Chapter 83: The Vanishing Village, the Power That Will Not Return (3)
Within the violent whirlpool, my entire body began to dissolve into particles.
A strange sensation overtook me—my body being pulled apart and drawn into a warped space, leaving me dazed, as if even my memories were being erased.
In that dizziness, time itself seemed to stop, and I drifted into a strange, weightless world of the mind.
"…"
What stretched before me was an endless black expanse, sprinkled with the starlight of countless galaxies. Stars shimmered faintly, lighting the void.
Then—from the distance—a colossal hand reached out and seized me, dragging me toward somewhere unseen.
The pull was overwhelming, unlike anything I had ever experienced. I wanted to scream, but with time frozen, I could not even move.
At last, the massive hand pulled me into a radiant exit of blinding light.
....
"Haa… haa…"
In just that brief instant, I had endured an indescribable sensation. When I opened my eyes, I was no longer in Magnolia.
I stood in the plaza of an unfamiliar town.
The buildings were constructed in a style completely different from anything I had ever seen in Ishgar, and in the very center stood a towering castle.
Yes—this was not Magnolia.
It was, as Mystogan had told me—another world.
I had arrived in Edolas.
"A castle… So this must be the royal capital?"
As I glanced around, my eyes caught the massive lacrima towering behind me. At that moment, my certainty solidified. This truly was Edolas.
Just as Mystogan had warned, all of Magnolia's people had been transformed into lacrima.
I already knew this was coming, but seeing it with my own eyes filled me with a quiet fury.
"Look over there."
"That lacrima…?"
"No, more importantly—that man!"
"It's him!"
"Why has he returned to the capital? Didn't he flee just two weeks ago?"
Only then did I realize—the citizens in the plaza had all turned their eyes on me.
Judging by their simple clothes, they were nothing but ordinary people, oblivious to the truth.
There was no reason to fight them. Besides, if I was here, I would have to face the ones in that castle eventually. Drawing attention might actually work in my favor.
I wasn't standing long before soldiers appeared, armed with weapons and some strange nets, surrounding me.
I thought to surrender without resistance—after all, being taken in would get me where I needed to go.
But then—
"At last! You've returned, Lord Ciel!"
The one leading the soldiers—a humanoid black panther dressed in splendid armor and a crimson cape—suddenly knelt before me.
In an instant, the soldiers and even the watching townsfolk followed suit, bowing low in respect.
I froze, stunned.
The knight's ornate helm and polished armor made it clear he was of high rank—yet even he knelt before me.
After a brief silence, the panther knight raised his head and spoke firmly.
"Where in the world have you been these past two weeks? You must take your duties more seriously!"
"My apologies. I just… needed some time alone."
"…What… did you just say?"
The plaza erupted in cries of disbelief.
"No way!"
"He—he actually apologized?!"
"And politely, at that?! Not his usual joking half-apology?!"
"This must be the end of the world! Everyone, prepare for disaster!"
The panther knight leapt up, grabbing my shoulders with wide, frantic eyes, as if he were staring at a ghost.
"Lord Ciel! What in blazes happened to you in those two weeks?! Were you struck by lightning? No… impossible—you'd slice lightning apart! Then—did a falling rock from a floating island hit your head?!"
"I'll put it this way… I was knocked out for a while, reflected on myself, and came back with a clearer mind. Something like that."
"Oooohh! I, Panther Lily, am moved to tears! To see you return to your true self at last—what a blessed day this is! And that lacrima behind you—!"
At my words, the black panther who had introduced himself as Panther Lily burst into tears, hastily rubbing his face with his hands.
As I watched this, Mystogan's warnings resurfaced in my mind.
Edolas—this world was the parallel counterpart to ours, what its people called Earthland.
That meant… here in Edolas, "I" existed as a man who served within that castle.
But for someone like me, who had already broken free of the cycle of reincarnation, the idea that two of me could exist simultaneously was nearly impossible to believe.
And yet—my missing half of power, the hollow emptiness in my soul, and the resonance I had just experienced in that mental void—these were undeniable proof.
While I was lost in thought, Panther Lily lifted the soldiers to their feet and roared triumphantly to the crowd:
"Behold! The great hero who unified the world—Lord Ciel Nightwalker has returned, brimming with immense magical power! All, rejoice!"
"Panther…?"
"Normally, you'd call me Lily, wouldn't you?"
"Lily… I… what exactly am I supposed to be here?"
"Don't tell me… You got hit on the head with another rock and forgot everything again?!"
At Lily's declaration, the plaza erupted in cheers and applause, as if celebrating a festival.
Still bewildered by their reaction, I pressed him further. His demeanor shifted from boisterous to disciplined as he snapped into a formal salute and introduced himself with crisp authority:
"Captain of the 1st Magic Combat Division of the Edolas Kingdom Army, Panther Lily, reporting! And I extend my salute to the returning Supreme Commander of the Magic Combat Divisions, Lord Ciel Nightwalker!"
....
Meanwhile…
Before Ciel's sudden appearance in the capital—
Natsu, Wendy, Happy, and Charle had been guided briefly by Mystogan's words. Wandering across the floating isles of Edolas, they finally stumbled upon a building they thought they would never see again: Fairy Tail.
"Guys, what's going on here?!"
"Lucy… Lucy-san, I'm scared…"
"Uwahhh…"
But what they encountered inside was nothing like the Fairy Tail they knew.
"Juvia will be heading to work."
"W-wait, Juvia! Let me come too, please~ Can't I?"
"Just looking at you feels suffocating. How many layers are you even wearing? Come back after you've taken that off."
"I-I can't help it! I get cold easily, okay?!"
The roles had been reversed—here was a proud, aloof Juvia, while Gray was timid, bundled in thick clothing like a walking snowman.
"How pathetic, Elfman."
"Failed again, huh~?"
"…I'm ashamed."
"Hey, look over there. Jet and Droy, the guild's strongest candidates, are lecturing Elfman again."
"Yeah, they're really overdoing it this time."
Now Jet and Droy were treated as Fairy Tail's powerhouses, while Elfman was a meek, almost effeminate figure mocked for his failures.
Max and Warren, once ordinary, were sharply dressed in pressed suits.
Macao and Wakaba, once reeking of booze and smoke, now wore neat colognes like proper gentlemen.
Cana, instead of guzzling barrels of alcohol, was dressed like a refined heiress with flawless etiquette.
Even Alzack and Bisca, normally tough sharpshooters, were acting disgustingly lovey-dovey.
The entire guild was upside down.
While Natsu's team tensed at this bizarre reversal, a blonde delinquent girl crouched right in front of Natsu, glaring at them with a harsh, intimidating expression.
"What the hell are you lot doing? Hiding in here and spying on people?"
"Lucy?!"
"Lucy-san?!"
Everyone froze.
The blonde girl glaring at them—her skull hairpin giving her a delinquent charm—was unmistakably Lucy… yet nothing like the Lucy they knew.
Natsu, startled, fumbled with his hood, but in his panic revealed his face.
Lucy's eyes widened as she stared hard at him, her cheeks suddenly flushing.
"Natsu? Wait—it is you, Natsu!!"
"Waaah!!"
"That's Natsu?"
"What's with those clothes?"
"And who's the girl and the cat with him?"
The tension eased as the guild members—though bizarrely different from the ones Natsu knew—spoke to him casually.
Lucy, with an almost desperate look, suddenly hugged Natsu tight and slapped his back.
"All this time… where have you been? Do you know how worried you made me?!"
"L-Lucy…"
"Execution!!"
"Gyaaaah!!"
"She did it! One of Lucy's 48 torture techniques—The Squirming Crush!"
"Natsu!!" Wendy cried, horrified.
But Natsu was helpless, squashed in Lucy's iron grip. His friends could only stare, their minds spinning.
As they tried to make sense of the upside-down world, another voice cut through the crowd:
"Lucy! You're bullying Natsu again? That's not right!"
The crowd parted—and a girl with silver-white hair stepped forward, hands on her hips like a scolding friend.
Natsu's breath caught in his throat. Cold sweat trickled down his face. His mouth opened, but no words came.
"…Lisanna…"
The world seemed to tilt.
"Lisanna… alive?!" Lucy and Wendy gasped.
"Lisanna!!"
With tears streaming down their faces, Natsu and Happy lunged forward to hug her.
But before they could, Lucy blocked them—grabbing them both by the scruff of their necks like misbehaving puppies.
"When did you turn into such wild animals, huh?!" she barked.
"B-but… Lisanna's alive… right there…" Natsu stammered, eyes wide.
"Sit down already! We're supposed to talk like friends, aren't we?"
Gray, oddly polite in his tidy clothes, pulled Natsu free from Lucy's wrath and sat him at the bar. He tried to strike up conversation, but Natsu could only whisper the same words over and over:
"…Lisanna's alive…"
"Take off your clothes, Gray," Natsu muttered automatically.
Gray almost choked. "Wh-what?! Not this again—!"
The others, meanwhile, were shaken.
"How… how can Lisanna be alive?" Lucy whispered.
"Mirajane's little sister… we all knew she'd died."
At that, Charle's sharp eyes narrowed. She looked at the strangely mature Wendy beside her, then at the guild around them.
"…It's not that they're reversed," Charle concluded in a low voice. "They're different. These aren't the same people we knew. These are entirely different versions of them… people who have lived here in Edolas all along."
The realization struck like thunder.
"Different people… in a different world."
And the weight of those words left Natsu, Wendy, Happy, and Charle staring in disbelief at the world of Edolas Fairy Tail.
Charle, unconcerned with their reactions, continued her explanation.
"It's not an impossible theory. Think of it like a kind of parallel world. Edolas has its own culture and history, and it's entirely possible that a Fairy Tail exists here too…"
"No way…!!"
"So this is the Fairy Tail that originally existed in Edolas?!"
"Then where are the friends we know?!"
"How should I know?! That's what we'll have to find out from here on."
It wasn't that their comrades had been reversed by magic.
This was the Fairy Tail that had existed in Edolas from the very beginning.
Which meant… their real companions were somewhere else right now.
Realizing that fact, unease grew heavier in Natsu and Wendy's hearts.
"There's no point staying here any longer. Let's go."
"Charle, where are you going?!"
"To the capital! If there's any clue about the guilds that were absorbed, it'll be there!!"
Charle decided there was nothing to be gained by lingering here any longer and was just about to head out when—
The guild's doors suddenly burst open, and a frantic voice cried out a warning.
"The Fairy Hunter is here—!!"
At his words, everyone began buzzing and moving about in panic.
Not knowing what was going on, Happy and Charle stood frozen, until Lucy jabbed a finger at them.
"Hey, you cats! Where do you think you're going?! It's dangerous outside!"
"Eh?!"
"Uwaaaaah!!"
"Don't tell me they've already found us?!"
"The Kingdom's dogs, chasing us again…"
Fear swept through the guild, members moving frantically as Lucy and Levy rushed to prepare something.
In the midst of the chaos, Natsu and Wendy felt the ground trembling beneath their feet.
A massive presence was drawing closer.
They froze and peered outside.
With a thunderous roar, a vast shadow loomed over the sky, growing larger and larger until it descended upon the guild.
"W-what… the hell is that?!"
A beast with blue scales and massive horns landed right in front of the guild.
Atop its head stood a woman with fiery red hair, glaring straight at Fairy Tail's hall.
…
"You bastards!! Relocation complete!!"
"Is everyone okay?!"
"Yeah!"
"You idiot, what the hell were you dragging your feet for?! We almost got wiped out!"
"Shut it! Why don't you try doing it yourself once in a while?!"
"E-everyone! Please listen to me!!"
Just as the beast was about to swallow the guild, Lucy used magic to shift the entire building to safety.
Her harsh voice cut through the air, calling everyone's attention.
The sudden relocation made Wendy stumble, but she steadied herself—and for the first time, she raised her voice loud enough for all to hear.
The noisy uproar quieted, and every gaze turned toward her.
Wendy clenched her fists tight, forcing out the words with all the courage she could muster.
"W-we… we're searching for our comrades of Fairy Tail! Please… please help us!!"
"What…?"
"Fairy Tail?"
....
After Fairy Tail's building disappeared, a slick-looking man who had been watching the situation curved his lips into a relaxed smile at the fact that they had escaped.
"Mmm~ really now… if there's one thing fairies are good at, it's running away fast."
"Sugarboy, so you were here."
"Mmm~ what a shame, Fairy Hunter."
That man, Sugarboy, Captain of the 4th Magic Warfare Division of the Edolas Kingdom Army, answered with a sheepish look as he glanced up at the woman standing atop the great beast, Legion, staring down at him.
To his words, the woman replied in a tone as if it were nothing.
"But their ability to teleport won't last much longer. Hunting them down is only a matter of time."
"More importantly, it looks like the operation with the Great Anima was a success."
Sugarboy also answered as if it were obvious, passing along the report he had received from the capital.
"All division captains have been ordered to return to the capital."
"So Earthland's Fairy Tail has been wiped out?!"
"Not wiped out—absorbed. Our king does things on a grand scale, you know."
"And what happened to the mages of Earthland that were absorbed?"
"They're turned into a massive lacrima crystal in the capital."
"Splendid. Then Edolas won't need to worry about its magic supply for the time being."
"Mmm~."
Sugarboy and the woman both smiled faintly at the success of the plan.
But then Sugarboy, rubbing his chin with a mischievous grin, shared news he knew would especially get a reaction from her.
"That aside, I've got breaking news. Our Supreme Commander, who ditched his duties for two whole weeks to fool around, has finally returned to the capital—together with the lacrima."
"…What did you just say, Sugarboy?"
"I said, the great general who united the world under Edolas has returned to the capital."
At Sugarboy's announcement, the red-haired woman reacted with utter shock and leapt down from Legion. She seized Sugarboy by the collar, shaking him furiously as she demanded again:
"That man…!! Are you telling me he has come back?!"
"H-hey… whoa! Easy! Calm down, would you~!"
"That man… he ran off saying he was just going to buy a toy for the kid… and now he dares show his face back at the capital again?!!"
Her bloodlust burst out violently, the sheer killing intent making Sugarboy pale as he tried to soothe her.
"S-stay~! Stay, alright~! Don't forget you've got a second child in your belly. It's no good for the baby if the mother gets too worked up."
"…Even so, deep down, you're glad your husband's come back, aren't you? Lady Fairy Hunter… no, Lady Erza Knightwalker."
"Enough. We're returning now. He will pay dearly for abandoning his post."
At those words, the woman—Erza Knightwalker, Captain of the 1st Magic Warfare Division of the Edolas Kingdom Army—finally regained her composure. With a suppressed growl, she climbed back onto Legion's head.
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