I Want to Stay in Fairy Tail!

Pudding reacted a moment too slowly. He no longer had time to cast a spell!

He could only barely dodge back and to the right!

Squelch!

A blade flashed like a crescent moon, brushing past Pudding's neck. It failed to cut him after all, instead slicing across his left hand—the one still clutching the brown leather book, which he had not had time to pull back.

Thud!

Severed at the wrist, his left hand still gripped the book as it fell to the ground.

Pudding's pupils contracted sharply, while Jose wore an expression of undisguised glee.

Then, an even more violent magical disturbance erupted!

Boom!

A terrifying explosion blasted the ceiling of Phantom Lord's top floor completely into the air!

On the street.

Hearing the sound, everyone hurriedly turned around. A mushroom cloud rose from Phantom Lord's top floor!

"Ifrit!" Makarov cried in alarm.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Something spun through the air as it flew out from Phantom Lord's top floor.

It was Pudding's left hand.

Plop!

The bloody hand landed by Makarov's feet.

Everyone could not help turning to look at Ifrit, standing beside Makarov.

Ifrit adjusted his glasses without saying anything.

On Phantom Lord's top floor.

The darkness dispersed.

Jose's expression was extremely grim. He had just been gloating, only for his office to be blown into the sky.

A spiked ball of earth also crumbled into falling sand, revealing Pudding inside.

Pudding silently bent down and picked up the brown leather book. He looked toward the distant street and met Ifrit's eyes.

There was no emotion in that gaze. He looked away, then began to cry again.

Still crying, he used his remaining hand to open the brown leather book.

He turned page after page. Every page bore a name, crossed out.

He stopped only when he reached a blank page.

Crying, he said, "Ifrit de la Valier, mage of Fairy Tail, has betrayed peace. Such an evildoer should not be allowed to live. I will purge this evil for the sake of peace!"

Jose said coldly, "Do you need my help?"

"No. You have no reason to act." Pudding cried, "Ah—the great Ansa has already bestowed upon me the supreme oracle. As Ansa's envoy, I shall pass judgment upon Ifrit in the name of peace!"

Ifrit's name appeared out of thin air on that blank page!

On the street.

As they walked, Makarov said, "Ifrit, you were too impulsive."

"Yes, Guild Master." Ifrit nodded without defending himself.

"This is serious trouble. Pudding is a petty man," Erza said.

"Ifrit," Makarov said sternly, "do not go too far from the guild lately."

"Mm." Ifrit nodded again.

Seeing this, Makarov sighed. He knew Ifrit had not taken it to heart.

"We should call Laxus and Mystogan back," Gray said.

"Those two..." Makarov sighed. "Try to get in touch with them."

Laxus was in his rebellious phase, Mystogan had always been a lone wolf, Gildarts had been missing for nearly three years, and Mirajane could not fight.

Thus, Erza was the only S-Class mage left, and she could not hold things up alone.

Originally.

If Phantom Lord had been their only opponent, they might still have been able to fight this battle.

But now Pudding had suddenly entered the fray.

Pudding was also a renowned powerhouse in the world of magic.

It was only because of his peculiar personality. Although he claimed to love peace, the Magic Council had found it difficult to determine whether he was a Light Mage or a Dark Mage.

Therefore, they had never invited him to become one of the Ten Wizard Saints. Still, he truly possessed strength comparable to theirs.

Makarov was deeply worried. Pudding was a petty man.

Ifrit had cut off his hand just to vent his anger, thoroughly offending him. Pudding would most likely retaliate.

But Ifrit did not regret his attack.

And Phantom Lord and Pudding would not be content to end things like this.

Neither would he!

Everyone returned to the guild.

This time, during the battle.

No one had died.

But there were quite a few injured.

Natsu had successfully rescued Lucy.

Only then did everyone learn from her the truth behind Phantom Lord's attack on Fairy Tail—

Lucy's father had hired Phantom Lord to bring Lucy back home.

That was what had caused this incident.

Lucy felt terribly guilty.

Surrounded by everyone, she kept apologizing nonstop.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hide it from everyone, but I never thought my father would do something like this!"

"He showed no concern at all for the daughter who ran away from home a year ago, but when he suddenly wanted me to return, he used these methods..."

"What Dad did is just awful!"

"But... in the end, this whole incident happened because of me. Levy, everyone, you all got hurt..."

"I'm sorry!"

"I guess I should just go back—"

"Enough." Natsu interrupted her. He placed a hand on Lucy's head. He had liked it when Lucy had done the same to him before.

Lucy looked up at Natsu through tearful eyes.

Natsu, who was usually so unserious, had a stern expression now. He looked a little handsome.

"Don't say any more, Lucy." Natsu said earnestly, "You're Lucy of Fairy Tail. As long as you acknowledge that, this is your home. No one can take you away!"

"Natsu..." Lucy was deeply moved.

"Lucy." Ifrit placed a glass of water before her and said, "Don't blame yourself too much. Phantom Lord is a major guild. They would not start a war with us on this scale over a little money. They had planned this long ago. Your situation was merely an excuse."

"The war is not over yet. Pull yourself together."

"If you're unwilling to accept this, then use your own strength to drive back Phantom Lord's mages."

"Show them—show your father—your strength, your resolve, and your growth!"

"Thank you, Ifrit." Lucy nodded.

"That's right, Lucy. As long as you want to stay here, we won't let anyone take you away!" Cana said.

"I've long been sick of those Phantom Lord bastards. Once the Guild Master recovers and Laxus and the others return, we'll defeat them properly and openly!" Gray said.

"That's right!"

"This time was seriously frustrating!"

"Sooner or later, we'll have it out with them!"

"Protect Lucy!"

"Protect our family!"

"Fairy Tail will never submit!"

Everyone shouted loudly as well.

"Everyone..." Lucy was so moved that she was nearly overcome by emotion.

Seeing this, Ifrit gave Natsu a push.

"Hey, Ifrit, you—"

Natsu had just been about to ask when he felt Lucy embrace him.

"Thank you, everyone. I want to stay in Fairy Tail!"

Lucy hugged Natsu and burst into tears against his chest.

"..." Natsu placed his hand on Lucy's head and said with a bright smile, "Then I'll protect Lucy!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Touching," Ifrit sighed, shaking his head from the side.

"Yeah. I wonder when we'll get to hear Ifrit say something that cool," Cana teased.

"Cana, I haven't even settled the score with you yet! You gave me sleeping pills, and too much of them at that! My head still hurts!" Ifrit flew into a rage.

"Ah, sorry, sorry. Besides, it was only beer," Cana said.

"Are you kidding me? Are you saying I got taken out by a single bottle of beer?!" Ifrit became even angrier.

"What kind of confidence do you have to say that in the form of a question?" Cana shot back.