"This is our newest member, Juvia. Quite a beauty, isn't she?" Makarov announced, proudly introducing the woman standing beside him.
"It is a pleasure to meet you all. Please, take good care of me," Juvia said with a formal bow.
After the incident at the Tower of Heaven, Juvia had returned early to Magnolia, eager to formally submit her application to Fairy Tail. Kael and the others weren't surprised by the Master's decision; despite her past with Phantom Lord, they knew the old man could never turn away someone seeking a home.
"Haha! So you actually joined!" Natsu cheered.
"It is only thanks to everyone's kindness," Juvia replied humbly. "Juvia will work her hardest!"
"And there's one more new recruit to introduce," Makarov said, glancing to the side. "Don't be shy, come say hello."
"Wait, another one?" Happy asked, ears perking up. It was rare for two mages to join at the exact same time.
As the second figure stepped out from the shadows, the group's welcoming smiles instantly vanished, replaced by looks of pure shock.
"Wait... you?!"
"You've got to be kidding me..."
"Gajeel?!"
Gray whirled on Makarov, his face pale with indignation. "Master! What is this guy doing here?! What the hell is going on?"
Juvia stepped forward, waving her hands frantically. "Wait! Please! He was... Juvia was the one who recommended him!"
Erza stepped up, her expression grave. "Juvia is one thing, but this man is the primary culprit behind the destruction of our old guild. We can't simply overlook that."
"Now, now," Makarov said, trying to soothe the rising tension. "He was only acting under Jose's orders. As the saying goes: yesterday's enemy is today's friend."
Natsu marched over, fire practically leaking from his eyes. "Forget that! How are we supposed to work alongside someone like him?!"
Gajeel met Natsu's gaze with a cold, disinterested stare. "Relax. I'm not here to make friends with any of you. I just needed a job, and I didn't expect to end up in the most annoying guild in Fiore. Just being here irritates me."
"What did you say?!" Natsu yelled, ready to fight.
Juvia leaned toward Gray, whispering urgently. "Gajeel is very lonely. Juvia was worried about him. Ah—not that I like him like that!"
Makarov sighed, looking at the bickering mages. "Guiding lost souls back to the right path is the duty of the older generation. Deep down, I don't think he's a bad person. But... what do you think, kid?"
Makarov looked toward Kael. Although it wasn't public knowledge yet, Kael was his hand-picked successor for the title of Guild Master. He felt it was only right to consult him on matters this significant.
Kael smiled, his tone relaxed. "I think it's fine."
"Kael?!" Natsu, the others, and even Gajeel himself stared at him in disbelief. They hadn't expected Kael to be the one to give the green light.
"Phantom Lord is gone," Kael continued calmly. "And I already gave him a proper beating back in Onibus. As far as I'm concerned, the matter is settled."
Gajeel stiffened at the mention of Onibus. Kael hadn't held back during that fight, and Gajeel had been beaten within an inch of his life. Even with the enhanced recovery of a Dragon Slayer, his injuries had only fully healed recently.
Involuntarily, Gajeel felt a shiver of fear. He had always been arrogant and prideful, but meeting Kael had changed him. He finally understood that there were monsters in this world that operated on an entirely different level. Kael was roughly his age, yet his strength occupied a different dimension. Seeing Kael dismantle their former Master, Jose, had left a permanent mark on Gajeel's ego.
"Since you've joined Fairy Tail," Kael said, looking Gajeel dead in the eye, "as long as you stay loyal and don't do anything to tarnish our name, you're one of us."
Gajeel felt a strange surge of... something. If anyone else had spoken to him like that, he would have punched them through a wall. But coming from Kael, he didn't feel insulted. Instead, an inexplicable sense of honor took root in his chest.
"I... I got it," Gajeel muttered, looking away.
"If both the Master and Kael agree, then I will stand down," Erza said, though she kept her eyes fixed on Gajeel. "But I will be watching him closely for a while."
"Fair enough," Makarov nodded.
"By the way, Kael," Makarov beckoned, his tone becoming serious. "Come with me. I need to ask you something in private."
Kael followed the old man to a quiet corner of the guild. "What's on your mind, Master?"
"Kael... that business with the R-System," Makarov began, his voice low. "That was your doing, wasn't it?"
The news of the Council firing Etherion—the ultimate weapon capable of destroying an entire nation—had sent shockwaves through the magical world. Makarov had received the full report from his old friend Yajima. He knew that Ultear and Siegrain (who was actually Jellal) were traitors, and that they had manipulated the Council into firing the weapon.
But the most terrifying part of the report wasn't the weapon being fired—it was the fact that someone had moved it.
For the first time in history, the Magic Council's absolute authority had been shattered. Their ultimate deterrent had been rendered useless. Yajima had suspected Kael immediately, especially since Siegrain's last recorded words were an exasperated scream of Kael's name.
"Mhm," Kael nodded casually. "No point in hiding it. There were plenty of witnesses."
"It really was you..." Makarov breathed, his eyes wide. "And the beam itself?"
"Yeah, I teleported that away too."
"..."
Makarov was speechless. He had suspected it, but hearing Kael admit to redirecting a blast of nation-ending proportions was another thing entirely.
"How... How did you even manage that?"
"I just used Take Over on a form with high-level space-time manipulation," Kael replied with a shrug.
"You kid..." Makarov wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. "You're becoming more of a freak every single day."
Makarov didn't even know how to describe Kael anymore. The boy had been with the guild for barely a year. At first, his Take Over forms were powerful but limited by his magic power. But Kael's growth had been explosive—almost as if he were cheating.
He had defeated Jose, a Wizard Saint, not long ago. Now, he had dismantled another mage on par with a Wizard Saint and treated the Council's ultimate weapon like a minor inconvenience. Is this kid actually trying to surpass the gods? Makarov wondered, both proud and slightly terrified.
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