"Can I take Aria with me?"

After chatting briefly with Marco and Makarov, Totomaru glanced at Aria lying on the ground—the burly man was already barely breathing, more exhaling than inhaling.

"This guy would ask Jose to take you down, and you still want to take him back?"

Marco looked at Totomaru with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"We were colleagues once. I just want a clear conscience." Totomaru sighed.

He couldn't bring himself to leave Aria behind.

Taking Aria, Sol, and Gajeel back would be the last thing he did for Phantom Lord.

After this, he could hold his head high and say he had never betrayed Phantom Lord—no one could argue otherwise.

"This guy..." Marco narrowed his eyes at Aria, his killing intent palpable.

"You can take him, but I'll report his actions today to the Magic Council. He won't escape the punishment he deserves."

Before Marco could speak, Makarov cut in.

Totomaru fell silent for a moment before nodding in resignation.

Aria's final act of madness had indeed gone too far.

They had come to challenge Marco, not to slaughter indiscriminately.

Buzz!

Marco released Sol from his icy prison.

The man had been frozen stiff, his body rigid and temporarily immobilized.

Four people in total—three adults and one child.

Totomaru carried two under his arms, while Gajeel, who had regained consciousness, saved him some trouble.

Totomaru couldn't make decisions for Gajeel either.

The boy refused to stay, his terrified gaze fixed on Marco as if staring at a devil.

He absolutely refused to remain in Fairy Tail.

"Look at how badly you scared him." Makarov shook his head in exasperation.

He had seen Marco's methods firsthand—they were bound to leave deep psychological scars on the boy.

"Some people need a few hard slaps to wake up." Marco spoke calmly, unbothered.

He saw no issue with his actions.

Friends were welcomed with wine, but wolves were met with rifles.

How could he afford to be soft on enemies who came looking for trouble?

So what if Gajeel was just a kid?

If anything, Marco was still a kid himself!

Trembling, Gajeel followed Totomaru away, a far cry from the arrogant brat who had arrived earlier.

He seemed like a completely different person.

The Scarlet Needle 'Personality Corrector' truly lived up to its name.

This experience would undoubtedly leave a mark on Gajeel's personality—whether for better or worse remained to be seen.

But Marco figured it couldn't be worse than the influence Phantom Lord had on him.

With Totomaru's departure, Phantom Lord's challenge ended in failure.

The onlookers cheered in delight, the citizens of Magnolia swelling with pride.

The reporters were thrilled, too—this was another juicy story to write.

The ongoing saga between Marco, Jose Porla and Phantom Lord was like a never-ending drama, providing endless material.

Of course, Marco's new work, The Great Detective Holmes, had also caused quite a stir, with many clamoring for interviews.

But Marco had no time for them.

He was busy with missions.

"Juvia..."

Watching the newcomer Juvia surrounded by several girls, Marco glanced at his mission panel with a complicated expression.

This was the quest triggered during the previous battle against the Element Three.

[Quest Name: "Defeat the Element Four!"

Quest Content:

The bastards of Phantom Lord launched a sneak attack without honor.

The "Element Four" are coming—powerful and versatile, they've caused considerable trouble.

Defeat them single-handedly and show them the might of Fairy Tail!

Quest Progress:

Defeat the Elements Four.

"Element of Air" Aria: 1/1 (Completed)

"Element of Earth" Sol: 1/1 (Completed)

"Element of Fire" Totomaru: 1/1 (Completed)

"Element of Water" Juvia: 0/1 (Incomplete)

Reward: Random Silver Saint Cloth.]

Looking at the "Element of Water" Juvia in the quest log, Marco locked onto his target without hesitation.

No need to think—it had to be the 'Rain Woman' Juvia, whom he had brought back to Fairy Tail.

Both her abilities and name matched.

Moreover, upon reflection, the village elder had mentioned that he had also issued a request to Phantom Lord.

Their village was close to Phantom Lord's territory, so it made sense they'd take the job.

'In other words, if I hadn't intervened, Juvia would have been taken by Phantom Lord, turning the Elements Three into the Elements Four.'

That seemed perfectly logical—not something the system would fabricate.

Marco accepted this reasoning.

After all, that was just another timeline.

In his reality, Juvia was already one of them.

Just moments ago, Aria had stamped Fairy Tail's emblem onto Juvia's left thigh—a water-blue mark matching the color of her hair.

Juvia Lockser had officially become a member of Fairy Tail.

"The problem is, how am I supposed to defeat her?" Marco hissed through his teeth, feeling a headache coming on.

If Juvia were an enemy, it might have been simpler.

But she was an ally—and he knew full well Juvia didn't even use magic for combat.

How was he supposed to defeat her?

"Alright, all registered! Take Juvia to the dorms and have Granny Hilda help her settle in."

After completing the paperwork, Aria smiled at Erza, Cana, Levy, and Wendy, instructing them to escort their new sister to the dormitory, where the dorm supervisor, Granny Hilda, would handle the rest.

"Got it, Sister Aria!" Erza eagerly took the lead.

She glanced at the timid Juvia and boldly snatched the bag from her hands—so abruptly that Juvia flinched.

But Juvia was obedient.

The moment Erza grabbed it, she let go of it without resistance, showing no intention of fighting over it.

"Erza, be gentler!" Cana and Levy both scold her.

Erza was always so brash—energetic and straightforward, but also prone to startling others.

Especially shy girls like Wendy, who had often been frightened by Erza's whirlwind energy when she first arrived.

"Juvia, what kind of magic do you use?"

Wendy stood beside Juvia and asked softly.

For some reason, Wendy seemed to find some common ground with Juvia—both of them appeared a bit timid.

Juvia's hunched posture and nervous demeanor were too obvious, reminding Wendy of herself when she first joined the guild.

"Marco said it's water magic, but I still don't know how to use it..."

Looking at the curious and adorable little Wendy, Juvia overcame her fear and quietly answered Wendy's question in a soft voice.

Wendy's noticeably younger age made Juvia lower her guard considerably.

This child was just too lovable.

"Are you two whispering to mosquitoes or something?"

Carla, listening nearby, rolled her eyes and couldn't help but snark.

With Juvia's arrival, Wendy had finally found a kindred spirit.

The two of them huddled together, murmuring like a pair of buzzing mosquitoes.

"I-I'm sorry!"

Carla's remark immediately made Juvia apologize.

Juvia kept sneaking glances at Carla, clearly fascinated by this upright, talking cat.

"No need to apologize, geez. You should be more confident too, don't end up like Wendy here!"

Carla rubbed her face, feeling utterly exhausted.

It was like talking to a second Wendy.

Would Wendy turn out like this in a few years? Please, no!

"Uu~ Sorry, Carla, I'll try harder..."

Carla's words not only made Juvia bow her head even lower but also prompted Wendy to apologize, feeling like she'd let Carla down.

"...Honestly, you two are hopeless." Carla took a deep breath, telling herself not to get worked up.

"Carla! Fish!"

However, before Carla could calm down, a blue cat suddenly darted in front of her, holding a fish.

"Go away!" Carla's fur bristled as she hissed at the blue cat.

"Aye?" Happy froze, utterly confused.

"Carla's got quite the sharp tongue."

Marco walked over, scooping Happy up and placing him on his shoulder before teasing the flustered Carla.

"He's the annoying one here!" Carla pouted at Marco.

"Aye! Does Carla not like fish?!"

Perched on Marco's shoulder, Happy finally processed the situation.

But he didn't think Carla was annoyed at him—he assumed she just didn't like fish, which left him a little dejected.

"Carla's a proper lady who prefers tea and cake. Of course she wouldn't like raw fish, you dummy."

Marco turned his head and chuckled at Happy on his shoulder.

Happy's expression remained clueless—he'd only just learned to speak, so understanding these nuances was still a bit tough for him.

Still, this little guy had barely mastered speech and was already trying to impress female cats with fish offerings.

Getting scolded didn't deter him at all—quite the natural "simp cat."

Going down the wrong path at such a tender age.

Marco sighed inwardly before setting Happy down, watching as the little cat scampered off to find Natsu.

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