Ren and Juvia returned from their S-Class mission just before sunset. The sky above Magnolia was painted in soft orange hues, yet something felt terribly wrong. The lively chatter, the laughter, the distant sounds of vendors — all of it was gone.
There were no people in the streets.
Juvia slowed her steps, her expression turning serious as she extended her senses outward. A thin layer of moisture gathered in the air around her as instinct took over.
A gentle rain began to fall.
"Ren… there are no people in Magnolia or the guild," Juvia said quietly, her voice trembling beneath the rain. "I can only sense Natsu, Wendy, Gajeel, Laxus and Mystigen. And… a faint Celestial magic."
Ren's expression hardened instantly.
"Let's go," he said.
They moved through the empty streets at high speed, the sound of rainfall echoing against abandoned buildings. The silence was suffocating, unnatural — Magnolia without its people felt like a corpse without a soul.
They soon reached the guild hall.
The moment the rain intensified, everyone inside stiffened. They had been expecting that familiar magic signature the second the drizzle began, but even so, seeing Ren and Juvia appear at the entrance changed the atmosphere entirely.
Wendy didn't hesitate.
She dashed forward and threw herself into Ren's arms. He caught her easily, steady and calm, though his eyes scanned the room sharply.
He saw the fear.
He saw the uncertainty.
Then his gaze landed on Mystigen.
"Explain. Now. Everything."
Before Mystigen could respond, Laxus stepped forward. At that exact moment, Lucy suddenly appeared, enclosed within the golden frame of her Clock Spirit.
"So you teleported Lucy before some space devoured everyone?" Ren asked the spirit.
The Clock Spirit nodded silently, then disappeared in a flash of light.
Lucy blinked rapidly, confusion written all over her face. "One second I was laughing with everyone… and the next I was standing here. What happened?"
Laxus exhaled heavily before answering.
He explained everything Mystigen had told them — about Anima, about Edolas, about how the guild members had been pulled away and converted into magic lacrima.
As he finished, the rainwater around them began to evaporate.
The temperature of Magnolia was rising at an impossible rate.
"You telling me… that every. One. In. Guild. Were. Teleported. And. Converted. Into. Magic. Lacrima?" Ren asked slowly, veins bulging on his forehead.
The air trembled.
Wendy grabbed his sleeve. Juvia held his hand. Lucy stepped closer.
"Ren, please calm down," Wendy pleaded.
He closed his eyes.
"Great Sage, how long till whatever is interfering with you is dealt?"
A mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[Notice — The Anomaly interfering with Unique Skill is being analyzed.]
[Estimated time to resolve it is 5 minutes.]
Ren exhaled slowly.
For years, Great Sage had not functioned at its full potential. A remnant of divine power — a fragment of a god — had attached itself to him during rebirth. It had been disrupting his calculations, forcing him to rely more on Enchantment and Sun Breathing instead.
Now, finally, it would be removed.
"No… this ends now," Ren muttered internally. "If only I had Predator, this would have been a piece of cake."
He opened his eyes and looked at Mystigen.
"How long until their lives are in danger? Can we go to Edolas?"
Mystigen sighed in relief. At least Ren hadn't gone berserk.
"We have time. By my calculations, they won't have any problem for a day or two. And I might be able to open Anima to send you there."
Ren nodded once.
"Fine. Wait for five minutes. And how sure are you Dragon Slayers can transform them back?"
"I'm 90% sure they can turn them back," Mystigen replied.
Ren turned toward the Dragon Slayers.
"You guys have Dragon Slayer magic. I'll leave saving the guild members to you."
Laxus narrowed his eyes. "What about you?"
There was tension in his voice.
Ren saw through him immediately.
"Don't worry. I won't do anything that will make me hate myself."
That answer was enough.
The guild hall fell into silence.
Five minutes passed.
Then—
[Notice — Analysis complete.]
[Activating Great Sage at optimal level.]
A wave of clarity surged through Ren's mind.
"Good. Scan the residue of Anima and analyze it. I want to know if we can create a portal with a fixed point."
{Analyzing…}
{Analyzing…}
{Analyzing…}
{Analyzing…}
{Analyzing…}
{Analyzing…}
{Affirmative. Would you like to create a portal?}
"Good. Create the portal where Anima is."
{Creating portal…}
Ren lifted his gaze toward everyone.
"You ready?"
Natsu cracked his knuckles, flames igniting instantly. "I'm all fired up. Let's go!"
Gajeel smirked, iron scales forming along his arm. "Heh. I'll smash whoever's responsible."
Wendy swallowed nervously but nodded firmly. "I'll support everyone."
Laxus stepped forward, lightning crackling faintly. "Don't die on us, Ren."
Mystigen handed out pills to the group.
"These will allow you to use magic in Edolas," he explained.
"I will start opening Anima—"
"No need," Ren interrupted calmly. "I already have done it."
Everyone froze.
A massive portal materialized in front of them, swirling with unstable magical energy. It distorted the very air around it, pulling wind inward like a hungry vortex.
Mystigen stared in disbelief.
"How… how did you open the portal?"
Ren's lips curved slightly.
"Now let's go and burn the castle down."
Laxus' eye twitched. "This bastard just said he wouldn't do anything."
Natsu roared in laughter. "Burning stuff sounds good to me!"
Without hesitation, they stepped forward.
One by one, Fairy Tail's strongest entered the portal.
Mystigen hesitated only a second before following them.
"How the hell did he open it…" he muttered under his breath.
The portal closed behind them.
And Magnolia remained silent.
For now.