Makarov said, "Loke claims he knows Mr. Michello's address, so Erza is leading a team, Lucy, Gray, Natsu, and Happy, to go there."
"Loke, huh…" Rhodes recalled something from long ago.
That kid had once pursued Mr. Michello's granddaughter. Although Rhodes didn't know how far it had gone, Michello's attitude toward Fairy Tail back then had been extremely hostile.
Well. It made sense that Loke knew his address.
"Mr. Org knows Mr. Reggie's location," Makarov continued, "so he's entrusted Ichiya and his team from Blue Pegasus, six people in total, to protect him."
The six included Ichiya, the Trimens trio, along with Jenny and Simon.
They might be eccentric, but their abilities were well-rounded. When it came to serious matters, they could be trusted.
"Cana, Juvia, Elfman, and Evergreen are assigned to Mr. Hog."
"For Mr. Yuri's residence, Sabertooth has been commissioned. I heard they're mobilizing their entire guild, they're planning to capture one of the attackers alive for interrogation."
Influenced by a certain someone, Makarov had become increasingly conservative in his mission arrangements.
Given the bizarre and unpredictable combat styles of Tartaros's demons, he assigned extra personnel to every Council Member under Fairy Tail's protection, just to be safe.
The downside was obvious: nearly all of the guild's top fighters were now deployed.
That made Rhodes hesitant to leave.
After all, Mira, and Yajima, still needed protection at home.
"That covers the former Council Members," Makarov said. "As for Jellal and Ultear, they likely don't need protection. We just need to warn them to stay alert."
Among the former Council Members, those two were the least concerning. Both were formidable fighters, and they were backed by the former members of Oración Seis.
If Tartaros went after them, they might as well be walking into a trap.
"We don't have many confirmed addresses for Council Members from earlier generations," Makarov added. "Warren and Levy are investigating."
Rhodes nodded. "I'll help with that."
High above the night sky, a large airship bearing the Fairy Tail emblem sped westward.
A small black Exceed entered the cockpit. "It's already dark. Is it safe to fly this fast at night?"
Lisanna sat calmly in the pilot's seat, watching the night sky through the window while monitoring the instrument panels.
"It's fine," she said confidently. "The moonlight is bright tonight, and, Take Over: Animal Soul, Cat!"
In an instant, Lisanna transformed into a cat-girl. She smiled and waved at Panther Lily. "My night vision's pretty good too."
Lily nodded in approval. "My concern was unnecessary. Miss Lisanna is an excellent pilot."
Lisanna smiled. "Thank you, but I'll need you to keep an eye on Gajeel and Laxus."
"Gajeel should be used to motion sickness by now… probably," Lily said, not entirely certain. "But does Laxus really get motion sickness? I can't tell."
In truth, Lily rarely dared get close to Laxus.
Even as a seasoned Exceed and former commander, Lily was afraid of thunder, any thunder.
Even lightning from an ally made him nervous.
"He probably does," Lisanna said after a moment, clearly understanding why. She smiled wryly. "Laxus just likes to act tough. Please make sure he doesn't fall off."
"I understand." Lily exited the cockpit.
Lisanna chuckled, imagining Laxus stubbornly maintaining his image.
But when she thought that one day she might find herself in a similar position, her smile faded.
As the destination drew near, Lisanna activated the ship's loudspeaker and announced professionally:
"Attention, all passengers. We will arrive at the designated location in five minutes. Please prepare for docking, remain seated, and hold on."
Three minutes later, just as the airship reached the sky above the destination.
"This is bad!" Lily's voice rang out from outside the cabin. "Laxus fell off!"
"What?!" Lisanna exclaimed.
"I'll go after him! Miss Lisanna, please take care of Gajeel!"
Without another word, Lily spread his wings and dove after the falling figure.
Lisanna felt a flicker of worry, but she didn't panic.
Whether Lily caught him or not, Laxus wasn't someone who would be seriously injured by a fall.
Before the airship had even fully stopped, golden lightning split the night sky.
Lisanna rushed out of the cabin, while Gajeel staggered to his feet and leaned over the railing to look down.
Below them, a simple wooden house had been violently breached, its roof smashed open, one wall completely blown apart.
Through the gaping hole, they could see a woman with long, pale yellow hair.
She was dressed in pajamas, shock written plainly across her face, and was being shielded behind Laxus and Panther Lily, who had already transformed into his Muscular Battle Mode.
Opposite them stood a bizarre, powerfully built figure.
A sharp crimson horn protruded from the top of his head, and blade-like fins, resembling shark fins, jutted from his elbows.
Looking more closely, Lisanna noticed a bruise on his face.
As if he'd just been punched.
Lisanna narrowed her eyes. "Is that… a demon from Tartaros?"
"So they really came…" Gajeel's discomfort vanished instantly as he shouted, "Oi, old lady! You alright?!"
Belno stared at the fierce-looking, loud-mouthed boy in disbelief, then let out a breath of relief.
"Gajeel? Why are you here too? What in the world is happening?"
Gajeel stepped forward protectively, placing himself between Lisanna and the demon, never taking his eyes off the enemy.
"It's complicated. Short version? That bastard's from Tartaros. They already blew up the Council, and now they're hunting down former Council Members. That includes you, old lady."
"The Council was?" Belno froze, the weight of the words taking a moment to sink in.
Without being prompted, the demon spoke.
"Torafuzar of the Dark. One of the Nine Demon Gates."
He calmly assessed the four newcomers, his gaze lingering on Laxus.
Just moments ago, as he was about to finish off the sleeping Belno in a single strike, this blond man had crashed through the roof wreathed in lightning and stopped him head-on.
And yet…
That punch hadn't been very strong.
Torafuzar lost interest in names and focused on something more important.
"It seems Jackal succeeded," he said coolly. "But our plan has also leaked."
His eyes hardened.
"In that case, I can't allow any of you to leave alive."
"Gihi~" Gajeel sneered. "Big talk for a fish-faced freak. I'll take you!"
His right arm elongated instantly, transforming into a jet-black iron blade.
"Iron Dragon Sword!"
Gajeel lunged, slashing straight for Torafuzar's neck.
Torafuzar raised his left arm, blocking with the fin on his elbow. Sparks flew, and the edge of Gajeel's iron blade chipped.
"Sorry," Torafuzar said disdainfully. "I don't have time for one-on-one games."
"I'll finish you all at once, Etherious Form."
His body swelled violently.
His shirt tore apart. The horn atop his head reshaped into a dorsal fin. Thick scales spread across his skin, his limbs thickened, and his teeth sharpened into jagged rows like a shark's maw.
Any trace of humanity vanished.
"Tenchi Kaimei!"
Torafuzar roared.
Behind him, a colossal black wave surged upward, obliterating what remained of Belno's roof, and crashed down toward them all.