Jackal laughed, staggering to his feet. "I can't believe I lost—first time I've ever been beaten like that!"
Happy bounced forward. "He's still alive—he's tough!"
Natsu cracked his knuckles. "I'd love to give him a few more hits."
Lucy stepped between them. "Not yet. We need answers: why are you targeting Councilors?"
Jackal's grin faded. "No time for talk, Kyôka…"
Suddenly, runic lines flared beneath his feet.
"What is he doing?!" Wendy gasped.
All around town, pillars of flame erupted—every street corner, every rooftop, each spouting roaring columns of fire.
"No! He's rigged himself as a living bomb!" Carla cried. "Even if he dies, the whole town goes with him!"
Natsu surged forward. "I won't let that happen—"
In a flash, a small blue shape shot past Natsu, leapt onto Jackal's shoulders, and carried him skyward.
"Keep him up there! Don't let him land!" Happy cried.
Jackal's laughter echoed as he struggled upward. "You can't stop me—see you in hell!"
"Happy—get down!" Wendy shouted—but the cat simply grinned.
A massive explosion tore through the sky, like a second sun blazing overhead.
Everyone froze. Tears sprang to Carla's eyes. Natsu covered his face against the shockwave.
Moments later, a single, soot-blackened figure plummeted back to earth—and then streaked down like a shooting star, landing safely in front of them.
"He… he's okay!" Wendy whispered, relief flooding her voice.
Happy tumbled from behind him, unharmed. "Made it! Not bad for a bomb, huh?"
Back at Fairy Tail headquarters, everyone clustered around the magic crystal.
Gray's eyes were flat. "We… we were too late."
"Late?" Makarov's cane rattled. "What do you mean?"
Juvia glanced at the screen. "There's devastation everywhere—no sign of a battle, just… annihilation."
Cana's face went pale. "All teams except Natsu's—Mirajane, Elfman, Lisanna—everyone else at their targets was assassinated."
Makarov's heart sank. "Then it's connected…"
Lucy appeared on the crystal. "We brought Councilor Michelo back, but when we arrived, Jackal—the one we beat—mentioned 'the White Legacy.'"
"Face?" Makarov's cane tapped as his gaze sharpened.
"The face," Carla said softly. "One of the Council's ultimate weapons."
"A weapon?" Natsu frowned. "The Council's a governing body—why would they have weapons?"
"Only to keep the magic world in balance," Carla explained. "The most dangerous is the Magic Spirit Cannon—a continent-spanning beam capable of leveling a nation. It requires nine active judges' seals plus the keys of ten senior members."
Jet's brow went tight. "So with all the Councilors gone, they can't fire it?"
"And it seems Face—the White Legacy—is similar."
Michelo's eyes filled with dread. "Face… only three true Councilors can unlock its seal."
"Their lives are the biological keys," Makarov realized. "Kill those three, and no one can ever fire it."
"So wiping out every Councilor wasn't just revenge—it was to seize Face," Natsu growled, slamming a fist to the floor. "We have to find them—and destroy Face before Tartaros can use it!"
Lucy nodded fiercely. "No magic anywhere… a world without magic, and only the demon guild can wield power."
"It's too monstrous," Wendy whispered.
Makarov turned to Su Yan. "Mobilize every ally. Locate those final three surviving judges—and secure Face before it can be unleashed."
Su Yan's eyes glinted with resolve. "Understood. We'll stop Tartaros here and now—no matter the cost."
Outside, storm clouds gathered over the ruined town. The true battle for the White Legacy had only just begun.