"It doesn't hurt at all," Natsu said as he looked at the markings on his body, testingly clenching his fists.
Beside him, Gray crossed his arms and nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, compared to the training I had with Noel, this is way easier."
Ultear looked at the two of them speechlessly. "Why... why are you two completely fine?"
"That... is what I want to ask too!" Lucy said unwillingly from the ground.
The intense pain had nearly made her lose consciousness, and speaking just now had already pushed her to her limit.
Meanwhile, Wendy, Levy, and Juvia didn't even have the strength to speak anymore.
"Could this magic be biased against women?" Gray frowned.
"How is that even possible?" Ultear immediately denied Gray's baseless assumption.
"Whatever, it's just a small matter." Gray waved his hand dismissively, acting as if it didn't bother him.
At that moment, Ed suddenly spoke up. "By the way, where's Erza?"
"Where did she go with Jellal?" Happy added.
"Erza..." Ed furrowed his brows but ultimately didn't take any further action.
After all, he didn't have enough standing to interfere in this matter.
"Noel-nii, if you don't come back soon, you might just get overtaken."
...............
"You said you regained your memories? Jellal."
By the shore, the gentle waves lapped against the coast.
In such an environment, even the passage of time seemed to slow down.
Erza gazed at the distant sunset and softly asked.
"Yes," Jellal replied in a low voice.
"Then... the activation of Etherion..."
"I remember it. The me who had lost his memories... I remember that feeling. It's truly strange," Jellal sighed, his gaze never meeting Erza's.
"And... about your comrade... I'm very sorry."
"You mean Noel?" Erza asked.
"Yeah... If you want to take revenge on me for what happened back then, I'm prepared to accept death as atonement," Jellal said.
Erza shook her head. "I don't have the right to do that because, in the harm done to Noel, you and I were accomplices... In fact, I hurt him even more than you did. Besides, Noel wouldn't want you to die because of this."
Jellal fell into silent contemplation.
"You formed a guild to eliminate dark guilds. That is your penance and atonement, but it is also your resolve, isn't it?" Erza said calmly.
"I'm not so sure anymore," Jellal said, his gaze filled with confusion.
"What?!"
"At first, I did establish Crime Sorciere as a way to atone," Jellal said.
"But the sins I committed in the Tower of Heaven... they can never truly be repaid. Why am I even doing all this? The more I think about it, the more I find myself trapped in a maze of doubt. Perhaps... I really should just die?"
Smack!!
Erza's palm landed harshly on Jellal's face, leaving a clear mark.
"What kind of pathetic nonsense are you saying?" Erza glared at him coldly.
"I'm not as strong as you," Jellal murmured, unmoving, even after being slapped.
"Does not being strong enough mean you can't keep living?"
Erza raised her arm and shouted at him, "Living on is the true strength. You are no longer the Jellal of the past."
"Maybe you're right. You always speak so bluntly," Jellal gave a bitter smile.
Erza's emotions gradually calmed down.
After a brief silence, she finally responded, "Someone once told me—if you can't learn to forget, then at least learn to face it. Using death as an answer will only leave behind irreparable regrets."
"Did he teach you that? He must be someone important to you."
"Mm." For the first time, a faint smile appeared on Erza's lips.
"I hope you two will be happy." Jellal's tone carried a hint of bitterness and melancholy.
To Jellal's surprise, Erza shook her head.
"Right now, I'm still far from being qualified to stand by his side. All I can do is do my best to chase after his footsteps—at the very least, I don't want to become a burden to him."
............
Night had fallen.
"This is really..."
"Everyone's completely unable to move now."
Erza, Ed, Gray, and Natsu looked at Levy, Lucy, Wendy, and Juvia, who were lying on the ground, exhausted.
They exchanged glances and sighed helplessly.
Seeing this, Jellal and his companions simply smiled faintly.
"Because of our guild's nature, we can't stay in one place for too long. We have to leave now," Jellal said as he pulled the hood of his cloak back over his head.
"If you find any information about the mysterious magic at the Grand Magic Games, send us a message via carrier pigeon," Meredy added.
"Understood." Erza nodded.
"We'll be cheering for you from the shadows, so do your best."
"Honestly, I really want to watch the competition in person."
"How about disguising ourselves and sneaking in?"
"Forget it."
Meredy and Ultear briefly discussed whether they should go watch the Grand Magic Games.
"Well then... farewell, Erza," Jellal said in parting.
"Goodbye."
"Send our regards to everyone. And take care of Gray—he's still not mature enough, so I'm counting on you. " Ultear said with a smile.
"Don't say unnecessary things" Gray retorted
.............
Somewhere in a cave.
The flickering firelight stood out sharply against the darkness.
Three people sat around the fire, discussing the upcoming Grand Magic Games.
"Mysterious magic..." Jellal was the first to speak.
"I just hope the members of Fairy Tail don't run into any danger."
"Mm... But we can always expect that somehow, those kids will find a way," Ultear replied.
"Yeah." Meredy nodded in agreement before shifting the topic.
"But more importantly, Jellal, are you really okay with this? This is a great opportunity, you know."
"Is this your way of punishing yourself, Jellal?" Ultear asked.
Jellal was silent for a moment before finally answering, "Punishment is the principle of Crime Sorciere, isn't it? We all decided on this from the beginning—that we are not allowed to love those who walk on the path of light. I just want Erza to be happy."
"That may be true... but honestly, you don't really stand a chance anyway."
"Seriously, what a lame attempt at acting cool."
Ultear and Meredy both mocked him at the same time, completely shattering the melancholic atmosphere Jellal had been trying to maintain.
"Hey!"
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