Amidst the raging flames of war on Tenrou Island, the Tenrou Tree at the very center presented a scene of serene tranquility.
The trunk of the giant tree stood over a hundred meters tall, so thick it would take more than a dozen people linking arms to encircle it.
No one knew exactly how long it had been growing on the island.
Perched high on the lush, verdant branches of the densely foliaged Tenrou Tree, Ultear sat quietly.
Having dealt with some minor dark guild foes earlier, she had been guarding the tree, though she hadn't encountered any of the Seven Kin of Purgatory.
"Mira has defeated her opponent too..."
Leaning against the massive trunk, Ultear observed the various battles across the island through her glowing crystal ball.
After Raizel had taken down Azuma earlier, he had told Ultear that guarding the Tenrou Tree was no longer strictly necessary.
But Ultear thought it better to be safe than sorry, so she found a sturdy branch and settled in to monitor the battlefield, ready to intervene promptly if anyone's life was in immediate danger.
"Raizel and Jellal's fight... it's obvious they're just putting on a show," Ultear sighed, resting her chin in her hand.
"Could you two at least act a bit more convincingly? You're just swinging at thin air."
She swiped her hand over the crystal ball, changing the view.
"Erza and Juvia have won too. Looks like Grimoire Heart doesn't have many vanguard members left. Probably just that vice-commander remains..."
Ultear frowned, scanning the island. "Where did Gildarts go fishing? I still can't find him anywhere..."
Ur had been following the scattered members, but Ultear hadn't been able to locate Gildarts since the S-Class examiners split up.
By Ultear's estimation, unless his designated opponent appeared, Gildarts wouldn't bother showing himself.
If Gildarts stepped in against the grunts, it would be an overwhelming advantage, the other members wouldn't even need to lift a finger.
Ultear was most concerned about the three-way battle by the seaside between Makarov, Laxus, and Hades.
After all, that was the most critical part of the conflict.
Through her Magic Crystal ball, Ultear had a clear view of the entire coastline.
Laxus and Makarov fighting together weren't at a disadvantage, but they weren't gaining the upper hand either.
Precht's magical power seemed limitless.
Even with a magic as power-intensive as the Amaterasu seals, Precht wielded it effortlessly.
"Didn't Raizel say he sent Lily and the others to sabotage the airship? Why haven't they boarded it yet?" Ultear zoomed the crystal ball in and spotted Panther Lily and Happy fighting in the jungle.
Without Mira's assistance, and with Lily as the only real fighter, the cats had encountered numerous Grimoire Heart mages blocking their path to the beach.
The grunts weren't particularly strong, but they made up for it in sheer numbers.
Lily also lacked a suitable weapon, making the fight quite troublesome.
Ultear immediately contacted Raizel, [Raizel, contact the members quickly. Send someone east to help Lily.]
Raizel couldn't afford to be distracted during a real fight, but since he was just acting with Jellal, he had plenty of time to relay orders.
Raizel's voice echoed in the minds of Natsu's group.
[Natsu, Wendy, Lucy, head east towards the airship and assist Lily.]
[Got it!]
Raizel quickly received replies from the three and resumed his immersive acting with Jellal.
...
A towering white pillar suddenly appeared above the eastern sector of Tenrou Island, showing subtle signs of movement.
"Such immense magical power..." Ultear murmured, sensing the shift in the air.
This colossal pillar was composed entirely of torrential rain.
While heading east to help Lily, Natsu, Lucy, and Wendy encountered a peculiar individual.
Within the localized rain pillar, the faint silhouette of a man gradually approached the trio.
"Someone's ahead..." Natsu halted, positioning himself protectively in front of Lucy and Wendy.
All three felt it—the suffocating, oppressive pressure of formidable magical power pressing down on their shoulders.
"What's with this magical energy?" Wendy voiced her concern, gripping her arms.
Bluenote Stinger continued his slow menacing advance toward the three fairies.
"Why is the rain so heavy only around this guy?" Lucy's pupils contracted sharply.
She had initially mistaken the phenomenon for a beam of light, but now realized it was a dense, localized column of gravity pulling the clouds down.
"Every hair on my body is standing on end..." Wendy assumed a combat stance, her gaze fixed intently on Bluenote.
"Just who are you?!" Natsu demanded, his fists igniting.
"Can you fly?"
Inside the rain pillar, water drenched Bluenote, streams cascading down his stoic face.
Instead of answering Natsu, he posed a question in return.
"No, you can't fly yet, can you?" Within the rain, Bluenote casually raised his right hand. "Descend."
Natsu sensed something amiss, but it was far too late.
The moment Bluenote spoke the command, a massive circular crater violently formed, centered directly around Natsu and Lucy.
The pit sank several meters deep, the bedrock shattered and the trio was instantly pinned motionless to the dirt by overwhelming gravity.
"It's gravity magic! Just like Kagura's!" Lucy gasped, struggling to breathe.
"Though saying that... it feels much heavier than Kagura's..." Natsu gritted his teeth, his face pressed against the mud.
Natsu had never experienced such intense, crushing pressure from Kagura.
Her Gravity Magic could hinder his movements, but it never rendered him immobile.
This indicated the man before them possessed far greater magical power than Kagura ever had.
...
"A troublesome guy has emerged: Bluenote," Jellal noted.
Even while locked in staged combat with Raizel, he sensed the massive gravity disturbance.
"That man is powerful. I think you should go assist them, Raizel. If he goes all out, Natsu and the others will be in mortal danger."
"No, he has his own opponent," Raizel rejected Jellal's suggestion, parrying a sword strike.
"Bluenote is strong, true. But our Gildarts is stronger."
...
The suppression of Gravity Magic finally lifted just enough for Lucy to struggle to her feet, panting heavily.
"As for me, I have no interest in either Fairy Tail or the Black Wizard Zeref. There is only one thing on this island that I absolutely must obtain," Bluenote stated.
He stood with arms crossed, his expression blank as he observed the three battered mages in the crater.
"Tell me quickly: where is the grave of Fairy Tail's First Master, Mavis Vermillion?" He raised his arm again, ready to employ his Gravity Magic if they refused.
"You damn bastard, what's your goal?!" Natsu yelled.
Though Natsu knew Grimoire Heart was attacking, he hadn't realized someone was specifically targeting the First Master's resting place.
"Didn't I just ask? I'm asking you where Mavis's grave is!" Bluenote demanded, the gravity thickening.
"We don't know something like that either!" Lucy cried out.
"Why is he looking for Master Mavis's grave?" Wendy asked, baffled by the demand.
"Master Mavis's grave is a sacred place for Fairy Tail members! Not only do we not know where it is, even if we did, we would never tell a piece of trash like you!" Natsu propped himself up with his elbows, answering defiantly.
Boom!
The response to Natsu was a glowing purple magic circle.
The gravity intensified, sending his entire body crashing back into the bedrock, leaving a deep, human-shaped crater.