Fairy Tail: Collapsing Stars

Chapter 421: Jose: Evan, You Destroyed My Home, Sent Your Disciple to Beat Me, and I Still Owe You a Favor?

”Pfft~”

Accompanied by streams of bright red blood flowers, in the end, only two people were still standing inside the duel circle!

They were Kagura-chan, holding a samurai sword, her long hair scattered down, looking like an evil ghost that had crawled out of hell, and the still elegant Seilah.

”Can we challenge Jose and Zero now?”

Kaguraʼs long hair was scattered down, and her eyes flickered with scarlet killing intent as she looked at the BLACKVOX staff beside her and asked.

”Y-You can...”

How could the BLACKVOX staff have ever seen such a scene? After seeing Kaguraʼs posture, he was immediately startled, then nodded lightly, indicating there was no problem.

”Mm!”

Kagura nodded. She picked up the hairband on the ground that had already been dyed red by blood, tied up her long hair, combed it into a single ponytail in the same style as Mirajaneʼs, then sheathed her samurai sword, her gaze firm.

No matter who stood in front of her today, no one could stop her from passing Fairy Tailʼs S-Class Mage Promotion Trial!

”Kagura-chan, see you later~”

Seilah still looked completely at ease. With her current strength, she indeed had the qualification to be promoted to Fairy Tailʼs S-Class Mage. It was just that her luck was the same as Kaguraʼs, somewhat too unlucky.

”Um, do you know who you are going to fight next?”

”That is Jose Porla, and Zero, the inner personality of former Magic Development Bureau Director Brain!”

”These two fellows both possess Saint-level power!”

”You two beautiful ladies, do you really not need to rest a little?”

The BLACKVOX staff looked at the graceful Kagura and the full and alluring Seilah, his face slightly red. He explained to the two beautiful girls before him the Mages the two would face in a moment.

One had to know that the Mages Seilah and Kagura needed to deal with in a moment were not ordinary people. They were existences standing at the peak of Ishgarʼs magic world! Monsters ranked among the Saints!

”Isnʼt it just a mere Saint? Are they very strong?”

After hearing the staffʼs words, Kagura revealed a puzzled expression.

”I heard Ur say before that on the current list of the Ten Wizard Saints, aside from Brother Evan, who is ranked first among the Ten Wizard Saints, everyone else is there just to make up the numbers...”

Kagura looked at the staff before her and spoke casually.

”Who is so bold as to dare say something like that?”

”One must know that the Ten Wizard Saints are selected by the Magic Council ERA! It has absolute fairness! Mages who can be ranked among the Ten Saints must be powerhouses standing at the very peak of this continent!”

When the staff heard this, his expression suddenly changed. He did not know where Kagura had heard such outrageous words. To actually dare say that the Ten Wizard Saints were all there to make up the numbers was simply unreasonable.

”Huh? But Senior Ur told me that?”

”Right, you should have heard of Senior Urʼs name too, right? After all, she is also ranked on the list of the Ten Wizard Saints...”

After hearing the staffʼs words, Kagura scratched her cheek and looked at the staff in confusion as she asked.

”Hah? Ur...”

”The Ur you mentioned, donʼt tell me itʼs the current fifth-ranked Ten Saint, that Ur of Ice, right?”

The staff first froze after hearing Kaguraʼs words, then thought of something. His expression changed slightly, and cold sweat covered his forehead.

”Yes!”

Kagura nodded lightly, not taking it seriously.

Speaking of which, a few months ago, Ur had finally broken through her barrier and raised her magic power to a nonhuman realm! In other words, Level Nine in Evanʼs system evaluation! It was also after Ur broke through that Warrod, the Magic Council Chairman who had originally been ranked fifth among the Ten Wizard Saints, moved Ur above him...

According to Warrod, even he was no longer a match for the current Ur. After all, he did not know offensive magic and was not good at battle. Even if his magic power was still above Urʼs, against Ur of the same level, he no longer had any usable methods...

”Uh...”

However, Kaguraʼs nonchalance gave the staff a huge shock.

”What exactly is going on with this little girl?! She looks like she completely doesnʼt put the Ten Wizard Saints in her eyes...”

”For the moment, Lady Ur did indeed say that, but I think it must be because Lady Ur is relatively humble, right?”

The staff silently thought in his heart. However, he did not say it in front of Kagura. After all, Kagura was a candidate who would participate in the S-Class Mage exam in a moment. He could not interfere with Kaguraʼs mentality.

”In any case, be careful. If you are no match, immediately surrender. Donʼt force yourself!”

After thinking for a moment, the staff still reminded Kagura.

”Understood~”

Kagura nodded lightly toward the staff, indicating that she understood, then walked straight toward the cell where Jose Porla was imprisoned.

”Ding~”

As Kagura approached, the huge metal door suddenly opened, revealing the appearance inside the metal door! Inside the metal door was an entirely different world. Unlike the technologically advanced Mage prison BLACKVOX, the cell where Jose Porla was imprisoned was filled with flowers and grass, birdsong and floral fragrance...

In the center of this garden was a pavilion. In the courtyard, a middle-aged man dressed in formal attire was sitting on a stone stool, drinking black tea. If one did not look at his face, he did have some elegance. The middle-aged man sitting in the pavilion was Jose Porla.

Unlike those from Dark Mage Guilds, Jose Porla, according to Magesʼ views of good and evil, was strictly speaking not bad. He was only somewhat despicable and eager for quick success. When he was still the Guild Master of Phantom Lord, he was also very active in fighting Dark Mage Guilds...

If one had to say it, Jose was a scum among good people and a good person among villains...

”Oh my~”

”What a cute challenger~”

”I wonder which guildʼs challenger you are?”

Jose sat in his seat and looked at Kagura walking toward him, revealing a kindly smile.

He had already heard of the instructions issued by the Magic Council, asking him to cooperate with the launch of the S-Class Mage Promotion Trial...

At the same time, the higher-ups had already said that as long as he cooperated properly with the exam, they could not only give him a comfortable residence, but also reduce his sentence. As long as he properly accepted reform, perhaps in another three or four years, he could be released after serving his sentence.

Regarding this, Jose Porla was naturally happy to see it happen. He was already impatient to leave this damned place...

”I am Kagura Mikazuchi of the Fairy Tail guild!”

Kaguraʼs expression was calm. She looked at Jose and calmly informed him of her identity.

”Oh?”

Jose, who had originally still had a kind face, suddenly darkened after hearing Kaguraʼs words. The hand holding his teacup made cracking sounds, and in the end, he looked at Kagura with a smile that did not reach his eyes.

”You said you are a Mage of which guild?”

Jose looked at Kagura with blood-red eyes. At this moment, the teacup in his hand had already shattered, and the entire garden was trembling continuously because of the anger in Joseʼs heart.

”Fairy Tail!”

Kagura looked directly at Jose and said calmly.

”Good! Very good...”

Hearing this, Jose revealed a ferocious smile. At the same time, he gently stood up from his seat.

”Since you are a Mage of that guild, presumably when you came to challenge me, you had already prepared yourself!”

”Donʼt worry, I wonʼt kill you. I wonʼt knowingly break the law!”

”But I will definitely give you an experience you will never forget in this life! I will make you feel despair for the rest of your life whenever you hear my name, Jose, and whenever you hear the name of my Phantom Lord!!”

The instant Joseʼs voice fell, endless magic power erupted from his body. The terrifying power nearly caused the weather to change. The flowers and grass in the entire garden suddenly dried and withered the instant they were tainted by that magic power!

Yes, all that kindness was an illusion Jose had acted out. The nature of his magic power exposed his essence. He was still that scum among good people, trash of society.

”Um...”

”Guild Master Jose, perhaps you still do not know, but your Phantom Lord has already disbanded!”

Kagura looked at the crazed Jose and thought for a moment, but still told him the truth.

”What did you say?”

Jose, who had originally still been throwing a tantrum, suddenly restrained his magic power. He looked at Kagura with doubt and asked.

”Your Mage Guild Phantom Lord was disbanded several years ago due to a certain force majeure! There is no longer a guild called Phantom Lord in this world. Only the Mages of your guild remain. You do not need to worry about that. Some of them went to magic academies to become teachers, while others joined other Mage Guilds...”

Kagura looked at Jose and spoke softly.

”No! This isnʼt true...”

”My Phantom!!”

Hearing this, Jose held his head, directly knelt on the ground, and wailed in pain. He had dedicated everything he had to Phantom Lord, but now he was told that his guild had disbanded. What kind of joke was this?!

In truth, although most of Phantom Lordʼs Mages had also been imprisoned, because the cells in BLACKVOX were all single rooms, and Joseʼs was even a single room among single rooms, he fundamentally could not meet these Phantom Lord members in daily life...

Moreover, ever since Phantom Lord disbanded, no one had come to BLACKVOX to visit Jose again. In other words, Joseʼs source of information about the outside world had long since been cut off.

”Who...”

Jose held his head and knelt on the ground, wailing for dozens of minutes before he slowly recovered.

”Kagura, tell me!”

”Who was it? Just who was it...”

Jose looked at Kagura with a fierce light in his eyes and asked viciously.

”Hm?”

Kagura raised her brows slightly. She seemed unable to understand what Jose meant.

”I mean...”

”Who exactly destroyed my guild...”

Jose gritted his teeth. He hated the person who had destroyed his beloved guild to death.

Jose swore that as long as he left this prison, no matter who had destroyed his Phantom Lord, he would make the other party pay the price!!

”Ah? Mm...”

”The official statement is that Phantom Lord encountered an attack from a Dark Mage Guild!”

After hearing Joseʼs words, Kagura turned her head away.

Of course Kagura knew the truth behind Phantomʼs destruction, but she believed she should not create too many enemies for Fairy Tail. After all, Fairy Tail did not have Saint-level strength per capita...

Although with Joseʼs strength, he was fundamentally unworthy of being Fairy Tailʼs enemy.

As for whether Jose would attack the weaker members of the guild, Kagura actually did not need to care. After all, the relatively weaker members of Fairy Tail basically would not travel far for jobs...

It would be very difficult for Jose to find an opportunity to ambush them, and as for those guild members who swaggered around the continent of Ishgar without restraint, Jose could not beat a single one of them...

”Oh? A Dark Mage Guild capable of attacking our Phantom Lord, and even destroying Phantom Lord...”

Joseʼs eyes narrowed slightly, falling into thought.

”Is that so? So thatʼs how it is...”

”It was probably Grimoire Heart and Tartaros who acted, right?”

Jose had an answer in his heart. Yes, looking across the entire continent of Ishgar, the only ones who could act against their Phantom Lord were presumably the two Dark Mage Guilds Tartaros and Grimoire Heart.

”Exactly!”

Kagura nodded lightly. Since Jose had already imagined everything himself, then it just happened to save her from wasting more words.

”Damn Grimoire Heart and Tartaros!”

Jose frowned tightly. Of course he knew Grimoire Heart and Tartaros, these two Dark Mage Guilds that were known as the most mysterious and strongest Dark Mage Guilds on the continent of Ishgar! If relying only on himself, it would indeed be difficult to defeat these two powerful Dark Mage Guilds. In Joseʼs eyes, if one wanted to defeat Tartaros or Grimoire Heart, at least three to five Saints would need to act together to have a chance of victory.

”Senior Jose, you do not need to think too much about Tartaros and Grimoire Heart...”

”Because they have already been destroyed by our Fairy Tail~”

Kagura looked at Jose and spoke with a cheerful smile.

At this moment, Kagura was no longer the laughable little white rabbit from before. She was entirely a naughty little fox...

It could only be said that after staying in Fairy Tail for a long time, Kagura had gradually begun to become like Fairy Tail.

”What!?”

”Grimoire Heart and Tartaros were destroyed by your Fairy Tail?”

”So thatʼs how it is. Did that monster Evan take action?”

Jose was first surprised by Kaguraʼs words, then he thought of something and revealed some helplessness and a bitter smile.

”Hehe...” Kagura looked at Joseʼs appearance and chuckled softly. She secretly thought, ”Of course Tartaros and Grimoire Heart were destroyed by Brother Evan. Even your Phantom Lord was destroyed by Brother Evan~”

However, Kagura did not say it. She was afraid that if she told Jose, Jose would not be able to withstand such a cruel blow...

”I will never be able to defeat Evan in this life!”

”I admit that if compared to Evan, I am inferior to him...”

Joseʼs expression was helpless. He placed his hands behind his back, his gaze complicated, and his expression emotional.

He had taken over Phantom Lord from his predecessor. At that time, he still remembered that his teacher had only said one sentence to him: destroy Fairy Tail! Yes, their Phantom Lord and the Fairy Tail guild were old enemies!

As a result, what Jose had not expected was that he had not destroyed Fairy Tail, but their Phantom Lord had suffered disaster first! The affairs of the world were truly hard to predict!

”Forget it! What happened in the past is already in the past. Iʼm already too lazy to think about it!”

”Kagura, make your move! Let me see the strength of your Fairy Tail guild~”

”Speaking of which, Phantom was destroyed by Tartaros and Grimoire Heart, and Tartaros and Grimoire Heart were destroyed by Evan! In that case, I still owe your Fairy Tail a favor! Today, just in time...”

Joseʼs expression was bitter. Now that Phantom had already disbanded, he no longer wanted to get involved in the struggle between Phantom and Fairy, because everything had already lost meaning.

”You do not need to repay this favor through me! It was Brother Evan who helped avenge you, so you should wait until one day and repay Brother Evan~”

Kagura interrupted Joseʼs words. She shook her head lightly and stopped Joseʼs intention to repay her.

”Hm?!”

Hearing this, Joseʼs expression froze slightly, then he smiled helplessly.

”That is fine too...”

Jose nodded lightly. Just as Kagura said, since Evan had helped Phantom, then he should naturally repay Evan properly. Although Jose emphasized using unscrupulous means when doing things, he was still not so shameless as to owe someone a favor and not repay it.

”...”

At this moment, Kagura was like a little fox, crazily holding back laughter. As a Fairy Tail fun-seeker, she was already impatient to see what expression Jose would have when he left prison and learned that Phantom had been destroyed by Evan?! In any case, it was an expression that made one look forward to it very much...

”Since that is the case, be careful. Donʼt look at me like this, I am still, after all, one of the Ten Wizard...”

Jose then looked toward Kagura. His expression was calm, and his hands were behind his back. He stood with his hands behind him, looking just like a grandmaster.

Only, before Joseʼs words could finish, a huge shoe sole rapidly approached Jose, becoming larger and larger in his eyes.

”What?”

Before Jose could think too much, that shoe sole enhanced with pitch-black Armament Haki landed on his face.

”Bang!”

Accompanied by a soft sound, Jose was directly sent flying backward, smashing through a patch of flowers and grass behind him.

”This guy is weaker than I imagined...”

Kagura looked at Jose, whom she had sent flying, her eyes carrying some disbelief. She originally thought Jose would be very strong. At the very least, he should have been able to dodge that attack just now.

”Damn it! Just now, I was careless! Next time, I will not be hit by you...”

On the other side, Jose, whose posturing had failed, stood up from the ground. He first patted the dust off his body, then coughed lightly twice, still maintaining a grandmaster-like posture.

”Buzz~”

However, Kagura fundamentally could not be bothered with Jose. At this moment, she was fully focused on gathering the magic power around her onto the samurai sword in her hand. Accompanied by waves of powerful gravity fluctuations, the space around Kagura gradually distorted...

”Hm?!”

Jose looked at the terrifying gravity wave before him, and cold sweat instantly covered his forehead.

”T-This move is...”

Joseʼs face was full of panic. He would not remember wrong. The move before him was clearly the move of Evan Belserion! Its name was...

”Gravity Blade: Raging Tiger!”

With a wave of Kaguraʼs hand, a purple-brown fierce tiger formed around Kagura and roared as it attacked Jose.

”Roar!!”

That fierce tiger roared and howled. The terrifying roar made Joseʼs face full of panic.

”Not good...”

Jose hurriedly circulated his magic power, intending to withstand it. However, because his hands had been behind his back the entire time, he fundamentally did not have time to pull them back to cast magic.

”Boom!!”

Before Jose could think too much, accompanied by a roar, his entire body was directly swallowed by this huge torrent of gravity! The terrifying gravity made Joseʼs body emit creaking sounds, and his eyes instantly rolled back!

”Uh...”

”Damn it, this little girl is Evanʼs disciple!”

”He actually sent his disciple to beat me? As expected, I cannot have even the slightest goodwill toward Evan...”

”Hold on!”

Jose clenched his teeth. He was working hard to struggle against this gravity.

In order not to lose face before the girl, even if he had to risk his life, he had to endure it!

Of course, this was also because Kaguraʼs Gravity Blade was not powerful enough. If it were Evanʼs Gravity Blade, Jose would already have died without a burial place by now...

”Itʼs not over yet!”

”Directly taught by Bluenote!”

”Super Gravity Sword!!”

Just as Jose finally managed to survive the bite of the fierce tiger, Kagura had already gotten close to Jose.

”Crap!”

Jose looked at Kagura, who had instantly arrived before him, and his pupils trembled slightly.

”Buzz!”

However, before Jose could think too much, Kaguraʼs gravity sword had already landed heavily on his body.

”Pfft...”

Jose was struck by the gravity sword, and blood instantly sprayed from his mouth. This time, he really could not withstand it.

”Crap! I was careless and didnʼt dodge!”

Joseʼs final thought before fainting was that he had been careless. He had been fooled by Kaguraʼs age. Kagura was clearly a Mage at the same level as him, and her magic power was even above his! Because Jose was careless for a moment, after eating two of Kaguraʼs moves directly, his eyes rolled back and he completely fainted.

”Winner, Kagura Mikazuchi!”

At the instant Jose fainted, the BLACKVOX staff let out a shocked shout and announced the winner of this S-Class Mage exam.

”Jose Porla, one of the legendary Ten Wizard Saints, isnʼt that strong either~”

Just after the staff announced Jose Porlaʼs defeat, Kagura frowned, looking at the fallen Jose in dissatisfaction.

”If I had known earlier, I would have told him the truth about Phantom Lordʼs destruction...”

”Forget it! It doesnʼt make much difference now anyway...”

”Speaking of which, I wonder how Seilahʼs side is doing?”

Kagura looked at the fallen Jose and shook her head, then turned and walked out of Joseʼs cell.

”Oh my~”

”It looks like you finished things on your side too~”

Just after Kagura walked out of Joseʼs cell, she saw Seilah.

At this moment, Seilah was wearing a fitted modified kimono and wooden clogs as she stood outside Joseʼs cell, leaning against the wall!

She seemed to have been waiting here for Kagura for quite some time, and she softly greeted Kagura.

”Mm! Joseʼs strength was not as strong as I imagined...”

”How was Zero on your side?”

Kagura held her samurai sword and looked at Seilah as she asked.

”Extremely weak~”

Seilah recalled briefly, then gave her answer.

”Natsu and the others probably wonʼt wake up in three days anyway. Why donʼt we switch opponents?”

Kagura thought for a moment and looked at Seilah as she asked.

She had not entered the Saint domain for long, so she was incomparably looking forward to sparring and fighting with experts of the same level...

”Alright~”

After hearing Kaguraʼs words, Seilah nodded lightly, expressing agreement.

Thus...

Kagura and Seilah switched opponents. The two waited respectively in front of Zeroʼs and Joseʼs cells.

”Uh...”

”Um, for the S-Class Mage Promotion Trial, actually, as long as you defeat either Jose or Zero, it counts as passing! The two of you do not need to continue challenging others...”

Just as Kagura and Seilah decided to switch opponents, the BLACKVOX staff immediately stepped forward and reminded them.

Yes, the staff thought Kagura and Seilah had misunderstood the exam rules.

”We know the rules! We simply want to find someone to vent on...”

”What, is there any rule that says you cannot challenge repeatedly?”

”I remember the rule is that people who fail the challenge will have a one-year buffer period. In other words, people who succeed in the challenge can challenge as many times as they want, right?”

Kagura and Seilah looked at the staff and asked.

”Uh? It seems that really is the case...”

The staff froze. He flipped through the rulebook and discovered that it really was just as Kagura and Seilah said.

”Then isnʼt that fine?”

Kagura and Seilah looked at each other. They directly waited for Jose and Zero inside the rooms to finish resting.

Three days later...

”Uh...”

Jose finally sat up from the ground. Kagura had been too ruthless. During these three days, he had been unconscious the entire time.

It seemed precisely because Warrod had considered this point that he had given Jose and Zero three days of rest time! After all, Jose and Zero, while unconscious, could not conduct assessments for others.

”Oh my~ Youʼre awake?”

Just as Jose slowly opened his eyes, he discovered that at some point, an extraordinarily beautiful woman with a full figure had appeared inside his cell.

”You are?”

Jose narrowed his eyes slightly and looked warily at the beauty before him as he asked.

”Who I am is not important. What is important is that you are awake~”

Seilah looked at the awakened Jose, gently closed the storybook in her hand, and smiled sweetly at Jose.

”What do you mean?”

Jose felt his heart tremble. A bad premonition suddenly rose in his heart.

”Since you are awake, then please continue lying down!”

”I now give you an order. Use your strongest magic to attack yourself~”

Just as Jose was confused, Seilah stretched out her alluring red lips, lightly licked the corner of her mouth, and commanded Jose.

”What kind of joke are you making? How could I listen to such a bizarre order from you?”

Jose felt that the woman before him must be insane. His expression was cold, and his gaze was disdainful.

However, before Jose could finish speaking, his body moved...

”Death Storm!!”

Cold sweat flowed wildly from Joseʼs forehead. He did not know what had happened to him either. He only saw himself release his strongest magic toward the sky! Countless undead flew into the sky! Then countless undead circled in the sky and attacked him.

”Boom!”

Accompanied by a roar, the invincible Jose fell again.

”How obedient~”

Seilah looked at the fallen Jose and revealed a bewitching smile.

Although Jose said no, no, his body was very honest~