While luring Fairy Tail's main forces to the Phantom Lord base, Jose sent two of his top lieutenants—Sol, who wielded earth magic, and Juvia, who controlled water magic—to capture Lucy and demand a ransom from the Heartfilia Conglomerate.
A plan that involved luring the enemy in, striking at their core, drawing the tiger from the mountain, sneaking past defenses, and pulling the rug out from under them—Jose's schemes were executed with ruthless cunning.
Looking back on the Phantom Lord arc, the plot had its ups and downs, with the enemy seeming calculating and formidable. But analyzing it from the enemy's perspective after knowing the outcome, it wasn't actually that brilliant. The sense of cunning mostly came from clever storytelling. Even so, Jose stood out as one of the few characters in the series portrayed with real intelligence. Another was Future Rogue, but his "smarts" relied on time advantages, information gaps, and the dimwitted Princess Emerald as an ally, making him pale in comparison to Jose.
Still, for a manga artist like Hiro Mashima, crafting a character like Jose was no small feat. Kira figured this was probably the peak of Mashima's ability to depict intelligence. Even Mavis, Fairy Tail's so-called "Fairy Tactician," didn't show this level of strategic depth. Her intellect often relied on plot conveniences and author fiat, and even then, she made miscalculations.
In the original story, Lucy was captured. But now, with eight Celestial Spirit Keys boosting her strength, she was no pushover. That's why Kira felt okay leaving her at the guild. Even if she got captured, her protagonist aura would ensure she'd be fine.
…
Drip, drip, drip…
At the guild tavern's entrance, a sudden sunshower fell. A somber-looking woman holding an umbrella appeared before Lucy, followed by a man whose upper body emerged from the ground.
Two weirdos… Lucy's hand instinctively reached for her Celestial Spirit Key pouch at her waist.
"Juvia is the Rain Woman… What kind of woman are you?" the woman asked.
Lucy: "…"
"Greetings, young lady! My name is Sol, gentleman extraordinaire. Call me Sol! The great Phantom Lord has come to escort you!" the man chimed in.
"Phantom Lord?!" Lucy hadn't expected them to come straight for her. She drew a key. "You're the ones who trashed our guild and attacked Levy!!!"
"No, no, no, three no's for clarification. Destroying the guild and attacking Miss Levy were all Gajeel's handiwork," Sol corrected.
Suddenly, a massive water sphere engulfed Lucy, making it hard to breathe as her strength began to fade.
Water…?
"Oh, we're not entirely sure. It was the guild's collective decision, you see," Sol added.
"No one can break free from Juvia's Water Lock," Juvia said, casting with one hand. "Don't be afraid… Juvia won't kill you. Taking you back is Juvia's mission, Miss Lucy Heartfilia."
But then, an unexpected twist!
At the mention of her name, Lucy's Celestial Spirit Key glowed golden. A gate opened, and Aquarius appeared on the scene!
"You're in quite a mess, huh, brat?" Aquarius scoffed.
Raising her urn, Aquarius absorbed the water sphere around Lucy, then unleashed a torrent that surged toward Juvia and Sol like a tornado.
Caught off guard, Juvia and Sol took the hit head-on. Juvia's passive elemental body made her immune to the damage, while Sol, rooted to the ground, twisted but proved surprisingly resilient.
"She broke free from Juvia's Water Lock…?"
"No, no, no… It seems Miss Lucy's strength isn't to be underestimated!" Sol remarked.
"Thanks for the save, Aquarius!" Lucy said, relieved.
As Aquarius vanished, Lucy stood firm, warily eyeing her enemies.
So these are the Phantom Lord's Four Elements Kira mentioned? They're supposed to be S-Class mages, as strong as Erza or Kira? And that woman's magic… it's like that demon we fought on the last mission…
"Lucy, what's going on?"
Mira rushed out, having heard the commotion. Seeing Juvia and Sol, her expression hardened, anger rising. "Phantom Lord?! Just like Kira predicted, they came!"
"What? Kira knew they'd come? But why…" Lucy's mind raced, recalling Juvia's words. "Their target… is me?"
They specifically mentioned my family name, so they know who I am. Who sent them?
"Phantom Lord's after me? Why?" Lucy demanded.
"No, no, no… Phantom Lord's target has always been Fairy Tail. As for you, Miss Lucy, we're just following orders. At your father's request, we're to bring you back," Sol explained.
The unexpected reason threw Lucy off balance. Without thinking, she shouted, "I'm not going back with you!!"
My father? Why would he want me back? If Phantom Lord's after me, does that mean the guild's fighting because of me? Levy got hurt… because of me?
Guilt overwhelmed her, and she sank to the ground, unsure how to face Mira.
"How could this…"
Mira, ever empathetic, saw Lucy's turmoil and spoke gently. "Lucy, don't blame yourself!"
"Mira-san…"
Mira's gaze hardened as she faced the enemies. "You're our family. No one's going to blame you, no matter the reason. This isn't your fault! All I know is Phantom Lord hurt our friends, and that's enough!"
"Right!" Lucy's heart lifted slightly. She knew she had to at least fend off these enemies. "Mira-san, step back. I'll handle the fight!"
Though unsure, Lucy stood defiantly in front of Mira.
To her surprise, Mira shook her head. "No way. I'm not letting a friend stand alone. Protecting the guild and our family is my duty too!"
"Two against two. Looks like this'll take some time," Sol mused.
"Juvia doesn't know. Is that woman strong?" Juvia asked.
The Four Elements of Phantom Lord had only been a team for a few years, and their ages, experiences, and strengths varied widely. Sol was a veteran mage, well-versed in the magic world's affairs. Juvia, on the other hand, was a relative newcomer, having joined Phantom Lord only recently. Her reserved, gloomy nature meant she was less informed.
"No, no, no… That's a very special person!" Sol explained to Juvia. "Fairy Tail's 'Demon' Mira, once a renowned S-Class mage, on par with the 'Fairy Queen' Erza!"
"But three years ago, she was devastated by her sister's death, and her strength plummeted. Rumor has it she can't fight anymore."
Mira stepped forward, her voice now sharp and resolute. "Whether I can fight or not, let's find out!"
"Could Miss Mira's strength have returned?" Sol asked, intrigued.
"Who knows?"
Mira's tone carried a hint of defiance, which threw Sol off. He wasn't confident he could take a guildmate from the infamous Demon Mira.
"So that's how it is. Juvia understands. You're a witch, then. Juvia will be your opponent!" Juvia declared.
Lucy quickly warned, "Mira-san, be careful! That woman's magic lets her elementalize—normal attacks won't work!"
"Don't worry, Lucy. I've got my own…"
A sudden torrent of water interrupted Mira—it was Juvia's attack.
"Water Strike!!"
With the rain fueling her magic, Juvia's water attack flowed effortlessly, a shapeless force slamming into Mira, sending her flying over ten meters and crashing through several trees.
Juvia pressed her advantage, transforming into a stream of water to pursue.
"Mira-san!!"
Lucy shouted, panicked. Since joining the guild, she'd always seen Mira as a gentle, fragile girl. Though she now knew Mira had once been powerful, she also knew Mira's magic was unstable—she couldn't fight properly.
Looking back, she saw Mira climb to her feet, waving. "I'm fine, Lucy-san! Leave this one to me."
"But…"
Mira flashed a warm smile. "No need to worry. We're Fairy Tail, aren't we?"
"…Right! I'll leave her to you, Mira-san!"
Though Lucy wasn't sure where Mira's confidence came from, she couldn't handle both enemies alone. She had to trust Mira. Turning her focus to the other opponent, she said, "As for this guy, he's mine!"