As Makarov let out a grief-stricken wail, the surrounding onlookers took in the devastating scene.
The entire street had been torn apart, massive chunks of stone jutted up everywhere, and the nearby houses were on the verge of collapse. The residents rushed out of their homes, grateful to have survived the disaster. Upon seeing the scene, some began to weep bitterly.
Others had already found the culprit behind the disaster. "Fairy Tail! It's you again! Are you trying to destroy this town?!" As perfectly fine European-style buildings turned into something resembling a Syrian war zone, the townspeople grew increasingly furious and surrounded Makarov.
"President Makarov, we know you're one of the Ten Wizard Saints, and we know you're the president of the Fairy Tail guild. Your status is esteemed, but that doesn't give you the right to destroy our homes whenever you please! You must pay for their reconstruction!"
"And the streets!"
"And compensation! The interior of my house is completely ruined!"
"If he doesn't pay, we'll report him to the Magic Council!"
Listening to the accusations around him, Makarov knew he was in the wrong. Wiping away sweat, he shouted, "Rest assured, everyone, I will take responsibility for the reconstruction. Your losses will be compensated in full. Now, please come over here so we can assess the damages. Wakaba! Macao! Come help!"
With Makarov's statement, everyone's anger gradually subsided. With the other wizards' assistance, the losses were slowly tallied.
"Home repairs... street reconstruction... furniture repairs... injury treatment..." Macao's face turned pale as he calculated. "President, the total is out... It's rather high..."
Makarov clutched his chest and said with difficulty, "Tell me... I'm prepared..."
Macao gritted his teeth. "The total compensation comes to 23.5 million J!"
"Gah!" Makarov's vision went dark, and he collapsed to the ground.
"President!!"
As the townspeople collected their compensation one by one, Makarov watched the treasury steadily shrink, his heart aching beyond measure.
"That was my retirement fund! Ed! Look what you've done!" Makarov furiously berated the main culprit behind this incident.
Meanwhile, Ed had recovered from his earlier panic and was even reflecting on his shortcomings. Hearing Makarov's scolding, he came back to himself and comforted him. "Come on, old man, don't think too much about it. It was my first time using that move on a street. I always tested it in the mountains before. I didn't realize it would affect the surrounding houses. I'll be more careful from now on."
Ed tilted his head and thought for a moment before continuing, "As for the compensation, I really can't afford it right now. Please cover it for me, President. I'll work hard and pay you back afterward!"
Ed bowed to Makarov.
Seeing Ed's remorseful attitude, Makarov's anger gradually faded. "Pay it back? Do you know how much more than 20 million J is? Even an S-Class Mission only pays a few million J, and you're not even S-Class."
Makarov looked at the treasury and sighed before continuing, "You don't need to bear all of this alone. As the president, I'm also responsible for failing to manage you properly. I'll pay 5 million J. The remaining 18.5 million J will be your and Gray's responsibility. Since you bear the main responsibility for this accident, you'll pay 15 million, and Gray will pay the remaining 3.5 million. Any objections?"
"Yes! Thank you very much!" Gray and Ed immediately stood at attention and shouted in unison.
Once the three of them had settled the compensation issue, the other guild members finally gathered around to review Ed and Gray's battle.
Everyone began offering their opinions.
"Ahahaha, that was pathetic, you droopy-eyed bastard. 'Are you going to kill me?' Hahaha, you didn't piss yourself from fright, did you? Huh? Hahahahaha!"
"Natsu! You bastard!!"
The ice and fire duo had barely been peaceful for a few minutes before launching into another intense exchange.
"That was amazing, Ed. That punch of yours was so powerful. How did you generate that much force? Aren't you a space magic user?" Curious little Levy had spotted the key issue.
"Huh? Oh, this is a magic power burst technique. I call it Monster Strength Art. What do you think? Pretty impressive, right? Want to consider becoming my student? I can teach you~" Ed was still recalling the sensation of the battle as he casually answered Levy.
Levy fell into thought. In her mind, she saw herself smashing a mountain with one punch, tearing the earth apart with one kick, protecting her teammates with one hand, an invincible silhouette standing above the world. The image was far too absurd, and Levy snapped out of her fantasy. "N-no, that won't be necessary. My Solid Script still needs a lot more practice... I don't have the energy to learn this right now..."
"Ed! Although you won, your greatest mistake in this battle was failing to pay attention to your surroundings. You casually used such high-powered magic. If you encounter a similar situation in the future, you must pay close attention to the area around you and carefully consider the power of the magic you cast and how much impact it could have on the surroundings." A serious Erza expressed her dissatisfaction with Ed's actions and offered her advice.
"Big sis, if you and Ed get together someday, wouldn't that power of his be pretty dangerous?" This was a certain black-hearted little sweetheart teasing her own sister.
"W-who said I'd get together with him?! Don't talk nonsense! Ah! Damn it, teasing your own sister like that... You need to be taught a lesson, Lisanna!" cried a certain flustered white-haired beauty. "Ah! Save me, Natsu!" came someone's anguished cry.
"If big sis really gets together with him, could I learn that technique too?" a timid young man muttered, unheard by anyone.
Amid the guild members' noisy commotion, the day quickly turned to night. Back in his dormitory, Ed could finally calmly consider his own problems.
"First, I still lack offensive moves. Monster Strength is powerful, but there might not always be time to charge up in battle, and its destructive power is honestly a bit too great. I don't want to end up like Natsu and the others, using most of every mission reward to pay compensation..."
Ed went through his daily training while considering which moves would offer more precise power.
"Rasengan should work, since it's a complementary ninja technique anyway. But I wonder if I can replicate the Five-Element Shield Art. If I can, I'll have more options in battle. Forget it, no point overthinking it. I'll start with the Rasengan and take things one step at a time~"
With his training complete, Ed settled on the direction of his next training. That was right~ he was going to start rolling balls~
"Ah, time to sleep. I was hoping to earn money and buy a house, but before I even bought one, I ended up millions in debt. By that logic, I'm now a millionaire in negative assets~ The start of getting rich is getting richly indebted~" Lying in bed, Ed laughed at his own pun.
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