Chapter 44: The Phantom Vanishes (2)
What lay before me was the construction site of a massive tower.
There, I was shackled at the wrists and ankles, forced to work.
Labor that went on night and day, without end.
The slightest mistake, the briefest pause—met instantly with the lash of a whip.
Men and women, young and old alike, were driven to work by shouts, and when the day's toil was done, we were dragged back to the cells.
If there truly was a living hell, I would call this place exactly that.
「Erza…」
「Erza… sis…」
「Save us…」
「Erza… in this world, there is no such thing as freedom.」
...
"Haah…!!"
My eyes snapped open as I bolted upright.
I looked around, exhaling a heavy sigh of relief as my gaze fell upon the view of the seaside resort.
Sweat trickled down my body, my breathing ragged as I pressed a hand to my forehead.
"…A dream?"
Had I dozed off without realizing?
It was that unforgettable dream again.
A past I could never erase—the reason I was still here, alive.
A false freedom, chained with guilt, binding me ever tighter to that day.
I stepped into my room and stared into the mirror.
Wearing a swimsuit that bared more skin than I was used to, I struck a playful pose for a moment—then gave a short, bitter laugh, changing back into my familiar armor.
"Armor really does feel right… Heh. I'm hopeless, aren't I?"
Without it, I felt exposed.
Without it, I risked showing the fragile self I always tried to hide.
That armor was what let me appear strong.
What shielded me from the tears I always fought to suppress.
I truly believed it was what protected me.
"Erza—!!"
"…Lucy?"
"There's a casino downstairs! Come on, let's check it out together!"
"I'm not really fond of gambling…"
"Natsu and Gray are already there."
Lucy's sudden invitation left me hesitating.
I had no interest in games of chance, and the idea of staying alone in my room didn't bother me.
But with Natsu and Gray left to their own devices, who knew what kind of chaos they might cause?
So, quickly transforming again, I donned a sleek black dress.
It wasn't just to keep watch. I also wanted to shake off the lingering gloom from earlier.
"Will this do?"
"You look better in tough gear~"
"Heh. If I'm going to play, I'll see it through properly. Otherwise it'd be rude to the casino."
"Y-Yes, yes! Let's go!!"
I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror—dressed not in armor, but in an elegant gown. A wry smile touched my lips.
…Perhaps, once in a while, this wasn't so bad.
A day where I allowed myself a little kindness.
...
Down in the hotel's underground casino, Natsu was puffing out air with all his might at a roulette wheel that had already stopped spinning.
His antics left the dealer flustered, waving his hands to try and calm him down.
"Sir, please! You can't do that!"
"But it landed on seventeen! I saw it with my own eyes!!"
"Honestly!"
"No matter what you say…"
"I swear it landed on seventeen, then it bounced out! What kind of trick is this?!"
"That's impossible, sir~"
Frustrated that the ball had slipped from the number he bet on, Natsu angrily protested, Happy at his side egging him on.
Gray, meanwhile, laughed aloud at the spectacle while spinning a slot machine.
"Hah! Unbelievable… what a hopeless idiot."
"Gray-sama."
"Hm?"
As he turned at the sound of a woman's voice, his hand froze on the slot handle.
The sight before him made Gray's eyes widen in shock.
A girl with hair the clear blue of water, eyes the same hue, and skin pale as porcelain. She wore a low-cut black dress, a pendant at her throat fashioned like the Fairy Tail emblem.
"Juvia has come."
"Wha—?! Y-you… y-you're… eh?!"
It was Juvia. Until recently, one of Phantom Lord's Element 4—
Now standing before Gray with flushed cheeks, looking at him as though entranced.
While Gray was momentarily lost to Juvia's sudden appearance, Natsu was still locked in his squabble with the dealer. Then, a new voice cut in.
"I know what I saw! You can't fool my eyes!!"
"Boy… an adult's playground should be enjoyed with dandy style."
"Huh…?!"
"Square Gentleman?!"
Both Natsu and Happy gawked, jaws hanging open, as they turned to face the stranger.
His entire body—face included—was made up of sharp, square lines.
To see a figure like something out of an old game suddenly in reality… it was impossible not to be stunned.
The man twirled in his chair with a smooth spin, before sliding closer to Natsu.
"Boy, let me teach you something. A man only has two paths to walk… To live dandy… or to stand still, and die."
"Kh—!!"
The man suddenly spun toward Natsu, pulling out a gun and shoving it straight into his mouth.
The sight of the armed stranger made everyone in the casino scream and bolt for the exits.
Natsu, still with the barrel wedged between his teeth, looked up at him with wide, confused eyes, muffled words tumbling out.
"Wha…! What the—?! You…!!"
....
"You heard the news, didn't you? Phantom Lord's been disbanded."
"Yes."
While Natsu was under attack, at the far end of the casino Gray had sat down at the bar with Juvia.
Her sudden appearance had startled him, and for a moment he braced himself—wondering if she'd come for revenge after Phantom Lord's fall. But faced with Juvia's desperate pleading just to talk, his guard eased, and he agreed to hear her out.
"Juvia is now a free wizard."
"Whoa… And so now you want to join Fairy Tail?"
"Juvia… wants to join~"
"But… after everything that happened… I don't mind, but I'm not sure what Master will say…"
Fairy Tail was generally open about new members, but considering the two guilds had only just fought a life-or-death battle, Gray wasn't sure Makarov would allow it. He voiced the concern cautiously.
Juvia, delighted that Gray was worried for her, pressed close, looping her arm through his and pouting sweetly.
"Juvia will do anything~"
"That's not really up to me…"
"Hyaah?!!"
"Ah—!?"
Their conversation was cut short when a massive, scarred hand came crashing in, striking Juvia across the face and sending her tumbling to the floor.
Gray froze in shock for half a second—then his expression twisted into fury as he turned on the intruder.
"You bastard—!!"
"You're Gray Fullbuster, aren't you?"
The man towering over him was built like a mountain of muscle, clad in desert-style garb. His most striking feature was his jaw—reinforced with a steel brace like a crude medical device. One eye was hidden under a dark eyepatch as he stared down at Gray like he was trash.
"Where's Erza?"
"Erza…?"
....
At the center of the casino, the poker tables were alive with cheers and curses.
And there sat Erza, dominating the game—piling up chips hand after hand.
Watching from the side, Lucy clung to her arm, eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Amazing, Erza!"
"Heh… looks like luck's on my side today."
The dealer wiped sweat from his brow as he prepared to shuffle again—only to be quietly replaced by another, more flamboyantly dressed dealer.
Confident, Erza leaned back and declared to her opponents, "Right now, I won't lose to anyone."
"Yeah, no kidding~," Lucy chimed in.
The new dealer, flashing a theatrical grin as he flourished the cards, made his offer.
"Then how about we play… a special game?"
"A special game?"
"Yes. This time, the wager isn't coins… it's your life."
With those words, the dealer flicked cards toward Erza.
On the back of the cards dealt to her were letters, one by one spelling out a single word:
D – E – A – T – H
[DEATH]
Erza's eyes locked onto the dealer's face. Her expression stiffened, and cold sweat began to run down her cheek.
"Erza… sis."
"...Sho."
Lucy, startled by Erza's sudden unease, tilted her head, ready to ask who this man was—but before she could get a word out, Erza and Sho were already speaking.
"Sho…"
"It's been a long time, sis."
"Wha—?! Huh?!"
"You… survived?"
"Survived?"
The atmosphere grew heavier, sending a shiver down Lucy's spine. She quickly looked back and forth between them, trying to grasp what was happening.
Erza trembled, staring at Sho as if haunted, while Sho glared back at her with eyes full of resentment.
And then—suddenly—the entire casino went dark.
"What… what the—?! It's pitch black!"
"What's going on?!"
Erza and Lucy reached out blindly, fumbling in the dark to confirm each other's presence. Just as their eyes began to adjust—light flared back to life.
But Sho was no longer in front of them. Erza whipped her head around, scanning the room in panic.
"Sho?! Where—"
"Over here, sis."
The voice came from behind them.
When they turned, Sho stood there, both hands full of cards which he flung across the floor.
And inside those cards weren't ordinary suits or numbers—people from the casino had been sealed within them.
Lucy gasped and rushed forward to grab one of the cards, but ropes suddenly shot out, coiling tightly around her body.
"Kyaaaah! Wh—what is this?!"
"Lucy!"
The one who had captured her stepped out from the shadows. A girl with catlike features who greeted Erza with a mocking grin.
"Meow~ Been a while, hasn't it?"
"Milliana? You… you have magic too…?"
"Long time no see, Erza~"
"What are you doing?! Lucy is my comrade!"
"Comrade? Meow~?"
"We were comrades once too, weren't we, sis?"
Lucy's eyes went wide as she looked back at Erza. She could hardly believe it—these people knew Erza… and claimed to have once been her comrades.
Erza, flustered and shaken, could only stammer, unable to give Lucy an explanation.
Then Sho's voice cut in sharply, his eyes filled with bitterness as he glared at her.
"Until you betrayed us, sis."
Erza's breath caught, and she turned her face away, trembling.
"Erza…?"
[Don't torment Erza too much, Sho.]
A voice suddenly echoed through the air. Then, geometric blocks clattered together, forming the figure of a man whose entire body was square-shaped.
Lucy shrieked, swallowing hard at the bizarre sight.
Erza, however, seemed to recognize him—and cried out in shock.
"You've gotten quite… stylish."
"T-that voice… Wally?!"
"It's no surprise you didn't recognize me. Compared to back when I was called 'Mad Dog Wally,' I've mellowed out quite a bit."
"You… you use magic too…?"
"No need to look so surprised."
No sooner had Wally spoken than a massive figure dropped down from above, riding the wind as he landed with a heavy thud.
"Anyone can use magic if they learn the trick of it. Isn't that right, Erza?"
"Simon?!"
The towering man—Simon—glared at Erza as he casually tossed bound Lucy to the floor like a sack.
Lucy's heart raced. She couldn't understand what was happening.
Erza knew these people. And they clearly knew her.
But that was all she knew—leaving her with nothing but confusion and dread.
"Erza… who are these guys?! And why do they keep calling you their sister?!"
Erza's lips trembled, but no words came. Her face was twisted with pain.
Sho smirked arrogantly, answering in her place.
"She's not our blood sister. She's our former comrade."
"Comrade…? But Erza's been in Fairy Tail since she was a child!"
"That was… before Fairy Tail."
Beads of sweat slid down Erza's face as her old comrades closed in. She clenched her fists, torn between joy and dread. They were alive—but they were also chains from her darkest past.
"Why are you here…? Let Lucy go."
But her plea fell on deaf ears.
"We've come to take you back, Erza."
"Meow~!"
"Come with us, sis."
It wasn't a request. It was a threat.
Wally raised the barrel of his strange gun and aimed it at Lucy's head.
Lucy let out a terrified scream.
"Stop! Leave her alone!" Erza shouted.
But before she could act, a tranquilizer round struck her from behind. Her body swayed, then collapsed to the floor unconscious.
"Erza!!" Lucy screamed.
"Don't panic," Wally said coldly. "It's just a sleeping round."
"Target secured. Let's return."
Simon hefted Erza's limp body onto his shoulder as Lucy thrashed against her bonds.
"Wait—! Where are you taking Erza?! Bring her back!!"
Her cries echoed through the casino, but her captors didn't even glance her way.
"Meow~?"
"Kyaaaaaah!"
The cat-girl, Millianna, tightened the magical ropes binding Lucy, cutting off her air. In moments, Lucy slumped unconscious.
With the situation under control, Wally pulled something from his personal pocket-dimension and tossed it toward Millianna.
"Ah, Millianna. A gift."
"Nyah! A kitty, a kitty~!"
It was Happy. She hugged him gleefully, ignoring Lucy's distress.
"Millianna, restrain Erza."
"Meow~! Leave it to me!"
"…Millianna, I'm counting on you."
Sho, who only moments ago had glared at Erza with killing intent, now gazed at her unconscious form with tears welling in his eyes. His face softened into something almost childlike.
"Sis… you're finally coming back to us. Back to the Tower of Heaven… Jellal will be so glad."
...
At that very moment, in the Council headquarters ERA…
Siegrain watched with satisfaction as Ciel's spectral form broke apart into particles of light, dissolving into nothingness.
Ultear, seeing his expression, gave a sly smile.
"My, my, isn't that a little cold? He may have complained the whole year, but he still served us faithfully until the end."
"It doesn't matter. It was just a performance. The only thing that mattered was removing Ciel Illusian, the greatest obstacle to my plan."
Turning away from where Ciel's essence had almost fully dissipated, Siegrain gazed out the tall window at the night sky. With his greatest hindrance gone, the weight on his chest lifted.
Ultear tilted her head, laughing softly, as though peering into his thoughts.
"Oh ho… I didn't expect you to be this pleased about eliminating one nuisance. To be honest, I was disappointed—it was far too easy."
"No… we should be grateful it was so easy," Siegrain answered, his earlier smirk giving way to deadly seriousness. "He was no ordinary ghost. In the Books of Zeref, he was listed as a threat not to be underestimated… the only one to ever force Zeref into a struggle. A wizard who wielded the Phantom Dragon-Slaying Magic. If Zeref returns, Ciel would have been his greatest danger. Better that he's erased now."
Ultear's smile widened, her voice dripping with amusement.
"You're right. Without him, there's nothing left to topple the world you and Zeref will create. All the better."
"On to the next stage," Siegrain declared coldly. "It's time to bring this deadly race to its conclusion."
Together, Siegrain and Ultear left the chamber, the door shutting quietly behind them.
The moment they were gone, Ciel's disintegrating body—reduced to little more than a mouth—curved into the faintest of smiles.
Then, at last, he vanished completely.
---------------
If you want to read 10 advance chapters ahead.
Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Leonzky