In the southeastern part of the Kingdom of Fiore, there is a forest adjacent to a dormant volcano called the "Fire Serpent Forest."
Deep within the forest sits a tavern.
This is the headquarters of the Dark Guild, Fire Serpents Eye.
Inside the tavern, voices were loud and smoke drifted through the air.
The air was thick with the smell of various cheap liquors, mixed with the scent of tobacco and men's sweat—a revolting stench.
Mages with no sense of style, their faces either sinister or lewd, huddled around tables, sharing crude and filthy jokes, occasionally erupting into bursts of laughter.
"Jie-hahaha—!"
"What 'Fairies'? Against us 'Fire Snakes,' they were taken down in less than ten minutes!!"
"You should have seen it. Those two were surrounded by a dozen of us. They clearly couldn't fight or run, yet they refused to surrender. It was like a stage play—one saying 'Go, hurry!' and the other saying 'I'll never leave my comrade behind.' It was hilarious!!"
At the bar, a burly, shirtless man with a black Fire Serpents Eye emblem tattooed on his arm was sharing the story of how they defeated those 'Fairies' with his companion.
As the burly man spoke, he acted it out vividly with comical gestures, his face full of mockery,
ridicule, and disdain.
Seeing this, several Mages nearby slammed the tables and roared with laughter: "Exactly! Those two brats looked just like that. I can testify to it!!"
Opposite him, a lean Mage with a sinister face let out a high-pitched laugh: "Hee-hee-hee-hee—how interesting. What happened after that?"
"After? We finished them both off, of course. We didn't let either of them go!"
Hearing this, the sinister Mage suddenly sighed, "What a pity—"
The burly man was stunned. "Huh? A pity for what?"
"It's rare to find such an interesting game. Why didn't you bring them back so I could have some fun too?"
A wicked smile flickered in the sinister Mage's eyes. He clapped his hands with a pop and stuck out his long, thin, snake-like tongue to lick the corners of his mouth. "If I had been there, I would have tricked them first, saying I'd let them go if they just removed their guild emblem and knelt to beg for mercy."
...
"Then, once they actually did it, I'd torture them mercilessly, savoring their expressions of despair and collapse."
"That would be the most interesting sight of all!"
*Gulp—*
Such a malicious, cruel, perverted, and insane idea!!
I thought my own torture and play with those two was already the limit for a villain, but I never imagined this guy could come up with such a soul-crushing method.
Just what kind of past did he have—?
The burly man subconsciously swallowed his saliva, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and then picked up the mug on the table, gulping down half of it to calm his shaken heart.
He set down the mug, pretending to be indifferent to what had just been said.
"I couldn't help it. The Guild Master hates those kinds of disgusting scenes, so he dealt with them himself."
"I expect the people of Fairy Tail have already received the corpses of those two brats by now."
The sinister Mage's expression sobered. "Since the Guild Master acted personally, then there's nothing to be done."
"But if there's a next time, remember to save them for me."
"Uh—hahaha—of course!!"
Fire Serpents Eye had over five hundred members, a mixed bag where all sorts of people could be found.
Most of them were scum with violent tempers, foul personalities, and no regard for the consequences of their actions.
However, Fairy Tail's reputation preceded it after all, so some members were worried about the guild's recent actions.
"Since we've provoked Fairy Tail this time, their retaliation should be coming soon, right?"
"I heard that 'Fairy General' is extremely powerful and has connections with the Fiore Royal Family, the Council, and various other factions. Is it really okay for us to—"
*Bang—!!*
A thick fist slammed down heavily, smashing the table in front into two and cutting off the unfinished concern.
The sudden noise caught everyone off guard, instantly silencing the entire tavern.
As the clamor died down, everyone turned their heads simultaneously toward the source of the sound.
It was in a corner of the guild, the darkest spot in sight.
A massive red sofa chair covered with tiger skin sat there upright. Seated upon it was a man two and a half meters tall,
with red hair, a bushy beard, and muscles all over—a man like a wild lion.
[Guild Master of Fire Serpents Eye, "Fire Snake" Felus]
"What's this? You, the new kid—do you have a problem with my decision?!"
Felus glared with eyes as large as copper bells, staring intently at the young man who had just spoken, as if he might strike him dead with a single punch in the next second.
"No—Guild Master, I—I didn't mean that—"
Under Felus's gaze, the young man's courage nearly failed him. His face turned pale, sweat poured down, and he stammered for a long time before finally managing a complete sentence.
Felus wanted to say more, but suddenly a fair, tender arm, as smooth and soft as a snake, reached out from the side and interrupted him.
"Cool your temper for a moment, Guild Master."
"He's just a brat who recently joined the guild and knows nothing. Why bother with him?"
The speaker's voice was sultry, her breath like orchids, and every movement seemed to exude a pink, enchanting fragrance.
Yet, no one present dared to harbor any impure thoughts toward the woman sitting on the sofa, for they knew she was the most troublesome existence in all of Fire Serpents Eye.
[Vice Guild Master of Fire Serpents Eye, "Fire Woman" Lena]
"Lena, you're far too indulgent with these new brats!"
Though she was only the Vice Guild Master, Lena's troublesome abilities and a mind far sharper than anyone else's in the guild made even Felus, the Guild Master, wary of her.
"Our battle between the 'Gloomy Alliance' and Fairy Tail is imminent. Getting angry over such a small matter now will only dampen the guild's morale. Why not let this kid redeem himself in the upcoming battle?"
Felus frowned, but he chose to follow Lena's decision: "Hmph—kid, I'll let you off this once."
Having escaped a disaster, the young man breathed a long sigh of relief, then offered the man and woman on the sofa a harmless,
naive smile.
"Thank you, Guild Master! Thank you, Vice Guild Master!!"
"I will definitely perform well from now on!!"
[Newcomer of Fire Serpents Eye, Council Undercover Agent, Captain of the 3rd Enforcement Unit, Duke Victor]