Chapter 258: Phantom Lord
"Super Magic is incredibly powerful. As long as your Celestial Spirits can distract the enemy, almost no one can withstand a direct hit," Ur said to Layla as the rest of the guild arrived.
"I'll keep training," Layla nodded. She knew Ur's strength and took her advice seriously.
"Auntie, rest here for a bit and recover your magic. These potions will help," Noah said, handing a few vials to Lucy.
"I want to practice Urano Metria a couple more times to get the hang of it. You go on ahead," Layla said, seeing Lucy take the potions.
"Alright. I'll be training over there. Come find me if you need anything." Noah pointed to his personal training field.
Seeing the show was over, the guild members dispersed. Lucy and Jude stayed with Layla. Ur also stayed behind, intending to test herself against Layla's Super Magic.
"I didn't expect Lucy's mom to be that strong."
"Yeah, having enough magic for Super Magic is amazing."
"I heard she retired over a decade ago and only just started again."
"That spell was incredible! It summoned a whole galaxy!"
"But isn't Noah even more amazing? He took a Super Magic spell head-on and didn't even flinch."
"Is that really surprising anymore? I stopped being surprised by him years ago."
"True."
Walking away, Sorano tapped Noah on the shoulder, grinning. "So, how does it feel to be praised like that?"
"It's alright. I've heard it before," Noah said, shaking his head. "But I still feel like my strength isn't enough."
"Not enough?! We can't even see your shadow anymore, and you still think you're not strong enough?!" Sorano slapped his arm, exasperated.
Ultear and the others nodded in agreement. Erza asked, "What kind of strength would be enough for you?"
"The stronger, the better," Noah said seriously. "The stronger I am, the safer I feel."
Ultear rolled her eyes. Where did this insecurity come from? But they were used to it by now, so they just let it slide.
After walking together for a while, they split up to their own training fields.
By evening, Noah finished training and rejoined Ur. She told him Layla had cast the spell twice more, getting smoother each time. Ur had managed to block it, but she admitted it hadn't been easy. The power was immense, and Layla was still just learning.
Soon, Jude and Layla finished up and prepared to leave Magnolia. Ur went with them to continue her guard duty. After saying their goodbyes, Noah and the girls checked the guild, found nothing amiss, and went home to rest.
The next two days were quiet. To prevent any ambush, Lucy didn't leave Magnolia. Her routine was strictly home, guild, and training grounds, always escorted by Ultear or one of the others.
The S-Class wizards were also present at the guild every day. Laxus, usually absent, spent his days working behind the counter, which confused the regular members. With Noah's warning in mind, everyone was on edge.
Meanwhile, news of the Heartfilia convoy's visit to Fairy Tail had spread across the kingdom. The movements of the number one conglomerate were always watched closely, and such a public visit was impossible to miss.
People quickly identified Jude Heartfilia. While Layla rarely appeared in public, Jude was a well-known figure. Seeing him and his wife so openly friendly with Fairy Tail sent a clear message.
And then there was Lucy. Her reunion with her mother had been witnessed by many. The family resemblance alone was undeniable. The guild mark on her hand confirmed she was a member.
Many guild masters were envious. The daughter of the kingdom's richest family joining Fairy Tail meant massive financial backing. The sheer amount of supplies her parents had brought was proof enough.
But for one guild master, it wasn't envy. It was pure, venomous hatred.
"Damn Fairy Tail! Damn Makarov!!"
Jose Porla crushed the report in his hand, his magic power flaring so violently that most of his guild members cowered in fear.
"Is it about the Fairy-butts?"
A tall, muscular young man casually chewed on a chunk of iron before speaking. He had long, spiky black hair, and his face was covered in metal studs where his eyebrows should be, as well on his nose and chin. He wore a tattered black tunic.
"It is," Jose said, calming down and regaining his gentlemanly facade. "They've gotten a little too arrogant lately. For a trash guild."
"Master, is it time?"
"Yes. Gajeel, go plant the spark. Execute the plan."
"Gehee. Fairy-butts are nothing. We'll crush them in minutes," Gajeel said confidently.
"Oh, and remember: do not harm the girl. She is valuable to us." Jose handed him a photo of a smiling Lucy.
"Gehee, got it, Master. I'm on it." Gajeel glanced at the photo, memorized the face, and walked out.
"Fairy Tail..." Jose whispered to the empty room. "Soon, you won't exist."
Back at Fairy Tail, Noah was getting suspicious. Two days had passed with no movement. Based on his analysis, Jose should have exploded with rage and attacked by now.
Had he not heard the news? Or was he scared off by the number of S-Class wizards present?
But that didn't make sense. Jose was a Wizard Saint, same as Makarov. He wouldn't care about the other wizards. The S-Class wizards' true strength was largely unknown outside the guild, as their mission details were confidential.
Noah himself was famous for becoming S-Class young, but his recent inactivity had led to rumors of him being a "fallen genius." (The guild members, who were regularly beaten up by him, found these rumors hilarious.)
Still, to ensure Jose took the bait, Noah gathered the S-Class wizards.
"I'm worried the number of S-Class wizards here is scaring Jose off," Noah explained. "I'm going to ask Lucy's father to post some confidential, nominated requests to draw most of you away."
"Will that work?" Ultear asked.
"It should. You'll leave Magnolia openly, letting everyone see you go. If anything happens, I'll just teleport you back."
They agreed. Noah contacted Jude, who immediately arranged it.
Soon, several confidential requests arrived for specific wizards. Laxus, Erza, Mirajane, and Cana all accepted them and left Magnolia one by one, making sure their departure was noticed.
Noah kept only Ultear and Sorano behind. He couldn't leave the guild completely undefended.
Early the next morning, a dark figure approached the Fairy Tail guild hall.
"Gehee. Nice looking building. Shame it's gotta go."
He didn't enter. Instead, he attacked from the street.
"Iron Dragon's Club!"
His arm transformed into a massive iron pillar, extending rapidly toward the guild hall.
"Ice-Make: Ice Wall!"
A wall of ice erupted from the ground, blocking the strike.
BOOM!
The impact shattered the ice, but it stopped the club's momentum. The attacker retracted his arm.
The noise woke the neighbors, and lights flickered on in the surrounding houses.
"Who are you? Why are you attacking our guild?!"
The guild doors opened, and Ultear stepped out, cold mist radiating from her body.
"Iron Dragon's Club!"
The attacker didn't answer. His arm transformed again, thicker and faster this time, shooting toward Ultear.
"Ice-Make: Ice Wall!"
Another wall rose, but the iron club smashed through it effortlessly, continuing toward her.
"Angel of Strength!"
A female voice called out, and a massive, muscular angel appeared in front of the club, catching it with its bare hands.
BOOM!
The force of the impact stopped the club cold. The attacker retracted his arm again.
"Who are you?!" Sorano shouted, stepping out of the guild hall.
By now, the street was waking up. People were looking out their windows. Seeing he had an audience, the attacker said nothing. He leaped into the shadows and vanished.
"You guessed right," Ultear said, turning back to the guild hall. "Someone attacked at night. Staying here was worth it."
Noah walked out from the shadows of the hall.
"The Council forbids guild wars," he said. "If Jose has any sense, he wouldn't attack in broad daylight. Night was his only option. No witnesses.
"And an attack with an iron club... that's the signature move of Gajeel, the Iron Dragon Slayer of Phantom Lord. He used it specifically because it can't be used as evidence. Anyone could fake an iron club. They can claim we staged the attack to frame them."
Noah had guessed their plan the moment he saw Gajeel. If no one saw who did it, any physical damage could be dismissed as a fabrication. And if Fairy Tail retaliated based on a "fake" attack, they would be the aggressors. It was a trap to put Fairy Tail in the wrong with the Council.
"Too bad for them," Ultear smiled. "You saw right through it."
~~~
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