Chapter 237: What a Pity
Right at this moment.
"Hmph!"
A cold snort rang out, vibrating through the very air particles of the forest.
Immediately after, Ren felt a powerful gravitational force pressing down on him. It wasn't just a physical weight; it was as if the space around him had suddenly collapsed inward, increasing the atmospheric pressure a hundredfold.
The invisible crushing force caused the Reishi support points beneath his feet—the invisible platforms of solidified spirit particles he was standing on—to give way instantly. They shattered like glass under a hydraulic press.
Ren's figure rapidly plummeted downward, stripped of his aerial advantage.
Boom!!
Ren landed on the ground, smashing a large crater into the bedrock. Dust and debris exploded outward, flattening the surrounding vegetation as the gravity well pinned him to the floor of the crater.
"Don't poke your nose where it doesn't belong!" Jose shouted at the newcomer, his voice filled with a mixture of annoyance and relief.
"Hmph! It's your fault for dawdling; you haven't even dealt with one brat after all this time."
The newcomer said dismissively, stepping out from the dense treeline. The man had black hair tied back in a long, severe braid, a face somewhat resembling a monkey with a prominent jaw, and wore a white coat draped over his shoulders like a cape.
It was none other than the Ace of Grimoire Heart, the Vice Guild Master, Bluenote Stinger.
"Even Vice Guild Master Bluenote has made a move!"
The lower-ranking members of Grimoire Heart, who were watching from the perimeter, were somewhat surprised. Their eyes widened in shock. They never expected that both Vice Guild Masters and the Guild Master himself would have to act just to deal with Ren alone.
"That guy is finished!"
"No matter who this guy is, he definitely won't be a match for the two Vice Guild Masters and the Guild Master combined. That's the entire high command!"
Inside the crater, the dust began to settle.
"Oh dear! This is getting a bit troublesome!"
Ren dusted off his white shihakusho, his eyes narrowed into thin slits, a permanent, fox-like smile plastered on his face. He felt it was troublesome as well. With his current strength—utilizing the Template of Ichimaru Gin—dealing with a regular Ten Wizard Saints level opponent like Jose was more than enough. He could toy with him.
Fighting two isn't impossible, but fighting three makes the trouble significantly greater.
Ren's smile didn't falter, but his mind was racing, calculating the odds. 'My magic power in this form has only just barely reached the threshold of the Ten Wizard Saints. Speed and lethality are my advantages, but raw power...'
Looking at the Reiatsu—that is, the magic power—of the three people surrounding him, the situation was grim.
Bluenote's was the lowest of the three threats, yet still close to 7.5 stars in Ren's internal system assessment. His Gravity Magic was a hard counter to speed.
Jose's magic power had increased significantly since their last encounter, seemingly empowered by the Abyss of Magic, reaching a solid 7.5 stars.
And then there was the old man on the airship. Hades. His magic power reached a terrifying 8 stars, swirling with a depth and darkness that felt infinite. It was similar to the Old Man's—Makarov's—power, perhaps even denser.
"What in the world is going on?!"
A familiar, booming voice sounded, shaking the leaves off the trees. Makarov walked out of the forest, his small stature betraying the immense aura he carried.
"Guild Master! You're here!"
Ren turned his head to look at Makarov, his silver hair swaying slightly.
Makarov was stunned when he saw Ren's appearance. He blinked, looking at the tall, lanky figure with pale skin, silver hair, and squinted eyes.
"Ren, do you have a new transformation again?" Makarov asked. It was the first time he had seen Ren in the form of Ichimaru Gin. The aura was completely different from his usual transformations—sharper, colder, like a snake lying in wait.
"Yep, I recently took in two more Heroic Spirits from other worlds," Ren replied with a drawling, Kansai-dialect lilt to his voice. "This one is quite useful for assassinations."
"Ren, what is happening?"
"It's nothing major, just Grimoire Heart attacking," Ren gestured casually to the three monsters surrounding them. "I'm currently dealing with them. Just a bit of a party."
"Grimoire Heart?!"
Makarov's eyes widened. Grimoire Heart is the strongest Dark Guild in the Balam Alliance. Why would these guys be here, on Fairy Tail's holy ground?
"Makarov! Long time no see!"
Makarov heard the raspy, hateful voice and looked forward. A familiar face appeared from the shadows of the gravity well, causing his eyes to widen in disbelief.
"Jose?!"
After Jose disbanded the Phantom Lord Guild following the war, Makarov had specifically kept track of Jose's movements to prevent retaliation. But the man had vanished like smoke. He never appeared afterward, leading Makarov to believe he had retired in shame.
"You... you actually joined a Dark Guild?!" Makarov roared, his anger spiking.
"Why? Is there something wrong with that?" Jose smirked, his dark purple magical aura flaring.
"You are very powerful," Makarov lectured, stepping forward. "To have such strong magic power at such a young age and be counted among the Ten Wizard Saints—you were a pillar of this kingdom! If you used your magic power correctly to set an example for the younger generation, you would certainly promote the development of the Magic World. Why did you join a Dark Guild?! Why fall so low?!"
Jose sneered, his face twisting into a mask of pure loathing. "Are you lecturing me? Still acting high and mighty?"
He spread his arms, dark shades dancing around him like ghosts. "Since you brought it up, I'll give you the answer. If it weren't for Fairy Tail, perhaps I would have done as you said. I was content with my status! But because of you, and the existence of your damned Fairy Tail, which trampled my Phantom Lord underfoot... it's all your fault."
"Therefore, to take revenge on Fairy Tail, I chose to join Grimoire Heart. I sought the source of magic itself!" Jose clenched his fist. "Now I feel my choice was absolutely correct. My strength has become even greater, surpassing my old self! And now, I can completely eliminate you along with that damned Fairy Tail!! Hahahaha!!"
Boom—————!
Terrifying magic power erupted from Makarov. The ground cracked as golden light flooded the area. His body swelled, muscles expanding, growing to an enormous size as he activated his Titan Magic.
"Just because of that, you want to destroy Fairy Tail? I won't allow you to do that!" Makarov's voice was like thunder. "You threaten my children, you threaten my home... I will show you no mercy!"
Makarov began to weave a complex hand seal, the air humming with holy energy.
"Following the procedure of the Fairy Tail Judgment, I give you three seconds to count down, kneel and repent!"
Makarov put his hands together, and a dazzling sphere of light gathered in his palms. It was warm, yet terrifyingly absolute.
"One..."
High above on the airship, Hades watched Makarov casting the spell. His single visible eye narrowed analytically. "The caster's designated enemies are all subjected to judgment. The light determines who is friend and who is foe. The Super Magic, Fairy Law, is it?"
"Two..."
The light intensified, turning the night into day. The members of Grimoire Heart felt a primal fear grip their hearts. They knew that if that light touched them, they would vanish.
"Three!"
"This is the end. Fairy Law..."
Suddenly!
A voice rang out from the airship, deep and commanding: "Stop!"
Makarov looked up and saw Hades standing on the bow of the nearby airship. The old man was mirroring Makarov's stance, gathering dark, purplish-black light in his hands.
Although the color of the light was different, the magical fluctuation, the complexity of the formula, and the sheer scale of the spell were unmistakable.
It was the exact same magic as his Fairy Law.
"Devil's Law!" Hades intoned. Or perhaps, Grimoire Law.
"This magic represents deterrence and cannot be used casually," Hades warned, his voice projecting clearly over the battlefield. "If two users of Law clash, the result will be a cataclysm that leaves nothing behind. Even so, if you refuse to listen to my words, it will be the worst outcome for both you and me."
The magic in Makarov's hands dispersed. The golden light faded, replaced by pure shock. His eyes widened in disbelief, his giant form shrinking back to normal human size as his concentration shattered.
"H-how could this be... Could it be..."
Makarov stared at the figure on the ship. The beard, the eyepatch, the overwhelming presence. It couldn't be. That man was dead. That man had left on a journey to find the truth of magic decades ago.
Hades looked down at Makarov and said, "It's been a long time, brat."
The word 'brat' struck Makarov harder than any spell.
"Precht... Guild Master..."
Makarov whispered the name, his voice trembling. He now recognized the other person's identity beyond a shadow of a doubt. This was the Second Guild Master of Fairy Tail, Guild Master Precht Gaebolg, the man who had taught him, guided him, and passed the title of Fairy Tail Guild Master on to him forty years ago.
Upon hearing this, the members of Grimoire Heart were also surprised. A ripple of whispers broke out. Clearly, they were unaware of Guild Master Hades's background. Judging by Makarov's words, Guild Master Hades seemed to have once been the Guild Master of the Fairy Tail Guild—the very enemy they were sworn to destroy.
"Why are you in a Dark Guild?"
Although Makarov was shocked to his core, he quickly recovered. He was the Master of Fairy Tail now. He had a duty. He questioned Hades, desperation in his tone. "You were a man of righteousness! You led Fairy Tail! Why?!"
"How do you distinguish between appearance and essence, Makarov?" Hades asked rhetorically, his tone philosophical and cold. "Good and evil in this world are entirely immeasurable things. They are but two sides of the same coin in the pursuit of the One Magic."
"But regardless of good or evil, the spirit of Fairy Tail will not change!" Makarov shouted, clutching his chest. "We live for our friends! We live for the bond! That is what you taught me!"
Hades laughed heartily, a sound that lacked any warmth. "Hahaha, you've become quite eloquent, little brat. You cling to sentimentalities that limit your potential."
"Don't call me a brat anymore," Makarov said, his face hardening. "You and I are no longer family. If you are the enemy of Fairy Tail, then I will treat you as such. But I don't want to fight you, so leave here immediately."
Makarov was reluctant to fight Hades. Partly out of concern for the children of the guild—a clash between them would destroy Tenrou Island—and partly out of consideration for their old relationship. He didn't want to strike down his mentor.
"I feel a little bit of heartache, you know," Hades mused, looking around the island. "Having to destroy Fairy Tail with my own hands. It is like pruning a withered branch."
"I will absolutely not let you succeed!!"
"You want to resist me, brat? You truly think you can defy the abyss?"
As Hades spoke, he raised his hand, dark energy crackling at his fingertips, preparing to use a magic attack to silence his successor.
However, while the two old masters were caught in their philosophical debate and emotional reunion, someone else had been waiting.
Ren, still in his Ichimaru Gin form, had been standing silently. His squinted eyes had never left Hades. He wasn't interested in the history lesson. He wasn't interested in the tragic reunion.
He was a killer. And he saw an opening.
Ren's hand moved to the hilt of the wakizashi at his waist.
"Shoot to kill, Shinsō."
Whoosh———!
The short blade suddenly extended at blinding speed. It elongated hundreds of meters in a fraction of a second, transforming into a beam of white light aimed directly at Hades's heart.
A white laser beam shot toward Hades.
Hades, despite his arrogance, possessed god-like reflexes. He sensed the killing intent the microsecond before the blade extended. He twisted his body mid-air.
The blade grazed his cheek, cutting a few strands of his beard, before retracting instantly.
Hades quickly dodged it, but the surprise was evident on his face.
"Huh? He dodged it. What a pity!"
Ren commented with a chillingly cheerful tone, his smile widening slightly as he resheathed the blade.
Hades looked at Ren with a gloomy expression, realizing that while he was focused on Makarov, this silver-haired snake had genuinely tried to assassinate him.
"You treacherous little brat."
[Akarin Note:
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