Chapter 167: The Troublesome Weight of Command
"M-Monster!"
On the ruined second-floor terrace, Natsu, Gray, and the other gathered mages stared into the sky, their faces pale with awe. The Thunder God's Palace, a city-ending threat of 300 magical bombs, had been effortlessly erased in seconds.
Seeing Ren so easily eliminate the terrifying lacrima, everyone in Fairy Tail was stunned.
Indeed! Every transformation Ren received was a monster. Each one operated on a level that was simply different from their own.
Whoosh!
Ren's figure teleported back to the roof of Fairy Tail, landing silently. The high-collared uniform and blindfold of the Gojo Satoru form dissolved, and he returned to his original appearance, his dark hair ruffled by the wind.
"Phew!" Ren let out a long, weary sigh, his shoulders slumping. He rubbed his temples. "Man, that form is draining. And his personality is so arrogant... it's exhausting."
"Ren, how are you?" Erza Scarlet was the first to step forward, her armor dented from her earlier fight. Her voice was filled with genuine concern. She knew from the battle against Jellal that the stronger the power Ren unleashed, the greater his magic power consumption. Excessive consumption, she knew, could even lead to unconsciousness.
Ren just waved his hand, dismissing her worry. "It's nothing serious. Just a lot of magic power consumed. I'll be fine after some rest."
Levy McGarden stepped forward next, her expression uncharacteristically serious. "Ren... the Master is down. We... we all heard what he said. That he... intended to pass the Master's position to you."
A heavy silence fell over the group. The adrenaline of the battle faded, replaced by the grim reality of their situation. The guild was in ruins, their Master was unconscious, and the man who had caused it all was lying beaten in the infirmary. Everyone turned their eyes to Ren. He had defeated Jose. He had defeated Laxus. He was, without question, the acting authority.
Ren looked at their expectant, worried faces and felt a headache coming on. "Hmm… Right."
He stood up straight, his lazy demeanor vanishing, replaced by a sudden, sharp authority.
"Alright, first things first. The Fantasia Parade will definitely be postponed. Mira, when you have a moment, coordinate with the mayor's office. We also need to get a message out to the citizens. Apologize for the chaos and tell them we'll reschedule."
He looked around at the debris. "Second, we will repair and compensate for anything broken, both in the guild and in the city. We will not shirk responsibility. And the ones who caused this," his voice turned cold, "will pay for it. They will also personally apologize. If they're unwilling... I don't mind personally dragging them to apologize to every single citizen."
The guild members knew exactly who he meant.
"Eh—!" Everyone in the Guild couldn't help but be startled. Although Ren's original personality was very good, he was incredibly unpredictable in his transformations! Especially when Ren transformed into the Whitebeard giant or the cold 'Tyrant', he simply didn't reason with them.
"The fighting also stops here," Ren continued, his gaze sweeping over Natsu and Gray, who flinched. "This 'Battle of Fairy Tail' is over. If you feel it's not enough, we can continue in the open space behind the Guild any day. If you like it, we can fight every day. But this... this civil war... is done."
"…"
Hearing Ren's words, everyone couldn't help but feel a bit deflated. How come their battles seemed like children fighting in Ren's eyes? They liked watching children fight, but that didn't mean they wanted to be the children fighting.
Of course, Ren was also qualified to say such things. Although everyone was usually jovial, in a Mage Guild, strength was still paramount.
Why were only S-Class Mages considered Master candidates? Because the first requirement to become Master was strength. Without absolute strength, it was impossible to keep the Mages of the Guild in check.
After this battle, Ren was unharmed, and Laxus was beaten half to death. There was no longer any dispute about who was the strongest in the Guild.
"Alright! Everyone, get moving!"
"Yes!!"
Everyone immediately sprang into action. With the Master in trouble, Ren was the acting Master, and perhaps soon the true Master. Everyone would obey Ren's commands.
At this moment, Ren's gaze fell on Natsu and Gajeel. Both were covered in fresh bandages and limping heavily, their injuries appearing much more severe than anyone else's.
"What happened to them?" Ren asked, pointing. "I took care of the Raijinshuu and Laxus, so why are they still so heavily injured?"
Happy, who was perched on Levy's head, explained, "Aye! They ran into each other on the street while looking for Laxus. Then they both fell victim to one of Freed's enchantments at the same time, one that said 'only the strongest may pass'! And then the two of them, naturally, started fighting to see who was 'strongest'!"
Happy sighed. "Because they caused way too much of a commotion and were destroying a whole street, Erza showed up and... gave them a good beating."
"A very good beating!" Happy corrected himself, shivering at the memory.
"…"
Natsu and Gajeel both remained silent, looking away in shame. Natsu knew how formidable Erza was, usually acting like a mouse seeing a cat whenever he saw her.
Gajeel, on the other hand, was still in shock. He hadn't expected Erza Scarlet to be so strong. He'd heard she beat Aria of the Element 4, but... this? Were all the S-Class Mages of Fairy Tail monsters? First Ren, now her.
"Phew! Being a Master is really troublesome!" Ren let out a light sigh, rubbing his neck.
Erza walked over to him, her armor clanking softly. "Aren't you doing very well? You gave clear orders, and everyone in the Guild recognizes your authority. They trust you."
"I'd rather not," Ren grumbled. "I prefer taking S-Class Quests. Let the Master remain the Master!"
Ren said as he walked towards the exit of the ruined guild hall.
"Ren, where are you going?" Erza asked.
"To the Mayor's office," Ren called back over his shoulder. "Cardia Cathedral was destroyed in my fight with Freed. I need to apologize and arrange for the compensation."
He paused at the doorway, a dark, calculating smile touching his lips. "I'll make sure to add Laxus's share to the bill."
On the streets of Magnolia, people were gathered in small, anxious groups. The terrifying lightning storm had vanished, but the town was still buzzing.
"The Fantasia Parade seems to be postponed until tomorrow night."
"What happened? What was that all about?"
"I heard it was Laxus! He tried to take over the guild! He was fighting everyone!"
"But those guys from the Guild… they caused a huge ruckus yesterday. Rumor has it that the Master's condition doesn't look good."
"Hey, hey, no way. Is that old man going to retire just like that? Who will be the next Master?"
"I heard it's Ren."
"Ren? You mean the one who beat Jose? He certainly is the most suitable candidate. He's the one who stopped Laxus, right?"
"What about Laxus, then?"
"Unclear. But I heard he got beaten half to death."
Later that evening, back at the makeshift guild in the basement, the mood was more subdued. Ren stood on a barrel and clapped his hands.
"Alright, everyone, listen up!"
The chattering stopped. Ren continued, "I just came from Porlyusica's. Thanks to her, the Master's life has finally been saved. He's out of the critical period. Everyone, rest assured, the Master is fine."
"That's wonderful!"
"Oh, thank goodness!"
"That old man certainly wouldn't die that easily!"
Everyone in the Guild breathed a collective sigh of relief. When the Master fell, everyone was extremely worried, as he had always treated each of them like his own children.
"However," Ren said, his voice turning cold, effectively silencing the cheers, "the old man is getting on in years. You all should cause less trouble in the future, so the old man can be Master peacefully for a few more years."
He crossed his arms, looking at Natsu and Gray in particular. "I'm telling you all in advance, when the old man asked me to be Master, I told him that if I ever got tired of being Master—or if you all annoyed me too much—I'd pass the position to Erza."
He paused, letting the silence stretch. "If you don't want me to pass the Master's position to Erza on my first day, then you all better behave."
"Eh—!!!"
A wave of pure, unadulterated terror swept through the guild. Natsu and Gray, who had been about to start arguing again, froze and paled, looking at each other in shared horror. Cana spat out a mouthful of beer. Macao and Wakaba dropped their mugs.
Ren as Master was fine; at least when he wasn't transformed, he was very approachable. But if Erza became Master? That would be a reign of terror. They'd be beaten nine times in three days for mismatched socks or for laughing too loudly. They'd better cause less trouble in the future.
Erza, who was standing nearby, hadn't expected Ren to have said that. She looked at him, a small, surprised smile on her face. Mira just giggled; she understood Ren perfectly. He truly had no interest in the Master's position and was already finding ways to manage the chaos.
Ren clapped his hands again, his goal achieved. "Alright, now let's prepare for the rescheduled Fantasia Parade. Let's make it the best one they've ever seen!"
"Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!"
Second Floor Infirmary.
The smell of antiseptic herbs was thick in the air. Makarov, his eyes heavy, slowly sat up in his bed. He looked over at the bed beside him.
Laxus was awake, staring at the ceiling.
"You! Do you know what you've done?" Makarov's voice was quiet, raspy, and held no anger. Only a profound, deep-seated disappointment.
Laxus's body didn't move, but the slight tremor of his eyelids betrayed the fact that he was, and had been, awake for some time.
Makarov didn't expose his feigned sleep. He continued, his voice heavy with the weight of his words. "A Guild... a Guild, so-called, is a place that brings comrades together. It's an intermediary that introduces work, yes... but it's also a home for homeless children!"
Makarov's voice cracked slightly. "This... this is not something that belongs to me, nor to you alone."
"A Guild gradually takes shape through mutual trust and morality. It's built on bonds. It then transforms into a bond stronger and more resilient than anything else."
"Yet you... you betrayed that morality. You threatened the lives of your comrades. You held your own family hostage, and the entire city with them. Such an act... can never be forgiven."
Laxus knew feigning unconsciousness wouldn't work. He slowly, painfully, sat up. His body was wrapped in bandages. He opened his eyes and looked at his hands.
"I know," he whispered, his voice hoarse from his defeat. "I just… I just wanted to make this Guild stronger. I wanted it to be... not to be looked down upon or mocked by anyone. To be the strongest Guild, recognized by everyone."