Jellal gazed deeply at Ankh for a long moment, the silence stretching between them. Finally, he spoke, his voice hoarse but filled with a new resolve.
"I think... I understand what I should do now."
Ankh smiled knowingly. Jellal was indeed clever—there was no need for further explanation.
Meanwhile, Erza and Makarov watched this cryptic exchange, completely baffled.
They looked back and forth between the two men, wondering what silent agreement had just been reached.
Jellal was a versatile talent. Not only was his combat prowess formidable, but his political insight was exceptionally sharp.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to infiltrate the Council through his own abilities and gradually lead the council members toward ruin from the inside.
During his time undercover as "Siegrain," Jellal had clearly seen through the rigid, decaying operational patterns of the magic world.
Simply put, he looked down on the Council.
And he couldn't be blamed.
Practically every Mage at the Wizard Saints level had their own criticisms of the governing body.
It wasn't about questioning the management system itself; while somewhat outdated, the current structure remained relatively effective.
What dissatisfied these heavyweights was the Council's timid, autocratic approach.
The Council had been in power for too long.
Though they deployed forces against Dark Guilds, their efforts paled in comparison to their internal power struggles and their obsession with suppressing independent guild alliances.
Moreover, the Council had never produced a true insider who reached the Wizard Saints level of power.
This made their authority fundamentally mismatched with their actual capabilities.
This turned the Forbidden Magic meant to serve as their deterrent—like the Etherion—into a case of "a child holding a loaded gun."
The Council believed these were their sharpest blades, sufficient to confront any threat on the continent.
Little did they know that dark forces, with their ruthless methods, could easily seize the Council's weapons and turn them against their very hearts.
Jellal's own manipulation of the Etherion served as the perfect example of this vulnerability.
The day would inevitably come when the Council lost all their trump cards, and leadership of the magic world in ishgar would naturally change hands.
But by the time that day arrived, the apocalypse would probably be imminent.
"I want to build my own power," Jellal murmured, his eyes sharpening. "I will bear the accusations, walk in the shadows, and eradicate the dark forces that the Council cannot touch."
Jellal finally made up his mind.
He gazed intently at Ankh's face and said solemnly, "Turn me over to the Council. I'll escape on my own when the time is right, without implicating any of you."
Ankh smiled faintly and replied, "Don't worry. It shouldn't be long before someone comes looking for you."
Jellal showed a puzzled expression for a moment, but then he seemed to realize something.
He looked at Ankh with a complicated, searching gaze.
"Ankh... just how much do you know about me?"
"You guess." Ankh glanced at Erza beside him and shrugged. "I'm just helping you for my sister's sake."
Jellal turned his head slowly.
"Erza..."
His eyes dimmed, his voice carrying a tone of deep, low-spirited guilt.
"I haven't had the chance to say this to you yet. I'm sorry."
During his dark phase, to trap Sho and the others, Jellal had slandered Erza and then let her escape alone.
He had caused Erza to lose her sense of security, forcing her to lock away her heart behind armor for years.
If Erza hadn't joined Fairy Tail, opened her heart, and shed her defenses... Or if the "heaven-sent brother" Ankh hadn't appeared out of nowhere to give her a sense of security... Erza, no matter how talented she was, might have inevitably taken the wrong path or broken under the pressure.
So, even though Jellal had now been redeemed, whenever Ankh remembered this, he couldn't help but feel his hands itch with the urge to punch him again.
But fortunately, after enduring multiple hardships, Erza had successfully conquered the darkness.
She had lived up to expectations and been crowned the Titania.
Erza looked at the self-blaming Jellal.
She merely smiled lightly and calmly said, "It's all in the past, isn't it?"
Jellal looked at Erza, somewhat surprised by her forgiveness.
Erza laughed with a clear voice. She raised a finger, quoting something from her memory.
"Brother once said: 'If I wish for it, fate will definitely stand on my side!'"
Ankh froze.
But Etza keep talking passionately, "Now, I give these words to you, Jellal. Since fate cannot be changed, then go conquer it! Obsessing over the past will only make you sink in the mire. Setting foot on the path you have decided is what we should do!"
Hearing Erza's confident, slightly dramatic words, Jellal was stunned.
Then, he lowered his head and chuckled softly.
"It seems Ankh really taught you a lot."
Makarov listened thoughtfully.
He leaned over and patted Ankh's calf while whispering, "You taught Erza these things? Impressive."
Hearing Makarov's teasing him, Ankh didn't respond. His mouth corner twitched uncontrollably.
At this moment, Ankh was feeling an internal collapse.
'Those were pretentious lines I came up with on a whim during childhood!' Ankh screamed internally.
'Why did Erza remember them so clearly?!'
'Wait!'
Ankh suddenly remembered he had previously quoted many lines from a certain "Heaven's Path" show-off protagonist from his previous life's TV shows to entertain her when they were kids.
Could this girl have learned them all by heart?
Thinking of this, Ankh couldn't help but imagine Erza's future battle scenes: Enemies facing off, Erza slowly sheathing her sword, then using cold eyes to watch the falling enemy, raising her hand expressionlessly against the sun, pointing to the sky...
This scene was full of pretentious, chunibyo flavor...
Ankh looked at Erza, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Erza, clearly in a much brighter mood now, said proudly, "Although my brother is sometimes weird, what he says is indeed quite meaningful."
Ankh finally snapped.
He lightly slapped the back of Erza's head and said fiercely, "Get lost! When have I ever been weird?"
After this commotion, the atmosphere in the room became much more harmonious.
Then, Ankh and the Master secretly discussed a couple more logistical details regarding the handover.
After sorting out Jellal's mindset, and following the mandatory orders from the new Council Chairman, Makarov led Jellal out of the cell to personally transport him to the custody team.
Watching the two figures gradually receding into the distance, a smile unconsciously bloomed across Erza's face.
"Jellal has found his own path," she said softly. "Sho, Wally, Millianna, and Simon... they have all embarked on their journey too. It seems everyone has found their own way now."
Ankh stretched lazily, grinning as he remarked, "Then you'd better work hard yourself, Erza. Lest someone surpasses you while you're feeling sentimental."
Erza immediately regained her fighting spirit, clutching her fist.
"Don't worry! I'll be waiting for their challenges!"
Ankh chuckled lightly before turning to head back toward the main guild hall.
Seeing this, Erza quickly stepped forward to support the "injured patient" again.
However, as they reached the garden behind the guild, the peace was broken.
Noisy, angry voices could be heard coming from beneath the giant tree in the courtyard.
"Why did you call me here? I still have work to do."
Gajeel stood there, his unruly face showing clear impatience.
He chewed on a piece of scrap iron as he glared sharply at the people before him.
Shadow Gear stood under the tree.
Levy McGarden was timidly leaning against the trunk, looking anxious. But Jet and Droy stood in front of her, protesting angrily.
"How dare the one who attacked our guild say such things!" Jet shouted. "You destroyed our hall!"
Gajeel snorted coldly, his voice low and dismissive. "How petty."
At these words, Jet and Droy's expressions immediately darkened.
As some of the first injured in the conflict and the catalyst for the Phantom War, Shadow Gear held the deepest resentment toward Phantom Lord among all guild members.
However, Levy's gentle nature and Gajeel's subsequent joining of the guild made her reluctant to dwell on past grievances.
She quickly tried to intervene.
"Jet, Droy... please..."
"Levy!" Before she could continue, Jet cut her off indignantly.
Both he and Droy declared heatedly, stepping toward the Iron Dragon Slayer.
"This matter between us needs to be settled once and for all!"
Watching from the walkway nearby, Erza frowned with concern.
She stepped forward. "We should stop them before they really start fighting. Gajeel might hurt them again."
Ankh extended an arm, blocking Erza's path. He leaned against a pillar, watching the scene with a faint smile.
"Let them be," Ankh said. "In our guild, fighting is the norm. How can friendship grow without a few fights? Let them punch it out."
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