Tears Behind Bars
In X781, a few months after the dragon-slaying incident, another piece of news ignited the magic world.
The Dark Alliance – the Balam Alliance, led by the "Oración Seis," was suddenly destroyed overnight. The power of its dark guilds collapsed, with some being wiped out and others being absorbed by other major guilds.
The once-powerful Balam Alliance suffered a fatal blow. The iron triangle model was missing a piece, and it suddenly became shaky, losing its original enormous deterrent power.
According to reports, the operation to destroy the Oración Seis was actually led by two young rookies from the Magic Council.
On this day, the names Siegrain and Ultear first came into the public eye. People then realized that the Magic Council possessed such extraordinary geniuses.
I can't help but marvel at how powerful this force is, governing the entire continent; its foundation is truly terrifyingly deep!
As for Fairy Tail, mentioned in the corner of the report as assisting the Magic Council, not many people paid attention. It was said that this guild not only didn't help much, but also caused trouble, making a mess of Magnolia and destroying a large area of it.
In addition, Fairy Tail's reputation was not very good to begin with, and now that the public opinion was stirred up again, it attracted a lot of criticism, and its reputation plummeted to its lowest point.
However, while the general public was discussing the matter enthusiastically, Fairy Tail, at the center of the controversy, didn't seem to care about it at all. They continued to eat and drink as usual, and when they had time, they would even help the residents of Magnolia rebuild their homes. They were living a very leisurely life, as if these people didn't read the newspapers at all.
The true protagonists of this incident, the heroes who defeated "Zero," the guild master of the Oración Seis guild, were completely unaware of the matter, and they had another troublesome problem.
"Damn it! Let us out! Aaaaah! You over there in armor, you wait, once I get out I'm going to beat you to a pulp!"
"Natsu you say that, they definitely won't let us out anymore."
"Yeah, Happy, you're really smart! Hey, you in armor, let me out, I promise I won't beat you up!"
"Shut up, Natsu! You're so noisy!"
"Like"
These days, the once desolate and lifeless atmosphere of the Magic Council Prison has been broken, and it has become quite lively, all because a few lovable characters have been brought in.
A few days ago, Eleven was arrested on suspicion of being a wanted criminal named Elizabeth. During this time Eleven was so guilty that he did not dare to resist and obediently followed along.
However, Natsu and his friends naturally wouldn't just stand by and watch the Magic Council arrest Eleven, so they immediately decided to break him out of prison, resulting in a fierce battle with the Magic Council.
Then, several people came in.
In a small cell, Eleven, Mira, Erza, Erik, Natsu, Gray, Happy —six people and a cat—were crammed together haphazardly for several days.
The hands and feet of everyone were immobilized by the Magic Sealing Stone, leaving them powerless. Even Mira, who was usually the most irritable, was now weakly leaning against Eleven, unwilling to move.
However, Natsu and Erza seemed quite energetic, as if the lack of magic didn't affect their actions. Every day, Natsu even had the energy to ram into the iron fence, attempting to break through the wall.
The only person who can stop Natsu is Erza. Even with her magic sealed, the power of Erza's Iron Fist is not diminished at all. One punch can keep Natsu quiet for several hours.
"Ugh Erza, why did you hit me? If we don't escape quickly, they're going to execute Eleven!" Natsu said weakly, clutching the large bump on his head.
Erza Natsu and instead looked with some concern at Eleven, who was sitting there with his eyes closed, seemingly resting.
Eleven actually knew that Erza was also Elizabeth, and so did Mira. When they were talking to Brain's projection, Brain called Eleven Elizabeth.
At the time, Mira even admired Eleven a little; it was really impressive that he was Magic Council of Judges across the entire continent!
Erza soon realized that the Elizabeth she met as a child was actually Eleven. Although she was a little angry that Eleven had teased her, she reluctantly forgave Eleven because what Eleven said at the time made a lot of sense and was very touching.
However, neither Mira nor Erza mentioned this to anyone else, since being wanted was very dangerous, and they didn't want Eleven to be captured.
I don't know how the Magic Council found out Eleven's identity. If they really have some solid evidence, Eleven might be in real danger. Even if he isn't sentenced to death, he'll still face imprisonment.
Perhaps sensing Erza's gaze, the weakened Mira opened her eyes and looked up at Eleven.
Eleven remained calm, resting with his eyes closed. He had been so composed for days, even reassuring everyone not to be impatient, assuring them there would always be a way.
Hmm, as expected of Eleven, he's really composed in crucial moments!
Mira unconsciously snuggled closer to Eleven, trying to feel his breath and his heartbeat.
Mira knew that Eleven was only pretending to be calm so as not to worry them. She had been closest to Eleven these past few days, and only she could tell that Eleven was not as calm as he seemed.
This person is so kind; they've sacrificed so much for their friends.
Mira made a silent vow: if things truly reached a point of no return, she would protect Eleven, even at the cost of her life, even if it meant going against the Magic Council. They would escape to the ends of the earth, and then...
Oh! How embarrassing!
Just then, Eleven, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them, and a faint glow flashed in his light blue eyes.
"Phew, finally finished reading it. It really is inconvenient without magic." Eleven let out a long breath, as if he had accomplished something great.
"Oh, Eleven, you're awake?" Mira, who was imagining herself, heard Eleven's movement and immediately moved away like a startled fawn, her face turning bright red with embarrassment.
Eleven glanced at Mira curiously, wondering why she could still have romantic feelings even in prison. What was going on in her little head?
However, he didn't pay much attention to it and quickly shifted his focus, excitedly waking up the other people in the cell.
"Wake up, everyone! Listen to me, let's escape from here!"
Everyone was shocked. Even Natsu, who had just been smashed by Erza, immediately perked up and sat up in one swift motion.
No one had much objection to Eleven's suggestion. They had originally intended to help Eleven escape from prison, but Eleven himself had been in no hurry, so they hadn't taken any action.
Now that Eleven has proposed the idea of escaping from prison, everyone naturally responds immediately.
"The Magic Council's prison is heavily guarded; breaking out won't be easy," Erza offered her opinion first.
However, Eleven smiled knowingly, extremely smug. "Don't worry! I've secretly scanned the entire Magic Council these past few days, the map's in my head, we can sneak out without alerting anyone."
Erza:
Damn it, so all you've been doing these past few days of resting with your eyes closed is this? I was so impressed by your composure and calmness, but it turns out you were just plotting something wicked!
Mira:
Wow! Eleven is amazing! He's already figured out the layout of the Magic Council without anyone noticing. He's really hiding his true abilities!
Eleven gathered his thoughts briefly and continued, "Next, all we need to do is take care of the guard at the door and get the Magic Sealing Stone we have."
"Let me knock the guard out first!" Eleven's eyes gleamed with excitement.
Although escaping wasn't the best option, Eleven didn't want to passively accept trial, nor did he want to watch Fairy Tail fight against the Magic Council for him. It would be best to escape first if possible, and consider the rest later!
Pure Spiritual Power condensed into Telekinesis, which slowly extended outwards, reaching towards the location of the guard post in the distance.
However, just then, the prison gate in the distance creaked open, and a frog's head poked in, announcing in a shrill voice, "Suspect Eleven Brain, your trial is ready. Please come with me to receive your final verdict!"
Eleven:_