The corridor outside the courtroom in the Council's branch hall.
Makarov, dressed in the Holy Cross Cloak, sat on a low wall with a short, elderly man beside him.
The old man wore a three-cornered hat, had thick gray eyebrows, squinted eyes, and limbs so thin he looked as though a gust of wind might carry him away.
His name was Yajima, one of the nine members of the Magic Council. In his younger days, he had been close friends with Makarov, Polyusica, and others, often stepping in to defend Fairy Tail whenever the guild found itself in trouble.
"Stripping Jose of his title as one of the Ten Wizard Saints, dissolving Phantom Lord, and imprisoning Gajeel… Fairy Tail naturally comes out innocent in all this."
Makarov was the first to break the silence, speaking in a deep tone. "The trial's verdict was more or less what we expected."
Since this guild war had been instigated entirely by Phantom Lord and Saber Bite, the Council had not focused its ire on Fairy Tail as they had in the past. Even Org and Michello, who had always disapproved of Fairy Tail's rowdy ways, had little choice but to behave themselves, nitpicking only at minor details to make trouble.
"Even though the evidence was overwhelming, I still did my best to refute the objections from the others, Makarov."
Yajima raised a finger and continued slowly. "Especially when it came to the amount of compensation for your damages this time."
"Thanks, Yaji. When the new guild is finished, come by for a visit. I'll treat you to ramen," Makarov said with a smile.
"For your Fairy Ramen, I'll take twelve slices of chashu." Yajima replied without hesitation.
"Twelve? That's too much!"
"According to Article 26 of the Guild Management Regulations "
"No problem, no problem! Twelve or twenty, have as many as you like!"
"Just twelve will do."
Their lighthearted banter ended, and the two fell into a short silence.
Yajima's expression shifted slightly as he recalled something odd specifically, the unusual behavior of a certain woman in the courtroom.
"Still, I never expected Ultear who's always been so quiet and neutral to stand so firmly on Fairy Tail's side. She even argued with Michello."
At that, Makarov rubbed his nose and lifted his head, a hint of pride in his eyes. "That's thanks to the kids in my guild. They're the ones most likely to stir things up!"
After the Phantom Lord incident, he had learned the full story of Galuna Island from Chase.
That, of course, included the demon Deliora, the tale of Ur and her daughter, and the intertwined past of Gray, Lyon, and their fellow disciple.
At the time, Makarov had marveled at the strange twists of fate he even recalled that the very first time Gray had joined Fairy Tail, he had been eager to learn how to dispel "Iced Shell."
"Are you talking about that troublemaker, Chase?" Yajima shot Makarov a knowing look.
In less than a month since returning to Fiore, this boy with a once terrible reputation had already caused plenty of commotion. And yet, in that familiar whirlwind of chaos, he had somehow managed to change the opinions of many neutral Council members about Fairy Tail, earning the guild a surprising number of supporters.
"That's right. Now that Jose's been expelled, I was thinking of helping him apply for this year's Holy Ten assessment," Makarov said with a grin.
"It's best not to waste your thoughts on something so unrealistic, Makarov." Yajima shook his head with a sigh.
It wasn't that he doubted Chase's strength after all, anyone who could battle Jose to that extent was no ordinary mage.
What Yajima questioned was Chase's character letting someone so unrestrained by rules become one of the Ten Wizard Saints might not be a blessing for Fairy Tail.
Moreover, Makarov himself already held a seat among the Ten. If another Fairy Tail mage joined, it would certainly provoke a storm of opposition within the Council.
"That's exactly why we need him in," Makarov said with a sly grin. "With the right people ahead of him in the Holy Ten, we can keep that brat's arrogance in check."
"I see… so you want to use outside pressure to make him mature," Yajima mused. After a moment of thought, he nodded. "The strength of those mages is indeed unfathomable… it's long since transcended the limits of humanity."
And then there was that monster lately, there had even been talk of a figure called "King of Ishgar." The title had yet to be formally recognized, but the whispers were growing.
"After all, I'm reaching the age where I need to retire…" Makarov's voice dipped with sudden melancholy.
"It's good you're aware of that, Makarov." Yajima's tone softened. He still remembered the tragedy of their old friend Rob the man who had given his life to save Erza in the Tower of Heaven. He had been meaning to urge Makarov to avoid dangerous battles like the recent clash with Phantom Lord.
"By the way, Makarov, I have some good news for you."
"Oh? What is it?"
"Someone just anonymously donated one billion Jewels to Fairy Tail."
"How much?!" Makarov nearly toppled over. "Ten… a billion?!"
Meanwhile, in a spacious Council chamber office, Makarov could hardly contain his glee.
Elsewhere, Ultear dressed in a form-fitting casual outfit stood before Siegrain, her expression pained.
"Stop this, Siegrain! Everything we've done until now was wrong!" Her voice trembled as she pleaded with him, her eyes full of desperation.
After returning from Galuna Island, Ultear had decided to atone for her mistakes and sins. She had confessed everything to Siegrain the truth of her actions, and the lies she had lived by.
But Siegrain, consumed by the darkness that had long taken root in his heart, could not accept it. He still believed he was the chosen one of the Black Mage.
The obsession with completing the Tower of Heaven, offering a sacrifice to resurrect Zeref, and creating a demonic utopia had long devoured his reason.
"Haha… you? Behind all this? Don't make me laugh!" Siegrain's gaze burned with madness as his words dripped with cold contempt. "Wake up, Ultear! You're the one who's been brainwashed by that damned Chase!"
Her transformation since Galuna Island was undeniable. In his mind, there could be only one explanation: Chase.
No one knew what kind of magic could have "bewitched" Ultear, but of all those present at the time, Siegrain was convinced only Chase had the power to do it.
Looking at Siegrain's twisted face, Ultear's chest tightened with grief. Her hands clenched at her sides so tightly that her nails pierced her palms, crimson drops soaking into the hem of her white blouse.
"Siegrain… everything I've told you is the truth. When you were captured by the Black Magic Cult, I "
"Enough, Ultear!"
Before she could finish, the furious Siegrain slammed his palm onto the table and rose to his feet.
"This is my final warning," he snapped, voice sharp enough to cut the air. "If you say one more naïve, childish thing, I won't hesitate to erase you even if you are you."
His glare darkened further. "And don't you dare think about running to those old men in the Council. If the Tower of Heaven plan is exposed, every single person inside that tower will die with it!"
"Siegrain…"
The pain in Ultear's chest grew sharper, stealing the air from her lungs. The light in her tear-filled eyes dimmed, leaving behind only a hollow ache.
She truly had no idea how to save him anymore.
Perhaps… this was her punishment.
Punishment for the unforgivable sins she had committed.
Watching her crumple under the weight of despair, Siegrain's rage cooled into something far more dangerous. A faint, calculating glimmer stirred in his eyes the mark of a scheme forming.
Don't worry, Ultear.
Very soon… you'll be back to the way you were.
....
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