Chapter 168: Please protect the rare light of hope on this world
"Guild master Noah!"
The initiators and promoters looked at the new guest. Their eyes widened when they identified the one who greeted the guild master.
Noah stopped, the other Fairy Tail members also stopped.
Anyone who lived in Tokyo Area will recognize her voice.
Even if they have never heard her personally, they would recognize her voice from the frequent television broadcast.
Noah and the others looked at the source of the sound.
There were old people, young people from both genders. There are more than a thousand of them here. They filled up the hill with their sheer numbers.
They weren't carrying umbrellas or other protective gears, hence, they were soaked in the black rain. Unlike their soggy bodies, their eyes were flashing with hope.
The one leading them, Seitenshi in her white dress also exposed herself to the dark rain, sullying her dress. Yet, her divine and white aura seemed to outshine the bleak environment.
"Seitenshi-sama?"
The others gasped when they saw the crowd she brought with her.
"I urged Seitenshi-sama to come."
Another figure said near Seitenshi.
"Kisara-san?"
Noah frowned when he saw the crowd Kisara and Seitenshi brought with them. He asked them.
"What are you guys doing here?"
"Guild master Noah."
Seitenshi clasped her hands together like she's praying. She looked at Noah.
"They are all here of their own volition."
"Is that so?"
Noah didn't loosen up his furrowed brows. He saw their hopeful looks and he replied in a frosty tone.
"And?"
"Noah!"
Kisara shouted.
"These people are from the Deprived Generation, they are all Tokyo Area citizens!"
"Guild master Noah!"
Seitenshi also increased her volume, she leaned forward.
"They want to talk to you. Please hear them out."
Noah lifted his head, his eyes flashed with thoughts.
The crowd that came with Seitenshi exchanged looks before they stepped forward, they bowed down deeply.
"Guild master Noah! Please save us! Please save the Tokyo Area!"
Their voices rang, resounding deeply in the hearts of the people here.
The Fairy Tail members were astonished.
Gadou and the other adjuvants didn't expect this turnout.
Rentaro, Enju, Tina, and Kayo were at a loss for words.
Noah clenched his fists.
What's going on?
What's going on here?!
This is the please from the Deprived Generation?
The please of the Tokyo Area citizens?
Didn't they want Fairy Tail gone?
Didn't they want all the cursed children dead?
Didn't they say they don't need anyone to save them?
What happened? Why did they change their stories?
"These are the voices of the Tokyo Area citizens, hear their desperate cries."
Seitenshi prayed like a saintess.
"Guild master Noah, I know, I know all too well the discrimination between the citizens and the cursed children. I know what they did to Fairy Tail. Their actions made you lose hope in Tokyo Area."
"But, please, believe in us, believe in Tokyo Area."
Seitenshi raised her clasped hands to her face. She begged him.
"This world is full of contradictions. There are confusing contradictions in Tokyo Area too. There will be those who hate you just as there are those who love you. There are those that will show their ugly sides to everyone they meet. There are also those who have noble souls."
"Those that are here, even when faced with imminent destruction by Gastreas, chose to believe in you. Even on this despair-inducing world, there are people held onto hope."
Seitenshi cast her passionate gaze in Noah's direction.
"What you see here is the remaining hope of a world on its last legs, the morsel of human decency."
"Please, I implore you, guild master Noah."
"This isn't a case for the greater good, this isn't a case for justice."
"This isn't a case for the country, or even Tokyo Area."
"I am begging you to protect the last light of hope!"
Seitenshi finished her speech with a sincere bow. For the first time, the premiere bowed her head down for Noah.
This bow wasn't from her consideration as someone holding a high office, it was a humble bow from a human who wanted to hold onto her hope, a bow from an ordinary girl.
Kisara also got bent.
Gadou and Mibu exchanged a look before they bowed too.
The adjuvants made up their minds, they also bowed deeply.
"Guild master Noah."
After Seitenshi, Kisara, and the humble citizens bowed, the others all pleaded once more.
"Please save us!"
Fairy Tail members were rendered speechless.
Kayo and Tina turned towards Noah.
Noah saw the sincerity and resolve within their eyes, he felt their words which expressed the deepest desire of their souls and his heart resonated.
Hope.
There is still hope for this world.
Ring
A radiant orb of light appeared before Noah, the light enveloped Noah and the area around him.
Everybody saw this blinding light.
Dazzled by this light, Noah's eyes shook.
Inside the space of light, he saw a fantastic object.
A feather.
The feather looked like it was very close to breaking. Encased inside a crystal ball, the feather released radiant light.
It's the object Noah has been searching for, the reason he came to this world.
A world fragment.
He couldn't find it no matter how hard he looked, now, when the world is on its last knee, when hope presents itself, Noah found it.