Court Convenes

After Lahar finished speaking, the entire guild fell silent.

"I'm here..." Chiba stepped forward.

Lahar glanced at him indifferently, nodded, and then beckoned to a magic soldier, who walked towards him in shackles.

"Don't worry, Mira. If they want to imprison me forever, I'll sneak away. If they want to kill me, I'll force my way out. The magic-binding artifacts here are useless against me." After reassuring Mira, Chiba obediently allowed him to handcuff her.

"I know you're more than just a mage; these shackles are just a formality," Lahar said softly as Chiba approached them.

Chiba glanced at him with some surprise; his words contained quite a lot of meaning.

"Well... excuse me..." Lahar bowed to them, then led his troops away.

After they left, Natsu yelled, "Damn it! Did they really let Chiba take him away?!"

Mira clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, and remained silent.

"Sister..." Elfman looked worried.

"This is troublesome..." Erza frowned. "The other side is the Magic Council. If we make a move, the entire guild might be finished."

Many people were pondering this, but even more were filled with righteous indignation, clamoring to go to the Magic Council headquarters to cause trouble.

"Old man," Laxus said in a deep voice, "The time for a decision has come..."

Makarov took a sip of his drink and slammed the glass down on the table.

"You guys, quiet down!" he shouted, and the entire guild immediately fell silent.

"Those who have nothing better to do, spread rumors that [the hero who annihilated the Dark Guild] has been arrested by the Magic Council, and dig up all the negative news about Bolunte and spread it widely!"

"Okay!!" With the guild leader's permission, everyone became highly motivated and left the guild.

The once-large guild suddenly became deserted, with only a few people remaining.

The old man took another sip of his drink, then said to Laxus, "Go tell that old bastard Hodrian about this. Knowing his protective nature, he'll definitely cause trouble at the Magic Council."

"Okay!" Laxus nodded and turned to leave.

"One of the few people who can make this guy care so much..." Makarov stared at Laxus's departing figure, his eyes momentarily dazed.

"Mira, Erza, Seele, Feiyin... the four of you can come with me..." With a soft sigh, Makarov jumped off the counter. In a flash of light, his thin, simple clothes transformed into a white robe bearing the insignia of the Ten Wizard Saints. Holding a long wooden staff in his hand, he exuded a sense of majesty.

Magic Council, Southern Fiore Branch.

This is the Magic Council branch that governs the Kingdom of Fiore. Unlike its usual quiet and orderly state, the Magic Council branch is somewhat "lively" today because of the arrival of one person.

This person almost single-handedly annihilated Shadow Skull, one of the Balam Alliance's factions—a feat nearly unprecedented since the Balam Alliance's inception. Prior to this, numerous mage guilds had either perished or submitted to the dark guilds, and the Justice League had suffered a series of defeats. But this person broke that pattern, and some predicted it was the dawn before the sunrise.

But today, the same person murdered Bolunte, the commander of the Magic Council's Magic Custody Force.

The name Bolunte may not be well-known in the Kingdom of Fiore, but it is known to many people and countries throughout the Ishgar Continent.

He led the Blood Demon Knights, across the entire continent, destroying countless dark guilds. They did not accept the surrender of any dark guild; once they encountered one, they would absolutely destroy and annihilate it without mercy.

In people's hearts, these two people were undoubtedly born for justice and to eradicate evil. But these two people were irreconcilable enemies, and it ended with Chiba killing Bolunte.

Many people are puzzled by this. How could two people who have never met before have such a deep-seated hatred for each other on their very first meeting?

Could it be that they knew each other a long time ago?

Opinions vary.

As for why the two developed such a deep grudge, there are actually quite a few private details.

It is said that during the Southern War, Bolunte pursued Tianna for two years, but she refused to agree to marry Bolunte, so Berent killed her using a special method. Chiba, on the other hand, had an ambiguous relationship with Tianna, which led to a feud between the two.

"Court is in session!"

A majestic voice echoed from within the grand hall.

Chiba stood below the platform, his hands shackled.

"Regarding the defendant, Chiba Uchiha, killing Bolunte, the commander of the Magic Division of the Magic Council, is there any objection?"

On the high platform sat ten old men of different appearances, looking down at Chiba with scrutinizing eyes.

The old man with the long white beard, standing directly opposite the gate and at the highest point, spoke calmly.

Immediately afterwards, staff members placed a magic crystal ball on the hall, and a series of images, like videos, were projected inside the hall. The scenes were magnificent, showing Chiba fighting Bolunte and, finally, Chiba torturing Bolunte.

"No objections," Chiba said calmly from below.

The entire hall fell silent again. The old man... who was also the speaker, spoke up, "Given the defendant's outstanding military achievements in the Southern War, the defendant has the right to interpret the law. Does the defendant choose to interpret the law?"

Is that really how it is...?

Chiba's lips curled into a slight smile.

The reason he said he had no objection was to determine whether Lahar's statement was merely for show.

The outcome was unexpected. He had thought he would be detained first, then the trial would be reopened, or he would be sentenced to a certain number of years in prison, and then the matter would be settled privately.

Are these old folks really in such a hurry? They've come up with such a ridiculous reason...

Explain... then let him explain... anyway, he had prepared quite a bit beforehand...

Chiba took a deep breath, then said in a deep voice, "Regarding Bolunte, I wonder if any of you councilors have a thorough understanding of him?"

The Speaker replied, "While Bolunte is ruthless, under his leadership, the Magic Council's record is perhaps the best in history. He led his [Blood Demon Knights] to destroy one dark guild after another, achieving remarkable results."

"Yes, that's true." Chiba nodded in agreement.

Then he added, "Does anyone know that he's colluding with the Dark Guild?"

"Absurd!" one of the councilors exclaimed.

"Be mindful of your position."

The speaker said something, then asked, "Where to begin?"