FTRJ: Chapter 85

After evacuating some residents, Mirajane arrived at a flower shop damaged by the fighting and found Elfman lying on the ground.

"Elfman!" Mirajane rushed to his side.

"Elfman, wake up…"

Elfman slowly opened his eyes at Mirajane's call.

"Sister, you're okay!" Elfman struggled to sit up.

Mirajane quickly supported her brother, her heart aching at the sight of his many wounds. "You're badly hurt."

Seeing her brother constantly fighting to protect Fairy Tail, always returning with injuries, while she could do nothing, made Mirajane feel useless.

"I'm sorry…Elfman…I'm sorry," she said, filled with self-reproach for her inability to protect him.

"Why are you apologizing, Sister? I should be the one apologizing," Elfman said, his head bowed low.

"I wasn't strong enough. I thought…that mastering Beast Soul would let me protect you and everyone, but…"

Mirajane shook her head vehemently. "No…you did incredibly well."

"But me…both during the Phantom Lord arc and now, I couldn't help at all…" Mirajane covered her face, tears streaming down.

"It's okay," Elfman gently shook his head. "Sister, you don't need to do anything."

He sat up straighter, trying to get comfortable. "After this pointless fight is over, you just need to greet everyone with a smile."

He looked at his sister. "So, please don't cry, Sister…"

Mirajane sobbed silently. She'd cried more since the incident two years ago, her personality softening, becoming weaker. She seemed to understand why: the demon didn't accept someone who cried.

…

"I'm okay now, Sister. I can manage alone," Elfman said, looking at Mirajane who was still supporting him.

"It's alright. I can't do much, but at least I can get you back," Mirajane replied.

A sudden battle erupted ahead, halting their progress.

"That's…Cana?" The bridge ahead had collapsed in the middle, and a battered Cana lay on the ground below.

"She's tough. A guild veteran, after all," Fried commented from the intact section of the bridge.

He was surprised by Cana's resilience. As the Raijū's captain, Fried's strength was undeniable, yet this woman had managed to hold her own against him.

Cana, gritting her teeth against the pain, stood up, her eyes blazing with fury. "Retract that! Take back what you said about Juvia being a Phantom Lord!"

Fried had uttered those words during their fight. After being caught in Fried's trap, Juvia, unwilling to harm Cana, had instead attacked Tenrō Jima. This act of self-sacrifice had earned Cana's respect.

Swish—

A dark purple light flashed across Cana's forehead, and the dark letters 'Pain' appeared.

Intense pain surged through Cana's body.

"Aaaaaah!!!" A pained scream tore from her lips as she collapsed, powerless, onto the ground.

"Juvia…is Fairy Tail…she's our comrade…" Cana's voice trailed off, her raised arm falling limply to her side.

"Cana~" Mirajane cried out, rushing forward.

"You bastard!" Elfman, fueled by rage and drawing upon a fraction of his newly restored magic, summoned a single arm.

"Elfman, you were defeated by Evergreen. You're no longer allowed to participate," Fried stated calmly.

Mirajane, cradling Cana in her arms, looked up at Fried and shouted, "Are you finished? We're supposed to be comrades!"

Fried turned away. "We were, but that concept is shattered." He raised his rapier, a clear demonstration of his loyalty. "Laxus's enemies are my enemies."

"Stop the nonsense!" Elfman roared, charging toward Fried.

Fried opened his Dark Eyes, swiftly slashing at Elfman with his rapier.

"What's this?" Instead of a wound, a string of dark letters appeared on Elfman's body.

"Defeated pieces are forbidden from rejoining the game. Violators face torment worse than death," Fried said emotionlessly.

"Dark Letters: Pain. My words become reality." A searing, agonizing pain tore through Elfman's body.

"Uaaaaah!!" The intense agony was unbearable, each cell in Elfman's body screaming in pain, preventing him even from falling unconscious.

"Stop it, Fried, Elfman can't fight anymore!" Mirajane cried out desperately.

Ignoring Mirajane, Fried raised his rapier. "Dark Letters: Pain, Fear…" He continued to inscribe dark letters onto Elfman's body.

Elfman's anguished cries echoed through the air.

Mirajane, unable to bear the sound, covered her mouth, her body wracked with grief and an anger she hadn't felt in years. This anger began to chip away at the emotional barriers she had erected around her heart.

"Dark Letters—Pain, Pain, Pain!" Fried continued to inscribe the words onto Elfman's body.

"Uaaaaah!!"

Elfman's screams caused Mirajane to clutch her head, tears streaming down her face.

"Dark Letters: Death!"

"Death?" Mirajane stopped crying, her eyes widening. The word triggered a long-suppressed memory—the image of a fading figure in her arms…

"Hmm? This magical power is…" A sudden surge of magical energy startled Fried, causing him to halt his attack and turn his attention to Mirajane, who stood with her head bowed.

The darkness emanating from Mirajane was even more profound than his own, filling Fried with a sense of unease and primal fear.

"Ah…aaaa…" A violent wind began to swirl around Mirajane.

The demon she had once rejected reached out to her again. In this moment of crisis, Mirajane needed its power, and she gently placed her hand upon it.

"Aaaaaah——"

A torrent of magical energy erupted from Mirajane, the very ground unable to withstand the immense pressure, shattering and rising into the air.

A gigantic, dark purple magic circle unfurled above Mirajane.

Under the influence of the surging magical energy, Mirajane underwent a dramatic transformation, revealing a form unseen for two long years.

Her hands transformed into sharp, demonic claws, a pair of powerful wings sprouted from her back, and a scaled tail emerged. Her white hair billowed in the wind, and a black line, resembling a lightning bolt, streaked across her right eye.

An overwhelming, suffocating wave of magical power radiated from her, signaling the terrifying might that was about to be unleashed.

Satan had descended!

…

"It's just ahead," Finn reached the Kardia Cathedral's entrance.

He immediately frowned, noticing a battle raging within.

"Someone found Laxus already?" Finn quickened his pace, heading towards the cathedral.

Boom————

Dark purple magic blotted out the sky. Finn looked up, recognizing the magical energy as both familiar and alien. Familiar because he knew its source; alien because he hadn't sensed it in a very long time.

"Mira…" Finn whispered, his voice barely audible. "You're finally not rejecting yourself anymore?"

He had witnessed Mirajane's transformation over the years, from a rebellious troublemaker into a caring and considerate young woman. The change was nothing short of extraordinary.

He felt deeply for this white-haired girl, but Mirajane's problems were beyond anyone's help. While Finn had been able to train Elfman rigorously after the incident, enabling him to master Beast Soul, he couldn't help Mirajane regain her magic.

Her issue stemmed from deep-seated psychological trauma, leaving even Finn powerless to intervene.

But now, it seemed Mirajane had finally taken the first step towards healing.

"Then, it's your turn, Laxus!" Finn turned and strode into the cathedral.

"Ms. Porlyusica?" Levy gasped, noticing the figure entering the guild hall.

"Where's that idiot Makarov?" Porlyusica wasted no time on pleasantries, going straight to the point.

Levy pointed towards the back of the guild hall. "He's in the infirmary."

Porlyusica nodded and headed towards the infirmary, with Levy quickly following behind.

"Are you here to treat the Master?" Levy asked cautiously, aware of Porlyusica's generally unfriendly demeanor.

However, Porlyusica's medical skills were beyond question, and the thought of Makarov's imminent recovery filled Levy with a sense of relief and hope.

Porlyusica ignored Levy and simply stared silently at Makarov, who lay unconscious in the bed.

A heavy silence descended upon the room, and Levy hardly dared to breathe.

"Go get Laxus," Porlyusica finally broke the silence, her voice low and resolute.

"Eh?" Levy's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Bring back that brat who didn't even know his grandfather was critically ill and was gallivanting around outside," Porlyusica's tone hardened, her words laced with a mixture of exasperation and concern.

"Critically ill…it shouldn't be that serious, right?" Levy questioned, her voice laced with doubt.

Porlyusica turned her gaze to Levy, her expression tinged with a sadness that was quite unlike her usual cold and detached demeanor. "Please…I'm begging you. He doesn't have much time left."

Hearing Porlyusica's heartfelt plea, Levy turned and ran out of the guild hall, her steps quick and determined.

As Finn stepped through the cathedral doors, he took in the scene before him at a glance. The interior of the cathedral bore evidence of significant damage from the ongoing battle.

However, what caught his attention most was the sight of Gajeel, his body covered in wounds, crouching before him.

"Heh, it seems the person I've been waiting for has finally arrived," Laxus stated calmly, standing opposite Gajeel, completely unscathed.

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