— — — — — —
Once everything finally settled down, a thoroughly beaten and "educated" Yakoda dragged herself back to the Sorcerer Magazine office.
"Uuuuu… Chief… those people from Fairy Tail… they're not human! Not human at all!"
"They're thugs! Bandits! Shameless, lawless monsters!"
Yakoda clung to the chief editor's long legs, sobbing as she recounted her tragic experiences — all the suffering, all the "inhuman" torment she had endured.
"In the end…" the chief editor cut her off, ignoring all the useless parts. "You failed your mission, and you broke the camera. Correct?"
"It wasn't a failure! I really did get a big scoop! And the camera… well… it was fixed, but then they kinda broke it again…"
Yakoda looked up at her boss and suddenly had a bad feeling.
"I don't care why. The fact is it broke while you were using it. I'm docking your pay. You're not getting a salary this month."
"And besides, if they were threatening you that much, they must have tried to bribe you too, right? If they gave you anything, hand it over. That kind of money is too dangerous for you. Let big sis handle it."
She said this with a look of false concern, but her real target was clearly whatever "tips" Yakoda might have received.
"Ah… well… I guess you could say they gave me something. They said from now on I'm Fairy Tail's exclusive reporter."
"That I can interview them anytime I want. And if they have big news, I'll be the first they call. Hehehe… I guess they're actually pretty nice people when you think about it…"
Yakoda scratched her head with a goofy smile.
"That's it? They didn't give you a single jewel?!" The chief editor's eyebrows twitched.
"Nope."
"And you didn't ask?!"
"…I forgot."
"…Fine. Your salary next month is gone too. Now get to work! Turn this draft into tomorrow's issue — print it fast, print it loud!"
She looked over the article that Kazuma, Yakoda, and Levy had put together. After nodding in approval, she tossed it back without changing a word.
"Yes, Chief! But… are you sure it's okay to publish this?"
"Of course it's not okay! It's a huge problem! And that's exactly why we have to print it — nobody else dares to say this stuff!"
"The moment we publish, the whole kingdom will explode!" She slammed a hand down on her desk, full of heroic, reckless passion.
"...Worthy of being the Chief." Yakoda rushed off to work.
---
Back at Fairy Tail, after everyone else had gone to rest, Makarov called Kazuma outside alone.
"This time you caused quite a mess… but everything you did was to protect your guildmates."
"I've been thinking it over… for a long time… and after turning it over again and again…"
He didn't even finish before Kazuma interrupted him.
"You finally realized I'm the best candidate for guild master, huh? So you're retiring? That's great! Come on, let's go tell everyone right now!"
Kazuma waved his hand like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"You little brat, get lost! I'm not retiring! You're nowhere near qualified!"
"I called you out here to teach you Fairy Tail's ultimate spell — one of our sacred guild magics. Fairy Law."
Normally, this was a spell only a guild master or a chosen successor was allowed to learn. But after thinking long and hard, Makarov had decided to break tradition and pass it on to Kazuma.
"…Oh."
Kazuma suddenly looked far less excited.
"So you're just teaching me a spell. I thought you were finally stepping down. That got my hopes up for nothing."
"What kind of attitude is that?! This is Fairy Law, an ultra-super-high-level spell!"
Makarov's beard practically stood up in anger.
Most people would beg on their knees for the chance to learn this magic — and this kid was acting like he didn't even want it.
"It's just… I don't really need it."
"For big AoE attacks, I've got the Gate of Babylon magic. For single-target hits… one punch from me isn't exactly weaker than Fairy Law."
"I mean it, I'm not exactly hurting for extra firepower." Kazuma shrugged. He already had too many powerful techniques.
"You… you…!"
Makarov was so furious his finger trembled as he pointed — for a moment, he seriously considered using Fairy Law on Kazuma himself.
"And besides, there's no point learning too much at once. I haven't even mastered all my current moves. Adding another spell won't help me grow faster."
"So, old man, are you teaching me or not? If not, I'm going back."
Makarov fumed. "I am teaching you!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'll learn it. Free stuff dropped in my lap — why wouldn't I take it? If I learn it, great. If I don't, whatever."
Kazuma spoke with the confidence of a man guided by the sacred philosophy of "free is good."
"…If you weren't so perfectly suited for this magic, I'd refuse to teach you out of pure spite…"
"Listen carefully. When using Fairy Law, you burn a massive amount of magic power to create a divine radiance that distinguishes friend from foe."
"It eradicates only those whom you believe are enemies. But your will has to be absolute. If your heart wavers, the spell won't show its true power."
Makarov began gathering energy. Magic swelled around him; the air, the trees, even the earth trembled.
"Not bad, old man."
Kazuma could feel Makarov's magic. It was far stronger than Jose's — not even comparable.
"Fairy Law!"
Light erupted and swallowed everything around them. After a moment, it faded.
"Uh… nothing happened. What were you trying to show me, exactly?" Kazuma looked around. Not even a bug had died. It was the most pointless demo he'd ever seen.
"That's because none of you are enemies. Fairy Law won't harm so much as a blade of grass if you don't see anything as a foe."
"It's an unbelievably powerful spell, but it only works when you're facing something you truly believe must be eliminated. Only then can it show its real power. Otherwise it's just sunlight, warming everything it touches."
"You have a huge reserve of magic and a very firm will. Those just happen to be the core requirements for Fairy Law."
Makarov gave him a mischievous old-man grin before he continued.
"How am I supposed to learn anything from that? Teach me the basics first!" Kazuma crossed his arms.
"Fine, I'll show you again. Watch carefully. If you still can't grasp it this time…"
"Then there's nothing I can do. Your talent's just too poor, and I'll have to teach you slowly in the future."
"And by the way, when I learned this spell, it only took me a month. If you manage it within a year, that's good enough."
Makarov said this with a cheerful little smirk.
In reality, it had taken him six months. But when you're teaching a kid, you always have to brag a bit. It wasn't for pride. It was to motivate him.
So Kazuma spent the rest of the day learning Fairy Law with Makarov, training straight until nightfall.
"All right, that's enough for today. Let's head back and eat."
Makarov had demonstrated spells all day and was exhausted. He was ready for a good meal and an even better sleep.
Finally, he had found something to keep Kazuma busy. With that alone, he felt relieved enough to hum a little tune. At last, he didn't have to worry about the boy causing trouble out of boredom.
"Yeah… this should be the feeling."
Kazuma's expression shifted into something serious. Magic gathered in his hands, and a soft golden light began to form.
In an instant, his Observation Haki locked onto every living presence nearby. Then Conqueror's Haki joined the mix, blending into Fairy Law itself.
The golden light shifted. At its core appeared a streak of dark red.
"Fairy Law."
Kazuma released the spell according to instinct. A wave of dark-gold radiance washed over everything.
"That presence…"
Makarov froze just as he was about to leave. Every hair on his body stood on end. He whipped around toward Kazuma.
The dark-gold glow washed over him, yet didn't harm him at all.
But every bug on the ground instantly turned to ash.
"He… he really learned Fairy Law! The color's strange, but that's definitely Fairy Law!"
Makarov stared, stunned. This version felt different. Stronger. More oppressive. Fairy Law wasn't supposed to feel like that, and it certainly wasn't supposed to be dark gold.
But the effect was unmistakable.
"Okay. I've got it."
Kazuma smiled faintly. Locking onto targets with Observation Haki and driving his will through the spell with Conqueror's Haki, he had shaped his own unique version of Fairy Law.
He could probably even try mixing in Armament Haki next time to make it even more destructive.
"You… you learned it in one day?!"
Makarov walked over, still in disbelief.
"I'm a genius. I don't need a year. I don't even need a month. One day's enough... Anyway, I'm starving. Let's go eat."
Kazuma took a few steps, then suddenly remembered something. He turned back, walked over to Makarov, and patted him on the shoulder.
"Old man, your talent's way worse than mine, but don't feel too bad. One month is only thirty times slower than me. Yeah... Only thirty times. Pretty decent, honestly."
He burst out laughing as he walked off. Learning the spell didn't make him nearly as happy as watching Makarov's expression.
And if he'd figured out the trick sooner and synced it with his Haki right away, he might've mastered it in an hour. The thought of Makarov's reaction made him want to laugh all over again.
Makarov followed behind him in a daze, all the way back to the guild, then home, then into bed.
He lay there staring at the ceiling all the way until midnight.
Even in his dreams, the thought popped up again. He bolted upright.
"If I'd known, I would've said one hour instead of one month!"
"No way he could learn it in an hour! That brat… infuriating!"
He buried his face in his hands, full of regret. If he'd been a little bolder, Kazuma wouldn't have been able to show off like this.
There was no way he was getting any sleep tonight.
.
.
.