Chapter 61: Ultear—
"She's one of the nine councilors, Ultear…" Mirajane whispered in surprise. She hadn't expected that last night's events would alarm a council member, let alone prompt one to arrive in Magnolia the very next day.
"Is she here for Nate?"
The other guild members exchanged glances, equally shocked. As Fairy Tail's rowdiest guild, they were no strangers to the Magic Council's attention, but it was rare for a councilor to personally lead an army to their doorstep. It was unclear whether Nate was the one being taken seriously or if it was the involvement of Oración Seis that had drawn their attention.
Lucy leaned in to quietly ask Cana, "Are councilors usually this young?"
Cana, as usual, was holding a barrel of alcohol. "Don't underestimate her. She's an incredibly powerful mage."
Ultear ignored the chatter around her, her dark eyes locking with Nate's at the bar. A faint smile tugged at her lips as she relished his surprise at her appearance. But the moment of excitement was quickly buried, and her expression returned to the calm professionalism expected of her position.
"You are Nate, correct?"
'What do you mean, "You are Nate"? We've been chatting every night, and now you're pretending not to know me?'
Nate couldn't help but internally complain as he got up and walked toward her.
"That's me," he replied.
"I heard you were attacked by one of Oración Seis. I need to speak with you about the details in person."
Ultear glanced around the chaotic bar and shook her head slightly. "Let's find somewhere quieter."
Nate informed Mirajane before leaving with Ultear, following her outside. As they reached the door, Ultear instructed the knights, "Station yourselves here at the guild. It's possible Oración Seis may attack again."
"Yes, Councilor Ultear!"
As Nate was led away, the guild members gathered at the door.
Lucy looked worried. "Is he going to be okay?"
"He'll be fine," one of the others assured her. "Nate's just cooperating with the council."
...
Nate followed Ultear down the stairs from the guild, along the pathway by the river.
Although he had seen many of her private photos online, this was only their second time meeting in person.
Suddenly, Ultear stopped and turned around, noticing Nate staring at her legs. She smiled playfully.
"What's the matter? Don't recognize me?"
Nate teased, "It's hard to recognize you with clothes on."
Ultear's ears reddened slightly. While sending bold photos online was one thing, being confronted with it in person made her extremely self-conscious. Nate thought her blushing face looked even more attractive than the photos she'd sent the night before.
She shot him an annoyed glance, quickened her pace, and called out, "Hurry up."
"Aren't you supposed to be asking about Oración Seis?"
"We'll talk about that in a quiet place."
They arrived at a small café. Ultear ordered some cake and desserts. After taking a bite, she seemed to remember Nate and asked casually, "Do you want some?"
'Wait, you've already taken a bite, and now you're asking?'
Nate thought for a moment, realizing this was probably part of the "game."
"I love cake."
"Well, you're not getting any!" Ultear pulled her hand back with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Nate sipped his coffee and asked, "So, what do you want to talk about?"
"Can we not talk about Oración Seis for once? I came straight here last night and haven't slept at all."
Ultear rolled her eyes, feigning exhaustion as she covered her mouth and let out a delicate yawn.
"You came here last night?"
"Yes. Do you know how far the council headquarters is from here?" Ultear's eyes gleamed with a lazy charm, her gaze alluring.
After sending her message last night, she had reported the Oración Seis incident in the council's chat group. Following a brief Internet Magic meeting, she volunteered to lead the investigation herself. She had traveled non-stop, only arriving this afternoon.
Truth be told, she wasn't overly concerned about Oración Seis. She was more worried about Nate.
As for why they attacked him, she could guess it had something to do with the Internet Magic. After all, that was what had drawn her to Nate in the first place.
Hearing her explanation, Nate was slightly taken aback.
"You've had a rough time."
"Words alone won't cut it. That's not enough."
Ultear's smile turned seductive, and she slid her long legs onto Nate's lap under the table.
"Come on, give your big sister a massage. I'm exhausted from walking all this way."
Offered such beautiful legs, Nate couldn't resist the temptation. He had been wanting to feel them for a while now, and finally, he got his chance.
Too bad she wasn't wearing black stockings.
Ultear's skin was smooth, like the finest silk. As Nate gently massaged her legs, Ultear instinctively clenched her thighs, feeling warmth spread through her body.
"So, are you really not going to ask about Oración Seis? Then why are you here?"
Nate continued to knead the dessert between his fingers, trying to distract her.
Ultear kept eating her cake, seemingly unaware of Nate's little tricks.
"Not happy to see me?"
"That's not it."
"Then aren't you going to eat something?"
"Can't you see my hands are busy?"
Ultear chuckled softly and picked up a piece of cake. "Let me feed you then. Say 'ahh~'"
'Yeah right, the moment I open my mouth, you'll take it away, won't you?'
Nate thought to himself but decided to play along. To his surprise, she actually fed him.
"Is it good?"
"Delicious."
"Is it because I fed you, or because the cake is good?"
Ultear's eyes sparkled with mischief as she smiled brightly.
Nate felt a strange illusion as if he saw a softer, gentler side to this "wicked" woman.
"Hold on, we can joke online, but in real life, you should call me 'big brother.' Come on, say it once."
"I won't!"
Ultear immediately refused. She liked the dynamic where she got to act as the "big sister."
They spent two hours enjoying their tea, not discussing any important matters at all.
By the time they left the café, the sun was nearly setting.
The warm evening light bathed the small city of 60,000 people in a gentle glow.
The two of them strolled along the riverbank, eventually arriving at a stone bridge.
Ultear leaned in close to Nate and whispered, "Now, let's talk business."
"Alright, then let's find a quieter place."
Nate took her hand, wondering where to go next.
As they wandered, they came across an inn. It seemed like business wasn't doing well, as the place was fairly empty.
To help out the owner, Nate decided to rent a room at the farthest end of the building.
When the "witch's" outer shell was removed, the beauty underneath was just like her private photos. Nate invited her to enjoy the beautiful evening view with him.
The mountains and valleys melded together, the streams dancing with the sunset.
...
"Call me 'Oniichan.'"
"O… Oniichan."
Chapter 62: Sorcerer Weekly! Online Magazine?
The bright moon hung in the vast night sky like a flawless mirror, casting its soft silver light over Magnolia, bringing a sense of peace and poetry to the night.
The room in the inn was modest, incomparable to her own mansion. However, Ultear felt an unusual comfort, as if her once-empty soul had found a place to belong.
A satisfied smile spread across her lips as she affectionately rested her head on Nate's chest. Her undergarments were scattered on the floor, and their clothes were strewn messily across the wooden floorboards.
Ultear's voice was lazy, laced with a hint of allure.
"Is this how you conduct serious business with your big sister?"
"You were calling me 'big brother' earlier, and now it's back to 'big sister'?" Nate teased, gently stroking her smooth back. Her skin was soft and translucent like jade.
Ultear smiled, a mix of embarrassment and annoyance.
This brat... like a bull!
"I want to see Ur," Ultear murmured, half-lying on top of Nate like she was hugging a body pillow. There was a hint of nervousness in her voice. Seeing her mother was one of the reasons she had rushed here overnight.
Nate slipped his arm free, got up, and began searching for his clothes on the floor, pulling off the blanket.
"Right now?"
He glanced back at her, still lying in bed. This wasn't exactly the best time for her mom to see them. Realizing the same, Ultear eagerly jumped up, hugging Nate from behind and kissing him on the cheek.
"Big sister loves you~"
The day she reconciled with her mother, Ultear had wanted to say those words. Now that she finally had, she felt a wave of joy.
"If you don't get dressed now, we won't be going anywhere tonight," Nate sighed in exasperation. Did she understand the stamina of a 20-year-old man? He had restrained himself earlier, considering it was Ultear's first time.
After some playful banter, the two of them finally dressed and left the inn together.
"Where are we headed?" Ultear asked.
"Home," Nate replied.
Nate hadn't planned on taking Ultear home, but her earlier "love you" struck a chord. Ultear was momentarily stunned. "Home" — it was such a nostalgic word. Since being abandoned by her mother as a child, the concept of "home" had been lost to her. A slight smile tugged at her lips.
It was already past 10 p.m., and the streets were empty. Darkness enveloped the town, with only the moonlight providing a faint glow. Nate held Ultear's hand as they made their way to his place — not the apartment, but the house where his Thought Projection worked.
Located on the southern outskirts of Magnolia, it was quite far from the guild, almost on the edge of town.
When they arrived, Ultear looked at the small house before them, surprised.
"Is this where you live?"
"What? Looking down on a 50,000J-per-month house?"
"Are you short on money? Should I lend you some?" she teased.
Rolling his eyes, Nate pushed the door open and stepped inside. Ultear followed with a grin.
"I don't mind. Don't be mad."
As they entered, they saw another Nate sitting at a low table, expressionless, like a puppet mechanically typing away, seemingly working on something.
"A Thought Projection?" Ultear was surprised and glanced between the real Nate and the projection.
"I use it to work on updates for Internet Magic," Nate explained with a nod.
"Pfft—" Ultear couldn't contain her laughter, clutching her stomach.
"This is the weakest Thought Projection I've ever seen, haha."
Just like your mom's reaction—no wonder they're mother and daughter, Nate thought. With a flick of his mind, the Thought Projection stopped coding and slowly dissolved, merging back into his body.
"Still want to see your mom?" Nate asked. Ultear quickly stifled her laughter.
"Sorry, don't be mad."
To her, it seemed less like a Thought Projection and more like a puppet, requiring constant commands from the caster to function.
"Ur," Nate called, activating the Internet Magic to summon Ur from the deep web.
In an instant, a ghostly figure slowly appeared beside them.
"I've been reviewing the chat logs of 'Leader.' Oración Seis has already headed toward the Nirvana Tree..." Ur began to report, but she froze upon seeing her daughter standing at the door.
Silence fell as mother and daughter stared at each other, neither speaking. Sensing the atmosphere, Nate quickly excused himself.
"Your daughter came all this way to see you. I'll leave you two to talk—I'm off for a shower."
Though playing around with Ultear in the inn hadn't been too exhausting, it had made him sweat. After he disappeared into the bathroom, Ultear finally gathered the courage to softly call, "Mom."
Tears welled up in her eyes as she tried to hug Ur, only to pass right through her.
"Ultear, I'm so glad to see you've grown up healthy," Ur said as she turned to face her daughter, her own eyes brimming with tears.
…
The next day, Nate headed to the guild alone.
Upon entering the bar, he noticed that the guild was more lively than usual. The members all seemed a bit excited. Even Erza wasn't in her usual armor; instead, she was wearing a long burgundy evening gown, rushing toward the door. Nate couldn't help but stare for a moment—Erza in a dress looked surprisingly feminine.
"What's going on, Erza?" Nate called after her as she passed by.
"No time to explain, Nate. I still have to do my makeup!" Erza didn't stop for a second, disappearing out the door in the blink of an eye.
"Is there a holiday today, Natsu?" Nate asked as he walked over to Natsu.
"No idea," Natsu replied, arms crossed, equally puzzled.
Happy was counting on his fingers.
"…It's still more than two months until the Harvest Festival, so no, it's not a holiday."
Harvest Festival? That sounded familiar to Nate. He vaguely recalled that Fairy Tail's internal conflict happened around the time of a festival. Could it be the Harvest Festival?
Just then, Levy passed by with her two companions, Jet and Droy.
"Nate, didn't you know? Sorcerer Weekly is coming for an interview today!" Levy explained.
"The famous magazine?" Nate realized. He remembered seeing the magazine on a bookstore shelf during his first month in this world. He had even worked part-time at that bookstore for a while.
"Yes, they're doing a special edition on Fairy Tail, so everyone's excited." Levy smiled.
"I also heard the reporter specifically requested to meet with you."
"Meet with me?" Nate blinked in surprise. "An interview?"
He hadn't done many tasks in the guild. With so many famous mages around, why would they interview him?
Jet chimed in with an explanation, "It's about the magazine joining Internet Magic."
Droy added, "Yeah, the editor wants to put the magazine online."
An online magazine? Nate was impressed. He couldn't underestimate people—some had already spotted the potential of Internet Magic.
"By the way, Nate," Levy asked, concerned, "Did that councilor leave yesterday? Is the issue with Oración Seis resolved?"
"Not yet. Uh…she went to investigate," Nate replied with a helpless smile, covering for the absent councilor.
In reality, Ultear was still asleep, enjoying a lazy morning at his place.
Chapter 63: First Major Customer!
'Sorcerer Weekly' wanted to join the Internet Magic, which was good news for Nate. He planned to have a proper discussion with them.
Around 9 AM, a young man wearing a pink T-shirt with a magic camera hanging around his neck appeared at the entrance of the guild.
"Finally! Fairy Tail! So cool~~!"
The blonde reporter was full of excitement and immediately began looking for interview targets as he stepped inside, his eager gaze scanning the guild hall.
"Is that... Mirajane, The Demon?! So cool~~!"
With a loud shout, the reporter rushed excitedly toward Mirajane.
Mirajane was busy serving drinks in the hall, but when she noticed him, she greeted him with a smile.
"Jason-san, you're just the same as always."
"So cool~~!" Jason replied with his signature phrase, quickly raising his camera.
"Mirajane, can I take a few photos? You're going to be in the next issue of the magazine..."
Suddenly, a loud, angry voice interrupted him.
"So it's you!"
Jason turned around and grew even more excited than when he saw Mirajane.
"Natsu! The real 'Fire Dragon' Natsu! This is amazing! So cool~~! You're so awesome!"
His excitement got the better of him, and he bit his tongue, speaking incoherently.
"You're the guy who keeps writing bad things about me!" Natsu growled.
"Yes! That's me!"
"You always write about what I've destroyed, then destroyed again, and how much more I've destroyed!"
Natsu spat flames from his throat as he angrily shouted in Jason's face. The next moment:
"Take this punch!"
Boom!
Jason was sent spinning 360 degrees, his face swelling up immediately.
"That's the Fire Dragon's Iron Fist! So cool~~!"
Even while getting punched, Jason couldn't stop saying it.
"Ah... Are you okay, Jason-san?" Mirajane asked, sweating slightly.
Nate walked over, crouched down, and patted the reporter's face.
"Still alive?"
Lying on the floor, Jason suddenly opened his eyes with a look of pure joy.
"Hello, I'm Nate."
"You... You... You're the famous newcomer, Nate! The creator of Internet Magic!"
Jason, trembling with excitement, jumped up from the floor and eagerly extended his hand.
"Can I... Can I shake your hand?"
Nate's mouth twitched. This reporter seemed a bit like a fanatic, but he still shook his hand politely.
"So cool~~!" Jason spun around in excitement.
"I actually met the Master of the Magic Net! I won't wash my hand for a week, you have my word!"
Nate: "..."
Um, no. It'd be better if you washed it.
"I heard your magazine wants to go online?" Nate asked.
"Yes! That's exactly what I'm here to discuss!" Jason nodded enthusiastically.
"An online magazine—so cool~~!"
"Let's talk, then," Nate suggested, looking around the hall. He noticed Lucy sitting at an empty table, so he led Jason over.
Lucy, who was browsing the forum in the corner, looked up curiously as Nate approached with Jason.
"Nate, who's this?" Lucy asked.
"He's a reporter from 'Sorcerer Weekly'."
"Sorcerer Weekly?!"
Lucy's eyes widened in surprise. That magazine was incredibly famous, and she used to ask Mrs. Spetto to buy it for her every week. It was how she first learned about Fairy Tail and had often seen Mirajane featured as a beautiful model in it. So… was 'Sorcerer Weekly' here to interview her?
Lucy started to get excited. What should she do if she became a cover girl? What if she accidentally became a celebrity? Would her father see her in the magazine?
"Hi, I'm Lucy, a new member of Fairy Tail," she said eagerly.
"Oh," Jason responded, barely glancing at her before eagerly turning back to Nate.
"Nate-san, can you help our magazine get online? Can it be done? We're willing to pay whatever it costs!"
Lucy was frozen in place, feeling completely ignored.
Oh? That's it? That's all the interest in me? Don't you want to interview me?
Watching Jason enthusiastically pepper Nate with questions, Lucy mechanically sat down next to Nate, staring at him with a resentful gaze. Nate wanted to laugh but held it in, reaching out to pat her head gently.
"She's a fellow newcomer and a Celestial Spirit Mage," Nate introduced.
"A Celestial Spirit Mage!?" Jason's eyes lit up as he got excited again.
"So cool~~! I'm Jason from 'Sorcerer Weekly'."
Lucy blushed and, this time, responded more reservedly, nodding slightly.
"Hello."
"Hello, hello! Celestial Spirit Mages sign contracts with spirits and summon them for battle, right? Could you tell me which spirits you've contracted with…?"
Jason quickly went into work mode but then suddenly stopped, shaking his head furiously.
"No, no, the magazine is more important right now! Stay focused, Jason!"
Nate couldn't help but roll his eyes. This reporter was definitely passionate about his job.
"Let's talk business first," Nate said.
"Your company wants to move the magazine to the Internet Magic. That's doable, but there are a few things you need to know..."
Jason nodded vigorously.
"Please go ahead."
"I can create a dedicated section for you, similar to the Magic Net Forum. We'll call it 'Sorcerer Weekly'."
"I'll give you the necessary administrative permissions to manage and edit the content for that section freely."
"But, are you planning to provide the magazine for free to readers?"
Jason paused, unsure.
"Can we charge for it?"
That had been a topic of internal discussion at the magazine, but they didn't know how to implement it. For now, the plan was to offer the magazine for free to all Internet Magic users.
"I have a suggestion," Nate said with a smile.
"In the near future, I'm planning to launch a new feature called 'Magic Net Delivery'."
He explained how the delivery system would work and then continued,
"Whether or not you make the digital magazine free is up to you, but if users want to buy physical copies, this feature will help you."
Hearing this, Jason began to tremble with excitement.
"So cool~~!"
"I understand, Nate-san! So, people can pay online, and then we can use 'Magic Net Delivery' to send the magazine directly to them?"
Nate nodded. For small items like magazines, the magic consumption wouldn't be too high. With the current reserves of magic power in the Deep Net, it was sustainable.
"That's amazing!" Jason quickly pulled out a pen and paper, scribbling down notes to make sure he didn't forget any details.
"Don't get too excited just yet," Nate cautioned.
"The delivery function isn't free. Every item sent will require points. But if you don't have enough points, I can open up a channel for you to purchase them with J-Currency."
"I understand! I'll make a note of that too!" Jason eagerly wrote it down.
Since Jason was just a reporter and couldn't make decisions on these matters, the two of them discussed some further details and reached a preliminary agreement. Nate was very satisfied with having 'Sorcerer Weekly' as the first client for 'Magic Net Delivery'.
With 'Sorcerer Weekly' being such a well-known publication, once people saw this kind of online shopping system in action, it would likely cause a stir. The value of points would increase, and when the time was right, perhaps Nate could monetize it.
Of course, more important than the financial gains, Nate was focused on the growth of the Internet Magic itself. The more people used it, the more magic power he could collect.
/Bleam
— 70 Advance Chapters!
Chapter 64: Phantom Lord's Attack
After reaching an agreement with the reporter, Jason, Nate began thinking about how to create the new section for 'Sorcerer Weekly' on Internet Magic.
Come to think of it, it had been quite a few days since he'd taken on a new task.
The moment this thought crossed his mind, the system responded right on cue.
[Task: Develop the Internet Magic's new section for "Sorcerer Weekly" and achieve an average daily traffic of 5,000 searches.]
[Reward: A recipe for either stamina-recovery or mana-recovery potions.]
It was almost as if he had spoken it into existence—Nate was surprised by the reward. Unlike before, this time the reward wasn't magic but magic items. A stamina-recovery potion? A mana-recovery potion? Were these the legendary "red and blue potions"?
Nate had always felt like something was missing from the 'Fairy Tail' world, and seeing these items, he realized it was the absence of "red and blue potions"—the typical restorative items in magic universes.
"Which one should I pick?" Nate wondered, but he decided to hold off on making a decision until after completing the task.
As for the task itself, developing the new 'Sorcerer Weekly' section wasn't particularly difficult. He could just copy some code from the forum and make a few adjustments. Adding a few extra features might take him around three days to complete. However, since his thought-form helper was busy with the development of 'Magic Net Delivery', this new section would be something he had to code himself.
With that in mind, Nate opened the Magic Net's coding tool.
Meanwhile, after finishing his discussion with Nate, Jason was like an excited monkey, bouncing around the guild, interviewing everyone he could find.
"Wow! The Fairy Queen herself! Amazing, the real deal!"
"So cool~!"
"May I interview you, Erza-san?"
"How many sets of armor can you change into? Over 100? So cool~!"
"Your favorite is the bunny suit?! So cool~~!"
"Oh wow! Is that Happy?"
"Happy, why are you blue? Oh, because you're a cat? So cool~~!"
"Wow! Gray, why do you keep taking your clothes off?"
"Hey, Elfman! What does it mean to be a real man to you?"
"Whoa! It's Guild Master Makarov, one of the Ten Wizard Saints!"
"Master, does the guild have any grand ambitions?"
Makarov, who had just walked into the guild, never expected to be ambushed by a reporter. Faced with such an important interview, he cleared his throat and responded:
"Ahem, yes, well… naturally, with hearts full of love and justice, we strive daily to improve, to be a model for all legal guilds, a shining example…"
He rambled on, spouting a bunch of empty platitudes even he didn't believe.
"So cool~~~!"
But Jason bought every word.
Nate, listening from a distance, felt a headache coming on. As expected, the guild wasn't the best place to write code.
…
Time flew by, and before long, it was evening. Jason, satisfied after interviewing nearly every guild member, finally left. Even Lucy hadn't been spared from his interviews.
Finally, peace returned to the guild.
Returning home, Nate found that Ultear had already left. Just as he was thinking about sending her a message, he opened Internet Magic and saw she had already left one for him.
[Witch of Pain: "Sis is gone. See you next time."
[Sigma Male: "When did you leave?"
[Witch of Pain: "Miss me already?"
[Witch of Pain: "Sis will miss you too, mwah~"
[Sigma Male: "Not staying for a few more days?"
[Witch of Pain: "Nope! I'm still sore, you naughty boy! [ ]"
Nate felt a bit helpless, thinking, 'You didn't seem to mind last night. In fact, you were quite enthusiastic.'
[Sigma Male: "Well, take care of yourself."
[Witch of Pain: "Take care of Ur. I'll come see you again."
[Witch of Pain: "[Shower ]"
[Witch of Pain: "Enjoy this tonight, [sneaky ]"
This time, the photo was even more revealing than the previous ones. It was clearly taken that morning while Ultear was showering after he had left for the guild.
Nate, unmoved, thought, 'I'm getting desensitized to these photos.' Still, he quietly saved it.
[Sigma Male: "You've been planning this, haven't you?"
[Witch of Pain: "[ ]"
As expected, boys really had to protect themselves in this world. If not, they'd end up falling right into a witch's trap. Receiving these photos every night—who could resist?
After chatting with Ultear for a bit longer, they said their goodbyes. Then, Nate summoned his Thought Projection again and had it continue coding while he left the small house.
"Maybe I should buy a bigger place? If Ultear visits again, we could use more space."
Thinking it over, Nate decided to look into buying a villa on the outskirts of town. It was an investment in future happiness, after all.
But with it already being late, he decided to leave that task for tomorrow.
Returning to his original apartment, he joined Lucy for dinner. Her cooking had improved significantly.
"Lucy, your cooking has really improved!"
"Really? I've been learning from Mirajane!"
"Impressive! I'll give you a raise—3,100J per day now."
"Only 100J more?!"
After a pleasant dinner, Nate took a bath and was getting ready for bed when his Magic Net ring flashed with a message.
[Juvia: "Good night, Nate-sama."
At first, it seemed like Juvia's usual greeting, but the next message was different.
[Juvia: "Something's wrong, Nate-sama!"
[Juvia: "Master Jose seems to have received a strange commission and is planning to declare war on 'Fairy Tail'!"
"Huh?"
Nate was caught off guard by the sudden message.
[Sigma Male: "What kind of commission?"
[Juvia: "Sorry, Juvia doesn't know."
[Juvia: "But Master Jose has ordered the Element 4 to gather and attack 'Fairy Tail'!"
[Juvia: "Just now, our 'Iron Dragon' Gajeel already set off!"
Leaving at night? By the time Gajeel reaches Magnolia, it'll be the middle of the night, with no one at the guild. Who's he even going to attack?
Nate found the situation amusing. While he didn't know the specifics of the commission, it didn't really matter. 'Phantom Lord' and 'Fairy Tail' were destined to clash eventually. Jose, the guild master of 'Phantom Lord', was bound to pull something like this for the title of "Fiore's Strongest Guild."
Not to mention, Jose had a personal grudge against Makarov. At one guildmaster gathering, the two had gotten drunk and argued over whose guild was stronger. They'd even fought, but Jose lost and had held a grudge ever since.
[Juvia: "What should Juvia do, Nate-sama?"
[Sigma Male: "Just take care of yourself and stay out of it."
Nate thought, 'Didn't the council want to nominate me for the Ten Wizard Saints? When Jose gets taken down, that'll leave an open spot.'
…
The next morning, as Nate and Lucy walked to the guild together, they found a crowd of members gathered outside.
Everyone was staring, dumbfounded, at the guild building, which was now filled with iron rods.
"Who... who did this?!"
Natsu roared in fury, flames bursting from his mouth.
Nate patted Natsu's shoulder reassuringly.
"It was 'Phantom Lord'. Come on, Natsu, let's go get revenge."
After all, 'Phantom Lord' had made the first move, so Nate's retaliation would be self-defense.
Chapter 65: First Major Battle! Nate Rallying up the Guild!
"Phantom Lord!"
Natsu immediately spun around, his anger barely contained.
"Nate, are you serious?"
"Look at these iron rods—don't they remind you of someone's magic?" Nate hinted.
Natsu furrowed his brow, taking a closer look. Nate's reminder brought back a memory from a recent meeting. He even had a fight with Gajeel!
"The Iron Dragon Slayer, Gajeel!"
Natsu clenched his fists, flames of fury blazing around him. "Let's go, Nate! There's no way we're letting this slide!"
"Wait, Natsu! Nate!"
Mirajane hurried to stop them as they were about to rush off.
"I understand how you feel, but the council doesn't allow guilds to engage in physical conflicts…"
"Mira, when someone comes looking for a fight, if we don't hit back, are we still men?"
Nate gave a slight smile and, with one fist, struck the air beside him.
Boom!
In an instant, the atmosphere cracked, and the very sky seemed to shatter. The ground beneath Magnolia trembled lightly, while the river's waters surged, splashing the ankles of nearby people.
"What... what's happening?"
"What was that?"
"The sky is breaking!"
Countless citizens looked up in shock, their faces filled with disbelief.
Back at the guild entrance, everyone stared in awe at what had just happened.
"If you want to go, follow me. An eye for an eye, blood for blood!"
Nate retracted his magic and turned to leave.
Natsu didn't hesitate to follow.
"These two hotheads…" Gray instinctively took off his shirt, grinning as he joined in.
"A man strikes when it's time to fight!"
Elfman raised his right fist high. "Sis, don't stop us! If anyone wants to join, follow Nate!"
"Yeah!"
"Count me in!"
"Women should stay behind. This is a fight for men!" Macao, Wakaba, Loke, Max, Vijeeter, and others—every man present—were fired up by Nate's actions, eagerly joining the battle squad.
"Elfman…"
Mirajane, seeing her brother go along with the others, opened her mouth to say something but couldn't bring herself to stop him.
Lucy, still somewhat out of the loop, watched as all the men marched off and finally realized what was happening.
"Mira, what should we do now?"
Mirajane quickly opened the Internet Magic, hastily saying, "I'll let the master know. Everyone, don't rush—just wait in the guild's storage room for now."
Levy, after glancing at her two teammates, bit her lip and made a decision.
"We can't let the guys have all the fun. We, 'Shadow Gear,' are part of 'Fairy Tail' too! Jet, Droy, let's go!"
"Levy!" Mirajane was stunned—now even the girls were getting involved.
Lucy blinked a few times.
"I-I'm going too!"
"Lucy…"
Mirajane sighed, rubbing her temples, hoping the master would see her message soon. If this continued, it would escalate into an all-out war between the two guilds!
...
In the eastern forest of Magnolia, deep within the woods, stood a small cabin. This was where Polyushka, the healer with restorative magic, lived in seclusion.
At the moment, this normally gentle old lady was angrily pointing at Makarov's nose.
"That Nate from your guild, right?"
"That brat was fighting around here two nights ago, and he wrecked a whole section of the forest!"
"Are you even listening, Makarov?"
"That's why I hate humans!"
Makarov, lost in thought, suddenly sneezed.
Boom!
At that exact moment, a loud explosion rang out from the sky.
Both of them froze.
"It wasn't me... my sneeze shouldn't have that kind of power..."
Makarov quickly explained, but when he turned to look outside, his face turned serious. The sky had cracked.
"That magic... it's him!" Polyushka instantly recognized the culprit, fuming.
"He's at it again! One day, he's going to tear down all of Magnolia!"
Just then, Makarov's ring flashed with white light. He had a bad feeling. When he opened the message, it was from Mirajane.
After reading it, he was left speechless.
"Natsu, Gray, Elfman... and Nate!?"
He had thought Nate was a good kid, but it turned out he was just as reckless. A whole group was charging toward 'Phantom Lord'?
Jose, that bastard!
Magic surged around Makarov, instantly shattering the wooden door behind him.
"You..."
Polyushka was furious—right in front of her, he had damaged her house. But seeing the heavy expression on Makarov's face, her anger subsided a bit.
"What happened? No, I don't want to know. Just get out of here."
"I'm sorry. I'll send someone to fix the forest later, but right now, I've got more urgent matters."
Makarov hurriedly left. With so many of the guild's kids heading off to fight, how could he not be there? Who else could take on Jose?
...
'Phantom Lord's' base was located in Oak Town, several hours away by train from Magnolia. But the enraged members of 'Fairy Tail' couldn't wait for the train.
So, they headed to a magic vehicle rental shop and rented several vehicles.
"Nate, aren't you coming with us?" Gray asked, already seated in one of the cars, ready to start the engine. But Nate hadn't gotten in.
"I've got my own magic bike. I can get there faster, plus you're out of room."
"Got it. We'll meet in Oak Town!"
Gray nodded and started the car, quickly catching up with the group.
Watching them leave, Nate returned home and hopped onto his 4.2 million J Obsidian magic bike.
As he revved the engine and sped off, something occurred to him. He quickly sent a message to Laxus.
[Sigma Male: "The guild's been trashed by Phantom Lord."
A moment later, Laxus replied.
[Laxus: "What? What happened?"
[Sigma Male: "I'm about to go destroy their guild. If you don't hurry, you'll miss out."
[Laxus: "I'll be there! Leave Jose to me!"
Not quite sure what had happened, Laxus was still eager to fight Phantom Lord.
Nate suspected he was dropping everything to rush over. With the bike roaring to life, he sped toward Oak Town.
"Am I forgetting someone?"
After thinking for a moment, Nate realized who was missing—some of the guild's S-class members.
Gildarts? Not here.
Mystogan? No contact information.
Mirajane? Not in fighting condition right now.
Erza!
Just then, he heard Erza calling his name.
Stopping the bike, Nate turned to see Erza walking out of a magic armor shop, holding a newly repaired set of armor.
"Erza, what's going on?"
"The armor you broke last time just got repaired today." She smiled, then asked curiously, "Was that magic just now yours? What's happening? Did the 'Oración Seis' appear again?"
Nate revved the engine, making a quick turn and stopping beside her. He gestured to the back seat.
"Get on. We're going to smash Phantom Lord!"
"Huh?"
A confused expression appeared on Erza's face.
"No time for questions. Just get on the bike."
Chapter 66: Smashing the Phantom Lord's Guild
Erza was the second girl to ride on the back of Obsidian's bike.
As Nate sped toward Oak Town with her, he couldn't help but think of Lucy. Lucy would always hold on to him tightly, and during sudden stops, he could feel the softness of her body. But with Erza, the only sensation he felt was the hardness of her armor pressing into his back.
"...So, that's the situation."
Speeding along, Erza finally understood after listening to Nate's explanation. She placed her hands on his shoulders, and in her anger, she unconsciously gripped tightly.
"Phantom Lord...!" Erza gritted her teeth, her long, thin brows furrowing in rage. Her eyes burned with fury.
After a moment, she took a deep breath to calm herself.
"I remember the master mentioning that the rivalry between Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord dates back to the founding of the guild."
"Since the founding?"
Nate thought about it but didn't really recall the details. He remembered the main plot of Fairy Tail, but some of the smaller details were fuzzy.
Erza didn't seem to know much more and didn't dwell on the topic.
"But Nate, how did you know it was Phantom Lord behind the attack? Sneaking into an empty guild hall in the middle of the night—what's the point?"
"Juvia told me."
Erza then remembered the "Rain Woman" from the Element 4 who had been traveling with them before. Her finely shaped face softened with understanding.
"Then what are we waiting for? Nate, hurry! Full speed ahead!" she shouted eagerly.
"This is already top speed, 357…," Nate sighed. "How about changing your armor? That thing's poking into my back."
"Sorry! 'Requip: Robe of Yūen!'"
Without hesitation, Erza's body glowed as she swapped out her usual knight armor for a softer outfit. The 'Robe of Yūen' was made of flexible, stretchy material—a purple outfit with black straps and boots.
"Is this better?" she asked earnestly. "Or would you prefer I drive?"
"Hold on tight!"
Nate pushed more magic into the engine, which began siphoning his power and converting it into speed. The Obsidian roared like a wild beast as it tore through the landscape, its engine growling like a ferocious monster.
Following the train tracks, they raced forward. In just half an hour, they caught up with the rest of the group.
"Nate!" Gray called out as he saw the sleek black magic bike zoom past, kicking up a cloud of dust in its wake.
Erza turned and shouted, "Hurry up and follow us!"
…
Oak Town
An ancient city rich with history.
At the top of a sloping road stood a branch of the Phantom Lord guild.
At that moment, inside the branch's tavern...
"Heh heh, Gajeel, didn't you take any pictures of the scene?"
"Yeah, post them on the forum and let the other guilds see."
"Those stinking Fairy Tail wimps must be furious right now!"
"Maybe they'll come after us for revenge."
"No way! Those fairies wouldn't dare break the council's laws."
Unlike the bright and lively atmosphere of Fairy Tail, the Phantom Lord branch was dimly lit. The Phantom Lord mages sat together, happily discussing last night's raid.
Gajeel, however, remained silent, sitting at a table and casually gnawing on a pile of scrap metal. He chewed through iron screws as if they were soft cookies.
One of the mages raised his glass and shouted, "We are the strongest guild!"
Boom!
Just as those words were spoken, the front doors of the guild were violently smashed open. A black motorcycle barreled into the tavern, its front wheel lifted high before slamming down, crushing a table beneath it.
The mage who had been boasting moments ago now found his face pressed beneath the tire, his skin scraping against the rubber.
In an instant, everyone's expressions turned to shock.
All eyes turned toward the two unexpected intruders.
"Fairy Tail! It's the 'Fairy Queen,' Erza!"
"They actually came to fight!"
The rowdy mages, who had been so boastful moments earlier, now screamed in terror.
Gajeel grunted as he stood up, dusting himself off.
"Only two of them?"
"So it's you, the one who destroyed our guild!"
Erza dismounted from the back seat, her sword pointing at the Phantom Lord mages. Her aura was intense and intimidating.
Nate, meanwhile, leisurely parked Obsidian and calmly got off. Without wasting words, he raised his right fist and punched the air.
Boom!
It was as if space itself had shattered. The ground shook violently.
In an instant, a powerful tremor rocked the entire guild building.
"What… what's going on? An earthquake?!"
"He's… he's Nate from Fairy Tail! The creator of the Internet Magic!"
"Run! The building's going to collapse!"
With a single punch, the massive guild branch began to collapse. Walls crumbled, roofs caved in, and the ground trembled violently.
In the chaos, the once confident Phantom Lord mages scrambled in panic, trying to escape the collapsing structure.
Beams fell from the ceiling, and debris rained down like a storm.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In mere seconds, the once-standing guild branch was reduced to rubble, burying everyone beneath the ruins.
The only thing still intact was the front door, standing behind Nate. But it, too, soon wobbled and fell with a crash.
"Where's Jose?" Nate finally spoke up.
Erza: "..."
You destroyed the entire guild and now you're asking where he is?
She used to think Natsu was reckless, but Nate had taken it to a whole new level.
But… why did it feel so satisfying?
Suddenly, the rubble shifted as a large chunk of the broken wall was pushed aside. Gajeel emerged from the debris.
Wiping the dirt from his face with the back of his hand, he locked his eyes on Nate and roared,
"Long time no see, Internet Magic's creator. Last time, you really gave me a hard time…"
Before finishing his sentence, Gajeel leapt into the air, gathering magic in his mouth and unleashing a blast.
"Iron Dragon's Roar!"
Nate didn't flinch. He stepped forward, a faint white magic shield forming around him as his magic swirled.
The dragon breath hit the shield but couldn't penetrate the layer of tremor energy.
Nate walked forward, his footsteps shaking the ground beneath him.
Each step crushed the earth, sending cracks and tremors outward.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Step by step, like thunder striking.
"What?!"
Gajeel's pupils shrank as shock gripped his heart.
This guy's magic is way stronger than last time!
Using Tremor Magic to form a shield around himself—it wasn't just a matter of raw power. It required extraordinary magic skill and precise control, something only the most experienced mages could achieve.
Gajeel had only ever seen a technique like this from his guild master, Jose!
Erza, too, was wide-eyed with shock.
A magic shield?
Suddenly, Nate vanished from where he stood. The next moment, he was right in front of Gajeel, moving like lightning. His hand shot out, grabbing Gajeel by the neck and lifting him into the air.
"You destroyed our guild, so I'm going to wipe Phantom Lord off the map. Sounds fair, don't you think?"
Chapter 67: Monsieur Sol, Master Jose
'Fair?'
'How was this fair?'
Gajeel felt Nate's iron grip tightening around his neck, making it difficult to breathe. He had no choice but to turn his neck into iron.
"Master Jose is at the headquarters!" Gajeel growled. "Just head toward the back mountain, and you'll find him!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Gajeel's right leg transformed into an iron sword, which he swung upward.
"Iron Dragon Sword!"
The blade, jagged and spinning at high speed like a chainsaw, sliced through the air.
But Nate, with his 'Six Eyes', could easily predict Gajeel's movements. He saw the flow of magic in Gajeel's body as if it were transparent, allowing him to anticipate the attack before it even landed.
With a focused gaze, Nate unleashed a shockwave that sent Gajeel flying dozens of meters away.
At that moment, voices called from behind.
"Nate! Erza!"
Happy flew quickly toward them, white wings sprouting from his back, with Natsu dangling from his tiny claws.
"Happy, Natsu. Where are the others?" Erza asked, turning to look at them.
Nate glanced over, marveling at Happy's strength. For some reason, Natsu, despite being a Dragon Slayer, was notoriously bad with vehicles, but being flown by Happy didn't seem to be an issue.
"Aye~ Everyone's right behind us," Happy replied.
Happy let go, and Natsu landed gracefully on the ground.
"Where are those Phantom Lord bastards?!" Natsu shouted furiously, flames flaring around his body.
He looked around at the demolished remains of the Phantom Lord branch, his expression suddenly confused.
Where was everyone?
This scene was clearly the result of Nate's punch.
"Hmph, Fire Dragon, I've been waiting for you!" Gajeel sneered as he stood up again, provoking Natsu.
"You started this fight, so don't act like it's a misunderstanding, you bastard!" Natsu roared, charging at Gajeel.
Gajeel swung his arm, transforming it into an iron rod that extended outward. Before Natsu could reach him, the rod slammed into his midsection.
Natsu grabbed the rod with both hands, his flames heating the metal. His sandals scraped against the ground as he slid back several meters, absorbing the blow with his body.
"That didn't even hurt, you iron freak!"
"Is that so? Don't come crying later!" Gajeel grinned, retracting the iron rod.
The two Dragon Slayers charged at each other, locking into a fierce battle.
Seeing this, Erza got onto Nate's 'Obsidian' motorcycle, plugged in the SE connector, and said, "Leave him to Natsu. Let's go to the headquarters. Hop on, Nate."
Nate, somewhat surprised, silently thought, 'That's my bike'.
He walked over, sat on the back, and wrapped his arms around Erza's waist. "Just don't wreck my bike. It's expensive."
Erza chuckled softly and revved the engine. The bike roared to life as they sped toward the mountain.
Nate, having already expended a considerable amount of magic on the trip from Magnolia, appreciated the break. Erza didn't want him to waste any more magic, knowing a tough battle awaited them.
As soon as they left, the rest of the 'Fairy Tail' team arrived at the scene.
Seeing Natsu and Gajeel in the midst of their fight, Elfman shouted, "Natsu! Where are Nate and Erza?"
"Huh? They were just here," Natsu replied, distracted for a moment, only to be hit by a punch that sent him flying.
"They went to the headquarters. You'd better get moving too," Gajeel sneered.
...
Phantom Lord's headquarters wasn't far from the branch.
Nate sat on the back of the bike, enjoying the ride. The area was desolate, with no greenery in sight, only barren hills. In the distance, they could see the faint outline of the Phantom Lord headquarters.
Suddenly, Nate said, "Stop."
But it was too late.
He immediately tightened his grip around Erza, leaping off the bike with her in his arms.
At that moment, the ground ahead of them swelled, and two massive hands made of earth shot up, clapping together as if to swat them like flies.
With a resounding boom, the hands crushed Nate's beloved bike into a heap of scrap metal.
Erza was slightly shocked.
Nate, still holding her in mid-air, glanced down at the wreckage and felt a pang of sadness.
'4,200,000 J...'
"I'm... I'm sorry!" Erza apologized, looking a bit embarrassed but maintaining a serious expression. "If you're angry, feel free to hit me!"
Nate shook his head. "Forget it, this makes us even for the armor I broke last time."
Just then, a well-dressed man emerged from the ground in front of the wrecked bike.
The man wore a monocle and a brown suit, his legs seemingly rooted in the earth. His body twisted in strange, boneless movements.
"Bonjour, mages of 'Fairy Tail'. My name is Sol. Please address me as Monsieur Sol."
Erza, still holding onto Nate's neck, recognized him, and her expression grew serious. "It's Sol of the Element 4, from Phantom Lord!"
"Nate, put me down. I'll handle him."
Nate gently descended to the ground, landing a short distance away from Sol.
As soon as her feet touched the ground, Erza immediately switched armor, summoning a spear to her hand. She felt guilty about accidentally wrecking Nate's motorcycle but was determined to take it out on Sol.
"Wait!" Nate quickly grabbed her wrist.
Caught off guard by the sudden pull, Erza stumbled back into his arms.
"Master Jose, it's been a while."
Hearing this, Erza frowned and followed Nate's gaze.
A figure appeared out of thin air in front of Sol.
"Jose!" Erza spat, her eyes narrowing as she glared at the man.
"Nice to see you again, Nate, and Ms. Erza," Jose greeted them with his usual smug smile, waving casually. "I'm surprised it's just the two of you. It's a pity Master Makarov didn't join."
In an instant, Nate vanished from his spot.
...
Space-Time Magic: Flying Thunder God!
A golden magic circle appeared where his broken motorcycle had been.
Nate reappeared next to Jose, his fist flying directly toward the man's smirking face.
Despite being one of the Ten Wizard Saints, Jose never expected Nate to possess spatial magic.
His face twisted in shock as Nate's punch landed squarely on his left cheek.
Boom!
Jose was sent flying, crashing into a nearby rock, which shattered upon impact.
He tumbled across the ground, rolling several times before coming to a stop.
"Master!" Sol exclaimed in shock.
Erza was equally stunned, her mouth slightly agape. She found herself feeling a bit envious. Being able to teleport was amazing!
She kept her eyes on Jose. There was no way someone as powerful as him, someone who was on par with Makarov, would go down so easily.
Jose slowly stood up, rubbing his bruised cheek.
"As expected of a Wizard Saint," Nate remarked, raising an eyebrow. "Even with a sneak attack, you took that hit pretty well."
"It still hurt. I think you might have loosened one of my teeth. Impressive, truly. I'm beginning to admire you even more." Jose smiled at first, but then his expression turned cold.
"But now you'll face a calamity, Nate!"
Boom!
A surge of powerful magic erupted from Jose, darkening the sky.
Dark clouds blotted out the sun as the land was shrouded in a dim, oppressive light.
Nate observed calmly, estimating that Jose's magic power was at least six stars... maybe even higher.
With a small smile, Nate replied, "The Magic Council wants to nominate me as a Wizard Saint, but the spots are full. I hope you'll be kind enough to vacate one for me."
Chapter 68: Magic Power Instant Recovery! It's... Breathtaking is back again!
"What disgusting magic!" Erza said, her expression grave.
Jose's magic was sinister, exuding the aura of death. Ordinary mages would struggle even to stand in the presence of this malevolent force, feeling so nauseated that they might vomit.
"Wizard Saint?" Jose narrowed his eyes at Nate's remark. "I see. It seems the Magic Council values you highly."
Of course, they did. Jose himself valued Nate, and the Council wasn't foolish.
"But no need to rush," Jose continued, his magic receding as he let out a sinister laugh. "Once I deal with Makarov and destroy Fairy Tail, you can take his place as one of the new Ten Wizard Saints."
'Can you even beat him?' Nate thought sarcastically. He figured the old man might arrive any minute now.
"Erza!" came a shout as the rest of the Fairy Tail crew arrived in their magical four-wheelers, rushing toward her and stopping at her side.
Everyone glared at Jose, filled with righteous fury.
"Hehehe... You're all here, little brats. Enjoy your despair!" Jose spread his arms wide, and from his hands emerged hundreds of black spirits, swarming in droves around the Fairy Tail mages.
"I'll be waiting for you at headquarters. Let's see who can make it to me." Jose's body became transparent and vanished, leaving behind his army of ghostly figures.
"What is this disgusting magic?" someone exclaimed.
"They're Jose's specters!" another cried.
"How many of them? Hundreds?"
As the Fairy Tail crew became surrounded by the ghostly soldiers, Sol twisted his body sideways, almost parallel to the ground.
"No, no, no... This is Master Jose's shade magic. If you touch these, they'll drain your life force."
Sol stroked his chin. "Consider this a friendly warning, 'Fairies.'"
"Step aside!" Nate swung his fist, unleashing a shockwave that obliterated everything in its path. The force swept over Sol, sending him flying hundreds of meters straight into the Phantom Lord headquarters.
"I'll handle Jose," Nate said, floating lightly into the air and heading straight for the Phantom Lord HQ.
"Wait, I'm coming to help!" Erza shouted, immediately summoning her 'Heaven's Wheel Armor.' In an instant, she transformed from her 'Flight Armor' into a gleaming silver suit resembling that of a battle angel. She soared into the sky, chasing after Nate.
Meanwhile, Gray destroyed one of the specters, only to watch it regenerate and twist back into shape.
"We need to take out Jose to stop this magic!" Realizing what had to be done, Gray charged toward the headquarters, yelling to the others, "Don't get caught up fighting these things! Come with me, let's break through!"
"Right!"
The group unleashed a barrage of colorful magic as they fought their way through the army of specters, advancing toward the headquarters.
Arriving at a wall, Elfman shouted, "Take Over: Black Bull!" His right arm transformed into a black bull's arm, and with one punch, he shattered the wall.
Once inside, they were met by a large group of Phantom Lord mages.
"Welcome, 'Fairies'," said the leader, whose hair was half black and half white. With his hands casually tucked into his pockets, he sneered, "I'm Totomaru of the Great Flame of Element 4. Nice to meet you. Now, would you kindly die?"
...
Erza, still in the air, infiltrated Phantom Lord's headquarters. She had been following Nate, but he was too fast, turning into a streak of golden light and disappearing onto the rooftop, leaving her behind.
Suddenly, a light drizzle began to fall.
Standing on one of the castle-like platforms of the headquarters, Juvia held a blue umbrella, gazing upward at Erza.
"Juvia?" Erza recognized her and descended onto the platform. "Have you seen Nate? No, where is your master?"
"Juvia is jealous!" Juvia's eyes flashed with hostility as she gritted her teeth and glared at Erza.
"Jealous?" Erza felt uneasy.
"Juvia saw it through the magic crystal. Nate was sitting in the magic vehicle with you, and he was hugging your waist from behind!"
"Ah?" Erza suddenly had a bad feeling.
"Juvia wants to be hugged too!" Juvia screamed, filled with envy and jealousy. "Erza, you lied to me! You're definitely a rival in love! This time, Juvia won't let you go!"
She raised her hand, summoning a torrent of water.
"Water Slicer!"
The rushing water formed sharp blades, slicing through the air toward Erza.
Erza sighed in frustration, blocking the water blades with her sword. "Wait, listen! We don't need to fight!"
"I don't want to hear it! I don't want to hear it!" Juvia shouted, ignoring her.
...
At the topmost room of Phantom Lord's headquarters, Jose reclined leisurely in a large chair. Before him floated a large magic crystal that displayed various scenes of the ongoing battles: the 'Fairy Tail' team breaking through the lower floors, Erza fighting Juvia, and the clash of the two Dragon Slayers at the ruins of the branch.
He watched it all unfold through his crystal.
Just then, the door burst open with a loud 'bang', and Nate strode into the room.
"Here already?" Jose asked, smiling calmly as he clasped his hands together in front of him.
"From Magnolia to here, you destroyed one of my branches, using powerful magic again and again. You must be running low on magic power, Nate."
"So, now that you've reached me, what can you do?"
Nate paused, sensing the magic left within him. He slowly extended his right hand, releasing a soft white glow from his palm.
"It's true, I'm almost at my limit."
Seeing his honesty, Jose stood up from his chair, approaching with a smug grin.
"Fairy Tail will soon be a thing of the past. But you... you're different, Nate. You're a genius mage, and my offer still stands."
Nate shook his head. "Thanks for the offer, but there's one thing you've misunderstood."
As he spoke, his magic power surged rapidly. The magic that had nearly run out was instantly replenished, returning to full strength.
"Magic power... I can have as much as I want."
"What?!" Jose's smile vanished, replaced by a look of utter disbelief.
What was going on? This kid's magic had almost been drained! He should have been able to cast only a few more small spells at best. But right in front of him, Nate had restored all his magic power in an instant!
"How... how is this possible?!" Jose stared at Nate, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"Master Jose, I have a general way of measuring magic power," Nate began, ignoring Jose's shock.
"For example, this is one-star level magic." As he spoke, the white glow in his palm brightened several times over.
"That punch I gave you earlier only used about a third of that. I'm sorry it didn't cause enough damage."
Jose frowned deeply. "What are you talking about?"
"Patience, hear me out. Now, this is two-star magic." The glow intensified, filling the entire room.
"And then there's three-star."
The magic flowed visibly now, the sheer force of it whipping up strong winds inside the room.
Jose squinted, feeling the weight of Nate's magic. This amount was already on par with his subordinate, Sol of the Earth.
"And finally, four-star."
In an instant, all the light condensed back into Nate's palm, compressed to its utmost limit.
Nate slowly raised his glowing hand toward Jose.
"I've given this move a name before…"
"It's… Breathtaking."
Boom!
The compressed magic power erupted all at once, sending a massive beam of white light hurtling toward Jose, piercing the room and shooting into the sky.
...
Outside, Makarov had just arrived in Oak Town when he looked up in shock.
Beneath the dark clouds, a blinding beam of white light stretched across the sky, thousands of meters long.
Wherever the light passed, the sky seemed to crack like fine porcelain, the fissures spreading out and covering the entire horizon.
"This magic... Nate!" Makarov whispered in astonishment.
/Bleam
— 70 Advance Chapters!
Chapter 69: Fairy Law
The immense power that shook the sky could be felt throughout the entire town. Many residents of Oak Town looked up, seeing a beam of white light piercing the sky, with cracks spreading outward, turning the sky into a vast web. The river below twisted from the tremors, and the ground itself began to crack open.
The aftershocks alone caused significant changes to the landscape, triggering a powerful earthquake in Oak Town. Many citizens ran in panic toward open spaces, trying to avoid the destruction.
On the castle's platform, Erza narrowly dodged another attack from Juvia and looked up in shock. "This magic..." She had seen it before. She had personally experienced it—the same magic that shattered her 'Black Wing Armor'. But this time, the power was several times stronger.
…
At the castle's top level, the room had been obliterated, and the surrounding walls were gone. The overwhelming force from Nate's magic lasted nearly ten seconds before finally dissipating.
With a thud, Jose fell to one knee. His magic robe was in tatters, and his hat had disappeared. Blood covered his face, dripping from his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth.
"Ugh... cough, cough..." Jose's face was ashen as he coughed up blood, staining the floor beneath him. His bloodshot eyes glared at Nate with intense hatred. The external injuries were bad enough, but the internal damage was the real issue. The shockwaves from the Tremor Magic had broken through his magic barrier, causing severe internal bleeding.
"Master Jose, I admire you," Nate said, lowering his right hand respectfully. "You dared to take my four-star super-magic head-on."
This was Nate's full-powered attack. If directed at Oak Town, the entire city would have been reduced to rubble.
"Cough, cough..." Jose coughed again, clearly enraged. He staggered to his feet, barely able to stand, his breath labored and uneven. Even maintaining his balance seemed to require all his strength and willpower.
"Don't get cocky... you little brat!" Jose finally found the strength to speak, gritting his teeth. "Using all your magic in a single attack—if you can't defeat your enemy, you're left helpless!"
No mage in their right mind would do something so foolish. But today, Jose had witnessed it firsthand. He had almost been killed in a single blow!
Struggling, he raised his right hand.
"Shade Erosion."
A strange purple magic circle appeared before his hand, and sinister energy formed into tendrils that lashed out toward Nate.
In Jose's eyes, Nate's magic power should be completely drained. There was no way he could cast another spell.
However, Nate simply waved his hand, and with a crisp sound, shattered the purple tendrils with ease. Simultaneously, the magic power he had supposedly used up was instantly restored to full.
"Impossible!" Jose trembled, not from physical pain but from fear of the impossible scene before him.
"I told you earlier, Master Jose, magic power is something I can have in unlimited supply," Nate said with a calm smile, extending his right hand once more, a pale white glow appearing in his palm.
Half a star... one star... one and a half stars...
The magic power surged rapidly, and Jose, feeling deep terror in his soul, stood frozen in shock.
The same magic again? Could he use it infinitely? Impossible! This couldn't be real! Maybe it was an illusion?
In his desperation, Jose even considered the possibility that he was trapped in some kind of illusion magic. Otherwise, there was no explanation for what was happening.
"Hmm?" Nate suddenly stopped his magic buildup and turned to look behind him.
Makarov descended from above, bathed in divine light. Jose immediately noticed him as well.
"Quite the sorry sight, Jose," Makarov said calmly as he landed beside Nate, observing his old rival with a steady gaze.
He had thought he was coming to save the children. But it seemed Jose hadn't even been able to defeat Nate. Once again, Nate had exceeded his expectations.
"Makarov!" Jose gritted his teeth.
"You're impressive, Jose. To have such great magic power at such a young age, your title as one of the Ten Wizard Saints is well deserved," Makarov said sincerely. Then, his tone shifted, becoming more severe. "But if you had used this power wisely, instead of wasting it on meaningless conflicts, you could have been a role model for the next generation."
For Jose, however, Makarov's words were nothing but an insult.
"Are you lecturing me?" Jose's veins bulged in fury, but his severe injuries prevented him from unleashing his full power.
"Watch closely, Nate!" Makarov said, taking a deep breath and bringing his hands together. "Your super magic is destructive, and the aftermath can cause irreversible damage to the surroundings."
"Now I'll show you another type of super magic. Remember this. And next time, don't act so recklessly!"
Is this Fairy Tail's super magic? Nate focused his magic power into his Six Eyes, observing Makarov at full power.
Makarov spoke firmly, his voice carrying authority. "According to the judgment of 'Fairy Tail'! Jose, I'll give you until the count of three to reconsider your actions. Kneel and repent, and end this pointless battle!"
Between Makarov's hands, a small golden sphere of magic formed. Through Nate's enhanced vision, he saw the energy level instantly reach three stars—and remain steady at that level.
"Kneel? Repent?!" Jose's face twisted in rage, but despite his fury, his severe injuries left him unable to unleash his magic.
"One!" Makarov began counting.
Jose's face went pale.
"Two."
"I am Jose, leader of the Kingdom's strongest guild, one of the Ten Wizard Saints!" Facing a life-or-death situation, Jose summoned the last of his strength. "There's no way I'll kneel!"
With that, his dark purple magic transformed into countless tendrils, lashing out in all directions, aiming to strike both Makarov and Nate.
"Three... I'm sorry, Jose." Makarov clasped his hands together, and in that instant, a golden magic circle appeared, massive enough to cover half the city.
From the circle, brilliant rays of light descended, enveloping the earth below.
"'Fairy Law,' activate!"
In a flash, the entire area was bathed in divine, radiant light. Nate looked up at the massive magic circle, seeing the profound magic contained within it. At that moment, everyone in the city paused, basking in the warmth of the holy light.
When the light finally faded, Jose was kneeling on the ground, trembling uncontrollably. His hair had turned completely white, his face aged by what seemed like decades in mere moments.
Chapter 70: Aftermath of the Fight
The activation of the super magic, 'Fairy Law', marked the end of the conflict between the two major guilds.
Makarov looked at Nate with a kind smile and asked, "Did you remember it?"
"I remembered some of it," Nate nodded before shaking his head. "Master, you don't expect me to learn it just by looking once, do you?"
"Don't worry, I'll teach you slowly," Makarov replied as he gazed out over Oak Town, especially at the riverbed damaged by the earthquake. His smile quickly faded.
'Sigh... I'll have to write an apology later, won't I?'
The old man wanted to cry, but in the end, it turned into a helpless sigh. "Enough of the nonsense. Let's head back. We need to rebuild the guild."
Nate glanced at Jose. "And him?"
"The Council will handle it."
It sounded a bit like those cop movies where the police come to clean up the mess. But no, Fairy Tail was a legal guild!
"Master Jose," Nate walked over to Jose and asked, "Who gave you the job? And what was the request?"
There was no response.
The now elderly Jose, looking like a filthy rat in a sewer, trembled on the ground, unable to bear the sight of the holy light. He shivered, his lips quivering, incapable of speech after enduring two super magic attacks.
…
The next day, back in Magnolia.
The guild building, once filled with iron rods by Gajeel, had been torn down. Since they were going to rebuild, everyone decided to expand it a bit.
As for the scale of the expansion...
Nate held up a blueprint for the new building, giving a puzzled expression like an old man looking at a smartphone on the subway.
"Mira, whose crayon scribbles are these? It's too abstract—who can understand this?"
Mira's bright smile slowly stiffened, and her lips pouted in protest.
Nate: "Uh?"
'You drew this!?'
By noon, the guild site had become a large construction area. The stronger men like Natsu, Gray, and Elfman were busy carrying building materials. Even Erza had changed into a foreman's outfit, working hard to help rebuild the new guild.
As for Nate?
Nate was slacking off—at least until a moment ago. But now, he had accidentally made the guild's poster girl cry.
"Actually, if you look closely, the drawing is quite nice... 'really'," Nate said, trying to be complimentary, but seeing Mira still pouting, he gave in with a sigh. "How about I treat you to a big dinner tonight?"
"Really?" Mira's eyes lit up instantly.
Nate: "..."
Her fake tears were pretty convincing! 'I guess I'll have to play along.'
Mira smiled again and happily picked up a tray of juice to serve the workers.
Nate opened up the internet, and the forum was already exploding with discussions about the battle between 'Fairy Tail' and 'Phantom Lord'. Threads were popping up everywhere.
Mages had a lot of free time—they either did jobs to earn money or trained to improve themselves. With all that free time, when they found out the top two guilds in Fiore had started a fight, it was like sharks smelling blood in the water. They flooded the forum with posts.
"I heard Phantom Lord struck first!"
"They lost—their headquarters got destroyed!"
"Fairy Tail is also rebuilding. I just passed by Magnolia—here's a picture of the construction site. "
"I heard Laxus's Thunder God Tribe took down more than twenty Phantom Lord branches in one day, completely demolishing them."
"Thinking about it, isn't Fairy Tail a bit too strong? Phantom Lord couldn't even last half a day."
"Fiore's Strongest Guild! (Mira-san, if you see this, please pin my post—I want points!)"
"Aren't you focusing on the wrong thing? The point is, Jose apparently got beaten by Nate!"
"Nate? The creator of the internet?"
"Who else could it be?"
"Kneel before the Lord of the Internet! In light of my devotion, please give me points!"
"Nate-sama, I bow before you! !"
The thread quickly derailed, with people begging for points. Nate, using his developer privileges, selected a few posts with the most flattering comments and granted their wish.
Just then, a private message notification popped up.
"Tired me out."
"You really don't let your big sis rest easy, causing such a huge mess."
"I just finished a council meeting and was speaking up for you the whole time."
"Hurry up and thank me! "
It seems having a council member in your corner has its perks, Nate thought with a grin.
Nate: "What did the Council say? I was acting in self-defense."
Witch of Pain: "Self-defense? You went straight to their base! "
Witch of Pain: "Good thing your big sis spoke up for you! "
Nate couldn't help but indulge her. What else could he do?
Nate: "Thanks, big sis. You're the best. Should I send you a cool picture of me?"
Witch of Pain: "Not interested~"
Witch of Pain: "Anyway, the Council decided to arrest the main culprits."
Nate: "Looks like Natsu's in trouble then."
Witch of Pain: "It's you, you brat! "
Nate: "Why me? Did you even defend me?"
Witch of Pain: "Don't worry, you'll just need to come to the headquarters for a brief appearance."
Nate: "Why headquarters? Can't I just go to the Fiore branch?"
Witch of Pain: "That's because I arranged it! Come to headquarters—your big sis misses you! "
Nate: "Am I the only one being arrested? I'm starting to doubt you actually defended me."
Witch of Pain: "Erza Scarlet will come too. You two were the leaders, so you'll both need to be there."
With that, Nate felt more at ease. At least he wouldn't be alone. But on second thought, had he dragged Erza into this? She hadn't even known about the guild being attacked until he brought her along on his bike.
Nate: "How long will we be there?"
Witch of Pain: "Just a day. It's all for show."
Witch of Pain: "I'll even bring you lunch while you're there!"
Nate: "What about Phantom Lord?"
Nate could understand the Council needing to save face, so he was curious about their actions.
Witch of Pain: "Since they started the fight, their punishment will be severe."
Witch of Pain: "The Council is going to forcefully disband Phantom Lord and strip Jose Porla of his title as one of the Ten Wizard Saints."
Witch of Pain: "Oh, and Gajeel too. Even though he was following Jose's orders, he'll be imprisoned for a while."
Nate thought for a moment, realizing she hadn't mentioned the most important thing. Then, as if reading his mind, Ultear sent another message.
Witch of Pain: "There'll be an open spot among the Ten Wizard Saints soon, and I've already nominated you!"
Witch of Pain: "Happy? You might even get awarded the Saint title when you visit the headquarters!"
'Perfect!' Nate nodded with satisfaction. While the title itself didn't do much, it sure sounded impressive.
After chatting with Ultear for a while, the Council's military arrived. Nate already knew he'd be taken in.
"Erza Scarlet, Nate—are you two here?"
Leading the force was a familiar face, the captain of the Custody Enforcement Unit.
/Bleam
— Currently You can Read 70 Chapters Ahead of Others!