Boom—!
A tremendous explosion echoed through the valley as the completely frozen Dorma Anim was cleanly sliced in half by Raizel's massive sword.
"How is this possible?!"
Though he was trapped inside the Dorma Anim, Faust's vision and thoughts were perfectly clear.
Yet, he could only watch helplessly as Raizel's blade of light descended upon him.
Faust weakly crawled out from the wreckage of the Dorma Anim, staring blankly at the destroyed machine.
The kingdom's absolute most powerful magical weapon had been defeated so easily, he found it incredibly hard to accept.
'Is this the true power of a Mage from Earthland...?' Faust broke out in a cold sweat before completely collapsing face-first onto the ground.
Looking down at Faust's unconscious face, which bore a striking resemblance to Makarov's, Raizel couldn't help but feel a sudden pang of pity.
"The Dorma Anim and King Faust have been defeated! Cease your futile resistance!"
Using his Archieve Magic, Raizel amplified his voice to boldly resonate throughout the entire royal capital.
Combined with his towering size, his presence was incredibly intimidating.
"Take Over: Jesmon."
With a flash of light, Raizel's size gradually shrank back down to his usual height of around two meters.
[Go assist Kagura and the others,] Raizel commanded his Three Sword Spirits.
The three spirits shot through the air like bullets, quickly joining the Fairy Tail members in their battle against the Royal Army.
"The Dorma Anim has been dealt with." Raizel grabbed Panther Lily and instantly teleported back to the room housing the Anima.
"I already know. Thank you very much," Mystogan nodded firmly.
"Your Highness, what is the meaning of this?" Lily was bewildered, having just been suddenly yanked from the battlefield by Raizel.
"Now comes the final step..." Mystogan muttered. "Raizel, I have a massive favor to ask of you..."
Mystogan turned and bowed deeply to the Fairy Tail mage.
"The Exceeds possess magical power within their bodies. After the Anima is reversed, they will also be sent to Earthland. I want to ask you to please look after them."
"Alright, I agree." Raizel calmly extended his right fist.
Mystogan smiled softly, he made a fist and gently bumped it against Raizel's.
"Your Highness... What do you mean by this?" Lily asked, his voice shaking.
"Lily, although Earthland has its own conflicts, it is a very accepting world. I truly believe you will all be able to live well there."
"You intend to...? It can't be!" Lily gasped, finding his own thought far too terrifying to say out loud.
Everything the Exceeds had been striving so desperately to protect, Jellal now intended to completely destroy.
"Yes, it is the only way. We must create a world where people can finally be open and honest with each other. I will reverse the Anima! And I will completely eradicate all magical power in this world!" Mystogan's gaze was resolute, and his tone was entirely unwavering.
...
With the shocking defeat of the Dorma Anim, the Royal Army soldiers began laying down their weapons one after another, officially surrendering.
However, the Fairy Tail guild's joy was short-lived as the ground beneath them began to shake violently once more.
"What is happening now? Are there new enemies?" Gray yelled.
"No, look at the sky!" Wendy pointed upward in an absolute panic.
"The floating islands... they're falling..." Natsu's eyes widened in pure shock.
"What is going on? The islands in the sky are crashing!"
"Hey, hey, what in the world is happening?!"
Neither Raizel nor Mystogan had mentioned exactly what would happen after reversing the Anima, leaving all the guild members utterly bewildered by the chaos.
"The sky is falling, and the earth is splitting!" The Royal Army soldiers began fleeing in terror.
The floating islands of Edolas are sustained purely by the magical power of this world.
Since they have started falling now, it means... magical power is gradually disappearing entirely...
Queen Shagotte couldn't help but recall the tragic vision she had once foreseen, feeling a deep, secret sorrow in her heart.
Suddenly, the ground glowed with a brilliant golden light.
The light converged into winding golden streams that defied gravity, flowing upward directly toward the sky.
"What is happening?" Erza asked, lying exhausted on the ground as she watched the golden light rise.
"I do not know... could this be... the magic power?!" Knightwalker gasped, suddenly realizing the truth.
The stored magical power inside the Royal Army's weapons also began to visibly drain away into the air.
It wasn't just happening in the royal capital; countless golden streams appeared worldwide, flowing upward into the sky.
"It is truly beautiful," Hughes murmured, watching the lights.
"Beautiful? What are you talking about, Hughes?" Sugarboy questioned his companion in disbelief.
"I am talking about the magical power, of course. It is quite surprising, actually. I originally thought the sight of our magic draining away would be terrifying."
...
Raizel, Mystogan, and Lily watched together as the Anima operated in reverse.
Though Lily didn't fully understand the mechanics of it, he didn't try to stop it either.
"Your Highness..." Lily whispered.
"This is the right thing to do. People fight because magical power exists, so we must make magical power disappear from this world entirely." Mystogan explained.
"Through the reversed Anima, all of Edolas's magical power will flow directly into Earthland. Earthland's atmosphere, which is already abundant with magic, will naturally absorb and disperse this extra energy."
Mystogan's eyes were filled with fierce determination.
"To create a brand new world, the old Edolas must first be destroyed."
"There is something I have to say," Raizel spoke up, patting Mystogan firmly on the shoulder.
"As long as people exist, conflicts will always exist. You will probably still need to put in a lot of great effort after we leave. Keep your head up."
Down below, the people of Edolas had fallen into total panic.
"Why can't we use magic anymore?!"
"My tools! My magic tools are dead!"
"Could you please calm down?!" Earthland Gray yelled, sounding more than a little frustrated by the screaming crowds.
"It is ending... the world is really ending..." Coco stared blankly up at the crumbling sky.
The floating islands kept falling, smashing into the earth and creating huge, devastating craters.
Many grand buildings in the royal capital were crushed as a result.
Combined with the darkness of the night, it truly felt exactly like the end of the world.
"Even the rivers in the sky are falling. Has the apocalypse truly arrived?" a citizen cried out.
The people of Edolas were consumed by fear—fear of their disappearing magic, fear of the unknown, and fear of a dark future without any prospects.
"Let's return to the city and see if there is anything we can do to help," Wendy suggested, keenly sensing everyone's intense panic.
After all, the regular citizens of Edolas were just ordinary humans.
They had absolutely no idea that their king's method of creating magic involved plundering lives from another world.
"Your Highness, now what...?" Lily asked nervously.
"I know. The citizens are panicking right now. After all, people who can quickly adapt to massive world changes are not very common," Mystogan replied calmly.
"So, what everyone needs right now is a new leader. A new king for this new world—someone who can unite the panicked citizens and lead everyone toward a happy future."
As he spoke, Mystogan took out a large pile of thick books and detailed blueprints from his backpack.
He also had plenty of additional information safely stored in his memory—knowledge he had carefully collected over his many years living in Earthland.
"These will definitely help rebuild our world," Mystogan said.
"I see! So you are finally willing to take on the role of King, Prince Jellal..." Lily's tone was suddenly filled with deep excitement.
"No, that person isn't me," Mystogan corrected him.
"I haven't shared the hardships and joys of this world with these people, so I lack both the capability and the right to rule them."
Mystogan looked out over the crumbling city.
"To successfully calm the panicked hearts of the people, this world needs the existence of both a villain and a hero."