Chapter 153: Getting More and More Abnormal
"This is our new member, Juvia! Isn't she adorable?"
Makarov, standing proudly on the bar, gestured to Juvia, who was standing beside him in a new, non-Phantom Lord outfit.
"Please take care of me," Juvia said with a polite, shy bow.
After the Jellal incident had concluded, Juvia had returned to Magnolia early, stating she wanted to formally apply to join Fairy Tail. Ren and the others, knowing the old man's personality, were not surprised. Even though Juvia was formerly a member of Phantom Lord's Element 4, Makarov would never refuse someone looking for a family.
"Haha!! You really joined!!" Natsu grinned.
"Welcome to the guild, Juvia!" Lucy added with a smile.
"Hmph," Gray said, turning away, a slight blush on his face. "Just don't get in the way."
Juvia's eyes immediately turned into hearts. "Oh, Gray-sama is so cool! It's all thanks to everyone! Juvia will do her best!"
"Also," Makarov boomed, his voice cutting through the chatter, "there's another new member to introduce. Hurry up and say hello."
Makarov looked to a dark, shadowed corner of the new guild hall.
"Who else?!"
Happy exclaimed in surprise. It was quite rare for two new members to join the guild at once, especially after such a destructive war with Phantom.
Soon, the other person, who had been leaning against the wall, turned around. His hulking frame, long black hair, and the numerous metal studs piercing his face startled several people.
"Eh?!"
"Hey!... You've got to be kidding, right?!"
"GAJEEL?!"
The warm, welcoming atmosphere of the guild instantly vanished, replaced by a cold, tense silence.
Gray stepped forward, his voice low and dangerous. "Master!! What exactly is going on?! Why is this guy here?!"
"Wait a moment!" Juvia quickly said, stepping in front of Gray. "He... he was introduced by Juvia."
"That doesn't matter!" Erza's voice was sharp. She, too, had a serious expression, her hand hovering near where her sword would be. "Juvia is one thing, but this guy... this guy is the main culprit who destroyed our guild! He crucified Levy and the others!"
"Alright, alright," Makarov interjected, holding up a hand. "He only acted under Jose's orders. As the saying goes, yesterday's enemy is today's friend."
"What a joke!!" Natsu's fists were already on fire. "How can I work with a guy like this? He hurt Lucy! He hurt my friends!"
Gajeel, who had been silent, looked at Natsu with a cold, sullen face. "Geh. Don't worry, flame-brain. I don't plan on getting chummy with you guys."
He spat on the new floor. "I just want to find a job. I didn't expect to end up in the most irritating guild in Fiore. Just thinking about it annoys me."
"What did you say?!!" Natsu was instantly enraged and lunged, but was held back by Gray and Erza.
Juvia, seeing this, hurried to explain to Gray. "Gajeel-kun is very lonely... Juvia was a bit worried about him... Ah! Juvia is not saying she likes him, Gray-sama!!"
Makarov sighed, his expression turning serious. "It is also the responsibility of the older generation to guide young people who have gone astray back to the right path. He is not a bad guy at heart."
He then turned, his gaze falling on Ren, who had been quietly watching the scene from the bar, sipping a drink Mira had handed him.
"I think... but, brat, what do you think?"
The entire guild fell silent. Makarov had glanced at Ren. Ren was his chosen successor for the next Guild Master, and although it hadn't been announced publicly, the S-Class mages and older members knew. Makarov felt it was important to consider Ren's opinion.
Ren smiled and said, "Isn't this great?"
"Ren?!"
Natsu and the others, and even Gajeel himself, were all stunned, not expecting Ren to have no objection at all.
"Phantom Lord has already disbanded," Ren said, taking a sip. "And I already taught him a good lesson. This matter ends here."
Back in Onibus, after the battle with Jose, Ren hadn't held back when he taught Gajeel a lesson. Gajeel had been beaten so badly that even with a Dragon Slayer Mage's enhanced recovery, he had only recently recovered from his injuries.
This also caused Gajeel to instinctively flinch a little whenever he saw Ren. He used to be a very proud and arrogant person, the "ace" of Phantom Lord... until he met Ren. Only then did he realize that there were truly terrifying monsters in this world.
The other person was about his age, but his strength was on a completely different dimension. Even their Guild Master, the Ten Wizard Saint Jose, was brutally beaten and humiliated by Ren. From that moment on, Gajeel began to fear this guy.
He didn't expect Ren to not object to him joining Fairy Tail at all, which greatly surprised him.
"Since you've joined Fairy Tail," Ren said, looking at Gajeel over his cup, "as long as you don't betray this guild, and don't do anything that harms its reputation, then you are a Mage of Fairy Tail."
Ren was looking at the bigger picture. Gajeel was different from Jellal. In the canon, Gajeel was a Fairy Tail member and made significant contributions to the guild. Naturally, he was more tolerant of him.
If Gajeel hadn't provoked him in front of the arena back then, he would have gone a little easier. At that time, Gajeel was too arrogant, so he went a little harder.
Gajeel heard Ren's words and, surprisingly, found himself nodding. He just grunted, "I understand."
If someone else in Phantom Lord had dared to say that to him, he would have definitely punched them flying. But the other person was Ren. Not only did he not want to fight, but a strange... inexplicable sense of honor rose in his heart.
"Since both the Master and Ren have decided this, I won't say anything more," Erza said, her arms crossed. "However, it's probably best to monitor him for a while." She was still wary of Gajeel.
"Alright." Makarov nodded. Erza was an S-Class Mage, and even Makarov had to consider her opinion carefully.
"Oh, by the way," Makarov said, his tone changing. "Ren, come here. I have something I want to ask you. In my office."
Makarov waved to Ren, calling him aside privately.
"What is it, Master?" Ren asked, following him up the stairs to the new office.
Once the door was closed, Makarov's entire demeanor changed. The cheerful old man was gone, replaced by a grave, serious guild master.
"Ren... the R-System matter... it was related to you, wasn't it?"
A few days ago, a groundbreaking, terrifying event occurred in the magic world: the Magic Council fired Etherion. This was their ultimate weapon, and they would not fire such a thing unless something extraordinary had happened.
Makarov had also received accurate, private news from his good friend, Council Member Yajima. He told him that Ultear and Siegrain were traitors, that Siegrain was Jellal, and that Etherion was fired at their instigation.
However, something even more serious than the firing of Etherion had occurred: someone had transferred the already-fired Etherion away.
This single act symbolized that Etherion was no longer an absolute power. The Magic Council's dominance over the magic world of Ishgar was, in that moment, broken.
To be honest, Makarov was also startled when he heard this news. But what followed shocked him even more, because Yajima said that the transfer of Etherion was very likely done by Ren. When Siegrain (Jellal) disappeared from the Council chambers, he had furiously, insanely, shouted Ren's name.
So Yajima suspected that the transfer of Etherion was likely related to Ren and wanted to confirm it with Makarov.
"Mm."
Ren nodded. There was nothing to hide. There were too many witnesses.
Makarov, who had been bracing himself, still felt his knees go weak.
"It really... it really was you! That Etherion..."
"Yes," Ren confirmed, "I transferred it away, too."
"..."
Makarov did not speak. He just stared at Ren. Although he had long suspected that Ren had done it, he was still completely stunned when he heard Ren admit it himself.
He sat down heavily.
"You... you... how did you do it?"
"I received a character skilled in spatiotemporal abilities," Ren said simply.
"You brat..." Makarov rubbed his face, his voice a low groan. "You're really getting more and more... abnormal."
Makarov didn't know how to describe Ren. It had only been a little over a year since Ren joined the Fairy Tail Guild.
Initially, the characters this kid received were powerful, but lacked magic power, only being formidable for about a minute. Then, Ren's magic power grew explosively, as if he had a cheat, and the characters he received became more and more "abnormal."
Not long ago, he had even defeated Jose, one of the Ten Wizard Saints. How long had it been since then? Another Ten Wizard Saint was defeated by him, and now... now, even Etherion... the ultimate weapon of the Council... couldn't do anything to this kid.
Makarov looked at Ren, who was just standing there calmly, as if they were discussing the weather.
"Kid... are you going to defy the heavens?"
[Akarin Note:
Your Support Keeps This Story Alive!
If you're enjoying this novel, your support means the world to me. Simple actions like leaving a review, power stone, comment, or sharing the story let me know you're out there. It's the greatest motivation for me to keep updating until the very end and ensures this project continues.
For those who wish to support me more directly, you can join my Patreon at [patreon.com/AkarinTL]. As a thank-you, you'll receive access to 50 advanced chapters.
As a special offer, I've opened a few limited-time tiers at a discounted price! You will get all the benefits of "The Founding Pillars" (normally $20), but at a much cheaper rate.
These slots are extremely limited:
"The Plot Uncoverer": $4.99 (Save 75% / $15.01) - Only 3 slots
"The Dedicated Fan": $9.99 (Save 50% / $10.01) - Only 7 slots
"The Lore Diver": $14.99 (Save 25% / $5.01) - Only 15 slots
I hope I am still worthy of your support. My life truly depends on this... haha, I know I'm so shameless.]