Chapter 98

The Storm Hits

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

"Magic"

Flashback

Location / Date / Time Skip

A lone man walked down a path before coming to a stop before a massive castle. "And to think, I actually call this place home." He chuckled before walking inside. He walked through the halls before coming to a stop as Kyouka came up from behind. "Looking stunning as always, Miss Kyouka."

"To think you'd show up in human form." She said in disgust.

"It's me." He chuckled.

The two walked into a large room and came to a stop. "Are Jackal and Tempester here?" Kyouka asked.

"They're out on other missions." A bulbous member replied.

"That can only mean the operation has begun." She said with a smirk. "Let's show the humans the power of the Underworld, helmed by the Nine Demon Gates."

Era, Magic Council Headquarters

The council rambled and complained about Fairy Tail for the hundredth time before Gran Doma clanged his staff on the ground twice. "Silence, everyone. Out topic of conversation today is Tartaros. We all know that many of the dark guilds associated with them have been wiped out these last few days. We should be both thankful and troubled by this..

"Was it that independent guild?"

"Crime Sorcière? It could be."

"It wouldn't surprise me if Fairy Tail was behind this and didn't tell us."

"Must we pin everything wrong with the world on Fairy Tail?" Org asked. "Have we just ignored the idea that Tartaros is the one behind all this destruction? Maybe to strengthen their numbers or cull their weaker members."

The others laughed at the idea before the chairman spoke up. "It's a possibility." He said, shocking the table. "Now it's time for us to deal with Tartaros after turning a blind eye to them for so long. The true form of our enemy remains unknown. But if we end them, the Balam Alliance would be over. We will show them the full power of the Magic Council."

The others stared in shock as Org smirked. The door burst open and a guard ran in as a blinding light filled the room. "It's an intrud-" The light turned into a massive explosion that rattled the mountain and destroyed the building.

Groaning in pain, Doranbolt pushed himself up and looked around in confusion. "Lahar, what happened?" He crawled over to his friend and found only his cold body. "What the hell happened here!?"

"Doranbolt…" Org groaned out, only for a fist to crash into the back of his head.

"No, no… Letting you live is not an option." A blonde, canine man chuckled. "Assassinating all nine of you council members was the order. Explode." His arm started glowing and the light transferred to Org.

"Stop it!"

"Doranbolt, run." The councilman ordered. "Think of what will happen if we lose you as well."

"Running isn't an option, not from my explosions." The blonde chuckled as he looked up. "The name is Jackal, one of the Nine Demon Gates of Tartaros. Remember that in hell, as the name of the man who massacred the entire Council."

"Get out of here!" Org shouted. "Find your own sense of justice and carry it out!" Another explosion rattled the city, scaring the people even more.

Fairy Tail

Makarov sat on the bar as he listened to Erza's report. "Minerva joined up with a dark, hasn't she?" He mumbled. "And her father? He was the old master of Sabertooth, as I recall."

"He hasn't been seen or heard from since the tournament." The redhead replied.

"No loss there." Laki chuckled as she walked by. "He's about ten times better than Jiemma ever was."

"Either way, I should report this to the council. They should know Sabertooth is under new management." The master mumbled. "And I'lll contact Sting as well. He's been looking for Minerva harder than anyone else."

"I found this about E.N.D." Levy said, making the table of Natsu, Nicholas, Brianna, Lucy, Gajeel, Wendy and the Exceeds lean in to listen. "He's from the Books of Zeref. Compared to Lullaby and Deliora, he's on a whole different scale."

"So this rumor about him being the stronger demon is true?" Lucy asked.

"How do we beat it?" Wendy asked.

"What are the books of Zeref?" Pantherlily asked, having lived his whole life in Edolas.

"Like I'd know." Gajeel replied.

"Zeref created demons, beings of pure evil." Carla explained. "After he was done, he turned them into books and scattered them all over the world. So if someone opens one, they can summon a demon just by reading them. And each demon has a book dedicated to it."

"So Tartaros has the one for E.N.D." Natsu mumbled. "And Igneel tried to destroy that creepy thing down and failed. What is this thing?… Screw it, let's just go out there and fight these guys!"

"Now you're talking." Gajeel chuckled.

"Do you two share a brain?" Nicholas asked. "We don't know where they are, how many they have, or what they can do. We'd be going in blind."

"But this is our still best chance to find Igneel." Natsu added. "Not to mention the other dragons."

The doors to the guild hall burst open as Jet and Droy ran in, a newspaper in hand. "Guys, this is big!"

Era

First responders worked overtime to clear the rubble and look for survivors. Below them all, Doranbolt walked through the jail and came to a stop in front of an all too familiar face. "I thought it was about time you showed up." Cobra chuckled.

"You heard what happened upstairs, I presume." Doranbolt said.

"Don't be stupid." The one-eyed man replied. "I can't use magic in this cell. All I heard was the explosions."

"Spit out what you know about Tartaros." The survivor ordered.

"I ain't squealing for free." Cobra chuckled. "I demand the release of all sox of us.."

"I can't do that." Doranbolt replied. "And anyone who could is dead."

Cobra gasped in shock before regaining his composure. "Looks like they really went all out there." Cold steel was pressed against his neck as Doranbolt held a knife there.

"My friends are dead, and my patience is wearing thin." He replied. "Spit out what you know, or breathe your last"

"I ain't budging on my condition.." Cobra said back. "You're not the only one with friends. But I will tell you one thing. None of them are human. They're all demons from the books of Zeref. Their Master's name is E.N.D. The Strongest demon in the Library of Zeref."

"That Jackal loves to go all flashy, doesn't he?" Franmalth, a large, one-eyed yellow demon chuckled. "I wonder how much those nine Council members cost."

"Cease that foul laughter, Franmath." Torafusa, a fish demon ordered. "Our dignity will be questioned."

"As if demons have need for things like dignity!" A massive, four armed demon known as Ezel shouted. "Let me go next, Kyouka! I wanna kill some humans already!"

"Ezel, stories must have a proper sequence." A horned demon called Sayla replied. "This is still the prologue… no, the preface, actually."

"There's no need to rush, Ezel." Kyouka added. "You have your assignment."

"My body is throbbing!" He snapped at the two female demons. "It's not fair that Jackal and Tempester get all the fun!"

"Whisper, and listen to the blessings of the underworld." A skeletal monk known as Keyes whispered.

"Hell has just begun." Kyouka declared as Zero stayed silent. "Everything is for the sake of our master Zeref. The hammers of demons will descends upon mankind."

One Day Later

8 Island Restaurant

"Terrible news." Yajima mumbled as he read the paper.

"The council was bombed?" Freed asked as he cooked in the grill.

"It gets worse." The restaurant owner added. "A hundred and nineteen were dead and wounded. It's a huge catastrophe."

"Good thing you left the council when you did." Bickslow chuckled, angering the former member.

"Take this job seriously." Evergreen requested, walking forward in an 8 Island outfit. "Remember, you two were the ones complaining about the tough jobs coming in. That's why we taking this easy job."

"That reminds me, has Lacus come back with those ingredients?" Yajima asked.

"I think he got lost." Bickslow chuckled.

The door opened and the four turned to it, only to find a cloaked man enter the building. "Hyuru."

A massive tornado ripped through the restaurant and knocked all four to the ground. "What is this guy!?" Yajima was in fear as the stranger rode the wind and charged him.

Freed and Bickslow stood guard, only for the man to slam his palms onto their chests. "Do-Don." A blast of fire shot both back as Evergreen jumped up.

"Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun!" A volley of fairy dust shot at the enemy only for him to charge through it and blast her with black wind.

She crashed into the rubble as the man stared down at Yajima. "W… who are you?"

"I have no name." The hooded figure replied. "I am one of the Nine Demon Gates. You humans call me a calamity."

"Why won't my body move?" Freed groaned in pain.

"The gates of hell have opened." The being replied, picking up Yajima by the throat. "Judgement is upon humanity." Wind started wrapping around his arm as Freed pushed himself up.

"Tartaros?" He asked in shock. "Then that means… they're after ALL council members, past and present!? What the hell could they want!?"

"Fall." The 'calamity' ordered as the wind picked up around his arm. Yajima cried in pain before the wind was suddenly cut off. The Thunder Legion smiled as a bolt of lightning crashed down in front of him.

"I might have gotten a bit lost, but when it comes to wiping the floor with you, the path is clear." Laxus declared, electricity arching off his fist. The others smile at the blonde as he looked at the opponent. "Who's he?"

"He's from Tartaros!" Evergreen shouted. "They're trying to kill all council members, past or present!"

"Is that right?" Laxus asked as the foe ripped off his cloak, revealing a lion like appearance. "What the hell is he?"

A whirlwind shot him forward and flew at Laxus, who quickly jumped over the storm. The blonde leaped behind and slammed his foot into the back, sending the demon flying backwards. "You got the wrong opponent." He warned as he placed his hands over his head. "Lightning Dragon Jaw!" He slammed a sparking double axe handle down and obliterated the ground, one shoting the foe.

"He did it…" Freed chuckled.

"Yajima, what should I do with him?" Laxus asked, turning around.

"The Council isn't working anymore…" The restaurant owner mumbled. "The council was always a weak organization. Once the top stopped working, the other branches died too.

"Should we take him to Fairy Tail and question him?" Freed suggested. "Why are they trying to kill every council member? I want to know their motive."

"Fairy Tail…" The opponent mumbled, catching Laxus off guard. "We didn't calculate that there could be humans so powerful… I couldn't predict your power. It seems I shall have to die."

"Die?" The blonde repeated. "What are you saying?"

"You got the wrong opponent. That is what I mean, human." The demon explained before turning into a cloud of black powder.

"He blew himself up!?" Evergreen shouted in surprise.

"Humans cannot win against natural disasters." A voice echoed around them. "My body is made of Bain Particles. They destroy the ethernano in the air and poisons it. This causes magic deficiency and leads to the death of wizards. The only flaw is that I must return to headquarters to heal. See you in hell, dead man."

"Don't breath it in!" Freed shouted as Yajima fell over.

"Ya… jima…" Evergreen groaned out as she hit the ground.

"I'm not gonna let anyone die!" Laxus declared as he opened his mouth.

"Laxus, what are you doing!?" Freed asked in concern as Bickslow hit the ground. The mists began to spiral into Laxus' mouth, horrifying the vernette. "You're gonna swallow all the Bain Particles? It'll kill you!"

"Take everyone home…" Laxus chuckled as he fell to a knee. "That's your job." He fell over as more particles entered his mouth.

Hours Later

Fairy Tail

Porlyusica stepped out of the infirmary, coming face to face with Makarov and the other guild members. "They'll live… but they've been heavily damaged by the Bain Particles. It's a strong poison, normally even a little is enough to kill people. I'm not sure whether they'll be able to completely recover."

"Laxus… saved the town…" Freed groaned out. "If he wasn't there…"

Makarov patted his head and left the room as Erza stared in thought. 'If they're going after ex-councilers, then Tartaros will be going after Jellal as well.'

"Gramps…" Natsu mumbled as he clenched his fist in anger. "We're going to war." The others grabbed onto him and pinned him to the ground, but he still clocked Droy in the face. "War! I'll take them all on!"

"Natsu, calm down." Laki said, kneeling down into his face. "I know you wanna fight them, but we just don't have enough information to find them."

"All we know is that they're going after councilors." Lucy mumbled. "Old ones and new."

"So then we go protect the old ones." Gray said.

"Except their locations are classified for their own protection." Macao replied.

"Not all of them." The guild looked over to see Loke walking over. "I know where some of them are."

"Seriously?"/"How?" Lucy and Wendy asked, but the spirit only whispered into the smaller girl's ear, making her face turn red.

"Thanks to Loke's tramping about, we know three locations of old council members." Porlyusica said, staring at a map."A team will go to each of them and protect them from Tartaros. If you find the one who attacked Laxus, get me a sample of their blood. I might be able to create a cure for Laxus and the others."

In a bubbling vat of green goo, half of Tempester's body was being put back together by tubes. "Sorry for the trouble, Kyouka."

"Think nothing of it, Tempester." The bird demoness replied.

"Tempester… is this my name?" He asked in confusion. "Whenever I am born, I forget my name. I have no need for one. How long until I am fully regenerated?"

"Normally one day would be enough, but I'm using another vat right now, so it will take a bit longer." She explained.

"Was someone else wounded?" Tempester asked as she walked over to the other filled vat.

"No, it is my child." She replied, placing her 'hand' on the glass. "A new demon; Minerva. She is suited for the underworld."

"Let's hope she doesn't come out like that Doriate fellow." Franmalth chuckled as he walked in. "How much will this regeneration cost us? You shouldn't use those Bain Particles so freely, you know."

"Fairy Tail…" Tempester mumbled in anger. "If they had not interfered, this wouldn't have happened."

Minerba suddenly thrashed about at the mention of the name, catching Kyouka off guard. "Is that the guild whom bested the six demons and Grimoire? This could be interesting."

Mikelo's House

"So that's why we're here." Lucy explained to the elderly man. "We're going to protect you."

"Thanks but no thanks." Mikelo declined. "Your guild causes nothing but trouble, and I don't like the idea of being bait."

"Tartaros would come here even if we didn't show up." Carla replied.

"Which is why I'm leaving now." He snapped back. "Don't follow me."

"Grandpa, you're being too rude." A woman with braided hair told him, carrying a tray of drinks as she entered the room.

'She's the one who used to do things with Loke…' Wendy thought with a bright red face.

"The other councilors were killed, are you really just going to ignore this?" Laki asked. "There has to be a reason for this. Any idea why they would target you?"

"Too many to think of." He replied. "Dark Guilds aren't the ononly one with a grudge against us."

"This isn't grudge." Rose said back. "It's too organized. There has to be a reason."

"Nothing comes to-" His eyes went wide and stopped himself. "No wait. Could it be Face?"

Natsu and Laki suddenly perked up and tackled the others to the ground, just as an explosion destroyed the house. "Everyone okay?" Rose asked.

Natsu tapped his stomach and wiped his mouth of the flames from his mouth. "The hell? I thought I blew you all up?" Everyone turned as Jackal came into view, a sick smile on his face. "Who the hell are you?"

"We're Fairy Tail, and we're here to kick your ass." Natsu declared.

And the Tartaros Arc has started off with a bang!… too soon? Whatever, the Council mostly deserved it, they were complete assholes. Laxus had a cool moment, I guess, but he's still not made up for a damn thing. Not much left to say so see you next time.

Beta read by General Feng Xiang