"Dammit! I'm definitely going to beat you next ti!" Natsu said, getting to his feet, his voice full of excitent.
"I'll be waiting. But you'll have to work for it," Noah replied with a smile, letting Natsu go.
"See, Natsu lost."
"Was there ever any doubt?"
"True, there's still a big gap between him and Noah."
"But that was a great fight!"
"Natsu's definitely gotten a lot stronger."
The guild mbers were all buzzing, thrilled to have seen Natsu go all out. With the duel over, the crowd began to disperse.
Ultear and the others walked over. "Natsu lost again," Happy chirped from Natsu's shoulder.
"Not next ti!" Natsu declared, his energy already returning. "Co on, Happy, we're going to train! Tomorrow, we'll beat Noah!"
Noah just smiled. The recovery rate of a Dragon Slayer truly was impressive.
"You should rest," Lucy said, exasperated. "You just used all your magic."
Natsu thought about it and, for once, didn't argue.
"Natsu," Ultear said, her tone suddenly serious. "We need to talk to you. Soone might be targeting Lucy. When you're on jobs with her, you need to be extra careful."
Natsu's playful expression vanished. "Who's targeting Lucy?!" he growled, his eyes turning fierce.
"We don't know for sure," Mirajane explained. "It's just a possibility. We suspect Phantom Lord might try sothing. We just want you to be on your guard."
"Those bastards!" Natsu snarled.
"It's just a guess, Natsu," Erza said sharply. "Don't do anything reckless."
"I know," he muttered.
"Phantom Lord might attack Lucy? What's this all about?" Makarov asked, walking over.
"We'll explain later, Gramps," Noah said, but he was cut off by a guild mber running frantically from the guild hall.
"The Magic Council is outside!" he yelled.
The lively atmosphere of the training ground went dead silent, then exploded into chaos.
"The Council?!"
"Why are they here?!"
"What did we break this ti that's bad enough for them to show up?!"
"Why is that your first thought?!" Lucy shrieked. "You guys are so self-aware!"
"The Council, huh? Let's go see, Gramps," Noah said. He figured it had to be about the Eisenwald incident.
"Right."
The entire guild trooped out of the training grounds. Standing at the entrance, blocked by the guild's barrier, was a short, yellow, frog-like creature in a Council uniform. A vehicle bearing the Council's insignia was parked behind him.
He looked incredibly relieved when he saw Noah and Makarov erge from the crowd.
"Everyone, please stay where you are!" the frog-creature announced, his composure returning. "I am a ssenger from the Magic Council."
"They really sent soone!"
"What do they want?"
"Why is no one pointing out that he's a frog?" Lucy whispered.
"I've seen them many tis," Noah whispered back. "It's still weird."
"You see them often?"
"Noah is the Guild Master's Assistant," Mirajane explained from beside her. "He has to go to the Council with the Master a lot."
Ultear and Sorano both scowled, their dislike for the Council apparent. Noah gently patted them on the shoulder, and they relaxed.
The ssenger looked through the crowd and locked his eyes on Erza. "Erza Belserion. In connection with the Eisenwald terrorist incident, you are hereby placed under arrest on 11 counts, including property damage and conspiracy!"
"Huh?" Erza said, stunned.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!!!" Natsu roared.
"Calm down," Noah said, putting a hand on Natsu's shoulder to hold him back. He then looked at Erza. "It's okay. Go with him. I'll follow right behind you and sort this out."
"Right. I understand," Erza said, her composure returning. She knew this was likely just political theater. She calmly walked to the ssenger, who escorted her to the vehicle, and they drove off.
"Why did they take Erza?!"
"We cause trouble all the ti! Why are they making a big deal out of this one?!"
As the guild erupted, Natsu was still struggling against Noah's grip. "Let go, Noah! I don't care who they are, this is wrong! I'm going to bust her out!"
"Gramps, I'm heading to the Council," Noah said, ignoring Natsu. "I'll go talk to Yajima."
"Go," Makarov nodded.
"Take with you!" Natsu demanded.
"And have you destroy the Council headquarters?" Noah said, rolling his eyes. "Just stay here."
With that, he teleported.
Noah appeared in the Council's Fiore branch, a place he now knew well. He walked straight to Yajima's office and knocked.
"Yajima? It's Noah."
"The door's open. Co in."
Noah entered and saw Yajima sitting at his desk—or rather, a Thought Projection of him.
"Noah. I figured you'd be the one to co," Yajima said.
"Still at headquarters, I see," Noah said, noting the projection.
"Yes. Thanks to your team's quick work, the Lullaby incident didn't turn into a major disaster, so we didn't have to co back. But... that's the problem."
"What do you an? I don't rember us ever getting arrested for property damage before."
"Destroying Eisenwald was good work," Yajima explained. "But a Zeref magic was unsealed. If Eisenwald had succeeded... if they had killed the Guild Masters... the Council would have been held responsible. We look weak."
"So you're arresting Erza as a scapegoat," Noah stated flatly. "To put on a show and prove the Council is 'in control'."
"Exactly."
"Even though we were the ones who stopped it and protected the Guild Masters."
"I know, I know," Yajima sighed. "On that note... that new young Councilman, Siegrain, spoke up quite passionately on Fairy Tail's behalf during the eting."
"Siegrain?" Noah said, his expression thoughtful.
"The 'trial' is about to begin. You should probably head over," Yajima said.
"Right. Talk to you later, Yajima."
Noah left the office and headed for the trial chamber. He didn't get far before he saw a figure waiting for him in a secluded corridor—a man with blue hair and a distinctive tattoo over his right eye, dressed in his white Council robes.
Noah approached, and the man stepped out to et him. Noah put up a soundproof barrier.
"Siegrain. What is it?"
"The 'Tower of Heaven' plan is about to move into its final phase," Siegrain said, his voice low. "I've co to ask for the help you promised."
"I'll be there," Noah replied. "Just tell when."
"Thank you!" Siegrain bowed deeply.
"Just don't forget your true purpose, Jellal."
"I won't," he said, his eyes firm. "I'll see you at the trial."
Noah watched him walk away. That, too, had been a Thought Projection.
He'd been found by Jellal at the Council a while back. Jellal had confessed everything. He was the sa Jellal from the Tower of Heaven, the one who had saved Zancrow and Kain all those years ago. When Noah had hit him with his "Light Magic: Purification," it had unexpectedly shattered the mind control Hades had placed on him.
For years, Jellal had been pretending to still be Hades's pawn, continuing the Tower of Heaven plan as a double agent. Hades, believing Jellal was still under his control, had even helped him infiltrate the Magic Council. Jellal had used that support to rise, becoming both a Wizard Saint and a Councilman.
Noah, naturally, had been skeptical. But Jellal had provided proof: the location of the eighth Tower of Heaven, one Noah's team had missed. Noah had investigated personally and confird Jellal's story. The living conditions of the prisoners had improved dramatically... right around the ti Noah had "purified" him.
Noah had wanted to destroy the tower then and there, but Jellal had begged him to wait. He needed the tower's "completion" to stay in Grimoire Heart's good graces so he could gather more intel. He promised to get the prisoners to safety when the ti ca.
Noah had agreed, but on one condition: after Grimoire Heart was defeated, Jellal would turn himself in to the Council to atone for his cris. Jellal had agreed.
Noah had placed a secret tracking and communication seal on him, just in case. And now, Jellal was using his position as Siegrain to protect Fairy Tail from within.
~~~
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