If Kaien had been just a little more ruthless, he could've ended Jellal for good—and no one would've stopped him.
Erza stared silently at the man who once meant so much to her—the boy she once admired, loved, followed.
And now… she couldn't even recognize who he had become.
Shing!
A sword shimmered into her hand, and she placed the cold edge against Jellal's neck. Her grip tightened. Loosened. Tightened again.
She had wanted to kill him. Truly. For the lies, the betrayal, the years of pain he'd caused—not just her, but all of them.
But looking down at him now, broken, helpless… she hesitated.
Then—
"Kaien!!"
"Erza!!"
Familiar voices rang out.
Turning toward the source, Erza saw Natsu, Lucy, and the others rushing over. Hues of dawn streaked the sky behind them.
They'd left by boat when Sho had warned them the Etherion blast was coming. But when the explosion never arrived—when the light had vanished—they returned.
Now, seeing Erza standing and Jellal on the ground… it was clear who had won.
"Jellal…!!"
Sho's eyes burned with fury. He immediately charged forward to strike him down.
"Careful!" Simon called out, stepping in his way. They didn't know if Jellal was truly down for the count.
"What happened to him?" Lucy asked, confused. Jellal was awake—eyes open—but not moving. At all.
Kaien answered casually, "I temporarily shut down his brain."
"His… what?!"
"Yep. You can treat him like a vegetable for now."
The group gasped. Even Lucy turned pale.
They knew Jellal was a Saint Wizard, one of the Ten Wizard Saints. And yet… Kaien had turned him into a vegetable?
His power really was terrifying.
"Kill him, Erza!" Sho shouted. "He deceived us! He used us! He betrayed you! Don't let him live!"
"That bastard played with our lives for eight years!" Wally added.
"Don't hesitate, Erza!" Millianna cried. "He made us turn on you! Kill him!"
Even Simon, though silent, looked at Erza with a grim expression. He didn't speak—but he agreed.
Jellal was too dangerous to let live. If Kaien hadn't shown up, there was no guarantee they'd have survived.
Erza looked down, conflicted.
She gritted her teeth… then sheathed her blade.
"Let the army take him."
"…Erza?!"
"Little Erza…?"
"Why?!"
Their voices were filled with disbelief. But Erza's own voice was clear.
"I know what he's done. I know his crimes deserve death. But… there was a time when he was our friend. Our leader. The one who helped us survive when we had nothing."
"I can hate him. But I can't be the one to kill him. He'll face judgment—through the Magic Council's laws, not my blade."
There was silence. Not agreement—but no one argued.
They too had once admired Jellal. And as much as they hated him now… killing a helpless man felt hollow.
Kaien nodded.
"Alright. Sounds fair to me."
No one objected.
After all, it was Kaien who had defeated Jellal—and Kaien who had spared him.
He could've wiped Jellal's mind permanently. He still had the power to. But deep down, part of him was influenced by the memories of that anime—the story where a broken Jellal found redemption, where he later fought alongside Fairy Tail.
Maybe… maybe this version could, too.
But if Jellal ever dared to raise his hand against Fairy Tail again—
Kaien would erase him. No hesitation.
They sailed back to the resort together.
Even before the boat landed, they saw her.
Mirajane, waiting at the shore, worry etched into her face. She'd been there since before dawn, pacing the coastline.
"Welcome home, everyone," she said softly, tears welling up.
Kaien stepped off the boat. "We're back."
"Back safe!" Natsu cheered.
As the group returned to the hotel, Mirajane pulled Kaien aside.
When she learned they'd survived a direct Etherion strike—one meant to wipe out a nation—her face went ghost-pale.
Even though he stood there unharmed, she trembled.
And when she gripped his sleeve tightly, voice shaking, he understood why.
She'd already lost one sibling—Lisanna.
She couldn't bear the thought of losing him too.
Kaien promised.
No more stunts like that.
Jellal was turned over to the authorities. Due to his mental condition—and the visible injuries—they didn't question it. They took him away quietly.
Days passed.
The group, for the first time in a long while, simply rested. Laughed. Ate. Relaxed.
But soon—it was time to go.
At the docks, they prepared to part ways.
"You guys really not coming back to Fairy Tail with us?" Gray asked.
Despite everything, they'd grown fond of the Tower kids. Whatever differences had existed were long gone. These days spent eating, playing, training—they'd bonded.
Sho shook his head.
"We've been stuck in that tower our whole lives. This is our first real look at the world. We want to see more."
He paused, smiling faintly.
"It's scary. We don't know anything. But that's our path to walk. We don't want to live for someone else anymore. We want to live for ourselves. That's freedom."
"And I'll be with them," Simon added. "For now, I'm going to search for my sister—she's been missing ever since the slavers took us. I thought she was in the Tower… but she wasn't. Wherever she is, I'll find her."
"You have a sister?" Erza blinked.
Simon nodded.
"Yeah. It's just the two of us. We lost our parents early… and during the raid, we got separated. I need to know what happened."
"And I'll keep these three in line while we look," he added with a faint smile.
Erza hesitated. She didn't want to say goodbye—not again.
But this time, it was different.
She wasn't letting them go. She was setting them free.
"Then take care of them. Please."
Simon nodded.
"I will."
"Stay safe!" Lucy waved.
"See you around!" Natsu grinned.
And like that—
They parted ways.
Kaien, Erza, Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Happy, and the rest… began their journey home.