The Council of Magic.
Nine councilors sat around the circular table.
From beneath the floor—more precisely, from under each councilor's chair—dim light pulsed faintly.
Everyone was lost in thought. Moments ago, under Siegrain's maneuvering, the Council had discovered the existence of the Tower of Heaven.
And along with it, the truth that the one to be revived by this tower was none other than the Black Wizard, Zeref.
Siegrain had proposed ending everything with Etherion, the ultimate magical cannon. But firing Etherion at another nation would inevitably spark international conflict. The destruction and casualties that would follow would be blamed entirely on the Council of Magic.
That would severely damage the Council's authority in the magical world, and its reputation would suffer deeply.
But if they didn't fire… and the R-System was successfully activated, bringing Zeref back, the resulting disaster would be a hundred—no, a thousand—times worse.
Perhaps not all of the blame would fall directly on the Council, but even then, its authority would still be undermined.
"Siegrain, what's wrong?" Councilor Yajima suddenly asked. It was this young man who had proposed the Etherion plan and was now forcefully persuading the others. From beginning to end, he hadn't shown a single hint of hesitation or remorse.
That attitude made Yajima deeply dislike him.
But now, Siegrain seemed… off.
Hearing Yajima's question, the other councilors also turned toward Siegrain.
"No, it's nothing. I just thought of something," Siegrain forced down the unease in his heart and shook his head. Now was not the time to reveal any flaws before the Council. And the Etherion plan must continue forward.
If he backpedaled now, everything he had built would collapse.
"We should continue our discussion of Etherion. Once the R-System is complete, the resurrected Black Wizard Zeref will be the greatest destabilizing factor in the magical world.
Right now, only Etherion has the power to stop this. As the Council of Magic, leaders of the magical world, we must strangle such a threat to world peace while it is still in the cradle."
"But… Etherion isn't the only option, is it? With his power, the disaster could also be prevented," said Org, the second seat of the Council.
His words directed the room's attention toward one of the other great unstable elements of the magical world: Pai Pai.
As an enemy, Pai Pai was comparable to a demon. But as an ally—after living for four hundred years and standing unmatched in strength—he was as reliable as a mountain.
"Councilor Org, do you honestly believe he would help? In history, Zeref created demon after demon, destroying countless countries, taking countless lives.
And yet… he never once intervened." Siegrain's voice lowered as he fixed Org with a burning gaze.
"Besides, do you think that if he were to act, the 'commotion' would be any smaller?
The Council must demonstrate its power—power that is controlled, power that can suppress all threats. Only then will our image in his eyes change, only then can we gain more initiative."
With Siegrain's sharp stare pressing down on him, Org opened his mouth but found he couldn't respond.
History was undeniable. Pai Pai had indeed stood by in silence while Zeref's evils unfolded. He had shown no inclination to act then… and there was no reason to think he would now, just because the Council asked.
And besides, Pai Pai and Fairy Tail were threats of their own. The Council needed to prove its strength, to seize the initiative.
Not long after, two more councilors raised their hands in support of Siegrain.
"Belno? Even you?" Yajima was shocked when he saw who else had agreed. Though he and the pink-haired elder woman did not always see eye to eye, their temperaments had always been somewhat aligned.
"As Siegrain says, once Zeref revives, we will be facing a much greater calamity. The Council has both the responsibility and the obligation to end this before it happens." Belno's voice was calm, but her expression was heavy.
Not long ago, the Phantom Lord guild had been destroyed. And now she was being forced to decide this—it was pushing the limits of her tolerance.
"One vote remains. Please, everyone… consider carefully," Siegrain said evenly. Neither joy nor sorrow colored his voice, which strangely made him sound more trustworthy.
It gave the impression that he truly sought nothing beyond necessity.
Atop the Tower of Heaven, Jellal sat cloaked in black, his expression dark.
Nothing. No trace at all.
Erza and Mirajane had vanished as though into thin air.
"Looks like I'll have to activate the backup plan." His gaze fell upon the chessboard before him, eyes narrowing at the piece representing Ikaruga. Finally, the weight in his chest loosened, but it sent him down another path entirely.
Indeed, having a backup plan was always necessary.
Just as he decided this, the surveillance lacrima suddenly flared with light. The two who had been deemed missing—Erza and Mirajane—reappeared in the same spot.
This immediately gave Jellal insight.
"A high-level spatial transfer magic? The location didn't change. Which means… they can't alter their reappearance point."
The thought gave Jellal a headache. If it was indeed some kind of space-transfer magic, that meant Erza and Mira could teleport freely, unrestricted by boundaries.
If so, then many of the traps and countermeasures he had prepared would be useless.
"Ikaruga. Our guests have reappeared in the same place. They can use some kind of space-transfer magic, but they can't change their destination. Focus on attacking their minds. Distract their thoughts or slow their reactions."
Jellal's voice echoed in Ikaruga's mind. She covered her lips with her wide sleeves, and behind them, her beautiful face no longer carried a smile.
This was no good news. Fighting opponents who always had a way out… was never satisfying.
"Never mind them. Our guests have returned." Casting a glance at the oblivious group of four, Ikaruga left with her two teammates.
"…Hmph."
"Grugh."
"Anyone else?" Back in Aslant's world, Erza and Mira scanned their surroundings. No enemies were in sight.
"Better stay on guard," Erza said cautiously.
Even as the words left her lips, a slash suddenly came flying. A razor-sharp blade of light crossed space itself, shattering Erza's armor almost instantly and striking directly at her nerves.
Suddenly, Erza's mind went blank. Her vision went white, her hearing dulled, her senses of smell, speech, and even touch all disappeared in an instant.
And behind that first slash, an even fiercer storm of strikes came. Each blade cut at the very soul, each one strong enough to cripple any wizard below S-Class.
"Go!" Mira hesitated only a second before reacting. She shifted into Satan Soul and carried the dazed Erza into the air.
"…Hmph. Did I miscalculate?" Seeing Mira still able to move, Ikaruga frowned.
"I wield Take Over magic—the magic of demons. Do you think mere swordsmanship can sever my nerves?" In the sky, Mira locked onto her opponent, face tense with caution.
Her words were bold, but deep inside, fear still lingered. That sudden slash had nearly cut her down, nearly thrown her into the same helpless state as Erza.
If not for her Take Over magic—and the modifications to her body after Lisanna's incident, leaving her different from ordinary humans—she would have fallen then and there.
"A demon, is it? Intriguing. My blade has yet to taste the blood of one."
"Hmph. Then let's see if you have the ability." Mira sneered coldly, her eyes full of vigilance.
The katana shifted, unleashing a razor-sharp wave of strikes toward Mira. At the same time came a piercing sonic wave that nearly shut down thought itself. Several projectiles followed, sealing off Mira's retreat.
She was forced into a head-on clash.
But in the very next second… Mira and Erza vanished without a trace.
In the space they'd just occupied, a single faint drop of blood fell.
Ikaruga frowned. Her slash had not opened any portal. And the sensation she had just felt was… wrong.
It seemed Mira's teleportation ability was far beyond what she had expected.
A thousand miles? Ten thousand?
But if the power was that overwhelming… why run at all?