Chapter 6: The Fight Ends, Sudden Riches Start With Crushing Debt
As Makarov wailed in heartbreak, the surrounding onlookers finally took in the horrific scene.
The entire street had been torn apart. Huge slabs of stone jutted up everywhere, and nearby houses were wobbling on the verge of collapse. Residents stumbled out in a rush, grateful to be alive. After seeing the destruction, some began crying on the spot. Others had already identified the culprit behind the disaster.
"Fairy Tail! Again! Are you trying to destroy this town?!"
With neat European-style buildings reduced to a war-torn ruin, the townspeople grew even angrier and surrounded Makarov.
"Guild Master Makarov, we know you're one of the Ten Wizard Saints, and we know you're the master of Fairy Tail. Your status may be noble, but that's not a reason to smash our homes! You must take responsibility for rebuilding!"
"And the street!"
"And compensation! My entire interior is ruined!"
"If you don't pay, we'll report you to the Council!"
Hearing the accusations, Makarov knew he was in the wrong. Wiping sweat, he shouted, "Everyone, rest assured! I will take full responsibility for repairs. Your losses will be compensated at fair value. Now please come this way so we can record the damages. Wakaba! Macao! Get over here and help!"
With Makarov's statement, the crowd's fury gradually cooled. With the help of the other wizards, the damages were slowly calculated.
"House repairs… street reconstruction… furniture repairs… injury treatment…" Macao's face turned pale as he added it up. "Master… it's done. This number is… really big…"
Makarov clutched his chest and spoke with difficulty. "Say it… I'm ready…"
Macao grit his teeth. "Total compensation required is 23.5 million J!"
"Gah!" Makarov's eyes rolled back and he collapsed, fainting on the spot.
"Master!!"
As the townspeople collected their compensation one by one, Makarov stared at the rapidly shrinking guild funds, grief tearing through him.
"That was my retirement money! Ren! Look at what you've done!" Makarov roared at the biggest offender.
Ren had already recovered from the earlier panic and was even thinking about what he'd done wrong. Hearing Makarov's shout, he snapped back and tried to comfort him.
"Alright, old man, don't think too much. It was my first time using that move on a street. When I tested it before, it was always up in the mountains. I didn't realize it would affect the surrounding houses. I'll be more careful next time."
Ren tilted his head, thought again, then added, "As for the compensation… I really can't pay it right now. Please cover it for me, Guild Master. I'll work hard and pay you back!"
Ren bowed deeply to Makarov.
Seeing Ren's attitude, Makarov's anger gradually faded. "Pay it back? Do you even understand how much twenty-something million J is? Even S-Class jobs only pay a few million, and you're not even S-Class."
Makarov sighed at the sight of the treasury, then continued, "You don't have to carry all of it alone. As guild master, I'm also responsible for failing to manage you properly. I'll pay 5 million J. The remaining 18.5 million J will be covered by you and Gray. Since the main responsibility is yours, you'll pay 15 million. Gray will pay the remaining 3.5 million. Any objections?"
"Yes! Thank you very much!" Gray and Ren snapped to attention and shouted in unison.
Once the three had settled the compensation, the other guild members finally swarmed in to review the fight.
Everyone had an opinion.
"Hahahaha! That was pathetic, droopy-eyes. You actually said, Are you trying to kill me? Hahahaha! You didn't get scared so hard you wet yourself, did you? Huh? Hahahahaha!"
"Natsu, you bastard!!"
Ice and fire stayed calm for less than a few minutes before they started going at each other again.
"Ren, you were amazing. That punch just now was insane. How did you hit that hard? Aren't you a spatial magic user?" Levy asked, spotting the oddity.
"Huh? Oh, that's a magic power burst technique. I call it the Monstrous Strength Technique. How about it, awesome, right? Want to become my student? I can teach you," Ren said casually, still replaying the fight in his head.
Levy fell into thought. In her mind, she saw herself punching mountains apart, ripping the earth open with a kick, protecting her teammates with one hand, invincible in the world.
The mental image was so ridiculous she forcibly shut it down. "N-no thanks. I still need more practice with my Letter Magic. I don't have the energy to learn this right now…"
"Ren! Even though you won, your biggest mistake was failing to pay attention to your surroundings. You used high-powered magic recklessly. If you run into a situation like this again, you must carefully consider the environment and how much damage your magic will cause," Erza said sternly, clearly dissatisfied.
"Big sis, if you and Ren end up together someday, his strength seems kind of dangerous," Lisanna teased.
"W-who would end up with him?! Don't talk nonsense!" Mirajane snapped, flustered. "Ugh! Teasing your own sister… you need discipline, Lisanna!"
"Ah! Save me, Natsu!" Lisanna cried out.
"If big sis really ends up with him… could I learn that technique too?" Elfman muttered under his breath, but no one heard him.
Amid the guild's nonstop noise, the day quickly turned into night. Back in the dorm, Ren finally had some quiet to think.
"First, I still lack precise offensive moves. Monstrous Strength is strong, but in a real fight I might not have time to charge it, and the destructive power is honestly too much. I don't want to end up like Natsu and the others, spending most mission rewards on compensation every time…"
Ren did his daily training while thinking about techniques that could be more controlled and accurate.
"A spiraling sphere should work. It's basically a matching technique anyway. I don't know if I can recreate the Five Elements techniques, but if I can, I'll have more options in battle. Forget it. One step at a time. I'll start with the spiraling sphere."
By the time training ended, Ren had decided his next direction.
Make the sphere.
"Alright, sleep, sleep. I came here to earn money and buy a house, but before I even buy one, I'm already tens of millions in debt. So I guess I'm a multi-million debtor now. Getting rich starts with getting massively in debt." Ren laughed at his own joke as he lay down.