Within the ice crystal, Jose's face was rapidly aging at a visible pace; his skin lost moisture, shriveled, and wrinkles madly crawled across his cheeks and neck.
His hair turned white in an instant, lost all its luster, and then crumbled into dust, falling off.
The last flicker of life in his eyes also rapidly dimmed.
The entire process, in just a few short seconds, went from a middle-aged man to an old man on the verge of death, and then to the complete lifelessness of death.
Only when the body within the ice sculpture had completely aged and showed no signs of life did Lorne slowly lower his hand from the ice crystal.
"Crack…"
With a soft sound, the ice crystal began to disintegrate from within, turning into countless fine powders that scattered into the air.
Jose, now without support, his body, aged to the extreme, softly toppled forward.
"Thud."
The Guild Master of Phantom Lord, one of the continent's renowned Ten Wizard Saints, met his end in such a bizarre manner.
He died from… the passage of time.
Just then, Lorne's senses stirred slightly.
He clearly detected several powerful magical energies rapidly approaching from different directions.
Were they Mages from other guilds?
Or… people from the Magic Council?
They were moving fast, and would arrive here in a few minutes at most.
However, this had nothing to do with him; he had no intention of staying, as his original goal had already been achieved.
"Next target."
He whispered softly, and then a dazzling ice crystal flower quietly bloomed beneath his feet.
The next moment, his figure transformed into countless dancing ice-blue specks of light, completely vanishing from this battlefield that had already turned into ruins.
Only the scarred earth remained, and an ancient, decrepit body, narrating the earth-shattering battle that had just taken place… Meanwhile, inside the Fairy Tail Guild in Magnolia Town.
"Bang!"
As the last magic lamp was relit, the Guild Hall, which had been shrouded in darkness, regained its brightness.
Levy and her two companions had already returned to the Guild with Gajeel, whom Lorne had frozen, and the record lacrima.
Currently, the ice sculpture of Gajeel, the Iron Dragon, was placed in the center of the hall, drawing the attention, and curses, of many Guild members who had rushed over.
Levy paid no attention to them. She quickly walked up to Old Man Makarov with the record lacrima.
At this moment, the old man's face was so grim it looked as if water could drip from it.
"Master," Levy handed over the lacrima, "This is… Lorne asked me to give this to you. It records everything that happened at the time."
Makarov silently took the lacrima, his small body emanating a chilling, oppressive aura.
He slowly infused his magic into it.
Buzz—
A light screen unfolded in mid-air, clearly projecting the scene from that time.
In the projection, Levy and her two companions were walking home when the Iron Dragon Slayer Mage from Phantom Lord named Gajeel suddenly appeared and attacked them.
Watching this scene, Makarov's breathing became heavy.
His hands had unknowingly clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white from the excessive force.
He could tolerate Jose's provocations, and even temporarily swallow the anger of his Guild being destroyed due to the Council's rules.
Because a Guild was just a building; as long as the people were there, home would always be there.
But!
But, laying hands on his children… this was a line he absolutely, absolutely could not tolerate!
When the scene played to Gajeel's arrogant and cruel smile, the anger that Makarov had suppressed to the extreme finally erupted completely!
"You scoundrel!!!"
A deafening roar echoed throughout the entire Guild!
Boom—!!!
Makarov's fist slammed heavily onto a relatively intact wooden table nearby!
That thick, solid wood table was utterly shattered into countless flying splinters with a loud crash!
A violent wave of magical power swept out from him, startling the surrounding Guild members, who quickly retreated.
"Master…"
Levy was also startled by the old man's sudden outburst; she had never seen the Master so angry.
"Calm down, Master!" She quickly stepped forward, trying to appease the furious Master, "Don't be angry, Lorne… he's already gone to get revenge for us!"
However, these words not only failed to calm Makarov down but instead seemed to add fuel to the fire.
"That brat!"
Makarov's beard bristled with anger. The thought of Lorne's act-first-report-later approach made his brain throb.
One after another, none of them gave him a moment's peace!
While Phantom Lord was indeed hateful, Lorne was definitely not one to be idle either!
With this record lacrima, Fairy Tail would be on solid ground morally, and even if it escalated to the Council later, they would have the advantage.
But the problem was, Lorne had already acted!
Given that kid's personality, this was practically going to ignite a full-scale war!
Makarov could almost foresee the tragic scene in the near future, where he would be hunched over his desk, frantically writing self-reflection reports to the Magic Council officials.
"This time… how many more self-reflection reports will I have to write…"
The old man clutched his forehead, letting out a painful groan.
Just then!
Boom!!!!
A vast and immense magical power clash reverberated from the distant horizon!
This fluctuation was so terrifying that the air throughout Magnolia Town seemed to freeze for a moment!
Everyone in the Guild felt this power, and their faces showed looks of horror.
"What… what is this?!"
"Such terrifying magic…"
Makarov's body suddenly stiffened. He abruptly looked up in the direction from which the magic came.
Others might only feel the power's immensity, but he could clearly distinguish the two colliding sources within it!
One was a familiar aura, cold, dark, filled with death and despair… it was Jose Porla!
And the other… pure, extreme, a chill that seemed capable of freezing all things!
It was Lorne!
Those two guys… they actually started fighting!
Makarov's heart immediately sank to the bottom, but before he could recover from the shock.
That vast and evil dark magic belonging to Jose seemed to be swallowed whole by something, and in an instant… it completely vanished!
Completely erased from this world!
Makarov froze in place, his expression shifting from anger to shock, then to disbelief, and finally to a blank stare.
He… he killed Jose…?
That brat couldn't have… slaughtered a Ten Wizard Saints, could he?!
An unprecedented wave of dizziness rushed to his head.
"It's over…"
Makarov's vision went dark, and his body swayed.
"This time… this time we're completely doomed…"
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