Chapter 53: Turning a Blind Eye
"Fire Fist!!!"
Ren's voice, a commanding bellow, echoed across the now-chaotic Hargeon Port. He powerfully swung his flaming fist at the fleeing Bora. His arm didn't just strike; it elongated, transforming into a colossal pillar of fire that rocketed across the sky, a giant's arm made of pure, white-hot flame, easily crossing the distance to the escaping human trafficker.
Bora sensed the terrifying spike in magic power and the all-consuming heat. He turned his head to look behind him, his eyes widening in pure, unadulterated terror as a massive, building-sized flaming fist filled his entire vision.
"No—! ! !"
Bora's scream was cut short as the giant flaming fist mercilessly slammed into him, carrying him with its unstoppable momentum.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The massive arm of fire didn't just stop. It blasted him straight into the mountain wall that overlooked the town, impacting with a force that shook the entire port. The sound was deafening, a rolling thunderclap that caused buildings to tremble and windows to rattle for miles.
When the flames receded, a huge, perfectly fist-shaped indentation was left carved deep into the mountain wall, with Bora nowhere to be seen, presumably embedded within the rock itself.
"Gah—! !"
Lucy Heartfilia, who had been staring in awe, was now utterly stunned. Her jaw practically hit the sandy beach. She had thought Natsu being able to eat fire was already the most outrageous thing she had ever seen. She had been wrong.
She never expected Ren's magic to be this... this... apocalyptic.
This wasn't just magic; this was the kind of power that leveled cities. These guys weren't just Mages; they were monsters.
"Uh... not good!" Ren muttered, his arm returning to normal as he shook it out. He immediately dispelled his Take Over. "I used too much force!"
Only after truly possessing such powerful strength did he understand why Natsu and the other members of Fairy Tail were always causing so much trouble. He had tried his best to hold back, to just capture the guy, yet it was still ridiculously easy to cause this level of significant, large-scale destruction.
Just then, the distinct sound of marching soldiers—heavy boots on cobblestone—rang out. Ren's ears twitched.
"This... what in the world exactly happened here—! !"
A captain, leading a team of Rune Knights, the official army of the kingdom, rushed onto the scene, their weapons drawn, their faces a mix of confusion and horror as they looked from the burning, beached ship to the new, fist-shaped crater in their mountain.
Seeing the soldiers, Ren's casual expression changed instantly. "Tch. The army."
He quickly shouted at Natsu, who was still happily punching the last of Bora's unconscious men: "Natsu, that's enough! The soldiers are here, we need to run!"
After saying that, he didn't wait for an answer. He grabbed the still-shell-shocked Lucy by the wrist and started running.
"Huh?!"
The soldiers represented the authorities, and getting caught by them would be an incredible hassle. Once, when he was younger and new to this world, he hadn't run after an incident and ended up being delayed in a holding cell for several days, buried in paperwork and interrogations.
From then on, he learned his lesson. He would never foolishly stand still again. When you cause trouble—even for a good reason—the first and most important thing to do is run.
"Soldiers! ! Run! !"
Natsu, hearing the magic word "soldiers," was instantly startled out of his victory pose. His head snapped up, and he immediately followed Ren, fleeing with a speed that defied his earlier motion sickness.
"W-Wait! Why do I have to run too?!" Lucy yelped, being dragged along. "I'm the victim here!"
Ren glanced back at her, a grin on his face. "Don't you want to join Fairy Tail? Then come along! This is lesson number one!"
Upon hearing this, Lucy's face, which had been a mask of confusion and protest, instantly lit up with pure, unadulterated surprise and joy. She hadn't expected, after all this chaos, that he would just... invite her.
"Okay! !" Lucy shouted, her voice filled with delight. She stopped protesting and ran along with them, a massive, giddy smile on her face, completely ignoring the sounds of the shouting soldiers behind them.
Magic Council Headquarters, Era
In a vast, dark, and imposing chamber, the nine members of the Magic Council sat around a massive, circular table. The mood was, as usual, grim.
Bang! !
Councilman Orga slammed a copy of the Weekly Sorcerer onto the conference table, the headline "HARGEON PORT HALF-DESTROYED! BORA THE SLAVER CAPTURED!" emblazoned on the front.
"It's those idiots from Fairy Tail again!" Orga roared. "Doing 'good deeds'!"
"This time, they actually destroyed half of Hargeon Port! ! The bill for the damages to the cliffside alone is astronomical! It's unbelievable!" he continued, fuming. "Who knows, they might just demolish the entire kingdom one day!"
"Don't jinx it, Orga," another councilman muttered, rubbing his temples. "With them... they really might do that."
A younger-looking man with blue hair and a strange tattoo over his eye, Jellal's thought-projection Siegrain, spoke up, his voice calm and smooth. "It's already been reported to the government that their actions were for the capture of the Class-A criminal, Bora. With the testimonies from the rescued girls and the human traffickers' confessions, this incident is considered closed."
He let out a small, weary sigh. "Makarov's children are indeed a bit... lively. I wonder if the old man's heart can handle it."
"Lively?! That's what you call it?!" Orga snapped. "Even if this was a 'good deed,' things that could have been resolved simply are always blown completely out of proportion by that guild! Those idiots cause trouble every single day. We've become their personal cleanup crew!"
Siegrain chuckled lightly, leaning back in his chair. "Alright, Orga. Calm yourself. I, for one, actually quite like those idiots. They keep things... interesting."
"You shut up!" Orga pointed a finger at him. "You're half the reason they get away with it!"
"He's not wrong, though," another councilman interjected. "Those guys in Fairy Tail are idiots, but among them are many exceptionally talented individuals. Natsu Dragneel, the Fire Dragon Slayer... Erza Scarlet, Titania... and this new one, Ren, with that terrifying Take Over magic."
"That's precisely why they're such a headache!"
"It's truly a dilemma!"
Hidden in the shadows of the room, Ultear, disguised as a minor attendant, suppressed a smirk. 'Hehe, they are so predictable. Ren... he is progressing nicely. He will be a useful piece.'
Siegrain raised his hands, silencing the room. "Just like always, let's turn a blind eye."
"You... you brat, what nonsense are you spouting! !" Orga sputtered, his face turning purple. They had, of course, always turned a blind eye in the past, but it was an unspoken rule. It could not be said directly.
Siegrain smiled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "How about we first praise them for their heroic rescue... and then quietly send Makarov the bill for the damages?"
Almost everyone standing at the pinnacle of power in the magic world showed expressions as if they had just swallowed a fly.
Praising Fairy Tail, the guild that caused them trouble daily and gave them constant headaches, was more unbearable for them than swallowing a fly. Punishing those idiots would make them feel good for a while, but if they praised those imbeciles, they might suffer from the indignity for a lifetime.
"Hehe!" Ultear couldn't help but cover her mouth and let out a soft chuckle at their pained expressions.
Siegrain smiled. "It seems everyone's opinions are unified this time. Then, this matter is pleasantly decided. Let's move on to the next agenda."
"Wow... it's so big."
After a long run from Hargeon, a train ride, and a walk through the town of Magnolia, Lucy stood before the Fairy Tail Guild, feeling as if she were in a dream.
A long, long time ago, she had greatly admired Fairy Tail and vowed that one day, she would join them herself. Now, that dream was finally about to come true. Fairy Tail was right before her eyes.
"Welcome to Fairy Tail," Ren said, gesturing to the doors.
"Welcome home, Ren!" Happy added, flying ahead.
At this moment, the guild was bustling with activity. The sound of a party, which they had heard from down the street, hit them in full force as they entered. Some people were looking for suitable jobs on the massive request board, some were singing and dancing on tables, and even more were eating, drinking, and chatting loudly. For Mages who worked freely, every job was a unique experience, which gave everyone endless topics to discuss.
"Mira! ! Three beers over here! !"
"Coming! !"
The beautiful, white-haired Mirajane Strauss walked over with a tray of drinks and set down three mugs of beer. "Please enjoy."
"Mira!" Wakaba Mine, a man smoking a cigarette at a nearby table, raised his hand and waved at her.
"Coming, coming, what is it?" Mira asked, walking over with her signature sweet smile.
Wakaba took a long puff from his cigarette, then exhaled, skillfully forming a series of heart-shaped smoke rings. "Go on a date with me next time."
Wakaba's teammate, York, nudged him. "You can't, man. Mira is dating Ren."
Mira's face immediately flushed a slight, charming pink. "You... what nonsense are you talking about? I... when did I ever date Ren?"
"You don't?" York asked, genuinely confused. "Don't you two go home together every night and come to the guild together in the morning? I thought you were already living together."
"You... don't talk nonsense!" Mira sputtered, her face heating up. "Our homes are just in the same direction! It's... it's just on the way!"
"Even if it's 'on the way,' you don't need to go together every single day, do you?" another guild member teased, wagging their eyebrows.
Mira's face quickly went from pink to a bright, burning red.
Seeing Mira's flustered reaction, many in the guild couldn't help but burst into hearty laughter.
Bang! ! !
Suddenly, the guild doors were kicked open with a resounding crash, silencing the entire hall.
"I'm back! !"
Natsu, leading the way, shouted with a fierce expression, his eyes scanning the room.
Ren and Happy also raised their hands in greeting from behind him.
Mira's eyes flashed with joy and relief when she saw Ren return safely. "You're back!"
"Hahahaha!"
Many people in the guild laughed, relieved the intruders were just their own members.
Macao Conbolt, sitting at the bar, turned to Natsu. "You guys caused a big stir again this time. That Hargeon Port incident even made it into the newspapers... oh..."
Before he could finish his sentence, a large, sandaled foot appeared right before his eyes.
"Woah! !"
Macao cried out in pain as he was directly kicked off his stool, flying backward and smashing a table to pieces.
"You bastard! !" Natsu roared, pointing an accusing finger at the dazed Macao. "The information about the 'Salamander' was fake! !"
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