Chapter 15: Blaze — Formation of the Strongest Team and the Ten-Year Quest (2)
A train bound for the northern city of Snowplate, located in the farthest reaches of the Ishgar Continent, near the border with the Guiltina Continent.
Normally, the train would be filled with noisy children, gossiping housewives, and passengers murmuring to themselves as they focused on their own business.
But today, every passenger—except the conductor—was fast asleep, slumped over in their seats.
In the silence of the train car, three men sat awkwardly, the only ones awake.
"Hey, was it really necessary to put the entire train to sleep?"
"Why not? It's peaceful and quiet. I'm loving it."
"Gildarts, if word of this operation leaks, it could throw the entire city into chaos. Our mission is to take care of the target outside the border, in Guiltina—without alerting the people of the city."
"…So the intel about that thing—the Badrach Whale—heading toward us from Guiltina is solid?"
"It's direct from the Council to Master Makarov. It's reliable."
A rugged middle-aged man reading Sorcerer Weekly's gravure section and sipping from a flask.
A sharp-eyed young man, listening to music loudly through his headset, face scowling even as he listened.
And a soft-spoken, alluring young man shaping something with his hands while radiating an air of mystique.
Gildarts, Laxus, and Ciel—each absorbed in his own world, yet engaged in conversation, planning the mission ahead.
While Ciel had been away on assignment, the Magic Council summoned the masters of the four most powerful guilds in Fiore: Makarov of Fairy Tail, Bob of Blue Pegasus, Ooba Babasaama of Lamia Scale, and Jose Porla of Phantom Lord.
But Phantom Lord refused the summons, citing "personal matters," and Jose never showed up.
With just three masters present, the Council presented them with footage of the Badrach Whale and opened discussion on which guild would accept the Ten-Year Quest.
The moment its name was spoken, the three masters visibly tensed.
...
The Badrach Whale.
A magical bio-weapon created 400 years ago by the ancient magical empire Pebles, designed specifically to fight against dragons.
It was a colossal whale-shaped construct, completed successfully—but it went berserk during activation and wiped out the entire kingdom.
Its size rivaled that of an entire city.
Its body was composed of a dense fusion of magical ores and Etherion, making it highly resistant to most forms of magic.
But its true terror lay not just in its scale or durability.
For the last 400 years, the Badrach Whale has roamed the world, consuming villages and swallowing lands whole—feeding on humans to power itself.
Many continents have already suffered its wrath.
Nations attempted to stop it, but its ability to swim through the earth and ambush targets made it nearly impossible to defeat.
And now, the Council was asking: Who will take on the Ten-Year Quest to slay the Badrach Whale?
But every master hesitated.
To accept would mean sending their guild members—their family—into certain death.
Who could bear the weight of such a sacrifice?
After long debate, the three guilds reached a conclusion:
They would unite.
Combining the greatest wizards from each guild into one coalition.
Against this colossal threat, no single guild could hope to win.
But together—three of Fiore's strongest guilds just might stand a chance.
They would each send their strongest warriors to the designated rendezvous point.
...
And thus, Makarov named Fairy Tail's elite trio to represent the guild:
The man who crushes everything in his path with Crash Magic—Fairy Tail's current strongest wizard, Gildarts Clive.
The lightning wizard known for his destructive power in extermination battles—Fairy Tail's rising star, Laxus Dreyar.
And finally, the Phantom Dragon Slayer, master of illusions, and wielder of the title "Phantom King"—the Council's recommended successor to Makarov himself, Ciel Illusian.
These were the three warriors Makarov had entrusted to take on the legendary Badrach Whale Subjugation Mission.
"A whole alliance just to take down one whale? Please. The three of us could just go ahead and bam! wipe it out ourselves."
"Yeah! Let's show them that Fairy Tail doesn't need some alliance to prove we're the strongest guild!"
"If it were that easy, the Badrach Whale wouldn't have been roaming the world unchecked for 400 years.
Besides, this alliance holds greater significance—for wizard guilds everywhere."
"Huh?"
"Who cares about that stuff!"
"I do. Because it matters."
Ciel, calmly scolding the grumbling Gildarts and the battle-hyped Laxus, sighed and continued, sipping from his drink.
"This is something I discovered on my own... Recently, a dark guild alliance called 'Balam Alliance' has started to make moves."
"Balam Alliance?"
"Never heard of it."
"It's a union of three major dark guilds, spread across the world—including here in Fiore. They've already consolidated their power and are preparing to go to war against the light guilds. The problem is—we, the light guilds, have never had anything resembling a true alliance. That's why the Council proposed uniting three major guilds, starting with us, to form the foundation of a Light Mage Alliance. Do you understand now?"
After Ciel's explanation, both men fell silent, frowning.
They still grumbled, but in the end, they nodded in agreement.
After all, both had faced dark guild extermination missions themselves and were well aware of the threat those guilds posed.
"So the top wizards from Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale… we'll be meeting them in Snowplate, right?"
"Yes. I've already arranged for an entire hotel in Snowplate to be rented out for the operation."
"Wait—our guild has the kind of budget to rent out a whole hotel?"
"Of course not~. The entire mission budget is being covered by the Council. I personally went and negotiated it."
At that, Ciel turned and gave Gildarts a devious smile.
"W-What...? Why are you looking at me like that…?"
"Once this job is over, Gildarts… I hope you'll let loose and enjoy yourself properly in town."
"…Huh?"
"I have a lot of pent-up frustration with the Council. Since they're footing the bill, I figured someone with refined tastes in entertainment could go all out and burn through some of their money for me."
"C-Ciel! You mean it?! I can really do whatever I want after the mission?!"
"We have three days of rest built into the schedule afterward—consider it a recovery period. Feel free to enjoy it as you please."
"You're an angel! A real angel sent from the heavens!!"
Overwhelmed with joy, Gildarts clasped Ciel's hands in both of his and beamed with gratitude.
Ciel, meanwhile, was quietly pleased—this mission would serve not only to strike back at the Council that had burdened him with impossible tasks, but also to lower his own reputation slightly, paving the way to a quieter life.
"…By the way, what've you been fiddling with this whole time?"
"Yeah, quit messing with those trinkets like some delicate little princess."
"Oh, this?"
Laxus gestured at what Ciel had been carefully shaping—grinding away at chains and gems with a jeweler's tools.
Gildarts, too, tilted his head in curiosity as he noticed Ciel's fingers—bruised, nicked, and swollen from hours of delicate work.
To their questions, Ciel gave a sheepish smile and replied—
"A while ago, Mira was promoted to S-Class, right?"
"Yeah, that's true. So what about it?"
"Well, the day she came back, I was out on a mission wiping out remnants of a dark guild… so I never had the chance to properly congratulate her or give her a gift. So I figured I'd make something for her—as both a birthday present and to celebrate her promotion."
"Oho~ That's pretty sweet of you. Like a doting big brother, huh?"
"If you've got time to make trinkets, maybe try training more! Otherwise, I might just surpass you."
"Kufufufu… Laxus, don't worry. I'm not quite at the point where I'd lose to you just yet."
As the three bantered, the train finally arrived at its destination: Snowplate Station.
...
Snowplate, a northern city located in the farthest region of the Kingdom of Fiore.
A winter wonderland, this city is covered in snow year-round and attracts tourists with its beautiful ice sculptures and seasonal events.
Local specialties include dishes made with freshwater fish like salmon and smelt, which are only caught during the winter, and cakes made from White Blossom Flowers, which bloom beneath the snow.
Flipping through a guidebook, Ciel casually narrated the details to Gildarts and Laxus.
"Grilled fish is good, but fried fish really pairs better with alcohol, don't you think?"
"They say the restaurant in the southern part of the city makes a famous steamed salmon dish with their own special sauce. Once this is over, let's all go eat there."
"Are you guys seriously here for a Ten-Year Quest…?"
Laxus couldn't help but comment, watching as Ciel and Gildarts got increasingly excited talking about food.
Still, even he found himself briefly distracted, staring absentmindedly at a fur coat store on the corner.
Eventually, the three arrived at their destination—a hotel that had been rented out entirely for the operation.
As they stepped through the doors, the mayor of Snowplate greeted them personally and guided them into the hotel's Great Hall, where the other guild members were waiting.
...
"Meeeen~, this, this! Fairy Tail wizards, you're late~!"
The moment the hall doors opened, they were greeted by a man in an ostentatious white suit, short in stature with a slightly bulging belly.
His voice was bright and pleasant, but his appearance was… less so.
Gildarts and Laxus glanced at him with blank, almost pitying expressions, then promptly ignored him and headed for their seats.
"What the hell is this squirt?"
"Sorry, mister. Wrong venue. Why don't you go home?"
"Hmph! I should be the one complaining—your stench of booze and sweat is offending my delicate nose!"
"Let's leave it there. It's a pleasure to meet you—S-Class Wizard of Blue Pegasus, Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki."
"Oho~! Such manners, especially from a Fairy Tail wizard! And such a fragrant young gentleman, too! Meeeen~!"
Ciel stepped forward to greet the man properly on behalf of the other two.
Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki—the youngest S-Class wizard of Blue Pegasus and second only to Master Bob in strength.
Up until a year ago, they had another S-Class wizard named Karen, a Celestial Spirit user, but she tragically died in an accident.
With Blue Pegasus already lacking in high-tier strength, offering Ichiya for this mission was a significant decision.
"I'm Ciel Illusian. For the upcoming subjugation, I hope we can count on your strength—as Blue Pegasus' finest."
"What a respectful young man! Meeeen~! It's an honor, truly. And to think you're none other than the legendary 'Phantom King,' one of Fairy Tail's strongest—Ciel Illusian!"
"That title's a bit embarrassing, honestly…"
"And to think you're only 24! It's so refreshing to meet someone my age. Even if it weren't for this alliance, I'd have wanted to share a drink with you someday."
When Ichiya claimed we were the same age, Gildarts choked and spat out the drink he was mid-sip.
Laxus, equally stunned, began coughing on his cigarette and pointed an accusing finger at Ichiya.
"Y-You've gotta be kidding! There's no way someone that ancient is the same age as Ciel!"
"You lying old fossil! That's a straight-up scam!"
"How rude! I'll have you know, I am a fresh and vibrant 25-year-old maaaaan~! Right, Ciel-kun?"
"Shorty! Don't go spreading lies!"
"And you, sir, smell like a disaster in perfume—an insult to fragrance itself, maaan~!"
Ichiya looked at me pleadingly, as if asking for backup.
I simply smiled silently in response.
While Gildarts and Laxus continued bickering with Ichiya, a sturdy, clean-shaven young man who had been quietly observing from the corner walked over, bowed his head, and introduced himself.
"You must be the wizards from Fairy Tail and Blue Pegasus. I've been watching for a while. My name is Jura Neekis. I'm 21 years old. It's an honor to meet you."
"Jura Neekis, the youngest of the Ten Wizard Saints.
Looks like Lamia Scale has sent their top force as well."
[Jura Neekis]—a genius wizard who, at the age of 19, earned the title of Wizard Saint, one of the ten most powerful wizards in the entire continent of Ishgar.
It seemed Lamia Scale understood the gravity of the situation and responded accordingly.
Laxus, still growling at Ichiya a moment ago, turned serious and approached Jura, getting close to his face.
"A Wizard Saint, just like my gramps… One day, I'll take you on and win."
"Hahaha, fiery youth! I like it. Very well, once this mission is over—let's have that match."
The two seemed to hit it off, shaking hands and exchanging a silent promise to settle things with strength later.
Meanwhile, Gildarts and Ichiya continued their heated debate over looks and age, while Laxus and Jura were already fanning the flames of friendly rivalry.
Each guild had sent their strongest—and for that, I was sincerely grateful.
But as I looked around at their overwhelming personalities, a bit of doubt crept in.
Will we really be able to coordinate properly...?
"Kufufufufu… As expected, the Council's missions always give me a headache."
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