Erza and Allen were arrested...
The carriage, driven by the messenger and escorted by the Rune Knights, left Magnolia after drawing the attention of many people wondering what kind of mess Fairy Tail had gotten into this time.
Inside the carriage, Allen sat with Erza beside him, who looked a bit downcast. Allen made a subtle gesture with his fingers, casting a "Silence" spell barrier.
Allen smiled at Erza.
"We can talk without consequences... though it wouldn't really matter if they did hear us, right?"
"You..." Erza wasn't surprised by his words—she had already noticed that the shackles, supposedly designed to block all magic, didn't work on Allen for some reason.
"Do you have any idea how much panic you'll cause if it gets out that anti-magic shackles don't work on you?" Erza spoke with a trace of exasperation. Allen was like Pandora's box—every second he came up with a new spell or a new kind of magic that defied her common sense.
"Don't worry about it," Allen replied like it was nothing. Of course, he was aware that this would be as scandalous as when Lucy found out he could break the contract between a celestial wizard and a spirit without their consent. But in his own words—so what? No—this might be even worse, since these shackles were one of the primary ways to arrest dangerous mages, and if the method to bypass them spread, the consequences would be disastrous.
"Well, it's a bit more complex than just saying hocus pocus. It's not that they don't work—I'm just isolating them... How do I explain this... Electric current travels through conductive materials like water, metal, etc., but there are also insulating materials that stop it, like rubber. So, this is something similar. What I do is modify the outer layer of my magic power so that it gets insulated from the shackles' effect... like putting a protective layer in between."
"That's... possible?"
Erza's eyebrows twitched—her look of disbelief said it all. Breaking the shackles could be explained by immense brute strength. Disabling them could be explained by expert-level sealing, restrictive, enchanting, and runic magic. But what Allen was saying—isolating his magic power—was beyond anything she could understand.
"..." Erza gasped.
Allen, realizing he might've said too much, went quiet. He always believed that when his power was limited to only magic, he became very weak—something that was technically true but only on a cosmic scale.
Despite wanting to keep a low profile, he had exposed far too much of himself in the guild and front of everyone. Of course, with Fairy Tail, it was unlikely the information would leak—but in front of the Rune Knights and a messenger from the Magic Council, that was impossible. Yet, he had a strange feeling that he didn't care anymore. Allen had been feeling like that lately—otherwise, he wouldn't have been this careless.
Allen stopped smiling and looked seriously at the armored girl beside him.
"Erza, I learned to use magic in a place where magic is... a different concept. More complex in some ways, simpler in others. My way of using magic is different—more mechanical, less spiritual. Of course, this kind of magic is amazing—its purity, power, and complexity in variety are incredible. That's why I'd like to study it more and learn to use it myself."
Erza smiled.
"That sounds interesting. I hope I get to know where that place is someday…"
"Of course. I wouldn't say one type of magic is better than the other—it all depends on the user..." Allen paused and closed his hand into a fist before opening it again. "I guess it was inevitable I'd get into trouble by revealing so much about my magic… I'm sorry, but whatever. Let's handle this together."
"You're very optimistic."
"Me? I don't have the luxury of being pessimistic… not when the devil's breathing down my neck…"
Erza paused and looked at Allen, not quite understanding. He remembered she wasn't there when he joined, so with a slight smile, he gave her a short version of how he fought the devil—and lost. But unlike previous times, Allen's mood didn't sink. It was as if he had started to accept it.
As expected, Erza was more than stunned. The man who had defeated her and kept getting stronger… had been defeated?
"Not just defeated. He wiped the floor with me. I couldn't even scratch him. Wait—does Void's attack count?"
"Why?"
"Hm? Why can I talk like that about it?"
"Well, I'm not gonna cry about it. Yeah, it's depressing. And yeah, honestly, my ego's in the gutter. But I'm still alive. I'll get my chance to beat him down someday…" Allen gave a faint smile as he looked out the window. Despite his words, the idea of gaining power even remotely close to Lucifer's was so far-fetched that not even a miracle would be enough.
Erza lowered her gaze as if trying to hide her eyes. She clenched her hands, her lips, her teeth—but then let all that tension go and, without looking at Allen, spoke with a vulnerability that surprised him.
"I envy you…"
"…!?" Allen turned to her, startled. "Erza?"
He wasn't prepared. Beside him, the strong woman—burning like the sun, unshakable like an iceberg, powerful like a storm, and shining like a knight—was gone. All that was left was a downcast girl with slumped shoulders, as if ashamed to even lift her head. For a moment, in his eyes, she looked heartbreakingly fragile.
"What's wrong?" Allen felt that strange sensation again, the same one he had when they first met—but this was different. He hadn't imagined she was hurting this much.
"It's nothing… I just got a little jealous. Instead of running away or hiding your fear, your regret, or your weakness—you chose to overcome it…"
"I…"
"I'm begging you!... Don't ask me anything…" Erza raised her voice, but it was shaky. She began to tremble as well. "Just give me a moment, and I'll be myself again…"
As she wished, Allen didn't ask. If she wasn't ready to tell him, what right did he have to pry?
Judging by how the guild acted around her, no one had ever seen this side of her—so this was probably a burden she carried even before joining Fairy Tail. Allen wasn't arrogant enough to expect a girl he'd just met a few days ago to reveal a past she hadn't even told her "family."
Still... Allen gently wrapped an arm around Erza's shoulders, pulling her closer so she could lean on him.
"H-hey…"
"I'm not asking anything."
Erza slowly relaxed until she stopped trembling and fell asleep. The carriage moved slowly, the sound of the horses and clanking armor scared off some birds—so for once, Allen wasn't bored. In his lap lay the famous Titania, with a single tear slipping from one of her eyes. At that moment, Allen noticed the other eye didn't cry—he realized it was a prosthetic, but he didn't say anything, because it seemed like something deeply personal for Erza.
Allen didn't know how to feel. If he had known anything about this world, maybe he would've treated Erza differently. Maybe he could've helped her from the start. Maybe he would've known what to say in this moment. But that wasn't the case. And while it was frustrating, Allen also realized how unfair it would've been to know someone's past—to know all their intimate secrets—without their consent.
In that sense, he was glad he hadn't invaded Erza's privacy…
---
Hours passed until Erza woke up. Realizing she had been resting on Allen's lap, she sat up without saying a word. Her demeanor had returned to the usual Erza. Allen didn't question her, and she appreciated that.
"Someday, when I'm stronger…"
"Don't worry," Allen smiled. "Didn't I tell you? I don't need Mama Erza to protect me—you don't have to act strong around me."
Erza blushed, then punched Allen's shoulder.
"You disgusting bastard—you're worse than Loke! At least he's vulgar and knows when he's being a jerk!"
"What the hell's that supposed to mean?!" Allen, irritated, used "Requip"—it was just the basic version, but it let him change Erza's armor into regular clothes. So, taking advantage of her confusion, he pinched her waist.
"Do you have any decency?!" Erza covered herself, leaving Allen speechless.
"What are you talking about, lady? Your armors are metal bikinis, and now you're wearing a blouse that doesn't even show cleavage. How can you be embarrassed?!"
"You don't understand anything!" Erza, her face bright red, summoned a sword—which Allen immediately grabbed.
"Are you insane?! We're in a carriage under arrest. We can't fight!"
"We're not going to fight, I'll just cut you for defiling me! H-How dare you take off my armor?! Pervert!"
"What are you even saying?!"
Allen didn't hate Erza, but he just couldn't grasp her irrationality. To her, forcing her to change armor was like stealing a kiss or something.
"I'll kill you and then kill myself!" screamed Erza, eyes swirling, completely losing her mind.
"Idiot, we'll get caught!"
After more than ten minutes of arguing, Allen finally managed to calm Erza down—but only after promising her a new armor, something he immediately regretted. Each of Erza's armors was absurdly expensive. The millions he earned from the Lullaby incident would vanish in the blink of an eye.
Erza began sipping tea that Allen pulled from his inventory. There was no point in hiding it anymore—she already knew he had a friend with Requip magic. Erza sighed; her personal space was full of weapons and armor, which meant she always carried a mountain of luggage wherever she went. When Allen asked why it was necessary, Erza got mad—and not just her.
---
MJ – Obviously because she's a girl :(
Eve – What kind of question is that?
Artoria – Just because she wears armor doesn't mean she's not a girl…
---
"I'm sorry." Allen decided to agree with her. He couldn't handle another stressful hour of arguing with Erza.
Erza nodded and continued drinking the tea Allen had warmed with a spell. She seemed like the same old Erza. There was no trace of her earlier breakdown, suicidal/murderous/hysterical/embarrassed frenzy. Allen realized he'd misjudged her—she wasn't a version of Artoria. Just another crazy girl.
---
Time passed as they talked about nonsense, which helped them get to know each other better. Erza looked at Allen suspiciously after hearing him brag about being popular with women. Allen looked at Erza the same way when she said she liked cute clothes, even if she rarely wore them, but collected them anyway.
With that, they finally arrived at "ERA"—the place where the Magic Council's headquarters were located.
"Is it execution time already?" Allen asked with a sarcastic grin. The bastard hadn't worn his shackles the entire trip, but now that they were arriving, he figured it was time to put them on.
"…" Erza lowered her head, thoughtful and somewhat worried.
"Don't worry. They don't seem to be after you," Allen said, earning a silent glance from the redhead.
"…"
"Don't worry," Erza smiled proudly at him, puffing out her chest. "If they accuse you of something serious, I'll give you a chance to escape!"
Erza Scarlet, the proud Titania who punished Fairy Tail members for being reckless, casually said she'd fight the Magic Council to help him escape.
"Haha, that'd be fun. But what'll they charge me with, espionage?" Allen didn't take it seriously.
"That's what worries me…" Erza clenched her fists. "This is clearly about you… They want to interrogate you and won't be gentle…"
"Oh?" Allen's smile turned sharp, his eyes intense. "Are you worried about me?"
"Are you seriously not taking this seriously?" Erza huffed. "They could sentence you to life… or even death!"
"That'd be a shame. Who else would stop Lucy from dying on a mission~?" Allen chuckled under his breath, amused and mocking. If the Magic Council thought a spy would choose to join Fairy Tail of all places for intel, their recruitment standards seriously needed reviewing.
It wasn't unreasonable for the Council to be suspicious, though. Many mages had mysterious origins—orphans from unknown lands, like Natsu who was found in a forest with no knowledge of his birth or parents. Population control in times like these was nearly impossible. But there was a key difference between them and Allen.
Whether it was Erza, Natsu, Elfman, Gray, Cana, Levy, or even Mirajane—they all started as rookie mages. They were a ragtag bunch of troublemakers who slowly built up their reputations over time. Their pasts might be murky, but they had a track record. Allen, on the other hand, just showed up already powerful. Naturally, suspicion followed.
"Well, this is problematic, huh?" Allen shrugged.
"Idiot," Erza grabbed Allen's head and pulled it into her chest. But since she was wearing armor, his skull slammed into it instead.
"You…" Allen growled. His body might be indestructible, but he couldn't keep One-Man Army active all day. He did feel pain—just a lot less.
Erza realized this and blushed. She used to do it often, and of course, she knew her armor was hard. But so what? She deserved a little revenge on the bastard who'd been embarrassing her.
Allen wasn't about to let it slide. He grabbed Erza's waist and used Requip—forcing her to change armor again.
"You…!"
Erza was pissed, but just then, a knock came from outside—it was Lahar, checking on them. For the record, Allen had also cast an illusion to make it appear as though they barely moved during the entire trip. Realizing Allen was still snuggled into her chest, Erza stifled her shame and responded.
"W-What?" Erza answered while Allen, the bastard, acted like she was a pillow.
"Hm?" Lahar saw Erza staring blankly but heard something off in her voice.
"Never mind. We're almost there. Don't do anything reckless…"
"R-Right…" Erza smiled. Allen's breath tickled her chest. It took everything in her not to summon a new armor and fight him to the death.
Once Lahar left, Allen reached up to hold Erza's hands, which were on the verge of smacking him. This left them in a rather compromising position—Allen on top of her, holding her down.
"Let me go…" Erza muttered, realizing she'd lost this round.
Seeing she'd reached her limit, Allen let her go and sat up to put on his shackles. The rest of the trip, Erza kept her heartbeat under control. She now felt Allen was a real threat to women—he made Loke look like a stray mutt.
---
The carriage arrived at the center of the city and then climbed the mountain to the headquarters.
Even the air felt more solemn here. The messenger, dressed in a blue cloak with the Council's gold-stitched emblem, descended first and signaled the knights.
"We've arrived. Please remain silent and follow my lead." Lahar spoke, signaling the knights to flank them. If Lahar hadn't witnessed Allen's power firsthand, he might've thought this was overkill. Now, he thought the Council was naive to believe a squad of Rune Knights could restrain this guy.
Allen stepped down and offered a hand to Erza. Seeing his smug smile, she refused and climbed out herself. He shrugged and looked around.
The Magic Council Headquarters wasn't just a building—it was a fortress of marble, magic, and judgment. It looked like an ancient temple, but it pulsed with the blood of something called magic.
A knight brought shackles for Erza. She looked to Allen, who nodded, and allowed them to cuff her. Allen had already cast a protection spell on her so they couldn't seal her magic. Since magical suppression wasn't a spell, Allen had to use Echo Arcanum, which he'd previously used to replicate a Celestial Key—and surprisingly, it worked.
"Allen Walker…" Lahar addressed him. "This is a place where words weigh as much as spells. If you wish to defend yourself, do it with dialogue, not force…"
"Don't worry, Lahar-kun. I'm not violent… as long as I'm shown respect, I'll return the favor."
Lahar shivered at Allen's words. There were Saints among the Council—that should be enough to put any danger to rest… and yet, an uneasiness sat heavy in his chest.
Allen and Erza were escorted inside by Lahar and the messenger.
The interior was elegant but harsh. Long hallways are adorned with portraits of former Council members. The light didn't come from the sun but from a floating lacrima sphere, its soft blue glow casting a shadowless illumination.
"Well, let's hope I don't have to blow this place up…" Allen smiled before stepping inside—sending out an imperceptible wave that rippled across the entire world.
Still July, Year X784. Location: ERA.
This day would go down in history as the day Allen entered the Magic Council—shackled and under arrest.