Fairy Tail: Collapsing Stars

Chapter 313: The Godfather of Both Light and Dark, Makarov

Chapter 313: The Godfather of Both Light and Dark, Makarov

"The winner is Mirajane~"

Evan announced Mirajane's victory as she stood over the unconscious Kain Hikaru.

"Of course!" Mirajane smiled at Evan.

"Gildarts, you're up next," Mirajane said softly to Gildarts.

"Yeah, leave it to me," Gildarts nodded lightly. Despite his lazy demeanor, he exuded a reassuring presence.

"Those who don't treat their comrades well will meet a bad end," Mirajane said seriously, turning to face Bluenote Stinger, the last standing member of Grimoire Heart.

"Huh?!"

Bluenote was taken aback, his expression filled with confusion.

"Hmph~"

Ignoring Bluenote, Mirajane flipped her white hair and walked proudly off the stage.

"Sis, you won!"

"You're amazing, sis..."

As soon as Mirajane stepped off the stage, her siblings Lisanna and Elfman surrounded her, congratulating her.

"Now for the final battle," Mirajane said, ruffling Lisanna's hair before turning to look at the last two people on the stage.

"What a useless bunch of brats! I don't understand why Master Hades gathered so many worthless kids from around the world. In the end, I have to take matters into my own hands and redeem Grimoire Heart's reputation," Bluenote grumbled, veins bulging on his forehead as he looked at his defeated comrades.

"Hey! Stop blaming your comrades! If you think they're weak, then get stronger yourself, idiot," Gildarts said, arms crossed, frowning at Bluenote's words. Gildarts never demanded greatness from his comrades, only from himself. He found Bluenote's attitude utterly repugnant.

"Hmph! Are you implying that I'm not strong enough? Don't lump me with those defeated kids. I'm on a whole different level, you bastard!"

Bluenote's veins bulged as his immense magical power surged, demonstrating that he was undoubtedly on par with the Ten Wizard Saints, possibly ranking around sixth or seventh among them.

"This guy's power is impressive," Ultear noted, her expression changing as she sensed Bluenote's vast magical power. She looked in his direction with a hint of eagerness. In her assessment, Bluenote was on a similar level to herself, and even without using her strongest ice magic, she wasn't confident she could defeat him.

"His magic rivals Ultear's. Master Precht, I didn't realize you had such powerful members in your guild. That guy, Bluenote, could probably rank in Fairy Tail's top ten. It's a shame his heart isn't in the right place; he needs proper guidance to avoid becoming a menace," Makarov said, feeling Bluenote's magic. Makarov recognized that without using Fairy Law, he might not be able to defeat Bluenote.

"Kid, what do you mean by that?!" Precht's eye twitched as he nearly stood from his wheelchair in anger. Makarov's words felt like a backhanded compliment, suggesting that Precht had failed to guide his guild members properly.

"Dream on, Makarov! Stop trying to expand your dark influence. Your forces are already powerful enough to conquer the world! Laxus, Erza, Mirajane, Ultear, and even Ur all have the potential to surpass us. Those two women with special privileges in your guild, Evan and Gildarts, and that kid Kurnugi, their strength is beyond you and possibly even me! Isn't that enough for you? Quit while you're ahead, Makarov. There's still time to stop," Precht shouted, glaring at Makarov.

"E-eh!?! What did I say?" Makarov was shocked by Precht's outburst and confused as to why his mentor was so agitated. Precht had always been a calm, wise, and reserved man.

"Heh, still pretending, huh? You're quite the master at feigning ignorance," Precht muttered, stroking his beard with a cold smile.

"I'm not pretending! You have to believe me, Second Master!" Makarov said, nearly in tears. He couldn't understand what he had done to make Precht, whom he revered like a father, so distrustful of him.

"You're doing it again. Stop pretending, you expert faker," Precht said, rolling his eyes.

But deep down, Precht began to ponder the implications of Makarov's actions and his own role in guiding him. He wondered if his harsh teachings had inadvertently pushed Makarov towards a path of extreme measures.

"Haha, even though I don't understand what you've misunderstood, Master Precht, it's great to have you back. Warrod has also come out of retirement to join the Magic Council. When the First Master Mavis sees you all back, she'll be thrilled," Makarov said, his thoughts drifting to happier times.

He anticipated the day when Mavis's spirit would return from Tenrou Island to Fairy Tail for the holidays. He believed Mavis would be overjoyed to see Precht and Warrod back.

Ever since powerful mages like Evan, Irene, and Selene joined Fairy Tail, making the guild stronger and more united, Mavis's spirit had grown stronger. Before their arrival, Mavis's spirit could only rest in her tomb with Fairy Glitter, unable to leave Tenrou Island easily. But now, she was more vibrant, interacting with guild members daily and occasionally using magic.

However, Mavis felt someone should guard Tenrou Island, protect the Tenrou Tree, and await the destined person to claim Fairy Glitter. So she spent most of her time alone on the island, only coming to the guild for holidays to celebrate with everyone.

"Wait, is Makarov's intention to bring Mavis back? Could his actions be influenced by what I told him before my travels? Did Makarov create this monstrous guild to protect Fairy Heart, Mavis's body in the basement? Does this mean Fairy Tail's transformation is all my fault?!" Precht had a sudden epiphany, realizing his harsh teachings might have pushed Makarov to extreme lengths.

"Yuri, I'm sorry! Makarov's extreme path is my fault," Precht thought, feeling a heavy burden of guilt. He had believed creating Grimoire Heart, the strongest dark guild in Ishgar, was extreme, but Makarov had gone further. Outwardly, Fairy Tail was the strongest light guild, but secretly, it controlled the Magic Council and influenced dark organizations, even resorting to kidnapping kings to demonstrate their power.

Precht imagined Makarov intimidating King Thomas of Fiore, using blackmail and threats: "Thomas, did you see how we easily defeated Grimoire Heart, the so-called strongest dark guild? We can crush them with just a few members! What chance does anyone else have against us? Also, I have your embarrassing photos; you don't want your people to see them, do you? Better stay in line, or else..."

"Such a terrifying guy. Makarov has grown into such a cunning leader," Precht thought, recalling an incident last month when over forty guild masters in Fiore protested against Fairy Tail's dominance and were all imprisoned for supposedly attacking Warrod, the Magic Council chairman. Precht initially dismissed the news as exaggerated, but now he saw the truth: Makarov and Warrod had conspired to eliminate all opposition, solidifying Fairy Tail's control.

Makarov's plan was clear: unify Ishgar by making Fairy Tail the strongest in both the light and dark magic realms, becoming the Godfather of both. Precht's body trembled at the realization, wondering how Makarov had grown so ambitious.

"Second Master, are you okay?" Makarov's voice broke through Precht's thoughts.

"Uh... I'm fine, just feeling a bit unwell... I need to go to the bathroom," Precht said, wheeling himself away.

"I just wanted to remind you that Gildarts and Bluenote's battle is about to begin..." Makarov said, puzzled by Precht's trembling.

"Makarov's problem is serious... Warrod must have joined him. I might be the only one who can guide him back to the right path. It's a heavy responsibility," Precht thought as he wheeled himself to the bathroom, realizing how difficult it would be to bring Makarov back from the darkness.