Chapter 31: Mission Complete
Lullaby was enraged by Dino's words: "Since you want to hear it! Then listen well! This is the sound of terror and death itself!"
"No! The 'Curse Song' is about to play!"
"Everyone run!"
"Pfft~! Pfft~~~! Pfft~~~!!"
"…"
Lucy's eye twitched. "Is that the 'Curse Song'? Why does it sound like someone's farting…"
"Damn you! The flute cracked on the train and during the earlier attack! No matter—I'll repair it by devouring your souls!" Lullaby's massive wooden claw shot toward Dino.
"This is bad!"
"Buzz~~!!"
The Tremor-Tremor power condensed around Dino's fist as a pale white sphere of energy enveloped it. He threw his punch directly at Lullaby's claw.
"————!"
"CRACK, CRACK, CRACK!"
The air itself shattered like glass. Visible fractures spread through space in spiderweb patterns, the destruction far more intense than before.
"The air—it's breaking apart!"
"What kind of magic is this?!"
Lullaby recoiled in disbelief. "Impossible! No magic should have this much destructive power!"
Dino lowered his fist. "I actually wanted to hear what kind of sound could curse people to death—thought it might be interesting. But after waiting all that time for that? Pretty disappointing."
Everyone watched in stunned silence as Lullaby's claw disintegrated into ash. The decay spread rapidly up its arm, across its massive body, until the entire demon crumbled to nothing.
"Mission complete!" Dino dusted off his hands.
"He destroyed one of Zeref's demons… just like that?"
"Completely erased it from existence…"
Makarov laughed proudly, puffing out his chest. "Hahaha~! You see that? This is a Fairy Tail mage!"
"Dino, darling, won't you reconsider joining Blue Pegasus? We have plenty of beautiful women—and handsome men too, if that's more your preference!"
Makarov bristled protectively. "Back off, Bob! Blue Pegasus doesn't have cuter or more beautiful girls than Fairy Tail! We have Mirajane as our poster girl, Erza as our strongest female mage, and even newcomer Lucy has an amazing fig—"
Lucy's face flushed. "Why are you talking about my figure?!"
"Because Mirajane and Erza are prettier in the face!"
Lucy struck a confident pose, hands on her hips. "So you're saying I have the best body?" She emphasized her curves with obvious pride.
Makarov waved dismissively. "I didn't say that at all."
"You perverted old geezer!"
Makarov chuckled and shook his head. "Anyway, the incident's been resolved without any real damage. That's what matters most!"
Erza suddenly remembered something and leaned close to Makarov, whispering urgently in his ear. With each word, the guild master's face grew progressively paler.
"GUWAAH~!!" Makarov's eyes rolled back as he collapsed.
"Master Makarov fainted!"
"Was it the Curse Song?! Is there a delayed effect?!"
"Master Makarov's been cursed to death! What do we do?!"
"We're doomed!"
Magic Council Era
"He dismantled Eisenwald, yes, but he also destroyed an entire train, obliterated over forty kilometers of railway, and caused a massive earthquake in Clover Town. Someone like this is more dangerous than any Dark Guild. There's no telling when he might trigger a catastrophe that destroys the entire country."
"Such a dangerous individual must be restrained. We cannot allow him to run wild!"
Yajima, a short elderly man among the Council members, stroked his mustache thoughtfully. "We're discussing Dark Guilds, so why redirect the conversation to Dino Maxim? He's eliminated two Dark Guilds in a short span—something even the Magic Council hasn't managed recently."
"Furthermore, the collateral damage was relatively contained, was it not? Going after a decorated mage instead of actual criminals seems rather unreasonable, Councilman Leiji."
"Ugh…!"
Councilman Siegrain leaned back in his chair. "This incident was genuinely dangerous. If those guild masters had actually been killed, everyone in this chamber would face consequences. But regarding Dino Maxim's arrest…"
"Hmm… This matter requires further deliberation."
The Magic Council adjourned shortly after.
In Siegrain's private office, he frowned at Ultear. "Why do certain senior members fall silent whenever I propose arresting Dino Maxim?"
"I know a bit about that. The Magic Council attempted to arrest Dino five years ago. Some overzealous members tried to… interrogate him privately. Dino didn't take kindly to that and demolished half the Council building in his rage."
Siegrain's eyebrows rose.
"All Ten Wizard Saints who responded failed to stop him. From what I've heard, they all sustained significant injuries. Master Makarov personally intervened to prevent total destruction. Otherwise, the entire Council might have been leveled. As a direct result, half the Council members resigned."
"The incident became the Council's greatest shame. All battle records were purged. Ever since, they've been far more cautious with Fairy Tail. Only newer members show any aggression toward them."
Siegrain's lips curled into an intrigued smile. "Dino Maxim… Is he truly that powerful?"
Destroying buildings means nothing. Earthquakes and tremors are flashy effects—useless in actual combat. Those old fools probably exaggerated to hide their own inadequacy.
Ultear's expression turned uncharacteristically serious. "No. According to the intelligence we've gathered… he's genuinely that strong."