Accompanied by Makarov's roar of rage, a giant embodying Makarov burst out of the silver-white Magic Circle. Along with him, transferred by the circle, came Makarov himself, Magic Council chairman Crawford Seam, and Grimoire Heart vice-chairman Azuma.
And a contingent of Magic Council members' guards followed.
Gaal's Spatial Transfer Tool left on Makarov had transferred everyone and everything within a certain radius around him. Just below the transferred group was the Grimoire Heart Guild's airship, which also housed Hades' Second Magic Origin.
Without hesitation, Makarov's giant form rushed forward. Staring at the airship, his colossal arm began extending limitlessly, reaching out to grab it.
Aboard the airship, the members of the Grimoire Heart Guild were horrified, and Zancrow shouted: "Turn about!"
At the same time, black endless flames ignited in both hands, raised high above the head, and instantly a massive black fireball, easily over a hundred meters tall, formed: "Blazing Flame God!!!"
Kain Hikaru, piloting the airship and dripping with sweat, shouted: "I know!"
He continued, "Damn it! The power just isn't enough!!!"
The entire airship was powered by Hades' Second Magic Origin. Normally, nothing would seem amiss thanks to its nearly infinite Magic Power support, but as Hades unleashed 'Grimoire Law' and 'Fairy Law' in opposition, the Second Magic Origin was drained within seconds.
Now it was in a semi-fading state, unable to supply any Magic Power. It was even less maneuverable than some of the older Magic Council airships.
It managed to stay aloft only because the airship carried a small backup Magic Origin. However, the backup's Magic Power had mostly been drained by the magic roar Hades had just unleashed on Fairy Tail; it now had to power both Hades and maintain flight, leaving the airship moving extremely sluggishly.
Kain Hikaru frantically turned the airship's helm, trying to change course and escape. But Makarov gave them no time.
Boom! A tremendous impact resounded as the Flaming Flame God collided with Makarov's palm. The immense fireball of endless black flames was instantly smashed, yet the flames did not vanish.
Instead, they spread upward along Makarov's massive hand, beginning to burn fiercely.
Just as Zancrow's face was about to break into a smile, he bellowed: "Idiot! Once you get stained by my endless flames, just wait—"
Before he could finish his sentence, he looked on in sheer horror as that enormous hand, engulfed in burning black flames, came crashing down.
Crack! Crack!
Sounds of the ship shattering filled the air.
The colossal hand had grasped the Grimoire Heart Guild's airship. Under the crushing pressure of that giant palm, the entire airship began to twist and distort. The Dark Guild members on board trembled in fear—not only from Makarov's furious aura but also from the spreading, relentless flames.
Pressed against the shattered deck and watching the flames spread, Kain Hikaru cursed: "Bastard, Zancrow! Quick, retract your flames! Do you want to burn us all to death?!"
Zancrow was also suddenly struck and left in a daze. Upon hearing Kain Hikaru's outburst, he retorted angrily: "Shut up! Then you all go die with him!"
Kain Hikaru then shouted furiously: "If you burn up the Magic Source, let's see if Hades, the Guild Master, will spare you!"
Hearing Hades' name, Zancrow finally calmed down. Though with reluctance, he reined in the flames around the hull—but left untouched the flames clinging to Makarov's arm. He was keen to see how long the old man could hold on. That mere mortal dared to scorn his divine flame. Damn it!!!
Things had happened too suddenly for Hades on the ground to intervene—or rather, he simply did not have the power to stop it. The backup Magic Origin's power had just been mostly drained by that magic roar which had decimated Fairy Tail; otherwise, he wouldn't be forced to stand helplessly on the ground and watch.
He watched as Makarov's giant embodiment grasped the airship and descended, crashing onto the ground.
Boom--!
With the very earth shaking and mountains trembling, Makarov's giant form pressed his palm down harder with a series of "crack, crack" sounds as the airship in his grasp continued to crumble. "Hades, you should not have come here," came a booming voice.
With his other free hand, he threw a straight punch aimed at Hades. A burst of golden light, roaring like magic, crashed across the battlefield.
Seeing his own Magic Origin falling into Makarov's hands and feeling the sorrowful wail emanating from its crushing grip, Hades' face darkened as he growled: "Shadow of Darkness!"
Before him, a circle materialized as dozens of meters thick of roaring golden light pounded upon it, only to be incessantly absorbed. Yet a closer look revealed beads of sweat forming on Hades' brow—the process was far from the casual ease with which he absorbed Gildarts' attacks. He barely managed to absorb the entire magic roar.
With a grim expression, Hades tugged on the Dark Chain Magic in his hand: "Makarov!
You don't want this brat to die, do you?"
Makarov's movements faltered, and a strange expression crossed his face. As Hades' words fell silent, a voice came from behind him: "Heh?"
Hades spun around in surprise, only to see that the one who should have been bound by the chain—Gaal—had transformed. Without warning, Gaal had turned into a purple, chubby figure with a tilted head and a questioning look.
Hades glared furiously: "Damn?! Since when?!"
He looked up.
Whoosh—
A card whistled through the air as it flew out from the ruined guild toward Makarov's arm. As the card's radiance burst forth, it completely sealed the endless black flames burning on Makarov's arm.
Hades looked up again to see "Gaal" standing in the center of the ruins with a faint smile on his face. His heart sank completely. With a flick of his Dark Chain Magic, the purple, chubby figure that had been bound was flung aside—after all, what use was there in holding onto something that wasn't Gaal?
Hades slowly retracted his Dark Chain, which transformed into pure Dark Magic to replenish his reserves as his mind raced for an escape plan. He had underestimated the situation.
If he hadn't used that magic roar to forcibly devastate Fairy Tail just moments ago, the backup Magic Origin's power would have been enough for a while longer. But now… even retracting his Dark Chain wouldn't provide sufficient magic within his body.
Not to mention that the Second Magic Origin was still under Makarov's control, its immense Light Magic Power severing his connection to it.
Meanwhile, two groups following closely behind Makarov had also reached the ground. Azuma, battered and gasping for breath, landed not far from Hades. Magic Council chairman Crawford Seam and his contingent of guards landed on the ruins of the Fairy Tail Guild, visibly shaken. They had initially been puzzled by Makarov's sudden and extreme rage, and by the appearance of that gigantic spatial transfer array—but now it was clear that the guild had been destroyed. The entire Magic Council contingent watched Hades warily.
Hades paid them no heed, instead looking up at Makarov and speaking gravely:"Makarov.
This time, I'll consider you the winners. Release what you hold, and I assure you, I won't intrude within the next ten years."
Makarov's giant embodiment, expressionless and booming like a gong, replied: "I think otherwise. It would be better to kill you now."
A cold glimmer appeared in Hades' eyes as he retorted: "If you think you can manage that? By all means, give it a try. But if you can't finish me in an instant, you should be aware of the consequences."
At this point, Makarov fell silent. Even though Hades was now running on empty, Makarov couldn't be sure he could take him down in a single blow. If Hades were fought to the death, even if Hades perished, Fairy Tail itself might cease to exist. Just the presence of Lumen Histoire alone could provoke all the continent's mages to attack Fairy Tail. And with the Magic Council's deep-seated corruption, they would likely seize it by force, leaving Fairy Tail no more.
At that moment, a distant voice echoed—it was Gaal's voice: "I just mentioned that time is only fair. Now you want to give us just ten years? ren't you afraid that ten years from now you won't be able to defeat us?"
Hades turned his head, his pupils contracting sharply. He saw the purple, chubby figure that had just been flung aside slowly climbing up. With its mouth agape, it was speaking in Gaal's voice.
Swish!
In an instant, the purple figure transformed back into Gaal. And the 'Gaal' who had just flung the card chuckled: "Heh~"
After morphing back into the purple form, it then burrowed into the ground, merging with Gaal's shadow. Hades' face shifted through changing shades of blue and red as the Gaal who had reverted from the purple form laughed: "I suppose this time, I won the bet, right?"