"He's a... he's a total monster—!!!"
Seeing Kael erase the terrifying threat of the Thunder Palace so effortlessly left the members of Fairy Tail in a state of absolute shock.
It was official. Every single "transformation" Kael received was a complete freak of nature.
SHING!
Kael teleported back onto the roof of the guild hall and deactivated his transformation, reverting to his original form.
"Phew."
He let out a long breath. That battle had taken a significant toll on his magic reserves.
"Kael, are you all right?" Erza stepped forward, her eyes full of concern. She knew that the more power Kael unleashed, the heavier the drain on his body. Pushing too hard could leave him in a coma.
Kael waved her off. "I'm fine. Just drained. A little rest and I'll be back to normal."
Levy looked at him, her voice small. "The Master has fallen... what do we do now?"
The girls had all heard it clearly—Makarov intended to pass the title of Guild Master to Kael.
"Mhm... well, for starters, the Fantasia parade is definitely being postponed. We wait until the Master is out of the woods before we consider anything else. We also need to go explain things to the citizens. Anything we broke, we fix or pay for. We aren't dodging our responsibilities. Whoever smashed it pays for it—and they're going to apologize in person. If anyone isn't willing, I don't mind personally dragging them there to bow their heads."
"WHAAAAT—!!!"
The guild members shuddered. Kael might have a chill personality in his base form, but his transformations were unpredictable! Especially when he channeled that state—he didn't listen to a word of reason then.
"And the fighting ends here," Kael added. "If you still feel like you've got energy to burn, take it to the training ground behind the guild some other day. If you like it that much, you can fight every damn day for all I care."
"..."
The guild members felt a bit deflated. It felt as if their grand "Battle of Fairy Tail" was nothing more than children throwing a tantrum in Kael's eyes. They liked watching fights, sure, but they didn't want to be the kids getting scolded.
Of course, Kael had the right to say it. No matter how much they joked around, strength was the ultimate currency in a mage guild.
After this battle, Kael was untouched while Laxus was half-dead. The debate over who was the "strongest" in the guild was officially over.
"Alright! Move it!"
"YES SIR!!"
Everyone snapped into action. With the Master down, Kael was the acting Master. Since he'd likely be the official one soon, they followed his orders without question.
That was when Kael spotted Natsu and Gajeel. Both were covered in bandages, hobbling along and looking much worse for wear than the others.
"What happened to them? I took care of the Laxus myself. Why are they so beat up?"
Happy spoke up, "They ran into each other on the street, got caught in Fried's script together, and naturally started brawling. They caused such a scene that Erza ended up beating the absolute crap out of them."
"Good. They deserved it."
"..."
Natsu and Gajeel stayed silent. Natsu knew Erza's temper all too well; he usually acted like a mouse seeing a cat around her. Gajeel, on the other hand, was stunned. He hadn't realized Erza was that powerful. No wonder she'd wiped the floor with Aria of the Great Four. Are all the S-Class mages in Fairy Tail monsters?
"Sigh. Being Master is a total hassle," Kael muttered.
Erza smiled. "You're doing a great job. Everyone in the guild acknowledges you, and they trust you deeply."
"I'd still rather stick to S-Class missions. Let the Master keep his seat."
Kael started walking toward the exit.
"Kael, where are you going?"
"The Mayor's office. Kardia Cathedral is a wreck; I have to go apologize for the mess."
The moment Kael had reverted to his normal self, he felt a wave of regret. Why did he have to get so fired up and fight there? A cathedral that size was going to cost a fortune to repair. He'd have to make sure Laxus paid the lion's share of the bill.
Out on the streets, the citizens were already gossiping.
"Looks like the parade is pushed back until tomorrow night." "What happened yesterday?" "The guild mages went on a rampage. Word is the Master's condition is looking grim." "No way... is the old man really retiring? Who's taking over?" "They say it's Kael." "Kael? Yeah, he's the best fit. But what about Laxus?" "Who knows."
Fairy Tail Guild Hall
"Thanks to Porlyusica, the Master's life is no longer in danger," Kael announced. "Everyone can relax. He's going to be okay."
"That's a relief!" "The old man is too stubborn to kick the bucket that easily!"
A collective weight lifted off the guild's shoulders. Makarov treated every one of them like his own child, and his collapse had hit them hard.
"However," Kael continued, "the Master is getting on in years. Try to cause fewer disasters so he can enjoy being Master for a few more years in peace. I'm telling you now—I already told the old man that if I take the job and get bored, I'm passing the title straight to Erza. If you don't want me handing the reins to her on day one, you'd better behave."
"EH—!!!"
The guild was horrified. Kael as Master was one thing—at least he was easy to talk to when he wasn't transformed. But Erza? If Erza became Master, they'd be lucky to survive a week without getting a "correction" every three hours. They'd definitely have to behave now.
Erza blinked, surprised by the sudden mention, while Mirajane just chuckled. She knew Kael; he truly had zero interest in the Master's seat.
Kael clapped his hands. "Alright, enough talk. Let's get ready for Fantasia!"
"OHHHHHH!!"
Second-Floor Infirmary
Makarov sat up in bed, looking at Laxus, who was lying in the bed next to him. "You... do you have any idea what you've done?"
Laxus didn't move, but the slight twitch of his eyelid gave him away. He was awake.
Makarov didn't call him out. He simply continued, "A guild is a place where comrades gather. It's a hub for work, yes, but it's also a home for kids with nowhere else to go."
"It doesn't belong to me, and it doesn't belong to you."
"A guild is shaped through the trust and morals of its people. It becomes a bond stronger and more resilient than anything else."
"But you betrayed those morals. You threatened the lives of your comrades. That is something that can never be forgiven."
Laxus knew he couldn't play dead anymore. He opened his eyes. "I know. I just... I wanted this guild to be stronger. I didn't want anyone looking down on us or mocking us. I wanted the 'strongest' guild that everyone had to respect."
------------------------
Currently on Patreon: Chapter 240 available.
My Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/LEYI396
This morning, we had a bot attack, and unfortunately all the novels were hit—many were pushed down to 1–2 stars.
If you could help by leaving an honest rating/review on the page, I'd really appreciate it. As a thank-you, I'll release a lot more chapters for free.