Allen's Reflection

Makarov was usually an impatient man, but when he witnessed the severe injuries inflicted upon those young children, his rage instantly ignited to its peak. The old man, filled with love and a sense of justice, could no longer suppress his emotions and, without hesitation, directly activated the emergency teleportation magic circle with Crocas.

In the very next second, amidst a flash of light, Makarov arrived in Crocas. Without any delay, he headed straight for the Magic Development Bureau. Simultaneously, he quickly contacted Council member Yajima, who was at the Council, via a Communication Crystal.

It's worth noting that these two had been teammates fighting side-by-side since their youth, sharing a deep bond and understanding. Within the Council, Yajima had always been a staunch supporter and protector of the Fairy Tail Guild.

Unable to contain his inner fury, Makarov forcefully suppressed his emotions as he described the heartbreaking scene at the Magic Development Bureau to Yajima, each word laden with his hatred for Brian.

After hearing Makarov's account, Yajima was also enraged. He immediately responded, "Don't worry, old friend, I'll arrange for people to arrest Brian right away!" He then added that he would personally lead the team for this mission. Following that, Makarov instructed Yajima to dispatch personnel to handle follow-up matters as soon as the criminal was apprehended. After receiving Yajima's affirmative reply, Makarov hung up the communication and continued to quicken his pace towards the Magic Development Bureau.

After arranging everything, Makarov rushed to the Magic Development Bureau.

The two guards at the entrance, not recognizing Makarov, rushed forward to stop him. However, Makarov's chest was already filled with rage, like an erupting volcano. His Magic Power suddenly erupted, sending the two guards flying several meters away. Makarov didn't even pause, heading straight for the research lab at a brisk pace.

Just then, one of the guards lying on the ground, unnoticed by the others, quietly reached into his pocket and quickly sent a message.

Brian, far away, soon received the message from the guard. Learning that Makarov knew about his secret activities, he was both shocked and furious. He couldn't fathom how Makarov had found out, but it was clearly not the time to ponder the issue. Brian knew well that returning rashly now would be like walking into a trap, a dead end. Thus, he suppressed his panic and anger, striving to calm himself down. After careful consideration, he believed the most urgent task was to contact the Dark Magic Group immediately and jointly discuss the next course of action.

Meanwhile, Makarov had already arrived at the research lab.

Upon entering the darkroom, he saw Allen and Laxus urgently and systematically providing emergency treatment to the poor children. Some of the children had already woken up after receiving treatment, looking around the unfamiliar environment with their confused, large eyes. However, some children were still in a coma due to severe injuries, and their condition was not optimistic.

Ultear slowly regained consciousness. As her awareness gradually returned to her mind, a familiar and terrifying feeling surged through her. She instinctively believed she was about to be dragged away for more horrific experiments, and tears uncontrollably streamed down her face.

Allen, seeing this, felt a pang in his heart and quickly comforted her softly, "Don't be afraid, little sister. I'm not here to harm you; I'm here to save you. I promise I'll send you back to your loved ones safely." However, Ultear at this moment couldn't suppress her fear and sorrow, and her sobs continued unabated.

It wasn't until Allen uttered the word "loved ones" that Ultear seemed to grasp a lifeline. She suddenly looked up, her eyes teary, and asked him with a trembling voice, "Big brother, is that true? Can you send me back to my mom? I miss mom so much..." Before she could finish, a new wave of tears poured out like a broken dam.

Allen felt immense heartache and quickly reached out to gently pick up Ultear, saying tenderly, "Of course, little darling. We'll set off to find your mom soon, okay? Mom must be missing you terribly right now. Don't cry anymore, or your pretty face will get all tear-stained. Mom surely wants to see a beautiful you, doesn't she?"

Perhaps Allen's warm words had an effect, as Ultear's crying gradually subsided, though occasional sobs could still be heard. Just then, Allen turned to Makarov and asked, "Grandpa, you're here. Is everything arranged?"

Makarov nodded heavily. Although he had been somewhat prepared for what he might see, witnessing this heartbreaking scene firsthand, the old man, who had seen so much, still couldn't suppress the surging emotions within him.

"I've already notified your Grandpa Yajima. He'll be leading a team to search for Brian soon. As long as that guy hasn't fled Fiore, we'll definitely catch him! At the same time, a group of professional medical personnel will be arriving shortly to assist in treating these poor children. However, finding out the specific identities of these children might not be an easy task," Makarov said in a low voice.

Allen had already prepared a plan for this thorny issue. He looked at Makarov with firm eyes and said, "If we ultimately cannot find any definite information about these children's identities, perhaps you could consider taking them all into the Guild? Let these children, who have suffered misfortune since childhood, personally feel the warmth and care of Fairy Tail. I believe this will not only provide them with a warm home but also give the next generation of Fairy Tail members a stronger sense of belonging. What do you think?"

Hearing Allen's suggestion, Makarov couldn't help but sigh deeply. After a moment of contemplation, he slowly said, "As things stand, it seems that's the only way. Rather than handing these children over to the Council for handling, it's better for me to personally bring them back to the Guild and care for them diligently."

Then, Makarov slowly crouched down with a smile, speaking to the children in his gentle voice. Perhaps it was Makarov's innate affinity that made him so likable to children, or perhaps he had extensive experience interacting with them. In any case, the little ones who had been crying rivers of tears gradually quieted down one by one. Although occasional faint sobs could still be heard, the overall atmosphere had significantly eased.

Just then, a series of hurried and disorganized footsteps echoed from the corridor outside the research lab. Before long, Yahar entered the room with a well-trained medical team.

Once the professionals took over, Allen, Makarov, and Laxus, who had been on edge, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

There was a small interlude during this time: a nurse tried to take Ultear from Allen's arms. However, Ultear, like a startled little rabbit, struggled desperately and cried loudly, refusing to leave Allen's embrace. Seeing Ultear crying and shouting, Allen's heart ached. He held Ultear tighter and gave the nurse an apologetic look, signaling that he would continue to look after her.

"Alright, alright, little Ul, let's stop crying! Tell brother, is little Ul hungry? If you are, will Uncle take you to eat something delicious?" Allen coaxed in a soft voice, gently stroking Ultear's back, trying to calm her down.

Allen gently stroked Ultear's hair and softly comforted her, "Don't be afraid, little Ul. Everything will be alright." Then, he turned to Makarov and Laxus and said, "Grandpa, you and Laxus stay here and watch over them. After they finish their check-ups, we'll prepare to return to Magnolia. Once we're back, Grandma can give them a thorough examination. After that, let the children recuperate peacefully in the Guild. I'll take Ultear to get something to eat now."

Makarov nodded slightly, while Laxus, standing beside him, suddenly spoke up, "Big Brother, I'll go with you!" Hearing this, Allen was taken aback. He had been so focused on the children that he hadn't noticed Laxus's expression seemed a bit off. However, Allen quickly smiled and replied, "Okay, let's go together."

On their way out, Allen kept glancing at Laxus's expression.

Laxus's face was tense and solemn, as if a heavy burden weighed on his heart.

Finally, Allen couldn't help but reach out his right hand and gently pat Laxus's shoulder, asking with concern, "What's wrong? Are you feeling upset because of the unfortunate experiences of these children?" Laxus remained silent, but slowly raised his head, looking at Allen with dull, lifeless eyes, and then nodded slightly.

"That's why I want to eradicate the Dark Magic Group and all the Dark Guilds, including those who, under the guise of Light Guilds, do dark deeds. They are all my enemies. So, if you don't want to be powerless in the face of such things, you can only become stronger. As long as you become strong enough, enemies will fear doing certain things because of your existence. Of course, I must also apologize to you here. It's indeed too early for you to encounter these things. I truly forgot that you are only ten years old, just a little older than these children. It seems that maintaining my transformation magic for so long has caused me to have a distorted perception. I'm sorry, Laxus."