Back with the continuation
"speaking"
""thinking""
On with the story
After the assumed defeat of Jackal, they were now discussing what to do next
"We should find Elder Michello," Wendy suggested.
"You're right." Lucy nodded.
"we'll go look for his granddaughter," Charla said with North barking in agreement as Charla flew off while North runs on the street
"Now, where did he run off to?" Lucy wondered.
"H-here…" A quaking voice answered.
The three looked and sees Michello sitting against the remains of a destroyed building a couple of centimeters ahead of them.
His appearance looks like he seen hell on the earth. "It can't be…" he muttered. "It just can't be…"
Lucy and the others looked at one another in confusion at the man's state. It was clear that he was hiding something. Something dangerous
With Gray, and Juvia
"This is horrible," Juvia stated as she walked through the destroyed remains of Elder Hogg's home along with Gray. "Do you think whoever did this is still here?"
"I doubt it." Gray answered. "This looks like this was done days ago. The culprit's long gone by now."
"Who in the world could do such a thing?" Juvia said as she silently prayed for Elder Hogg who passed away when they arrived at his home
"the lacrima is up" Gray said as the two walks towards the communication lacrima were set up on a surprisingly untouched table. Master Makarov could already be seen within the orb.
"What happened?" he asked.
"No good." Gray reported. "We were too late."
"What?!" Makarov shouted. "What of Elder Hogg?!"
Juvia looked away in shame. "He's already…" she moved out of the way so their Master and others could take a good look at this body. The sight horrified them.
"We heard someone went on a rampage in the town." Gray said. "The entire area is a mess."
"Yes." Juvia nodded. "It is a horrible sight."
"Is there any trace of the culprit?" Makarov asked.
Gray shook his head again. "None."
"How is this possible?" The old man questioned.
"What about your group, Gajeel?" Cana asked. "What's going on with Elder Belno?"
The communication switched over to Gajeel's group, but Gray and his group were still able to see what was going on.
"We arrived too late." Gajeel regretfully reported.
"But there's no signs of anything out of the ordinary." Levy added.
"We suspect it was an assassination." Lily informed
"Dammit!" Gajeel clenched his fist in anger. "We should have got here sooner…"
"Gajeel…" Levy called with concern.
Cana's brow furrowed in frustration. "So they got to both Elder Hogg and Elder Belno before us. Our only hope now is that Erza and the others were able to make it to their stations in time."
With Elfman and Lisanna
Lisanna and Elfman were sent to find Elder Yuri in a remote village where not one single person can be found at all.
"The entire place is deserted." He said. "Where's this guy's house to supposed to be, Lisanna?"
"There." She pointed to a hut near a cave entrance. "His house should be there."
The two entered the home. "Elder Yuri?!" Elfman called into the silent hut.
"We're here from Fairy Tail!" Lisanna informed. "You're in grave danger! Tartaros is-"
"Lisanna, I found him!" Elfman declared.
She ran to her brother, who was holding up the body of an old man. "Is he ok?" she asked, fearing that she already knew the answer.
Elfman shook his head sadly. "No good. He's gone."
"Oh no…" Lisanna gasped. "We were too late."
"Get the communication lacrima out. We have to report this to the Master."
"Right." Lisanna reached into the bag hanging from her shoulder, pulling out the large blue orb.
"How was he killed?" Elfman inquired to no one. "I don't see any signs of an attack on him. Was it poison?" Suddenly the thought dead councilman opened his eyes and rose up, surprising both Strauss siblings.
"He's alive!" Elfman exclaimed.
Yuri turned his head towards Lisanna and pointed at the lacrima, using his magic to shatter it.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Elfman shouted. "That was our communications lacrima!"
Yuri offered no answer. Instead he fell to his knees then onto his stomach, his eyes still open. Elfman and Lisanna looked on in confusion. "What just happened?" Elfman asked.
"I don't know…" Lisanna answered worriedly.
"Just as I thought." A voice lamented from behind the two.
"The Macro of the Mortified does not work well at all." this person let out a disgruntled sigh, turning the page in the book they were reading. The Strauss siblings turned the mysterious voice, seeing a girl with long black hair and golden horns sitting in a chair in the was a bored expression on her face.
"Who are you?!" Elfman questioned.
"What did you do to Elder Yuri?!" Lisanna demanded.
Sayla retained her dull face, eyes still on her book. "I simply aided him in his trip to the underworld." She said plainly.
"You're from Tartaros?!" Elfman interrogated.
Sayla flipped one more page before closing the book and placing it on the table in the library. "You humans write such dull stories." She sighed. "Shall I spin for you my own tale? One of demons?"
"Heads up, Lisanna!" Elfman warned. "She's about to attack."
"Right." Lisanna nodded.
Suddenly, Elfman gripped his sister by the neck and began choking her. He looked at Lisanna, completely surprised at his actions. "Wha-"
"Elf…" Lisanna gasped out, her hands on his massive fingers. She felt him squeeze tighter.
"My hand's moving on its own!" Elfman argued to his struggling sister. He tried to loosen up, but his body was not listening to him. He watched in horror as his little sister struggled to breathe. "Lisanna!"
"I…can't…breathe…" she gasped.
Elfman angrily looked to Sayla, who simply stood in front of them. "What are you doing to me?! Stop it now!"
"In the story of demons, there is no such thing as the word…'mercy'." Sayla retorted coldly.
"Dammit!" Elfman wailed. "Stop! Stop making me do this!"
"Elf…" Lisanna was beginning to fade.
"Hang in there, Lisanna!" he pleaded. "Please!" He shouted to Sayla. "I'm begging you! Make this stop!"
"Begging?" Sayla's glare narrowed. "Only a human seeks boon from begging. The only way a human can truly benefit from begging a demon, is by selling their soul. Will you sell me yours?"
Elfman didn't know that once he agrees to the demon's deal, his life will be tortured with guilt
With Lucy and the others
"Come on, you stupid thing." Lucy grumbled as she repeatedly smacked the top of the communication lacrima.
The picture in the lacrima began to come into view, showing Makarov and the others. "Master!"
"Lucy?!" the old man ran to the table the lacrima sat on in the guild. "How are things with your group?! Did you succeed in finding Michello?!"
"Yeah we found him. We also fought the guy who destroyed the magic council"
"and he was working for Tartaros" Natsu told to Makarov
"Were you able to get anything from Michello?" Makarov frantically asked.
"Well…" Lucy trailed off. She turned the lacrima towards the still shaking elder.
Michelia was at his side, worriedly rubbing his back. "Grandfather…" she muttered.
"White inheritance…" Michello muttered. "Face…I know nothing I swear…I don't know anything."
Makarov raised an eyebrow. "Face?"
"Face…is one of the weapons belonging to the magic council." Michello explained to the shock of everyone.
"What's the council doing with something like that?" The clone Natsu asked him
"I imagine that it's to keep some sort of order within the magic world." Carla hypothesized with a perplexed expression.
"I have some reservations about this, but please continue with your explanation."
"Depending on how destructive the weapons are, there are special measures in order to keep them safe from misuse." Michello explained.
"For example, Etherion is an enormous magical cannon with the power to wipe out an entire kingdom in an instant, but in order to be fired its use needs to be approved by all nine members of the council, as well as use the codes provided by ten of the highest-level wizards within the bureaucracy."
"So since all the council members are dead…" Jet began.
"That means Tartaros can't fire Etherion." Droy finished.
"Removing Etherion might have been one of the enemies' objectives." Lily guessed.
"What kind of weapon is this 'Face'?!" Makarov interrogated the shivering Michello.
The elder bit his lip, hesitating to answer.
"I know you were sworn to secrecy, but billons of lives are at stake! Tell us what we need to know!" Makarov demanded.
Michello's lip quivered more before he finally relented and spoke. "Face is magic pulse bomb. It has the power to eliminate all magic on the continent."
"What?!" Gray shouted.
"All magic on the continent…?" Levy gasped.
"Why would the council create a weapon like that?" Laki inquired.
"Every wizard in Ishgal would suffer from Magic Deficiency Disease!" Cana pointed out.
"That's not all!" Lucy informed. "Tartaros doesn't use magic! They refer to their abilities as curses!"
"An entire continent filled with ailing wizards, all while Tartaros is free to use their abilities without fear of resistance." Lily deduced.
"What possible purpose could there be to create such a weapon?" Makarov questioned in fear.
Natsu grabbed Michello by the collar of his tattered shirt. "Where is this 'Face' bomb?! We'll destroy it before they have a chance to activate it!"
"I…I really don't know…" Michello whimpered. "I once heard that it is sealed via organic link magic between three council members, but only the former chairman knows who those individuals were!"
"Organic link magic…" Wendy repeated. "That means that the key to unlocking face is the lives of those three council members."
"So that's why they're just killing members of the council without questioning them." Gray realized.
"but they don't know who is connected to Face, right?" Jet said.
"But isn't killing them all indiscriminately counterproductive? I mean just because they know how to activate the bomb, that doesn't necessarily mean they know where it's located."
"Who is to say that they don't already know Face's location?" Juvia proposed. "If they already know where the bomb is located, then they don't need to question the members they kill."
"That makes sense." Levy agreed.
Gajeel turned towards the lacrima in his group's location. "If they manage to kill those three council members then Face will fall right into their hands and go off, old man! We gotta hurry and find them!"
"Gajeel's right!" Makarov said to the guild, he then turned back to Michello. "You said the former chairman knows where they are located?!"
"I-it's possible…" Michello stammered.
Makarov turned back to the guild. "What is the status on the other council members?!"
"We found sixteen more former councilmen." Warren reported. "We also got some of the other guilds to help us out in protecting them."
"Where are Erza and Mira?! They were supposed to be heading towards the former chairman's home!"
"They should be arriving there any minute now!" Laki said. "We already informed them of the situation."
"Good! With those two, we're sure to stay ahead of Tartaros. Alright, everyone! We have to hurry!"
"Yes sir!" the guild shouted in unison as they frantically searched through papers and maps.
With Erza
They were on their way to find the Former Councilman as they walk the path that will lead them to him
"There's also Jellal." Mira said to Erza
"He's a former councilman, isn't he? They're probably targeting him as well."
"Jellal can take care of himself. Besides I have no idea where he is, and the former chairman is more important right now anyway. He has information on which members of the council are linked to Face." Erza replied to her
"I suppose you're right." Mira conceded. "This position could possibly be the most single outpost in the entire magic world."
"Then let's be on our way." Erza lead Mira to a clearing in the middle of the forest.
at a home
"please, have a seat." Crawford instructed. "I was just in the middle of making tea."
"Thank you." Erza accepted as she and Mira took their seats.
"Your home is very lovely, Chairman Crawford." Mira complimented.
"Thank you." The old man chuckled. "Being retired does have its benefits." He poured tea into two cups and placed them in front of the Fairy Tail wizards.
"Here you are." He then turned to pour his own cup.
"Thank you for your hospitality." Mira bowed her head.
"it has a nice per- I mean aroma to it." Erza complimented while trying not to say the forbidden P word, she despises
"Many have called it 'earth's apple'." Crawford explained.
"I started cultivating these herbs after I retired. There is also chamomile from my garden in there as well." When he finished pouring his tea he turned and took his seat at the table.
"I don't mean to be rude. I don't receive many visitors, so I appreciate the gesture, but…how do you know where I live?"
"We apologize for invading your privacy in this manner…" Mira began, "But this is a serious emergency. We received your location through a network of information exclusive to our guild."
"Then I must praise your network." Crawford sighed with a smile. "My address was to remain top secret."
"We beg your forgiveness." Erza bowed in apology.
"It's fine." Crawford laughed.
"I'm retired. So I won't be punishing you."
"Chairman Crawford…" Mira's tone suggested they return to the task at hand. "The reason we came here…"
"Ah yes. You said my life was in danger correct?"
"Yes." Erza nodded. "We came to see if you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Face."
The former chairman huffed in exhaustion, dredging up memories of a time best forgotten.
"Face. I heard what has happened to my former colleagues, and it just breaks my heart. I must say I admire the heroism you all show now that the council is no longer functioning. It makes my old bones smile to know that wizards are stepping up to protect this country."
"We believe that stopping Tartaros starts with destroying Face." Erza informed.
"Would you please provide us with any information that would help us locate it?" Mira asked.
Crawford sighed regretfully. "Sad to say that I don't know where Face is currently being kept."
Both Erza and Mira gave him skeptical looks, prompting the former chairman to explain himself.
"I'm not trying to be secretive. I honestly have no idea where it is. Even though I was once the chairman, there was never a real need for me to know Face's location."
"How could Tartaros possess information that even the former chairman of the council is unaware of?" Erza interrogated. Something didn't add up.
"I have no earthly idea." Crawford answered. He scratched his head. "That is quite the mystery."
"Well could you at least tell us the identities of the council members protecting Face?" Mira inquired.
"We'll protect them with all the power at our disposal." Erza declared.
Crawford scratched the top of his head again. "Unfortunately, I was not given that information either."
"How is that possible?" Erza questioned.
"Face itself was…disavowed." The former chairman explained.
"It was forbidden to even acknowledge that it existed at all. It was for this reason that the three keys to face, didn't actually know they were keys. This was thought as the best way to keep the weapon protected from enemies."
"The keys don't know themselves?" Mira blurted.
"Then Tartaros must really plan on killing every past council member…" Erza guessed. Suddenly the two felt an evil presence outside, prompting them to both stand up.
'Wh-what's happening?" A startled Crawford asked the two.
"Looks like they've arrived." Mira said.
"Your house is surrounded," Erza told Crawford. "From the sound of their footfalls, I estimate at least twenty men."
"Get to a secure room, chairman!" Mira ordered.
"Who is it?" the frightened man asked. "Is it Tartaros?"
"They're coming, Mira." Erza informed.
"I can hear them." The barmaid acknowledged.
The wall broke down, revealing a horde of armored soldiers. Erza requipped into her Blackwing armor while Mira transformed into her Satan Soul form. Together they pushed the advancing soldiers out of the house and into the clearing. They stood on the hill, their angered glares focused on the men below them.
"You will not lay a hand on the chairman." Erza declared.
The soldiers said nothing as they circled the two strongest women in Fairy Tail. Erza looked to Mira, a small smirk appearing on her lips. "This is first time we've teamed up in a while isn't it?"
Mira returned Erza's smirk with one of her own. "It is. Let's show them who it is they're messing with."
The two raced in opposite directions, defeating the armored attackers with ease and quickly thinning out their numbers. After about an hour, all of their enemies lie defeated.
"Was that the last one?" Erza asked.
"I believe so." Mira answered. "You did a good job, Erza."
"You as well."
The two returned to their normal forms, but something didn't quite right with the situation. "That was odd." Erza commented.
"You thought so too?" Mira inquired.
Erza nodded. "The former chairman should be considered a high-profile target, but these grunts were taken down way too easily. One would think Tartaros would send its stronger members for an assignment like this. Something is definitely wrong here."
"You're right…" Mira trailed off. She blinked, her vision starting to go blurry. She then felt her body go numb. "Erza…"
"What is it, Mira?" Erza turned her head, seeing her friend's tired state.
"I…I don't…" Mira trialed off again before falling to the ground.
"Mira!" Erza called. She tried to run to her aid, but soon she also felt exhausted. In a matter of seconds she too was on the ground.
"My, oh my. What do we have here?" Crawford said creepily as he approached the unconscious duo.
He picked them both up. "This is no place to be sleeping." He walked back to his home, standing in front of a communications lacrima.
"This is Crawford." He reported. "I managed to capture two of them still intact. It seems a change of plans is in order."
The person he was talking to in the lacrima, was none other than Kyôka.
"An admirable feat indeed." She praised. "Befitting of a former chairman. If you would, please make a swift return to the guild hall."
Back with Natsu
"he said that every former council member. are in danger, right?" Natsu said as Lucy nodded before realizing what he meant
"you don't think…" Lucy said as Natsu nodded
"Jellal and Ultear are in danger!" Natsu said before he hears something off the distance
""this sound!"" Natsu said in his mind before he summons Drac and summons wing on his back and then flies up
"Natsu-san!" Wendy called.
"Where are you going?!" Lucy shouted,
"I heard something! I'm going there to check it, tell the old man to make sure Jellal and Ultear are safe!" Natsu shouted before he flies away
""to think that the former chairman betrayed his own home!"" Natsu dashed in highspeed as he reached to an opening and sees Crawford's house in the distance.
He descended down to the dirt path to the house, Natsu noticing the swords stuck in ground along with the disturbed bedrock and trees.
He sniffs the air before he smells the scent of drugs
"I can't believe this!" Natsu shouted as black markings slowly slithers around his neck "why do humans always create conflict!?"
Natsu gritted his teeth in anger before he remembers Ultear, Meredy and Aya in his mind
He slowly calms down and let out a long sigh
"Drac" Natsu called out to his gauntlet as it glowed
"what is it that you wish?" Drac asked Natsu
"trace Erza's and Mira's location by their magic trace and scent" Natsu ordered the gauntlet as it glowed
"it is done" Drac said as a glowing arrow appeared and was pointing north west of Natsu's location
"Tartaros' base must be located there" Natsu said as he summons his wings and flies up before dashing towards the location
""I will end this all"" Natsu said without realizing that the black markings on his neck haven't disappeared
That's a wrap!
Bye bye