Chapter 30: Phantom Lord – The Beginning of War (3)
Magnolia Hospital
In the hospital room where the Shadow Gear team was admitted, Lucy sat with her head lowered, her expression heavy and somber.
"How could they… do something so vile…? Phantom Lord…"
Looking at Levy, lying before her wrapped in bandages, Lucy felt a deep sense of self-reproach.
Since joining Fairy Tail, she had made her first real friend.
And yet, when that friend was in danger… she hadn't been able to help.
Frustrated with her own weakness and filled with resentment toward Phantom Lord, Lucy swallowed back her tears.
"I'll never forgive them…"
[That resolve… is enough.]
"Huh?"
The voice of a stranger echoed in her mind.
She looked around, but the only people in the room were herself and the unconscious Shadow Gear members.
Who could it possibly be?
Before she could figure it out, the voice came again—clearer this time.
[Lucy, I want to help you right now… but there are circumstances that prevent me from using my full strength. I won't be able to protect you from what's to come.]
The voice in her head grew sharper, and in her vision, she began to see the faint illusion of someone standing before her.
His face was obscured by something like a shadow, but he wore all black except for a plain shirt. Strangely, even with the T-shirt, he wore a loose black necktie—an odd and unsettling choice of fashion.
"You… who are you?"
[What's about to happen will surely bring you pain. But steel your heart.]
Lucy knew that voice.
It was the same one she had heard back in Hargeon—when she was about to fall under a charm spell—and again aboard the ship, when she had almost been made a slave.
At first, she had found the cold, unsettling tone suspicious and kept her guard up. But now, thinking back, the familiarity struck her.
She had heard it before.
Yes… this voice was unmistakable…
"I… I remember now… Yes! It was when I was a child! I heard your voice back then! You're—"
[Kufufufu… That's enough for now.]
"W–wait!"
Just as Lucy was beginning to remember more about him, the image blurred, and the voice inside her mind vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.
She stood quickly, scanning the room again.
When she turned toward the window behind her, she saw it—a pure white owl, the same one she had spotted in Hargeon's harbor, flying away into the distance.
...
Oak Town – Northeast Fiore
The Phantom Lord guild hall was as rowdy as ever.
"Hahaha! That was the best!"
"Fairy Tail's been completely wrecked!"
"And Gajeel took out three of 'em, I heard!"
"Woohoo!"
"Even dug up that damn fairy's grave and smashed it to bits!"
"Now that's style!"
The wizards of Phantom Lord drank more eagerly over the previous day's events than over any actual job they'd taken.
They had trashed Fairy Tail's guild hall, humiliated its members… and on top of that, desecrated the grave of a hero even recognized by the Magic Council.
For them, nothing could be more satisfying.
"So… who's that 'guy' the Master mentioned?"
"Beats me."
"He said not to touch him, though."
"Whatever. To the poor little fairies—cheers!"
"Bet they're huddled together trembling by now."
"Ah, crap, look at the time."
"A woman?"
"Yeah… and a real beauty, too. She's a client, but… I gave her a little scare, and now she says she'll pay double."
"Heh, if it were me, I'd have gotten triple."
"Sure you would, you idio—?!!"
The conversation stopped cold.
The guild's noisy atmosphere was shattered—literally—by the sound of the front door being smashed apart.
The Phantom Lord wizards turned toward the wreckage, and their expressions hardened instantly.
Standing there, framed by the splintered doorway, were none other than—
"Fairy Tail!!!"
The very wizards they had just been mocking stormed into the guild hall.
Before Phantom Lord could even prepare for a fight, Natsu charged in, fists ablaze.
"I don't care who it is—bring it on!!"
"You little—!"
"Get 'em—!!"
Natsu charged in first, the main fighting force of Fairy Tail right behind him.
The war had begun.
While everyone clashed, some of Phantom Lord's wizards spotted Makarov standing still amidst the chaos. They figured they'd win the fight instantly if they took out the enemy guild master first, and rushed at him.
"Go for Master Makarov!"
"Tch… You wish!"
Makarov's body swelled as he cast his Giant magic, his massive fist smashing down and swatting the attackers away like flies.
A true guild master—no matter his age—needed no help showing his overwhelming presence.
The crushed mages stared up at Makarov's bloodshot glare, trembling in terror.
"A-Aaah!"
"A m–monster!"
"You dared lay a hand on the child of this 'monster'! Don't even dream that the law of man will save you!"
"Hiiick!"
Makarov and Erza tore through the Phantom wizards, searching for their master, Jose, and the guild's strongest unit—the Element 4.
"Jose! Show yourself!"
"Where are you?! Where's Gajeel and the Element 4?!"
Up above, someone watched Erza's fierce rampage from the ceiling beams.
"So that's Erza, the Titania… Gildarts, Laxus, and Mystogan didn't join the fight, huh…"
Gajeel's muscles itched with anticipation at the long-awaited battle, but the absence of Fairy Tail's three strongest wizards made him spit in irritation—it felt like they were looking down on Phantom.
Still, to him, this fight was nothing more than a warm-up.
Once it was over… he would finally face the man he had been waiting years to confront.
The thought kept him calm, even eager.
"Still… to think things have gone so smoothly according to Master Jose's plan. Go on—thrash about as much as you like, you fools…"
Gajeel smirked as he spotted Makarov heading up alone to the second floor.
...
Jose's Office – Top Floor, Phantom Lord
"Jose…!"
Makarov smashed through the wall into the master's office.
Inside, Jose sat in his chair, greeting him with a calm, almost mocking smile.
"Well, well… It's been a long time, Makarov."
"Jose… what the hell have you done—?!"
"Has it been six years? Since the regular meeting…? Ah, yes, I was terribly rude back then. I blame the drink…"
Makarov didn't waste another second. He lunged, throwing a punch with all his might.
"I'm not here for small talk, Jose!"
"Hohoho… is that so?"
But instead of being knocked down, Jose remained standing, completely unharmed.
Or rather—Makarov's fist had passed right through him.
The guild master glared at Jose's flickering, static-like body.
"A projection?! You… you ran from your own guild?!"
"A battle between two Wizard Saints could cause natural disasters. I simply prefer… a more reasonable path to victory."
"Where are you?! Face me properly!"
But before Makarov could say more, another projection appeared beside Jose.
Makarov froze.
"L–Lucy?! What are you—?!"
"Hohoho… I see you're quite shaken. But don't worry, I have no intention of harming this young lady."
"Jose! You dare threaten my family again?!"
Jose glanced at Lucy with a distasteful smile, then looked back at Makarov. With a snap of his fingers, the desk in front of him shattered, and a large coffin rose from the floor.
"I won't fight you, Makarov… but someone else will take my place—someone more suited to facing you."
"What are you talking about?!"
"Come out."
Makarov's eyes narrowed as he readied his fist. He assumed it was some puppet or construct Jose had summoned to mock him.
But then the coffin opened—
"…!"
"I-It can't be…! How… how are you—?!"
"Hohoho… What do you think? Your child, returned from the afterlife… Aren't you pleased?"
From the coffin stepped a man.
A black longcoat over a plain white T-shirt. A loosened black necktie hanging at his neck.
Hair dark blue with a sheen that caught the light, eyes the same deep blue.
The only difference from Makarov's memory was the absence of his signature red eye—both were blue now.
Yet Makarov knew at once this was no fake. He dropped his guard completely, stepping forward, voice trembling as he spoke the name.
"C–Ciel… Is it really you?"
It was in that moment of shock that danger struck.
From behind Makarov, a massive man wrapped in bandages around his eyes appeared without a sound, tears streaming down his face.
"Damn… his presence was completely—"
"Saaadnesssss!!!"
"Guh—!!"
Before Makarov could resist, the giant's magic sent him flying, smashing through the wall.
Jose smiled as he watched Makarov's body soar away.
"Hohoho… As I said, I have no intention of harming the young lady. I told you, it wouldn't be me who fought you… not yet."
"Still, it's amusing… You didn't even know who Lucy Heartfilia really was, despite her being your own guild member. Well… it's no longer your concern."
And with that, Makarov plummeted out of sight.
Watching from above, the massive man—Aria of the Great Sky, one of the Element 4—shed more tears as he looked down at the fallen Fairy Tail master.
"Such sorrow! Where does this grief come from? Ah… is it the sadness of watching a great wizard fade away?!"
…
The fierce battle on the first floor raged on.
Everyone was focused on cutting down the Phantom Lord wizards, when—
"Huh?!"
"What the—?!"
"Something just fell—"
A loud crash from above stopped the fighting. All eyes turned toward the source of the noise.
"M–Master?!"
The figure lying on the ground was none other than Fairy Tail's master, Makarov.
Erza immediately rushed forward and caught him before he could collapse completely. Natsu, still mid-battle, abandoned his opponent and ran to them.
"Master!"
"Old man!"
"Master, please, stay with us!"
"…Haa… haa…"
Makarov's breathing was faint as he lay in Erza's arms.
Fairy Tail's members formed a defensive line around them, holding back Phantom Lord's wizards, but the sight of their master's condition sent a wave of shock through them.
"Wh–what the hell?! There's no magic power coming from Master at all!"
"Y–you mean he's just… an ordinary old man now?!"
"How?! When?!"
"No way! How could the master be defeated?!"
"What in the world happened upstairs…?"
It was true—there wasn't the faintest trace of magic from Makarov's body.
Erza and the other wizards, realizing the severity of the situation, broke into a cold sweat.
Meanwhile, Phantom Lord's wizards, seeing Makarov down, were practically giddy.
"Yes! Their fighting strength just got cut in half!"
Erza wiped the tears from her eyes and forced herself to say the words she least wanted to utter.
"Retreat! Everyone, fall back to the guild!"
The order sparked outrage among those still fighting.
"What?!"
"A real man never retreats!"
"I can still fight!"
"Same here!"
"Erza!"
Even so, Erza, holding Makarov tightly, walked toward the shattered guild entrance.
"Without the master, we can't beat Jose! Retreat! That's an order!"
"Tch…!"
It was bitter, but she was right. Without their master, the battle's outcome had already tipped in Phantom Lord's favor. For now, retreat was the only rational choice.
Natsu felt the same burning frustration. His blood boiled with rage, but Makarov's condition was critical—they had to get him to safety immediately.
"Well, well… heading home already? Ki-hi-hi-hi!"
"So sad…"
From the rooftop, Gajeel called down mockingly, while beside him stood Aria, tears streaming down his face.
"Aria… still as creepy as ever. So you're the one who took down the old man, huh?"
"All part of Master Jose's plan… Magnificent!"
"Quit bawling already. …So, did you catch that Lucy girl or whatever her name is?"
"Locked her up in headquarters."
As Natsu was pulling back, he overheard their conversation and froze, glancing up at the skylight where the voices came from.
"What?!"
"Hoh… so you're the Dragon Slayer that Laxus' little brother was looking after."
"So you're Gajeel…"
"That's right. …Ki-hi-hi! I'll crush you soon enough, Salamander."
"Get back here—!"
But with that, Gajeel vanished alongside Aria.
Taking advantage of the confusion, Natsu grabbed a Phantom Lord wizard and slipped out of the building.
Back inside, Erza and Gray were still clashing over the retreat order.
"Fall back! All of you, now!"
"We can't pull out like this! We have to avenge Levy… and Ciel!"
Gray made to charge forward, but Erza held him back.
He tried to break free, but then realized her body was trembling. That alone made him stop.
"Please…"
"Erza…"
"We have no choice but to retreat… The hole left without the master is far too big…"
Gray clenched his teeth, glanced at Makarov again, and finally obeyed.
Fairy Tail made a hasty withdrawal from Phantom Lord's guild.
Cradled in Elfman's arms, Makarov panted heavily, managing only a final, hoarse whisper—barely audible over the noise.
"Ciel… Ciel… has been… brought back to life…"
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