Chapter 63: FTRJ: Chapter 63

Jose, along with the flames that consumed him, was no more.

Hado No. 96, Ittō Kasō, was, according to Finn’s memory, a high-level, sacrificial Kidō technique, considered forbidden. It usually required burnt flesh as a medium.

However, Finn also remembered a weaker version that didn’t require a sacrifice, albeit with reduced power. It was more than enough for the already weakened Jose.

Finn suspected this might be related to Number Two, but this couldn’t be verified; he would have to wait for another opportunity to meet Number Two and ask.

If he’d had sufficient magical power, Finn would have preferred to use Hellfire to dispatch Jose directly.

Unfortunately, Finn had gotten a little carried away in the fight, actually crushing Jose’s magic with his bare hands, resulting in a faster depletion of his own magical energy than he’d anticipated.

Finally, the flames dissipated. Finn sheathed Ryūjin Jakka, and the intense heat began to subside.

Everything gradually returned to a state of calm, although the seawater would likely require some time to cool down.

At that moment, the Phantom Lord guild, which had once stood proudly there, had completely vanished, leaving nothing but fragments of debris scattered beneath Finn’s feet. Even the remnants had been completely incinerated.

Warm sunlight pierced through the lingering storm clouds, bathing the tranquil landscape in its golden rays, as if the light of victory itself was shining upon the Fairy Tail guild’s flag.

From a distance, the Fairy Tail members exchanged bewildered glances as they watched the dissipating flames. “Is this… really over?” Lucy asked, unable to contain her astonishment.

“And all that remains…” Erza placed a hand on her forehead as she gazed towards the distant sea, where a single figure still stood. “It’s Finn!!”

“In that case…” Mirajane couldn’t suppress her excitement.

After a brief moment of stunned silence, cheers and shouts of joy erupted from the Fairy Tail members, echoing across the surroundings.

“We won!! We defeated Phantom Lord!!”

“Hahaha, we finally won!!”

“Hahaha.” At that moment, everyone erupted into joyous laughter; Fairy Tail had achieved a complete victory.

Everyone surged forward, lifting Finn, who had just clambered ashore from the sea, into the air. Some supported his head, others grabbed his arms, and still others held onto his legs.

“Hey, hey, hey! What do you think you’re doing?!” Finn asked, completely dumbfounded as he was hoisted aloft by the jubilant crowd.

“What do you mean, ’what are we doing’? We’re celebrating our great hero, of course!” Gray chuckled.

Sharing a look of mutual understanding and amusement, they all exerted their strength simultaneously, lifting Finn high into the air, catching him again, and then tossing him up high once more.

Feeling the warmth of their enthusiastic celebration, Finn, too, was swept away by the joyous atmosphere.

It was quite a while before they finally set Finn back down on the ground.

“Brother Finn is a true man!” Elfman declared loudly, pounding his chest with pride.

“Hahaha.” The scene had transformed into a sea of unrestrained jubilation.

Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps broke through the joyous clamor.

Everyone turned to see who was coming, and their eyes fell upon Makarov, being carefully supported by Porlyusica.

“Master, it’s so wonderful that you’re alright!” Mirajane exclaimed, her voice filled with relief.

“Ah, I’m feeling much better now,” Makarov replied with a warm smile.

Looking at his guild members, each bearing their own share of wounds and injuries, Makarov felt a mixture of both heartache and immense pride.

Makarov walked towards the ruins of the Fairy Tail guild hall, and gazing upon his children, he spoke slowly and solemnly.

“This victory came at a great cost, and I thank you all for your hard work. As your guild master, I feel I haven’t been of much help, and I apologize for causing you all so much trouble.”

“Old Man, what are you saying? Nothing like that happened!” Natsu shouted.

“Yeah, yeah!” The others echoed Natsu’s sentiments.

Makarov laughed heartily. “United as one, we overcame every obstacle, and I am immensely proud of each and every one of you!!” Makarov raised his right hand high above his head, palm facing outwards, forming the Fairy Tail guild mark.

“Be proud to be a member of Fairy Tail!” Makarov proclaimed with resounding pride.

“Ooooooh!!!” Countless hands shot up in the air, mirroring Makarov’s gesture, as the joyous cries of victory filled the air.

“Honestly, Makarov… you’ve created a truly remarkable guild,” Porlyusica remarked, a faint smile gracing her lips as she watched the scene unfold before her.

“Mira,” Porlyusica called out.

“Yes, Porlyusica-san,” Mirajane responded to the summons.

“Makarov is doing much better now; just keep an eye on him. I’ll be leaving now,” Porlyusica said before turning and departing.

“Everyone’s so happy, Lucy,” Happy commented, standing at the back of the crowd with Lucy as they watched the joyous celebrations. Happy, too, was filled with unrestrained excitement.

“Mmm…” Lucy’s mood was noticeably subdued.

“Lucy?” Happy noticed Lucy’s unusual quietness.

Meanwhile, after the initial wave of jubilation had subsided, Makarov let out a heavy sigh as he gazed upon the devastation of the guild hall behind him. “The damage is… quite extensive, isn’t it?”

At the sound of Makarov’s words, all eyes turned towards Finn, who stood within the crowd.

“???”

“Why are you all looking at me? It’s a battle; a little bit of collateral damage is to be expected, haha,” Finn said nervously, scratching the back of his head.

“A little bit?! Are you kidding?!” The chorus of good-natured ribbing that followed was immediate and merciless.

“Seriously, they were just cheering for me a moment ago,” Finn muttered, a hint of frustration coloring his tone.

“Well, it’s about time we got a bigger guild hall. We’ve got so many members now; this place is getting a little cramped,” Makarov said with his characteristically open and optimistic attitude.

“Um… excuse me, Master,” Lucy said, approaching hesitantly, her head bowed low.

“Hmm?” Makarov turned to look at Lucy. “Ah, it’s Lucy. It seems you’ve also endured quite a bit of hardship.”

Lucy’s head bowed even lower.

“Now, now, don’t be so downcast, Lucy-san,” a familiar voice called out from behind Lucy.

Levy and the others emerged from the crowd, each of them wrapped in bandages, but their spirits appeared to be high.

“I’m back,” Levy said, approaching Lucy with a playful wink.

“Ah, Levy-san,” Lucy’s self-reproach intensified at the sight of Levy.

“This victory was achieved through the combined efforts of everyone,” Levy said, offering a reassuring smile.

“Even if the guild hall was destroyed, we can just rebuild it,” Jet chimed in, his words echoing the sentiments of the group; everyone could see how much Lucy was blaming herself.

“I’m so sorry for causing you so much worry, Lucy-san,” Levy added.

“No… it’s all my fault,” Lucy insisted, her voice trembling.

“I’ve already heard about that incident, but absolutely no one believes it was your fault, Lucy-san,” Levy said gently, cutting off Lucy’s self-recriminations.

“Lucy,” Makarov said, his voice calm and reassuring.

“Whether it’s joy or sorrow, we share it—that’s what a guild is all about. We may not always share everything, but at least we can share the significant parts.”

“One person’s happiness is everyone’s happiness; one person’s anger is everyone’s anger; and one person’s tears are everyone’s tears,” Makarov continued, his words resonating with warmth and understanding.

“There’s no need for you to blame yourself,” Makarov said, and as he spoke, everyone present turned to look at Lucy with warm, supportive smiles; there wasn’t a single trace of blame or resentment in any of their gazes.

Makarov continued, “You should be able to deeply understand everyone’s feelings.”

Lucy lowered her head, covering her face with her hands. Her body trembled slightly, and a faint sob escaped her lips.

“Lift your head, Lucy,” Makarov said, his smile radiating warmth and kindness, “Don’t forget that you are a part of Fairy Tail.”

“Drip…” A single tear fell to the ground.

Lucy raised her head, her lips still trembling.

“Waaaaaaa————”

Unable to contain her emotions any longer, Lucy burst into tears.

Levy stepped forward and embraced Lucy in a comforting hug.

Finn watched this scene with a gentle smile, then turned his gaze towards the distant mountain peak, where a cloaked figure, completely shrouded in dark garments, stood silently, his gaze fixed intently on the scene below.

Finn raised his right hand high above his head, knowing that his gesture would be clearly visible to the figure in the distance.

The cloaked figure lowered his gaze to his own right hand, a slight smile playing on his masked face before he, too, raised his right hand, mirroring Finn’s gesture.

“Let’s share the joy of victory together, Mystogan,” Finn said silently.

“Finn, what was that about?” Erza asked, turning to Finn to inquire about his sudden gesture.

“Ah, just sharing the joy,” Finn replied, offering no further explanation.

“But speaking of which…” Makarov said, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding devastation.

“I think we might have gone a little overboard. The Council is probably going to be furious,” Makarov said, his head bowed low in anticipation of the inevitable repercussions.

“No, wait a minute. If it’s really serious, we might even get imprisoned, or forced to pay a huge fine, or… maybe even write an apology letter that’s over ten thousand words long!!” A bead of cold sweat trickled down Makarov’s forehead.

“Master?” Mirajane asked, noticing Makarov’s sudden change in demeanor.

“Waaaaaaa————” The next second, Makarov burst into tears, his cries even louder than Lucy’s, leaving Lucy completely speechless.

“???” Lucy’s expression was one of utter bewilderment.

As expected, not long after, a contingent of knights from the Council arrived on the scene, completely surrounding everyone present.

Natsu and Happy, reacting instinctively, immediately took to their heels, but the encirclement was already complete, making escape impossible.

As for the guild master, well, he was now crying even more profusely than before.

However, the knights eventually revealed their purpose; they were merely there to investigate the events that had transpired, and to that end, they set up a temporary encampment near the Fairy Tail guild hall, requiring the Fairy Tail members to cooperate with their investigation.

It took a full week before the investigation was finally completed.

As for the question of how Fairy Tail would be punished, it was said that the decision would be made at the Council meeting in two days’ time.

…

On that day, Finn was summoned early to assist with the guild’s reconstruction efforts at the construction site. The person who’d summoned him, of course, was Erza, who had clearly already adopted this task as part of her daily routine.

Her enthusiasm was truly remarkable.

Natsu, brimming with overconfidence, attempted to lift ten pieces of lumber at once, only to be crushed beneath their weight, collapsing onto the ground. “So… so heavy…” Natsu groaned in agony, his strength completely depleted.

“Who told you to be so greedy and try to carry so much at once, you idiot?” Gray remarked, effortlessly carrying a single piece of lumber past Natsu, not missing the opportunity to deliver a well-deserved jab at his rival.

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