"Yes!!"
The members of Fairy Tail followed Makarov with joy, leaving the arena like true victors.
But just as they stepped outside, a huge crowd surrounded them.
The Fairy Tail members grew nervous.
'Are these people here to demand compensation?'
After all, the battle between Kaien and Jose had destroyed a ton of property—and Kaien had basically been the one responsible.
Even just the damage they saw firsthand would cost a fortune… let alone what they didn't see.
"Everyone…"
Makarov stepped forward, ready to apologize and take responsibility.
"That was amazing!!"
"You guys were incredible!!"
"Yeah! Who knew mages could be this strong?!"
"And to think you even defeated a Ten Wizard Saint! That was insane!"
"Mr. Kaien! That was so cool!!"
"As expected, Fairy Tail is the strongest wizard guild in all of Fiore!"
"Strongest! Strongest! Strongest!!" …
Everyone was fired up, not scared of the destruction—just thrilled by the victory.
Though they had fled earlier, many had watched the entire battle via broadcast.
Worshipping strength is human instinct. And Kaien was the kind of person they were born to revere.
Seeing that the crowd wasn't here to collect damages, the Fairy Tail members relaxed and let the cheers wash over them. Smiles spread across their faces.
"Hmph!"
Not far away, a figure scoffed and turned away from the crowd.
It was Laxus.
Originally, he'd thought: this was Kaien's mess, so Kaien should take responsibility, no matter the outcome.
Part of him had even hoped to show up dramatically at the last moment, defeat Jose Porla, and let the world know that even a Ten Wizard Saint could be brought down.
But Kaien had beaten Jose first.
Not that Laxus thought it was a big deal—he figured he could've beaten Jose too.
What pissed him off… was that the glory that should've been his had been stolen by that punk.
Unforgivable.
Elsewhere, Mystogan—his body wrapped in cloth—had also been preparing to step in.
If Fairy Tail had begun to lose, he would've intervened.
But the guild had held its ground. Every enemy had been defeated without his help.
With one last glance at the cheering guild members, Mystogan turned and vanished.
Magic Council – Era
BANG!
"Look at this mess!! I told you Fairy Tail was a guild of troublemakers! And now they've gone and destroyed an entire arena! Not to mention the massive damage to the surrounding area! I propose we immediately disband Fairy Tail!!"
Org shouted, red in the face and shaking with fury. He looked like he wouldn't rest until Fairy Tail was gone.
"Agreed! That guild is a disaster! Everywhere they go, they cause destruction! If we keep letting this slide, one day they might tear the Council building down too!"
Michello was just as outraged. He and Org were two of the most anti–Fairy Tail members in the Council.
Siegrain smiled and said,
"If we forcibly disband Fairy Tail, what happens to its members?"
Michello snapped,
"What do you mean what happens? Just scatter them—have them join other guilds. And if they don't want to, tough luck."
Ultear calmly replied,
"From what I know, Fairy Tail has around six or seven wizards on par with Salamander in strength. There are four mages on Erza's level—and three others even stronger. And most importantly, there's Kaien and Makarov. Both of them are easily Ten Wizard Saint tier."
Org's eyes bulged.
"What? Are you saying they'd resist?!"
Siegrain chuckled and shook his head.
'These guys still think the Magic Council is the top of the food chain… They don't realize how useless our enforcement units are when facing true power.'
But of course, he had no intention of enlightening them—he wasn't here to be a real councilor anyway.
"I'm just offering a friendly reminder. Fairy Tail is still a legal guild. You can yell at Makarov all you want now—but if they were a dark guild, you'd all have a real problem on your hands."
"Siegrain, what's that supposed to mean?!"
"Nothing much. Just a warning."
"And I'd advise you all to remember something: this isn't the age of armies anymore. Magic particles in the air are steadily rising. The gap between the strong and the weak is widening—and it'll only grow larger."
"Take me, for example. If I wanted to kill everyone in this room, the Council's security wouldn't be able to stop me."
"WHAT?!!"
Org shouted,
"Siegrain! Don't talk nonsense!!"
Siegrain simply spread his hands and smiled.
"This isn't nonsense—it's objective truth. Believe it or not, up to you."
"But let me give you a final piece of advice:
Even as Magic Council members… you should still maintain reverence toward true power."
Back at the front of Fairy Tail's guild hall...
Everyone stood silently.
The revenge against Phantom Lord had been satisfying, but the damage left behind was heavy.
The guild building was nearly destroyed.
This place was their home.
They had made so many memories here—every one of them had poured heart and soul into this guild.
Especially the Master.
He was the one who built it with his own hands. His connection ran deeper than anyone else's.
"...Yikes. It's a mess. Looks like we'll have to tear it down and rebuild."
Makarov sighed as he looked at the building.
The iron support pillars were gone, patches covered the damaged areas, and the walls were covered in cracks.
Technically, the guild still stood, but the structural supports were gone—it could collapse at any time. Better to rebuild than patch it up.
"Phantom Lord… damn it…"
Seeing the guild like this made everyone want to drag those bastards back out and beat them up all over again.
"Alright! Go rest for now. Then get ready—starting tomorrow, we rebuild the guild!!"
"YEAHHHHHH!!"
Just then, Makarov remembered how badly today had gone overboard.
The arena was destroyed.
Oshibana had probably experienced several minor earthquakes.
The Magic Council was definitely going to scream at him again.
No doubt about it—he'd be chewed out.
Maybe even thrown in detention…
Sweat beaded on his forehead like rain.
He was doomed.
Just the thought of it made tears well up.
Then…
He broke down sobbing.
"WAHHHHHHHH!!!"
"Ahhh! The Master's crying!!"
"It must be because he's so emotional about the guild!"
"Let it out, Master! Let it out!! You'll feel better!!" …