Jose Porla fell to the sin of greed...
The guild master of Phantom Lord multiplied his original power several times over—and even that wasn't enough. Jose attained a near-immortal body, and still it wasn't enough. He broke through the limits of his own magic, and it still wasn't enough. The man gained unlimited magical power, and not even that was enough.
Standing in the sky, Allen watched as the last speck of Jose's dust vanished. His expression remained calm. Compared to Deliora, Jose had been far less dangerous. Oddly enough, their particles were equal in nature.
"A fool until the very end..."
Jose was an utterly unlikeable man. He failed to earn anyone's sympathy—not even with hundreds of millions of spectators watching. There was no one to mourn his death beyond a casual "F." It made sense. He was unpleasant in personality and action—arrogant, pretentious, petty, and insidious. His hatred for Makarov was born from something as childish as losing a fight.
Allen doubted anyone would cry over the death of Phantom Lord's master. Maybe Aria of the Sky would, but that guy cried about everything. At least that was the impression Allen got. Perhaps some in Jose's own guild might feel regret.
Allen turned around and glanced at the devastated area. Luckily, Oak was near a rocky region, so the destruction wouldn't have too much impact. Without wasting time, Allen used "Apparition".
...
(Phantom Lord Guild)
With the arrival of Phantom Lord's S-Class Mages, the scale of the conflict escalated quickly. But some didn't last very long.
Gray was up against Sol—a formidable opponent—who kept using his monocle to remind Gray of his past mistakes.
"Noh noh noh, with three nohs I can tell you how you foolishly tried to defeat Deliora... only to fail miserably~"
"Shut up!" Gray froze the ground, stopping Sol from escaping. Then he leapt at the earth mage and, to Sol's surprise, punched him square in the face, shattering his monocle and knocking him down.
"Impossible! You're not affected?!" Sol clutched his face as his vision blurred.
Gray didn't respond. But the answer was simple. Of course, it affected him. Before Galuna, he would've been overwhelmed. But now, Gray had made a decision—to stop blaming himself and walk forward with his head held high, as Ur's student.
"Damn it!" Sol shouted as a stone spike shot from the ground toward Gray. But Gray didn't flinch or move. Sol thought he had won, until the attack froze midair, slowly becoming encased in ice and stopping completely.
"No... it can't be..." Sol murmured, just before he was frozen.
"Ur... I will keep my promise and do my best to live.. me l."
Gray had won his battle.
....
(Inside the Guild)
Totomaru's fight was far tougher than Sol's. He was at the front lines facing several Fairy Tail mages, while Aria fought Erza in the air. The battle was difficult. Although Phantom Lord had more people, most were just regular mages, while Fairy Tail had several elites.
"Don't take it personally," Wakaba said before attacking from behind with a smoke fist.
"You won't defeat my beautiful flames with something so plain!" Totomaru, true to his nature, believed his fire magic was a work of art. He attacked with flames of many colors.
"I won't let you!" Levy shouted, writing in the air to create a barrier that blocked the flames.
"My turn!" Cana exclaimed, using a card to restrict Totomaru's movements.
"I don't feel good about this, but this is a war you started!" Macao slid in from the front and punched him hard—so hard it broke Totomaru's teeth. That was it. Totomaru fell. But there was no time to celebrate, as a massive explosion made everyone look to the sky.
Erza was trading blows with Aria of the Sky. Though it seemed like an even match, Erza was pushing him back.
"Such immense willpower… how tragic!" Aria sobbed.
Erza frowned at his bizarre behavior. She changed out of her Heaven's Wheel Armor—more suited for fighting multiple enemies—and equipped her Black Wing Armor, a black suit with silver trim and large bat- or dragon-like wings. This armor was better for one-on-one combat.
"What's so tragic?!"
Erza summoned a black sword; her armors usually come with specific weapons, and this was no exception.
"It's tragic, don't you see, Erza Scarlet? You were once filled with doubt and fear… but now your gaze is strong and full of resolve. All because now your heart is protected in that young man... But that warm refuge is about to be taken away from you by the Master Jose..."
"…!"
Erza's hands trembled briefly, but she quickly calmed down, took a deep breath, and steadied her heart.
"Nonsense! Allen won't lose!"
She lunged at Aria, but he wouldn't let go of the subject. He reminded her of the terrifying power Jose had shown—everyone had felt it. And while raw magic power isn't everything in a fight, it is a significant factor. Apart from Deliora, no one had radiated such overwhelming power. So, logically, most would assume Allen was bound to lose.
Aria watched as Erza paused her attack, then teleported behind her. But Erza swung her sword backward, stabbing Aria in the stomach.
"Why?!"
Erza turned to face him. Her eyes were calm.
"Because I believe in him…"
It was that simple. Even if all logic pointed to Allen losing, from the moment they said goodbye, Erza had placed her absolute trust in him—and nothing would change that.
"I see… then it seems I lost the moment I doubted your faith(love), Titania."
Aria fell with a heavy thud, marking the end of the battle. The Phantom Lord Mages, witnessing the fall of their second strongest member, lost much of their will to fight.
Erza was exhausted and landed on the ground. With the defeat of the other S-Class mages, victory on this front was nearly complete. However, if Jose wasn't taken down, none of it would matter. At that moment, a massive pillar of energy shot from the sky toward the sea, followed by an enormous explosion visible even from the guild.
"How sad..." Aria murmured from the ground. "It seems Master Jose gained enormous power for some reason… at this point..."
"Shut up!" Cana yelled, sealing Aria's mouth with a card. She then looked worriedly at Erza. "Don't listen to him. Allen might be a buzzkill and mope around at the bar all the time, but he's seriously strong. He will win!"
"She's right!" Macao grinned. "Let's believe in him. That's all we can do..."
Erza raised her head with a calm look and shook it. "He was right… There's no room for gloom in Fairy Tail."
"Yeah, you have no reason to doubt me", said Allen.
"...!" Erza looked back and saw Allen standing in front of her, with Timcampy on his shoulder.
Allen smiled. "Oh, you guys finished fast..."
His fight with Jose hadn't lasted long, so he was surprised to see everything wrapped up already. Erza was stunned, like she couldn't believe what she was seeing—and she wasn't the only one.
"If you're here…" Warren gulped, unable to finish his sentence.
"You won?" Laki asked, inhaling sharply.
"Would I be here if I didn't?" Allen shrugged. His clothes were torn in places, and he looked clearly worn out.
Without saying a word, Erza switched her armor for regular clothes and ran to hug him, burying her face in his chest—a gesture that shocked everyone, including Allen.
"..." Allen's expression softened as he gently returned the hug.
The surprise slowly turned into smiles all around. Of course, some girls felt jealous—but that's a problem for another time.
"What's wrong?" Allen asked, gently stroking Erza's hair. "Didn't you say you trusted that I would win?"
Erza's shoulders trembled before she spoke in a low, weak voice, "I did... but I couldn't help it..."
"Impossible!" Despite the pain, Aria managed to lift her head off the ground to look at Allen. His presence confirmed the worst. Jose Porla, one of the Ten Saint Wizards, had been defeated—by none other than a rankless mage from Fairy Tail.
"This can't be real..."
"Master Jose lost?!"
"No way..."
The mages of Phantom Lord lost their will to fight. Some dropped to their knees, others let go of their weapons. A few tried to run, only to be caught by chains rising from the ground. But none of that mattered to the members of Fairy Tail, who were all captivated by the scene in front of them.
...
(Phantom Lord Warehouse)
Natsu stood calmly in front of Gajeel.
"I g-guess I lost... again..." Gajeel muttered. But this time, the defeat didn't feel as bitter—he had put up a real fight.
"I won't accept it!" Natsu shouted, surprising Gajeel. "This kind of win doesn't count! Gajeel, this isn't over! Get up! Get stronger! Next time, I'm gonna kick your ass for real!"
With that, Natsu turned around and walked away. Gajeel stayed on the ground.
"Damn loudmouth..."
...
....
...
(Magnolia Town)
Back at the guild, Mirajane, Lucy, and Juvia were waiting for Allen's return.
Juvia sat silently, unsure of what fate had in store for her. Even though Allen had invited her to join Fairy Tail, the final decision lay with the Guild Master. The blue-haired girl swallowed hard and clutched her clothes nervously.
'If Juvia wants to stay by Allen-sama's side, she has to earn the Guild Master's approval! I just hope he's not as creepy as Master Jose'
Despite her outrageous comments in her mind, Juvia's face remained calm and composed, trying to maintain her image of a proper, well-mannered young lady.
Mirajane frowned for a moment before sighing, 'I hope everyone's okay... no, I have to trust that Allen will keep his promise... Just look at yourself, Mirajane... Instead of relying on others, you should be out there fighting for yourself!'.
Even knowing what she should do, even understanding it was wrong not to act, it still wasn't something she could easily overcome.
Mirajane placed a cup in front of Lucy, who absentmindedly thanked her. Mira had decided to work the guild's bar to keep her mind distracted, even though her only customers were Lucy—who ordered Allen's favorite coffee—and Juvia, who just wanted some water.
Lucy, for her part, had felt somewhat better after Allen and Mira's words of encouragement. But there was still guilt lingering inside her. The fact that her father was involved in everything made it harder to shake off.
'You can't run away forever...'
The loss of her mother, Layla, had deeply affected both Jude Heartfilia and Lucy. But when Lucy needed her father the most, he shut her out and treated her like she was invisible—thinking that as long as she had material things and luxury, everything would be fine. Lucy felt bitter. What she had always wanted wasn't money or gifts, but simply a father who would be there for her.
'You really have no shame, Jude Heartfilia!' Lucy grew angrier the more she thought about it.
The three girls remained quiet, each lost in their own thoughts. But suddenly, the guild doors swung open.
"Alzack?!" Mirajane exclaimed in disbelief. Aside from Allen, no one should be able to teleport, and Alzack should be fighting in Oak Town.
Alzack caught his breath before recounting everything that had happened—from Makarov's defeat to Allen's arrival. Mirajane immediately wanted to go see the Guild Master, but Alzack informed her that he was currently with Porlyusica, Fairy Tail's medical advisor.
Mirajane paused. If the master was with her, he was in good hands. But Porlyusica was notorious for her dislike of humans and hated visitors. That's why she lived isolated on the outskirts of Magnolia Town.
"All we can do now is wait... and pray the Master pulls through." Alzack took a seat. Even if he wanted to help, he wouldn't make it in time. For some reason, Allen had told him not to return and to focus on protecting the guild and Makarov.
"..." Lucy hugged Plue tightly.
"Lucy..." Mira murmured, understanding what was going through her mind. Lucy had received support and acceptance from both Allen and Mira. After seeing how things worked at Fairy Tail, she believed no one would blame her—but even so, a faint guilt remained in her heart. And now, hearing about the Guild Master's condition only made it worse.
"..." Even Juvia looked at Lucy with sympathy.
"Come on, don't worry, I'm sure everything's gonna be fine. Remember what I told you? Allen showed up and drop-kicked Jose Porla! That guy had been hiding his true strength from us! Haha... ha..." Alzack, being the only one who didn't grasp the full situation, tried to lighten the mood—but without much success.
Lucy pressed her lips together. Just then, she felt warmth and a familiar scent beside her. Before she could lift her head, she heard the voice she most wanted to hear.
"I already told you not to worry..." Allen said, leaning beside her.
Lucy's eyes regained their shine and her cheeks turned red as she hugged him. "You're back!"
"Not just him!" Natsu grinned, standing behind him with the rest of the guild. And not just them—Makarov was there too. Allen had healed him before heading back to the guild.
"Mira-chan," Makarov said before smiling and jumping to the second floor. "Bring out the food and drinks—Fairy Tail is celebrating tonight!"
Mirajane exhaled with a relieved smile. "Yes, Master."
Everyone cheered, and the guild returned to the lively place it always was. However, two issues couldn't be ignored. One was Juvia Lockser, who nervously approached Allen, drawing attention, and the other was Erza, who silently watched Lucy cry while smiling in Allen's arms.
"What are you gonna do?" Cana asked from beside Erza, who remained quiet.
Everyone had seen what happened between Allen and Erza not long ago. It could've ended as a beautiful love story—but they hadn't considered Lucy. No matter how you looked at it, someone was bound to get hurt.
"Erza..." Levy whispered nearby.
Erza smiled. "I don't know what you're talking about. For now, let's just enjoy the victory..."
To everyone's surprise, Erza walked toward Allen and Lucy to join the conversation. Everyone thought the same thing—that team was going to be in serious trouble from now on. It might even fall apart. After all, in every story, the losing heroine always feels miserable standing next to the winner.
But that was a problem for another day. For now, beer mugs, grilled meat, music, and laughter were all that mattered—and so it was.
"I don't understand why Allen-san has to choose just one girl..."
Just when the mood had improved, Loke arrived with a comment that upset many, men and women alike.
Laki thought for a moment before shaking her head. Levy sighed and Cana clicked her tongue. Allen wouldn't be like Loke.
Loke was a womanizing bastard, even though he had several girlfriends at the same time, but the truth was that he wasn't serious about any of them. If he ever fell in love with a girl, he wouldn't hesitate to break up with all of them. However, Allen was different. At least everyone had the impression that he wasn't capable of laying a hand on a woman he didn't plan to take responsibility for, right?
Cana, Lavy, and Laki exchanged glances. Cana was surprised because Laki seemed to have considered it, while Levy blushed and looked away.
"If that bastard dares to do it, I'll rip his head off!" Cana exclaimed, letting out the anger that had built up inside him.
===
A/N: I don't remember clearly whether Cana resented Gildards for being a womanizer or not.
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