Ifrit Was in a Terrible Mood

Ifrit slowly withdrew his gaze.

He released the hand pressing against his temple, got out of bed in silence, and said nothing.

He pulled out a card and flicked it with his finger, instantly changing clothes.

A hat, a suit, sneakers, and a knee-length mage's cloak.

He was dressed entirely in black from head to toe.

There were no flashy decorations, nor was it any special style.

Plain. Pure black.

As though he were attending a solemn, heavy funeral.

He reached for the glasses on the table.

Mirajane snatched them first. She lightly clenched both hands and held them to her chest, her eyes filled with concern. When she spoke, there was a trace of pleading in her voice.

"Ifrit, don't kill anyone. Promise me."

"..." Ifrit gave a gentle smile. "Don't worry. I'm not an impulsive person."

"Then you..." Mirajane reached out to grab Ifrit, but the scene before her instantly changed.

She was holding a beautiful, fragrant lily.

Ifrit had already vanished without a trace.

Damn it.

His head hurt so badly.

Ifrit sat in a speeding carriage.

His head had already been hurting, and the carriage was swaying violently.

It only made his headache worse.

It even affected his mood.

In short.

He was in a terrible mood.

Normally, Ifrit watched Natsu and Gray get beaten up, and he rarely stepped in to help.

That was because he knew that those fights and injuries were not serious for either of them.

Take Natsu, for example. Kageyama had beaten him badly before. He looked miserable, but for someone as tough as Natsu, it was barely different from getting scrubbed in a bath.

Not all mages excelled at direct combat, so there were ways to avoid fighting while still growing stronger.

But people like Natsu, who specialized in head-on combat, had to undergo grueling training and battle in order to become powerful.

The Fairy Tail in the anime might have been a fairy-tale world.

But the Fairy Tail Ifrit had come to was a cruel world!

When he was still very young, he had witnessed two mages fighting. The victor cut off the loser's head, refined it into a dark magic tool, then violated his wife and daughter.

It was a naked tragedy that had unfolded right before Ifrit's eyes!

At the time, he had only recently mastered Deception Magic. He did not yet possess powerful weapons like the cane-sword Hani or the pistol Till. All he could do was find an ordinary fruit knife and stab it into the man's back.

The stench. The thick, scalding blood.

Darker than pig's blood.

More miserable than a pig's squeals.

That face, with the same features as his own—a nose, eyes, and a mouth—had twisted into something horrifying!

Those eyes were filled with fury and despair!

Failure was not fainting.

Failure was death!

That was why Ifrit never stopped his companions from growing stronger.

Even if the path to strength was full of suffering and hardship, that was the price of becoming stronger.

But that did not mean he could stand by and let his companions be beaten half to death!

Not Levy!

Not Lucy!

Not Gray!

Even Natsu, the one he worried least about—if someone broke his arms and legs, or even killed him—

Ifrit adjusted his glasses with the ring finger of his left hand, but his hand did not lower for a long time. Half his face remained hidden behind his palm, and his eyes behind the lenses were calm and still, revealing not the slightest trace of emotion.

Phantom Lord's guild headquarters.

Rumble.

The Saint-ranked magic power of Fairy Tail's Guild Master, Makarov Dreyar, erupted, making the ground tremble!

Phantom Lord's Guild Master, Jose Porla, sat on his throne. As he watched the furious Makarov, he showed no concern whatsoever. He was even quite relaxed.

Swirling the wineglass in his hand, he said, "Makarov, the last time we met seemed to have been at the routine meeting six years ago. There was a rather unpleasant incident then, and I still remember your arrogant attitude very clearly."

"Six years have passed, and your magic power has weakened greatly. In the end, you are moving from old age toward death."

Six years ago.

At the Guild Masters' routine meeting.

After Jose and Makarov got drunk, they argued over which was the number one guild in the Fiore Kingdom. The two later fought, ending with Jose's defeat.

Jose had remembered that grudge for six years.

That was why he had constantly caused trouble for Fairy Tail over the years.

Makarov had endured again and again. He did not want to start a war lightly—war left people crippled and could even kill them!

Even when their guild building had been destroyed, he had not taken it to heart.

But!

"When they see their children bleeding, no parent can remain silent!"

Those were the words Makarov had roared in rage when he saw Levy and the others in such miserable condition!

Since Phantom Lord wanted it, then let there be war!

Jose had crossed the bottom line of a veteran Saint-ranked mage!

Makarov unleashed even more terrifying magic power.

"I didn't come here today to catch up with you, Jose!"

After saying that angrily, he threw a punch at Jose. Magic surged forth, forming an enlarged giant's hand with overwhelming force!

Dark Spiral!

Jose twisted his dark magic power into a huge, rapidly spinning spiral and smashed it fiercely into Makarov's fist.

Boom.

The entire Phantom Castle shook violently!

Neither side gained the upper hand.

"Hahaha, Makarov, I originally didn't want to come here!"

Jose said, "But..."

Bzzzt.

A phantom image appeared on the shattered floor.

A blonde girl was tied up and lying on the ground.

"Lucy!" Makarov was shocked.

Bzzzt.

Another phantom image appeared. It was a Phantom Lord member holding a knife, about to stab down!

"You bastard, stop!"

Makarov was horrified. In that instant, he let down his guard!

A green shadow silently appeared behind him!

"So, so tragic!"

The person who had suddenly appeared behind Makarov was a tall, burly man with his eyes covered in white cloth, weeping loudly—the leader of the Element Four, Aria!

"A great mage is about to fall!"

Aria cast his magic. He possessed powerful magic that could drain all of an enemy's magic power!

Not good!

Makarov was shocked, but it was already too late to dodge!

At that moment, Jose said with a smile, "Toying with you, winning in an easier way, and witnessing your fall with my own eyes—such a victory isn't bad either!"

The light of magic enveloped Makarov!

At that critical moment!

Bang.

A gunshot rang out.

The magic was interrupted.

Aria's expression changed drastically. Clutching his pierced palm, he immediately leaped away from behind Makarov, avoiding the risk of being punched to death by the Saint-ranked mage once he recovered his senses.

"Ifrit..." Makarov looked in surprise at the figure at the doorway.

Leaning against the doorframe, Ifrit looked unusually disheveled.

He held a gun in one hand and clutched his chest with the other, panting heavily.

Not being skilled in physical exertion, the moment he sensed the clash of two Guild Master-level magic powers, he rushed over at top speed.

He had finally managed to stop Makarov from being ambushed!

Inhale—exhale—

Ifrit adjusted his breathing.

He shook his head.

The intense exertion had sent his blood pressure soaring. His head had already hurt terribly, but now it hurt even more.

He adjusted his glasses and slowly walked to the Guild Master's side. Looking at Jose and Aria, he said calmly, "Two against two."

"Ah, what a pity." Jose's tone was full of regret. "We can't win the easy way now. Makarov, you truly have an outstanding successor."