Chapter 55: Battle of Fairy Tail, The Beginning of the Duel (1)
After the events at the Tower of Heaven ended, we returned to the guild.
With a sorrowful face, Erza told everyone through her tears that Simon and Ciel had sacrificed themselves—merging with Etherion's magic and burning away their very souls.
Hearing that, we too sank into gloom at the hotel for a while.
Erza explained that Ciel had already died long ago, yet remained in this world as a spirit, quietly protecting Fairy Tail from the shadows.
Even the Council aide "Mukuro" we'd once met during the Lullaby incident—was actually Ciel all along.
That revelation shocked Natsu and Gray like some kind of twist, but… in the end, we had lost Ciel all over again.
Erza also parted ways with her former comrades—Shou, Wally, and Millianna.
They turned down her offer to join Fairy Tail.
They didn't want to be controlled or live under anyone else anymore.
Shou said they wanted to find true freedom with their own hands. Hearing that, we saw them off.
Thus the great incident at the Tower of Heaven came to an end.
It was supposed to be a vacation, but… it hardly felt like one.
After all we'd been through, our bodies were more exhausted than relaxed.
But once we put the mood behind us and returned to the guild, we were thrilled to see how much it had changed.
Compared to the old building, it was unbelievably stylish—and even non–S-Class wizards could now access the second floor.
And there was even a swimming pool inside!
It barely felt like a tavern anymore.
Just as the guild had changed, new developments awaited us.
First, Juvia officially joined Fairy Tail.
Right after the Tower of Heaven incident, she immediately went to apply—and Master ended up accepting her.
I also thought, if it's Juvia, then there's no problem having her as a comrade.
Another new member joined alongside her.
It was Gajeel—the strongest wizard of Phantom Lord, and the very one who had destroyed our guild.
Everyone was wary about him joining, but surprisingly, he seemed to have an unexpectedly interesting side.
It's hard to get close to him yet, but time will take care of that.
Mother, Father even came to see me.
I was shocked to learn that he'd squandered the family's entire fortune and lost everything, but at least Mother's grave had been properly placed in a cemetery, which gave me some relief.
Since I'd never cared about the family fortune to begin with, I actually felt lighter. But Father… he still seemed unable to let go of his attachment to money.
Part of me thought foolishly, I'd have been better off never having parents like this. But when I thought he was in danger, I rushed in and ended up taking down a bank robber.
It turned out all of it had been a misunderstanding.
Father hadn't arrived at the bank at all—he'd walked all the way from Magnolia to the merchant guild, and was late.
But realizing he'd changed little by little along that long walk, and hearing his apology… it left me strangely embarrassed.
Maybe one day, with time, Father and I can get along again…
Until then, Mother, I'll write again.
....
"Fwaaahm, that's it for the letters I'd been putting off~!"
"Good work, Lucy~!"
"But why are you two in my room?! Sleeping on my bed, no less!!"
I shouted at Natsu, sprawled out on my bed refusing to get up, and Happy sitting casually beside him.
I understood they'd dropped by to retrieve the scarf I'd mistakenly taken, but why did they have to sleep here of all places?!
"I'll give the scarf back! So get out already!!"
"That was from Igneel…"
"Here, take—huh?"
I handed the scarf to Happy and tried to shake Natsu awake—only to see his face twisted in pain, sweat dripping down as he slept fitfully.
"Hey… is Natsu okay?" I asked Happy.
"Aye! This happened before too. Back then it was after he ate Laxus's lightning."
"So he can't eat magic that isn't fire… well, magic isn't supposed to be eaten at all."
It looked like the side effects from eating Ciel's mist had finally caught up to Natsu.
Dragon Slayers could gain a huge surge in strength and stamina when eating elements tied to their own attribute… but consuming another element might actually poison them instead.
Then why had he eaten Laxus's lightning back then?
"But why Laxus's lightning?"
"Natsu challenged him once. Of course, he got knocked out in an instant~!"
"He's… that strong? This Laxus…?"
I had thought of him as arrogant and selfish, but someone roughly on par with Erza.
But Erza hadn't been able to knock Natsu out so easily… If he lost that quickly, then just how strong was Laxus really?
"In my opinion, besides Ciel and Gildarts, Laxus is probably the strongest. Ah—Gildarts is that guy everyone calls 'the old man.'"
Happy cheerfully answered my question by listing Fairy Tail's strongest candidates.
I already knew that Ciel was acknowledged by Master himself as the guild's strongest, but apparently there was also someone named Gildarts. If those two weren't around, then the strongest was Laxus?
Just how powerful was that man…?
"Ah… but there's also Erza. And there are rumors that Mystogan is really strong too. Plus, Mirajane used to be terrifying in the past. She was called 'Satan Soul.'"
"S-Satan Soul?! Mirajane?!"
"If we held a 'Strongest in Fairy Tail' tournament, who do you think would win? It'd be amazing to see~!"
"I don't like the idea of family competing against each other."
Sure, figuring out who's stronger sounds fine in theory, but to actually settle it through real fighting among guildmates who are family… that feels wrong.
Natsu, Gray, and Erza often bicker or spar, but if they were to seriously fight each other, Magnolia itself wouldn't survive.
That Mirajane had once been strong enough to be called "Satan Soul" was news to me… but guessing that she changed because of some misfortune that befell her left me feeling a little bitter.
There are times when grief over losing loved ones can rob you of the will to fight.
"Gray and Elfman are plenty strong too… and Gajeel and Juvia are no doubt powerful as well."
"See? See~? Everyone's strong~! Anyway, see you tomorrow~♡"
"Ah! I almost forgot—I wanted to give you this."
As I set Happy down by the window, he handed me a small flyer he had tucked into his pouch.
"Lucy, you said you were short on money, right?"
"Is it a job?"
"Not a job—but next week Magnolia's having a Harvest Festival, and Fairy Tail's participating. Look at the bottom right."
At his words, I looked down at the corner of the flyer. Inside a tiny heart-shaped frame was written:
'Miss Fairy Tail?!'
"Aye! It's a beauty contest for the women of Fairy Tail. The winner gets 500,000J (Jewel)."
"500,000?! That's seven months of rent?! This contest was made for me!!"
Miss Fairy Tail.
A competition meant for someone like me, the pinnacle of beauty!
Winning would secure seven months' rent and possibly get me scouted by a magazine—an opportunity to debut as a model.
A once-in-a-lifetime chance.
"Mirajane and Cana will probably enter, but you won't lose to them."
"What?! Mirajane too?! She even posed for Weekly Sorcerer! …Ha… but I'm younger! With my fresh charm… I've got a shot! I've definitely got a shot! 500,000J! I'll win Miss Fairy Tail no matter what!!"
"Oh? And didn't you just say something about not wanting family to compete?"
"Happy~♥ Want some fish?"
"Natsu, I think Lucy's selfish side is showing."
Perfect.
Miss Fairy Tail.
The time had come for my presence in the guild to truly shine.
I'll win—secure the rent, and claim my popularity!
....
Fiore Kingdom, northeastern forests.
Just a few weeks ago, this had been an ordinary plain filled with simple wildflowers and grass. But because of the aftermath of immense magical power, it had transformed into a vast forest.
Deep within this new woodland, inside a great tree hollowed out into a home, an old man—his form like a fusion of man and tree—handed a cup of soup to a man lying weakly in bed, propped up slightly.
"Here, here~, careful, it's hot."
"Yes."
"This soup was brewed from my very own hair!"
"Kufufufu… just a joke, of course."
"Well~ I'll take it as a joke then~."
The man, with his long hair undone so that he looked almost like a woman, was wearing a white silk nightgown.
The old man massaged his legs to check his condition, then, while the man sipped his soup, offered his own observations.
"Still, it's nothing short of a miracle. Three years ago… when you were blasted toward my home by that massive attack, your state was horrific. Aside from your left arm, everything was gone—your upper and lower halves cut apart, and your innards spilling out."
"Yes… at that moment, I had resigned myself to death. I never imagined I'd survive."
"You'd better be grateful to me! Luckily, I happened to have a seed of Yggdrasil on hand. If I hadn't, I might've just left you to die… just kidding~!"
"I will never forget that debt. I am always grateful."
"No need for thanks~. You're a wizard of Fairy Tail, aren't you? That makes you practically my junior, in a way."
The two of them spoke for a while, until another figure entered—Mystogan wearing his face tightly wrapped in cloth, completely hidden.
Seeing Mystogan, the old man turned to the recovering man with concern.
"You've only just woken up. Are you really going to leave so soon? Moving around in that body is still too much for you. Wouldn't it be wiser to undergo rehabilitation here before heading back?"
"I'll be fine. If possible, I'd like to return in time for the Harvest Festival."
"Oh-ho, the Harvest Festival is soon, isn't it…? Ah, that's right~!!"
At the mention of the festival, something came to the old man's mind. He dashed into his storeroom and came back carrying several items, which he set down on the floor.
The man and Mystogan tilted their heads in confusion, looking at the objects.
"…This is…?"
"Well, since it's the Harvest Festival, you need a flashy surprise entrance, don't you think? And since you still can't stand on your own, why not ride in this?"
"…But doesn't that mean I'll have to be dragged along?"
"Come now~! If you're the disciple, it's only right to let the master be assisted a little. You just have to pull it. And don't worry—I even attached wheels underneath in case you get tired."
"…"
"Kufufufu… Warlord Sequen, you really are a funny man. This could be entertaining."
"Right?"
"…You're seriously asking me to drag this all the way to Magnolia…" Mystogan muttered skeptically.
The old man, however, spoke firmly.
"This may not look like much, but it's made from a part of Yggdrasil itself. By the time you arrive in Magnolia, your muscles should have loosened, and you'll be able to move about freely again."
"…"
"You heard him, Mystogan. Then, I'll be in your care for a while."
"…But if we encounter another Anima like before while we're traveling—"
"Don't worry. Even if moving my body is difficult, I can still create a solid form to fight if necessary."
With their agreement settled, the man and Mystogan both nodded, beginning preparations to depart.
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