Countless illusory clones of Gaal dashed toward the distant battlefield. Seeing Gaal rushing down, brandishing his cards, the members of the guild broke into smiles while the Dark Guild looked on in stunned disbelief.
"So many?" someone exclaimed.
Soon someone reacted, shattering the illusions with magic. "They're fake! Illusions!" cried one voice.
"No!" another countered.
"The cards are genuine!" a third voice declared. In an instant, the Gaal illusions were torn apart. Some vanished completely, while others left their cards behind, landing on the icy surface.
Boom! A black Flame God's Bow exploded behind the battlefield. An undying, endless black fire swept forth, treating everything around as kindling while the agonized screams of the Dark Guild members resounded.
From the rear of the Dark Guild came a high-pitched shout: "Maguilty Ray!"
From a ship at the rear stepped out a small pink-haired girl, her shout echoing across the field. Countless golden rays, like a meteor shower, streaked over the battlefield, instantly eradicating any Gaal clones that had not yet descended.
"It's Lady Meredy!" someone proclaimed.
"Sugee!!" came the excited response.
"No wonder she's one of the Seven Kin of Purgatory—so young and yet so formidable!" another voice remarked.
"Hahaha, charge, charge!" shouted a battle cry.
"Kill all those Light Wizards!" came the order.
In the distance, Ultear looked up upon seeing the golden rays and immediately turned her gaze. "Meredy!" she shouted, meeting Lady Meredy's eyes filled with hatred.
Ultear's body shuddered; dazed, she began to move toward Meredy.
Crack! The ice beneath her feet shattered, and golden light flickered in the water. Losing control, Ultear began to fall, instinctively trying to cast magic when she heard Kain Hikaru's voice: "Die, Ultear!"
"Traitor!!!" Kain Hikaru roared.
A beam of golden light burst through the water's surface, as thick as an arm, shooting straight toward Ultear's heart. Ultear forcibly twisted her body and shouted, "Time Arc!"
Her fall halted in a bizarre fashion, and even though the receding ice did not completely stop the golden beam, it forced the beam to miss her heart, grazing her arm instead.
At the bottom of the lake, Kain Hikaru's face darkened as he muttered, "Troublesome time abilities." Raising his hand to continue his attack, he noticed the temperature abruptly drop around him.
Crack, crack, crack—the sound of spreading ice echoed as frost raced toward his position. Cursing under his breath, Kain Hikaru produced a Doll and declared, "Self-enhancement: Heat!"
His body instantly transformed into a heat source, significantly increasing his resistance to the cold. Clasping his hands together, he shouted, "Hell Steam Explosion!"
Kain Hikaru's skin flushed bright red; the lake water in contact with him evaporated in a burst of bubbles as steam poured from his body.
A vacuum rapidly formed around him, expanding outward.
Boom—!!!!!!
A thunderous explosion reverberated across the battlefield, shattering the lake's icy surface into massive, uneven chunks.
Ultear, clutching her magic shield, was blasted into the air with blood trickling from the corner of her mouth; her boots were torn apart by the force of the steam, and her legs were discolored from burns.
The sudden shock left everyone unsteady, forcing them to collapse onto the ice.
Seeing Ultear injured, a furious shout came from afar: "Ice Make [Ice Sword Jungle]!"
At that moment, the chilling cold rapidly spread, re-freezing the explosive cracks. Kain Hikaru leaped from the lake, and in his path surged frigid ice and enormous ice swords emerging from the frozen surface.
Radiating red light all over, his feet sizzled upon landing as he raised an arm—drawing one fist back while extending the other toward a gigantic ice sword.
With a crushing blow he shouted, "Heat Source: Impact!"
Sizzle—!!!!!!
The alternating surge of hot and cold air swept over the battlefield, sometimes suffocating and at other times leaving one gasping.
————
Ishgar Continent, Central Region.
On an endless, barren plain stood a simple negotiation table.
Guild Master Crawford Seam frowned as he looked at Azuma across from him and muttered, "This won't do, neither will that."
"Hades sent you here—are you really here to negotiate, or just to play with us?" Azuma taunted. "Is the Grimoire Heart preparing for war with the Magic Council?"
Azuma's face showed sincere regret. "I know it's a bit much. But there's no other way…" he continued. "All these conditions—you see, I must consult with Lord Hades before making a decision. Lord Hades is probably busy at the moment, so he may not be able to reply immediately. I sincerely apologize."
Crawford Seam's expression darkened. "Busy? Busier than me?" he scoffed. When the head of the Magic Council comes over to negotiate, what excuse does a mere Dark Guild Master have for being busy?
On the other side, Makarov, his face cold, said, "Busy destroying Fairy Tail?" At these words, the other two were taken aback.
Crawford Seam turned his gaze toward Makarov. "What did you say?" he demanded.
Makarov glared coldly at Azuma, and Azuma's apologetic expression faded into one of worry. "Ah... so soon you've been found out?" he muttered.
Makarov stood up, his entire Magic Power surging and radiating a soft golden glow, locking entirely onto Azuma. "I just received word. Hades is leading several Dark Guilds in an assault on Magnolia Town."
Crawford Seam's face grew darker as he looked at Azuma. With the head of the Magic Council on one side and one of the Ten Wizard Saints of the Ishgar Continent on the other, their gazes weighed heavily on Azuma, causing cold sweat to break out on his forehead.
"Although I've been exposed…" Azuma began, "but…"
"I sense that Chairman Makarov isn't in a hurry," he ventured. "Is there some secret weapon?"
Makarov spoke apathetically, "Wait until you're dead… then tell Hades!" He roared, "Magic Circle of Light!" (T/L: didn't find the real move name)
At Makarov's feet, a shimmering golden Magic Circle appeared, expanding instantly to a radius of over a thousand meters and severing Azuma's connection with the ground.
Raising his arm, it transformed into a giant hand that descended with a crushing blow. "Giant !!!"
Clenching his fist, Makarov brought it down upon Azuma. Watching the enormous fist descend, Azuma muttered under his breath that the old man had no honor. He had planned merely to probe for information and then run, but greed had overtaken him.
Raising his hand at Makarov and Crawford Seam, Azuma shouted, "Tower Burst !!!" Around them, rotating flame towers erupted from the ground, encasing the two in their midst.
In his hand, Crawford Seam produced a magic book and a long brush, and declared, "Ancient Script: Defense!" A complex character materialized out of thin air.
Boom! Boom! The exploding flame tower and the giant fist came crashing down simultaneously.
Azuma grunted as he rolled aside, his arms trembling while he wiped blood from the corner of his mouth—his arm had just been grazed by Makarov's fist. In his frantic attempt to defend, he nearly broke his arm.
"This is troublesome."
"Oh, Ten Wizard Saints…" he murmured.
The ensuing commotion alerted the patrolling guards on the perimeter.
Seeing Azuma launch his attack on the two lords, the head guard roared and ordered his subordinates to encircle him. Each guard brandished a module of a sealing formation, swiftly taking up their positions.
Azuma's eyes lifted as he prepared to make a run for it.
Within the still-glowing remnants of the flame tower, Makarov's murderous voice echoed: "Rain of Light!!!"
A barrage of light arrows, dense as raindrops, shot out from the flame tower, shredding it apart as they raced toward Azuma.
Azuma lifted both hands, and his arms transformed into branches. "Leaf Sword!" he shouted. The densely-leaved transformation, charged with Magic, became a sharp blade that shot out, colliding with the incoming light arrows.
Boom boom boom boom—!!! A relentless series of explosions roared as Azuma's Leaf Sword struggled against the barrage. Clearly outmatched, he was forced to retreat while casting spells in defense.
Amid the dissipating flame tower, Crawford Seam waved his hand, dispelling the protective script that enveloped him. Not a scratch marred him—no speck of dust clung to his body—yet Hades's actions and Azuma's offensive had cost him considerable face.
However, at that moment, the Azuma on the opposite side, while contending with Makarov, shouted, "Chairman Crawford Seam! I have some very interesting news for you—care to listen?" He continued, "Chairman Makarov's own son, Ivan Dolea, has joined the Balam Alliance. He is now a member of our subordinate Dark Guild."
Crawford Seam's eyes widened as he turned to Makarov. "Makarov!" he snarled.
Makarov remained impassive. "I received the news long ago. Ivan was beguiled by Hades's Dark Magic; during the war, father and son separated. I have already removed him from Fairy Tail. The newspapers have been distributed across the continent—before long, everyone will know. From now on, any Fairy Tail mage who sees Ivan is to be killed without mercy!"
At these words, not only was Crawford Seam taken aback—his original intent to demand accountability momentarily faltering—but the revelation sent a chill down Azuma's spine.
Damn... so resolute? Still, Azuma refused to back down, taunting, "How cold-blooded. Is this what you call a Light Wizard? Just for your reputation—to even discard your own son so nonchalantly?"
Makarov bellowed, "No more words! Go underground and wait for Hades to inform you!" Then he roared, "Giant Wrath!!!"
As Makarov shouted, his agitated Magic Power swept outward. The warm Light Magic transformed into a terrifying force of destruction, shattering everything before him. The earth cracked, and fissures spread relentlessly toward Azuma.
All over, Azuma's hair stood on end. Benefiting from the torn Magic Circle of Light, he pressed both hands against the ground and cried, "Bleve!!!"
The earth writhed, with green sprouts emerging steadily. In the very next moment, these sprouts twisted into towering trees that, amid explosions, surged toward the distant Makarov and Crawford Seam.