Meredy's eyes widened. "What?!"
This place is remote—none of us has received any information yet.
Ultear's expression darkened. "Commissioner… is it Face?"
Her years in the Magic Council hadn't been wasted—she'd spied for Grimoire Heart to gather intelligence. Though Face had been hidden, Ultear eventually discovered it. But Face was a bomb so dangerous that even Grimoire Heart avoided it.
"Face?" Meredy echoed.
"It's a magic pulse bomb—a weapon capable of erasing all magic on the continent."
Meredy paled. "All the magic on the continent…"
Su Yan's eyes flared. He understood what that would mean for the world—and for Fairy Tail.
"Do you know where their base is?" he asked.
Ultear shook her head. "Though Grimoire Heart was considered the strongest dark guild, Tartaros remains utterly mysterious. According to Hades, Dark Guild Tartaros has existed for over a hundred years. Their headquarters, like Grimoire Heart's, shifts constantly; there's no way to pin it down."
"One thing President Hades did mention," she continued, "is that none of their members appear human."
"I know," Meredy said. "They're all demons from the Book of Zeref."
"The demons of the Book of Zeref?!" Ultear, Meredy, and Su Yan exchanged horrified looks. They had once revered Zeref—until they learned his true nature. Now they feared him as the ultimate demon.
They never suspected Tartaros was born of Zeref's demons.
A demon of the Book of Zeref was legendary—the scourge behind countless disasters. Ultear's own mother, Ulu, died sealing one of them, and Ultear's hatred ran deep.
Su Yan stood. "I haven't learned anything useful. I should head back—Tartaros may have discovered us. Though you two are strong, it isn't safe to stay."
According to the plan, Fairy Tail would clash with Tartaros eventually. Su Yan would return to the guild and face them then. As for Ultear… he had no desire to protect someone who had committed so many crimes. He wasn't a knight or a savior—justice had to be served.
Just as he turned to leave, Meredy called out, "Wait! Maybe I can help find Tartaros' headquarters."
Su Yan paused. Their greatest hurdle was locating Tartaros.
"Meredy?"
She squared her shoulders. "Ultear is their target—they want to harm her, and I won't allow that."
At the Former Speaker's Residence
The former Speaker poured chamomile tea for Erza. "Since retiring, I've begun cultivating herbs. This is chamomile."
Erza inhaled the fragrant steam. "It's exquisite—almost identical to the wild variety."
She had been assigned to protect the former Speaker, Crawford Simm, ex-president of the Magic Council.
Crawford sipped and smiled. "I must ask—how did you find my private residence?"
Erza bowed her head. "Forgive the intrusion. Fairy Tail maintains an extensive intelligence network."
He chuckled. "Admirable. In my day leading the Council, your guild was always the most…entrepreneurial. Especially you, young man," he added, nodding at Su Yan. "Smashing through the Council chambers was quite the statement."
Su Yan flushed. "What a disgrace!"
Crawford's eyes twinkled. "The Council's decisions were never personal. It's been seven years—I heard you were still sealed."
"Mr. Crawford…"
"Ah, yes—Face," he interrupted, his expression turning grave. "I was devastated by the news. A guild like yours, with such a strong sense of justice, stepping in when the Senate cannot—that gives me hope."
Erza leaned forward. "What exactly is Face? Why call it the 'White Legacy'?"
"We're not certain," he admitted. "Researchers believe it's part of a god's severed body—capable of purifying magic. Hence the name 'White Legacy.' Council researchers tried to weaponize it, so we called it Face."
"A god?!" Erza paled. Dragons and giants were terrifying enough—now a god?
She steeled herself. "To stop Tartaros, we must destroy Face first. Can you tell us where it's hidden?"
Crawford shook his head. "I'm sorry—I don't know."
Erza pressed, "Speaker—"
He raised a hand gently. "It's not that I'm withholding secrets. That weapon is too dangerous—none of us had the authority to store it."