Some days later; through a deserted wasteland was where the Ice Devil Slayer named Silver walked upon.
The black haired man walked upon the land before he came upon a rather eerie and deserted looking black castle which made him stopped in his tracks. He smirked in amusement as he looked over the castle before him.
"No matter how many times I see this place it gives me the creeps." Silver commented. "Guess it's supposed to. It is my guild after all."
Silver snorted before resuming his walk through the large open doors.
meanwhile, in the magic council. The Council members are gathered as they are having a meeting that was discussing about the activities of a certain dark guild at hand.
Within the central meeting room of the main building, the members of the magic council discussed the most recent matters that happened in Earth Land. Among the gathered were Lahar and Doranbolt, the latter looking rather nonplused at his friend while they listened to the senior members around them prattle on.
"that Fairy Tail is giving me a major headache" a council member said while rubbing his forehead
"I agree, First their rowdiest members return from Tenrou Island, then they win the Grand Magic Games, and then more troubling issues that they are making? Will they ever cease being a nuisance?"
"If you ask me, we should have been allowed to have a say in the Games."
"But they're sponsored by a sovereign nation. Negotiations would have been difficult to manage."
"That's no excuse."
A metal rod tapped three times against the tile floor, halting all meaningless conversation.
"Everyone…be silent!" a voice boom out as everyone looks at the chairman, Gran Doma, the head of the magic council. "We are meeting today to discuss Tartaros. Not Fairy Tail."
Having the attention of the council members; Gran Doma continued.
"For those of you who do not know…" he began. "Seven guilds under the Tartaros umbrella have been wiped out over the past number of days. For reasons we cannot divulge their identities, but even if their intentions are noble, it only makes our job that much harder." He directed everyone's eyes to the numerous papers spread out on the table. Each one was a report on each guild taken down by this mysterious third party. "If this is being done by an official guild, there is almost certainly a risk of retaliation."
"Couldn't be that group?" One of the members spoke up. "The ones that call themselves an independent guild?"
"Crime Sorciere?" The man next to him guessed. "I suppose that's possible."
"I say it's the work of Fairy Tail." An elderly woman sneered. "They're always out to cause us trouble."
"Right." The bespectacled man to her right agreed. "It's as if their mission in life is to make ours terrible."
"I hardly think it's wise to try and connect every unfavorable happening to the Fairy Tail guild." Org advised.
"You seem to have been taking those troublemaker's side a lot recently, Elder Org." a council member retorted to Org who leaned back in his seat.
"That is not what I'm saying," Org stated. "but if we are discussing possibilities…I don't think it is inconceivable to assume that Tartaros has begun to start taking control of their subordinate guilds directly."
"Why would they do that?" A man with an eye patch and fangs that stuck upward from the bottom of this mouth asked.
"I can't say. But the most likely motives for these actions would either be preparation for a military offensive, or simply weeding out weaker guilds." Org replied while shaking his head once.
The other council members looked at one another, thinking of Org's words before they erupting in a loud fit of laughter, distressing the Fiore councilman.
"Dark guilds destroying one another?!"
"How absurd!"
"I think we all know that Tartaros has all the military strength they need."
"Your years are starting to show, Elder Org."
"Wait." Gran Doma interrupted. "There may be some truth to Org's words."
"But Chairman!" A hooded man protested.
"The time has come for us to permanently deal with Tartaros." The chairman declared. "Though we know very little of this enemy, taking them down would mean the fall of the Baram Alliance as a whole." His eyes darkened, sending chills down the spines of the collected council members. "It is time we show them the full might of the magic council."
Before anyone could offer a rebuttal one of the frog messengers raced into the meeting room, looking down at everyone from the balcony. "Everyone, terrible news!" he shouted in fright.
"You fool!" one of the members scolded. "Can't you see we are in a meeting?!"
"B-but this is urgent. Intruders have been spotted and…"
BOOM!
The first explosion interrupted the messenger and rattled the ears of all those in the meeting room. Wave after wave of explosions destroyed the council building, killing or fatally wounding all foolish enough to be in their path.
When the dust settled in the meeting room, Doranbolt found himself on the other side of a splitting headache. He held his hand against his head, feeling the blood from a wound dripping down.
"Wh-what happened?" he groaned. He moved a piece of debris off of himself and looked around, seeing Lahar a few meters ahead of him on his side. He groggily stood up and ran to his friend. "Lahar? Come on, man, get up. Lahar?!" When Doranbolt turned Lahar's body over his eyes widened in shock. He gritted his teeth before setting his friend down as he was no longer with him
"This…this can't be happening…" Doranbolt shuddered. He turned to look at the rest of the room, and was equally horrified at the state of it. The roof was completely gone, with debris was strewn everywhere…along with the dead bodies of the Gran Doma and the other council members. "No…!" Doranbolt gasped as he stands up
"Is anyone still alive?!" he called into the destroyed room. A minor tremor caused the injured wizard to fall back to the ground and he looked ahead, seeing Org under a pile of rubble.
"Doran…bolt…" he called weakly.
"Elder Org!" he shouted happily, but that all faded away when he saw a hand press the injured Org's head further into the ground. Doranbolt's eyes widened in shock and he followed the hand up with his eyes, getting a full view of the perpetrator.
A man who had inhuman like features was holding Org down as the man grins
"Oh no you don't." he said. "We can't let you get away. We came here for all nine members of the council." He clutched Org's head tighter, his hand beginning to glow in an ominous light. "Explode!"
"No!" Doranbolt pleaded desperately. "Don't!"
"Doranbolt…" Org coughed. "Run…"
"I can't!" Doranbolt protested.
"What good will it do if you were to die too?!" the old man shouted
"It won't do you any good." The mysterious man said to Doranbolt. "You can't outrun my explosions."
"Doranbolt, go!" Org ordered, ignoring his attacker's threat. He could feel the heat emanating from the man's palm as the light grew brighter.
"I'm Jackal." The man introduced. "One of the Nine Demon Gates of Tartaros. you'll remember my name in hell!" he then grins very sadistically. "the name of the one who killed the entire council!"
Doranbolt offered no reply, instead he could only helplessly lie there on his stomach as his mentor was about to be killed.
"Go, Doranbolt! Live on!" Org shouted one last time. "See that justice is done!"
The man holding him cackled maniacally as another explosion erupted from his palm, rocking the land once more, as well as destroying Org.
"Elder Org!"
at another time, in Fairy Tail. everyone was happily conversing and carrying on, unaware of the coming danger.
"Right here, Mira!" Macao called from his table. "Make sure it's the hard stuff."
"Ok, coming!" Mira hollered while carrying some drinks on a tray with Lisanna doing the same.
"It's really too early to be drinking, Dad." Romeo sighed. "It's the middle of the day."
"Hey it's five o'clock somewhere." Cana shrugged, lifting her own barrel of alcohol overhead.
"Where?" Romeo sweat-dropped.
"Hey!" Elfman shouted, slamming his fist on the edge of the table. He was currently staring a hole into a frightened Warren. "I saw you making googly-eyes at Lisanna."
"I-I wasn't." the telepathic wizard stammered, his body breaking into a cold sweat.
"Elf-niichan, stop that right now." Lisanna scolded her big brother while passing by. "Warren wasn't doing anything wrong."
Elfman looked at the shaking man a little longer before letting up.
"Ok," said Elfman before he points a finger at the telepath mage. "but I'm watching you."
By another conversation that is nearby.
"that Minerva joined a dark guild, huh?" Makarov spoke out as he is by the bar and in a conversation with Erza who had told him everything about her encounter with the female wizard during the Sun Village's expedition.
"yes, she joined Succubus Eye." Erza stated. "she said that she will conquer the darkness and taint the world with it."
"for such a person to go so low…" Makarov muttered while scratching his beard.
"Master, I believe we should inform this to Sabertooth." Erza stated. "if there is a way to get Minerva out of the darkness. I'm certain that Sting and the others can do it."
"hmm, I believe so too." Makarov replied while nodding in agreement.
By another table that is near the bar; Natsu, Lucy, Gajeel, Wendy, Charla, Lily, and Gray all crowded Levy who is researching something.
"guys, look at this" Levy stated while holding an opened book that showed information about Zeref's demons. "E.N.D. It doesn't really go into too much detail but, it says that demons like Deliora and Lullaby don't even compare to it in terms of power."
"Are you sure that's what Atlas told you the demon's name was, Natsu?" Lucy asked the fire Dragon Slayer who nodded in response.
"Then if that book is true then E.N.D. is the strongest demon in the book of Zeref." Charla stated while Wendy nodded.
"What are Demons from the Book of Zeref, anyway?" Lily asked. "We never had anything like this in Edolas."
"How would I know?" Gajeel irritably retorted.
"They are demons that Zeref created." Charla replied while holding a paw out. "Each volume of the book has the means to summon one of them."
"So someone can summon a demon with just one volume?" Lucy asked with widened eyes.
"In essence.. yes." Charla nodded.
"the Magic Council never knew so much about Tartaros but this E.N.D.." Natsu spoke out before he hardens his gaze. "Igneel tried to destroy E.N.D but failed…"
"we had trouble fighting the Dragons and Acnologia." Gray stated. "if a dragon couldn't destroy this E.N.D, there's no telling if this demon is actually stronger than a Dragon itself."
"no kidding." Said Lucy while nodding before she shivers. "just thinking of something that could overpower Dragons that were like monsters against us…"
"do we have a plan against these guys?" Levy asked. "if it was Tartaros who did damage on your previous job. They're bound to get back at you guys and on the guild."
"there's still a lot about Tartaros that we don't know." Charla stated in answer. "so the safe bet would be to prepare our defenses for anything. We don't know this dark guild so much and going in blindly won't be good."
"That's right." Levy confirmed. "We need more information, guys."
"Still…" Lucy began. "There's just too many unknowns to just run around half-cocked. We should wait and-"
The guild doors suddenly swung open, revealing Jet and Droy who had shocked look on their faces
"BAD NEWS EVERYONE!"
somewhere far away from the location of Era. Doranbolt can be found walking by a dessert as he is a bit limping but not out.
he soon came to a stop when he meet someone who is sitting by a rock.
"Been expecting you." The person spoke and revealed himself to be the former Oracion Seis member now Crime Sorciere' mage; Eric. "you look like shit"
"I'm assuming you 'heard' what happened to the Magic Council" Doranbolt questioned.
"yeah" Eric replied before tapping a finger to his right ear "I heard a lot of explosions and screams. It's not that hard to not hear it.
"Tell me all you know about Tartaros." Doranbolt stated while taking a step forward. "every single thing"
"we don't know much about them." Eric replied. "even with me being able to hear anyone on this land. I can only hear and know one thing" the Poison Dragon Slayer soon had a dark and serious look. "Not one member of Tartaros is human. Each one of them is a demon from the Book of Zeref. Their master's name is E.N.D., the worst demon in the Book!"
meanwhile upon Tartaros. Silver awaited the final member of his guild along with the rest of the Nine Demon Gates. The final member to walk in was Kyoka, who was being followed in by a group of armored men.
"It has been a while, Silver." The green haired demon spoke out
"That you, Kyoka?" the Ice Devil Slayer asked, turning his head to look at her. "You're as sexy as ever I see."
"It surprises this one that you came as a human." Kyoka noted.
"I know." Silver smirked. "Pretty cool, right? I like it."
"gehehehehe! The works of such are always wanted, Silver-san!" a cyclops demon and member of Tartaros appeared as he is Franmalth. "I wonder how much!? How much of the souls that we got now?! Gehehehehe!"
"enough of that, Franmalth." Kyoka stated while crossing her arms "Where are Tempester and Jackal?"
"They both had special duties to attend to." Franmalth explained.
"That means everything is progressing, correct?" Kyoka stated.
"Yes, ma'am." Franmalth bowed.
"Very well." Kyoka walked past Franmalth and deeper into the castle, the rest of the assembled demons not far behind.
"It is time we show the humans the depths of the Underworld."Kyoka declared. "And the hell of the Nine Demon Gates of Tartaros!"
That's a wrap!
Bye bye
