The End

The Labi's body melted in the lava, leaving no remains.

The Lava Behemoth stopped attacking Xien. Chiba looked down and saw that the latter had been seriously injured and unconscious from such a fierce attack.

He didn't intend to wipe them out completely because of the Shadow Skull's influence at the highest levels of the government. Although the core was in Chiba's hands, they might still have reserves. But similarly, without the core, they would inevitably decline. In fact, the era of the Shadow Skull had already ended, but the one who would destroy them wouldn't be Fairy Tail.

Perhaps... it's the Oración Seis, which is currently thriving.

The Lava Monster beneath Chiba's feet moved, its enormous arm grabbing the dying Water King. The scorching lava jolted it awake from its stupor.

"Do you want to live or die?" Chiba asked coldly.

The python's vertical pupils trembled slightly, and its ferocious maw opened and closed, saying, "Want to live?"

"Great, can it shrink?" Chiba asked.

"Yes..." The Lava Behemoth released it, and the Water King's body rapidly shrank under Chiba's cold gaze, eventually turning into an ordinary little snake.

"From now on, you'll be my subordinate, understand?" Chiba said calmly.

The Water King's eyes flickered slightly as he said, "Yes..."

"Don't try to outsmart me. I can use this level of power anytime, but I need to rest afterward. In other words, I can take your life at any moment. You only have this one chance to submit, understand?" Chiba warned it.

The little snake lay prostrate on the ground, trying to appear as humble as possible. "Understood, my master."

"Very good..."

The Lava Monster beneath their feet continued to shrink and condense, eventually coalescing into the shape of a crimson bead.

Chiba's figure landed on the devastated mountaintop, reaching out to grasp the crimson bead.

This is a bead he condensed from all the magma of this mountain; it was also the previous Lava Behemoth. It's a power he synthesized by absorbing some of the volcanic magma, combining it with all the remaining magma, and using the Chakra he sealed with two layers to transform it into magma. Although it's not of much use to him now, it's still good to take it back for Natsu to eat.

Hmm... Natsu should be able to eat anything with the lava attribute, right?

Although Fire Dragon Slayer Mage can only devour flames, Chiba remembers that in the original work, Natsu was the kind who would accept anything and wasn't picky about food.

"Take me down there," Chiba said.

"Yes, my master." The Water King's body gradually grew larger, becoming the size that Chiba had initially seen it at.

With a leap, he landed on the Water King's head and sat down cross-legged.

The Water King twisted its body and moved downstream.

Soon they met Mira and her group in the forest. Chiba jumped down from the Water King's head, quickly came to Feiyin's side, and handed her the core, saying, "Labi said only this can save Seele."

But the other three looked wary when they saw the Water King, their hands poised to unleash their magic.

"Don't be wary of me, I am now my master's most loyal servant," Water King.

Mira looked at Chiba, casting an inquiring glance at him.

"Don't worry about it," Chiba said.

Feiyin took the core and quickly placed it into Seele's gruesome wound. As soon as the core was inserted, her flesh began to writhe and then healed at a visible speed. In no time, it was completely healed.

The girl's face was still pale, but she was gradually recovering.

"It seems she's out of danger," Feiyin said, standing up.

She couldn't help but marvel; this so-called core was almost comparable to a complete Sage Body. Its regeneration speed was so fast that it could probably heal even if cut in half at the waist!

"We've finally found you." At that moment, an old man's voice came from not far away.

Everyone turned around and saw a short, old man standing in front of them with his hands behind his back.

"Who is this little old man?" Koi asked, somewhat bewildered.

"President?!" Just as he was about to continue speaking, Mira suddenly lunged at the old man.

"Hey... cough cough, don't be like that..." Makarov's face turned green as Mira hugged him tightly.

"President, what brings you here?!" Mira released him, her face beaming with surprise.

"Ahem..." Makarov coughed twice, his face stern, and said, "It's all because you took on this dangerous mission. If I hadn't suddenly discovered it, you might not have returned."

Mira stuck out her tongue and said, "So the president is actually quite worried about us!"

Makarov glared and said, "If this mission weren't so far beyond your capabilities, I wouldn't bother with it. You should walk your own path; mages should have their own pride."

"Chiba isn't a mage..." Mira muttered.

"Alright, alright, let's go back to the guild first."

"Where's Chiba?" Mira asked, wondering why Chiba hadn't come over, but when she turned around, she saw Chiba starting to sway.

The girl rushed to his side and helped him up. He lay down in her arms and fainted.

"Chiba... you... what's wrong with you?" Mira shook Chiba's body, flustered and her pretty face full of panic.

"Don't worry, this is a side effect of his power outburst. Hmm... Did his meridians get burned from overusing the lava power?" Feiyin placed her small hand on Chiba's body, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.

"With such severe burns, he still managed to endure it for so long, he's really pushing himself... This guy..."

"But don't worry, he'll only need to lie in bed for a few months at most," Feiyin comforted Mira.

"But the most urgent thing is to get him to the hospital. Now that the seal is closed, I can't treat him with Medical Ninjutsu," Feiyin said.

Mira picked up Chiba and prepared to leave.

"I'll take you back." A golden magic circle formed beneath Makarov's feet, and his body grew larger and larger until he became a giant the size of a mountain.

This is far more impressive than the Lava Monster summoned by Chiba and the Water King in its complete form.

Makarov lowered his palm, and the crowd jumped onto it. He slowly raised his palm, then took a step and ran wildly back the way he came.

One month later.

Koi and Lixi did not stay in Fairy Tail; instead, they returned to the Spirit Realm of Wind and gathered their guildmates to head to Shanwu Town to search for Ailong's body.

After this incident, Koi had matured considerably since Chiba first met him. After Chiba was discharged from the hospital, the two would occasionally meet up. Over time, they became quite close friends.

Lixi is still grieving the loss of Ailong, but thankfully she has no suicidal thoughts, and her spirits have gradually recovered in recent days. Sometimes she will attend when Chiba brings Mira and Koi together.

And Seele joined Fairy Tail!

The girl remained timid and shy. For some reason, Chiba, whom she used to fear the most, had become the person she relied on the most. Mira was furious, yelling that she was the one who had taken care of Seele the longest, but in the end, Chiba got the better deal.

Feiyin instilled Chakra seed into the girl using a special method and also taught her the method of Chakra condensation.