Sounds of explosions, the roars of giant beasts, faint tremors, and occasional flashes of blinding light drifted over from the mountainous area about a dozen kilometers west of Magnolia.
The residents had already received warnings from both the city government and Fairy Tail.
Some packed their bags, ready to flee at a moment's notice. Some sheltered underground. And some, convinced nothing would actually reach the city, simply stayed home.
Wakaba's wife and daughter were among the last group.
They kept glancing out the west-facing window on the top floor of their house, trying to imagine what kind of enemy it was this time.
Maruba, who was about Romeo's age, pressed her face against the glass. "Mom, will that idiot Dad be okay?"
"He won't die." Remaru leaned against the windowframe with her arms crossed. "Even though that idiot is useless, smokes constantly, has a hairline that's practically running away from his face, does nothing productive around the house, and can't seem to find his way home half the time..."
The list went on long enough that the light in Maruba's eyes started to dim.
Remaru noticed. She cleared her throat and forced her voice into something closer to pride. "But when it comes to a fight, he won't lose. At least not to the kind of bad guys out there."
Maruba silently pressed down on the beret sitting on her head. Even if he was a lousy dad, she still wanted him to come home safe.
She thought about it for a moment. Fighting hard to protect people. Putting yourself in danger so everyone else could stay safe. That counted as being a hero, right?
She stared at the western sky and wondered, not for the first time, if she should join Fairy Tail like Romeo. Learn some real magic. Become someone strong.
Like Miss Mirajane. Or Miss Erza.
While her thoughts drifted, a small winged trumpet fluttered past the window. It hovered in the air, broadcasting the Mayor's voice on repeat:
"Fairy Tail has won!"
Mother and daughter leaned out the window at the same time. They listened to the trumpet circle back and repeat itself. Looked at each other. And hugged so hard they nearly fell out the window.
The news of victory spread across the city on tiny wings, reaching every street and every household.
Yajima, Belno, Michello, and Makarova heard the announcement and made their way back to the guild hall, accompanied by the Thunder God Tribe who had been assigned as their security detail.
But the first person to arrive at the guild wasn't a mage.
It was Fairy Tail's consultant pharmacist.
"Porlyusica. You're here?" Yajima greeted her with a warm smile.
Porlyusica gave a curt nod. She scanned the guests gathered inside, then asked, "Where's that idiot?"
"The announcement only confirmed that Tartaros's leadership has been defeated," Yajima explained. "Makarov is probably still handling the cleanup."
Porlyusica let out a quiet snort. 'That man, honestly doing cleanup work?'
He'd dump it on someone else and come waltzing back first. She'd bet her entire herb garden on it.
Out of respect for the guests, she kept that thought to herself and found a seat in the corner.
"I'M BACK!"
Right on schedule. Makarov strode through the guild doors with Wendy in tow and a group of banged-up mages filing in behind him.
He spotted Yajima and the former Council members, opened his mouth to greet them, then noticed Porlyusica. Priorities shifted instantly. "Porlyusica! Thank goodness you're here. Some of the kids are hurt."
For the record, Makarov had a perfectly legitimate reason for returning ahead of the main group. Escorting the wounded. Hosting the former Council members. Important leadership duties.
It had absolutely nothing to do with finding the cleanup work tedious.
Porlyusica frowned and stood, but her expression relaxed after a quick scan of the returning mages.
The most seriously injured person was Minerva from Sabertooth. Beyond her, not a single person needed to be carried in. Cuts, bruises, a few burns. Nothing life-threatening.
Though Minerva's condition looked like more than simple battle injuries. Something deeper was going on there.
"Follow me." Porlyusica turned and walked toward the infirmary without waiting for a response.
Jet and Droy followed with a makeshift stretcher between them, Minerva laid across it. Wendy and Carla hurried after them to assist.
The rest of the guild's mages had already pulled out first-aid kits with practiced efficiency, wrapping their own wounds and patching each other up without being asked. Business as usual.
To be honest, this battle had gone so smoothly that it almost felt wrong. Like they'd forgotten to struggle.
Someone muttered that the fight against Phantom Lord had been more exhausting than this, and nobody disagreed.
Yajima expressed his concern for the injured, then turned to Makarov with a curious look. "What exactly happened out there? Why did it end so quickly?"
Makarov laughed. Full, genuine, booming. "Hahaha! Nothing special. We simply followed the battle plan, step by step."
He was genuinely happy. Today it felt like everything had aligned in the guild's favor. Timing. Terrain. People. The plan had executed almost flawlessly, with barely a hitch from start to finish.
In fact, it had gone so smoothly that several of Rhodes's backup plans went completely unused. To the point where a certain Iron Dragon Slayer had been loudly voicing his displeasure, complaining that Rhodes had stuck him on the bench for the entire operation.
Gajeel was probably taking his frustration out on whatever Tartaros remnants were still refusing to surrender.
Makarov took a seat and gave the former Council members a brief summary of the battle.
"In short, Tartaros killed former Chairman Crawford, reanimated his body, and used him to attempt to activate Face. But Rhodes intercepted the process and rewrote the activation sequence into a self-destruct command. Every Face unit on the continent has been destroyed."
He paused to let that sink in before continuing.
"Mard Geer, the acting guild master of Tartaros, has been defeated. The Nine Demon Gates and their mid-level officers have been completely wiped out. For all practical purposes, it's over."
Makarov let the weight of his next words settle. "As of today, the last pillar of the Balam Alliance has become history."
Yajima nodded slowly, relief visible in his weathered face. "That's good. That's very good."
"Something the Magic Council couldn't accomplish despite years of effort, and your guild resolved it in a single day." Belno shook her head with a quiet sigh. "But that's fine. As long as it's resolved, that's what matters."
Michello leaned forward, brow furrowed. "Wait a moment. You said Mard Geer was the acting guild master. Then where is their true master? Wasn't E.N.D. supposed to be Tartaros's real leader?"
Makarov answered evenly. "The purpose of the Face project was to create the conditions needed to awaken E.N.D. Since their plan failed, E.N.D. was never revived. We didn't encounter the demon."
"Is that so..." Michello allowed himself a breath of relief once the conversation moved on. If E.N.D. was still sealed, then perhaps things could settle down. Maybe the guild could finally have some peace and quiet.
However, what Michello didn't know, and what Makarov had deliberately left out of his report, was what had happened after Mard Geer's defeat.
Rhodes had found a book in the ruins. The Book of E.N.D.
He'd cracked the cover open for barely a second. Just long enough to read the title page. Then he'd shut it tight and refused to let anyone else near it.
"Let me see it!" Levy had grabbed Rhodes's arm with both hands the moment she spotted the book, hanging on with the tenacity of someone who had never met an ancient text she didn't want to devour. "When you first came to the guild, I was the one who taught you to read! You owe me!"
The book looked ancient at a glance. Weathered binding. Yellowed pages. And Mard Geer, the acting master of the strongest dark guild on the continent, had been clutching it like a lifeline throughout the entire battle. It had to be important.
The title alone connected it to E.N.D., the most feared demon in recorded history. A book like that could contain lore not found anywhere else in the world.
For Levy McGarden, there was nothing on earth more tempting.
She was willing to play the sweet-talking student card right in front of Mira if that's what it took.
It didn't work.
"That won't do." Rhodes didn't budge. Didn't even waver. Whatever debt he owed Teacher Levy, it wasn't enough to override this. "The Master has already decided that this book stays with me. Until we can confirm it's safe, no one opens it again."
"Stingy!" Levy puffed out her cheeks and planted her fists on her hips.
Lucy's expression mirrored the disappointment, though she was less vocal about it.
Rhodes sighed. "I know you're curious. Both of you. But this book is genuinely dangerous. Once I've had time to research it properly, we'll talk."
He wasn't being dismissive. He wasn't brushing them off out of ego or secrecy for its own sake.
It was what he'd seen on the title page.
Even Makarov, who had glanced at the same page, hadn't been able to do more than rub his temples and quietly instruct Rhodes to keep the book locked away for now.
Because there was only one line written on that title page. A single string of syllables, inscribed in ancient script.
Using the reading method Levy had taught him years ago, Rhodes had decoded it instantly. The meaning was unmistakable. Familiar. Impossible.
Natsu Dragneel.
The Book of E.N.D. The book that might contain the essence of the most feared demon in history. And Natsu's name was written on its very first page.
Natsu himself seemed completely oblivious. He was on the other side of the guild hall right now, arguing with Happy about who had eaten the last piece of fire chicken.
..
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