Rhodes, Mira, Erza, and Gildarts had already set off, with Rhodes handling transportation.
Meanwhile, Makarov led the mission to track down remnants of the Anima spell. Lisanna piloted their airship, accompanied by a few Fairy Tail members and several Exceeds.
Back in Magnolia, the remaining Exceeds stayed behind to help guard the city, led by none other than Queen Shagotte.
An agreement had been struck: Makarov promised to take the Exceeds to Earth Land, and if possible, he would also do everything in his power to rescue those of their kind who had been crystallized by the Anima process.
In truth, the help the Exceeds could offer was minimal. But the old man's heart was too kind to sit back and watch Happy's and Carla's people face annihilation. Whether it was exile or genocide, he couldn't turn a blind eye.
"Your Majesty, we've finished gathering the weapons and armor!" one Exceed reported.
"Distribute everything," Queen Shagotte instructed without hesitation.
"Yes, ma'am!"
The Exceeds immediately got to work, flying around the city, handing out gear to Magnolia's militia and volunteers.
Thanks to Happy and Carla's presence, the townspeople didn't find the talking, flying cats all that strange. These diligent, helpful Exceeds quickly won the hearts of the citizens with their earnest attitude and unique charm.
After overseeing the task distribution, Queen Shagotte finally allowed herself a short break. She walked over and quietly sat beside Panther Lily, who was resting with his arms crossed, bandaged and wrapped from earlier wounds.
"I'm sorry, Lily… about what happened back then," she said softly.
She had been there when Lily was branded a "Fallen Angel" and exiled.
Even back then, she had thought it was absurd to banish someone just for saving a human child. But for the safety of their entire race, their long-standing policy had been to maintain strict separation from humans. Any Exceed who violated that was to be punished, no exceptions.
As queen, she had to uphold those laws. But as an individual, she had always carried the weight of guilt for what Lily endured.
"I understand," Lily replied, voice low but calm.
Now, their people had finally found a way to coexist with humans, even if those humans came from another world.
Lily lay still, quiet and thoughtful. Magnolia's doctors had tended to his injuries, but his mind was elsewhere.
Ever since learning the true purpose behind the Exceed's mission, the ETD plan, he'd been reflecting a lot.
The queen had exiled him to preserve their species. King Faust had sought to wipe out the Exceeds to secure magic for his people. One led by deception. The other by violence.
And then there was Fairy Tail, who had stood against both.
After all he had seen these past few days, after everything he had endured over the years... Lily began to understand.
He respected the strength that both the Queen and King had shown, but he could not accept their methods.
In contrast, the Fairy Tail guild, whom he had only known for a short while, left a much deeper impression.
They were warm. They were hopeful.
They had the strength to level an army, yet they lived among the people.
They were thrown into impossible situations, and still moved forward without despair.
He thought of that stubborn guy who had pulled him into a guild he barely knew.
He thought of the guild master, whose voice reminded him of a king's, but filled with love, not command.
He realized... he was tempted.
This guild, this strange, noisy, rowdy guild, had something he had never experienced before.
A place full of life. A place worth staying in.
A place worth fighting for.
He wanted to understand them better.
Just then, a roar of voices rang out across the air.
"Let them witness Fairy Tail's power!"
"Charge!"
"Give us back our magic!"
Near the capital, not far from the heart of the Kingdom of Edolas, a massive tree stood tall and unmoving.
From its highest branch, a single flag fluttered in the wind, bearing the proud symbol of Fairy Tail.
The city gate had been flung wide open, and from the massive tree outside Magnolia, a group of unusual figures charged toward the royal capital.
They were clad in the standard armor of the Magic War Troop, some wielding standard-issue spears, others gripping all manner of weapons, clearly looted or borrowed from the battlefield.
Upon closer look, several familiar faces stood out among the armored figures: Lucy, Gray, Cana, Levy, Elfman... one after another, members of Fairy Tail had joined the charge into the heart of Edolas.
Thanks to the efforts of their companions, most of the elite Magic War Troop soldiers had already been taken care of.
What remained in the capital were mainly common troops.
Though the King had issued a frantic order to re-equip them using salvaged magic gear, these rank-and-file soldiers had barely received proper training. Their use of magic weapons was sloppy at best.
So even though the royal army outnumbered Fairy Tail by the hundreds, their lines buckled under the coordinated assault. One step at a time, they were pushed back.
Meanwhile, the citizens of the capital could only watch in fear and confusion. Just this morning, a terrifying battle had rocked the city, and now, another one?
And both times, the King's Army had been utterly humiliated.
To think that the infamous "Dark Guild" Fairy Tail could be this strong and relentless, it shook the public's confidence. Many had already begun packing their belongings to flee.
Of course, some of the nobles who lived within the inner city walls had their own personal magic tools. They hesitated at the windows, debating whether to intervene.
They didn't want to give up their status, their luxury, or their safe, privileged lives. But the ferocity of Fairy Tail's assault left them trembling. No one dared take the risk.
Thus, with only a few dozen members, Fairy Tail smashed through the frontlines of thousands and stormed toward the royal palace, where they intended to confront the king and demand he revoke the Anima law.
Here and there, defeated soldiers regrouped under their commanders' shouts, trying to mount a pursuit. But the battle cries and clashes within the capital rang on endlessly.
Just when tension was reaching its peak, four more figures approached the capital gate, riding atop two massive, oddly shaped crabs.
One of them held high a large flag bearing the emblem of the Fairy Tail guild. The cloth fluttered in the wind, bold and fearless.
There were only four of them, but their presence radiated power.
The guards stationed on the capital's walls spotted them and quickly relayed the news. The panicked captain, overwhelmed by the morning's chaos and unaware of who was who, barked a desperate command: "Shut the gate!"
To him, every Fairy Tail member was a threat.
The city was already in chaos, he couldn't risk letting in another destructive force.
BOOM—!
The massive gates began to close, sealing shut with a thunderous rumble.
The two crabs vanished in a puff of magic, and the four Fairy Tail members came to a halt before the gate.
Rhodes leaned against the flagpole, gazing up at the towering wall, easily over a dozen stories tall. He tapped the metal gates with his knuckle, they looked thick, probably reinforced with enchanted alloys.
"Looks pretty sturdy," he muttered.
Gildarts cracked his neck with a grin, his cloak rustling in the wind. From beneath it, he raised a powerful fist, glowing faintly with magical energy.
But before acting, he turned and asked, "Master said we could go wild, right?"
Rhodes answered calmly, "As long as they don't surrender, do whatever you want."
After all, this wasn't their kingdom. No need to go soft on royal property.
They had already obtained a rough map of the capital from Hughes using Gemini's memory magic. All that remained now was to bulldoze their way to the palace.
Gildarts smirked, said nothing, and threw a punch forward.
BZZZZT—!
The gigantic metal gate lit up, covered in a crisscross of glowing white lines, like a net of magic grids etched into its surface.
Then, in the blink of an eye;
BOOOOOOM!
The entire gate exploded into a storm of metal chunks.
Chunks flew forward like shrapnel, some embedding themselves into the stone streets, others slamming into nearby walls. The famed gate, once declared indestructible, now lay in pieces across the ground.
Gildarts lowered his fist and chuckled, "Well, the door's open."
He took a bold step forward, grinning like a mischievous kid.
"It's rare for me to enter through the main gate, hahaha!"
...
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