In a seaside villa—a luxurious hideout belonging to Ultear—steam filled the private bath as she soaked in the water, leisurely using a magical communication crystal to report to Hades, the master of Grimoire Heart.
"…And that's how it ended. The Council's going to shoulder the blame for all of this. For now, they're basically paralyzed. Honestly, they might even dissolve."
"You did well, Ultear. And Jellal?"
"He was handed over to the military by someone unknown—probably Fairy Tail's doing—and then locked up by the Council. What a pathetic man. He never even realized I was the one pretending to be Zeref's ghost. I brainwashed him for eight full years and he never suspected a thing. Everything played out exactly as planned: dragging the Magic Council into this conflict and forcing them to fire Etherion. All according to plan."
"But I have to admit, the part where Etherion was transferred away really caught me off guard. Judging by Jellal's last scream, it was probably that Kaien guy… Incredible, honestly."
After all, that was Etherion—the ultimate weapon of the Magic Council. And it had been intercepted. Ultear didn't know what kind of magic Kaien had used, but to achieve something like that? It was nothing short of impossible. He truly was a monster worthy of all his titles.
From within the crystal, Hades's voice came through:
"Fairy Tail, huh… Let's hope they don't interfere. If they do, I'll just destroy them."
Magnolia Town
"Whoa… What is THIS?!"
"Waaaah!"
"Holy crap!"
"Already finished?!"
"A brand-new Fairy Tail guild hall!!"
The crowd stood in front of the completely rebuilt Fairy Tail building, eyes wide with awe.
The new guild was several times larger than the old one. It had walls, a gate, and a stately exterior that completely outclassed the old rundown shack. The atmosphere had changed entirely.
"Yo, you guys are back!"
"You're surprised, huh? This is our new HQ."
Some guild members waved at Kaien and the returning team.
"Not bad at all," Kaien muttered, impressed by how quickly construction had been completed.
"There's even an outdoor café!"
"And a gift shop at the entrance?!"
"Welcome!! Oh, it's you guys."
Marcus waved cheerfully.
"Wait, Marcus opened a shop?" Happy blinked.
Marcus beckoned them over. "Come, take a look! We've got custom Fairy Tail T-shirts, armbands, mugs, towels, even exclusive magical trinkets."
He lifted up a display case. "Our top seller? These wizard figurines. Each one's 3,000 Jewels."
Erza's eye twitched. "They're really selling… this kind of stuff?"
Mirajane's eyes sparkled like a kid in a candy store.
"Ooh? Isn't this Kaien's figurine?!"
Lucy gasped. "There's so many of him!"
There were figurines of Kaien in his Take Over forms—Ulqiorra, Yoriichi, Toji, Ace, and Whitebeard.
The Whitebeard one was massive, towering over the rest.
Marcus beamed. "Kaien's figures are our top sellers! Especially this one—10,000 Jewels. It's already a nationwide best-seller!"
Back when Kaien fought Jose, the Wizard Saint, on live broadcast in his Whitebeard form, he'd gone viral across Fiore. That fight made him a household name.
He now ranked #1 on Sorcerer Weekly's:
Most Popular Mage ChartStrongest Mage Chart"Who Do You Want As a Boyfriend" Chart
He'd held all three spots for several weeks now.
Kaien wasn't above flipping through Sorcerer Weekly when bored—and when he saw those rankings, he couldn't help but feel a little smug. He was still young, after all. A little vanity was natural.
"I'll take one of each of these… and Mira's too," he declared, sweeping his hand dramatically.
"Thank you for your patronage!" Marcus grinned and got to work.
"Hey! Lucy, they've got your figurine too!" Happy chimed in.
"Whaaat?!" Lucy blushed furiously. "D-Don't just make that without asking! It's embarrassing…"
Suddenly—rip!
Her figurine's clothes snapped open, revealing a version in nothing but underwear.
Marcus nodded seriously.
"Of course, the outfit's removable."
"YOU PERVERTS!!" Lucy screamed, covering her chest.
Kaien looked sideways. "Hmm… I'll take a Lucy one too."
Mirajane smiled sweetly—and pinched his waist hard.
"OW OW OW! N-No thanks! Cancel the Lucy one!"
Cana, who'd been watching from the guild entrance, waved.
"You guys finally back? Come inside already!"
Everyone stepped into the building.
"Whoa…"
"It's gorgeous!!"
The interior of the guild had been completely revamped—bright, regal, and spacious.
"Hi! Welcome to Fairy Tail!"
Waitresses now wore Fairy Tail-themed mini-skirts and cheerfully greeted members.
"…Even the uniforms changed?"
"They're kinda cute," someone muttered.
Lucy deadpanned. "This has gotta be the Master's idea…"
Kaien's eyes trailed after the staff involuntarily.
You could question the old man's motives, but not his taste.
Cana gestured them toward the back. "That's not all."
The backyard had been remodeled into a swimming pool. The basement was now a game room.
"And the second floor? Anyone can go up now! You still need an S-Class mage to take S-rank jobs, though."
Lucy's eyes sparkled.
"Then I can team up with Kaien and take S-rank missions?!"
She'd seen firsthand how generous Kaien was with his reward shares. Just one mission with him and she'd be set for rent for a whole year.
Natsu, Happy, and Gray lit up as well. Money aside, it was Kaien—they wanted to go on missions with him.
"Not taking anyone." Kaien shut it down instantly.
He didn't mind working with girls normally, but Mira was right there. He had to demonstrate loyalty.
"Stingy!!" Lucy pouted.
Just then, Master Makarov walked up, grinning.
"Welcome back, ya brats."