"Where on earth did this power come from?" Zero muttered in astonishment, raising his hand to block.
*Bang*
But before he could react, someone else stepped in. A punch landed squarely on his face.
It was Gray.
Though the punch lacked strength, its intent was deeply insulting. Exhausted but resolute, Gray glared at Zero and declared, "Because we are Fairy Tail!"
*Bang*
Erza lunged forward, gripping Zero's arm tightly. "We will never abandon any of our family, even if it costs us our lives!"
"This is what family means!" Happy jumped in, sinking his teeth into Zero's ear.
"Natsu!!!" Lucy clung to Zero's legs.
Damn it!
Zero tried to break free, but everyone poured their last ounce of strength into restraining him—unless Zero possessed the power to tear through several people's muscles and bones simultaneously, escape was impossible!
*Boom*
Natsu's fist connected with Zero's face with devastating force.
*Kaboom*
Zero was sent flying, and the others finally released their grip.
Natsu took a step forward, roaring, "To defeat a dragon, a weak human must possess a stronger will than the dragon itself!"
"To triumph over the strong, one must have the courage to face death without fear!"
"Rescuing Jehfrit is my will!"
"The Dragon Slayer Magic Igneel taught me is my courage!"
"Gramps always said that courage and willpower can create miracles!"
"I already know the truth behind everything—it's all that guy's scheme!"
"But—"
"I also know that this is exactly the miracle he hoped for!"
"If that's the case—"
"Watch closely, Jehfrit. I'll stand in front of you and shatter every bit of your unease!"
*Kaboom*
A mix of purple and orange flames erupted around Natsu's hands!
Erza and the others stared wide-eyed. That magical energy belonged to…
Jehfrit?!!!
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art—"
"Hidden Fire Form—"
"Crimson Lotus Phoenix Blade!"
*Kaboom*
The surging magic coalesced into a longsword, and Natsu charged toward Zero.
No no no!
Zero raised his hand to cast a spell, but the moment his magic touched Natsu's energy, waves of fear, panic, despair, and dread overwhelmed him.
This was the effect of Jehfrit's magic!
Before Zero's spell could fully form, Natsu's raging magic tore it apart completely.
So that's how it is…
Zero finally understood.
*Kaboom*
Natsu's fist struck Zero's chest, and Zero's body dissolved under the force of Natsu's magic.
The longsword pierced the massive Magic Crystal, shattering it instantly.
*Kaboom*
Zero was slammed into the ceiling by Natsu.
The flames subsided, and Natsu began to fall.
"Natsu!" Happy flew over to catch him but failed, getting dragged down instead.
"Natsu!"
Erza and Gray rushed over, followed by Lucy, who leaped forward.
*Splash*
Natsu landed first on Lucy, then crushed Gray, with Erza at the bottom of the pile.
"Haha—"
Natsu burst into laughter.
Soon, everyone joined in.
This was Fairy Tail.
Carla's eyes widened, her pupils trembling. Such a guild was truly… enviable and admirable.
Natsu rolled to the side, followed by Lucy and Gray. Everyone lay in a row, resting for a while and regaining some strength.
"Hurry up! Who knows how much time has passed? You need to destroy the Magic Crystals and stop Nirvana!" Carla suddenly remembered the mission wasn't over yet.
"No, it's already over. In fact, it was never necessary to begin with," Gray replied.
"What do you mean?" Carla was confused. "We still need to destroy the Magic Crystals to stop Nirvana!"
"It's no longer needed. If anything, it was never needed," Natsu added.
"Huh?" Carla was utterly baffled.
"Jehfrit tricked us all," Erza said, her expression strange.
"Yeah, that's just like him," Gray nodded.
"Jehfrit, if you don't come out now, I'm not going fishing with you anymore," Happy chimed in.
"Huh?"
*Tap*
At the entrance of the passageway, Jehfrit appeared, holding Wendy by the hand.
Jehfrit's expression was calm, but Wendy's face was a mix of confusion and disbelief.
Just moments ago, the man who kept saying he was waiting for his comrades to rescue him had finished his hot pot, wiped his mouth, cleaned up everything, pulled out a knife, cut open the prison door and barrier, and walked out with her in plain sight.
Wendy had braced herself for a fierce battle, knowing Jehfrit was an intellectual strategist and support mage. She assumed he'd been captured after exhausting himself trying to save her earlier and would now be low on magic power.
Yet, as they moved forward, every guard along the way simply vanished as they approached.
Everything was…
Fake?
Wendy suddenly felt a chill run down her spine—was this the effect of Deception Magic?!
"Wendy? Jehfrit?" Carla gasped, rushing over to pull Wendy away. Wendy instinctively let go of Jehfrit's hand as Carla scolded her, "Don't hold hands with boys so casually!"
"Ah…" Wendy blushed slightly and replied, "But Jehfrit isn't a bad person."
"Not a bad person doesn't mean you can hold his hand!" Carla's tone was strict.
"I understand," Wendy said half-heartedly, nodding.
"But…" Carla asked curiously, "How did you two get out? Didn't you say there was a barrier?"
"Jehfrit cut through it with a single strike," Wendy answered, her expression conflicted.
Jehfrit approached the group.
"Jehfrit, you…" Natsu started to speak but found himself at a loss for words.
Everyone had already realized that Jehfrit hadn't been trapped at all.
The reason was simple.
During the final battle against Zero, Natsu's explosive magic contained traces of Jehfrit's magical energy.
While Jehfrit's magic was undetectable when used for Deception Magic, it left subtle fluctuations in other areas—like when using Teal or Hani.
They all knew.
Especially when Natsu's punch made Zero recoil with overwhelming negative emotions, which clearly wasn't something Natsu's magic alone could achieve. Only Jehfrit's magic could do that.
So…
If Jehfrit's magic could influence the outside world, who could possibly restrain him?
Recalling Jehfrit's ability to make even Laxus "kneel" instantly, it was clear that if he wanted to escape, he could have easily prepared to take down the entire Oración Seis long ago.
Thus, looking back at the situation, combined with Jehfrit's usual personality…
Even Natsu had figured out the truth.
"You…" Gray stood up, raising his fist, but ultimately tapped it lightly against Jehfrit's chest.
Natsu got up too, flashing his trademark toothy grin. "Still, welcome back, Jehfrit."
"Mm." Jehfrit smiled faintly.
*Thud*
Natsu and Gray collapsed simultaneously. Jehfrit caught them both, only to hear two deafening snores moments later.
"Idiot Jehfrit," Natsu mumbled in his sleep, throwing a punch at Jehfrit's face.
Jehfrit gently set them down and turned to Erza and Lucy, intending to hand out potions. But then he paused, remembering something.
"Wendy."
"What are you planning to do?!"
He turned to call out, but Carla quickly stepped in front of Wendy, eyeing Jehfrit warily as though he intended to steal her prized flowerpot.
"Uh…" Jehfrit sighed inwardly. What had he done to offend this girl? Why did she seem more wary of him than anyone else in the guild? It was almost as if he'd played countless pranks on her.
"I meant that Wendy's healing magic is more effective than my potions. Could you heal everyone, please?" Jehfrit explained.
After all, no potion could match the healing prowess of a Sky Dragon Slayer.
"Oh, okay," Wendy nodded and hurried to tend to the group.
"By the way… what about Nirvana?" Lucy asked.
"Nirvana stopped moving a long time ago. It barely budged at the start," Erza replied.
Her mind had been preoccupied with thoughts of Jellal, Jehfrit, and battling the Oración Seis. But upon reflection, she realized Nirvana hadn't moved for quite some time.
"Mm. The control is in my hands. Once we leave, I'll destroy the Magic Crystals to ensure they don't fall into the wrong hands later," Jehfrit said.
With that, everyone relaxed.
Wendy glanced at Jehfrit, but Carla quickly shifted to block her view.
"…" Wendy sighed internally. Carla treated her like a naive child, but at thirteen, she already understood certain things.
She didn't harbor romantic feelings for Jehfrit; she simply admired and respected him like an older brother. Similarly, Jehfrit treated her with the same warmth and care she remembered from Mystogan, her elder brother figure.
"Jehfrit," Wendy called softly.
"Hmm?" Jehfrit looked at her.
"So… did you actually defeat the Oración Seis and Jellal?" Wendy asked.
Jehfrit met her innocent gaze and shook his head. "Of course not. My magic is just unique, making it hard for others to capture me."
He couldn't admit the truth.
"Mm…" Wendy nodded uncertainly.
Erza watched Jehfrit with a complex expression.
You've grown this strong already?
However…
Thinking back, Erza concluded that Tiffany and Jehfrit must have defeated Oración Seis and Jellal together.
Lucy, Gray, and Happy likely thought the same.
After all, Tiffany's combat prowess rivaled Erza's. Yet, she disappeared early in the fight, and her magic could pinpoint Jehfrit's true location.
Thus, the truth was likely this:
When Jehfrit fought the Oración Seis, Tiffany arrived.
Together, they defeated the Oración Seis and Jellal.
The "Tiffany" defeated by Brain was a fake, vanishing once Jehfrit appeared.
Afterward, Tiffany, severely injured, was sent away by Jehfrit.
And his old habits kicked in again—he orchestrated the whole scenario, ensuring the guild believed they had defeated the Oración Seis themselves.
He would say things like, "Fame attracts enemies," "Strength invites challengers," or "I'm fragile; what if someone ambushes me?"—all excuses to avoid the spotlight.
Even Lucy noticed this pattern. From Eisenwald to Tower of Heaven, the civil war, Phantom Lord, and Achnologia, Jehfrit was always the key to victory. Yet, news reports consistently praised Natsu, Gray, and Erza, reducing Jehfrit to mentions like "excellent peripheral support" or "outstanding strategic command."
It made him seem like someone who merely monitored real-time maps and directed operations from afar, like Warren.
But…
In the end, this was Jehfrit's choice.
So, no one said anything. They respected his decision.
As for being manipulated into fighting…
They were used to it.
Truly used to it.
Not just Natsu and the others—even Lucy had grown accustomed to it.
And as Natsu said, if this was what Jehfrit desired, they would fulfill his wish.
Besides, with Jehfrit backing them up, these battles helped improve their strength. Overall, it was beneficial for everyone.
The group rested for a while.
Wendy restored some of their health and magic.
Then Erza carried Gray, and Lucy hoisted Natsu onto her back.
Seeing Lucy walk steadily alongside Erza, Wendy remarked, "Lucy-san is surprisingly strong."
"…" Lucy gave a bitter smile.
Being praised like that left her feeling conflicted.
After her battle with Angel, she realized her physical capabilities far exceeded those of ordinary girls—and the gap would only grow larger in the future!
Becoming a powerhouse came with mixed emotions.
Acceptance tinged with resignation.
"Carla…" Happy saw all the girls carrying boys.
Approaching Carla, he said tiredly, "Hey, I'm really exhausted too…"
"Hmph." Carla sniffed arrogantly and turned away, pulling Wendy along.
"Hahaha—" Lucy couldn't help but laugh.
"Happy, or rather, Cat-Dragon Lord," Jehfrit chuckled, "Romance follows stages. You and Carla still have a long way to go."
"Help me out!" Happy flew up and perched on Jehfrit's shoulder. "Like how you helped Natsu!"
"…" Lucy's face flushed as memories of carrying people resurfaced.
The first time, it was Jehfrit who suggested it. Since then, whenever she seemed physically drained during missions, Natsu naturally offered to carry her.
Today was the first time she carried him.
It seemed they had developed a silent understanding and routine.
Turning her head, Lucy saw Erza's face lit up with a mischievous grin, and she immediately blushed furiously.