"I'm willing to believe you," Rhodes said calmly. "But the enemy might not."
He didn't try to persuade Michello, only to state the reality.
"Their objective is to assassinate every Council Member. And the former chairman who defected to Tartaros, he has complete information on you."
Michello's body trembled.
"What should I do?"
He wasn't a warrior. He didn't crave power or glory. All he wanted was to live quietly with his granddaughter.
Rhodes replied, "Mr. Yajima and Ms. Belno are currently staying at our guild. Why don't you speak with them first? Have a proper conversation before deciding."
"..."
After a long pause, Michello nodded.
"Alright."
Truth be told, he had never been particularly close with Yajima or Belno.
But they had worked together for many years, and now, they shared the same danger. Their choices would matter.
Erza lent him a communication magic crystal.
While Michello began speaking with his former colleagues, Erza turned to Rhodes.
"What about Gray? And that enemy?"
Lucy, Natsu, and Happy leaned in immediately.
"That man," Rhodes said evenly, "is the one who froze Sun Village."
He paused.
"And his true identity is, Gray's deceased father."
"Oh..."
They all nodded.
Silence.
Then...
"What?!!!"
The collective scream nearly rattled the house.
Michello jumped in fright, almost dropping the crystal. Makarova nearly shattered his teacup.
Rhodes calmly covered his ears and waited for the noise to die down before continuing.
"In short," he said, "let the father and son handle their own matters."
Lucy exhaled slowly. "That's… incredibly bizarre."
Natsu looked frustrated.
He had finally met the person who froze the Giant Uncle and the Fire Dragon Uncle, and he couldn't fight him.
Still… seeing a father who had been dead for years suddenly reappear, even Natsu could vaguely understand how Gray must feel.
So he stayed put, unusually quiet.
Erza nodded once, accepting that part of the situation, then looked at Rhodes.
"Why did you come here in the first place?"
"I was originally here to bring Lucy back," Rhodes said, glancing out the window. "The two captives at the guild need Gemini's help for interrogation."
He paused.
"But it seems that won't be necessary."
With Uncle Silver around, those two demons could safely become Mirajane's… snacks.
After a long discussion, Michello finally made his decision.
He would bring his granddaughter to Fairy Tail for temporary refuge.
One squad wasn't enough. Not compared to an entire guild.
Rhodes couldn't help but feel uneasy.
In most stories, gathering former Council Members in one place was practically an invitation for catastrophe.
But for now, there truly was no safer place than Fairy Tail.
He quickly drew a magic circle, sending grandfather and granddaughter back to the guild first, then returned himself via Flying Gate.
After exchanging updates with Erza, there was a knock at the door.
Gray stood outside.
Once inside, he looked straight at Rhodes.
"He… wants to talk to you."
"Alright."
Rhodes nodded, but unease settled in his chest.
Gray felt wrong.
Cold. Withdrawn.
Lucy noticed it too.
"Gray, your hand..."
Gray was still shirtless.
From his right wrist up past his elbow, black markings had spread, jagged and abstract, vaguely resembling a demonic face.
A faint, cold, malevolent magic seeped from them.
"I'm fine," Gray said curtly.
Then he met Rhodes's eyes.
"The next step is subjugating Tartaros, right?"
"I'm going."
"Of course you are," Rhodes replied immediately. "This is a war that involves everyone in the guild, and everyone on the continent."
Gray hesitated.
"I mean..."
"I know," Rhodes interrupted gently. "But before we decide anything else, let me confirm the situation inside Tartaros."
He sighed inwardly.
Maybe leaving that father and son alone had been a mistake. Whatever Silver had said, he'd almost turned the kid into Sasuke.
He was honestly afraid Gray might blurt out something like "I live for revenge, I have to kill him" or something equally disastrous.
Fortunately, that didn't happen.
Silver was waiting for him a short distance away. The moment he saw Rhodes approach, he got straight to the point.
"You need information on Tartaros, don't you?"
"Yes," Rhodes replied. "But right now, I'm more concerned about Gray's condition."
Silver laughed lightly. "I gave him my power. He's an Ice Devil Slayer now. That's tremendous strength, isn't it?"
Rhodes shook his head. "This isn't about strength. Even without Devil Slayer Magic, I believe Gray could've reached the pinnacle of ice magic on his own."
Silver looked mildly surprised. "You trust him more than I do, and I'm his father."
"Because we're comrades," Rhodes said. It was a very Fairy Tail answer. "And because Fairy Tail isn't a guild that exists to pursue power alone. What matters more is the heart."
He met Silver's gaze steadily. "That's what I want to know about. That part."
Silver fell silent for a moment, then gave a self-conscious smile.
"I'm not a good father," he admitted. "I've been dead for over ten years, yet I still appeared, only to disappear again by my own choice."
He lowered his eyes.
"What I left behind for my son wasn't warmth or guidance. It was hatred… and the power for revenge."
After a pause, he added quietly, "And even that power carries risks."
Devil Slayer Magic was no different from Dragon Slayer Magic in that regard, overuse could twist the body, even lead to demonization.
"As a husband and a father, I understand your hatred and regret," Rhodes said calmly. "I'm not qualified to stop a child from avenging his parents."
Silver stiffened slightly.
"But," Rhodes continued, "I am qualified to help him, and to make sure his heart doesn't end up with nothing left but revenge."
Silver stared at him for a long moment, then laughed. This time, the sound was lighter.
"That's good," he said. "That really is good."
He exhaled slowly. "I was worried. If Gray couldn't control that power… how would I face Mika, his mother, when I reached the other side?"
His expression softened.
"Now I'm at ease. Even without us, he still has comrades. The best comrades in the world."
He bowed his head slightly.
"I want to thank you. All of you. And I thank you on Mika's behalf as well, for watching over him."
Rhodes felt oddly flustered.
Not because of the words, but because something was wrong.
A sickly green light had begun to seep from Silver's body, flickering faintly, as if his form were losing cohesion.
"This shouldn't be happening yet," Rhodes muttered. "You should've lasted at least until nightfall."
Magic wasn't absolute. Not even magic he himself had cast.
Silver noticed it too, but didn't seem alarmed.
"Maybe it's because I'm ready to go," he said calmly, looking at his hands. "Don't worry. This is liberation."
He straightened slightly.
"I'll explain what I know about Tartaros. Quickly."
"First, the method to locate Cube."
"Second, the truth behind the Nine Demon Gates' Curses, and Hell's Core."
"I've never met Tartaros' true Guild Master, END, nor do I know his identity. For that, I apologize."
Silver then looked directly at Rhodes, studying him carefully.
"The acting Guild Master is undoubtedly powerful. If Curse Power were measured the same way as magic, his strength has almost certainly reached, perhaps even surpassed, the level of the Ten Wizard Saints."
After a brief pause, he added, "However… compared to you, I can't be sure."
He smiled faintly.
"The power you displayed during the Grand Magic Games, was that your full strength?"
Rhodes considered the question for a moment, then smiled casually.
"If you're talking about what I showed on the final night," he said, waving a hand, "then yes. More or less."
Silver laughed softly.