Chapter 389: Magic Deficiency and a Midnight Call

"...What the hell was that?"

The five members of Sabertooth had just crossed the finish line in second place, barely defending themselves from the apocalyptic wave of blue fire that had scorched the Sky Labyrinth. A lingering, suffocating dread hung over them.

"Rufus, do you know anything about them?"

"No. According to my memory, this is the very first time those mages have ever appeared." Rufus, the masked man known for his flawless intellect, pressed two fingers against his temple, sifting through his vast mental archives to no avail.

If Yukino hadn’t reacted instantaneously, summoning her strongest defensive Celestial Spirits to shield them from the blast, the Sabertooth would have been roasted alive.

"Dammit! Who do they think they are?!" Sting Eucliffe, the blond Dragon Slayer, kicked a piece of rubble in sheer frustration. Being relegated to second place by a bunch of nameless nobodies in the Heavenly Blue guild was an absolute insult to their pride.

"It doesn’t matter. When the main event starts, we will be the victors," Rogue Cheney muttered from the sidelines, his tone dark and resolute.

"YEAH! WE’RE TAKING THE CROWN!" Orga Nanagear roared, lightning crackling around him.

They were confident for a reason. Sting and Rogue were the feared Twin Dragon Slayers. They were Sabertooth, the strongest guild in Fiore.

"What about Fairy Tail?" Yukino asked quietly.

"We’ll crush them, too," Sting sneered. Whether it was this mysterious Heavenly Blue or Natsu and Gajeel, Sabertooth would reign supreme.

"Was that your sister back there?"

Having completely ignored the mascot’s announcements, Finn and his team had immediately returned to their penthouse. As soon as the door clicked shut, Finn’s casual question froze the room.

"...Is there anything in this world you don’t know?" Sorano asked, staring at him in disbelief.

"I don’t know everything. I just happen to know a lot," Finn replied evenly.

He knew Sorano had sacrificed herself as a child, letting a cult kidnap her so her younger sister, Yukino, could escape. They hadn’t seen each other since. Now, Yukino was a Celestial Spirit mage in Sabertooth—a guild notorious for its ruthless meritocracy. Because of Sorano’s status as an internationally wanted fugitive, approaching her sister could ruin Yukino’s life. It was a tragedy that kept Sorano awake at night.

"You aren’t going to go see her?" Finn asked.

"With my current identity?" Sorano laughed bitterly. "Even working under you, my criminal record hasn’t vanished. Me showing my face would only drag her down. You even made me wear a mask tonight for that exact reason."

"We’ll arrange a meeting later. Once everything is cleared up," Finn said, unbuttoning his coat.

"Eh?"

Sorano stared at him, dumbfounded. Cleared up? Did he mean he was actually going to wipe her criminal record clean?

Tears immediately pricked the corners of her eyes.

"What are you crying for?" Ultear sighed, stepping up to gently pat Sorano’s shoulder. "Do you honestly think a man with his ambitions is going to keep a wanted criminal at his side forever?"

"I know that," Sorano sniffled, rolling her eyes to hide her overwhelming gratitude. She knew Finn was a complete tsundere. His words were always brief and he appeared cold, but his actions spoke volumes.

Watching Sorano gaze at Finn with total devotion, Ultear just sighed inwardly. Great. Meredy has yet another competitor.

"I’m so sleepy," Meredy yawned, completely oblivious to the romantic tension. "I want to go to bed."

"By the way, Finn-sama... should I wear a mask tomorrow, too?" Flare asked suddenly.

"You want to?"

"Yes," Flare nodded nervously. "I’m worried about my old guild, Raven Tail. If they recognize me and realize I’m working for you, they might try to use me to sabotage your plans."

Finn didn’t reject the idea. He knew exactly how petty and underhanded Raven Tail—led by Makarov’s estranged son, Ivan—could be. While they were ultimately weak, Finn wanted the tournament to go smoothly so he could enjoy crushing the opposition without any annoying political distractions.

"Alright, mask it is," Finn agreed.

Though, it was also his fault for letting Ivan in and becoming a legal guild member, but then again, even if he didn’t do it, the rest of the members of the Magic Council would do it, as Ivan didn’t lack money.

The team decided to head out into the city for a quick late-night stroll before bed. But as they walked down a quiet cobblestone street, Finn abruptly stopped.

"Wait here."

He walked over to a dark patch of bushes near an alleyway. Lying completely unconscious in the dirt was a small, blue-haired girl in pigtails.

"Isn’t that a Fairy Tail mage?" Meredy gasped.

Ultear quickly knelt beside the girl, pressing two fingers to her neck. Her eyes widened in shock. "There’s no magic power inside her."

"Someone played dirty. They likely used a spell to drain her magical reserves to zero," Finn deduced.

When a mage’s magical container hit absolute zero, it triggered Magic Deficiency Syndrome. Because magic was inherently tied to their life force, the condition caused immediate comas, severe cellular degradation, and, if left untreated, death.

"Are you going to heal her, Finn-sama?" Sorano asked, knowing his restorative magic was unparalleled.

"I will."

"Huh? Really?" all four women echoed in genuine surprise.

Finn looked at them, mildly offended. "...Why do you all look so shocked? Do you think I’m completely heartless? Besides, this is the perfect opportunity to make Fairy Tail owe me a massive, undeniable favor. I’ll make sure to heal her right in front of them."

"..."

Yeah, as expected, they all thought simultaneously. He hasn’t changed at all.

"You four head back to the hotel. I’ll handle this," Finn ordered. With a wave of his hand, his Heavenly Blue uniform morphed into his standard casual attire—a white T-shirt, dark denim, and black boots.

"Going to play with your little Fairy Tail lover before the games begin?" Ultear rolled her eyes.

"Don’t be jealous. I’ll be back later." Finn waved his hand, ignoring Ultear’s jealousy.

"Who’s jealous?!" Ultear snapped, her cheeks flushing. "Let’s go!"

Meredy, Sorano, and Flare gave Ultear highly suspicious looks before following her back to the hotel.

Once they were gone, Finn carefully scooped the comatose Wendy into his arms. Activating his telepathy magic, he reached out to a very specific magical signature.

Lisanna, are you there?

"Eh?! Finn?! Are you in Crocus? Where are you? We still have some time before dawn, I really want to see you..." Lisanna’s voice echoed in his mind, dripping with eager, pent-up affection.

I want to see you too, Finn replied calmly. But I just found one of your guild members passed out in an alleyway. How about you come help her first?

"...Eh?"