บท 22: Interludes
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— Start of Demonic arc —
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[X779, Era, Magic Council Headquarters, A few days later]
— Magic Council —
In a large town, built around a high and rocky mountain, nests the headquarters of the highest authority in the world of Magic. They were the Magic Council, the main ruling body that acts as a leading government to all magical events that happen across Ishgar.
Currently, in the headquarters that stands at the peak of the hill situated in the center of Era, a discussion is taking place amongst the members of this council, everyone in attendance using thought projection.
"I heard Fairy Tail just promoted a new S-Class mage," Ultear Milkovich, a pale-skinned woman with dark purple hair, the newest member to the council, started the discussion.
"Another one? Didn't they promote one last year?" Siegrain, who joined up around the same time as Ultear, asked with a confident smile on his face.
"Yesh, the one promoted lasht year was Laxush Dreyar. This time, it's Dannish Martell," Yajima, the short man and a former member of Fairy Tail, replied.
"The Dark Swordsman? He gained plenty of popularity in the last two years." Belno, the only other woman in the council aside from Ultear, noted.
"Dannis Martell… Isn't he the wizard that found out the reason behind the Cackler's evolution last year? Something about Glowshrooms?"
"That'sh right, Makarov wash the one who showed the findingsh in hish shtead. The reward money for thish dishcovery had already been shent through."
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the Dark Swordsman known for having Darkness magic? Shouldn't something be done about this? He is openly using magic that is often used by the Black Wizard himself." Michello, who occupied the third seat of the council, interjected.
"Don't forget that Dannish shpent nearly all of last year hunting down demonsh. Over half of the misshions he took were Demon and Devil hunting queshts. I doubt shomeone who is a Zeref worshiper would do something like that," Yajima, never one to shy from supporting Fairy Tail, rebutted.
"Two S-Class mages in two years? That Fairy Tail sure has gotten stronger," Org stroked his thick white beard as he pondered the news. On the other side of the table, Draculos Hyberion, a member of the Four Gods of Ishgar, also sat as he listened to the debate.
While not technically a member of the council, Draculos's position as a Wizard Saint allows him a seat to attend council meetings if he wishes so. The same right is given to any wizard that shares his rank.
"I must admit, Fairy Tail's strength is impressive," Draculos said, his deep voice carrying a note of caution. "But we cannot ignore the potential threat a single guild might pose if it grows too powerful unrestrained. While Makarov is a trusted member of the Wizard Saints, he seems to be hesitant in reigning in the destructive tendencies of his guild."
"Exactly," Org agreed, his gaze sharp. "Fairy Tail is known for their recklessness and the destruction they often leave in their wake. A guild that strong, with mages like Laxus and now this Dannis, must be watched closely."
"While their actions against demons and dark forces are commendable, the volatility of their members is concerning," Crawford Seam added, gaining much agreement from the rest as he is the current Chairman of the council. "We must ensure that their power is used responsibly."
"You're overreacting, seriously," Siegrain interjected as he rested his chin on a palm. "Those Fairy Tail wizards are fun, I quite enjoy looking into their exploits. You old coots should learn to relax once in a while."
"Be quiet, Siegran!" Michello chastised. "If nothing is done, then they will just continue to do whatever they like! It is our duty to make sure all wizards adhere to a certain standard!"
"What standards are those? Boring and stuffy?" Siegran scoffed, earning a quiet giggle from Ultear.
"You-!!"
"Enough." Draculos warned, the room immediately quieting under the eye of the second most powerful wizard in Fiore.
"We should monitor their activities more closely," Org concluded. "Ensure that they do not overstep their bounds or become a threat to the stability we strive to maintain."
The council members nodded in agreement, their expressions serious. In the end, a consensus was made.
While they haven't really done anything worth troubling over, Fairy Tail's growing strength would not go unchecked. The Magic Council would keep a vigilant eye on them, ready to intervene if necessary, to ensure that the guild's power remained in control and did not disrupt the fragile balance within the magical world of Ishgar.
"Moving on from that, there seems to be a need to update the Hazard Registry after recent events." The chairman announced. "As I'm sure you've heard, another Light Guild had just been completely decimated by a single being. Grilthos the Wizard Killer is back in action, it is imperative we put a stop to him."
"Grilthos…a former member of the Nine Demon Gates of Tartaros. A demon from the Book of Zeref." Org completes, earning wide eyes from the present members who were unaware of the information.
"Tartaros, that damned guild. The only knowledge we know of this accursed dark guild is the fact that their strongest members are called the Nine Demon Gates. We have no information regarding their guildmaster, their location, their numbers." Gran Doma, a powerfully built man, informed.
"And what exactly is this Grilthos capable of?" Ultear asked, quite intrigued.
"Grilthos has a dark history," Draculos began. "He has decimated wizard guilds aplenty, leaving no survivors. He's known for killing off up-and-coming mages who show any sign of promise. Just last month, he destroyed an entire contingent of Rune Knights with minimal effort. There is a reason why he earned the title of the Wizard Killer."
"His power is monstrous, even among demons, which is to be expected from an Etherious." Belno added. "We've lost countless skilled mages trying to subdue him."
"We must act swiftly," Crawford Seam urged. "While I have already sent the job to subdue him to the numerous guilds in this country, the longer Grilthos is allowed to roam free, the more lives will be lost. I propose that we officially announce Grilthos the Wizard Killer to be added to Ishgar's Hazard Registry as a Catastrophe Level Threat."
The council members murmured in agreement, the gravity of the situation sinking in. Adding names to the current Hazard Registry is usually done after much consideration.
After all, it is basically announcing to the world just how large of a threat each of those named possess.
In the end, the decision was unanimous. Grilthos the Wizard Killer would be classified as a Catastrophe Level Threat, and every resource would be mobilized to stop him.
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[The Cube]
— Mard Geer —
"How was it?"
"It is successful, Mard Geer-sama." The voice of Crawford Seam came out from the communication lacrima. "Grilthos has been added to the Hazard Registry. With this, he should find it much more difficult to act independently."
"Very good. You've done well." He turned off the lacrima as he sat back on his throne inside the Cube, the flying fortress that serves as the headquarters for Tartaros.
Grilthos was one of them, but amongst the other Etherious, he never had a sense of loyalty nor belonging amongst his own kind. Mard Geer takes great pride in being one of Zeref's etherious.
But not him. He simply doesn't care.
The thought of it brought back the anger that he felt when Grilthos abandoned Tartaros.
It was unacceptable. Not only did that selfish tiger completely abandon his post as one of the Nine Demon Gates, he also brought with him the knowledge of Tartaros's plans.
An uncharacteristic frown marred his features as he clenched his fists. They would return to their creator. To do that, they needed E.N.D to be revived.
Their plan to use Face to annihilate all magic within the continent is important, it was the only way for E.N.D to be reborn. But right now, they are still building their forces. While very few mages in Earthland could rival him, the same could not be said for his demon gates.
Currently, Tartaros is still in a state of infancy. While he has already coerced a few other factions in the underworld to work for him, there recently have been push backs from a few other Dark Guilds that have decent strength.
He put a finger to his temple in his attempt to remember them. What were they called?
Ah yes, Oracion Seis and Grimoire Heart. There have been skirmishes here and there where the dark guilds under his control fought against these two new elements.
Perhaps it's not a bad idea to form some sort of non-aggression pact? He has neither the time nor energy to waste on those flies after all.
It is imperative for them to gain strength, which is why Grilthos's betrayal was such a pain.
His leaving had set off their timeline by a good decade. He needed loyal subordinates, while Grilthos's power paled in comparison to his, his curse power was one that would serve well against the mages of the country.
Not anymore it seems. Tartaros can't afford to draw attention to themselves yet so hunting Grilthos down isn't an option. They need the light mages to kill him to make sure their plans aren't revealed.
Another of his siblings that are just as annoying as Grilthos is Deliora, but he heard that he was killed off recently. So Mard Geer opted to not even care about their other wayward sibling.
It's quite a good thing that the current chairman of the Magic Council was in his back pocket.
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down. It took years of preparation to get to this point, he wouldn't mind waiting a few more.
After all, for Zeref, there's nothing he wouldn't do.
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[Tenrou Island]
— Zeref Dragneel —
Standing near the beaches of Tenrou Island, he gazed with a small smile at the retreating form of the ship that held all the members of Fairy Tail who attended the S-Class trials.
Mavis was here. He couldn't see nor hear her, but he could always sense her presence. She is happy. Seeing the next generation of the guild she loves so much would do that.
Zeref simply kept his gaze wide, but his eyes focused on someone in particular. "I didn't expect that I would see my legacy come forth once again."
The Eclipse-Born. To think this era would be the one that cursed title is reborn in.
It looks like Natsu won't be the only one he could rely on to kill him one day.
But that day is still far away. With his current strength, there's absolutely no chance that he could kill Zeref as of yet.
But that's okay. If anything, time is something that he has in spades.
He's willing to wait. As long as he needs to.
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— Mavis Vermillion —
She is happy. She is glad that the guild she had founded long ago had continued to blossom, even in her absence.
Makarov did a wonderful job as the Third Guildmaster. Yuri would be proud.
But looking into Zeref's soft smile, she couldn't help but be worried.
Looking back towards the form of Dannis Martell, she frowned as she considered what she felt.
That feeling of familiarity. She knew where it came from now.
Whatever the truth behind Dannis's magic, it involved him. The man that she loved, a long time ago.
'His legacy…'
She didn't know what or why, but something is coming, in the far future, and Dannis Martell would be in the middle of it all.
Making a decision, she flew forth, hitching a ride with the ship that would bring her back to Fairy Tail.
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AN: An interlude chapter. Small reveals and a new character introduced. This is where the AU part really shines.
I always wondered why Tartaros took a long time to actually make a move. They had the former chairman of the Council in their back pocket, so why did it take 7 years for them to finally act on their plans and use Face?
So I took liberty by making a rogue etherious who was a former demon gate and betrayed them. Grilthos was important to Tartaros, which is why his departure delayed their timeline by a lot. Not every demon from the book of Zeref had loyalties to Tartaros, as proved by Deliora.
I hope this was a fun little twist.
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