Chapter 31: Ch 31 : The King's Return
In the misty, smoke-filled bathroom, Erza stood silently under the stream of hot water, letting it cascade over her body.
Yet, despite the comforting warmth, her heart remained cold and unsettled.
( Master has lost his magic… Laxus, Mystogan, and Noel are all absent… So many people are injured… Can we even continue this war?)
Bracing herself against the wall with one hand, Erza recalled the moment when Makarov had gone alone to confront Phantom Lord's Guild Master, Joseph.
A deep sense of regret spread through her heart like a silent, creeping shadow.
(If only… If only I had gone with him… I was so pathetic… It's all my fault… Now, all I can do is wait for Noel to return… He will come back, I know it. Until then, I must protect the guild at all costs.)
A fleeting image of golden hair flashed through her mind—the figure that always brought her an unshakable sense of security.
With that thought, the doubt in her heart slowly faded, replaced by a newfound resolve.
Her once-clouded eyes now burned with unwavering determination.
BOOM. BOOM.
A deep, rhythmic sound, like the footsteps of a massive entity, suddenly echoed into the shower room, sending a chill of unease through Erza's heart.
Without hesitation, she hastily wrapped herself in a towel and rushed outside, joining the other guild members as they stormed out of the building.
"This… This is unexpected… They're actually attacking us like this…?"
Emerging from the guild, Erza stared in shock at Phantom Lord's colossal mobile headquarters approaching them, its towering structure looming ominously.
Atop the guild fortress, a massive cannon had begun charging, its energy pulsing as it prepared to fire.
A cold dread settled over her heart.
"This is bad—everyone, get down!"
Shaking off her initial shock, Erza quickly turned back to the others, waving frantically for them to take cover.
Without waiting for a response, she bolted forward.
"Erza!"
"Where are you going?!"
Ignoring the shouts behind her, Erza activated her Requip magic in mid-stride, her armor shifting in a flash of light to the Adamantine Armor.
"Damn it! I won't let you destroy our guild!"
With a fierce cry, she charged toward Phantom Lord's massive guild fortress.
At this moment, the magic cannon—Jupiter, mounted on Phantom Lord's headquarters, had fully charged.
A surge of terrifying magical power condensed into a pillar of light, erupting from the cannon's barrel with unstoppable force, roaring toward Fairy Tail's guild with the sheer momentum of destruction itself.
Erza gritted her teeth, activating the full power of her Adamantine Armor.
She positioned both shields in front of her, tightly shutting her eyes. (I must hold on! Until Noel returns, I must protect the guild!)
Just as she braced herself to withstand the devastating impact of Jupiter, a familiar voice suddenly rang in her ears—
"Holy Light Magic Defensive Art—Wall of Sighs!"
A deafening explosion followed immediately after.
Erza's eyes flew open.
Before her stood a towering golden wall, over ten meters high, adorned with intricate patterns.
It shimmered with divine radiance, as if made of solid light itself.
Despite the overwhelming might of Jupiter, the wall remained unshaken, showing not the slightest sign of breaking.
The Jupiter Cannon, having exhausted its energy against the unyielding golden barrier, gradually faded into nothingness. And beneath that magnificent wall—
A figure with golden hair and piercing blue eyes stood firm.
"Noel…" Erza whispered, her voice soft, yet filled with astonishment and joy.
"Sorry, I'm late." The golden-haired youth looked at the red-haired girl, his gaze flickering with relief and guilt—along with a trace of warmth even he hadn't realized.
"You're finally back, Noel!"
"Noel!"
At that moment, the entire guild saw him.
Faces that had been filled with fear and uncertainty due to Makarov's downfall now shone with renewed hope.
The anxiety that had gripped Fairy Tail evaporated in an instant.
Noel gave them a faint smile, nodding slightly in acknowledgment.
Then, his expression turned ice-cold as he turned to face Phantom Lord's headquarters.
With a casual flick, he tossed a bundle into the air.
As it unraveled, countless tattered Phantom Lord banners, each bearing their insignia, scattered through the sky—fluttering down like the remnants of a fallen empire.
"Those are... Phantom Lord's banners!"
"How could there be so many?! Did Noel destroy all of Phantom Lord's branch guilds?"
The members of Fairy Tail gazed at the countless banners drifting through the sky, their hearts filled with shock.
"Joseph, do you like this little gift?" Noel shouted in the direction of Phantom Lord's headquarters.
"And this is only one-third of them. The other two-thirds? By now, they've probably been destroyed at the hands of Laxus and Mystogan as well."
"Damn you! Unforgivable—absolutely unforgivable! Noel Rutherford, I will make you pay! Even if you hand over Lucy Heartfilia now, I will still destroy Fairy Tail!"
Joseph's enraged voice thundered through the air, amplified by magic from Phantom Lord's headquarters.
Noel's expression turned even colder.
"Then allow me to return those exact same words to you." His voice rang out powerfully.
"Listen well, Joseph! Lucy is a member of Fairy Tail. To us, she is family! Asking us to betray our own family? We'd rather fight to the death!"
Noel clenched his right fist tightly, then thrust it forward with unwavering determination.
"Yeah! Well said, Noel!"
"Stop joking around! Get lost already!"
"Our answer will never change, no matter what happens. We're going to crush you completely!"
Hearing Joseph's words, the members of Fairy Tail erupted with anger, each expressing their unwavering determination never to betray their comrades.
"Everyone… I…"
Tears welled up in Lucy's eyes as she watched everything unfold before her, streaming down her cheeks.
Inside Phantom Lord's headquarters, Joseph's face twisted in fury as veins bulged on his forehead.
According to his plan, Fairy Tail, having lost Makarov, should have been in chaos—if not completely demoralized.
However, what he hadn't anticipated was Noel's overwhelming influence.
His mere presence had reignited their fighting spirit, turning despair into defiance.
Faced with Fairy Tail's provocation, Joseph could no longer hold back his rage.
He shot to his feet.
"If Jupiter was useless, then I'll just wipe out Fairy Tail with an even stronger spell! Before the spell is completed, you can all tremble in terror!"
Joseph's voice boomed with venomous hatred.
"Prepare to witness hell, Fairy Tail! Noel Rutherford! Let's see if you can withstand my Forbidden Magic—Abyss Break!"
Noel's sharp blue eyes calmly observed Phantom Lord's headquarters as it transformed into a towering Magical Giant, a massive spell formation appearing above it.
His voice remained cool and steady.
"Gray, Elfman, Erza, Natsu, Happy…."
"Huh? What is it, Noel?"
"Noel! Are you assigning me some manly mission?!"
"Noel, just say the word."
"Oh? What's up, Noel?"
Noel's gaze remained locked onto the enemy's fortress.
"The Element 4 are yours to deal with." His voice was unwavering.
"A spell this massive must be powered by them. Take them down, and you'll stop the magic."
"No problem."
"Piece of cake."
"Leave it to a man like me!"
"I'll knock them all flying!"
Erza, Gray, Elfman, and Natsu all nodded in agreement.
"Noel, Elfman…"
Mirajane's face was filled with concern as she watched Elfman sprint toward Phantom Lord's headquarters.
Although the Element 4 held the title of S-Class, their actual strength wasn't on that level.
However, to Mirajane, Elfman—who couldn't fully use his Take Over magic—was still pushing himself too hard.
"Mirajane," Noel suddenly spoke, cutting off her words.
His clear blue eyes locked onto hers.
"Elfman has been working so hard all this time. He's always… kept moving forward, strong and alone. You know that, don't you, Mirajane?"
"So… believe in him."
Mirajane's expression was complicated as she gazed at Elfman's back.
"Elfman…"
"Noel, what about you? What are you planning to do?" Erza turned toward Noel, her tone serious.
Noel's face was ice cold, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on Phantom Lord's headquarters.
"Me? Of course, I'm going to deal with Joseph."
"...Understood. Noel, be careful."
After a slight hesitation, Erza finally nodded before dashing toward the Magical Giant that Phantom Lord's headquarters had become.
She didn't try to stop Noel—because she knew this was the best choice.
Right now, in Fairy Tail, the only person capable of fighting Joseph head-on was Noel, another member of the Ten Wizard Saints like Joseph himself.
"Everyone, I'm leaving the guild in your hands!" Noel turned to the remaining Fairy Tail members.
"Oh! Leave it to us!"
"Noel, make sure you knock Joseph out!"
"We'll protect the guild with our lives until you win!"
Seeing the unwavering determination on their faces, Noel finally smiled—his usual gentle and reassuring smile.
"Everyone, let's do our best."
"Yeah!!"
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