"Take Over: UlforceVeedramon."
The instant Tempester finished speaking—
Whoosh!
A massive black tornado tore through the 8-Island Restaurant.
Yajima, who was being carried away on Freed's back as he fled, looked back in a daze at the scene unfolding behind him.
"Ray of Victory!"
From the V-shaped armor on UlforceVeedramon's chest, a blue beam in the shape of an ultimate arrow blasted straight into the black tornado...
Just as Tempester was about to 'finish' Raizel off quickly and go after Yajima, Laxus returned from shopping with a vegetable basket in hand.
He clenched his right fist, and a bolt of lightning crashed down onto Tempester.
Black smoke immediately rose from Tempester's cloak.
"He's mine. You go escort Mr. Yajima, go that way."
Raizel pointed his lightsword toward the guild's direction.
After all, Laxus really was the sort of guy who could get lost even in Magnolia.
"Got it."
Laxus turned into a bolt of lightning and sped off, following the trail of the Thunder God Tribe.
Tempester ripped off his hood, revealing his true face.
Whoosh!
His entire body was wrapped in a black cyclone as he charged at Raizel with incredible speed.
Unfortunately for him, Raizel in his UlforceVeedramon state was even faster.
He accelerated past him in an instant, flashed behind him, and brought his sword down across Tempester's back—
Sent flying and smashing face-first into the ground, Tempester broke out in a cold sweat from the sheer agony of the wound on his back.
The strike had left a deep slash, so severe that the bone could be seen through it, and blood was pouring down his back.
"This bastard..."
"You shouldn't have come here, you picked a bad time to get lost friend."
Raizel's voice made Tempester's pupils contract violently.
Because... he was too close.
Raizel was already standing right beside him.
"Victory Sword!"
A supreme blade of light extended from the V-Bracelet and sliced cleanly through Tempester's neck.
Tempester's head was severed from his body!
He vanished on the spot before he could even use his final trick upon defeat—self-destruction, producing Magical Barrier Particles.
These particles could contaminate the air by destroying the magic power within it, making it hard to breathe and even causing Magic Deficiency Disease and Magic Barrier Syndrome, both of which could kill Mages.
Its one weakness was that Tempester had to self-destruct first.
Only after returning to Tartaros headquarters could his body regenerate.
Raizel naturally knew about that ability already, which was exactly why he had used overwhelming force and taken Tempester's head immediately, never giving him the chance to blow himself up.
"So Tartaros has finally set its plan in motion..."
By the time Erza flew over, she happened to witness the exact moment Raizel decapitated Tempester, followed by Tempester's body dissolving away.
Kagura and Ultear had already run into Freed and the others while they were carrying Yajima back, and decided to head back first.
"He was...?"
"One of the Nine Demon Gates. Tempester, supposedly immortal. He's dead—no, more accurately, he's gone back to their nest."
"I'll explain everything once we get back to the guild."
...
Tartaros Laboratory
Tempester's damaged body was in the middle of being restored, but he had already reported the situation to Kyouka.
Seireiten : Kyouka.
"I'll have to trouble you with this, Kyouka."
Kyouka nodded without changing expression.
"Don't worry, Tempester."
"Tempester... is that my name? Once I obtain a new body, I'll forget that name anyway. A name has no meaning to me."
"How long will my regeneration take?"
"Normally, one day would be enough," Kyouka replied calmly. "But other devices are being used at the moment as well, so it'll take longer than usual."
"Other devices? Is someone besides me injured?"
"No. They're for a newly born demon."
Kyouka had found a rather promising Mage and transformed her into a demon.
With a composed and unhurried expression, Kyouka mused,
"Fairy Tail, hm? The ones who defeated Oración Seis and Grimoire Heart. Interesting. So you want to challenge us?"
...
Guild Tavern
Yajima was still breathing hard, fear lingering in his eyes. If Raizel had arrived even a little later, he probably would have died.
Natsu was making a huge fuss about launching an immediate assault on Tartaros, and half the guild had him pinned to the floor trying to keep him down.
Makarov's thick brows were locked tightly together.
"I don't disagree with that in principle. But the problem is that we have far too little information on Tartaros..."
Erza likewise frowned as she thought it over.
"Tartaros... we don't even know their objective, much less where their headquarters are. Even the Council had no idea."
Lucy said, "At the very least, we know one thing. Their targets are the Magic Council members, and not just the current ones. Former councilors are included too."
Gray nodded. "Then wouldn't that mean if we station ourselves at the homes of former council members, they'll come right to us?"
"But the addresses of former council members are classified information. No one knows where they live."
There were plenty of Mages who hated the Council, especially those from dark guilds.
In the past, there really had been incidents where retired council members were attacked by Mages.
Since then, their residences had been kept under the strictest secrecy.
Unless, of course, they were someone like Yajima, who wandered around openly on his own.
Raizel gestured for Natsu to quiet down for a moment.
"Natsu, be quiet and listen. Reedus, lend me your magic pen."
As he wrote, Raizel began to speak.
"All members of Tartaros are demons from the Books of Zeref."
"At present, their vice-master is Mard Geer, and beneath him are the Nine Demon Gates. Their power is Curses."
"Mard Geer uses Thorn Curse and White Light Curse. Kyouka of the Nine Demon Gates uses Enhancement. Seilah uses Macro..."
Raizel listed off the abilities of several of the members he remembered, including Tempester and Jackal, both of whom had already appeared.
He placed particular emphasis on Tempester:
"If Tempester self-destructs, he releases Magical Barrier Particles. Be especially careful of that."
"The demons from the Books of Zeref all carry within themselves an overwhelming desire to return to Zeref's side. It's an instinct, like fledglings returning to the nest."
"That instinct was imprinted into their very genes when Zeref created them. Every demon carrying that mark will seek out Zeref no matter what happens, and then... kill him."
"Tartaros has two objectives. One is to revive E.N.D. The other is to return to Zeref's side."
"All right. Any questions?"
Raizel finished and tossed the magic pen back toward Reedus... and Reedus... did not dare catch it.
'Are you trying to get me killed, Raizel?!'
His imagination was already running wild.
Silence fell over the hall.
There was no helping it.
Raizel seemed to know far too much about the Nine Demon Gates!
The whole thing almost made him sound like an inside agent planted by Tartaros.
In truth, if Laxus hadn't known Raizel since childhood and been absolutely sure the person standing in front of him really was Raizel, even he might have started wondering.
Natsu slowly raised his hand.
"Yes. One question. You're not E.N.D., are you?"
Gray quietly took one step backward.
"So E.N.D. was beside me all along?"
"..."
Raizel fell silent.
He really wanted to say that Gray, of all people, had gotten a little too close to the mark!
Erza's face turned stern as she snapped,
"That's enough. Stop joking around!"
Ultear immediately followed up with the question that actually mattered.
"Where did you get this information from? And can you guarantee that it's accurate?"
She trusted Raizel deeply, but this matter was far too important not to be cautious.
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