Fairy Tail: Collapsing Stars

Chapter 471: Are the Mages of the Fairy Tail Guild All Monsters?!

”We surrender!”

The mages of Diabolos, the strongest Mage Guild in the northern continent of Guiltina, stood before their gradually disappearing guild. Seeing that the situation was already hopeless, they all fell to their knees and chose to surrender to the mages of Fairy Tail. They knew very well that the enemyʼs strength was simply too overwhelming. They were completely incapable of dealing with them.

”Tch, boring!”

ʼDesert Kingʼ Agil, who had completely turned the guild hall of the Mage Guild Diabolos into history, showed a trace of displeasure upon hearing the pathetic sounds of surrender from the mages before him.

Agil had originally wanted to exchange a few moves with the experts of what Evan claimed was the strongest Mage Guild in Guiltina. Instead, he was thoroughly disappointed...

These people were far too weak. Forget being inferior to the current Fairy Tail, they could not even compare to the combat power of the Alvarez Empire, the strongest force in the western continent back then!

To be honest, looking across all of Diabolos, apart from the four people known as the Black Dragon Knights, who were somewhat worth looking at in Agilʼs eyes, everyone else was nothing but trash and useless garbage...

”Hehe~”

”Everyone, victory belongs to our Fairy Tail!”

Erza looked at the mages of the Mage Guild Diabolos who had chosen to surrender before her. The corners of her lips curved upward slightly as she calmly spoke, as though Fairy Tailʼs victory was not something worth getting excited about, but something that had been destined to happen.

”We won!”

As soon as Erza finished speaking, Fairy Tail erupted into thunderous cheers.

One after another, the mages bearing the Fairy Tail emblem wept tears of joy, as if the people from Diabolos were the invaders while they, the Fairy Tail mages, were the defenders. At this moment, their Fairy Tail people had successfully crushed the evil Diabolos and defended the rights and territory of their Fairy Tail!

”Lucy, we won!”

Levy grabbed Lucyʼs hand and spoke excitedly.

”Ah, yeah!” Lucy nodded lightly. At the same time, she silently thought to herself, ”I might be happier if we werenʼt the invading side!”

As the only remaining member of Fairy Tail with half a normal personʼs way of thinking, Lucy was experiencing incredibly mixed emotions.

Actually, ever since Lucy joined Fairy Tail a year ago, she had already been wondering whether the Mage Guild she had joined, Fairy Tail, was really not a Dark Guild?!

Too many things had happened in just a little over ten minutes...

First, the guild master of Diabolos had been sent flying by Gildarts with a single punch using ʼPurging Evil and Manifesting Righteousness: Absolute Heaven,ʼ and no one knew where he had flown off to. Thus, he was temporarily offline.

The several-dozen-meter-tall guild hall of Diabolos had been violently dismantled by the ʼDesert Kingʼ Agil, leaving not even a flag behind.

Even the Black Dragon Knights, the strongest members of the Mage Guild Diabolos apart from Guild Master Georg, whose strength was comparable to Fairy Tailʼs S-Class Mages, had suffered defeat after defeat in this battle...

At present, of the four members of the Black Dragon Knights, two had been captured by the evil Fairy Tail people, one idiot was still fighting Laxus in a duel, and another had already been captured by the Fairy Tail people. In other words, it was no exaggeration to say that the Black Dragon Knights had already become nothing more than a shell of their former selves...

There was no doubt that after the battle had reached this point, Diabolos, the strongest Mage Guild in the northern continent of Guiltina, had been defeated!

However, the battle was not over yet! There were still several powerful individuals within the Mage Guild Diabolos who had refused to surrender. Relying on their familiarity with the terrain of the town they had lived in for years, they were rapidly fleeing...

Among them was Madmole, who had previously informed the entirety of Diabolos about the enemy!

”Damn it, even the Black Dragon Knights arenʼt a match for these people?”

”The enemies this time really arenʼt comparable to those useless idiots from before! Looks like I have to run faster! Otherwise, Iʼll ultimately end up getting captured too!”

The thick-browed, big-eyed Madmole, who had been responsible for informing Diabolos and wore heavy armor, was desperately running through the town where Diabolos was located.

However, even though Madmole was running with nearly all his strength, he was still not fast! After only a few steps, he had already begun gasping for breath, with countless fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead...

It seemed that the reason was the excessively heavy armor covering Madmoleʼs body. The heavy armor was both Madmoleʼs trademark and his burden!

Thus, no matter how anxious Madmole was, he still could not increase his speed. The armor covering his entire body continuously produced sounds of friction and collision as he moved violently, clanging noisily along the streets.

And the reason Madmole had managed to escape the disaster brought upon them by Fairy Tail was never because he was fast...

It was because, as an Iron Dragon Slayer, his body was as hard as steel. Simply put, his defense was high enough! He had taken the vast majority of attacks with his back...

As for the mages of Fairy Tail, after discovering that their attacks barely caused any damage to Madmole, they simply went after the others instead, because everyone knew that even if they allowed Madmole to escape, he could not get very far!

”Damn it, I wish I were a speed-type Dragon Slayer! Iʼm actually a little jealous of Por now...”

Only when he was fleeing did Madmole realize that there was a limit to being an Armor Dragon Slayer!

The powerful armor he had originally taken pride in had now become a burden instead!

If his Dragon Slayer Magic were the White Tiger Dragon wielded by Por, one of the Black Dragon Knights, or the Azure Dragon wielded by Misaki, he would have escaped long ago. Why would he be moving forward as slowly as he was now?!

”Buzz!”

However, just as Madmole was running wildly while lost in his thoughts, he suddenly felt his body become lighter.

”Why does my body suddenly feel so light?”

Although Madmole had no idea what was happening, the sudden feeling of lightness still delighted him.

”Boom!”

However, before Madmole could think any further, an invisible force suddenly ignored his resistance and directly lifted him into the air, before dragging him toward the direction of Fairy Tail...

”No, stop! Wait, donʼt do this...”

”AAAH!!”

In the blink of an eye, the street along which Madmole had been desperately running was left with nothing but stone bricks soaked by his sweat and Madmoleʼs hoarse cries of despair.

”Uh...”

The sight caused the ordinary residents walking along the street to turn pale, hurriedly retreating toward both sides of the street.

”Thatʼs too brutal! That new Mage Guild is too brutal!”

One after another, the townspeople turned pale. Clearly, they did not possess the strong psychological resilience of the residents of Magnolia.

”Boom!”

As for Madmole, amid a sound of breaking through the air, the man who had exhausted himself running approximately five kilometers during Fairy Tailʼs battle against Diabolos ultimately returned to the entrance of Fairy Tail with a bewildered expression.

”What is going on?!”

Madmoleʼs eyes widened as he stared blankly at everything before him.

He, Madmole, had been escaping perfectly well just moments ago!

Then, in an instant, he had been teleported directly to the enemyʼs headquarters?! What the hell?!

Didnʼt that mean the five or six kilometers he had run with all his strength had been completely wasted?

”Youʼre Madmole, right?”

Just as Madmole stood there in confusion, a clear voice suddenly entered his ears.

”Hm?”

Madmole turned his head...

He saw a beautiful mature woman with crimson-red hair, dressed in a knightʼs outfit, smiling at him.

”And you are?”

Madmole looked at the beautiful woman before him, whose appearance was as gorgeous as a red rose, and countless beads of sweat immediately appeared on his forehead.

That was because standing beside the mature woman was a black-haired youth whom he knew very well. That black-haired youth was none other than one of the four strongest mages in the Mage Guild Diabolos apart from its guild master—the Black Dragon Knight known as Suzaku!

Yet Suzaku, whose strength far surpassed his own, was standing behind the red-haired beauty like a mere lackey. It was obvious just how terrifying the red-haired beauty before him was!

”As expected, my feeling just now wasnʼt wrong! Your essence is also iron, right?”

The red-haired beauty gently asked Madmole.

”Who are you? Were you the one who pulled me here from a distance just now?”

Madmoleʼs face turned grim as he stared at the red-haired beauty and asked solemnly.

”I was the one who brought you here.” The red-haired beauty gently nodded before introducing herself with a smile. ”My name is Erza Belserion. Iʼm an S-Class Mage of Fairy Tail. Itʼs a pleasure to meet you, Madmole the Armor Dragon of the Mage Guild Diabolos!”

”You know me?!”

Upon hearing the red-haired beauty, Erza, Madmoleʼs pupils suddenly contracted. He subconsciously looked toward Suzaku, who stood behind Erza like a little lackey.

”These people came here to pick a fight with our Diabolos! But judging from their previous actions, apart from knowing that weʼre the strongest Mage Guild in the northern continent of Guiltina, they clearly knew nothing else about us!”

”In other words, they shouldnʼt know anything about me. Yet now my information has already been leaked. It isnʼt impossible that those who surrendered within the guild provided them with information...”

”But with the efficiency of this group, who donʼt look particularly intelligent, thereʼs no way they could have done it this quickly! Unless someone voluntarily provided this woman with my information. There must be a traitor among us!”

”Could the person who betrayed Diabolos be Suzaku?! No, absolutely impossible. Suzaku isnʼt that kind of person! Anyone in Diabolos could betray the guild, but Suzaku absolutely wouldnʼt!”

Madmole quickly rejected his own suspicion. At the same time, his eyes met Suzakuʼs, as though he wanted to discern something from Suzakuʼs eyes.

”Psst~ Psst~”

Feeling Madmoleʼs gaze, Suzaku subconsciously turned his head away, not daring to meet Madmoleʼs eyes.

”So it really was you who sold me out?!”

”Give me back all the praise I gave you!”

Upon seeing Suzakuʼs reaction, Madmole instantly understood what had happened. Deep within his heart, he roared furiously at Suzaku.

”Suzaku told me that your abilities are also related to metal!”

Before Madmole could cast an extremely furious glare at Suzaku, Erzaʼs voice once again rang in his ears.

”Sigh...”

Madmole helplessly sighed.

”Just as you said, Iʼm an Armor Dragon Slayer. The ultimate state of the Armor Dragon is to make my body as hard as steel! And my ultimate magic is the Armor Dragonʼs Iron Fist!”

After sighing, Madmole removed the armor from his wrist and exposed his skin before Erza. Then, right in front of her, he transformed his skin into steel.

”I see...”

In an instant, Erza understood the situation before her. If the special defensive enhancement ability possessed by the ʼArmor Dragonʼ within Madmoleʼs body was excluded...

Judging purely by the properties of minerals, the highest-level mineral ability was undoubtedly the ʼAdamantine Dragonʼ created by God Serena through the magical modification of metal, carbon, Magic Barrier Particles, and other elements. Next came the slightly inferior power of the ʼTempered Steel Dragonʼ residing within Suzaku. After that was the ʼIron Dragonʼ within Gajeel. Finally, there was the ʼArmor Dragonʼ power within Madmole, which required training before he could transform his body into steel.

Coincidentally, however, whether it was Serena, Suzaku, Gajeel, or Madmole before her, all of them were absolutely countered by the Magnetism Dragon within her body!

”...”

At this moment, Madmole looked at the slightly raised corners of Erzaʼs mouth and felt that something was wrong. Although he did not know why Erza was happy, Madmole knew one thing very well: Erza was his enemy. Based on Madmoleʼs experience of frequently finding himself in dangerous situations, the happier an enemy was, the worse it definitely was for him.

”Actually, Iʼm a Dragon Slayer too! And, as luck would have it, Iʼm a Magnetism Dragon Slayer...”

Erza openly revealed the truth to Madmole.

At this moment, she was genuinely very happy. She finally understood why Evan had strongly recommended that she come to the northern continent of Guiltina. On her very first day here, she had already obtained a ʼswordʼ and a ʼshieldʼ!

”Hm?! Magnetism Dragon?”

Madmole, who had originally remained calm, immediately frowned tightly upon hearing Erzaʼs words. Cold sweat continuously rolled down his forehead.

”This ʼmagnetismʼ is the magnetism Iʼm thinking of, one of the four fundamental forces?”

Although Earth-land was a world of magic, basic physics still existed. Therefore, Madmole knew exactly what magnetism was.

”Correct!”

Erza smiled brilliantly at Madmole.

”This is karma! If I had known, I wouldnʼt have eaten the flesh of the Armor Dragon! Arenʼt I completely screwed now?”

Upon hearing this, Madmole looked panicked and kept muttering to himself. Clearly, he knew that he was being completely countered by Erza.

”Pat, pat!”

”Accept it! I didnʼt accept it at first either. Once you accept it, you feel much better.”

At this moment, Suzaku, whose body had previously been cut apart by Erzaʼs Haki before being taught a lesson by her magnetism, walked over to Madmole and gently patted him on the shoulder as he advised him.

”Wait, if this womanʼs ability is electromagnetic force, then youʼre countered by her too...”

Madmole looked at Suzaku, and for a moment he felt somewhat better.

After all, Suzaku was a member of the Black Dragon Knights, an expert far beyond his reach. If even such a powerful expert had accepted his fate, what did he have to complain about?!

”So, sign this contract. From today onward, youʼll be Lady Erzaʼs shield!”

Before Madmole could think any further, Suzaku pulled out a magic contract that had already been prepared and personally guided Madmole through signing it.

”Huh?!”

Only after Madmole had signed the contract did he realize that he seemed to have been tricked—and tricked by his own people at that.

”Lady Erza, Iʼve found you a shield according to our agreement!”

After seeing white light flashing around Madmoleʼs wrist, indicating that the magical contract had taken effect, Suzaku walked before Erza and knelt on one knee. Like someone paying homage to his queen, he spoke with an expression of utmost respect.

”Excellent! As agreed, I will teach you all the swordsmanship I know, including the ability to cut through your steel-like body!”

Erza smiled with satisfaction upon hearing this and promised to teach Suzaku swordsmanship and Haki.

”Thank you!”

Suzaku smiled as well. For the sake of improving his swordsmanship, he was willing to do anything within the limits of his moral boundaries.

”Hahahaha...”

For a moment, the entrance of Fairy Tail was filled with the cheerful laughter of Erza and Suzaku.

”Suzaku, how noble of you! How impressive! You used me to curry favor with her!”

Madmole glared at Suzaku, grinding his teeth in anger.

And thus, a world where only Madmole the Armor Dragon was injured was born...

Elsewhere, apart from Madmole, there were other fugitives from the Mage Guild Diabolos!

After all, Diabolos had been the strongest Mage Guild before Fairy Tail arrived in the northern continent of Guiltina. Apart from Guild Master Georg and the four Black Dragon Knights, whose strength corresponded to that of S-Class Mages, there were several other powerful individuals within the guild...

”Guild Master Georg is missing. Black Dragon Knight Suzaku appears to have defected. Of course, it could also be a ruse to infiltrate Fairy Tail and gather secret information...”

”Besides that, that idiot Por has been controlled by the enemy. Misaki and her little sister Kilia are missing, so theyʼve probably been captured by the enemy as well. As for Kirin, that guy is still fighting that monster who uses the same lightning as him. Just now, I saw Madmole suddenly get pulled into the air by an invisible force and fly toward the enemy guild. It seems Diabolos has been completely defeated! And I will become Diabolosʼ final hope! Once Guild Master Georg returns, I should be able to earn more blood sacrifices because of this...”

Scalio Raider, whose body was covered in bone-like armor and who possessed the power of the ʼSkull Dragon,ʼ stood on the top floor of a tower in the town of Diabolos, silently observing everything happening below.

Perhaps because he was both highly skilled and bold, unlike Madmole and the others, who immediately fled after seeing that the situation was hopeless, Scalio did not escape immediately. Instead, he did his best to gather information about Fairy Tail...

Even though Scalio had personally witnessed the successive defeats of the Black Dragon Knights and the other powerful members of the guild, it still did not cause the slightest panic within him. He seemed to firmly believe that Guild Master Georg of the Dragon Eater Guild Diabolos would return and bring them victory!

”Itʼs getting late! Looks like itʼs time to retreat!”

After gathering information for a while, Scalio prepared to leave.

Compared to the Armor Dragon Madmoleʼs defense and the Blade Dragon Kiliaʼs offense, Scalio, as a Skull Dragon, possessed neither an indestructible attack nor powerful defense. However, within the enormous Dragon Eater Guild Diabolos, he was the strongest person beneath the Black Dragon Knights! What allowed him to firmly occupy the position of strongest beneath the Black Dragon Knights was his calm mind and his elusive abilities.

”Where do you think youʼre going?”

Just as Scalio was preparing to leave, a light voice suddenly sounded beside his ear.

”Hm?”

Scalioʼs expression immediately changed drastically. He turned around.

He saw a man who somewhat resembled him in appearance. He too was surrounded by bones and wore a cloak, but the man before him was even more muscular, possessed far more mysterious magic power, and radiated an endless aura of murderous intent. Somehow, he had appeared directly behind Scalio.

”When did you get here?”

Just by looking at the man before him, Scalio knew that this man would not be easy to deal with. He frowned and asked.

”Iʼve been standing here since before you even came up.”

The man, who wore a black cloak and a skull mask and held two scythes in his hands, looking exactly like the Grim Reaper, calmly answered Scalio.

”Hehe!”

”I have no intention of becoming your enemy. Letʼs part ways here.”

Upon hearing this, Scalioʼs expression changed. He knew very well that with the Black Dragon Knights completely defeated, even if he charged forward and fought the man before him to the death, it would not change the outcome at all. Escaping now, waiting for Guild Master Georg to return, and then launching a counterattack against Fairy Tail was what he should do.

”...”

The pitch-black Grim Reaper smiled upon hearing Scalioʼs words. His eyes hidden beneath the mask carried a hint of amusement.

”Part ways? Do you really think you can still escape after seeing me?”

The Grim Reaper coldly questioned Scalio.

”Hehe...”

”I am the Skull Dragon. I can transform my body into ash. In terms of mobility alone, Iʼm probably among the top in all of Diabolos!”

Scalio paid no attention to the words of the man who resembled the Grim Reaper. He regarded them as nothing more than empty threats. He had encountered quite a few powerful enemies in the northern continent of Guiltina, but almost no one could attack him while he had transformed into ash.

”Skull Dragon? Interesting...”

”Looks like I really did find the right opponent!”

”My name is Bloodman, known as ʼDeathʼ Bloodman! I specialize in sending wandering souls like you, who refuse to pass on, to the afterlife!”

Yes, the man who resembled an emissary of Hell was none other than ʼDeathʼ Bloodman. At this moment, he looked at Scalio and laughed loudly. He was mocking Scalio, mocking him for being nothing more than a frog at the bottom of a well.

”Hm?!”

Scalioʼs expression changed slightly upon hearing this, but he had no intention of wasting any more words with Bloodman. He knew that this was not the time for a battle of words. What he needed to do now was escape.

”Donʼt you feel like youʼre having a little trouble breathing?”

Just as Scalioʼs body began transforming into ash and he prepared to flee, Bloodmanʼs voice rang out beside his ear.

”Hm?”

Following Bloodmanʼs reminder, Scalio suddenly felt his breathing tighten.

”What is this?”

Scalio was horrified. He discovered that countless pitch-black specks of light had somehow been mixed into the body that he had transformed into ash.

”Theyʼre Magic Barrier Particles, kid!”

Just as Scalio was shocked, Bloodman had already closed the distance and appeared directly before him.

”Damn it!”

Scalio wanted to block Bloodman, but unfortunately, the gap between them was simply too great.

Perhaps if it had been one of the four members of the Black Dragon Knights, they might have possessed the strength to exchange blows with Bloodman. As for Scalio, he was far too weak!

”Slash!”

With a flash of cold light, countless bright-red sprays of blood immediately erupted from Scalioʼs chest.

”You should consider yourself lucky. Fairy Tail doesnʼt like killing. If this were back when I was in the Alvarez Empire, youʼd already be dead!”

Bloodman coldly spoke as he watched Scalio fall from the tower.

Meanwhile...

Inside the Fairy Tail guild hall, all the mages of Diabolos who had chosen to surrender had been fitted with Magic-Sealing Stone handcuffs by the members of Fairy Tail and thrown into the guild hall...

Fortunately, the Fairy Tail guild hall was indeed large enough. Even with so many additional people, there was still enough room to accommodate them all!

”Since everyone has arrived, we can also release the two ladies!”

Jackal stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the Diabolos executives whose bodies were bound with Magic-Sealing Stone. He nodded lightly, and with a wave of his hand, Misaki, Kilia, and Natsu, who had already been dressed, appeared inside Fairy Tail.

”Tch~”

The wolves of Fairy Tail, led by Gildarts, let out dissatisfied sounds when they saw that Misaki and Kilia had already put their clothes back on.

”Shut up, you scumbags!”

This immediately drew protests from the female mages of Fairy Tailʼs Womenʼs Association.

”This is...”

At the same time, Misaki knelt on the floor. After seeing the people behind her clearly, her expression changed drastically.

”Por, Scalio, Nebaru... even all of you have been captured? And... why have all the other people from the guild been captured too? Where is the Guild Master? What about Kirin and Suzaku?”

Misaki looked at the scene before her in confusion. No matter how she thought about it, she had never imagined that Diabolos would actually be defeated!

”Suzaku and that bastard Madmole betrayed us!”

”Kirin is still locked in battle with that Fairy Tail Dragon Slayer who uses the same attribute of Dragon Slayer Magic as him! Theyʼve already been fighting for two hours without determining a winner...”

”However, even if Kirin ultimately defeats his opponent, Iʼm afraid it wonʼt change his fate. Heʼll probably be captured and brought here to reunite with us soon!”

”After all, from my rough observations, there are no fewer than ten mages in this guild whose magic power is comparable to Kirinʼs!”

”As for Guild Master Georg, he underestimated Fairy Tailʼs mages and was sent flying by a single punch from the enemy. His whereabouts are currently unknown. Simply put, our Diabolos has already been defeated. Apart from the Guild Master, our entire army has been wiped out...”

Scalio sat beside Misaki and explained the current situation to her.

”What?!”

Misakiʼs expression changed drastically upon hearing this.

”How could this happen? Our Dragon Eater Guild Diabolos is supposed to be the strongest in the world!”

Kilia, sitting beside Misaki, was equally shocked after hearing Scalioʼs words.

”Stop joking around! At most, your Mage Guild is the strongest in the northern continent of Guiltina! But our Mage Guild Fairy Tail is the strongest in the entire world of Earth-land! Your guild is still far behind ours!”

Natsu, who was also bound, arrogantly spoke after hearing Misaki and Kiliaʼs words.

”You are?!”

Scalio was stunned upon hearing Natsuʼs words. In theory, Natsu was bound by Magic-Sealing Stone handcuffs just like them, so he should also have been a member of Diabolos. Yet Scalio did not know Natsu at all. At the same time, the emblem on Natsuʼs shoulder clearly belonged to Fairy Tail...

Looking at it this way, the situation was extremely strange...

If Natsu was a mage of Fairy Tail, then why had he been captured alongside them?

”Oh, itʼs you! The flame bastard who sent me flying with one punch!”

After hearing Natsuʼs words, Kiliaʼs pupils contracted slightly as she recognized Natsuʼs identity.

Then, having apparently forgotten every lesson except the ones she shouldnʼt have, Kilia immediately began arrogantly taunting Natsu.

”Hah? What are you talking about?”

Natsu became furious upon hearing this. Even with both his hands and feet bound, he still wanted to beat Kilia up!

Thus, Natsu crawled toward Kilia like a wriggling maggot before viciously smashing his head into hers.

”Bang!”

With a muffled sound, a large bump visibly swelled on Kiliaʼs forehead.

”You bastard!”

Feeling the pain in her forehead, Kilia fought back her tears, moved closer to Natsu, opened her mouth wide, and bit down on Natsuʼs thigh.

”You dare bite me?! Take this!”

Natsu angrily retaliated, biting toward Kilia.

And so, Kilia and Natsu, with their hands and feet bound, became entangled in a fierce struggle.

”These two... even at a time like this, theyʼre still making so much noise. Canʼt they just be quiet and let me think about how to escape?!”

As the strongest and highest-ranking person among the captured members of the Mage Guild Diabolos, Misakiʼs eyes twitched slightly as she watched Natsu and Kilia fighting beside her, seemingly completely speechless.

It seemed that even Misaki herself had failed to notice that, without realizing it, she had already begun treating Natsu as one of her own...

No, more accurately, Natsu had somehow blended into Diabolosʼ group without the slightest sense of incongruity.

”Youʼre all awake!”

Just as Misaki was being driven crazy by the people beside her and could not calm down, the lights inside the Fairy Tail guild hall suddenly flickered! The previously dim hall instantly became brightly illuminated...

”Tsk...”

Misaki instinctively narrowed her eyes beneath the dazzling light inside the guild hall.

Before long, Fairy Tailʼs various S-Class Mage candidates and current S-Class Mages appeared before Misaki and the other Dragon Slayers of the Mage Guild Diabolos.

As for Fairy Tail, there was no doubt that Erza was the leader of both the S-Class candidates and the current S-Class Mages.

”...”

Misaki looked at Fairy Tailʼs imposing lineup before her. She subconsciously bit her sexy lips tightly, while her azure eyes were filled with hatred toward Fairy Tail.

”Just as you can see for yourselves...”

”The Mage Guild you belong to, Diabolos, has been defeated!”

”Now, as the representative of the victorious side, I have come to negotiate with you!”

”I wonder who among you is the person in charge?”

Erza wore a purple evening dress and red-soled high heels as she sat upon a crimson throne. Behind her stood a group of Fairy Tail mages dressed in suits, each radiating a fierce aura.

No matter how one looked at it, Fairy Tail did not seem to have any intention of negotiating with Diabolos...

However, Misaki knew that she had no choice. She staggered to her feet from the ground and looked toward Erza.

”The Guild Master is currently missing. I am the highest-ranking leader of the Dragon Eater Guild Diabolos!”

”Excellent!”

Erza nodded lightly before snapping her fingers at the air.

In an instant, the handcuffs on Misakiʼs body shattered...

”Hm?”

Misaki froze for a moment. She had not expected Erza to release the Magic-Sealing handcuffs on her so easily.

”Since you can represent the guild behind you, Iʼll get straight to the point!”

”There are only two paths before you, Diabolos!”

Erzaʼs expression became solemn and dignified. With her current mastery of Conquerorʼs Haki, even though she restrained it somewhat, she could still intimidate Misakiʼs mind.

”This...”

Facing Erza directly, Misaki listened to her words while feeling the endless Haki released into the air around her. Her heart immediately tightened, and her delicate body trembled slightly.

Misaki knew that Erza was probably going to take this opportunity to make an outrageous demand. As the defeated side, Diabolos had no right to refuse. In this world, the strong preyed upon the weak, and survival of the fittest was an ironclad law!

”The first path: surrender completely and join our Fairy Tail. We treat everyone equally!”

Erza first stated Diabolosʼ first option.

”Join Fairy Tail?!”

Misakiʼs heart trembled. She knew it. This guild had definitely not come to find Diabolos with good intentions.

The other side really had come with the intention of swallowing up their Diabolos...

But perhaps this was simply Diabolosʼ fate, right? Who could blame them when Diabolosʼ strength was too weak?

”Thatʼs right!” Erza nodded lightly before continuing. ”Next is the second path you can choose. You swear to me that from now on, you will no longer hunt dragons that have not actively attacked humans. You are also forbidden from consuming dragon flesh. As long as you promise me that you can abide by these conditions, I will take responsibility and let you leave...”

”I agree to join...”

Just as Misaki took a deep breath and prepared to accept Erzaʼs offer, she heard what Erza had said and immediately widened her eyes.

”Huh?!”

Misaki froze. She felt as though her brain had begun to crash. She could hardly believe what she had just heard.

”You mean... youʼre planning to let us go?”

Misaki stared at Erza in disbelief. She could not believe that this Mage Guild had made such a grand display of force to defeat the Dragon Eater Guild Diabolos, only to ask them to promise that they would no longer indiscriminately hunt dragons from now on...

”Yes!”

”Do you think weʼre going to keep you if we donʼt let you go?”

”Donʼt be silly! Fairy Tail has never been responsible for feeding useless people!”

Upon hearing Misakiʼs question, Erza could not help but raise an eyebrow. She felt that Misaki was being far too naive. Fairy Tail was not a charity organization providing free food and lodging. There was no way they would take responsibility for supporting prisoners...

”You can make your own choice!”

After saying this, Erza no longer paid attention to Misaki. Behind Erza, the Fairy Tail mages dressed in suits and standing behind her all maintained stern expressions, looking incredibly serious.

”I agree...”

Misaki had practically made her decision without thinking. In this situation, almost anyone would know which choice to make. Joining Fairy Tail was obviously impossible. Any normal person would choose the second option. As for whether they would truly follow the oath they had sworn in the future—donʼt make her laugh. Even if they did not follow their oath, who would know?!

”Excellent!”

Erza nodded in satisfaction.

The reason Erza did not allow Misaki and the others to indiscriminately attack dragons across the continent was because she had inherited Ireneʼs ideals and intended to create an era in which dragons and humans could coexist peacefully!

As for Erza forbidding Misaki and the others from consuming dragon flesh—even that of dragons that attacked humans—it was because dragon flesh contained a curse. Those who consumed dragon flesh would become extremely mentally unstable, potentially causing enormous problems for human society! They could even ultimately become a threat more terrifying than the dragons themselves...

”Let them go~”

Erza stood up and nodded toward Jackal behind her.

”Snap~”

After receiving Erzaʼs approval, Jackal lightly snapped his fingers.

”Snap, snap, snap...”

The instant Jackalʼs fingers snapped, the handcuffs on all the Diabolos mages behind Misaki shattered.

”Theyʼre really just letting us go like this?”

Even after Misaki led the members of the Dragon Eater Guild Diabolos out of Fairy Tail, she remained completely bewildered.

The entire journey was silent...

When Misaki and the other Diabolos mages returned to their guild—or more accurately, the ruins of their guild—and looked at the ruins before them, they were still in a dazed state!

They stood in the strong wind, continuously thinking things over. Not a single one of them could believe that the mages of Fairy Tail could actually be so easygoing...

”Kill them! Take down the Diabolos mages!”

Just as Misaki and the other Diabolos mages were staring at the ruins and lost in thought, behind them was a group of Fairy Tail mages shouting as they came to pick a fight with the Diabolos mages!

”Hm?!”

Misaki heard the commotion and turned around. This time, the leader of the Fairy Tail mages had changed, but their objective had not. They still wanted to fight Diabolos!

”Thereʼs definitely a trap!” At this moment, Misaki seemed to finally understand something. She knew Fairy Tail would never let them off so easily. Thinking this, Misaki turned around and looked at the Fairy Tail mages charging toward her.

”You clearly released the members of our Mage Guild Diabolos just now, and we also agreed not to casually hunt dragons anymore. Why wonʼt you leave us alone? What exactly does your Fairy Tail want?”

”Letting you go just now was what happened just now...”

”Now that I want to fight you is what is happening now!”

”Letting you go doesnʼt mean we wonʼt capture you again!”

”Anyway, prepare yourselves! Mages of Diabolos!”

This time, the person leading the Fairy Tail mages into battle was not Erza, but Mirajane, who had lowered her bangs and tied her long hair into a ponytail. The beautiful woman who was usually exceptionally gentle and sweet within Fairy Tail had completely abandoned her usual gentle demeanor, looking more like the boss of a gang as she arrogantly addressed the Diabolos mages.

”Thatʼs too much!”

Even clay had three points of anger, let alone the members of Diabolos, whose tempers were already bad to begin with. After being repeatedly provoked by Fairy Tailʼs unreasonable behavior, Misaki and the others were completely enraged! They were genuinely furious!

”Damn Fairy Tail! This is too much! Brothers, letʼs fight them!”

Just as Misaki was about to speak, the pink-haired youth who had somehow infiltrated the ranks of the Diabolos guild suddenly jumped out first and shouted loudly.

”Thatʼs right! Letʼs fight them!”

”We never realized our guild had someone with such guts!”

”Theyʼve gone too far!”

”Kill them!!”

The moment the pink-haired youth finished speaking, the Diabolos mages immediately shouted and grabbed their weapons, charging toward the Fairy Tail mages.

For a moment, Diabolos and Fairy Tail once again descended into a chaotic brawl!

”Huh?!”

Misaki, who had been preparing to give orders, stared wide-eyed at the scene before her. What was she looking at? A Fairy Tail mage was leading a group of Diabolos members and a group of Fairy Tail members into an all-out brawl?

And, although she wasnʼt sure whether it was merely her imagination, those Diabolos members seemed to be gradually becoming more and more like Fairy Tail...

It was as if a Husky had infiltrated a pack of wolves, causing the entire packʼs style to change...

”Take this!”

Before Misaki could think any further, an Ice Dragon charged toward her.

”Damn it!”

Misaki cursed and was ultimately forced to fight back!

In fact, fewer than ten Fairy Tail mages had come this time. Facing the Diabolos mages, whose numbers far exceeded theirs, the Fairy Tail mages should have been at a disadvantage.

However, the exact opposite was true!

Every Fairy Tail mage on the opposing side possessed strength no weaker than that of the Black Dragon Knights. As a result, the entire battle became completely one-sided. A single Fairy Tail mage would often chase after and beat a dozen, or even dozens, of Diabolos mages!

”Boom! Boom! Boom!!”

For a moment, the streets of the town once again echoed with the thunderous explosions of magic!

”Are the mages of that guild fighting Diabolos all monsters?”

At the same time, the townspeople of Diabolos watching from the sidelines were utterly shocked as they watched the Fairy Tail mages chasing Diabolosʼ mages throughout the streets and beating them mercilessly.

Usually, it was the mages of Diabolos who beat up mages from other guilds.

When had there ever been a time when Diabolosʼ mages were being beaten up by mages from another guild?!

”Looks like the sky over Diabolos Town is about to change! Iʼm afraid our town will have to change its name in the future!”

An elderly townsman looked at the scene before him as if he had realized something and spoke solemnly.

”Although...”

”Donʼt these people fight a little too violently?”

One of the townspeople stared wide-eyed at the bricks, tiles, and pieces of wood flying through the air. The countless destroyed houses—who knew how much money it would cost to repair them?!

”Insurance for sale! Would any of you like insurance for your houses and property?”

”Not 98,000! Not even 9,800! Only 998! You heard me right, only 998!”

”With 998, you canʼt lose and you canʼt get cheated! Donʼt panic if your property is damaged, Iʼll compensate you! Donʼt panic if your house is destroyed, Iʼll repair it~”

Just as the townspeople of Diabolos became panicked and began questioning the safety of their property in the future, Ultear, dressed in a fitted womenʼs suit and looking like a saleswoman, somehow appeared among the crowd.

She held a loudspeaker in one hand while enthusiastically selling various insurance policies.

”Iʼll take one!”

”Me too!”

”I want one too...”

The townspeople of Diabolos immediately rushed toward Ultear one after another. They had already seen the destructive potential of Fairy Tail. Without buying some insurance, they were simply too anxious!

”Damn it...”

However, while Ultear was busy selling insurance to the entire town, an extremely battered figure arrived near the Diabolos guild.

This person had an aged face and white hair. The white hair scattered over his shoulders continuously floated under his powerful magic power. His tremendous magic power pressed against the atmosphere until it creaked, while his terrifying aura of bloodlust was almost tangible. Anyone could see that this was unquestionably a peerless fiend!

”Guild Master! Guild Master Georg...”

The Diabolos mages who had been constantly fleeing beneath Fairy Tailʼs magic all became delighted when they saw the newcomer! Yes, the person who had arrived was none other than Georg Risen, the Guild Master of the Dragon Eater Guild Diabolos, who had been sent flying by Gildarts with a single punch.

”You destroyed my guild and humiliated my guild members! Unforgivable! I will kill you all!”

Georg Risenʼs eyes were bloodshot, resembling a man-eating demon as he roared toward the Fairy Tail mages led by Mirajane, his overwhelming aura soaring into the heavens!

”This guy is no ordinary person...”

Mirajane, Ultear, and the others all changed expressions as they looked at Georg Risen, who approached them like a demon god. They could sense the boundless power within Georg Risenʼs body. The man before them was definitely not someone they could deal with.

”The counterattack is beginning...”

Misaki finally breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Georg Risen arrive. Although she did not like the constantly sexually harassing Georg Risen, after being bullied by Fairy Tail for so long, she was finally able to see a chance to turn the tables and vent some of her pent-up anger.

”Youʼre threatening to kill us all the time. How scary~”

However, just as Georg Risen brought hope to the mages of Diabolos, a teasing voice suddenly sounded beside his ear.

”You?!”

Georg Risen turned around. When he saw the person standing beside him, his pupils suddenly contracted.

Although the appearance of the person standing beside him now differed somewhat from that little brat from back then...

He could not possibly mistake him. The brownish-red-haired young man before him was the same Mage from the continent of Ishgar who had not only stolen his prey, but had also relied on his abilities to beat him senseless, dismantle his guild, and beat up his guild members...

”You!”

The moment Georg Risenʼs voice fell, accompanied by streaks of black light, the sole of a brown shoe broke through the air and arrived less than a centimeter from Georgʼs eye.

”Hm!”

Georgʼs pupils contracted continuously as the sole rapidly enlarged before him.

”Boom!”

Accompanied by a thunderous explosion, before the sound had even fully emerged, Georgʼs body had already been sent flying into the sky, disappearing from sight.

”Ah...”

”The counterattack is over!”

Misaki stared wide-eyed at Georg flying into the sky once again. The flame of resistance that had just ignited within her heart was extinguished once more.

”Speed is power~”

As for the brown-haired youth, after kicking Georg away with a single blow, he casually lowered his raised leg and looked toward the sky.

”To think that this could only leave you seriously injured? What incredible vitality. Youʼre practically a monster~ As expected of the Guild Master of Diabolos, the strongest Mage Guild in the northern continent~”

”No, no, no! The one who kicked our Guild Master into the sky with one foot is the real monster!”

The members of Diabolos hurriedly spoke after hearing the brown-haired youthʼs words.

”Brother Evan!”

”Evan!”

At the same time, Mirajane and Ultear, who had previously been on high alert, greeted the brown-haired youth warmly.

Yes, the brown-haired youth was none other than Evan Belserion~

”Donʼt mind me. You guys continue~”

Evan kept his hands in his pockets and smiled at Mirajane and Ultear. The next second, his figure flickered and disappeared from everyoneʼs sight.

”Kill!”

On the other side, after Guild Master Georg of Diabolos had been sent flying into the sky once again, the morale of Diabolos became completely dispirited. They barely put up any resistance before once again being captured by the members of Fairy Tail and brought back to the guild!

”Now Iʼll give you another chance. Join Fairy Tail, or leave!”

After returning to Fairy Tail, Erza asked Misaki the same question.

”If we leave now, are you going to change to another group of people and attack our Diabolos again?”

Misaki took a deep breath and looked at Erza as she asked.

”Of course!”

Erza nodded openly.

”Phew!”

Upon hearing this, Misaki felt dizzy and overwhelmed. She let out a long sigh before looking at Erza.

”I choose to join Fairy Tail!”

”I refuse!”

However, who would have thought that the moment Misaki finished speaking, she would hear Erza reject her.

”Hm?!”

Misaki froze. No matter how she thought about it, she had never expected Erza to reject their request to join Fairy Tail. So, if she was going to reject them anyway, why had she even made them choose in the first place? Misaki simply could not understand.

”Iʼm sorry...”

”Because there are still people in our guild who havenʼt fought the mages of your Diabolos, so if you want to join Fairy Tail, youʼll have to wait until everyone has finished fighting!”

Erza looked at Misaki and sincerely explained.

”These people are all insane! Completely insane! And seriously insane!”

Upon hearing Erzaʼs explanation, Misaki nearly collapsed mentally.

Only now did Misaki finally understand.

The good news was that the mages of this guild called Fairy Tail really did not have that many ulterior motives.

The bad news was that the mages of Fairy Tail were simply a bunch of completely straightforward lunatics! It would honestly be better if they had ulterior motives...