The next morning, inside the Fairy Tail Guild hall.
Everything seemed to have returned to its usual hustle and bustle, with no sign that it had been destroyed not long ago.
Cana, by the bar, was holding a giant barrel and chugging liquor down her throat with loud gulps.
In a corner not far away, an ice sculpture stood silently, maintaining a fierce, claw-waving posture—it was Gajeel, frozen by Ryoma.
People came and went in the Guild, occasionally glancing at him, but no one had any intention of unfreezing him.
Bang!
Just then, the Guild's main door was violently flung open.
"Something big has happened!"
Macao rushed in, covered in sweat, clutching a freshly printed newspaper. His expression was a mixture of excitement and a hint of disbelief.
"What are you yelling about so early in the morning?" Wakaba, pipe in mouth, lazily glanced at him.
"Exactly, so noisy." Cana took a big gulp and grumbled discontentedly.
Everyone else in the Guild also turned their attention to the panting Macao, looking at him curiously.
"Quick! Look at this!"
Macao slapped the newspaper onto the bar, pointing at the front-page headline.
"All of Phantom Lord's branches were destroyed overnight by someone!"
"What?!"
"Is that true?!"
The entire Guild hall fell silent for a second, then erupted into earth-shattering cheers.
"Hahahaha! Such good news!"
"Well done! Which hero did it?"
"I've long disliked those scoundrels! This is truly satisfying!"
Natsu excitedly slammed his fist on the table. "If it weren't for the old man not allowing it, I would have done it long ago."
The gloom on the faces of the Guild members was swept away, replaced by undisguised schadenfreude.
The anger over the destruction of their Guild headquarters by Phantom Lord was completely released at this moment.
However, Macao's next words instantly extinguished everyone's excitement.
"No… it's not just that."
He gulped, his voice slightly distorted.
"The newspaper says Phantom Lord's Guild Master, Jose Porla… is dead."
"…"
The boisterous cheers came to an abrupt halt, as if someone had pressed a pause button, and the entire Guild hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Everyone was stunned.
Dead?
Who?
Jose Porla?
A Wizard Saint?
"What did you say?!"
Gray was the first to react, snatching the newspaper.
The others also swarmed over, surrounding the bar tightly.
The front-page headline of the newspaper, in a shocking large font, read: "A Wizard Saint Falls! Who Did Phantom Lord's Guild Master Jose Porla Offend?"
The accompanying picture showed a scene of devastation, a ruined area, which was exactly where Ryoma and Jose had fought.
The content of the report was vague, only stating that the Magic Council's troops found Jose's body at the scene, in an extremely bizarre state, suspected to have been attacked by an unknown powerful enemy.
The newspaper made no mention of the killer's identity or the battle process, only stating that the Council had formed an investigation team and was actively pursuing the case.
"He's really dead."
"Oh my god. A Wizard Saint actually died."
"How is this possible?"
The voices of the Guild members were filled with shock and disbelief.
That was a Wizard Saint.
A powerhouse, one of the few in the entire continent, died so inexplicably?
Lucy pointed to a corner of the ruins and said, "Look at this photo."
Although the blurry photo wasn't very clear, one could still vaguely see many architectural remnants seemingly covered with a layer of… ice.
Everyone's movements stiffened, and they instinctively turned their gaze to the motionless ice sculpture in the Guild's corner.
A thought flashed through everyone's mind, making them tremble.
Is it Ryoma?
Once this guess appeared, it could no longer be suppressed.
They had heard that Levy was almost attacked last night, and Ryoma seemed to have gone to seek revenge?
"This guy…" Natsu murmured, the flames in his eyes burning even brighter.
"Has he really become this strong?"
The Guild fell into another dead silence. But this time it was due to a huge shock from deep within and a trace of worry.
Killing a Wizard Saint was no longer a small squabble between Guilds. The Magic Council would probably not let this rest.
...
At the same time, at the end of the corridor outside the Guild Master's office, deep within the Guild hall.
The shadows here twisted slightly, and Ryoma's figure silently coalesced, like a falling snowflake. He didn't alert anyone, his gaze calmly directed towards a window not far away.
Standing by the window was a short figure—Makarov.
He had his back to Ryoma, looking at the children in the hall who were in an uproar because of a newspaper, his back appearing incredibly heavy at this moment.
Ryoma's footsteps were light, but Makarov still noticed him. He didn't turn around.
"You're back?"
An old and hoarse voice echoed in the quiet corridor, carrying a hint of weariness.
"Mm."
Ryoma's answer was unusually concise.
He walked to the old man's side and, following his gaze, also looked towards the Guild hall. He scanned the familiar faces, observing the shock and worry on them.
The corridor fell into a long silence.
After a long while.
Makarov slowly spoke, his voice betraying no emotion, "You rascal."
"You… killed Jose."
"He was a Wizard Saint."
Ryoma's gaze retracted, without the slightest ripple, as if he were stating a trivial matter. "He crossed the line."
Those simple four words were his entire explanation.
He touched Fairy Tail.
He touched the Guild's family.
So he had to die.
It was that simple.
Hearing this answer, Makarov's tense shoulders seemed to sag slightly.
He let out a long sigh. "I know everything."
There was a hint of helplessness and bitterness in his voice.
"Levy and the others already showed me the lacrima that recorded the situation at the time."
The images recorded within filled even an old man like him with towering rage.
Jose's actions had long crossed the line for a mage of a legitimate Guild, his death was well-deserved.
But…
"But!"
Makarov turned around, his eyes fixed on Ryoma, filled with solemnity and worry.
"The Magic Council won't let this go."
"Killing a Wizard Saint is an open challenge to the order of the entire magic world. This is a grave crime that could trigger a war."
"This time, I'm afraid it won't be smoothed over with a few letters of apology or some monetary compensation!"
His voice grew louder and louder, almost a roar, an outpouring of the worry and fear suppressed deep in his heart.
Ryoma looked at the anxious old man in front of him, his expression remaining unchanged throughout.
"Old man."
Ryoma's voice calmly reassured the old man.
"Don't worry."