Chapter 283: Expulsion
Crocus Gardens, Sabertooth's Lodging Inn
The night air in Crocus was crisp and cool, carrying the faint scent of blooming night-flowers, but inside the luxurious suite occupied by the Sabertooth Guild, the atmosphere was heavy enough to crush bone.
The room was expansive, decorated with opulent velvet drapes and gold-trimmed furniture that screamed wealth and prestige. Yet, for all its grandeur, it felt like a execution chamber.
All members of Sabertooth, the guild currently reigning as the strongest in Fiore, were gathered here.
They stood in rigid formation, hands clasped tightly behind their backs, their postures stiff. These were the elites—Mages who had clawed their way to the top through sheer power.
In Sabertooth, strength was the only currency; there was no room for the weak, no open doors for the mediocre.
Unlike Fairy Tail, which welcomed strays and dreamers like a family, Sabertooth was a finely honed weapon, and its members were the edges of a blade.
But tonight, that blade was dull.
"You're not worth sympathy at all... I can't even squeeze out a single tear for you incompetence. You bunch of absolute trash!!"
The voice boomed through the hall, laced with magic power that made the windows rattle in their frames.
"Think back carefully on why we stand at the pinnacle of Mage Guilds! Why we are the kings of this era! Do you think it is because we hold hands and sing songs? No! It is because we dominate!"
Master Jiemma, a towering figure of muscle and tyranny, paced back and forth before his subordinates. His aura was a suffocating blanket of rage.
"Don't look at the ants around you! Don't waste time talking to the debris! Just crush them directly! That is your only purpose!" Jiemma roared, his eyes bloodshot. "What we need to focus on are much more significant things... Absolute dominance! Unquestionable superiority!"
He stopped, turning to face the trembling group, his fist clenched.
"Shake the heavens! Boil the earth! Silence the sea! That is Sabertooth!"
The guild members flinched collectively as his voice rose to a crescendo.
"But now look... look at what the 'strongest' Sabertooth has become?!" Jiemma's voice dropped to a terrifyingly low growl. "Last place! Actually last place in the rankings!!"
He snatched a bunch of grapes from a silver platter on the nearby table. The fruit, luscious and expensive, was crushed instantly in his grip, purple juice dripping down his hand like blood.
"What a laughable number! You trash!!"
Splat!
He hurled the crushed remains onto the marble floor. The sound echoed like a gunshot in the silent room.
"Only two days have passed in the Grand Magic Games, and the once-lofty Sabertooth has fallen to becoming a laughingstock for the entire kingdom! I can hear the whispers of the insects outside! They mock us!"
Jiemma's chest heaved. "I'm too embarrassed to even go out and see people! My pride is being dragged through the mud by your failures!"
His gaze snapped to the Twin Dragons.
"Sting."
Sting Eucliffe, the White Dragon Slayer, stiffened. A bead of cold sweat rolled down his temple. "Here, Master."
"I'll give you one last chance. Do not let such a mess happen again. If you fail to secure a victory that washes away this stain... do not bother returning."
"Y-Yes, sir!" Sting replied, his voice tight.
Jiemma's eyes shifted, landing on the white-haired girl standing near the edge of the formation.
"Yukino."
Yukino Agria flinched as if struck. She stepped forward, her head bowed low, her hands trembling slightly at her sides. "Here, Jiemma-sama."
"For you... there is no room for excuses. You should understand that, right?"
The air in the room seemed to drop several degrees.
"Yes," Yukino whispered, her voice breaking. "I lost to someone from another guild... to Kagura-sama of Mermaid Heel... and I tarnished Sabertooth's reputation. I wagered my life and..."
She didn't get to finish.
Jiemma snatched another heavy bunch of grapes from the table. With a violent swing of his arm, he smashed them directly onto Yukino's head.
Smack!
"Guh!" Yukino gasped, stumbling back.
Purple juice splattered over her pristine white hair and ran down her face, staining her skin and clothes. The grapes burst on impact, some rolling across the floor. It was a humiliating, degrading strike.
"That's not what I'm talking about!!" Jiemma roared, looming over her. "You lost even after betting your life! You threw away your dignity as a member of this guild on a gamble you couldn't win! And what's more... you were actually pitied by the enemy! She spared you! She looked down on you and let you live!"
Jiemma's face was twisted in disgust. "We are Sabertooth! We do not accept pity! A slave belonging to another guild has absolutely no right to be in Sabertooth! You are filth!"
He pointed a finger at her, his judgment final.
"Take off your clothes!"
The command hung in the air, cruel and absolute.
Yukino's eyes widened in horror. She looked up at the Master, tears welling in her eyes. "M-Master...?"
"Did you not hear me? Strip! You are not worthy of wearing the crest of this guild! Scrub it from your existence!"
"Understood..." Yukino choked out, her spirit shattering. "I shall obey your command."
With trembling fingers, she reached for the clasp of her cloak. Her hands shook so violently she fumbled with the buttons. The room was deathly silent; the only sound was the rustle of fabric and Yukino's suppressed sobs.
She let the cloak fall. Then her top. Then her skirt.
Piece by piece, she exposed herself to the cold air and the judgmental eyes of the guild. She stood there, completely naked, her pale skin covered in goosebumps, the grape juice staining her face and neck like a mark of shame. There was no eroticism here, only a brutal, clinical stripping of human dignity. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to hide, trying to disappear.
Rogue closed his eyes, unable to watch the degradation of a comrade. Rufus tipped his wide-brimmed hat down, shadowing his eyes. Even Orga looked away. The other members stared straight ahead, their faces masks of indifference, though deep down, fear had taken root in their hearts.
"Remove the guild mark," Jiemma ordered coldly, pointing to the blue tiger crest on her abdomen.
Yukino's body trembled uncontrollably. "Yes..."
She channeled her magic power, directing it toward the skin of her stomach. It was a painful process, unbinding the magical contract. The blue crest glowed faintly, then began to dissolve into particles of light.
"Although my time here was short..." Yukino sobbed, tears streaming freely down her cheeks now. "I still want to thank you... for taking care of me."
"Get the hell out of here, trash!" Jiemma spat. "You pollute my sight!"
Yukino gathered her clothes in a bundle, clutching them to her chest to cover her nakedness, and turned to run. She fled the room, her bare feet slapping against the cold marble, leaving behind the place that had been her home, now her hell.
Jiemma watched her go with a scoff, then turned back to the remaining members.
"You lot! Listen well! I don't want to see another disgraceful performance like today's in the upcoming matches! Go and reverse the score immediately! Crush them! Kill them if you must! Understood?!"
"Understood!!" The guild roared back, fear driving their voices.
"Meeting adjourned!"
Outside, the night had deepened. The streets of Crocus were quiet, a stark contrast to the turbulence inside the Sabertooth members' minds.
Sting walked with his hands in his pockets, his usual arrogance slowly returning as a defense mechanism.
"Our Master really does things in an extreme way," Sting complained, kicking a pebble across the cobblestones. "Scaring the hell out of everyone."
Lector, the maroon Exceed perched on his shoulder, nodded vigorously. "It can't be helped, Sting-kun. This is the way of survival for the strongest guild. Weakness is a disease! We have to cut it out!"
Sting sighed. "I guess. We've won championship after championship, but one bad day and we're treated like garbage."
"Frosh feels so lonely," a small voice murmured.
Frosch, in his pink frog suit, walked beside Rogue, looking downcast. The scene with Yukino had terrified the little Exceed.
Rogue Cheney walked in silence for a long time, his face shadowed. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and contemplative.
"Sting... Is this really a 'guild'?"
"Ah?" Sting looked over, confused. "What do you mean?"
"Yukino was once our comrade," Rogue said, stopping under the light of a streetlamp. "We ate together. We fought together. And just like that... she was erased."
Sting shrugged, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of unease. "But she disappeared because of a lack of strength. That's the rule, Rogue. There's no helping it; survival of the fittest is exactly the Law of survival for the strongest guild. If we lose, we're out. That's why we don't lose."
Rogue didn't reply immediately. He looked at the moon, partially obscured by clouds. He knew this model was wrong. It felt hollow. A guild was supposed to be more than just a collection of the strong; it was supposed to be a bond. But in Sabertooth, bonds were considered weaknesses.
"Speaking of which," Lector piped up, trying to lighten the mood. "It seems the Young Miss is going to take Yukino-san's place in the team."
Sting's eyes lit up. "Ohh? Minerva-sama is joining? Well, doesn't that complete the strongest five-man team? With her, we're invincible!"
Lector and Sting continued walking forward, their confidence artificially restored.
Behind them, Frosch tugged on Rogue's pant leg.
"Rogue..." Frosch's large eyes were filled with tears. "Will Frosh also disappear because I'm too weak?"
Rogue's heart clenched. He crouched down, gently patting the little Exceed's head.
"You won't disappear, Frosch," Rogue said softly, a rare, gentle smile gracing his lips. "Because I'll be with you. I won't let anyone take you."
"Mm," Frosch sniffled, hugging Rogue's leg. "Frosh won't disappear."
Fairy Tail's Lodging Hotel - "Honeybone" Pub
In stark contrast to the cold, silent halls of Sabertooth, the pub occupied by Fairy Tail was an explosion of noise, warmth, and life.
"Cheers—!!"
Wooden tankards clashed together, spilling ale and foam everywhere. The entire guild was packed into the bar, celebrating the day's miraculous victory.
"Haha! We swept first and second place! How satisfying is that!!" Macao Conbolt shouted, his face flushed red with drink.
"So satisfying—!!" Wakaba cheered back, blowing a ring of smoke that turned into a happy face.
"To Elfman! To Mira!"
"To the manliest comeback ever!"
For seven long, agonizing years, they had been the laughingstock of Fiore. They had been last place, mocked, spit on, and disregarded. But today—today changed everything.
Ren sat at a corner table, a faint smile playing on his lips as he swirled the amber liquid in his glass. He watched the chaos with a sense of deep satisfaction.
"You look pleased with yourself, Ren," Gray remarked, sliding into the seat opposite him. Gray was already half-stripped, his shirt missing somewhere in the crowd.
"I am," Ren replied, clinking his glass against Gray's. "The wind has shifted. Can you feel it?"
"Yeah," Gray grinned. "Today... seeing Elfman beat that drunkard Bacchus, and Mira wiping the floor with Jenny... it felt like the old days. No, better."
"If it were just a simple first place, some might think it was just luck," Ren mused, his gaze drifting to where Natsu was currently trying to wrestle Gajeel on top of a table. "But taking both top spots in the battle portion? That sends a message. There is no doubt now that Fairy Tail is the strongest guild."
"Today, I heard the audience talking about us," Lucy added, joining them with a tray of food. Her eyes were shining. "They changed from mocking to shocked, and then from shocked to admiring. It felt... really good."
Ren nodded. "People worship strength, Lucy. But true strength isn't just power. It's this." He gestured to the room—to jet laughing with Droy, to Wendy dancing with Carla, to the Master weeping tears of joy into his beer. "Bonds. Sabertooth doesn't have this. That's why they'll crumble, and we'll rise."
"Well said!" Makarov bellowed from the bar, raising a massive mug. "To family!!"
"TO FAMILY!!"
The roar was deafening.
They originally didn't care much about rankings, but they didn't want the name of Fairy Tail to be slandered. They had participated in the Grand Magic Games time after time, suffering defeat after defeat. They weren't weak—Bisca was a sharpshooter, Jet was a speedster—but they had lost their confidence.
Now, that confidence was back. It was blazing like a fire.
"Erza! Hey, Erza!"
At that moment, Max Alors poked his head through the pub's entrance, looking around frantically. "Someone's at the door looking for you."
Erza, who had been enjoying a slice of strawberry cake, looked up, surprised. "For me?"
She wiped her mouth and stood up. "I don't recall having any acquaintances in Crocus other than the guild members."
Curious, she walked to the entrance of the hotel.
Standing in the shadows of the doorway was a figure cloaked in a hooded robe. The person was leaning against the frame, face obscured.
"Little Erza... long time no see-meow~!"
Erza froze. That voice. That peculiar verbal tic.
"That catchphrase..." Erza's eyes widened in disbelief.
The figure reached up and pulled back the hood, revealing a familiar face with cat-like features and a bright, mischievous grin.
"Millianna!!" Erza gasped.
"I missed you-meow~~~!"
Millianna didn't wait. She lunged forward, tackling Erza into a hug.
"Oof!" Erza caught her, laughing as she squeezed the girl back. "Haha! Long time no see, Millianna! It's been... what? Another half a year since we last met?"
Millianna pulled back, puffing out her cheeks. "It's not half a year! For me, it's been a full 7 years, Erza-nee! You were frozen on that island!"
Erza blinked, then smiled softly, patting Millianna's head. "Ah! That's right! No wonder you've grown so big. You're even taller than me now. You've become a beautiful young woman."
She looked at her old friend, noting the guild mark on her clothing.
"Have you joined a guild?"
"Yes!" Millianna struck a pose. "Mermaid Heel! We're an all-female guild!"
Erza's expression softened further, thinking of their other childhood friends from the Tower of Heaven.
"What about Sho? And Wally? Simon? You all left together back then to travel the world. Where are they now? Are they in the same guild too?"
Millianna shook her head, her cat ears twitching. "What are you saying, silly? Mermaid Heel is a guild that only accepts women! Wally and Sho are still continuing their travels exploring the continent. I hear from them occasionally via letter."
Her expression turned fond.
"And Simon... well, Simon didn't want to travel as much. He opened a restaurant right near the Mermaid Heel guild hall. He's doing well."
Millianna leaned in, a sly grin on her face. "Oh right! Speaking of Mermaid Heel... you've met Little Kagura, haven't you? She's our Ace!"