In the end, it was Makarov himself who stepped in to suppress the impulsive Natsu.
Wearing Magic-Sealing Cuffs, Chase and Erza were taken by the Magic Council envoy to the nearby Magic Council branch.
On a distant cliff edge of a certain mountain range.
Two figures silently watched the dejected Fairy Tail members return to Magnolia city.
"What a boring guy. Clearly not weak, yet he always likes doing pointless things."
Laxus, his furry cloak swaying slightly, half-seated on the cliff edge, one hand propping his knee, sneering at the departing Chase.
Although he couldn't hear the conversation clearly, he could roughly guess the situation from the final outcome.
"The Magic Council's trial is just a formality."
A calm, cold voice came from beside him.
Laxus raised his eyes ostentatiously to look at the fully wrapped, masked man carrying several magical staffs.
"That fight just now was pretty good. Too bad Erza wasn't enough to force out Chase's full power."
He slightly clenched his fist, stirring electric arcs beginning to leap around him. "It's making me impatient. Want to spar, Mystogan?"
"Not interested."
Mystogan's face, hidden beneath his mask, was expressionless as he coldly corrected, "Besides, Erza is not weak."
"See, this is why you and I really don't get along." Laxus snorted coldly.
Knowing Mystogan's temperament well, he didn't push further. Instead, he withdrew his magic, brushed the dust from his clothes, and stood up.
"Speaking of which, I'm quite surprised to see someone like you—who won't even show his real face—here."
"Such a huge magical fluctuation occurred outside the guild's town. It would be stranger not to come and check."
Mystogan gazed at the departing guild members. "After all, I am a member of Fairy Tail."
"Tch. That boring bond crap again?"
"Erza, Chase—it's because of your tolerance that the guild's trash and weaklings keep increasing!"
Mentioning this, Laxus's expression turned vicious and violent.
In his overly long rebellious phase, if the old man had listened to him and recruited more strong members, Fairy Tail would already be Fiore's—no, the continent's—strongest guild!
Mystogan stood there silently in the wind, listening to Laxus's complaints and disdain.
When he had finally vented, Mystogan calmly spoke: "So, Laxus... if you were still on a commission..."
"Why are you here too?"
BOOM!
That short, clean sentence struck his soul, exploding in Laxus's mind.
The blond froze for a long moment, unable to find a suitable excuse.
"I-I just happened to be passing by! Who the hell cares about those trash's lives?!" Flushed, he roared angrily.
"I don't recall saying you cared about Erza and the others, did I?"
Mystogan's eyes narrowed slightly, a rare smile appearing. "Face your own heart properly and grow up a bit, Laxus."
"You damn bastard!"
Completely enraged, Laxus raised his hand and blasted a thunderbolt at Mystogan.
BOOM!
The lightning reduced the area Mystogan had been standing on to powder. Mystogan himself dissolved into a thin mist and vanished.
"Damn it! Damn it!!!"
Laxus raged, continuously calling down thunderbolts around him. The scene was quite terrifying.
Magnolia.
The usually noisy Fairy Tail guild was now lifeless.
Natsu, transformed into a tiny Charmander, was trapped under a glass on a table, spitting out small flames and shouting.
Lucy and the others, unable to accept that Erza and Chase had been arrested, clamored to go testify for them.
Other companions were equally indignant, hanging their heads, trying to contain their anger.
The veterans like Wakaba, however, showed little reaction, calmly Mira asking for drinks like the indifferent woman she was.
"Don't act rashly. Quietly wait for the trial results."
Makarov sat cross-legged on the bar, calling out to stop Lucy, Gray, and Happy, who were about to leave.
It was the Master's order. No matter how unwilling they felt, they reluctantly stopped, their faces filled with worry.
Just then, "Natsu" under the glass suddenly seemed to choke, covering his mouth and twitching uncontrollably.
Makarov raised an eyebrow and immediately blasted a spell at him.
BANG!
After the smoke cleared, Macao's figure was revealed.
"Ahaha! That snow mountain orangutan subjugation commission earlier... I owed Natsu a favor."
Macao sat on the floor, sheepishly scratching his head.
Elsewhere.
At the Magic Council branch.
Under the toad-man envoy's escort, Chase and Erza, hands bound with Magic-Sealing Cuffs, slowly walked down the corridor toward the courtroom.
A figure, arms crossed, leaning against a pillar, blocked their path.
The man wore the exclusive robes of a Ten Wizard Saint. His blue hair gently swayed, and strange red markings were engraved on his handsome right cheek.
Recognizing him, the toad-man envoy respectfully knelt on one knee.
"Jellal?!"
Erza exclaimed in surprise, her expression quite shocked.
Once, while accompanying To submit a petition, Makarov had coincidentally encountered Jellal, one of the Magic Council's nine members.
Through their conversation, she learned he was supposedly the "twin brother" of that other Jellal!
Of course, it was all a fabrication by Jellal to achieve his goal of resurrecting the Dark Mage Zeref via the Tower of Paradise.
Jellal was merely a Thought Projection imbued with his magic.
"Long time no see, Erza."
Jellal walked over to greet her. Seeing Chase beside Erza, he was momentarily taken aback. "You're Chase Lin Edgarhall?"
The ruins island incident had just occurred, and the Council had even held a special meeting regarding Chase. Naturally, he recognized him.
"What's this? Wasn't only Erza Scarlet supposed to be arrested?"
Jellal frowned at the kneeling toad-man.
"Reporting to you, sir. This bastard openly assaulted a Magic Council envoy. I've already requested instructions from the Chairman on the way here." The toad-man bowed his head respectfully.
Speaking of which, he was still bitter about it—his stomach still hurt.
He'd heard Chase of Fairy Tail wasn't a mage to be judged by ordinary standards, but he never expected this level of recklessness.
Punching him just to get a trial...
If you'd just said something beforehand, I would have cooperated, damn it! No need to take a beating for nothing!
"Hahaha! I see. Even more exaggeration than the rumors." Jellal laughed.
"Nice to meet you, Jellal." Chase greeted him without any scruples.
"You—you—don't forget your current status! Do you know who this man is?!" The toad-man hastily scolded.
"I know. Just some Council scum." Chase shrugged.
If it were any other councilor, he might show some respect—after all, they technically oversaw his guild.
But Jellal, with his ultimate motives? He couldn't care less.
Having pinned all his hopes on the Tower of Paradise, Jellal wouldn't dare act recklessly now.
Hearing this, the toad-man's face drastically changed. Just as he was about to reprimand, Jellal raised his hand to stop him.
"It's fine. I'm just a Thought Projection now, and those old men inside are the same. They can't exactly come all the way from ERA for such a trivial matter, can they?"
Hearing this, Erza's gaze grew very serious, full of hostility: "Jellal, are you behind this?"
"Don't misunderstand a good guy. I've been defending your Fairy Tail, you know."
Jellal shifted his attention from Chase back to Erza. "But the old men are afraid of being blamed, so they're pinning it all on Fairy Tail."
With that, he stepped closer, reached out to lift Erza's chin, and leaned in.
Just as he was about to quietly warn Erza not to mention the Tower of Paradise, his peripheral vision caught something that started led him.
There was Chase, shamelessly sticking his neck out, ear pressed close—shoving his face directly between theirs!
***
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