Chapter 80: Nirvana's Collapse, the Unfulfilled First Love (4)
Beside the Waasu Marsh stood the wizard guild Cait Shelter.
After the uproar with the Council, we stopped by the guild that had been caring for Wendy, to reorganize and tend to our wounds.
While the women went to change into local clothes, I gathered the injured in one place to heal them.
"Ah, you've arrived."
"Ma~aan! Sorry to keep you waiting."
"These robes suit me perfectly."
"Phew, and just in time for this heat!"
"Oh, really?"
"Put some clothes on already!"
All of us men were dressed in Cait Shelter's traditional garb, standing together in the square. The Cait Shelter wizards were present as well, but I put off greetings—treatment came first.
I reached into my pocket and drew out a key.
"Then, let us begin treatment."
"Ciel, can you use healing magic like Wendy?"
"Ma~aan, what a surprise!"
"W-wait! Don't tell me you're going to—"
"Open—Gate of the Phoenix, Hepsiel!"
Gray tried to stop me with a shout, but it was too late. The gate opened with a violet ripple, scattering shards of distorted armor into the air.
From within stepped a delicate woman with golden hair and radiant golden eyes. White wings spread from her slim shoulders, a shining halo floated above her head, and her pure white dress glittered like crystal.
An angel had descended.
"Woooah…"
"Ma~aan! My heart can't take it! I thought Erza was the most beautiful woman alive, but from this day forward, she's my honey!"
"Nonsense! I called her first!"
"You? Don't be ridiculous, she clearly belongs with someone younger and cuter, like me!"
"Shut it, both of you! That woman's mine!"
"Kufufufu…"
I couldn't help but chuckle at Ichiya and the Trimens fighting over her.
Natsu and Gray, however, froze beside me, pointing as if they'd just seen the dead return to life.
"Who… who the hell is she?"
"What do you mean? I already said—this is the Celestial Spirit of the Phoenix, Hepsiel."
"W-wait, WHAT?! You mean that Hepsiel—the creepy muscle-bound pervert spirit?! How is this Hepsiel?!"
Of course, I'd never shown them Hepsiel's other form.
Their shock was natural.
"I suppose I should explain. Hepsiel—"
"Ahhh~♥ So many cute boys gathered here~♥"
Before I could finish, Hepsiel let out a moan of ecstasy… and shifted back into her "true" form.
Bulging muscles, leather straps with suspenders over bare skin, black lipstick smeared thick across his lips, eyes full of greasy passion.
The angel was gone.
In her place stood… the monster they remembered.
"KYAAAAAH!!!"
"Where's the goddess from before?! Who is this freak?!"
"Ma~aan! My poor heart can't take it!"
"Save us!!"
The Trimens tried to flee but were easily swept up in Hepsiel's massive arms, crushed in an overwhelming bear hug.
"Hepsiel," I commanded calmly, "heal everyone here—except me."
"Oooh~♥ To be told to share my love with the children~ Truly, my master is an angel himself~♥"
"C-Ciel!! W-what do you mean 'love'—"
"Take my happiness~♥"
"KYYAAAA!!!"
Ichiya screamed as Hepsiel pressed a wet kiss to his cheek, his injuries vanishing instantly. One by one, the men of Blue Pegasus collapsed to the floor, healed but visibly scarred in other ways.
Natsu and Gray tried to bolt, but I ensnared them with chains of mist.
"And where do you two think you're going?"
"W-we're not getting healed by him!"
"Y-yeah! We'll just have Wendy do it!"
"Wendy is already treating Erza, Lucy, and Sherry. She'll be drained as it is. The men fall to me."
"Th-this can't be happening!"
"No! No way!"
I explained as they struggled:
"Both forms are Hepsiel. As the Spirit of the Phoenix constellation, Hepsiel transcends gender, embodying both male and female. A true dual-soul spirit."
"Then have her heal us in the female form!"
"Yeah! We don't want to be traumatized!"
"Impossible. In her female form, she's far too shy to perform the healing kiss. Accept your fate. It's destiny."
By the time I finished, Hepsiel had already dropped the scorched Blue Pegasus trio back onto the ground and turned to me with a wink.
"My master~♥ It's done~♥"
"Perfect timing. Now, please share your love with these two as well."
"Ohohoho~♥ If you insist~♥"
"N-no!"
"Stay away!"
"N-Natsu!"
"Now it's the sulky little boy's turn~♥"
"D-don't come any closer! Stop! I-I don't want this!!"
"Oh my, oh my~♥ When you resist like that… it just makes my power surge sevenfold~ANG♥❤❤"
At my command, Hepsiel's smothering kiss-healing struck both Natsu and Gray.
Like the men of Blue Pegasus before them, the two collapsed pale as corpses, faces marked with black lipstick prints.
Jura and Lyon, who had been watching in horror, staggered back.
But when they tried to sneak away, mist chains wrapped around their ankles.
"R-release us!"
"Ciel! I wasn't even injured in this battle! Truly!"
"Hepsiel, those two as well, if you please."
"So many boys to care for today~♥ I might just lose myself~ANG♥♥"
"W-wait! I said I was fine—mmph?!"
"J-Jura!"
"Now it's your turn, young master~♥"
"Take my happiness~♥"
Their screams rang out like a symphony, while I smiled with quiet satisfaction.
Once all the men had been "treated," Hepsiel, still in his hulking male form, suddenly seized me in his massive arms and puckered up.
"Come to think of it, my master is injured too~♥ Don't you need my love?"
"Hepsiel, at the very least—when treating me, refrain from that form."
"Aww~♥ But in my female form I get so shy~♥"
"Are you really trying to die from overindulgence?"
"Fine, fine. I can't help it… not after the blood-oath promise we made back then."
Pouting, Hepsiel transformed back into her angelic female form and kissed my cheek.
Bound by a contract unlike any other, Hepsiel cannot rampage unless I command it. And when treating me, the spirit must appear in the form I choose. For others, however, Hepsiel heals in whichever form he wishes.
That was the covenant I forged 400 years ago, when I defeated Hepsiel.
"There… all done."
"Isn't this form too bashful for you?"
"B-but… this is without makeup. For a woman to show her face bare like this… it's incredibly embarrassing…"
"In any case, the healing is complete. You may return now."
"Th-then… call me again soon!"
With everyone healed, Wendy and the other women emerged from the hut into the square. They gasped at the sight of the men strewn across the ground, but thanks to Erza and Lucy's quick explanation, the situation was soon sorted out.
....
After the Hepsiel commotion settled, we stood before Cait Shelter's master, Roubaul, and the guild's wizards.
The old man, adorned with a feather headdress, called the guilds by name one by one, then bowed deeply in gratitude.
Following Roubaul, the wizards beside him also offered their thanks.
"Fairy Tail, Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, and Wendy and Charle. On behalf of the regional guild alliance, I, Roubaul, express my deepest gratitude to you for defeating Oración Seis and stopping Nirvana."
"Thank you."
"Thank you, Master Roubaul."
"Think nothing of it! Master Roubaul! Battle after battle against Oración Seis! None of them were easy, but the bonds of comradeship guided us to victory!"
"As expected of our master!"
While Ichiya gave his grandiose speech, Gray and Lucy calmly whispered to each other as they watched the Tri-men praise him to the skies.
"Trying to hog all the credit."
"Did he even fight anyone this time?"
I also tilted my head at Ichiya. Now that I thought about it, his only role had been piloting Christina. So why was his entire body bandaged like a war hero?
As I was thinking that, Jura of Lamia Scale, along with Lyon and Sherry, stepped forward to offer their greetings.
"You all did well."
"Jura."
"So it's finally over."
"There's no way we can skip a feast on a day like this~!!"
"Aye!"
"Ichiya!"
"Ichiya?!"
"Glorious!"
"Glorious~!"
『Hup-sha, hup-sha, hup-sha, hup-sha~!!』
"A feast, huh."
"Heh..."
"Don't strip!!"
Having fully recovered his strength, Natsu started the cheer, followed quickly by Ichiya, his men, Gray, and Lyon shouting joyfully together. Jura and Erza smiled, watching the merriment.
But while they rejoiced, I noticed Roubaul of Cait Shelter wearing a heavy, pained expression.
I stepped forward, drawing everyone's attention.
"Master Roubaul, isn't there something you're still hiding from us?"
"..."
The old man nodded slowly, apologetic yet composed.
"Everyone… I'm truly sorry for concealing the truth about the Nirvit tribe."
"Do you really have to kill the mood with this now?"
"Ciel, don't look so grim! None of us care about that!"
"Master, I'm fine too!"
Natsu and Wendy tried to brush it off, but I kept my eyes fixed on Roubaul and pressed further.
"Before you tell us the truth, I want to ask something first."
"..."
"Is it you who's been maintaining the illusion over this entire village… and everyone here?"
"Illusion?"
"Ciel, what do you mean?"
"You're saying… all these people are fake?"
"...Indeed. You have sharp eyes. To notice that everyone here is nothing but an illusion…"
"I'm an illusionist. If an illusionist can't see through illusions, then he's not worth much, is he?"
"Ciel, what are you saying? What does that mean?"
Startled by my exchange with Roubaul, everyone turned their eyes to the people behind him.
With a resigned look, Roubaul lowered his head and slowly dispelled the illusion around us.
The village that had looked so lively just moments before now crumbled into the likeness of a ghost town — the kind of place you'd expect spirits to wander.
As the others gasped at the sudden transformation, Roubaul opened his mouth again.
"Everyone, listen carefully to what I'm about to say. First of all… we are not descendants of the Nirvit tribe. The Nirvit… and the creation of Nirvana four hundred years ago… it was all me."
"What?!"
"No way…"
"Four hundred years ago?!"
With a heavy expression, he lowered his gaze and began to speak about Nirvana — and himself.
"Four hundred years ago, I sought to end the endless wars consuming the world. To that end, I created the magic of light and darkness reversal — Nirvana. Nirvana became our nation, and for a time it stood as the very symbol of peace."
"…"
"But great power always breeds its opposite. Just as I turned darkness into light, Nirvana itself began to harbor its own darkness."
"Darkness…"
"It was a balance. I could not infinitely transform human hearts into light. Just as light rose to oppose darkness, darkness was born anew to oppose light."
"I suppose… when you put it that way…"
"The darkness we collected from humans engulfed our entire Nirvit tribe."
"That can't be…"
"It was hell. We slaughtered one another until the tribe was annihilated. I was the only one left alive. Or rather… even that isn't quite true anymore. My body crumbled long ago; what stands here is little more than a remnant thought."
"You've anchored your soul here."
From the moment I stepped into this village with Wendy, I'd sensed something unnatural.
It hadn't taken me long to realize the inconsistency was illusion.
And though I had suspected Master Roubaul was maintaining his form through illusion — much like I once had as Mukuro — I had never imagined he was the very creator of Nirvana itself.
Which meant that Wendy, all this time…
"I stayed here for four hundred years to atone for my sins… and to wait until someone appeared who could destroy Nirvana in place of this powerless spirit."
"Roubaul…"
"And at long last… that duty is finished."
Finished.
The word meant he no longer had to maintain his illusion — that he had cast off all lingering attachment to the living world.
As his words faded, the many phantoms he had created began to vanish one by one.
"Magna! Pepper! What's happening…?! Why is everyone…"
"Hey!"
"What's going on?! People are disappearing!"
"No! Don't go… don't disappear!"
"Wendy, they're not living people. This… is an illusion."
"Yes. I'm sorry I deceived you all this time, Wendy. The members of this guild… they're all illusions I created."
The others could only stare in shock. Ignoring their stunned faces, Roubaul continued speaking, even as the illusions he had sustained for so long faded away.
"I lived alone in this ruin to guard Nirvana. But seven years ago, a boy came to me. He brought you to me, Wendy…"
"Jellal…!"
"I had vowed to remain alone forever, yet his desperate eyes moved me. And so… I agreed."
Roubaul had accepted Jellal's desperate plea and took Wendy in.
After Jellal disappeared, when Wendy, on the verge of tears, asked about a guild, he could do nothing but create an illusion.
Thus was born the guild known as Cait Shelter.
"For Wendy's sake, a guild…"
"I don't want to hear that! Basque, Naoki—don't disappear!"
"Wendy, Charle… you no longer need false comrades."
Roubaul's feet began to fade away.
Pointing behind Wendy, he gave her one last parting smile.
"You already have true comrades standing there for you."
"Master…"
"You said you were Wendy's teacher?"
"I am unworthy of that title."
"Then I entrust Wendy and Charle to you."
"Yes. Please, cast aside your regrets and find peace…"
Hearing my reply, Roubaul nodded. Then, smiling brightly at Wendy once more, he spoke.
"Your future is only just beginning."
"Master!!"
"Everyone… thank you. Please, take care of Wendy and Charle."
And with those final words, the guild Cait Shelter vanished completely.
Roubaul's spirit faded from this world.
Wendy stumbled forward, stretching out her hand where he had been, but lost her balance and fell.
"Masterrrrr!!"
Only the hollow sound of the wind echoed through the ruined village.
Only the heart-wrenching cries of a young girl rang out.
No one could answer her.
I stood behind her, eyes shadowed with sorrow, and placed a hand on her small shoulder.
"Master Ciel…"
"Wendy… the grief of parting from a loved one will be filled by your comrades. Roubaul entrusted you to me. Come with me—to Fairy Tail."
"Teacher… I… hic… uuh… uaaahhhhhh!!"
The grief of losing a beloved family cuts deeper than any blade.
I had already learned this truth through my parting with the Strauss siblings.
This young girl had been forced to accept a cruel truth and lost the only family who had cared for her.
The only thing I could do… was become her new family.
And lead her to find another one waiting for her.
....
At last, the great battle came to an end, and we all returned to our respective guilds.
The members of Blue Pegasus said their farewells—
"Until we meet again, may a splendid fragrance linger! Ciel, Erza, Lucy!"
"Next time, come visit us."
"Yes, and we'll gift you the finest evening!"
"Ciel, if Fairy Tail ever kicks you out, you'll always be welcome with us. You'd make the perfect Top Two Handsome Men alongside me in Blue Pegasus!"
And Lamia Scale also gave their parting words—
"Ciel, it was an honor to fight alongside you again after three years. Please give my regards to Master Makarov."
"Gray, fix that exhibitionist habit of yours."
We parted ways at the village of the Nirvit tribe.
Of course, through this alliance, each of us had gained something… and lost something.
For Lucy, with Sorano taken away, their contract was severed, and the Celestial Spirit keys of the Zodiac found their way into her hands.
For Blue Pegasus, Ren and Sherry left behind a strangely awkward air between them.
As for Erza and me… though we lost much in this campaign, we also gained something new, and discovered truths we had not realized before.
It is difficult to put into words, but through this fierce battle, I grew once again—spiritually.
We boarded a ship, then caught a train from Hargeon, and four days later… after that brutal conflict, we finally returned to Fairy Tail.
"We're back~!"
"We've returned!"
"Ah, we're home."
"Is Master here?"
"Though we were only gone a few days, it feels like we've been away for ages."
As we opened the guild doors, every member greeted us with cheers.
From Master, to Macao, Wakaba, Reedus, Cana… the usual faces welcomed us with open arms, offering us drinks and laughter.
In the middle of the noisy, festive atmosphere, Wendy, perhaps embarrassed by the attention, hugged me from behind and hid herself.
Seeing Wendy, Mira, Master, and the others immediately began to ask questions.
"Huh, Ciel, who's that child?"
"Ohh… that hair color, those eyes—they look just like yours."
"Who's this kid?"
"Oi, Ciel! Don't tell me you've been hiding a daughter somewhere all this time?"
"What are you saying, like Ciel's some divorced man with a secret kid? Hahaha!"
"This child is—"
Just as I was about to explain, a trembling voice cut me off.
"Ah… Papa."
"...!"
"D-Did she just call Ciel her papa?!"
"I heard it too!"
"Ciel, you've really been hiding a kid all this time?!"
"Please, listen to my explanation—"
"Ciel… how could you have a child without me knowing?!"
"Mira…?"
Macao and Wakaba were shocked beyond words.
Meanwhile, Mira, Cana, and the other women glared at me with a terrifying killing intent.
I tried to speak, but Wendy's nervous, trembling voice rang out first:
"S-sorry! It's just that… sometimes I make a mistake and call him that… r-right, Papa?"
"Cieeeeeel!!!"
Just like the first time we all gathered together.
Mira had me by the collar, the guild members bombarded me with questions, and until everyone calmed down… all I could do was endure it in silence, smiling faintly.
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