The chamber was frozen.
Kai's final accusation—sharp, calm, and merciless—hung in the air like a dropped guillotine blade.
Then—
Uproar.
Chairs scraped.
Robes flared.
Voices exploded over one another.
"Are you threatening the council?!"
"Do you believe your status places you above the law?"
"This is insubordination!"
"He's mocking the entire system!"
The Rune Knights along the walls stiffened, glancing nervously between the enraged councilors and the utterly unbothered young man standing alone in the center of the chamber.
Kai didn't flinch.
Didn't shift.
Didn't blink.
He simply… waited.
Let them shout.
He'd learned long ago it was the fastest way to drain political parasites of their energy.
After nearly a full minute of chaos, Gran Doma finally slammed his staff against the floor.
"ENOUGH!"
Silence fell in jagged pieces.
Kai raised one brow politely.
Gran glared down at him.
Org looked as if he wanted to leap across the table.
Belno bristled.
Seam pinched the bridge of his nose.
Kai sighed inwardly.
Morons, the lot of them.
At last, Gran asked:
"Do you have anything else to say for your defense?"
Kai shrugged lightly.
"I am doing exactly what you are. Upholding the law."
His voice barely rose above conversation volume, yet it sliced through the tension like a razor.
"If that makes me sound above it…"
He tilted his head, golden eyes bored.
"…I don't care."
A few Rune Knights swallowed nervously.
Kai finished lazily:
"So… what is your answer, honorable council?"
Three of the councilors surged up again, ready to explode—
But Gran raised his hand like a guillotine blade and cut them off.
"Enough. Kairos Sunviel… wait outside. The council will deliberate."
Kai gave a small, mocking bow.
"As you command."
He turned, cloak swaying lazily behind him, his steps calm and quiet despite the storm he'd just unleashed. As he walked, he felt the weight of their stares pressing into his back—anger, irritation, grudging respect, and in a few cases… amusement.
Seigrain's eyes in particular followed him with a sharpened curiosity.
Ultear twirled a strand of hair, lips tilted in a knowing smile.
Yajima simply watched with the fond exasperation of an old man who had seen far too much.
When the heavy doors shut behind him, Kai exhaled—
Loudly.
Leaning back against the wall, he pulled a handful of small metal pieces from his pouch—screws, gears, coils, tiny plates—and began to assemble them. His fingers moved with mechanical speed, snapping parts together and breaking them apart just as quickly.
Clink.
Snap.
Crack.
His creations kept failing—his mind too tired to focus, hands moving more from habit than intention.
Kai muttered to himself:
"…exhausting…"
A small gear slipped, pinging off the floor.
He blew out a breath, head knocking lightly against the stone wall behind him.
"I just want to rest."
His eyes closed briefly.
"Let's hope the morons inside have enough brain cells left to understand the better outcome…"
Another tiny piece cracked in his fingers.
"…because I'm really not in the mood to go to the capital."
The word capital held a weight of irritation.
Then he added, even more tired:
"Or deal with Hisui right now. Absolutely not."
He shuddered.
Not out of fear—out of exhaustion.
Minutes passed.
Rune Knights glanced at him occasionally, as if unsure whether they should guard him or simply give him water and a blanket. Kai ignored them, assembling and disassembling the same construct repeatedly.
Finally, the door creaked.
A knight stepped out stiffly.
"Sir Kairos… the council calls you in."
Kai pocketed his materials and walked in without changing his expression.
---
The Ruling
The council chamber was transformed.
Gone was the outrage.
Gone the shouting.
Gone the attempted intimidation.
A still, heavy calm sat over them instead—like a group of nobles who had just been forced into swallowing an unpleasant medicine.
Gran spoke first.
His voice was firm, controlled, and reluctant.
"We have discussed the incident… and your points."
He inhaled.
"We have reached a conclusion."
Kai waited.
Gran continued:
"The council will not press charges against Fairy Tail."
Org twitched violently.
Ultear hid a smirk.
Yajima nodded once.
"Furthermore…" Gran added, voice tighter,
"…the council will handle reconstruction of the damaged locations."
Kai arched a brow.
Interesting.
But Gran wasn't done.
"Finally, Fairy Tail's actions will be classified as having been performed under council directive."
Ah.
That was the play.
Kai's lips curled into a small, amused smirk.
This was their compromise—
"We didn't lose authority; we authorized them retroactively."
A political maneuver to save face for themselves, the kingdom, and the guild.
Not ideal.
But workable.
Better than wasting entire days arguing with stiff-necked bureaucrats over apologies he would never receive anyway.
Gran lifted his head.
"Do you accept this verdict?"
Kai gazed at the council—at their discomfort, their pride, their fear of public backlash, their need to maintain legitimacy.
Then he nodded.
"I do."
Gran exhaled, Org slumped back, Belno adjusted her robes, Ultear smiled in amused satisfaction, and Yajima gave the tiniest approving nod.
The matter was done.
Kai turned and walked out without waiting to be dismissed.
---
A Familiar Voice
"Kairos, my boy!"
Kai turned and instantly relaxed his shoulders—not visibly, but internally.
Yajima approached him with a warm smile, steps slow but steady. He barely reached Kai's chest in height, yet somehow carried the presence of a mountain.
Kai flashed a grin.
"Hey old man! Enjoyed the show?"
Yajima laughed heartily, patting Kai's leg because it was the only part he could comfortably reach.
"I did indeed, young man. You truly showed those ungrateful idiots they aren't the only authority left in this world."
His eyes softened.
"Even Makarov can't do that anymore."
Kai smirked, crossing his arms.
"That's flattering. But if you're trying to confess, old man, I have no interest in men your age."
Yajima wheezed with laughter, waving a hand.
"Cheeky brat."
They walked together down the corridor, the castle's cold stone walls echoing with footsteps.
Kai spoke again, tone relaxed—but edged with tiredness.
"Besides… you and old man Makarov have been playing this game for decades. I'm just getting started."
Yajima's smile softened—nostalgic, weary, fond.
"Those were old days… when we were young, stubborn, and full of fire. These days all we want is to step down and leave things to the next generation."
He sighed.
"But Makarov… can't bring himself to do it. Not with you problem children."
Kai chuckled.
The old man continued:
"Even with my support, our authority wasn't enough to constantly protect Fairy Tail anymore."
He placed a gentle hand on Kai's arm.
"But with talents like you emerging… I believe Makarov will find peace. He'll be able to leave the guild to the next generation."
Kai smiled faintly at that—an expression so small only someone like Yajima would catch the shadow beneath it.
"One lost person," Kai murmured quietly,
"can't guide another, old man Yaj."
His voice dropped into something older than his age—tired, distant, and far too knowing.
"Makarov is the only one who can lead this band of idiots."
Yajima slowed, hearing something heavy in those words.
Something lonely.
But Kai had already straightened, mask of calm sliding effortlessly back into place.
Yajima with his hands tucked behind his back watched Kai change his expression with that same unreadable expression he had carried throughout the hearing. The old chef-turned-councilor tilted his head, eyes soft with something like sympathy.
"You know…" Yajima murmured, stroking his beard as Kai glanced at him, "…Macky certainly has a lot of kids with problems."
Kai blinked once, not offended, not amused—just… there. Present. Enduring.
Yajima chuckled warmly anyway and stepped beside him. "Well then, young man, I do hope you find yourself soon enough. You're running from something. I can always tell." He patted Kai gently on the back before turning away, his sandals tapping lightly on the polished stone floor. "Take care of yourself."
Kai watched him disappear around the corner before exhaling, long and tired. He started down the opposite hallway, boots echoing off the tall arches.
And then—
"You've grown rude since the last time we met, Mr. Sunviel."
Kai stopped mid-step. His shoulders slouched slightly—already exhausted by yet another interruption—before he turned.
Two figures were approaching with deliberate calm.
One, a man with long blue hair, a perpetual smirk, and eyes that gleamed like polished knives.
Seigrain.
The other, a woman with dark flowing hair and the cruel, knowing smile of someone who dissected people with their eyes.
Ultear Milkovich.
Kai stared at them, his face as blank and dry as an empty parchment.
Seigrain was the first to speak, amusement dripping from his voice. "Mr. Kairos Sunviel. It's been a while since we saw you here."
Kai tilted his head. "Has it? Glad to know I was successful in avoiding you."
Ultear gave a soft, velvety laugh at that. Seigrain's smirk sharpened.
"Well," Kai continued, turning away, "I'll be leaving now."
"Why not stay for some tea, Mr. Sunviel?" Ultear's voice was melodic, coaxing. "We rarely get chances to interact with people our age." Her eyes flickered over him—assessing, measuring, temptingly invasive.
Seigrain stepped closer as well. "Indeed. And perhaps you could even recount how you dealt with Lullaby… and destroyed it. Fascinating feat."
Kai didn't turn. He simply walked.
Then paused.
"Not interested," he said flatly. "Go bother someone else."
Ultear's smile widened. Seigrain's eyes narrowed with playful intrigue.
"I see," Seigrain hummed. "Then how is Erza doing? I was hoping to see her today."
Kai slowly tilted his head back just enough to give him a raised brow. "She's feeling pretty good. And maybe she'd feel even better if you replaced your face."
A small snort from Ultear—unexpected, genuine.
Kai continued, "And you—Miss Snake Eyes—stop checking me out. I feel fucking violated."
Ultear actually froze for a beat, blinking.
Then she laughed—openly.
"Bold," she said, amused.
Kai waved lazily over his shoulder. "Yeah, my friends say the same."
He left them behind, both young council members watching his back with matching expressions:
Amused.
Intrigued.
Hungry for answers.
---
A few hours later, Magnolia came into view.
The familiar warmth of home washed over Kai as he stepped into Fairy Tail—only to be immediately swallowed by a tidal wave of noise and people.
"Kai! You're back!"
"What happened?!"
"Did they arrest you?!"
"Did you fight someone?!"
Team Natsu, Mira, Cana, Levy, even Makarov—all of them surrounded him, leaning over tables and chairs, anticipation practically vibrating in the air.
Kai sat down slowly, staring at their eager eyes.
"Red, Salamander, Stripper, and Blondie," he began, pointing at each in turn, "…are punished to pay for the repairs of Oshibana Station Hall and the train."
The four froze.
Lucy paled dramatically. "H-HOW?! I—I can't pay for that! I'm already late on rent! I'm practically eating dust at this point!"
Natsu and Gray started arguing instantly—about whose fault it was, who blew up what, and why the train "should've been built stronger anyway."
Erza simply placed a hand over her face, sighing.
Kai snorted, stretching his arms behind his head. "Relax. I'm joking. The geezers removed all the charges. They said Fairy Tail was acting on council orders."
The guild deflated in one massive wave of relief.
"You little—!"
"Kai!"
"You scared the hell out of us!"
He basked in their flustered outrage until Erza stepped forward, bowing her head slightly in honest gratitude. "Thank you, Kai. Truly."
Lucy nodded vigorously. Gray muttered his thanks. Natsu grumbled his in a competitive tone, trying to say it before Gray.
The two immediately started fighting again with erza going to discipline them and lucy being dragged forward.
Kai laughs watching them..
"Hey White!" he called over the chaos to mira. "Mind getting me a juice? I'm exhausted."
Mira smiled that gentle, knowing smile and returned moments later with a chilled glass—and a job flyer clasped between her fingers.
Kai raised a brow, taking both. "What's with the job flyer?"
"This one came in a few hours ago." She leaned forward, eyes bright. "Ancient ruins exploration. Your kind of job. So I saved it for you."
Kai blinked, pleasantly surprised. His expression softened as he scanned the request, interest sparking in his eyes for the first time since morning.
"Man… this is exactly what I needed to blow off steam." He grinned. "Love you, White."
He pulled her into a brief hug.
Mira froze—then blushed softly, smiling despite herself.
Kai stood, stretching his exhaustion suddenly forgotten. "Alright, I'm heading out—"
"Kai!"
He stopped.
"…How many people are gonna stop me today?" he muttered under his breath before turning.
Cana Alberona approached, arms crossed, eyes sharp despite the faint scent of alcohol. Serious. Calculating.
"Do you mind me tagging along?" she asked.