— — — — — —
"I've got no strength left. I can't even stand."
Erza collapsed onto the ground, forcing a bitter smile. The nonstop battles had drained every last drop of her magic and stamina. Her body was already soaked in blood. Before Kazuma arrived, she'd been holding herself upright on sheer willpower alone.
But now that she saw him relax, the strength left her completely. She couldn't stand anymore.
"I'll carry you."
Kazuma stepped forward and lifted Erza onto his back. Instead of ordering the shadow soldiers to take them away, he walked out step by step himself.
---
Out of the Tower of Heaven. Off the island.
Standing above the sea, Kazuma turned back and swung his blade.
In an instant, the island that held the Tower of Heaven was cleaved apart. Flames surged out, burning everything to ash. The prison that had bound Erza for her entire life vanished just like that.
"If you want to cry, then cry," Kazuma said softly. "But starting tomorrow, don't forget to face life with a smile. You have us, after all."
With Erza on his back, he walked toward the small boat waiting in the distance. Happy was already there, waving at them.
Erza didn't answer. She buried her face into Kazuma's back and cried silently. Maybe she was grieving for the pain of the past. Maybe she was happy about the life waiting for her tomorrow.
Either way, right now she just wanted to let it all out.
Kazuma brought Erza and Happy to the nearest city. A doctor treated and bandaged her wounds. After that, he bought train tickets back and gave Erza some private time to say goodbye to her old companions.
"Aye, Kazuma," Happy asked while they sat in the waiting room, swinging his legs. "Why didn't we just whoosh back with your magic?"
"Simple," Kazuma said. "Erza needs some time to sort out her feelings."
"Oh."
Then Happy asked again, "Kazuma, Natsu is okay, right?"
"He's fine," Kazuma replied. "He's back at the guild already, waiting for us."
"Aye." Happy nodded hard. "It hasn't even been that long, but I really miss everyone at the guild. And I really miss my grilled fish!"
"When we get back, I'll have Erza buy you some," Kazuma said with a grin. "As much as you can eat."
"Eat… eat till I'm full?!"
Happy imagined himself surrounded by piles of grilled fish. His eyes instantly turned into fish shapes, and drool started pouring out of his mouth.
...
Not long after, Erza returned. Together, they boarded the train back to Fairy Tail.
"Kazuma, thank you," Erza said quietly, sitting across from him. "Thank you. Really."
Tears welled up in her eyes again, but she was smiling as she spoke.
"Don't just thank me with words," Kazuma said bluntly. "At least give me something real as payment."
"Um…" Erza thought very seriously about it. "Then… how about I give you all the armor I've collected?"
Her tone was sincere. The armor she'd gathered over the years was her most valuable possession. If there was anything worthy of repaying Kazuma, it was that.
"I don't need armor," Kazuma said. "Keep it."
"Then money?" Erza asked immediately. "I don't have much cash right now, but I can write you an IOU. I swear I'll pay it all back as soon as possible."
That was just who she was. Straightforward, earnest, and genuinely trying to repay him.
"Don't be ridiculous," Kazuma said, his expression turning serious. "Your life can't be measured with money. Let's just say you owe me another favor."
"…Okay," Erza nodded. "You saved my life. From today on, my life belongs to you."
She now owed Kazuma two life debts. For someone like Erza, who valued loyalty and obligation so deeply, that meant everything.
She had to find a way to repay him someday. The problem was, Kazuma didn't seem like someone who needed help with anything.
They chatted back and forth, and before they knew it, they were back at the guild.
No one knew the full story, but seeing Erza return safely made everyone breathe a sigh of relief and break into smiles.
"Erza, you scared us to death!"
"I'm sorry," Erza said. "This was something personal, so I made a selfish choice. It won't happen again."
"Erza!" Lucy ran over and hugged her tightly, crying. "Thank goodness you're okay!"
Lucy felt the most guilty about Erza being taken. After all, she'd been captured as a hostage at the time.
"Yeah," Erza said softly, looking around at everyone. "I'm really glad I'm okay."
She smiled at her guildmates. The shadows of the past were finally gone.
But her life as a member of Fairy Tail would go on.
While everyone crowded around Erza to celebrate her return, Mira pulled Kazuma aside.
"So, is everything finally over?" she asked, pouring him a drink.
"Not even close," Kazuma said with a smile. "This time, I'm going to hit the Magic Council hard. Those guys seriously don't keep their schedules."
"Contact Yakoda from the Big News Press," he continued. "Tell her I've got a huge scoop about the Magic Council."
Kazuma's smile widened. The Magic Council had never liked Fairy Tail, and he'd disliked them for just as long.
This mess they'd caused was big enough to bring the whole thing crashing down.
"You're really…" Mira hesitated, uneasy. "Shouldn't you talk to the master about this first?"
That smile of his made her feel like things were about to explode. If the master found out, his blood pressure would skyrocket.
"Of course I'll talk to him," Kazuma said calmly. "Without the master's ridiculous connections, how do you think we're going to control the aftermath?"
He knew the Magic Council would be dissolved, but it wouldn't stay gone forever. The council was deeply tied to the kingdoms and the guild system. Most of the time it was useless, like a decoration, but without it, communication between all sides would fall apart.
"…Sigh." Mira sighed and contacted the owner of Big News Press, telling her they had a major scoop, then gave the "phone" to Kazuma.
[Big News owner: "I'm already dead. Please don't contact me again."]
[Kazuma: "I've got a huge, top-secret story about the Magic Council. Interested?"]
[Big News owner: "Absolutely! I'll send Yakoda over right now!"]
[Kazuma: "What's going on over there? Why do I keep hearing explosions? And that magic is all over the place."]
[Big News owner: "It's fine. We exposed a hidden secret earlier, and the organization involved sent people to assassinate me. I'm just finishing the draft."]
[Big News owner: "Alright, if there's nothing else, I'm hanging up."]
Kazuma thought about Big News Press's usual style. They were always digging up massive scandals, yet somehow they were still alive. That alone was impressive.
"Contact the master next," Kazuma said.
"Okay."
Mira started the call.
"Mira, don't worry," Makarov's voice came through. "I've already figured out where Erza was taken. I'm gathering people and heading out to rescue her right now!"
"Master, you don't need to," Mira said quickly. "Erza's already back. Kazuma brought her home."
"Kazuma? That little brat is back?" Makarov froze. "Wait, that doesn't make sense. How did he find her so fast? Where did he even get the intel?"
"I didn't have any intel," Kazuma replied casually. "I just had the shadow soldiers search everywhere at once. Didn't take long to find her."
"So having tons of magic really lets you act this recklessly, huh," Makarov muttered.
"Sorry about that," Kazuma said cheerfully. "Having a lot of magic really does mean you can do whatever you want. Oh right, old man, there's something we need your help with."
"What do you mean, 'ask for my help'?" Makarov snorted. "You're all my kids. Helping you is what I'm supposed to do."
"Did you break something while saving Erza? Don't worry about it. If the Magic Council comes knocking, I'll take the blame!"
"Nope," Kazuma said. "This time, it's not their turn to blame us. It's our turn to blame them."
He explained the situation to Makarov and then laid out his plan.
"The Magic Council screwed up big time by letting an undercover agent use a weapon of mass destruction. Public trust is going to hit rock bottom. The people, other guilds, even the kingdoms won't believe in them anymore."
"I've already contacted the media. Before long, the Magic Council is going to be forced to dissolve."
"What we need now is a clean, legitimate way to plant our own people inside. Master, this is where your unbeatable connections come in."
"…You little punk," Makarov said slowly. "Don't tell me you're planning to become a member of the Magic Council."
Makarov suddenly felt his heart acting up. He'd only gone out to gather some information. How did things escalate this far already?
He'd thought the worst case would be the Council interrogating Fairy Tail again. But now they were turning the tables and going after the Magic Council itself?
"I'm not joining," Kazuma said. "I've got the strength, but not the seniority. And I don't have the time for Council nonsense anyway."
"All those meetings? I'd get sick of it in no time."
"Phew, that's a relief," Makarov said, letting out a breath. "Looks like I misunderstood. At least you're still sensible."
"The target isn't me," Kazuma continued. "It's you."
"First, you're one of the officially recognized Ten Wizard Saints. Your power and reputation speak for themselves."
"Second, you're the master of Fairy Tail, the number one guild in the Kingdom of Fiore. That status alone carries weight."
"Third, you're almost eighty years old. Eighty. How many people are older than you, really?"
"And most importantly, you already have connections inside the Council. Get them to give you a push and that seat is guaranteed."
Kazuma's voice was calm and persuasive, like a devil whispering temptations straight into Makarov's ear, slowly pulling him into a whirlpool.
"Think about it, old man. Once you're on the Magic Council, our guild won't get lectured every other day anymore. And those compensation bills? We could probably get them discounted."
"Just picture yourself sitting there during meetings."
As Makarov listened, images started forming in his head. To his own surprise, he felt a strange sense of longing.
"No, no! Stop right there!" he snapped, shaking his head hard as he came back to his senses. "You almost dragged me into your mess!"
"If I join the Magic Council, what happens to the guild? Who's going to run it?"
"I will," Kazuma said immediately.
"You go enjoy your retirement at the Council. I'll take over your job. Everybody wins."
"You little brat, your fox tail finally showed!" Makarov roared. "I knew this couldn't be that simple!"
"Fine," he said, clutching his chest to keep his heart from racing out of control. "If I hand the guild over to you, what's the first thing you'd do?"
"Step one?" Kazuma said without hesitation. "Unify every single guild in the kingdom."
"Either they become part of us, or... they get completely absorbed. No third option."
He slammed his hand on the table. Mira and Makarov both jumped, but what came next shocked them even more.
"That's just the first step. Step two is rebellion. We turn this kingdom into a magic kingdom."
"Step three, we absorb other continents. And in the end, we rule the world."
"I've got the strength. I've got the confidence. All I'm missing is time."
Flames burned in Kazuma's eyes. He wasn't joking. He was dead serious, and he truly believed he could pull it off.
He already had a massive foundation from other worlds. The lolis from the Black Bullet world. The Dragons, Demons, and Humans with terrifying physical strength from Beelzebub.
As for Miko Yotsuya and the others, forget it. They could be the cheer squad.
What Kazuma lacked now wasn't power, but the right moment. A moment to minimize casualties and take control of the kingdom smoothly.
"You… you…" Makarov stared at him. Even though he'd been mentally prepared, his heart still started pounding uncontrollably.
Not from fear.
Looking at Kazuma, listening to those bold, outrageous ambitions, he felt his blood heating up. He was actually tempted.
Fairy Tail had never been a well-behaved guild. It was full of problem children. And Makarov himself was a problem old man.
But the guild's goal wasn't this nonsense. So...
"Huh? The signal's bad. I didn't hear what you just said," Makarov suddenly said. "Anyway, I've got things to do. I'm hanging up."
After thinking it over, he decided to play dumb. He didn't oppose it, and he didn't encourage it either. He just pretended he'd heard nothing and cut the connection.
"Hehehe~," Mira laughed, narrowing her eyes. "Kazuma, you really scared the master just now. Be honest, were you serious?"
"Of course I was," Kazuma laughed. "Once I become king, I'll make you my princess. You can even be the Queen."
"Queen Mirajane?" Mira tilted her head. "That sounds kind of weird."
Then her expression turned a little worried. "But if you really do that, there'll be war, right? A lot of people would die."
"That's why we take it step by step," Kazuma said calmly. "We do everything we can to keep the losses at zero."
He lifted his drink and smiled.
No rush. He had plenty of time.
.
.
.