mages—wiping them out without major losses was impossible.
Lahar felt in trouble, but so did Makarov, this was a war no one wanted. But what about the origin...what was Allen doing while the fate of the country hung in the balance?
Allen was only concerned with drinking his coffee calmly. But his indifference wasn't due to arrogance—it was because he had expected this to happen sooner or later. Allen arrived in this world as a complete stranger. A very powerful mage who appeared out of nowhere. No matter how free or loosely governed the world was, Allen's existence was strange, and someone was bound to raise an eyebrow eventually. However, Allen could no longer ignore the situation. He couldn't let this group of people—too kind for their own good—put themselves at risk over something like this.
"Idiots…" said Allen in a low tone and chuckling. "What are you doing?"
He spoke for the first time, freezing the entire atmosphere. His tone was calm, almost amused, but carried a hint of warmth. How could he not feel that way? He hadn't been wrong when he chose this guild—they were truly a wonderful place.
From the beginning, Allen didn't even bother to look at the Rune Knights. But the same was true for Lahar. For him, Allen was just a young man with an ordinary appearance and aura—no detectable magic power, no hostility—just a sort of mystery that lingered around him and a very weak spell that constantly surrounded him. If Lahar hadn't been paying attention, he wouldn't have noticed anything at all. But the moment Allen spoke, the atmosphere changed completely, as if the earlier tension had been frozen in place. There was a strange magnetism to him—something that compelled others to pay attention to his words and actions.
'Who is this man?!' Lahar panicked, reevaluating Allen. Perhaps the reason the Magic Council had sent him was deeper than he originally thought.
"Allen?" Erza gave him a confused look and then began to grow nervous. "You're not thinking of...?"
She wasn't the only one. The rest of the guild—including Makarov—began to worry. Based on what Allen had shown so far, it was very likely that he would strike the Rune Knights.
In this world, Allen usually kept a low profile. He didn't tend to take initiative or try to stand out—unless someone caused him trouble. This behavior came more from a lack of motivation and maybe a hint of mental fatigue. His loyal viewers who had followed him through victories and defeats knew this, just as the guild did. They saw Allen as someone who often spent his time in calm, quiet thought, a state that only changed when interacting with others.
But that changed...
It happened in an instant—like a dormant volcano awakening, like a predator stirring, like night turning into day. In a flash, this man had taken over the entire place with just his words.
Allen stood up, but Lucy immediately reached across the table, silently begging him not to do anything reckless. He gently patted her head, then looked around at the guild.
"You guys were just about to fight the Magic Council... and now you're worried about me doing something reckless?" Allen laughed. "Relax, that's not why I'm standing up"
"Allen..." Makarov said, his expression more composed but still cautious.
"I'm fine..." Allen replied with a mysterious smile, turning slightly to face Makarov before looking directly at Lahar. "You said your name is Lahar?"
Allen walked toward the knights...
"What?"
Lahar observed Allen in silence. The young man before him wasn't releasing any magic, no hostility—just an overwhelming sense of irrelevance. Everything, both conscious and subconscious, told Lahar that Allen was just an ordinary person. His eyes, his logic, all insisted Allen was harmless—but something was off. Deep, deep inside, a primal instinct stirred.
Without understanding why, Lahar raised two fingers. Before he realized it, he was already using Restriction Magic. "Binding Seal!" As he uttered the words, Allen was wrapped in a semi-transparent aura covered in runes meant to paralyze him. "Magic Containment Field!" Another magic was activated beneath Allen's feet, forming a barrier to restrict his magic. "Magic Chains / Restraining Bind!" Finally, Lahar, clearly exhausted, used enchanted chains and seals specifically designed to restrain high-level mages.
All of this happened in under a second—stunning everyone with the speed and precision of a Rune Knight captain. Even Allen hadn't expected this, so he didn't stop walking in time.
*Crunch*
And just like that, the chains, seals, and barrier all shattered simultaneously. Not by brute force—but because Allen had unconsciously released counterspells against magical restraints. It was a basic instinct for a seasoned mage.
...
"Impossible!" Lahar gasped as he watched his magic be instantly destroyed.
Allen stopped. Silence spread across the entire guild. Then, he coughed a little—embarrassed for making the captain lose face when he was just doing his job.
"Sorry…"
Upon hearing Allen's apology, Lahar's glasses nearly fell off his face.
Allen took another step toward him, and Lahar almost collapsed—but Allen didn't attack. Instead, he extended his hands, leaving everyone speechless.
"What? Aren't you here to arrest me or something?"
Allen's question made some people drop their jaws. The atmosphere clearly indicated a fight was imminent. How does someone who approaches in such a domineering and intimidating manner let himself be arrested just like that?
"Allen, are you sure?" Mirajane asked with concern.
"Don't worry. I'm kind of curious to visit the Magic Council," he replied lightly.
Allen made it sound like he was visiting a theme park… or a zoo. Lahar clenched his teeth and ordered a pair of shackles for Allen and Erza. They were Magic-Sealing Shackles or Anti-Magic Shackles, special restraints designed to completely suppress a mage's abilities. Not only that, they were more durable than titanium—so even a giant couldn't break them easily.
Once the shackles were placed on them, both the messenger and the knights finally exhaled the breath they'd been holding.
The guild members had conflicted expressions. If Allen was willingly surrendering and didn't seem worried, should they really interfere? He didn't seem like he was sacrificing himself—more like he genuinely wanted to sightsee at the Council headquarters. What a ridiculous situation!
"Don't make those faces…" Allen chuckled under his breath, amused by the shackles. It wasn't every day he got to wear some.
"I can't accept this!" Natsu suddenly interrupted everything. "Allen! Can't you see how strange this is?! You guys didn't do anything wrong, and they're arresting you anyway?! What's the point of that?!"
"Natsu…" Allen looked at the Dragon Slayer with mild surprise. "Well, I don't really know. That's why I'm going—to find out what they want and act accordingly."
Lahar laughed silently to himself. Once the Magic-Sealing Shackles were on, not even a Saint-level mage could escape easily. This mission was over...
"This is ridiculous!" Natsu shouted.
"Natsu, stop! Let Allen handle this!"
"I won't let you take my friends!" Natsu shouted at Lahar with fury, and in the very next second, he attacked—shocking everyone with his impulsiveness.
"Fire Dragon's—!"
Allen punched Natsu in the stomach.
"Ugh!"Natsu's eyes and mouth flew open before his entire body went pale—then he fell unconscious.
"I told you to stop, you brat!" Allen huffed in irritation. "I already said I'd handle this. Can't you trust me just a little?!"
That outburst from usually-calm Allen scared everyone. Allen took a deep breath and calmed himself, then looked at Lahar with a tired expression, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Sorry about our impulsive dragon boy."
Lahar stood there, mouth agape, pointing at Allen."Y-You… you…!"
"…?" Allen tilted his head in confusion, then followed Lahar's gaze—only to realize the shackles had broken.
"Oh. Sorry..." Allen sighed and pulled off the broken shackles from his wrists, then turned to Lahar. "Do you have another pair?"
"Allen, those were special sealing shackles…" Erza said, smiling with a "Just what I'd expect from you" kind of look.
"Huh?!—don't tell me they were expensive?! If so, Natsu's paying for them! He made me break them!"
Everyone nearly fell over. Allen was more worried about going into debt than being arrested.
"Don't worry. If you come with us quietly, we won't seek compensation," Lahar managed to say, suppressing his emotions and making the best of this absurd situation. He already knew that if Allen didn't want to be arrested, they simply couldn't do it.
Allen breathed a sigh of relief. It might've sounded like a joke, but only his Chat knew how traumatized he was about being in debt. He wasn't about to go through that again.
"Quick—bring more shackles!" Lahar shouted, losing his usual composure.
"I'm sorry, sir, we only brought two pairs…" one of the knights replied apologetically.
"What?!"
Lahar paused. It made sense. These shackles weren't meant to be easily destroyed. He couldn't even remember the last time it happened—was there ever a need to bring more than two?
"Well, that's a problem…" Allen looked at Erza, then took her hands—making her blush, while Lucy and Mirajane glared, and everyone else was stunned. Seriously that bastard was flirting while being arrested?!
But to everyone's surprise—and Erza's slight disappointment—he didn't do that.
Runes appeared on the shackles. Allen examined them for a moment, then his finger glowed and he began manipulating them. In less than three seconds, a soft click sounded and the shackles unlocked. Allen gave Erza a wink, took the shackles off her, and put them on himself.
"Erza's a good girl. She won't cause any problems. But since she seems scared of me, it's probably safer if I wear them myself," Allen smiled, while Erza shook her head and then smiled too.
"Well, shall we go?" Erza asked with arms crossed. She felt like she could go to hell and back with Allen by her side.
"…" Lahar had no words left. He collapsed to the ground, reconsidering his life decisions. What kind of monster had he gotten involved with?
Allen looked at him with pity.
"You okay? Don't worry—we all have bad days…"
"WHOSE FAULT DO YOU THINK THAT IS?!" Lahar exploded, shouting at the sky.
===
A/N: 🍷🗿
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