The ground beneath the Fairy Tail guild members trembled as the Aelius Shift began to reshape the town. Buildings twisted and rearranged themselves, opening a wide, glowing path down the main street. The green light pulsing from the path bathed everything in an eerie glow as if the town was holding its breath in anticipation of his arrival.
Erza, Gray, Natsu, and Lucy stood near the remains of the guild hall, now a shattered ruin. The once-proud structure that had housed so many of their memories was little more than rubble barely standing. The others murmured quietly, but Erza's focus was solely on the distant figure making his way toward them, his silhouette barely visible through the haze.
"Erza," Gray said quietly, stepping closer to her. His voice was low, almost hesitant. "We need to talk before he gets here."
Erza glanced at him, her crimson hair catching the faint green light. "What is it?"
Gray's jaw tightened, and he looked away for a moment, his eyes shadowed with unspoken worry. Finally, he exhaled sharply, his breath misting from his magic. "You remember how Aelius got… emotional over those close to him?"
Erza's expression hardened, her gaze unwavering. She nodded. "Yeah, of course. He always took things hard when it came to us. What are you getting at, Gray?"
Gray hesitated, his arms crossing defensively. "Lisanna, Erza.
Erza's eyes widened briefly before narrowing again, the weight of the situation settling over her. "Lisanna…" she repeated quietly, her tone laced with sorrow and shock. "I hadn't even thought-" She cut herself off, shaking her head. "Master, and Levy… oh god."
Her eyes drifted toward the faint outline of Aelius in the distance, his imposing frame inching closer with every step. The flickering green glow of the runes reflected off his cloak, making him seem even more otherworldly.
Gray's voice cut through her thoughts. "He was gone when it happened. He has no idea what he's walking back into."
Erza's jaw tightened, her grip on her sword firm as her mind raced. "He was protective of Lisanna... and Levy."
"Yeah," Gray said quietly. "Maybe more than the rest of us. Especially Levy. She was so small back then, and Aelius always kept an eye on her, like he thought the world would crush her if he wasn't there."
"And Lisanna…" Erza trailed off, her voice heavy with regret. "she treated him like family. Called him brother and everything"
Gray nodded. "Losing her, on top of seeing what Phantom Lord did to Levy? That'll wreck him, Erza. He's already walking into chaos with the guildhall destroyed, and the master injured... And now this?"
Erza exhaled sharply, her gaze not leaving Aelius' shadowed form. "The timing couldn't be worse. His absence protected him from this grief, but it also left him unprepared for it. He'll blame himself for not being here. You know he will."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Gray admitted. "We need to tread carefully when we tell him. If he loses it…"
"He won't," Erza said firmly, cutting him off. "He won't, because we won't let him. He's part of this guild, and no matter how much he's changed, we face these things together."
Her words carried conviction, but Gray could hear the unease beneath them. They both knew Aelius wasn't the same person who had left. The towering figure approaching them now was cloaked in mystery, his tall frame and masked face exuding a cold detachment that hadn't been there before.
Still, Erza squared her shoulders, determination hardening her gaze. "He needs to know the truth, Gray. About everything. He's strong enough to handle it."
Gray sighed but gave a reluctant nod. "Let's hope you're right."
As the tremors of the Shift subsided and Aelius' form became more distinct, the weight of the impending confrontation pressed down on both of them. They braced themselves for what was to come, knowing that the past they had fought to endure was about to come crashing into Aelius' present.
Aelius' form became sharper as the lingering haze of the Shift dissipated. Towering at an imposing 6'7", he moved with a deliberate calm that contrasted with the tension crackling in the air. His entire body was enveloped in a heavy black cloak that swayed with each step, the fabric seeming to drink in the faint light around him.
What drew the eye most, however, was his mask. It was a haunting creation, split into two tones. The left side appeared weathered and fractured, green cracks running through its surface like the veins of a dying tree, emitting a faint, ominous glow. Strange runes were etched into the right side, sleek and metallic, their meaning long forgotten by most. The hollow eyes of the mask seemed endless, black voids that hid any trace of humanity, his eyes a dull green the only visible part of his body, The heavy boots he wore crunched against the broken stone, each step echoing in the oppressive silence. His presence felt suffocating, a tide of restrained power radiating outward. Children and adults alike stared at him through the distorted remnants of the Shift's energy, their faces pressed to the warped surfaces as if gazing at a force of nature they didn't fully understand.
Erza and Gray stood rooted in place, the enormity of the moment pressing down on them like the calm before a storm. They could feel the shift in the air, the unspoken tension between Aelius' looming presence and the secrets they held.
The silence stretched, heavy and oppressive, only broken by the harsh clack of Aelius's boots against the ground and the occasional murmur of the crowd. Each step seemed to echo louder than the last, a slow, deliberate cadence that sent ripples of tension through the gathered onlookers.
Whispers flitted through the air like nervous birds, their fragmented words barely audible yet charged with fear and curiosity. Children clung to their parents, peering wide-eyed from behind legs, while adults stood frozen, their gazes locked on the towering figure moving steadily closer.
The faint green glow from Aelius's mask illuminated the path ahead, casting eerie shadows that danced along the fractured edges of the Shift. His tall frame exuded an unyielding presence, each movement calculated and commanding.
The murmurs grew quieter as he neared, the crowd instinctively recoiling from the weight of his aura. Even without a single word, Aelius carried the kind of presence that demanded attention and left no room for defiance.
Erza and Gray exchanged a tense glance, their unease palpable. The sound of his approach carried with it a sense of finality, like the tolling of a bell, signaling that whatever was about to unfold could not be avoided.
The tension in the air grew thicker as Aelius continued to approach, his footsteps steady and unhurried, as though the weight of time itself was pressing down on everyone.
Erza, Gray, and Lucy stood in silence, eyes locked on the distant figure. Natsu fidgeted, unable to stand still as the anticipation mounted.
"Why does it feel like he's carrying an entire storm with him?" Natsu muttered, his voice edged with frustration.
Erza didn't respond immediately, her gaze fixed on Aelius as he closed the distance between them. There was something in her eyes, a mixture of old memories and a creeping fear. She had never thought she'd see him like this, cold and distant.
"He's not the same person, Natsu," she finally said, her voice tight. "And neither are we."
Gray folded his arms across his chest, his usual brashness replaced with quiet unease. "We don't even know who he is anymore. What's he even doing here after all this time?"
As the last few steps between them stretched out, Lucy could feel the knot in her stomach tightening. This wasn't the reunion she had imagined. She had heard the stories, but none of it prepared her for what was unfolding before her eyes.
Aelius finally reached them, his figure casting a long shadow across the ground as he stood still before them. His eyes flickered over Erza and Gray, but it was Lucy who caught his attention last. He didn't acknowledge her presence right away, as if she was just another face in a crowd.
"Scarlet. Fullbuster. Dragneel" His voice was calm, but it carried an underlying coldness that made the words feel final, detached. "It's been a while."
The sharpness of his tone, the lack of warmth. It struck Erza. Their past with him seemed to have been erased, replaced with a man they hardly recognized.
Erza's heart clenched, the weight of emotions threatening to show, but she steadied herself, forcing her expression into something calm, something welcoming. She took a small step forward, her voice measured but carrying an unmistakable edge of warmth that struggled to break through the tension.
"Aelius... welcome back?" she said, her tone more a question than a statement, as though she was searching for the man they had once known beneath his cold exterior.
Aelius's eyes flicked to her, studying her with an intensity that felt almost clinical. For a moment, he didn't respond, letting the silence stretch thin. When he finally spoke, his words were sharp, devoid of any emotion.
"Scarlet. I didn't come back for a reunion."
The subtle sting in his words made Erza's breath hitch, but she didn't let it show. She held her ground, her gaze unwavering. "Regardless of your reasons, you're here now. That means something."
Aelius's expression didn't shift, the weight of his indifference settling heavily over them. "Does it?" he said flatly as if the idea was inconsequential. "I don't think we're seeing this the same way."
Gray bristled beside her, the tension finally snapping. "What the hell's wrong with you, Aelius? You can't just walk in after all these years and act like none of this matters!"
Aelius turned his attention to Gray, his eyes narrowing slightly, though his tone remained controlled. "I'm not acting, Fullbuster. Things change. People change. That's life. Though I suppose that's not true for you three."
The jab was subtle, yet it cut through the air like a blade. Gray's jaw clenched, his fists tightening as he took a step forward, his frustration bubbling over. "What's that supposed to mean?" he snapped, his voice sharp with anger. "You think we've just been sitting around while you were off doing whatever it is you've been doing?"
Aelius's gaze didn't waver, his cold expression unwavering. "I think you're exactly where I left you," he said simply, his tone devoid of malice but carrying a sting nonetheless. "Still clinging to the same ideals, still expecting the world to stay the same. Nostalgia is a dangerous thing."
Erza's voice cut through the rising tension, her tone firm yet tinged with emotion. "We've endured just as much as you have, Aelius. Don't assume you know what we've been through."
Aelius's eyes flicked to her, the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at his lips. "I'm not assuming anything, Scarlet. I'm stating facts. You three haven't changed."
The words hit harder than any attack, and for a moment, the group stood frozen, unsure of how to respond. Natsu finally broke the silence, his fiery temper boiling over. "If we haven't changed, it's because we're still fighting for each other! Maybe you're the one who's forgotten what that means!"
Aelius turned his gaze to Natsu, his smirk fading into an icy glare. "And maybe that's why you'll never understand."
Erza's composure finally cracked, her voice sharp with both anger and sadness. "Then why are you here, Aelius? If we mean nothing to you, why bother coming back?"
Aelius paused, his gaze lingering on Erza for a moment before shifting away, as if dismissing her question entirely. When he finally spoke, his voice was as cold and detached as ever.
"To talk with the Master," he said, his words sharp and final, cutting through the tense silence like a blade.
Gray's fists tightened at his sides, his frustration bubbling over again. "That's it? After all this time, you're back just to see the Master? Nothing else?"
Aelius's eyes flicked to Gray, his expression unchanging. "Do you need another reason, Fullbuster? I'm not the same kid you used to pity all those years ago. You don't have to lie to me, or yourself, anymore."
Gray flinched, his fists clenching at the words. "Pity you?" he snapped, his voice rising. "You think that's what it was? That everything we did for you was out of pity?"
Aelius tilted his head slightly, his gaze sharp and unyielding. "What else would it have been? You, Scarlet, the others. You all looked at me like I was something to fix, something broken. And maybe I was. But not anymore."
Erza's voice cut through the tension, steady but strained. "That's not how we saw you, Aelius. You were one of us. You still are."
Aelius turned to her, his expression softening for just a moment under his mask. "Scarlet, you always did like to see the best in people. But let's not pretend the past was something it wasn't."
Natsu stepped forward, his voice heated with frustration. "What's your problem, Aelius? You act like we didn't care about you like we didn't fight for you! We're still here, aren't we?"
Aelius's eyes flicked to Natsu, a faint smirk playing unseen on his lips. "And that's exactly why nothing's changed. You're all still here, fighting the same fights, saying the same things, clinging to the same bonds. Meanwhile, I had to move forward."
Lucy, her heart pounding, spoke up, her voice trembling slightly but resolute. "Moving forward doesn't mean you have to leave everything behind. Fairy Tail is still your home. We're still your family."
Aelius regarded her for a moment, his gaze colder than the winter winds. "Home? Family? Those words stopped meaning anything the day I realized they were just chains holding me back."
Erza stepped forward, her voice sharp now, her composure cracking. "Then why are you here, Aelius? If none of this matters to you anymore, why bother coming back at all?"
Aelius's gaze shifted past them, toward the guild hall. "I already said to talk with the Master," he said simply, his tone final, as if it explained everything.
He turned away, his back to them as he began to walk toward the guild. The group stood frozen, his words echoing in their minds, leaving them to wrestle with the painful reality of how much Aelius had changed, and how little of the boy they once knew seemed to remain.
Before anyone could react, Mirajane stepped forward, her usual gentle smile replaced with quiet determination. She moved into Aelius's path, her hands clasped in front of her, her voice soft but steady.
"Aelius," she began, her tone pleading, "I don't know what's happened, but you don't have to face it alone. We're here—"
Aelius didn't even slow down. He brushed past her without a glance, the cold indifference in his demeanor cutting deeper than any words. Mirajane stumbled slightly, her expression faltering as his utter dismissal sank in.
Gray's temper flared instantly. "Hey! What the hell is your problem?"
Aelius stopped briefly, his head tilting slightly as if weighing whether Gray was worth acknowledging. Instead of addressing the question, his voice cut through the air like a blade.
"Where's the Master?"
Gray's fists tightened at his sides. "You're not even going to answer me? After everything—"
Aelius didn't turn around, his tone sharper now. "I didn't come back for a reunion, Fullbuster. Just tell me where he is."
Erza stepped forward, her voice steady despite the tension in her frame. "Why? What do you need with the Master, Aelius?"
He finally turned slightly, his eyes cold and unyielding as they met hers. "That's between him and me, Scarlet. It doesn't concern the rest of you."
Natsu bristled, stepping closer, flames flickering at his fists. "It concerns us when you treat Mira like that and act like you don't even know us! We're your family, damn it!"
Aelius's gaze flicked briefly to Natsu, his mask hiding any hint of emotion, but his voice was cold and cutting. "Family?" he repeated, his tone dripping with disdain. "I was kicked out of this family years ago."
The words struck like a thunderclap, silencing any immediate response. The tension in the air was palpable, and before Natsu could snap back, Mirajane stepped forward again, her expression soft but resolute.
"Aelius," she began, her voice gentle yet pleading, "we never kicked you out. You were always part of this guild, part of our family. Whatever happened, we—"
He didn't let her finish. "Don't," Aelius interrupted, his tone colder than ever as he brushed past her without a glance. "I'm not interested in your empty reassurances, Strauss."
Mirajane froze, her breath catching as his dismissal hit like a physical blow. Her hands trembled slightly, but she didn't move to stop him again.
Gray stepped forward, his anger boiling over. "What the hell is your problem?" he snapped. "She's just trying to talk to you, and you can't even give her that?"
Aelius stopped briefly, turning his masked face slightly toward Gray, his voice sharp and venomous. "She's not worth the effort to respond."
The group stiffened at his words, the callousness of his tone making Mirajane flinch visibly.
"Don't you dare talk to Mira like that!" Natsu shouted, flames roaring to life in his hands as he stormed forward. "You think you can just walk in here and treat us like trash? I don't care what you've been through, you don't get to act like this!"
Aelius turned to Natsu fully now, his voice as icy as ever. "You don't care, Dragneel? That's exactly the problem. None of you cared when it mattered."
"That's not true!" Erza's voice cut through, trembling with a mix of anger and hurt. "You left us, Aelius! Not the other way around. Whatever you think happened, you're wrong!"
He turned toward her, his expression hidden behind the mask, but his tone carried the weight of his icy demeanor. "Am I? Then where were you when I needed you, Scarlet? When the world fell apart around me?"
Erza's breath hitched, her fists tightening at her sides, but she didn't back down. "We've always been here, waiting for you to come back. If you needed us, all you had to do was—"
"All I had to do?" Aelius scoffed, the sound bitter and hollow. "I tried that and was dismissed like a common street rat." His voice turned colder, sharper. "Now, tell me where the Master is."
The words hit like a slap, leaving the group silent for a moment, each of them processing the weight of his declaration. Mirajane's breath caught in her throat, her hands trembling at her sides. She took a step forward, her voice soft but filled with a quiet intensity.
"Aelius…" she began, her voice strained. "That's not how it happened. I never treated you like that. We—"
Aelius cut her off, his mask not allowing any glimpse of the emotions hidden beneath, but his tone was venomous. "Don't bother, Strauss. I'm done hearing your excuses. I know what I saw, and I know what was said. You were there, and you left me when I needed help."
Mirajane flinched at his words, the weight of them heavier than any blow she had ever taken. She took a step back, her hands trembling slightly,
Aelius's voice was cold, but he allowed himself a brief pause, his gaze sweeping over the group once more. "Though credit where it's due," he said, his tone cutting, "you've changed since I left."
Before anyone could respond, Elfman's voice boomed from behind them, his figure stepping into the clearing with a fierce, protective stance. "Enough!" he shouted, his fists clenched and his eyes blazing with fury.
Aelius didn't flinch, but the silence that fell in the wake of Elfman's interruption was palpable.
"You're gonna talk to my sister like that?" Elfman continued, his voice dripping with barely contained anger. "That's not how a real man acts. You've always known better than that, Aelius. I don't care what's happened to you. You don't disrespect her, or any of us, like that."
Looking up at Elfman's taller figure, Aelius spoke, his tone surprisingly light, almost mocking, as if he were joking. "You really put the 'man' in Elfman, didn't you?"
The words hung in the air, and for a moment, it seemed like Aelius was almost amused. Elfman's anger flickered, but his expression remained stern, his fists still clenched. He was ready to snap, but something in Aelius's tone caught him off guard as if the mask he wore was not just hiding his emotions but also the subtle mockery beneath it.
"Cut the crap, Aelius," Elfman growled, stepping closer. "You think making jokes about this is gonna fix anything? You disrespected my sister, and I won't stand for it." His voice was low and dangerous, but the weight of Aelius's words still simmered under his skin.
Aelius's gaze remained unreadable, but his voice was sharp and taunting. "Oh, I'm sure you'll stand for it, Strauss. You always have, haven't you?" he sidestepped Elfman and took a step past. "It's all you used to do, flinch whenever someone called your name, cry when you got hurt?
Elfman's fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, but he stayed rooted in place, his body taut with the urge to lash out. Aelius's words were a cruel mockery of the boy he used to be, the boy who had struggled with his insecurities, the boy who had to learn what it meant to be strong.
"You think you know me?" Elfman's voice was strained, barely holding back the surge of anger. "You think you've figured me out? You have no idea what I've been through since you left. Don't you dare talk about me like you know anything about who I am now?"
Aelius didn't even glance back as he continued his slow walk toward the guild hall, his tone dismissive. "You were weak then, and you're weak now. The difference is, you've got this illusion that you're some kind of protector now. But you're just another puppet trying to play hero, Strauss. Nothing more."
The sting of his words hit harder than any physical blow. Elfman wanted to shout, to take a swing, to show Aelius how far he had come, but there was something about the coldness in Aelius's voice, the way he spoke with such certainty, that made him hesitate.
Mirajane stepped forward, her eyes pleading. "Aelius, stop. You're not the same person you were. We know that… but this isn't the way to fix things."
But Aelius didn't respond to her, the cold mask he wore unchanging. "Fix things?" he scoffed, the bitterness in his tone palpable. "What makes you think anything needs to be fixed, Strauss? You wanted this right?"
Aelius turned his head slightly, a cold gleam in his eyes as he surveyed the group. "Where's the Master?" His voice was flat, but there was an undercurrent of something more, perhaps an edge of concern beneath the usual mask of indifference. "He wouldn't wait this long to greet me? Is he in a meeting or something?"
Mirajane's breath hitched, and she exchanged a glance with Erza, Elfman, and Gray. The tension was palpable, but it was Erza who spoke first. "The Master... He's in a coma. He was attacked yesterday, during the Phantom Lord raid. He hasn't woken up since."
Aelius's eyes flicked to Erza, his expression unreadable, but the briefest flicker of something passed through his gaze. He didn't immediately respond, instead looking away as if processing the information. He seemed to absorb it with little visible reaction, but there was a tightness around his jaw that betrayed his true feelings, even if he kept them hidden behind his mask.
Aelius's cold gaze swept over the gathered members of Fairy Tail as he broke the silence. His voice was calm, almost casual, yet it carried a sharp edge. "Where's Levy and Lisanna? I figured they'd be here with the rest of you."
The question hit the group like a blow, and the tension among them deepened. Lucy's breath caught in her throat, and she glanced at Natsu, whose flames flickered and dimmed as his expression turned somber. Happy's wings stopped flapping for a moment, and he landed quietly on Lucy's shoulder, his usually cheerful face now clouded with sadness.
Mirajane swallowed hard before speaking again. "Lisanna... she passed away two years ago, Aelius." Her voice was quiet, filled with the weight of the painful reminder. "She was one of us... and we still carry that loss."
Aelius's posture stiffened, his hand twitching just slightly at the mention of Lisanna's name, but his mask hid any real emotion. For a moment, the silence stretched between them, and then he spoke again, his voice colder than ever. "And Levy?" His question was sharp, like a crack of ice. "Is she here?"
Gray's expression hardened. "Levy's in the hospital... in serious condition." He didn't elaborate on the details, but the sorrow in his eyes was enough to tell Aelius how dire the situation was.
Aelius's gaze flicked toward Gray, but he remained still, his face unreadable behind the mask. There was a faint shift in his demeanor, just enough to suggest that the news had hit him harder than he cared to admit. Still, he didn't show any real sign of distress. Instead, he simply nodded once, as if acknowledging the information but unwilling to let it affect him.
Mirajane spoke softly, her voice trembling. "Levy was attacked yesterday too... She's been in a coma as well. We're all hoping she wakes up soon."
Aelius's eyes narrowed, and his expression darkened slightly, though he remained silent. His gaze moved from one face to the next, lingering on Mirajane for a brief moment before moving away.
Elfman, unable to hold back any longer, took a step forward, his voice thick with emotion. "Why the hell do you care, Aelius? You don't get to walk in here, talk about Levy and Lisanna like they're just names on a list, and then expect us to just sit here and take it!"
Aelius turned to Elfman, his gaze icy. "I didn't ask for your opinion, Strauss," he replied, his tone sharp and dismissive. "I didn't come back here for you, or anyone else."
Erza stepped forward, her voice commanding but laced with quiet pain. "You may not care about us, but this guild still matters. We've lost so much already, Lisanna, the Master... And now Levy's life is hanging in the balance. So, whether you like it or not, we're in this together."
Aelius's expression remained unchanged, his mask giving nothing away. But his eyes flickered with something faintly resembling... regret? It was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by the usual bitterness that seemed to have taken root in him.
"Regret? Is that what you think I feel?" Aelius's voice was laced with derision. "You really don't get it, do you, Scarlet?" His gaze flicked to her before moving to the others. "Your guild is dead. It's broken. Your Master's out cold, your members are getting picked off one by one, and you're all still here pretending that everything's fine. It's pathetic."
Mirajane's breath caught in her throat, and she stepped back slightly. "Aelius, stop..." Her voice was small, the pain of his words almost too much to bear.
But Aelius ignored her, his gaze fixed firmly ahead. "I'm not here for your broken ideals or your false hopes. I came to find the Master. Nothing more."
Gray clenched his fists, taking a step forward, but Erza stopped him, her eyes hard with determination. "We won't give up on him. not Levy, and not you."
Aelius turned sharply, his voice a quiet sneer as he stared past them. "You can't save anyone. Least of all me."
Without another word, Aelius walked past them and into the guild hall, leaving the group standing in the quiet aftermath of his departure.
Mirajane's voice was barely above a whisper, but the sadness in it was palpable. "He's gone, isn't he?"
Erza nodded slowly, her gaze lingering on the door through which Aelius had disappeared. "I don't know... But we're not giving up. We can't. Not on the Master, and not on him, no matter how far he's fallen."
Gray's eyes were hard, his fists still clenched, but he stood tall, even if the uncertainty gnawed at him. "We'll bring him back... we have to."
The ground continued to shake as the massive form of the Phantom Lord guild hall approached, its enormous mechanical legs screeching and groaning with each step. The guild members, already bracing for impact, watched in grim silence as the walking fortress drew nearer.
Gray's jaw tightened as he took in the sight. "This isn't just some random attack," he muttered, his tone filled with cold realization. "They're trying to wipe us out while the Master is down."
Erza's gaze was sharp and unyielding as she responded, "They think because Makarov is in a coma, we're weak. They've been planning this. They've waited for the right moment, and now they're going to strike."
Mirajane's voice trembled with fear, but she quickly steeled herself. "They underestimate us. They think we're vulnerable, but we're not. Fairy Tail always stands together."
Natsu stepped forward, flames igniting around his fists. "Phantom Lord's not gonna get away with this. They're attacking us, and I'm not gonna let them just walk in like they own the place!"
Lucy, standing beside Natsu with her fists clenched, spoke up, her voice steady despite the tension in the air. "They think they can destroy our guild, but they'll have to get through us first. We're not backing down."
Happy floated beside them, his usual cheerfulness replaced by determination. "That's right! We're Fairy Tail! We don't go down without a fight!"
Aelius stood off to the side, completely detached from the others. He took another swig from his bottle, his mask hiding his expression as he spoke in a voice that was almost too casual for the gravity of the situation. "They're really confident, aren't they? They think they can take you all down because your Master's in a coma."
Erza turned to him, her voice cold as ice. "Phantom Lord has been a threat to this guild before. And they're not going to stop just because Makarov is out of commission. You should know this is serious."
Aelius shrugged, his tone light and almost dismissive. "Oh, I know it's serious. But I don't really care about your guild or your Master. What I care about is what happens next. This is going to be fun. I'm in for the fight." He gave a slight chuckle as if the impending battle was just another distraction for him.
Gray clenched his fists, his anger rising. "This is not a joke, Aelius. People's lives are at stake here."
Aelius didn't seem to care. "If they die, it'll make things more interesting," he replied coolly. "I'm here because I want to see how this ends. You think you're ready for this kind of fight? Let's find out."
Natsu snarled, stepping up to Aelius with fire crackling around his body. "If you're gonna fight, fight with us! Don't just stand there and treat this like a game!"
Aelius gave Natsu a sideways glance, his voice barely containing a mocking edge. "You really think you can keep up with me, Natsu? I'm not here to babysit you."
Erza's eyes flared, her sword ready in her grip. "Enough. We're all in this together. It doesn't matter what Aelius's reasons are. What matters is that Phantom Lord is here, and we're going to stop them."
Gray stepped forward, his fists crackling with energy as he addressed Aelius. "This is no game. People's lives are on the line. You might not care, but we're not gonna let them get away with this."
Aelius gave him a cold glance, his tone indifferent. "I don't owe anyone anything. But this will be fun." He took another drink from the bottle.
Lucy's voice was quiet but firm. "If you're going to fight with us, Aelius, do it because you want to. Not because it's 'fun.' People are counting on us."
Aelius didn't answer. Instead, he simply turned toward the giant walking fortress that was steadily approaching. "Let's see how far you can get," he muttered, as though the words were directed more at the approaching fortress than anyone else.
The guild members didn't need any more words. They knew what had to be done.
"We protect this guild, no matter what," Erza said, her voice resolute. "And no one, not even Phantom Lord, will take it from us."
Natsu, his fire burning brighter, nodded eagerly. "Let's do this! I'm gonna punch through that thing!"
Gray cracked his knuckles, his gaze hardening. "We've been through worse. We'll make it through this too."
As the massive Phantom Lord guild hall neared, casting a long shadow over them, everyone steeled themselves for the battle to come. Aelius, still holding his cold indifference, walked along with them, his every step unbothered as he muttered to himself, "This is gonna be interesting."
With that, the battle for Fairy Tail's survival began. Phantom Lord had come for them, but this time, they would be the ones who made sure they didn't get away. Together, as one guild, they would fight to the very end.