Arthur didn't bother with brute force. He needed Gajeel intact for political reasons, not destroyed.
He didn't remove his hand from the Iron Dragon Slayer's shoulder. Instead, he channeled a tiny fraction of his Authority of Sloth, not to induce laziness, but to impose Conceptual Bind.
Gajeel's every thought—move, attack, resist—was instantly and silently overwritten with the concept of "Stillness."
The fearsome Dragon Slayer was utterly immobilized, his piercings shimmering as his own immense Iron Dragon Slayer Magic uselessly struggled against the absolute, non-negotiable command imposed by a Cosmic True Dragon. His eyes remained wide, reflecting pure terror at the realization that a single touch had rendered him completely inert.
Arthur then turned his focus to the Shadow Gear team—Levy, Jet, and Droy—who were frozen in horrified anticipation.
"Let's go,"
Arthur said simply, creating a rapid, localized Warp Gate around the four of them.
They materialized directly outside the Fairy Tail Guild Hall. Levy, Jet, and Droy immediately sagged in relief.
"Thank you so much, Arthur-san!"
Levy exclaimed, her voice thick with gratitude. Jet and Droy, equally relieved, nodded profusely. They were an intelligent unit, not a combat team. If they had faced a Dragon Slayer, they truly wouldn't have survived.
Arthur wasn't just a strong S-Class mage to them; his vast, accessible knowledge of potions, magic items, and conceptual magic made him their idol. The Celestial Forge was like a revered sister guild, and Arthur was their protective elder brother.
"No problem at all,"
Arthur replied, his voice warm.
"It is my duty to look out for friends."
They looked around and saw the grim reality of the ongoing war: the Fairy Tail Guild Hall had been completely ravaged, covered in the massive, dark sigil of the Phantom Lord Guild.
Natsu and Gray, who had been raging against the wreckage inside, immediately rushed out, driven by the scent of Arthur and the sight of Levy's safe return.
"Arthur! You come at the right time. We should go and beat that guild up!"
Natsu roared, his fists crackling with fire.
"That's right, please speak to our Guild Master! We can't let them do whatever they please!"
Gray demanded, ready for war.
Before Arthur could speak, the three members of Shadow Gear, seeing the destruction, rushed over to him, pointing at the captive Gajeel.
"Arthur-san, who is that?"
Levy asked, still shaken.
"I have captured someone who was trying to ambush Levy's team,"
Arthur announced to the entire, swelling crowd of Fairy Tail mages.
"If I hadn't intervened in time, they would have been badly hurt."
Hearing that someone had targeted their non-combat, intelligent team made the blood of every Fairy Tail mage boil. Destroying property was one thing; beating combat mages in a fair fight was reasonable. But doing something to the non-combat, strategic members was a line that Phantom Lord had violently crossed.
"I will speak with Makarov. Don't do anything stupid yet,"
Arthur commanded, his tone containing just enough of his dragonic authority to momentarily override their vengeful instincts.
Arthur brought the immobilized Gajeel and the recovered Levy, Jet, and Droy into the half-destroyed hall. He looked at the wreckage—the shattered walls, the splintered tables—and simply snapped his finger.
A pulse of his Reality Blending flowed into the structure. The chaos did not rewind; the damage was simply conceptually nullified. The guild hall became, instantly and seamlessly, as good as new. Makarov, who had just emerged, stared in dumbfounded silence.
Arthur escorted Gajeel directly to Makarov's office, the Iron Dragon Slayer still utterly inert.
"Master Makarov,"
Arthur began, placing Gajeel down like a piece of baggage.
"This mage is Gajeel Redfox, an Iron Dragon Slayer from Phantom Lord. He was sent to ambush Levy's team. I've contained him, and he represents a perfect source of political leverage."
Makarov's small frame sagged.
"Arthur, I appreciate the help, but this means war. And with the Council in shambles, I have no one to appeal to."
Arthur smiled.
"You have the Celestial Forge. We are your leverage."
As they spoke, entirely unbeknownst to them, the war had already escalated.
Jose Porla, the Master of Phantom Lord, didn't only focus his attack on the Fairy Tail Guild Hall. His true, coordinated target was Lucy Heartfilia, the runaway heiress of the powerful Heartfilia family.
And at that very moment, a second, more insidious attack was being launched:
The most elite members of the Phantom Lord Guild were already closing in on the Celestial Forge, where Lucy, happily relieved to be safe from the S-Class mission drama, was blissfully with Rimuru, playing with her digimon.
Lucy's association with Arthur's powerful guild had made her a prime, irresistible target for the full might of Phantom Lord.
Craze: Read up to chapter 500 at [email protected]/phelio