The entire Phantom Lord building suddenly began to tremble, as though it might collapse at any moment.
"An earthquake!?"
"What's going on!?"
The Ghost Guild members began to panic.
"Heh, now the real show begins," Gray said with a grin.
"The master's fury is something no one can stop," Erza remarked.
"This is what a real man is! With the master here, there's no way we can lose!" Elfman roared.
"Eat my fist!" Natsu charged straight back into the enemy crowd.
From the rooftop came a groaning, creaking sound, as if something heavy were about to come crashing down.
"Something's about to fall…" Gray muttered, staring upward.
A sudden sense of dread welled up in Noel's heart. Something felt terribly wrong.
A small figure plummeted straight down from the roof. Noel's eyes widened in shock—it was Master Makarov! If he hit the ground like this, the impact would be unbearable.
"Wind's Swift Embrace!"
A gust of green wind surged forth, catching Makarov in midair before he struck the ground.
"What in the world happened!?" Noel demanded.
"…Thank you," Makarov murmured weakly, his expression crestfallen.
Noel hurriedly pulled a potion from his pack and fed it to Makarov, but it had no effect at all—there was not the faintest trace of magic power within him.
"My magic… it's been drained," Makarov said, his voice frail.
"Don't talk. I'll heal you." Noel desperately rummaged through his bag, but none of his potions had anything to do with restoring magic power.
He had research for countless strange illnesses, even life-force depletion—but for magical depletion? Nothing.
"This one won't work… nor this one…" Tears welled up and spilled from Noel's eyes.
"Why? Why!? Why didn't I make a potion that could prevent magical power loss beforehand!?" Noel sobbed, blaming himself.
"This is not your fault, child," Makarov said softly. "You've worked harder than anyone—I've seen it with my own eyes. The one at fault here isn't you. It's me… for not thrashing Jose harder when I had the chance."
"Don't carry this burden. I know you're a good, obedient child—always following the rules in the guild. But now you've stepped out of that shell."
"Sometimes, staying confined in a tiny space is not the right choice. Only by breaking convention can you glimpse a wider sky."
"I can feel the change in you. Now… aren't you able to see more of the outside world?"
"…Yes…"
Tears streamed down Noel's face as he nodded over and over.
"The guild… may have to be entrusted to you for a while. It's a heavy burden, I know… but please protect it. With your magic…"
With those words, Makarov lost consciousness.
"Retreat! Everyone fall back to the guild!" Erza commanded.
"A real man never retreats!" Elfman protested fiercely.
"No way…" Gray said in disbelief.
"I can still fight too," Macao added.
"With the master down, we cannot defeat Jose. This is an order—retreat!" Erza's voice was sharp and unyielding.
"Heh, so you've succeeded after all. Aria, you're as terrifying as ever… even that old man couldn't stand against you," Gajeel sneered from where he lay sprawled on the ground.
"Such sorrow…" Aria sighed.
"To think you've been reduced to such a pitiful state, Gajeel. Why are you so miserable?"
"Careful… once I'm back on my feet, I'll send you flying with a single punch."
"By the way… Lucy's already been captured, hasn't she?"
"She's locked away at our headquarters."
"They even took Lucy…" Natsu's expression hardened.
"Retreat! Retreat!" Erza's command rang out again and again.
Under cover, the Fairy Tail wizards began to pull back. Everything proceeded in an orderly manner.
"Natsu! What are you doing!?"
"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to save Lucy!"
"I'm going too," Noel declared.
"The master entrusted the guild to you! Guard it well! If anything happens to the guild, I'll pound you myself!" Natsu punched Noel lightly in the chest with a fiery grin.
"I can feel it—your blazing heart. Leave the guild to you!"
"…I understand. I'll keep the guild safe—untouched, I swear it." Noel's tears gave way to a trembling smile. "But in return, you'd better bring Lucy back. If you don't… I won't forgive you either."
"Yeah, yeah. Like I need you to say it." Natsu grabbed hold of a Phantom wizard and bolted.
"…Be careful," Noel whispered in his heart.
"How can we retreat now? We need to avenge Reedus and the others!" Gray snapped, unwilling to fall back.
"No one wants to retreat. But our losses are too heavy. Fall back, Gray!" someone urged.
Gray lowered his head in silence. After a long pause, he finally gave in. The Fairy Tail mages began their retreat in earnest.
Though Phantom soldiers pursued them along the way, the escape was not severely hindered.
When they finally returned to Magnolia, the group split into two: one headed for the eastern forest, where Porlyusica—the only one who might help—could be found. The other returned to the guild itself.
The guild still stood in its battered, broken state. The members all turned their eyes toward Noel.
"…I know. Head to the underground storage and rest. I'll turn this guild into a fortress—a fortress Phantom can never breach!" Noel growled through clenched teeth.
The members filed into the underground storeroom, leaving Noel standing alone before the ruined guild.
If only I hadn't been so stubborn before… Refusing to rebuild the guild, saying those things out of anger…
And now? The master in this condition, everyone gravely wounded, Lucy taken away…
Impulsiveness solves nothing. But being calm all the time doesn't either. Calmness lets you see farther—but it also makes you lose sight of other things.
So maybe… maybe I should look forward instead. I still remember the words I said when I first came to the guild: Do fairies really have tails? No one knows.
But as long as we keep moving forward, as long as we keep searching—we'll find the answer.
I don't know what lies ahead. But this war—I will never back down…
A radiant smile spread across Noel's face—brighter than ever before.
"Alchemy—Fortress!"
Walls rose one after another, stacking high. The ruined guild shimmered under a golden light, restored to splendor—stronger and grander than before.
Noel stared in wonder at the transformation. Every time he had used alchemy before, it felt like a crushing burden—complicated structures interwoven with difficulty.
But this time… it was effortless.
It felt as though… his alchemy had grown.
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