บท 79: Chapter 79: Dark Guilds: This Woman Clearly Has No Power! Irene: Are You Talking About Me?!
"Could it be that Hyberion or Wolfheim have kept a dog in the meeting room?! I mean, it's not exactly proper for me to say this, but this dog is truly ugly. Not only is it ugly, but its bark is terrible too..."
Ian spoke, his gaze drifting toward Hyberion and Wolfheim.
"Looks like I got it wrong."
"Then it must be Chairman Crawford of the Magic Council who's keeping a dog?"
After seeing neither Hyberion nor Wolfheim react to his words, Ian knew that this matter had nothing to do with either of them.
They seemed to be adopting a neutral stance.
"Brat, do you even know what you're saying?!"
"Do you know who you're talking to?!"
"Has that old guy Makarov not told you who I am?!"
Hearing Ian's words, Jose's old face twisted in anger. Dark, chilling magic began to emanate from him, turning the "Ten Saints" conference room into something far more sinister.
"Boy! Listen up..."
"If Makarov hasn't taught you how to respect a senior you shouldn't provoke, then I don't mind taking it upon myself to educate you..."
Jose's fingers began to glow with a dark magical light. As he spoke, he was preparing to use magic to teach Ian a painful lesson.
People sometimes need a harsh lesson to understand...
Smack!
Before Jose could activate his magic...
Ian had already moved like lightning. In a flash, he was in front of Jose, swinging his arm down hard on Jose's old face, landing a solid slap.
Thud...
Ian's slap had all the power behind it, sending stars into Jose's vision. He coughed up blood, spitting out two of his molars in the process.
"My teeth!"
Jose looked at his fallen teeth, his expression twisted and terrifying.
He was Jose, an exceptionally talented wizard who had become one of the Ten Wizard Saints in his thirties! Why did he have to endure such humiliation?
Did this kid understand how severe the psychological blow was to a young Ten Wizard Saint to be slapped like this?!
"A dog like you needs to be taught a lesson."
"All you know is to bark at people like an untrained mutt! You clearly need discipline!"
"If your owner doesn't train you, I wouldn't mind stepping in and giving you a lesson myself."
Ian ruthlessly threw Jose's words right back at him.
"You..."
Jose felt his heart twist in pain, almost coughing up more blood from his frustration.
"Insolent brat! You clearly don't respect me! How dare some unknown wizard lay a hand on a Wizard Saint! Do you have no regard for the rules?!"
Jose was genuinely enraged this time. His magic power surged, cloaking him in darkness as he vowed to give Ian what he deserved.
"Fool."
Ian looked at Jose, who stood before him releasing an astonishing magical aura, and a glint of disdain flashed through his eyes. Sure, he couldn't beat the invincible "Black Dragon King" Acnologia, nor the immortal black mage Zeref, nor the Wizard King August, nor the many dragons that lurked on the northern continent of Guiltina... but Jose Porla?!
Was Jose Porla even worth mentioning?!
Boom!
Ian merely waved a hand towards Jose, and an overwhelming gravitational force crushed down, utterly dissipating the magic around Jose. The terrifying power made Jose's throat feel tight, and he fell to one knee.
"So strong! Overwhelmingly strong..."
"Impossible! How can someone of this world be this powerful?"
Jose's face was filled with horror. He had never imagined that such a terrifying mage could exist in this world! He was Jose Porla, after all, standing at the apex of conventional mages, one of the Ten Wizard Saints. Yet he was defeated by a nobody.
Not even if Makarov himself fought would it be this easy to beat him, right?!
It was as if he and Ian weren't even on the same level.
"Frog in a well."
Ian seemed to have no further interest in dealing with Jose Porla. He waved a hand, and the overwhelming gravitational force slammed Jose into a nearby wall.
Ian then sat boldly in one of the chairs reserved only for the "Ten Saints," looking towards Hyberion and Wolfheim not far away, asking, "Do I now have the right to sit here?!"
"Of course."
Hyberion nodded gently.
With his sensitivity to magic power, Hyberion immediately judged that Ian was on the same level as him—a monstrous being who had stepped into the "inhuman" realm.
"Hmph."
Wolfheim let out a cold snort, saying nothing more.
Yes, like Hyberion, Wolfheim had sensed Ian's "true power." After confirming that Ian was at their level, they silently acknowledged that he had the right to sit among them.
In any world, the fundamental logic never changes...
Only those with power can earn respect, and only the truly strong can enjoy special privileges.
"Warrod, Makarov..."
"Your guild really has some outstanding talent! You've produced quite a few exceptional members!"
Wolfheim cast a glance at Warrod, Makarov, and the others who had just entered the room, ready to take their seats. His tone was cold and mocking.
It wasn't that Wolfheim had anything against Fairy Tail. He simply didn't like Ian's overly aggressive demeanor.
Plus, Wolfheim had a prickly personality—he treated everyone the same.
"Haha, indeed."
"To be honest, Ian is the most exceptional among the many young talents in Fairy Tail!"
"You should know, Wolfheim! Young people, naturally, have a bit of a temper. But it's normal. They say if someone isn't a bit wild when they're young, they're not really young at all. Please be tolerant. Don't take it to heart..."
Warrod spoke while motioning for Makarov, Ur, and Gildarts to sit down.
"Isn't that Jose Porla over there?"
"Why are you sitting on the floor like a stray dog?"
"Do you think you're unworthy of sitting with us?"
"Get up, come on! You know I'm always generous, I wouldn't mind you being here..."
Once everyone was seated, Makarov glanced around the meeting room, seemingly looking for something. When his gaze landed on Jose, who was still being pinned to the ground by Ian's gravity magic, he suddenly understood and addressed Jose in a deliberately dramatic tone.
"Makarov, you're doing this on purpose!"
Jose lay on the ground, clenching his teeth, his eyes filled with intense hatred. He wanted nothing more than to get up and flay Makarov alive!
"Oh dear..."
"Ian, you really are something."
"How could you keep pressing Jose down with your gravity magic?"
"Hurry up and let him go, let him take his seat."
Makarov looked at Jose, who had yet to get up, and chuckled gently, turning to Ian with an unusually warm tone, reproaching him for keeping Jose pinned.
"Jose?!"
"Are you talking about the renowned Saint Wizard Jose Porla?"
"Strange, I don't see him."
"As for the one I'm suppressing with gravity magic, he's not Jose Porla—just a stray dog with rabies..."
"I dare not let him go, for fear he'll bite others here."
Ian looked at Makarov, his eyes flashing with some mischief.
"Oh, Ian..."
"How could you mistake a person for a dog?"
"Even if Jose is ugly like a mangy mutt, you shouldn't say that, right?"
"Listen to me, let him go."
Makarov continued his playful exchange with Ian.
"Alright, since you asked, I'll release him..."
Ian sighed, appearing as if he was compromising for Makarov, and withdrew the powerful gravitational force he had exerted on Jose.
Gasp... Gasp... Gasp...
Once Ian retracted his gravity magic...
Jose felt a weight lift off him, panting heavily as if he'd just narrowly escaped death. Hatred blazed in his eyes as he thought, "Laugh at me all you want now! Your time will come! Makarov, Fairy Tail, I won't let this slide."
"This guy..."
Ur had been observing Jose all this time, and seeing the malice flare up in his eyes, a cold energy started surging within her.
"Calm down."
In response, Makarov signaled subtly to Ur, indicating that now was not the time to make a move. If they attacked Jose now, they would lose their justification. Even though Fairy Tail was a bit unruly...
For now, they were still a legitimate light guild and couldn't do things only a dark guild would dare.
Unless they had no other choice.
Or, unless Jose made the first move.
"Ahem..."
"Now that everyone is here, let's officially start the meeting of the Ten Wizard Saints!"
Warrod cleared his throat, noticing that they had sufficiently made their point to the Magic Council. He then began to preside over this year's Ten Wizard Saints meeting.
"Fairy Tail, huh?"
"Truly unfathomable strength..."
Meanwhile, at the head of the table, Hyberion gently shook a cup of milk in his hand.
"Warrod's strength goes without saying—we know it well! He's undoubtedly at the same level as us. That Ian, who defeated Jose, is definitely no weaker than Warrod."
"And earlier, when Ur entered, she also exuded the aura of someone in the 'inhuman' realm. It seems she has already reached the threshold of that realm, possibly stepping into our level."
"Then there's Makarov! I thought he would spend his life on the threshold, never stepping into that realm. But it seems I was wrong. His aura is stronger now."
"Most importantly, there's the orange-haired, slicked-back middle-aged man sitting near me! He must be the one they call the strongest wizard on the western continent of Ishgar, Gildarts."
"They say he possesses power on par with the 'Ten Saints'! But from what I see, not only are the rumors true, they might have underestimated him. It's been years since I've encountered someone who makes me feel such a palpable threat just by sitting there..."
Hyberion chuckled bitterly as he mentally assessed Ian, Warrod, Makarov, Ur, and Gildarts.
"One guild with five who have stepped into the 'inhuman' realm—if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I'd never have believed it, even in a dream!"
"No wonder the Magic Council wants to disband or weaken this guild. Its strength is too great, disrupting the balance of the entire continent..."
Hyberion's expression was filled with helplessness.
Yes, the Magic Council might want to weaken Fairy Tail, but wasn't it a bit too late for that?!
Fairy Tail had grown beyond the point of being easily weakened...
"Maybe Wolfheim and I should accept the Council's invitation and formally join them. That way, they would have the power to keep the magical world in balance..."
"Alas, there's a long road ahead!"
With these thoughts, Hyberion sighed deeply.
Meanwhile, in his office, Council Chairman Crawford Seam was sipping tea and enjoying some fine snacks, completely at ease.
Little did he know that by agreeing to convene the "Ten Saints" meeting, in hopes of using them to weaken Fairy Tail, he had sealed his fate.
After the meeting, instead of weakening Fairy Tail, something unexpected would happen—Hyberion and Wolfheim, who had always refused to join the Council, would accept their previous invitation, officially joining as members. And he, the former chairman, would be out of a job.
Elsewhere.
With Guild Master Makarov, Warrod, Ur, Ian, and Gildarts—the indisputable core of Fairy Tail—gone from Magnolia Town, rumors spread, saying that the guild was now vulnerable, its main fighters absent. It was the best time to crush Fairy Tail.
Before long, a coalition of dark guilds, including Serpent's Fang, Quartet of Darkness, Shadow Commanders, and Curse of the Undead, among others, gathered with a single goal—to destroy Fairy Tail.
"Ahead is Fairy Tail, right?"
On a nearby hill, a group of sinister-looking dark mages peered through binoculars, keeping an eye on the Fairy Tail guild.
"The rumor says Fairy Tail's main forces are out of the guild right now—is that really true?"
These dark mages were cautious, not rushing in immediately.
It seemed they were waiting for confirmation from scouts sent into the town.
"Boss, we've confirmed it! Fairy Tail's core members are indeed out of the guild—now's the best time to strike!"
Soon, a few scouts returned from different directions, reporting to the leaders of the gathered dark guilds.
"Hahaha! The heavens are helping us!"
"Alright, let's go! Tear those light mage scum to shreds! If we can destroy Ishgar's number one light guild, we'll make a name for ourselves and become true players in the dark world!"
Upon hearing the scouts' reports, the leaders of the dark guilds showed savage grins, raising their weapons and pointing toward Fairy Tail in Magnolia.
"Yeah!!"
"Attack!"
Suddenly, hundreds of dark mages surged down towards Magnolia, their eyes filled with a bloodthirsty glint, the air around them tainted with the scent of impending violence.
"It's the dark guild's mages..."
"This isn't good! Run! Be careful of these maniacs..."
The people of Magnolia fled in terror at the sight of these sinister mages, hiding in nearby buildings.
"Haha! Hide all you want!"
"Once we deal with Fairy Tail, we'll come for you..."
The dark mages seemed to take pleasure in the townspeople's fear, striding boldly toward the Fairy Tail guild.
Bang!
"Fairy Tail mages, prepare to die!"
Soon, the dark mages kicked open the doors of Fairy Tail—only to be greeted by the sight of numerous members passed out drunk on the floor.
"Huh?"
The dark mages froze in place.
What? Drinking in broad daylight? So undisciplined!
Is this even a light guild?!
Honestly, with the whole guild drunk, what's going on here?
Does this guild even need us to destroy it? At this rate, they'll probably drink themselves to death before we even need to act!
"Ara~"
"May I ask what business you have here?"
As the dark mages stood there in confusion, a teasing voice rang out. Before them appeared a stunning beauty with crimson hair.
"Heh! This woman clearly has no power."
The dark mages grinned wickedly at each other.
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