The military outpost on the border of the East Forest had smelled strictly of iron, damp earth, and bureaucratic tedium for an entire week. Each member of Fairy Tail and the surviving brass of Phantom Lord had been processed through standardized Magic Council interrogation booths. Standard procedure dictated that every witness statement be transcribed, double-signed, and archived before the field marshals could officially close the dossier.
By the time the last Rune Knight transport crossed the mountains back toward Era, the investigation was finally complete. They carried with them the heavy chest containing the primary evidence: a crystalline recording Lacrima, recovered directly from the heart of the wreckage where the giant moving fortress had collapsed.
In the Grand Amphitheater of the Magic Council Headquarters, silence reigned—heavy, oppressive, and furious.
The nine council members sat in their elevated arc of stone desks: Crawford Seam sitting at the center as Chairman, flanked by Yajima, Belno, Org, Michello, Leiji, Yuri, Hogg, Siegrain, and Ultear. Projected in the center of the chamber was a high-definition magical playback, cast directly from the evidence Lacrima.
They watched in absolute, front-row clarity as the drama unfolded: Jose Porla's calm admission of his intent to crush Fairy Tail, the ruthless deployment of the mechanized fortress, and the firing of the legendary Jupiter Cannon for reasons that boiled down to petty territorial jealousy and greed.
Then, the recording shifted to the interior chamber—and the true spectacle began.
On the shimmering projection, a young Kairos Sunveil stood opposite a Ten Wizard Saint. The Council watched the sheer scale of the collision. It was not merely a survival match; Kairos matched Jose blow for blow, dissecting high-tier dark magic with an eerie, clinical intelligence before unleashing an ultimate spell that shattered the former Saint's defenses and brought the tyrant down.
"Preposterous..." Crawford's voice boomed across the hall, his hand slamming down onto his desk as he straightened his robes, visibly agitated by the sheer magnitude of the political fallout. "Deploying a war-grade fortress near a civilian district! Do you have any idea how bad this makes the Council look?! The public image of the Wizard Saints is entirely compromised!"
"Jose crossed a line from which there is no return," Belno added coldly, adjusting her spectacles as she stared at the glowing image of the collapsed fortress. "Using a weapon of that scale to settle a personal grudge against Makarov."
"It's a clear-cut case," Yajima stated, leaning back with his arms crossed inside his long sleeves. "Fairy Tail acted strictly in self-defense. They didn't initiate the assault, nor did they step outside the boundaries of protecting their town. The evidence is absolute."
While Crawford fussed over the administrative embarrassment and the majority of the room boiled over Jose's treachery, several pairs of eyes remained fixated on the silver-haired youth in the projection.
"Setting aside his utter lack of decorum..." Michello grunted, his tone laced with reluctant respect. "The boy's tactical awareness, his magic control, his speed... It's terrifying. If he weren't already holding a royal position—and if his attitude weren't so thoroughly unpleasant—he would be a prime candidate for the Wizard Saints."
"Indeed," Siegrain murmured smoothly, resting his chin upon his laced fingers. A polite, serene smile touched his lips as he watched Kairos effortlessly neutralize Jose's dark magic on screen. "A remarkable display. Truly splendid growth."
Beside him, Ultear Milkovich leaned back, her dark eyes sparkling with a mix of genuine amusement and sharp fascination. "He certainly knows how to put on a show," she chimed in softly, her voice carrying a light, melodic lilt.
With Yajima's firm stance and the undeniable Lacrima footage, Crawford quickly finalized the verdict to wrap up the scandal with minimal further damage to the Council's reputation: Fairy Tail was fully exonerated of all wrongdoing. Phantom Lord was officially stripped of its guild license, declared dissolved, and an absolute warrant was finalized for the permanent imprisonment of Jose Porla.
As the grand doors opened and the Council members began to disperse, Siegrain and Ultear walked side by side down the long, marble-columned corridor toward the eastern wing.
"So," Ultear began, a light, teasing smile playing on her lips as she kept her hands folded behind her back. "What do you really think of our dear 'friend's' growth, Siegrain?"
"He has surpassed initial projections," Siegrain replied calmly, his voice smooth and unbothered. "His mastery over spatial manipulation and rune structures has reached a threshold where simple force no longer works against him."
Ultear's smile broadened slightly, though a cold light flickered in her eyes. "Should we consider dealing with him now? If he keeps progressing at this rate, he will inevitably become an obstacle to the R-System and our plans for the Tower of Heaven. Our previous attempts to draw him close haven't exactly yielded results."
She let out a soft, genuine chuckle as the memory crossed her mind. "Remember the last time we invited him for tea? He rejected us to our faces, told us outright that he was actively trying to avoid us, advised you to 'get a new face,' and called me 'Snake Eyes.'"
"A colorful young man," Siegrain said, his expression remaining perfectly impassive. "Leave Kairos to me. I will handle him when the timing is appropriate. Do not compromise your current positioning by acting prematurely."
"If you say so," Ultear murmured sweetly, bowing her head slightly as she split off down the adjacent hallway. "I'll leave him in your capable hands, then."
The moment her back was turned to Siegrain, her smile shifted into a sharper, more calculating expression.
Leave him to an idiot like you? Hardly, she thought to herself, her eyes narrowing in deep contemplation.
Kairos Sunveil was undoubtedly a threat that needed to be managed, but her desire to bring him to her side was entirely genuine. A mage with that level of raw power, terrifying intellect, and political influence could accelerate her true ambitions tenfold if properly manipulated. And besides, she mused, letting out a faint, silent breath as she walked away, he really is quite handsome when he isn't being insufferable.
Back in Magnolia, the atmosphere was a chaotic mix of profound relief and utter exhaustion.
For Makarov Dreyar, the week had been a blessing—he was not going to jail, the Council had cleared the guild, and plans were already underway for a grander, vastly upgraded guild hall. For the rest of Fairy Tail, the end of the mandatory questioning meant they were finally free to roam the town again, clear out the rubble, and celebrate their survival.
For Kairos Sunveil, however, the past seven days had been nothing short of a customized hell.
"Drink it. All of it. Don't leave a single drop, you insufferable brat!"
"Granny, I swear this stuff smells like concentrated pond water and regret," Kai groaned, sitting propped up against a mountain of pillows in Porlyusica's treehouse.
"It is concentrated, and you will finish it if you want your magic origin to stabilize!" the old healer barked, slamming a wooden tray onto his side table before turning around to aggressively sweep the floor.
Because his magical reserves had been completely drained alongside severe physical strain, Porlyusica had ordered absolute, non-negotiable bed rest. For the first two days, Kai's lazy disposition enjoyed the forced hiatus. But by the third day, being confined to a bed without permission to cast even a simple light spell felt like prolonged psychological torture.
To make matters worse, the "Fairy Tail Circus" had collectively decided that his personal space was a public park.
"Hey, partner!" Cana Alberona announced, barging through the door without knocking, a massive wooden barrel slung over her shoulder. "Brought you some medicinal supplies!"
"I told you three days ago, I don't do teams," Kairos muttered, throwing his arm over his eyes. "And those 'supplies' are just expensive liquor that you bought using my wallet."
"Hey, a team shares expenses!" Cana laughed heartily, sitting on the floor, popping the cork, and taking a long swig. "Besides, you're bedridden and rich. It's called community support."
Before Kai could retort, Mirajane stepped softly into the room carrying a covered basket, her trademark gentle smile radiating warmth. "I brought some freshly baked bread and soup. Porlyusica-san said you needed protein."
"See? This is actual support," Kai pointed out, taking the bowl from Mira. "Clouds, you are the only sane person in this entire building."
"Oh, don't flatter me too much," Mira giggled softly, sitting beside his bed and chatting lightly about the blueprints for the new building, providing a brief, sweet respite from the noise.
Then came the chaotic wave.
Lucy arrived shortly after, bringing a fresh set of bandages, only to be immediately targeted.
"Ah, Blondie," Kai drawled with a faint smirk, leaning his chin on his hand as she walked in. "Visiting again? I'm starting to think you've fallen for me. You can just confess, you know. I'm very understanding."
Lucy's face flushed bright crimson instantly. "W-What?! I came to check if you were alive, you arrogant jerk! Don't make things weird!"
Her flustered stuttering provided endless entertainment, especially when combined with Erza, who occasionally stopped by to sternly enforce Porlyusica's rules, only for Kai to casually tease her about her secret stash of romance novels, leaving the famed Titania red-faced and stammering commands before hastily exiting.
Natsu and Gray were periodically dragged in by Erza to apologize for making noise near the treehouse, resulting in a brief, chaotic yelling match between the two rivals before they were bodily thrown out the window by Porlyusica's broom. Elfman popped in once to loudly proclaim that rest was "MANLY," which gained him a small wooden bowl thrown directly at his forehead.
Later in the afternoon, Team Shadow Gear dropped by. Jet and Droy stood near the door, fidgeting awkwardly, while Levy walked up to the bed with a stack of heavy, leather-bound books.
"Hey, Kai," Levy said softly, a bright smile on her face. "We... well, we wanted to thank you properly. For handling Gajeel."
"I told you guys before," Kai sighed, leaning back against the wooden frame. "If you really want to pay me back, break me out of here. Smuggle me out in a laundry basket. I'm begging you."
Levy chuckled, setting the books down on his lap. "Not a chance. Porlyusica would skin us alive. But... I brought these for you. They're ancient script records from the northern ruins. I thought you'd like them."
Kai's eyes brightened slightly as he picked up the top volume. "Northern runes? Where did you find a translation copy of this?"
"In the old basement archives!" Levy beamed, sitting on the edge of a chair as the two immediately launched into a dense, highly technical debate over ancient magical arrays, geometric logic, and spatial anchor points.
For years, despite Kai being a solo adventurer who ranged into dangerous, uncharted ruins while Levy preferred safe, academic research, the two had always operated as fellow magic nerds. As Levy leaned in closer to point out an altered rune sequence on page forty, Jet and Droy stood in the doorway, practically radiating waves of pure, boiling jealousy as they watched Levy blush when Kai lightly teased her about a misread character.
To keep his sanity intact throughout the week, Kai spent his rare moments of solitude working on conceptualizing new spatial techniques—and secretly tinkering with Porlyusica's medical equipment. He tweaked the magical conduits on her herb grinders and reinforced the brass hinges on her distillation kits.
"Stop touching my tools, you infuriating brat!" Porlyusica would yell every evening, snatching the newly modified, flawlessly efficient herb press from his hands—only to immediately use it for the rest of the night while grumbling under her breath about "noisy humans."
It was a strange, loud, endlessly irritating week. Porlyusica wanted him gone to reclaim her silence, yet refused to let him step foot outside until his magic origin was completely sealed against leaks.
Meanwhile, a few hundred yards away in the dense foliage of the East Forest...
Hiding among the high branches of an ancient oak tree, partially concealed by the leaves, sat Juvia Lockser. She was wearing a broad-brimmed hat, her hands trembling slightly as she held a pair of high-powered brass binoculars focused directly on the open window of the treehouse.
Through the lenses, she watched Kai lean back, his brown hair catching the filtered sunlight, a lazy, amused smirk on his face as he talked with his guildmates.
A deep, fiery blush spread across Juvia's cheeks. Her heart hammered against her ribs as she let out a long, dramatic sigh, her grip on the binoculars tightening.
"Ah... Kai-sama..." she whispered softly to herself, a dreamy smile blooming on her face as small, heart-shaped water bubbles floated gently off her shoulders into the afternoon breeze. "He looks so handsome, even when resting..."