Chapter 54 : Figurenes??

"Gray!" Natsu's voice echoed through the battlefield.

Gray swiftly ceased his magic, causing a slanted icicle to shoot skyward.

Natsu dashed up the icicle and seized Jellal, who had succumbed to a deep coma.

"Huh-" Gray let out a relieved sigh.

The conflict had finally concluded, granting him a moment of respite.

"It's done." Natsu tossed Jellal onto the ground and beamed at Erza.

"It's done." Gray echoed, sharing a smile with Erza.

"It's done." Everit chimed in softly.

"You guys..." Tears welled in Erza's eyes as she extended her arms, embracing all three of them.

"Thank you."

As Everit and the others made their way back to the dock, the boat returned once more.

"Natsu, Erza, Gray, Everit!" Lucy waved joyfully.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia's excitement was palpable.

"Sister Erza!"

"Erza!"

Sho and the others joined in the chorus of greetings.

Upon the ship's docking, everyone's attention turned to Jellal, who was being carried by Simon.

Simon spoke solemnly: "Jellal must be held accountable for his actions. I will see to his treatment and then deliver him to the Magic Council for trial."

Silence followed his statement.

"And what about you?" Erza inquired of Wally and the others.

"Sister, we wish to journey and explore the world beyond." Sho's tone was earnest.

"Very well. If you ever consider joining a guild, remember Fairy Tail," Erza offered.

"We will!" they exclaimed in unison.

Erza and the others were engaged in conversation, the atmosphere light but with an underlying tension.

Everit cast a brief glance at the boat, carefully positioning a fake body before silently departing along the shoreline.

It wasn't long before he encountered a woman laboriously trekking with a stick in hand.

The woman halted upon hearing approaching footsteps, turning to face Everit with a mix of emotions etched across her features.

Ikaruga's gaze met Everit's with a complex expression, her inner turmoil evident.

She had already resigned herself to the possibility of perishing here.

Yet, Everit's intervention had altered that fate.

Now, if questioned about her stance on death, she would confess to feeling a lesser weight upon her shoulders.

For she possessed reasons now, reasons compelling her to cling to life.

But evading death here would undoubtedly provoke the wrath of the new Guild Master.

She did not desire her demise, nor did she wish harm upon her siblings, nor did she want to entangle Everit in the web of the new Guild Master's vindictive and merciless schemes. Despite Everit's formidable power, the dark wizard's deviousness knew no bounds.

Thus, after much contemplation, she arrived at a resolution—to depart, to distance herself from all.

To have others believe her to be deceased.

To embrace solitude in a foreign land, accompanied only by cherished memories until the day she willingly sought death once more.

Everit tossed a card towards her—a communication crystal.

Ikaruga caught it, offering a slight nod of gratitude to Everit as she murmured apologetically, "Thank you."

After a brief moment of silence, she added, "I apologize."

"Understood," Everit replied, his form dissolving into nothingness.

Ikaruga released a heavy sigh before turning to depart.

She sought refuge in a hotel for several days, though physical recovery remained elusive.

Simon escorted Jellal to surrender.

With misunderstandings clarified and past grievances addressed, Sho and the others bid Erza a formal farewell.

Everyone decided to spend an extra day before heading back to the guild.

Along the mountain roads,

A procession of Council mages trudged slowly ahead, with two prison carriages in tow.

In the distance, voices could be heard murmuring.

"Could it be them?"

"I swear I heard Jellal's voice."

"Let's make our move."

Boom, boom, boom!

Sudden and powerful magic assailed the convoy.

The attack was so swift that no one had a chance to react, leaving casualties in its wake.

Hissing sounds filled the air as the prison carriages were torn asunder.

"Jellal, in such a sorry state."

Upon hearing the voice, Jellal reluctantly opened his eyes, but the glare obscured his vision, preventing him from identifying the speaker. Yet, he already knew who it was.

Before Team Natsu stood the brand-new, magnificent guild.

"This is the new guild?" Lucy gasped, awestruck. "It's stunning!"

"So magnificient!" Happy chirped.

"It's quite impressive," Gray admitted after a thorough inspection.

"Gray-sama, your attire!" Juvia reminded, blushing as she averted her gaze.

"Hey, where are my clothes?!" Gray exclaimed suddenly.

"It's very satisfactory," Erza nodded in approval.

Natsu remained silent, his mouth concealed by his scarf, appearing disinterested.

"Let's step inside and explore," Everit suggested.

They all entered the guild.

The interior was spacious, with an open-air café catching their immediate attention—a significant advantage for future battles, no longer confined to cramped spaces.

Everit envisioned himself becoming a regular patron.

Adjacent to the café were shops.

"Max, what do you sell?" Happy flew over, brimming with curiosity.

"Ah, Happy, welcome back," Max greeted. "We offer clothes, cups, and various items. Oh, and we have figurines too!"

Proudly, Max gestured towards a display cabinet filled with figurines, each labeled with a price tag, the most expensive ones at the top.

Happy chuckled upon seeing them. "Lucy's figurines are so cheap."

Lucy felt a mix of emotions, unable to contain her complex feelings.

After all, she was a beautiful girl! Why were her figurines at the bottom?

"Why is Everit's figurine at the top?!" Happy exclaimed in surprise. "And it's the most expensive! Twice as much as Erza's!"

"Ah, that's not a figurine, it's a cursed doll that can be used to stick needles," Max explained with a smile.

"It's so creepy," Lucy couldn't help but say, "But it makes sense."

"Right?" Happy agreed.

Cursed doll, huh?

No one seemed to notice.

Everit was browsing through the store. He found a ledger and flipped through the transaction records.

They entered the guild.

"Wow," Lucy exclaimed in surprise, "It's much more spacious than before!"

Levy approached with a smile, "And there's a swimming pool inside!"

"Awesome!" Lucy exclaimed happily.

"There's even an underground amusement park," Levy continued, "But the biggest change is the second floor!"

"Now anyone can access the second floor. However, if you want to take on S-level missions, you still need an S-level wizard in your team. Come with me."

"Hmph," Natsu grunted.

"What's wrong, Natsu? You've been acting strange since earlier," Lucy inquired.

"It's just not the same as before," Natsu expressed his dissatisfaction.

"You'll get used to it," Gray reassured him.

"You're back," Guild Master Makarov approached them.

"Guild Master!" Everyone turned their attention to him.

Makarov smiled and waved to everyone, then turned to Juvia: "Juvia, you can officially join the guild now!"

"Fantastic!" Juvia beamed.

"Congratulations, Juvia!" Lucy congratulated her.

"Welcome, Juvia," Levy set aside her past grievances.

"Thank you, everyone. I'll get along well with everyone!" Juvia exclaimed eagerly.

"Congratulations, Juvia," Gray said with a smile.

"Gray-sama," Juvia blushed, "This humble girl lacks talent, please give me guidance in the future!"

"???" Gray found her words a bit odd.

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