Chapter 741: Crime Sorcière
Ultear had recently run into a small problem.
The Council’s Enforcement Unit was chasing her, though honestly, it wasn’t even worth mentioning.
They might’ve upgraded their equipment and reorganized their system, but their methods were still as clumsy as ever.
The biggest issue, however, lay with the Trace Analysis Unit, which was supposed to be crucial for tracking fugitives. It had made absolutely no progress in this operation.
After all, Ultear herself used to oversee that very department back when she was a Councilor. She knew it better than the Enforcement Unit itself, every blind spot, every procedure, every delay in their chain of command.
So even while burdened with "baggage," slipping away from pursuit wasn’t hard for her at all.
Yes, baggage.
Not everyone among the six people Ultear and Meldy had rescued actually wanted to go with them.
First of all, there was Jellal.
His mental state was abysmal, if one word could describe him, it would be "defeated."
There was now a long scar running across his neck. His right eye had gone completely white, and another scar crossed his forehead, though his hair covered most of it. His remaining eye, still intact, had lost all light.
If you told him to stand, he stood. If you told him to sit, he sat. If you told him to walk, he walked, just like a puppet.
He had no will to live, no desire to fight back, not even to flinch when struck.
Even after Ultear told him the truth, that he had been misled, Jellal insisted that the atrocities were still committed by his own hands. Therefore, he said, he was a sinner who deserved to rot in prison.
The others could tolerate imprisonment, but for Jellal, it was pure torment.
Some of the jailers took pleasure in it.
After all, a former Councilor, one of the mighty Ten Wizard Saints, now writhing in pain at the press of a button on their shock device? That was entertainment to them.
And the one who seemed to enjoy it most was ironically the frog-faced guard who had bowed most obsequiously to Jellal seven years ago.
The Council didn’t care. To them, it was just a "minor disciplinary matter," well within the guards’ authority.
Jellal himself accepted it willingly. He believed this was the punishment he deserved.
Sometimes, he even wondered if things would’ve been better if he had just died in that battle, or never been revived at all.
That’s why he’d developed a faint self-destructive streak.If someone truly hated him enough to kill him, he wouldn’t resist.
Ultear had a constant headache dealing with him, but what could she do? She, too, had sins she couldn’t erase.
Then there was Richard, formerly known as Hoteye, a tall man with a square jaw and calm face.
Once a devoted member of the dark side, he had nevertheless always carried a spark of goodness within him.
When he wavered between good and evil, Nirvana had absorbed his darker impulses, transforming him.
From a man who once worshipped money and believed anything could be bought or sold, he became a zealous believer in love, someone who would sacrifice everything for others without hesitation.
Ever since Erza had told him that his younger brother Wally was living happily outside, Richard had decided to atone for his sins quietly within the prison walls.
That was why he resisted Ultear’s rescue more than anyone else, he even fought back.
Unfortunately, with the Magic Sealing Stone restraining his powers, he couldn’t put up much of a fight. Meredy simply sighed, struck him unconscious, and hauled him away by force.
Cobra, on the other hand, cooperated fairly well during the jailbreak, even lending a bit of help.
But once they reached a safe spot and Ultear laid out her purpose, he was the first to jump to his feet in protest.
"Why should I take orders from you?" Cobra sneered, tilting his chin up in defiance. "The former vice-president of Grimoire Heart’s Seven Kin of Purgatory talking about atonement? Don’t make me laugh."
All he wanted now was to find Cubellios. He had no intention of wasting his time playing along with them.
Midnight joined in, his voice calm but his eyes sharp. "Since the beginning, I’ve only ever obeyed ’Father’s’ commands."
"I feel the same," Racer added coldly. "Unless your speed can match mine, there’s no reason for me to follow you."
Richard hesitated. On paper, staying imprisoned was the proper way to atone. But in his heart, driven by love, he felt that eradicating more darkness outside might be an even greater form of redemption.
Sorano was torn as well. She believed serving her sentence in prison was right, but since she was already free, she didn’t want to meekly turn herself in again.
At the very least, she thought, she should learn more about what was happening in the world.
Even so, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy about staying with these two dangerous women. Being with them might easily lead to another "serious offense," and then...
"I chose you because I believe you can still be saved," Ultear said flatly. "But since reasoning clearly isn’t working, then let magic decide."
Holding a crystal sphere in one hand, she extended it forward. "Come on, fight us. Two against five. If you win, I won’t interfere with whatever you do next.
"But if you lose, then you’ll either join Crime Sorcière and act according to our rules, or I’ll purge those of you who refuse to repent. That too, would be a form of cleansing darkness."
Jellal, hollow and unresponsive, was naturally excluded.
As for Richard and Angle, who still hesitated, Ultear intended to give them a clear reason to make up their minds.
The priority, however, was to beat down those three troublemakers first.
"We were once members of the Balam Alliance too. Our status back then was the same as yours. Don’t underestimate us."
The three troublemakers immediately accepted the challenge, and Richard and Angle, reluctant but unwilling to abandon their comrades, had no choice but to stand with them.
A great battle was about to begin.
Meldy, at first, felt uncertain. But once the fight started, she realized how simple it really was.
After she and Ultear decisively defeated the five of them, the pink-haired girl couldn’t help but speak bluntly:
"Were the Oración Seis always this weak? Can they really be of any help?"
Ultear calmly replied, "It’s because they haven’t used magic in seven years."
Although she and Meldy themselves had also been sealed for six years along with Fairy Tail, the months since their release had been enough for them to fully study the Second Origin, the deeper source of magic within the body.
Moreover, with Ultear’s Arc of Time, she could even accelerate the process, helping someone awaken their Second Origin overnight.
Additionally, Ultear and Meldy were already formidable on their own.
The Oración Seis, in contrast, were facing the same problem that Fairy Tail’s Tenrou Island team had encountered years ago, time had left them behind.
On top of that, Richard’s fighting spirit wasn’t particularly strong, and Angel, as a Celestial Spirit Mage without any keys, could barely contribute.
So in essence, it was a two-on-three match. Victory was inevitable.
Ultear stood proudly with her hands on her hips, a devilish smile curling her lips.
"All right," she drawled, her voice laced with mockery, "those who want to die, raise your hands."
None of the five moved a muscle.
"Very good," Ultear said, her wicked grin widening. "Welcome to Crime Sorcière! From now on, prepare yourselves to fight against darkness, until death!"
"Understood, masterUltear!" Richard immediately replied with his trademark radiant smile. "My friends, let us vanquish darkness together and fill the world with love!"
Cobra muttered under his breath, "You sure adapt fast, don’t you..."
Racer frowned, his earlier arrogance gone. "But seriously... like that girl said, are we even going to be of any use?"
"Don’t worry," Ultear said, sounding entirely too cheerful for the situation. "I’ve already thought about that."
"First, Angel."
Sorano turned her head aside. "Just call me Sorano. I don’t want that codename anymore."
"Very well, Sorano," Ultear continued smoothly. "You’re a Celestial Spirit Mage, but all twelve Zodiac Keys already have owners." Her tone carried a faint trace of regret.
"Still, we can help you collect silver keys, or, if you prefer, you can start learning a new type of magic."
Sorano gave a small nod. She knew she couldn’t form new Celestial Spirit contracts anymore.
"Next," Ultear’s smile turned mischievous again, "I’ll help you all unlock your Second Magic Source."
She raised her hand, her expression turning downright diabolical.
"But," she added sweetly, "be prepared to experience excruciating pain, you bastards."
...
STONES PLZZz
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