A terrifying killing intent bore down on Evergreen, and for the first time in a long while, she felt a wave of oppressive pressure. Sweat beaded on her forehead.
Kaien may not have had the most experience, but the beings he'd absorbed through Take Over Magic were all warriors forged from the chaos of countless battlefields.
"My, my—this is the first time I've seen you this angry. So you do have that kind of expression," said Laxus, standing protectively in front of Evergreen. His sudden appearance drastically eased the pressure weighing on her.
"Laxus…"
Kaien's fists clenched. He had originally intended just to teach the guy a lesson—but now, he was seriously tempted to break him.
"You bastard!! Turn them back—now!!" Makarov roared furiously at Laxus.
"No need to get so worked up. I already said it's just a little extra entertainment."
"Cut the nonsense!! We've still got the Fantasia Parade to prepare! Turn them back this instant!"
"The parade's not until night, right? Plenty of time." Laxus's smile turned cruel. "These girls are hostages now. If anyone breaks the rules, I'll smash them one by one. Let's see who's really the strongest in Fairy Tail."
"The rules are simple. Last one standing wins. Welcome to the Fairy Tail Civil War."
"If you want the girls turned back, you'll have to defeat us. You've got three hours. Fail to take us down by then, and the girls will be reduced to dust."
"The battlefield is all of Magnolia. Find us, and the fight begins."
The guild members' faces turned pale.
"What?!"
"He's serious?!"
"He doesn't have to go that far…"
Makarov's body enlarged, towering above the guild. "You dare play games like this?!!"
A blinding flash pulsed from Laxus's fingers. "Fairy Tail Civil War—begins now!!"
And with that flash of light, Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe vanished.
"They… disappeared!!"
"We're seriously playing hide and seek across the city?! Laxus!!"
"Catch him!!"
"No, beat him to a pulp!! He dares mock us?!"…
The Fairy Tail members surged out in a thunderous wave. They'd already had enough of Laxus's arrogance, and now that he'd turned their guildmates into stone? No more holding back. He had to pay.
"That brat… I'm going to tan his hide myself!!" Makarov shouted, charging after them.
But as he reached the guild doors—bam!
He slammed into an invisible wall.
A glowing script shimmered into view mid-air.
"This is… Freed's enchantment?!"
Rule: No entry or exit for individuals over 80 years of age or petrified statues.
Makarov's eyes widened. He knew Freed was skilled with enchantment magic—but he hadn't expected something like this. Dual restrictions based on age and physical status? It was targeted precisely at him. They had planned to trap him from the beginning.
Kaien stood before the petrified girls, his expression unreadable.
The Thunder God Tribe—they didn't show up much in the anime. In all his time at Fairy Tail, he hadn't even met them once. He'd practically forgotten their names.
And if he couldn't remember them, he certainly didn't recall this arc.
Or maybe, after gaining so much strength, he'd stopped caring about the plot altogether—which led to this situation.
BEEP—BEEP—
The floating text at the guild entrance changed again.
Fairy Tail Civil War Live Update:
Sarusuke vs Droy vs Alzack
Winner: Alzack
Fairy Tail Remaining Participants: 82
Makarov's face tightened. "What is this?! Why are they… fighting each other?!"
More and more updates began appearing.
"Stop this!! I said STOP, you little brats!!"
Makarov shouted, powerless behind the barrier. He wanted nothing more than to storm out and stop it all—but he was sealed in.
"Kaien!"
He turned—and saw Kaien still inside. Relief washed over him.
As long as Kaien was here, maybe there was still hope.
"Master… this time… I'm really pissed off."
"Kaien, don't worry. I'm sure Mira and the others will be fine. They'll turn back soon—"
"Worry? Why would I be worried? If anyone should be worried… it's Laxus and his crew."
Makarov shuddered.
He could feel it—Kaien was truly angry now.
"Kaien, I'm sure Laxus didn't mean real harm. It's just a prank—he'd never go so far as to hurt his comrades."
"Relax, Master. I'm not going to kill them…"
Kaien's eyes narrowed, and a cold light gleamed.
"…but I will make sure they never forget the lesson I'm about to teach them."
With a flick of energy, Kaien transformed—taking on the form of Gojo's Six Eyes.
Makarov stared. It was the first time he had seen this transformation.
FWOOSH!
Kaien vanished, reappearing atop the Fairy Tail guild roof in an instant.
He activated Six Eyes, scanning across the city. Sure enough, members of the guild were already clashing in the streets.
But he had no time to worry about them now.
His priority was Evergreen. He had to break her spell—now.
"There you are."
Streets of Magnolia
Elfman tore through the crowded festival roads, frantically searching for his sister. The streets were packed from the celebration, making it even harder.
"EVERGREEN!!"
He spotted her ahead.
With a furious roar, Elfman charged forward. "You bastard!! If you're a real man, don't take hostages! Bring my sister back—NOW!!"
Evergreen calmly raised her glasses.
Elfman knew what that meant.
He immediately ducked his head and shut his eyes—avoiding direct contact.
THWACK!
"Gah!"
Evergreen took advantage of the moment. She flew in and slammed Elfman straight into a flower shop.
"I love flowers. Don't you think they suit me?"
Elfman emerged, transformed into Beast Soul: The Beast King. He ripped his shirt, wrapping the cloth around his eyes.
"Restore my sister."
"You think blindfolding yourself is enough to beat me?"
"RRAAAGHHH!!"
Elfman lunged, fists flailing in a wild barrage.
"I see… You're relying on beast-like senses. But it's a shame—you're already surrounded by Fairy Dust."
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!
"AGHHHHHH!!"
Elfman screamed in agony, collapsing in a heap.
"I quite like stone statues, you know. Even the ugliest beasts can be praised as beautiful once turned to stone. Now, look at me… I'll make you into a masterpiece."
She raised her hand to deliver the finishing blow.
Then—!
A voice behind her: "If you like statues so much, why not become one yourself?"
Evergreen froze.
Someone had gotten behind her without her noticing.
She whipped around, fan in hand, and flung out a burst of glowing Fairy Dust.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!!
"Got him?"
"No. Unfortunately for you…"
The smoke cleared.
And standing amid the ruins was a silver-haired man in a sleek uniform—unscathed, radiant, and impossibly handsome.
"So cool… Wait—who are you?!"
Evergreen's face twisted in alarm. Her magic hadn't even scratched him—this wasn't an ordinary opponent.
"What's wrong? Forgotten me already?" Kaien's voice turned cold. "I told you—if you didn't want to die, you should've restored them."
Evergreen's pupils shrank in horror.
"Kaien…?!!"