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[X784, Magnolia]
— Mest Gryder —
When they arrived in Magnolia, things had deescalated.
Mest's heart pounded in his chest as he eyed the injured forms of his comrades. He could see Gray sitting on a pile of rubble, clutching his side. Nearby, Natsu was sprawled out on the ground like a starfish, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. But there was a large grin on his face.
They were injured—badly, in some cases—but they were alive. They had won. Mest's lips twitched into a faint smile before he forced it away. He couldn't show it. Not here. Not now.
About two hundred Rune Knights surrounded the battlefield where numerous Phantom Lord mages littered the ground. Their captain, Lahar, went towards the cluster of Fairy Tail mages who were nursing their injuries, all with smiles on their faces.
Mest honestly wasn't any better. Despite how his heart ached at seeing his comrades injured and he wasn't there to help at all, there was also a bit of joy at seeing them victorious.
Besides, Mest knew they've already won. After all, he was innately familiar with the golden light that had passed through when they were on their way to the guild.
Makarov had told him about it once, during one of their rare private conversations. One of Fairy Tail's three legendary spells. A magic that judged the target's heart and struck down those the caster saw as enemies.
"My name is Lahar, Captain of the 4th Custody Enforcement Unit. We're here to arrest Jose Porla and all members of Phantom Lord."
"A bit late, aren't ya?" Wakaba questioned as he and Macao stood protectively at the front of the rest of the Fairy Tail mages.
Lahar ignored the jab as he made a gesture with his hand. Immediately all the Rune Knights went to work gathering all the injured members of Phantom Lord. Mest joined in, putting the right colored bands on their bodies.
Truthfully, Mest wanted to go to them. To kneel down and help Gray bandage his arm, to clap Natsu on the back and tell him he did well, to sit beside Alzack and Bisca and bask in the warmth of their shared relief. But he couldn't.
None of them would even remember him.
He swallowed the bitterness in his throat. That was part of the mission — part of the sacrifice. He had erased their memories of him to protect his cover. Makarov assisted him with it, to help affect the more higher ranking mages.
Mest knew this, accepted it even. But it didn't stop the ache that settled in his chest when he watched his guildmates joke and lean on each other like family while he stood apart, invisible among the Rune Knights.
Instead, he settled for helping where he could. Mest knelt beside one of the fallen Phantom Lord mages and rolled them onto their back. His gloved hands worked quickly, slipping a red band around the mage's arm to signal for medical attention.
The Rune Knights had a system whenever something like this happens. It's not unusual for large conflicts like this to bear casualties, so during the aftermath, they were all trained to move quickly and concisely.
The knights would do a quick sweep to determine their levels of injury. The dead don't need medical attention, so black bands are strapped to their arms or legs as a sign to leave them alone. Red bands are meant for the most critically injured, while the white bands are for those whose injuries aren't fatal.
They would then recover the bodies and group them based on color, where the medical team could later provide the necessary first aid to those that needed it.
"More red bands over here!" someone shouted nearby.
Mest rose to his feet and moved toward the source, weaving between Rune Knights and unconscious mages with practiced efficiency.
After Master Makarov assigned him as a spy in the Council, he had spent just a year training before he was put under Lahar's command. While the other man was only a few years older than Mest, he had been in the Rune Knights since he was a child, graduating their training at twelve.
Mest respected Lahar. The man was sharp, disciplined, and truly believed in the Rune Knights' mission to protect Fiore. Mest had learned more about the inner workings of the council under Lahar than he ever could have alone. But Lahar was still bound by the council's politics — bound by the influence of people who saw guilds like Fairy Tail as dangerous.
"I do not see Guildmaster Makarov. Who here is the highest ranking member after him?" Lahar questioned the cluster of mages.
"That would be me." A dark haired man stood up from his seated position aided by Mirajane Strauss. His hair was unkempt, blood still staining bits of it as bandages covered his arms and legs. He walked to meet Lahar, slightly leaning towards the She-Devil as she helped him walk.
"I'm Dannis Martell, S-Class mage of Fairy Tail. What do you need from us?"
Lahar nodded. "I just need to know everything that transpired. We heard from the citizens of Magnolia that Phantom Lord started all this. But we need to know what led up to this."
"Phantom's been after us since a week ago." Dannis frowned. "They sent Black Steel in the middle of the night to thrash our guild building and the Elemental Four to Fairy Hills to kidnap one of our members."
Lahar nodded as he pulled a notepad and started writing. "That matches with our initial reports. And may I ask what happened to Phantom Lord's highest ranking mages, Black Steel and the Elemental Four?"
Erza piped up then. "Totomaru's locked up in the basement of our guild."
Gray then answered. "I took down the water mage on the roof of Phantom's building. I don't know if she's still there or not."
"Sol is buried somewhere under that rubble." Dannis said as Mystogan nodded, confirming. "And Aria's dead in the Phantom building."
Lahar's hands stopped for a moment at Dannis' words before continuing unperturbed. "I'll send teams to pick them up. I'd also appreciate it if you can hand over Totomaru to us so he can get a proper questioning."
Erza looked towards Dannis, who gave her a small nod. She then went towards the Fairy Tail's basement to fetch the fire mage.
"And what about Black Steel?" Lahar questioned.
At this Dannis frowned before he looked towards the pink-haired Dragon Slayer. "Oi, Natsu. What happened to Gajeel?"
"I think he's still in the bottom floor of Phantom's guild after I smashed him down there." Natsu replied from his position, prone on the ground.
"Aye sir!" Happy chimed in, being the sole observant of the fight between Dragon Slayers.
"Is he dead?" Lahar questioned.
Natsu shook his head. "Nah, I doubt it. It'll take a lot more than that to take down that metal bastard."
"Got it." Lahar snapped his notepad shut. "The survivors will be processed according to standard procedure," Lahar said briskly. He gestured to the other Rune Knights, who immediately began binding and lifting the unconscious mages with the ease of men who had done this before.
However, Lahar leaned in and said something in small whispers towards Dannis. Mest, who was eavesdropping the entire time, stretched his ears to listen in.
"Keep this between you and me, Black Blade. Saint Draculos is here as a representative of the Wizard Saints. I'm sure he's meeting your Guildmaster as we speak. There were members of the council that didn't want us here and went to great lengths to make sure we arrived as late as possible. We would've arrived even later had Saint Draculos not helped us." Lahar whispered. "There are some powerful people after you, take it as a warning."
Dannis merely nodded without a change in his expression.
Mest's stomach twisted. He masked his reaction with a neutral expression as he carried another injured mage toward the sorting line.
It confirmed his growing suspicions — someone in the Council had wanted Fairy Tail to lose. Mest had already compiled a list of suspects, but this confirmed that the Council's interference wasn't political posturing — it was targeted.
At that, Erza arrived with Totomaru in tow, dragging him toward a line of Rune Knights. He looked visibly shaken and surprised at the state of his Guild. His hands were bound behind him by magic restraining cuffs.
The guild didn't have many of them as its spread was tightly controlled by the Magic Council. After all, it wouldn't do for dark guilds to have easy access to them.
"Get him out of here," Lahar ordered. The knights complied, dragging Totomaru toward the waiting line of captives.
Mest stepped back, still quite shaken. The battle was over — but the war wasn't. If anything, it was just beginning.
And Mest would need to play his part carefully.
He couldn't be Mest Gryder, the Fairy Tail mage. He was a Rune Knight — a loyal soldier of the Council. He would keep his cover intact, earn Lahar's trust, and navigate the tangled mess of politics and power that surrounded the Magic Council.
Because someone wanted Fairy Tail destroyed. And Mest was going to find out who.
And when he did… they would pay.
…
— Makarov Dreyar —
Makarov's heavy footsteps echoed through the grand hall of Phantom Lord's shattered guild as he walked away from the remnants of his fight with Jose.
The building creaked beneath him, heavily weakened from the numerous fights that happened within its halls.
Suddenly, the temperature in the room dropped. A cold draft slithered through the cracks in the broken windows. Makarov halted as a sigh came out his throat.
From the shadows came a rustling noise, followed by the sharp fluttering of leathery wings. Bats — dozens of them — poured through the broken glass and crumbling rafters like an unnatural tide. They twisted and spiraled through the air, forming a dark mass that coalesced into the shape of a tall, thin man.
The man's long black cloak billowed gently as the last of the bats settled at his feet and dissolved into shadow. Aged grey eyes met the God of Ishgar's sharp crimson, which hid behind a monocle.
His skin was pale, wearing a crisp dress shirt beneath a finely embroidered vest, dark slacks, and a black bow tie fastened neatly at his throat. Despite the gentlemanly get up, Makarov knew to not let appearances fool him.
Draculos was nearing two hundred years old, having held the title of Wizard Saint for the longest time. Makarov heard rumors that his Vampire Magic gave him a sense of immortality, but those rumors were never confirmed.
"Draculos," Makarov greeted with a small nod.
"Makarov," Draculos replied smoothly. His gaze drifted toward the darkened chamber behind Makarov, where Jose remained kneeling in the center. "As always, that man's arrogance continued to blind him."
Makarov tilted his head, a curious look in his eye. "If I remember correctly, Jose was your apprentice, was he not?"
Draculos' mouth curled faintly at the corners, though his crimson eyes remained cold. "Only for a couple of years," he admitted. He adjusted his monocle with a gloved hand. "Jose was… promising in his youth. Talented. Ambitious."
Makarov raised a brow. "Ambition can be dangerous."
"It is a double-edged sword." Draculos agreed. "Jose was a bright child — wide-eyed and determined like most young mages. His Shade Magic earned him many wary looks in his early years. Soul manipulation is… a magic not easily accepted by the world."
Makarov's thoughts flicked briefly to Dannis. Dannis' magic was cut from a similar cloth — dark, dangerous, and deeply misunderstood. But unlike Jose, Dannis had people to anchor him. He had Fairy Tail. Jose did not.
"Much like a member of your guild, Dannis Martell," Draculos added, as if reading Makarov's mind. "But where Dannis found acceptance among his guild, Jose pursued strength at the cost of connection."
Makarov's jaw tightened. "And you let him."
Draculos' eyes slid toward him. For a moment, the vampire's gaze lingered, unblinking.
"I allowed him to grow," Draculos said at last. "Jose never cared for public opinion. A trait I should have curbed." His eyes narrowed. "Perhaps if I had, he would have chosen a different path."
Makarov's brow furrowed. "Was that when he founded Phantom Lord?"
Draculos' lips twitched, but the expression didn't reach his eyes. "By the time he was twenty, he had become one of the strongest mages of his generation. His power rivaled that of the Wizard Saints even before he reached his prime." His gaze darkened. "And yet, he chose to wield that strength for dominance rather than protection."
Makarov shook his head. "If he had used his power for good, he could have been a model for the next generation. He had more power than I did when I was his age." He exhaled. "It truly is a shame."
Draculos' eyes lingered on Jose's prone form. The once-proud master of Phantom Lord was a broken shadow of himself. His breathing was shallow, his face ghostly pale. His eyes — once burning with intelligence — were dull and unfocused.
"It is," Draculos murmured. His voice was quiet, almost melancholic. For the briefest moment, his eyes softened.
Draculos raised a hand and pointed a single gloved finger toward Jose, whose body slowly lifted from the ground, his limbs hanging limp in the air.
"As the technical leader of the Ten Wizard Saints," Draculos said, his tone cooling into crisp authority, "I will take responsibility for him."
"Meaning?" Makarov raised an eyebrow.
"He will be stripped of his title and rank. Phantom Lord will be disbanded — by the authority of the Council and the Gods of Ishgar. Jose will be detained indefinitely. His magic sealed."
The aged wizard nodded. "That's… merciful."
Draculos' smile did not reach his eyes. "Even a failed apprentice deserves that much." He turned towards the master of Fairy Tail. "Go back to your guild, Makarov. Tend to your wounded. Rebuild your home."
Makarov's mouth opened, then closed. He studied Draculos for a moment, sensing the faint undertone of regret beneath the man's flawless mask of indifference.
"Very well," Makarov said. He turned on his heel and strode toward the exit.
"Be cautious, Makarov," Draculos' voice called out behind him.
Makarov glanced over his shoulder.
"There are powerful forces within the Council who wanted you to lose this battle," Draculos' crimson eyes flashed. "It's part why I decided to come in person. They won't stop here."
Makarov's lips pressed into a thin line. "Let them try."
Draculos' mouth curled into a ghost of a smile.
…
AN: I did say the Wizard Saints will have a much bigger presence in this fic. Hope you enjoyed that small backstory I gave Jose. It was fun giving people who never met in canon these types of connections.
This should end the Phantom Lord arc. After this should be the Tower of Heaven. And boy let me tell you I've got plans for this one. It's gonna be a lot bigger than canon with a lot more parties involved.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Cheers lads.