Chapter 43: The Phantom Vanishes (1)
Magnolia's northern outskirts — Oak Street.
In the ruins of the collapsed Phantom Lord guildhall, Gajeel sat hidden in the shadows, gnawing hungrily at steel.
After Phantom Lord's crushing defeat at the hands of Fairy Tail, the Council had officially disbanded the guild.
Master Jose not only lost his title as one of the Ten Wizard Saints but also fell into madness. With no profit to be gained in following a broken leader, the remaining Phantom wizards scattered in search of their own paths.
Only Gajeel stayed behind.
For someone like him—who never truly fit anywhere, who always led with his fists and drove people away—Phantom Lord had been the only place willing to take him in.
Strength was everything. That was Phantom Lord's creed, and within those walls, Gajeel had been free to act as he pleased.
But the world outside was not so simple.
No other guild would accept his violence—not unless they were cloaked in darkness.
And so, day after day, all that remained for him was idly tearing into metal.
"Crunch… crunch… clang… tchonk—hmm…?"
A sudden fog spilled across the ruined halls, bringing with it a biting chill.
Recognizing the aura, Gajeel stopped chewing and stared into the mist.
Footsteps echoed softly, drawing closer, until their owner finally emerged from the haze.
"Gajeel."
"…Ciel."
His blood ran cold. Was he facing a ghost?
He had seen it himself—Ciel's puppet body shattering, the soul departing for the afterlife.
And yet here he was, standing before him.
Shivers crawled up Gajeel's arms. Ciel sat down beside him, speaking in a calm, gentle voice.
"What are you doing in a place like this?"
"…A ghost, then? Or am I just seeing things?"
"No. I am truly here."
Gajeel rubbed at his eyes again and again, but the figure never vanished. With a sigh of resignation, he returned to crunching steel, keeping up the conversation.
He wanted to fight him—but what sense was there in crossing fists with a phantom?
"So… why'd you come here? To laugh at me for losing to Salamander? Or to judge me for my sins?"
"You crossed the line—and paid for it when you lost to Natsu. That is enough."
Ciel reached out and placed a hand on his head.
Ordinarily, Gajeel would have taken that as condescension and knocked the hand aside. But memories stirred—of younger days when Ciel had sparred with him, comforted him, guided him in ways no one else did.
So instead, he only lifted his gaze to meet that serene face.
"I want my disciple to walk the right path," Ciel said softly.
"Not to sink into darkness as I once did, not to lose everything that truly matters. I don't wish for you to live forever in the battlefield, never knowing peace."
And in that moment, Gajeel no longer saw the phantom before him—he saw the Ciel of his childhood.
The one who had cared for him alongside Metalicana.
Rough edges, jagged temper, fists that knew only how to strike… no one had ever accepted him.
But Ciel had.
And the warmth of that touch—even now, cool and hazy—seemed to soften the steel around his heart.
"…I don't want you to fall into the temptations of darkness. Someday… someone else might come to you with the same words I'm saying now. When that time comes, I hope you'll remember what I've told you, and make your choice then."
"W-Wait…! Ciel…!!"
With those final words, the mist cleared, and Ciel's figure dispersed like smoke into the air.
Gajeel waved his hand through the fading fog, but Ciel was gone, dissolved completely like a phantom.
"…What the hell…? Preaching to me even after death… Damn it…"
Gajeel sank heavily back into his chair, his expression a mixture of frustration and sorrow.
Through the cracks of the ruined hideout, bright sunlight streamed in, casting its glow on Gajeel's face.
The sky—something he had once taken for granted—now, for the first time, filled his chest with a faint warmth.
...
"What?! A Celestial Spirit?!"
"Well… yeah, that's how it turned out."
Inside the temporary tent that now served as Fairy Tail's dining hall, Loki revealed to everyone that he was, in truth, a Celestial Spirit.
Just a few days earlier, he had confessed his true identity and his past to Lucy, intending it as his final testimony before meeting death.
But Lucy had shown him a miracle.
She persuaded the Celestial Spirit King, the ultimate enforcer of the Spirit World, to allow Loki—Leo the Lion—to return home to the Spirit World.
Even if he had done it to protect his comrades, he had driven his contractor to her death. Indirectly, it was no different from a Celestial Spirit killing their own master.
Leo had broken the greatest taboo a Spirit could commit. But through Lucy's plea, that sin was finally brought to an end, and he was granted permission to return to the Spirit World.
Afterward, moved by the miracle Lucy had given him, Leo swore loyalty and affection to her, and thus formed a contract as her Spirit.
Hearing his story, Natsu and Gray nodded, looking at him with new respect and fascination.
"So all this time… and I never even noticed."
"Wait a sec! You're not a cow or a horse though, right?!"
"He's in human form, obviously!"
"Yeah, but remember—Taurus could turn into a gorilla too."
"…That's true."
While the others were joking around, Lucy cut in and explained briefly to Natsu.
"Loki is the Celestial Spirit of the Lion, Leo."
"Lion…!!"
"A lion? You mean… like a grown-up cat?!"
"Exactly."
"No way—!!"
"Whoa, that's awesome."
"But hey, if you're a Spirit, are you even allowed to stay here like this?"
"Not anymore. Lucy is my owner now. So I'll appear when she's in danger, like a prince on a white horse—something like that."
As the conversation about Celestial Spirits went on, Loki suddenly reached into his pocket and pulled something out, handing it to Lucy, Natsu, and Gray.
"Oh, right. Here—take this."
"What's this?"
What Loki handed them was a ticket, illustrated with a picture of a beautiful seaside resort.
Lucy studied the picture closely, then asked him.
Loki scratched his head, then broke into a bright smile as he spoke.
"Since I won't be spending much time in the human world anymore… these were actually resort hotel tickets I'd planned to use with some girlfriends. But I owe you guys a lot, so take them—go and enjoy yourselves."
"The sea!!"
"Whoa!!"
"I've never been to such an expensive hotel before!"
Seeing everyone's delighted expressions, Loki chuckled warmly and continued.
"I gave Erza one earlier too. Have fun."
"Wow~!"
"But when should we go?"
"Good question…"
"Hm? What are you hesitating for? If you don't decide fast, I'll leave you behind!"
"So fast!!"
With those words, Loki waved goodbye to them all, then returned to the Spirit World.
Lucy had planned to discuss with Natsu and Gray when they should leave, but before she could, Erza appeared in full vacation attire, hauling a massive wagon of luggage. And so, their trip began immediately.
....
Back at the Magic Council headquarters, ERA, I walked the corridors in the guise of Mukuro.
I had gone to check on Gajeel after hearing of Phantom Lord's dissolution.
Though he had strayed and crossed the line, he was still a comrade I couldn't afford to lose in future battles—and my dear disciple.
I didn't want to see him make the wrong choice.
When I found him, however, he hadn't completely lost his way. Perhaps his encounter with Natsu had nudged him toward redemption.
Either way, my worries about Gajeel eased somewhat. I believed he would choose the right path.
Someday, people would accept him again.
Perhaps Master Makarov, Master Bob, or Master Goldmine… the candidates came to mind. But, truthfully, I wished that Gajeel would become part of the Fairy Tail family instead.
"…Gajeel, I hope you'll grow steadily, just like Natsu."
As I walked the corridor alone, lost in thought, I suddenly halted, sensing another presence in what should have been an empty hall.
From behind one of the columns along the outer wall, I caught the faint trace of a person—and the heavy scent of cosmetics.
I addressed the figure hidden behind the pillar.
"You may come out now, Ultear."
"My, impressive. I hid my presence as best I could, yet you noticed?"
"Your strong perfume gave you away."
"Heh… perfume, is it? I made sure to use ones with barely any scent, you know."
From behind the column emerged a woman with black hair, clad in flowing white Eastern-style robes. It was Ultear, one of the Magic Council members.
Alongside Jellal, she had entered the Council at a remarkably young age. With her record and power acknowledged, she was now one of the ten highest-ranking officials here.
"What business do you have with me?"
"Nothing too serious. I just have a favor to ask~♥"
"If it's a favor, then I must refuse. I am Councilor Yajima's aide, not a servant for every member of the Council."
"Oh, but Yajima's already given me his approval. It's just some simple paperwork—organizing the documents related to Phantom Lord's punishment."
"…It's not a good habit to leave your work for others."
I tried my best to refuse, but Ultear clung to me, pressing closer with sticky, tempting persistence.
The more I rejected her, the more she pressed in.
There were many ways I could have avoided her, but since I couldn't cause a commotion here, I had no choice but to accept her request.
"…Very well. I heard you defended Fairy Tail together with Yajima. A bit of clerical work shouldn't be too much trouble."
"Kyaa~♥ Mukuro-kun, you're the best~♥ Then, let's hurry to my office."
Ultear pulled me along and led me to her office.
I had originally intended to rest for a while and then investigate the Tower of Heaven and the forbidden R-System—the magic said to resurrect the dead. But I decided those plans would have to wait until after this tedious paperwork was finished, and so I stepped into Ultear's office.
And in that moment—
"Kh… ughhh?!"
My body grew heavy, and a searing pain exploded in my left eye.
Clutching at my left eye to endure the pain, I was then struck by a violent headache that robbed me of balance. My knees buckled, and I collapsed to the ground.
As my strength drained away, the guise of Mukuro unraveled, and I reverted back to my true form.
Staggering, I lifted my head—only to hear the door slam shut behind me, followed by the mocking laughter of a man and a woman.
"…Wh-What is this…?"
"Fufufu… What's the matter, Mukuro-kun~? Or should I say… Ciel Illusian?"
"Pfft—Puhahaha~! What a long time it's been since I saw that face. Mukuro…"
"Ultear… Jellal…"
Standing before me were the sinister figures of Jellal and Ultear, looking down at me with wicked smiles.
Just moments ago, they had called me "Ciel."
I realized then that my illusions had been stripped away, leaving only my true form.
But—how did they know? They only entered the Council after my supposed death. How could they immediately recognize me as Ciel?
"You look like you're wondering how we found out about you~?"
"You two… what are you…?"
As if reading my thoughts, Jellal gazed at me with the amusement of someone watching a fascinating spectacle.
"You shouldn't underestimate our information network. Yajima may have relatives, but none of them are scholars of magic. After the Lullaby incident, we did some digging—and discovered your true identity. The ghost of Fairy Tail… Ciel Illusian."
"…Expelling me from the Council seems like a rather excessive measure, don't you think?"
"Expel you? Don't be absurd. You are the single greatest obstacle to my plans. You must disappear, Ciel… A being who could rival even Zeref himself."
"…Zeref… your plan…?"
"The Tower of Heaven you've recently uncovered… and the R-System. Where do you think that information came from?"
Unease tightened in my chest at his words. Channeling magic into the ring on my finger, I unleashed it.
From the ring, long barbed spikes shot forth at high speed toward Jellal.
Even if it caused an uproar here, I had to break free and warn Yajima of this conspiracy.
But—
"…Ah… so that's how it is."
My magically charged strike pierced through Jellal's body—without effect.
As static rippled across his figure like a glitched hologram, I understood.
This was only a projection. A thought-form.
Attacks wouldn't reach him.
There was only one option left—return to my original body and escape from the outside.
It would take some time, but I believed this was the only way to alert others to their plan.
"Ku…fufufu… it seems I've walked right into your trap. But as you said, I am merely a phantom. All I need do is drift away like mist from this room."
"Oh? Is that really so?"
"…What?!"
At that instant, light flared across the chamber, and hidden magic circles etched into the walls revealed themselves.
Agony coursed through me as my body was bound, my movements sealed.
I tried again to return to my true body—but found I could not escape.
I couldn't sense it at all… as though immense walls had risen in every direction, blocking the connection completely. My body and soul were severed.
"Surely you didn't think we wouldn't predict your attempt to flee?"
"This room…?"
"Yes. A trap designed solely for you. It shackles your spirit, twists its flow, and forces it to take form while sealing away your power. As a phantom, you can neither flee nor wield your strength here."
"Jellal… you…"
Blood tears welled from my left eye.
This vessel of illusion should never have been able to bleed.
And yet, my body shuddered in real pain as crimson streaked down my face.
Through blurred vision, I glared up at him, while Jellal's smile widened.
"I've thought of something amusing. If your soul has been completely bound—made fully tangible—and you were struck down here… would you vanish from this world forever?"
"Ku…fufufu… now that is an interesting experiment."
"Indeed. And from this moment, Ultear will conduct that little experiment."
At Jellal's gesture, Ultear lifted her ever-present crystal orb, letting it hover in the air as she slowly advanced on me.
I summoned every ounce of strength left, conjuring the Mist Spear to ward her off.
The Eye of Samsara's power was sealed. With the severed link to my true body, the magic sustaining this soul was fading.
And yet, I prepared to fight Ultear with what little remained.
"Goodbye, Ciel-kun~♥ It's a shame… after this past year, I'd almost grown attached. To send you off like this… how sad~♥"
"…Don't lower your guard. I still have enough strength to subdue you and escape this place."
"Hehe~ bluffing only works when someone believes it."
"…"
Even in the face of certain defeat, I fought to the last, forcing myself to resist.
But with my dulled body, dwindling magic, and searing pain in my head and eye, I could not hold out. I collapsed where I stood.
As my vision dimmed, the last thing I saw was Ultear's twisted grin, malice radiating from her as she brought the crystal orb crashing down toward my head.
"Farewell, oh 'strongest wizard.'"
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