A/N: Episode 235.

Enjoy!

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO: FAIRY VS. THE UNDERWORLD

All of the Fairy Tail Mages were in the infirmary room as Laxus, the Raijin Tribe, and Yajima were lying on the beds.

FAIRY TAIL'S MEDICAL ADVISOR / PORLYUSICA.

Porlyusica stood in front of the guild. "Porlyusica! How are Laxus and the others?! Are they okay?! Come on!" Makarov shouted.

"They are alive. However... their bodies are premeated with magic barrier particles. Even a small ingested amount is known to be poisonous, possibly fatal. I don't know if they'll make a full recovery." Porlyusica explained. "The contamination is especially bad in Laxus's body. So much it's a miracle he's still alive."

Natsu clenched his fist. "Laxus..." Freed muttered as Makarov stepped forward.

"Freed..."

"Laxus... saved... the town. If... it hadn't been for him... the town..."

"I know. And you did well bringing everyone home." Makarov said.

"But... thanks to Laxus... the town was saved." Freed said as Makarov glanced over at his grandson, who was in immense pain.

"Is... the town... safe?" Freed then asked. Gray grits his teeth as Samuel had his head down, his bangs covering his eyes. Everyone else glanced at the ground while Natsu looked away.

"Yes." Makarov lied.

"Good..." Freed teared up a bit.

"The gates of hell, Tartaros... If they're targeting former Council members, too, then they'll also go after Jellal." Erza thought.

"Terrible..." Lucy muttered.

Natsu turned and walked away. "Gramps..." He spoke, clenching his fist tightly as he had a dark look in his eyes.

"This is war!"

TARTAROS / GUILD HALL...

Tempester was in a tube. "I apologize for the inconvenience, Kyoka." He apologized.

"Don't worry, Tempesta." Kyoka reassured.

"Tempesta... Is that my name?" Tempester asked.

"Yes." Kyoka replied.

"But when I receive a new body, I shall forget that name. A name has no meaning to me. How long will it take for me to regenerate?" Tempester questioned.

"It usually takes a day to regenerate, but the other lot is also in operation. So it'll probably take a bit longer." Kyoka answered.

"Other lot? Another is wounded?"

"No. My child. A newborn demon."

Kyoka glanced at the other tube, which held Minerva inside.

"Minerva. She'll be quite the hellraiser." Kyoka claimed.

Franmalth cackled. "As long as she doesn't turn out to be a dud like Doriate-san."

"Franmalth..." Kyoka muttered.

"How much does this one cost? How much?" Franmalth asked. "Tempesta-san, regeneration isn't free. Don't throw around magic barrier particles recklessly."

"Fairy Tail. This wouldn't have happened if not for their interference." Tempester said.

"Fairy Tail?" Kyoka repeated as Minerva began to move around in her tube frantically.

"What's this? It seems this little lady is reacting to the name, too." Franmalth pointed out.

"The guild that defeated the Six Demons and Grimoire... Fairy Tail." Kyoka chuckled. "Interesting. They would defy us?"

"It's war! I'm gonna crush Tartaros, every single one of 'em!" Natsu declared as he was being pinned down by Warren, Max, Nab, and Jet. Droy was knocked out.

"Calm down, Natsu!"

"We all feel the same way!"

"Let go of me, you bastard! I'll kick your ass!" Natsu threatened while slamming his fist onto the ground.

"You already have." Droy muttered.

"They hurt our comrades! We can't take this lyin' down!" Natsu shouted. "Let's go on the offensive right away, Gramps!"

"I don't disagree. But we don't have enough information to go on." Makarov stated.

"Tartaros. We don't know their objective, and not even the Council knows the location of their headquarters." Erza said.

"That's right, Natsu! How are we gonna attack when we don't even know where they are?!" Warren tries to reason with him.

"All we have to do is ask other dark guilds!" Natsu argued.

"Where are the headquarters of the other dark guilds?!" Nab asked.

"Hell if I know!" Natsu replied.

"Then we have nowhere to attack!" Jet informed.

"The one thing we know is that they're targeting Council members. Past members as well as current ones." Lucy stated.

"Then if we go to a former member's place, they'll come to us?" Gray asked.

"But the addresses of former members are secret. Nobody knows them." Takashi pointed out.

"Why?" Happy questioned, looking at Carla.

"If their addresses were known, bad guys would come seeking revenge, right?" Carla answered.

"Then we're at a dead end..." Cana muttered.

"No, you're not." Loke stepped forward.

"Loke!"

"I know the addresses of former Council members. Not all of them, though." Loke claimed.

"Loke!" Lucy exclaimed.

"How do you know, Loke-san?" Wendy asked as Loke began whispering in the young girl's ear. Wendy's face turned bright red.

"They're women, huh?" Lucy guessed.

"Loke gave us the addresses of four former Council members. Let's go as teams to each address, and protect the former members from Tartaros. And I'm sure they'll be tight-lipped, but get as much information from them as you can. The addresses of other former members... About Tartaros... and why they're being targeted. If you encounter the being who attacked Laxus and the others with those magic particles, exercise caution as you obtain a blood sample. I may be able to use it to create a vaccine that would cure them." Porlyusica announced.

The Fairy Tail members gathered around as Makarov stood in front of them.

Makarov raised his fist up. "The enemy is Tartaros. They're the cornerstone of the Balam Alliance, like Oracion Seis and Grimoire Heart were. However, we destroyed both of them. And like them, Tartaros will regret making an enemy out of us! Our comrades have been hurt. Their pain is ours. The blood that flows through their bodies flows through ours. This pain! This suffering! Turn it into fighting spirit and avenge them! We don't act out of justice! We act out of will! Take pride in our bond and drive away your family's enemy!" He announced as everyone cheered.

Natsu, Lucy, Wendy, Happy, and Carla stood in front of a short, old man with oddly flat brown hair, which tapers to a point in three places: on both sides of his face and in the center of his forehead. He also had tufts of hair on either side of his head that resemble ears (though they are most likely not functional, as he has a set of regular ears as well) and what appears to be a light-yellow tail growing out of his backside; these two attributes give him a strong cat-like appearance. Other distinguishing facial features were his bristle-edged mustache, along with tiny, dark-colored eyes and eyebrows that resemble musical notes.

He wore a light-colored shirt, but has covered this with a dark-colored vest, which he left open in the front. He retains the stripe-like markings on either sleeve and on his sides, and wears dark-colored pants held up at his waist by a cord tied into a bow, complete with light-colored slippers. He also possessed a wooden cane, which he was leaning on.

FORMER MAGIC COUNCIL MEMBER / MICHELLO.

"So please let us serve as your bodyguards for the time being." Lucy concluded as she finished explaining the situation.

"We'll protect you." Natsu promised. "Let us protect you."

"I appreciate it, but frankly, this is an intrusion. How did you even get my address?" Michello asked.

Happy stepped forward. "Oh, come on. We're fellow cats, right?"

"Who's a cat?!" Michello questioned in irritation. "I know all about you people. You're a troublemaking guild. In the first place, I suspect you want to use me as a decoy."

"Whether we're here or not, Tartaros has you in their sights. That's different from being a decoy, isn't it?" Carla asked.

"Give me a break. Like I would be stupid enough to go about my business, now that I know they're after me? I'm leaving. And don't come looking for me." Michello replied.

"Grandpa, you're being rude. They came all this way for your sake."

"Michelia!"

Wendy's face went red at her arrival. "She and Loke-san..."

"Let's cooperate with them. All the current Council members have been murdered." Michelia said as Michello turned away.

Michelia places her hands on her hips. "Grandpa! As a former Council member, can you turn a blind eye?" She asked.

"Um... Do you have any idea why all of you are being targeted?" Lucy questioned.

"There are too many reasons to count. And dark guilds aren't the only folks who bear grudges against us." Michello responded.

"We're not talking about a grudge. There has to be another reason they're coming after Council members." Carla said.

"Nothing comes to mind..." Michello muttered before suddenly widening his eyes. "No... Wait. Don't tell me... Face..."

Natsu was suddenly on high alert. "Everyone, get down!" He warned, pushing both Lucy and Wendy down onto the ground.

"What is it?!" Michello asked in alarm.

"Grandpa and granddaughter, too!" Natsu exclaimed, knocking down Michello and Michelia. "This smell..."

"What is it?!" Lucy questioned as Michello's house suddenly exploded as Natsu opened his mouth.

Debris soon flew everywhere. "M-My house!" Michello exclaimed.

"What is this?!" Wendy asked.

"Is everyone okay?" Carla questioned.

"Aye..." Happy answered.

"We were saved, even though the house blew up?!" Michelia asked in confusion.

Natsu pats his stomach. "I managed to eat my fill just in time." He claimed.

"You ate..."

"Natsu!" Happy exclaimed.

"I meant to blow everyone up..."

"Who are you?!" Lucy asked.

"...just like I did with the current Council members."

"Tartaros, huh?" Natsu questioned.

"Who are you?"

Natsu turned around. "I'm Natsu from Fairy Tail. Ready to start some hell-hunting?" He replied as him and Jackal had a stare-off.

A/N: First chapter of the new year! Happy 2025 everyone!

Thanks for reading!

~ Kaleb.