The applause was neither urgent nor slow, but it carried a strange magic power, a power that could soothe people's hearts and ease the tense atmosphere in the hall.
Amid everyone's confused gazes, a vague figure slowly walked out of the darkness on the second floor.
It was a middle-aged man wearing luxurious clothes, with a mustache and a smile. His figure was somewhat illusory, not an entity, but Thought Projection made of magic power.
He is the president of the Phantom Lord Guild, one of Ten Wizard Saints, Jose·Bora.
"What a wonderful performance." Thought Projection of Jose smiled and looked down at Lu Chongwei, as if appreciating a perfect work of art.
"You are indeed a young man who can make even that old guy Makarov praise you. Your strength has far exceeded my expectations."
He paused, then spoke slowly in a seductive tone, "Are you interested in joining us Phantom Lord Guild? We are the strongest guild in Kingdom of Fiore. Only here can your power be brought into full play."
Hearing this, Lu Chongwei laughed.
It was a contemptuous sneer.
"The strongest guild? Just you trash, who only dare to carry out sneak attacks from behind and don't even have the courage to fight head-on?"
Lu Chongwei's eyes swept over the illusory body of Jose, and mocked. "Or, your strongest point is the cowardly behavior of the president who only dares to use a Thought Projection to come out to see people, and does not even dare to show his true body?"
Faced with Lu Chongwei's merciless ridicule, the smile on Jose's face did not change at all.
He was not angry at all, but looked at Lu Chongwei with interest and said slowly, "Young man, don't be so impatient. Sometimes, strength cannot solve all problems."
After saying that, his illusory finger pointed gently behind Lu Chongwei.
"Now, you should pay attention to your own situation first. Look behind you, there may be surprises."
Lu Chongwei frowned, feeling alert in his heart.
He turned sharply.
I saw a dense crowd of people standing outside the guild's door that he had blasted open.
They all wore uniform white uniforms with an eye-catching scale badge printed on the uniforms. The cold and chilling aura instantly blocked the entire area.
Magic Council, Forced Custody Unit!
The leader was a young man wearing glasses and with a serious expression.
He pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose, stepped forward, and locked his cold eyes on Lu Chongwei.
"Captain Lahar!" When the surrounding Phantom Lord members saw the person coming, they all exclaimed as if they were seeing a savior.
The captain of the detention force, Lahar, turned a blind eye to the tragic situation around him. He walked straight to Lu Chongwei, took out a document with the emblem of Magic Council, and pronounced his verdict in an unquestionable and cold tone:
"Fairy Tail Mage, Lu Chongwei. You attacked the regular guild 'Phantom Lord Guild' for no reason, causing heavy property damage and casualties. The circumstances are extremely bad. In the name of captain Magic Council Forced Custody Unit, I formally arrest you!"
After hearing these words, the anger on Lu Chongwei's face disappeared, replaced by a mocking smile.
He laughed loudly, his laughter filled with endless absurdity and disdain.
"Hahaha... hahahaha!"
"How ridiculous! What a big joke!"
He suddenly stopped laughing, his eyes instantly became sharp, and he looked directly at Lahar.
"When Phantom Lord Guild attacked our Fairy Tail, razed our guild to the ground, and injured my companions, where were you so-called Magic Council?"
"Now, I'm just here to seek justice, and you guys, these sanctimonious guys, are like flies that smelled blood, and you immediately surrounded me?"
"Is this your double standard Magic Council?!"
In the ruins of Phantom Lord Guild, the smoke and dust have not yet cleared away, and there is a pungent burnt smell in the air.
Lahar stood in front of Lu Chongwei, with fine beads of sweat hanging on his face that always looked too serious.
His fingertips were trembling slightly.
Although he tried his best to stay calm, facing Lu Chongwei's soul-burning golden eyes, the captain of Magic Council felt unprecedented pressure.
"Lu Chongwei, I hope you can understand your current situation."
Lahar lowered his voice, with an imperceptible pleading in his tone.
He did not use force because he knew very well that the detention force behind him was nothing but dust that could be wiped away with a wave of his hand in front of Lu Chongwei.
"Magic Council is still investigating the attack on Fairy Tail by Phantom Lord. There is currently no direct evidence."
Lahar pushed up his glasses and scanned the horrific ruins around him.
His eyes stayed on the unconscious Gajeel for a second, and his eyelids twitched involuntarily.
"But you are making a big fuss about ghosts today. Every broken brick here and every seriously injured magician is ironclad evidence that you did it."
Lu Chongwei snorted coldly, and the Ryujin Jakka in his hand shook slightly, and the hot residual temperature caused the surrounding air to distort.
"Evidence? The guild has been demolished. Are you talking to me about the evidence?"
Lu Chongwei glanced sideways at Lahar and smiled sarcastically.
His murderous intent had not completely subsided, and the heavy spiritual pressure still made it difficult for the Magic Council members present to breathe.
Lahar sighed, took half a step forward, and said quickly in a voice that only two people could hear:
"Cooperate with me and come with me. This is the only way to protect Fairy Tail."
His eyes became serious.
"There are many pairs of eyes inside Magic Council watching you. If you resist arrest now, that old fox Jose will definitely take advantage of the situation. At that time, the guild will not face closure, but complete disbandment."
Lu Chongwei was silent.
There were complicated emotions in his dark eyes.
He is not afraid of Magic Council, or even the whole world.
But he couldn't care less about the old man Makarov, or the homes of Mirajane and Erza.
"Disband the guild?"
Lu Chongwei took back Ryujin Jakka, and the flames in the sky were extinguished instantly, leaving only the charred ground telling the horror just now.
His violent spiritual pressure receded like a tide, replaced by a heart-stopping silence.
"Okay, I'll go with you."
Lu Chongwei spoke calmly.
He turned his head and looked coldly at Gajeel, who had just regained consciousness in the pit.
"Iron Dragon, to save a life, you should learn to behave with your tail between your legs."
Lu Chongwei stepped to the edge of the pit and looked down at the frightened Gajeel.
His voice was not loud, but it was like an irresistible order, echoing repeatedly in the hall.
"If you dare to attack Fairy Tail again, your scales will not only be broken next time."