A small group of people who had disappeared reappeared three months later.
Erza, Natsu, Gray, Juvia, Wendy, Lucy, Levy, Happy, and Charle were invited to the Celestial Spirit World three months ago. They had a fun day there, only to find out upon their return that three months had passed.
Their training only lasted one day, leaving them with five more days to work hard.
Jet and Droy scolded them, who had been waiting for them. They hadn't responded to the guild's summons and still didn't know about the Seven Sins.
Now, this group felt a profound sense of disappointment.
At that moment, someone approached them with an address.
After crossing a bridge that had long been broken but suddenly repaired itself, Erza and the others finally saw the people they wanted to meet in a dense forest.
Crime Sorcière!
Jellal, Ultear, and Meredy.
"Jellal!" Seeing him, everyone, including Erza, showed surprised expressions. However, beneath her shock, Erza also had a hint of joy in her eyes.
"Thank you for coming. And it's been a while, Erza," Jellal said gently, his tone warm with a slight smile. This demeanour momentarily stunned Erza, reminding her of the Jellal from many years ago.
"You haven't changed at all. You might have heard about my jailbreak."
"Yes..." Erza responded silently.
"Meredy and I broke the prison," Ultear added calmly, and Meredy took the opportunity to greet Juvia.
The two had formed a deep friendship during their battle years ago.
"They were with Grimoire Heart, right..." Natsu muttered, but Gray interrupted him, saying, "Hold on, they're not enemies now."
Ultear, who had a connection with Gray, smiled slightly and said, "Indeed, we've all made unforgivable mistakes in our lives, so I want to at least try to make amends. After rescuing Jellal, we formed an independent guild—Crime Sorcière."
"Crime Sorcière? The guild that's been destroying dark guilds for years..." Jet exclaimed upon hearing the name.
"Yes, that's us," Ultear confirmed.
"Our sole purpose is Zeref... We formed the guild to prevent the world from being polluted by darkness, ensuring no wizards are controlled by darkness like I was," Jellal said solemnly.
After Jellal's words, everyone felt a sense of respect, and Natsu expressed his admiration.
Ezra remained silent but let out a small sigh, indicating she had let go of some worries.
After returning from Tenrou Island, she had heard from Alzack about Jellal's jailbreak, which had worried her for a long time. Now, she was relieved that Jellal had not fallen back into darkness but had become a leader filled with a sense of justice.
Striving to live on and atone for his sins was precisely the outcome she had hoped for.
This brought her great comfort.
However, she still worried about his status as a fugitive.
Seeing through Erza's thoughts, Ultear suddenly smiled and said, "Don't worry too much about us. Although we can't be in the spotlight, we recently cooperated with Fairy Tail. The two guilds worked together very well!"
"Cooperated?" Jet and Droy asked in surprise, recalling the guild summons from about ten days ago.
"You may not know yet, but Calvin is alive," Ultear said with a smile.
This single sentence left Erza and the others in absolute shock. Even the usually composed Erza looked stunned.
"What did you say? Calvin... is alive?" Lucy asked incredulously, her voice trembling slightly. The others were no better off, with Levy even bursting into tears of joy.
"Remember the R-System from back then? To prevent the Magic Convergence Cannon from going out of control, Calvin turned it into a card. It turns out he had preserved a body comparable to the Ten Wizard Saints," Jellal explained.
Upon hearing this, Erza understood completely. Calvin must have been revived because the conditions for the R-System were met.
"So, is he back at the guild now?" Ezra asked.
"Yes, you can ask your guild members for details when you return. We came to find you for another important matter," Jellal said, his expression becoming serious. Ultear and Meredy shared the same seriousness.
They explained their request: they hoped Erza and her group could help investigate the strange magic appearing during the Grand Magic Games.
They also offered an advance payment to help them unlock their Second Origin.
Ezra accepted the request, and after enduring extraordinary pain, they successfully unlocked their Second Origin, significantly increasing their power. Erza also had an in-depth conversation with Jellal.
In simple terms, the two shared some intimate moments. Erza hinted at her feelings, and Jellal stated that he still needed to atone for his sins, only hoping for her happiness.
They even shared a kiss, which Happy witnessed.
Unfortunately, the two still didn't define their relationship, even though Ezra no longer dwelled on the past, and Jellal was on the right path.
Jellal was just trying to look cool. If Calvin had been there, he would have indeed ridiculed him.
Thus, the group, though not having trained, gained much and returned to the guild in high spirits.
The women living in Fairy Tail's dormitory returned together.
Upon reaching the dormitory, Erza was informed of a gift sent to her from seven years ago.
The exquisitely packaged box, large enough to fit a person, had a familiar emblem. Erza remembered clearly that it was from the company she used to order her armour. All signs pointed to it being a set of armour.
But why would the armour company send a set of armour? She recalled receiving her last order seven years ago.
"Could it be a trap?" Erza speculated suspiciously.
"Erza, there's a letter here," Levy suddenly said, pointing to an envelope attached to the box and picking it up, revealing "To Miss Erza Scarlet" written on it.
"Oh, it's for you," Levy said, handing the letter to Erza with a gossiping look. Juvia and Wendy were equally curious, their eyes sparkling with interest.
"Read it quickly. Could it be a suitor? Maybe Jellal sent it?" Wendy guessed.
Erza's cheeks turned red upon hearing this, and she suddenly felt reluctant to open the letter.
But she was Erza, and after taking a few deep breaths and mentally preparing herself, she tore open the envelope and read it carefully in front of everyone.
"Hi, Erza. This armor is a gift for you, an apology for my unfair treatment during the S-Class trials. Please don't come after me in the future!"
The letter contained only this short message. After reading it, Erza burst into laughter.
Though the letter was unsigned, Erza immediately knew it was from Calvin.
This was the most unexpected answer.
"Erza? What is it?" Levy asked cautiously, worried by Erza's sudden laughter.
"It's from Calvin," Erza replied calmly, with a slightly amused expression. "That boy really underestimates me. Does he think I'm so petty?"
Saying this, she subconsciously puffed out her chest, which made Wendy and Levy envious.
"But since it's from Calvin, it's likely not just any ordinary armor. Looks like I won't get much rest in the coming days."
The Grand Magic Games arc is about to begin. Although the storyline involves all the travelling, it can be pretty bothersome.