Five days before the Grand Magic Games, Gray and Ed finally returned to Magnolia in Fiore from the Far North.
"We're finally back."
Gray stretched lazily, speaking with joy.
Compared to three months ago, he was an entirely different person.
His black hair, left unkempt for a long time, was slightly disheveled, and his skin had darkened a bit.
His bare upper body bore a few distinct scars.
Now, Gray exuded a fierce aura, especially after undergoing hellish training.
He could clearly feel that his strength had grown to an indescribable level, which made him very satisfied.
"Yeah, it's just a shame that Noel's training isn't over yet. I wonder if he'll be able to make it in time for the Grand Magic Games." Ed sighed helplessly.
"It's fine, no need to worry. Noel has never let anyone down." Gray chuckled, then muttered to himself, "I wonder how Natsu and the others are doing with their training. Weren't they training by the sea?"
"In that case, why don't we go check on them? It'll be a good opportunity to compare our training results," Ed suggested.
"Sounds like a plan." Gray nodded in agreement.
.............
"Uh... what's going on here?" Gray frowned, looking at the half-dead, dazed group slumped against the rock wall, staring blankly.
"Oh, this? Well, here's the thing..." Troy, standing to the side, shrugged and explained to Gray and Ed what had happened.
The group had been invited to the Celestial Spirit World, but due to the difference in time flow, while they only spent one day there, three months had passed outside.
As a result, their training was completely wasted.
Ed's mouth twitched. "That's... not exactly a funny experience."
Gray was equally speechless.
While secretly relieved that he hadn't fallen into the same trap, he sighed and asked, "So you're saying that for the past three months, you've gained absolutely nothing?"
"Looks like we'll have to rely on the others this time," Levy lamented.
"The gap between me and Lily is just going to get bigger..." Even Happy sounded dejected.
Though, considering the reason, it was hard to say anything.
Suddenly, Erza stood up, clenching her fists, her entire body seemingly igniting with determination.
She declared loudly, "Ohhh! It's not too late to start now! In these five days, we'll undergo hellish training! Get ready—no sleep allowed!"
Just as Erza seemed to be burning with passion, a pigeon suddenly flew over and landed on her head.
Tied to the bird's foot was a small note.
"A pigeon?"
"It looks like there's something tied to its leg."
"A small note... what does it say?"
Curious, everyone gathered around and opened the letter attached to the pigeon's foot.
"To Fairy Tail—come to the ruined suspension bridge at the foot of Mount Xiburnan."
............
"Not a single person here!"
Natsu clenched his fists and complained as they arrived at the ruined suspension bridge at the foot of Mount Xiburnan, following the instructions in the letter.
"Was this just a prank?" Gray said with an annoyed expression.
"Why are you acting like we're here for a fight?" Lucy muttered, watching the two bicker.
Bang!
Just as they were talking, a faint sound suddenly echoed through the area.
The broken suspension bridge in front of them, which had fallen into disrepair over the years, suddenly began to repair itself on its own.
"What the...?"
"The bridge... it's fixing itself?!"
"It's connecting to the other side!"
Watching this mysterious phenomenon unfold, Erza narrowed her eyes slightly and murmured, "Are they telling us to cross?"
"So it really is a trap?" Levy speculated.
Wendy voiced her concern, "I have a bad feeling about this..."
"The best way to figure out what's going on is to go see what they're up to," Ed suggested.
Natsu snorted, "I don't know who's behind this, but let's go find out!"
With everyone in agreement, they cautiously crossed the bridge and ventured into the dense forest on the other side.
After just a few minutes of walking, they spotted three figures standing in the middle of the road ahead.
"Someone's there!" Juvia said seriously.
"Everyone, be careful!"
As Erza, Natsu, Gray, and the others got a clearer look at the figures, their pupils slightly contracted in shock.
"Thank you for coming, Fairy Tail."
The three figures removed their hoods, revealing faces that were all too familiar to the Fairy Tail members—Jellal, Ultear, and Meredy.
"Jellal!" Erza called out in surprise.
"You haven't changed at all, Erza."
Jellal's voice carried a complex emotion as he looked at the red-haired girl.
"I assume you've already heard... about my prison escape."
"Yes." Erza nodded solemnly.
Jellal sighed. "Though it wasn't entirely my own doing."
Ultear spoke up from the side, "It was Melty and I who broke him out of prison."
Meredy added, "I didn't do much. It was basically all Ultear's work."
"Jellal escaped from prison?"
"These guys are from Grimoire Heart..." Natsu recognized Ultear.
Gray held out an arm in front of Natsu, stopping him. "But... hold on. They're not our enemies anymore, right?"
"That's right." Ultear nodded, a hint of sorrow flashing across her face.
In a quiet voice, she said, "In my lifetime, I have committed more sins than I can ever atone for, no matter how long I live. So… at the very least, I want to save those whose lives were ruined because of me… like Jellal."
"There's no need to say more," Jellal interrupted Ultear.
"Both you and I were manipulated and used by darkness. It's all in the past now."
Erza's expression changed slightly. "Jellal, your memories…?"
"I remember everything now, all of it."
Jellal lowered his head and said, "Six years ago, while I was still in prison, my memories returned. Erza… I don't even know how to put it into words…"
Ultear admitted frankly, "The incident with the Tower of Heaven was my fault. I was the one who manipulated Jellal, so don't blame him too much."
"Even so, Jellal was still one of the Ten Wizard Saints back then. If the darkness in his heart hadn't been so deep, you wouldn't have been able to manipulate him so easily," Ed said bluntly.
He had long heard about the past conflict between Noel and Jellal, so naturally, he didn't have a good attitude toward Jellal.
"Yes, which is why I had accepted my fate—to spend the rest of my life in prison… the death sentence. I had come to terms with that outcome until Ultear and Meredy broke me out."
"So, does that mean you've found a purpose to keep living?" Wendy asked curiously.
Jellal was taken aback for a moment.
"Wendy… I suppose the Jellal you knew and I… are not the same person, right?"
"Ah, yes," Wendy nodded apologetically.
"That matter has already been resolved."
"A purpose for living… It's not as noble as it sounds," Jellal said softly.
"We've formed a new guild. It's not a legal guild, nor is it a dark guild—it's an independent guild: Crime Sorciere."
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