Chapter 109: Maintain Reverence
"Yes!!"
The Fairy Tail members, their spirits higher than they had been in days, joyfully followed Makarov. They surged out of the ruined arena, emerging into the shocked city of Onibus like victors returning from war.
As soon as they stepped out of the arena, they were met by an unexpected sight. A large crowd was gathered around the entrance, not with pitchforks, but with looks of awe.
The Fairy Tail members, particularly Natsu and Gray, felt uneasy. "Uh oh... these guys aren't here for compensation, are they?" Gray muttered, suddenly very aware of the destruction.
Ren and Jose's battle had destroyed the entire arena, and the main culprit was, without a doubt, Ren.
'Just what we saw was bad enough,' Lucy thought, her mind frantically trying to calculate the damages. 'We don't even know how much we'll have to pay, let alone for the parts of the city we didn't see... my rent money...'
"Everyone..."
Makarov, his face grim, stepped forward, preparing to apologize and take full responsibility for the damages.
"AMAZING!!"
"You guys are truly amazing!!"
"Yeah! So Mages can be this powerful! I've never seen anything like it!"
"He even successfully challenged and defeated a Ten Wizard Saint! Truly too strong!"
"Mr. Ren! He was so cool!!"
"Indeed! Fairy Tail is Fiore's strongest Mage Guild!"
"STRONGEST! STRONGEST! STRONGEST!!"
Everyone was incredibly excited. There was no fear of the danger they had just been in, only a raw, primal enthusiasm for the victory they had just witnessed. Although they had run away earlier, they had all still watched Ren and Jose's battle through the emergency broadcast lacrima.
Worshipping the strong is human instinct, and Ren was the one who had made them instinctively worship him.
Seeing that the crowd wasn't there for compensation, but to cheer them, the Fairy Tail members all relaxed. A wave of pride washed over them, and smiles appeared on their faces as they listened to the cheers.
"Hmph!"
Not far away, in the shadow of an alley, a figure saw this scene. He let out a disdainful snort and then turned to leave the crowd.
The person was Laxus Dreyar.
Originally, he had been watching, thinking that since Ren had started this, no matter the outcome, Ren should bear the responsibility.
On the other hand, he also had his own plan. He had wanted to appear at the last moment, to be the one to defeat Jose, letting everyone know that a Ten Wizard Saint was not invincible.
He didn't expect that guy, Ren, to actually defeat Jose.
'But that was nothing special,' Laxus thought, his hands shoved in his pockets as he walked away, lightning crackling faintly around him. 'If I had been in the arena, I could have defeated that old ghost, too.'
But what truly annoyed him was that this honor, this glory, this proof of his strength... it should have belonged to him. And it was snatched away by that new kid.
Damn it.
Elsewhere, in another shadow, Mystogan, covered in his black cloth and mask, also appeared. He had also been ready to enter the arena at any time. If Fairy Tail had been at a disadvantage earlier, he would have stepped in.
He didn't expect the Guild members to be so capable, defeating all their opponents. As for the final battle... he was no longer needed.
Mystogan glanced at his guild members being cheered by the crowd, then turned and, like a shadow, disappeared.
Magic Council Headquarters, Era
Bang!
"Look! I told you! Fairy Tail is a troublemaker!"
Councilor Orga, his face a furious shade of purple, slammed his fist on the table. "How much trouble have they caused this time! Not only did they completely destroy an entire arena, but they also caused massive structural damage to the surrounding city! I propose to immediately, permanently disband Fairy Tail!!"
"That's right!" Councilor Org, who, like Orga, was one of the two Council Members who most disliked Fairy Tail, chimed in. "Such a Guild is terrible! Wherever they go, they cause destruction! If we continue to let them run wild, who knows, someday the Council building itself might be torn down by them!"
Councilor Siegrain, his head resting on his hand, just chuckled. "And if Fairy Tail is forcibly disbanded, Councilor Org, how will its members be accommodated?"
Org scoffed irritably, "What do you mean 'accommodated'? Just break them up and let them join other Guilds, isn't that it? If they don't want to work, then don't."
"To my knowledge," Ultear, who was standing in the shadows behind Siegrain, spoke up, her voice smooth and clear. "Fairy Tail has about six or seven powerhouses like the 'Fire Dragon' Natsu Dragneel. They also have four true S-Class powerhouses, with each of the other three being stronger than Erza Scarlet. The most crucial ones, of course, are Ren and Makarov himself. Both of these... can be clearly said to be at the Ten Wizard Saint level."
Orga's eyes widened. "What? Are you implying they would dare to resist the Council?!"
Siegrain smiled and shook his head. 'These fools,' he thought. 'These guys still think the Magic Council is the strongest, completely unaware that the Council's forces are utterly vulnerable in front of true powerhouses. Like Jellal. Or... like Ren.'
However, he had no obligation to remind them. After all, he wasn't really here to be a Magic Council Member.
"I just wanted to remind you," Ultear said, her voice like silk. "Fairy Tail is a legitimate Guild. You can still scold Makarov. You can still send him the bill. But once they become a Dark Guild... then you all need to be careful."
"Ultear, what are you implying?!" Orga snapped.
"Nothing special," Ultear said, bowing slightly. "I'm just giving you a heads-up. At the same time, I want to advise you all... this is no longer the era of legion warfare. The magic particles in the air are constantly increasing. The gap between the strong and the weak is continuously widening, and it's getting larger and larger."
She glanced at Siegrain, who was smiling.
"Take Councilor Siegrain, for example. If he wanted to kill everyone present, the Magic Council's defenses wouldn't be able to stop him at all."
"What?!!"
Orga roared, "Siegrain! Don't be an alarmist! That's treasonous talk!"
Siegrain spread his hands and smiled. "This isn't alarmist talk, Councilor. It's an objective fact. Whether you believe it or not is up to you. But I want to advise you all that for the strong... even as Magic Council Members, you should still maintain as much reverence as possible."
At this time, back in Magnolia, the Fairy Tail members had returned to the front of their ruined Guild.
Looking at the Guild, which was in a state of disrepair, the iron pillars still sticking out of it like a gruesome trophy, everyone fell silent for a moment.
Retaliating against Phantom Lord felt good. The victory was sweet. But... their home was still almost destroyed. This was their Guild. They had spent so many happy, chaotic, and wonderful times here. Everyone had poured their emotions into this building.
Especially Makarov. As the one who had built this Guild from scratch, his emotional investment was incomparable to others.
"Oh dear..." Makarov said, his voice quiet. "It's completely ruined. It looks like... we'll have to tear it down and rebuild."
He looked at the Guild in front of him. The iron pillars had been pulled out, but the holes remained. Patches were everywhere. The Guild walls were covered with deep, structural cracks.
Although the Guild still stood there, it was essentially no different from collapsing. The load-bearing pillars of the building were destroyed. The Guild could collapse at any time. Rather than repairing it, it would be better to rebuild.
"Phantom Lord... damn it..." Natsu growled, his happiness from the victory fading as he looked at the ruin of his home.
Seeing the Guild in this state, they all wished they could drag Phantom Lord out again and beat them up, just to vent their anger.
"Alright," Makarov said, his voice suddenly firm, pulling them from their gloom. "Everyone, go back and rest. Then, prepare! We'll start rebuilding the Guild tomorrow!!"
"OH OH OH OH OH OH OH!!"
The guild cheered, their spirits instantly restored.
Then, Makarov, as he watched his children start to disperse, remembered...
'Oh, no.'
He remembered that today's events had gone a bit too far. The arena was destroyed. Onibus City had experienced at least several small earthquakes. And Ren... Ren had publicly beaten a fellow Wizard Saint into a coma.
The Council... the Council was probably going to rage at him again. He was definitely going to get scolded. And maybe even be confined...
Beads of sweat continuously seeped from Makarov's forehead. 'I'm finished. They're going to hold me in Era for a month this time.'
Thinking of this, Makarov couldn't stop his tears from flowing.
Then, the more he thought, the more wronged he felt, and the more sad he became.
Finally, he couldn't help but burst into tears: "Awooo!"
"Wah ah ah! The Master is crying!!"
"It must be because the Master has such deep feelings for the Guild!"
"Hiks! Hiks! It's good to cry it out! We're with you, Master!"
The guild members, misinterpreting his tears of bureaucratic terror for tears of sentimental joy, all gathered around him, crying and cheering, their bonds stronger than ever.
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