About three days later.
In a dense, damp jungle where sunlight rarely penetrated...
This was where the base of the Dark Guild, Black Serpent, was located.
Inside the guild.
The dark wizards were having a raucous party.
"Hahaha!"
"As expected of the Boss! You effortlessly wiped out those Magic Council dogs who came to subjugate us!"
A group of dark wizards—covered in exaggerated tattoos, sporting mohawks, and dressed like stereotypical villains—surrounded a burly man over two meters tall, shouting flattery.
"Hahaha!"
"Those softies from the Council have never seen what true 'Dark Magic' is. How could they possibly be my match?"
The burly man laughed heartily. He hugged a stolen barrel of ale and guzzled it down in huge gulps.
This man was Cohen the Serpent, formerly a member of the Magic Council's enforcement unit. Due to certain circumstances, he betrayed the Council and fell into darkness. Because of his background, no one knew better than him how to evade the Council's tracking.
"However, I heard that after realizing they couldn't take us down alone, the Council weaklings decided to hire wizards from the Light Guilds to subjugate us."
"If we get targeted by those Light Guild wizards, it might still be troublesome! I heard there are some exceptionally strong individuals among the ones hired by the Council this time."
At this moment, a man wearing a suit, tie, and glasses—looking completely out of place among the rough dark wizards, more like a refined gentleman—pushed up his glasses and warned the group with a troubled expression.
"Hahaha!"
"It doesn't matter, right, Lagus?!"
"Even if the enemy is strong, they definitely won't be stronger than the Boss."
The hooligan-like dark wizards laughed it off dismissively. In their eyes, their guild master Cohen was the strongest wizard on the continent.
"Hahaha."
"That's right!"
"You worry too much, Lagus."
"Those guys who haven't seen the abyss of magic can absolutely never defeat me."
Basking in his subordinates' praise, Cohen smiled smugly, a hint of arrogance in his eyes. But soon, that arrogance was suppressed by a deep-seated fear rising from within.
Cohen's mind involuntarily recalled the nightmare that haunted him every single night.
Yes, Cohen used to be a believer in light and justice. Until he received a mission from a certain Council member to subjugate Hades, the master of the Dark Guild Grimoire Heart. Everything changed then.
Even years later, Cohen vividly remembered how Hades single-handedly annihilated their elite anti-Dark Guild unit of over four hundred well-prepared soldiers. It was a massacre.
On that day, Cohen witnessed the true abyss of magic. Utterly disillusioned with the "Light," he survived by kowtowing, begging for mercy, and swearing loyalty to Hades.
From that day on, Cohen the Vice-Captain of the Council Enforcement Unit died. Only Cohen the Serpent, master of the Dark Guild Black Serpent, remained.
"Light is garbage."
"Only darkness is eternal."
Thinking this, Cohen drained the rest of the ale in one go, using the alcohol to drown his fear. He wiped his mouth and said coldly, "However, Lagus's concern isn't unreasonable! So, to show those Light Guild bastards that we are invincible, we will strike first. Let's wipe out a few Light Guilds to establish our dominance."
"YEAH!!"
Cohen's words were met with cheers from his minions. "Boss Cohen is mighty! Boss Cohen is number one in the world!"
"Lagus, tell me."
"Which Light Guild is closest to us?"
Cohen asked his advisor, Lagus.
"I believe it's the Wizard Guild, Fairy Tail?"
Lagus checked the map and replied.
"Fairy Tail, huh?"
"Good. We'll start with Fairy Tail!"
Cohen smirked. He decided he would utterly destroy this so-called Fairy Tail guild. Surely, once he razed it to the ground, the great Lord Hades would be pleased and reward him further, right?
Cohen still remembered the power Hades granted him after he swore allegiance—a Lost Magic that had supposedly vanished from the continent.
"Fairy Tail, here I come!"
Thinking this, Cohen strode to the guild's main doors and pushed them open with force.
"Ice Dragon's Crushing Fist!"
However, before Cohen could even step out of the guild, a voice filled with righteous energy exploded in his ears.
Then, the massive doors of the Black Serpent guild shattered right before his eyes. A bone-chilling cold assaulted him, instantly freezing him into an ice sculpture.
"..."
Until the moment Cohen died, he didn't even know who had attacked him.
"Ah..."
As for Cohen's minions, they stood frozen in place, utterly dumbfounded.
"Ide!"
"I told you, Cohen the Serpent is no ordinary wizard!"
"Charging in like this is dangerous!"
While Cohen's minions were still in shock, a stern female voice came from outside the shattered doors.
"Sorry, sorry."
"I couldn't help myself."
Then, an apologetic male voice responded. Shortly after, a handsome young man over 1.9 meters tall walked casually into the Black Serpent's guild hall.
The young man scanned the room and demanded coldly, "Tell your boss, Cohen the Serpent, to come out and face me."
"..."
The dark wizards in the hall fell silent. They looked at the Cohen-sicle standing next to the entrance, unsure of what to say.
"Are you all deaf?"
"I said, tell your boss to come out."
The young man frowned, clearly dissatisfied with their lack of response.
"The Boss... has already been turned into an ice sculpture by you."
Finally, Lagus the advisor stepped forward, pointing weakly at the frozen Cohen.
"Hah?"
"He was that weak?"
"Is this really an S-Class mission?"
The young man frowned, looking disappointed.
"Bastard!"
"Who the hell are you?"
Of course, some brainless minions started shouting, intending to avenge their boss.
"Me?"
"I'm just a passing wizard from Fairy Tail. That's all."
Ide smiled and stated his affiliation.