Outside the Fairy Tail guild...
"What orders did Second Master Precht give you?"
Evan asked Ultear as they stood outside the guild.
Typically, Evan would refer to the second master of Fairy Tail, Precht, by his full name. In the past, Precht, with his full magical power and the infinite supply of magic and stamina from his demon heart, had been quite troublesome for Evan, who was then around the shield level.
But now things were different; Evan had graduated from the beginner village and was ready to stand tall.
"Master Hades…"
"Precht has instructed me to abandon the mission of investigating Fairy Tail and report back to Grimoire Heart. He wants a summary of all the information I've gathered during my time undercover at the guild."
"In short, my infiltration mission at Fairy Tail has come to an end."
Ultear stood in front of Evan, her expression serious as she explained her situation.
"Finally, the day has come~"
Evan stretched his neck, producing cracking sounds, and showing an eager expression.
"What do you mean by 'finally, the day has come'? Evan, are you really confident about dealing with Precht?"
"That guy is on a completely different level compared to Brian, the former head of the Magic Development Bureau, and his inner personality, Zero."
"Though I hate to admit it, Precht is a genius and incredibly dangerous, far surpassing the Holy Ten wizards chosen by the Magic Council!"
Ultear looked seriously at Evan. In her eyes, no one understood Precht's power better than she did. Raised under his guidance, she knew that Precht was a monster who had transcended humanity, approaching the abyss of dark magic.
"Evan, there's no time to waste. Go to the Magic Council and seek Warrod's help."
"I'll head back to the guild to gather my mother and the master. We should also get Gildarts, even though he's a scoundrel, his combat strength is considerable! Kurnuki is also strong…"
"And Erza, Laxus, their magical power is impressive and they'd be valuable in battle!"
"Also, Mirajane. Though not as strong as Erza or Laxus, she's still quite powerful. She should come too!"
"Conservatively, with you, Warrod, Master Makarov, and my mother, we have four Holy Ten-level wizards, plus Gildarts and Kurnuki, who, while not titled as Holy Ten, are comparable. Six Holy Ten-level fighters should be enough…"
"If possible, Warrod should call upon the rest of the Holy Ten wizards as the Magic Council chairman to form a coalition to defeat Precht…"
Ultear, after detailing Precht's terrifying power, started to plan a strategy against him seriously. In her view, taking down Precht would require at least six Holy Ten-level wizards.
However, because Ultear didn't fully understand the Magic Council's standards for the Holy Ten, she mistakenly considered her mother, Ur, as the benchmark. Thus, she identified six individuals from the guild who, in her mind, were comparable to or even above the Holy Ten.
As for Irene and Selene, Ultear overlooked them because their power levels were too far beyond her own, making them seem almost mythical.
"What?!"
Evan was taken aback by Ultear's detailed plan. Dealing with the second master alone didn't require such elaborate preparations!
Even before absorbing the power of the Dragon's Tear, Evan was confident in defeating Precht. He was one of the few who knew Precht's weakness: his heart. Destroying it would render Precht powerless.
But now, things were even simpler. Evan could stand motionless, facing away from Precht, and even if Precht used all his magical power against him, it wouldn't harm him at all.
"There's no need for such complexity. Just take me to Grimoire Heart; I can handle it alone."
Evan spoke calmly, expressing his intention to face Precht one-on-one.
"What?"
Ultear was stunned. Did Evan just say he could handle Precht alone?
Had Evan become so overconfident? Well, he was always a bit overconfident, but today he seemed especially so...
"Does Evan even know who he's up against?"
"That's Precht! The closest thing Ishgar has to Zeref!"
Ultear doubted whether Evan understood the true extent of Precht's power.
"Let's go~"
While Ultear was lost in thought, Evan picked her up. No, it was more like he tucked her under his arm like an object…
"What…"
Ultear blushed, not from embarrassment at the close contact but because of the undignified position.
It was too humiliating!
Ultear felt a foreboding sense that things would only get worse from here. Her instincts told her that the current embarrassment was just the beginning, and worse was yet to come.
"Let's move~"
With those words, Evan and Ultear shot into the sky, turning into a streak of light and disappearing from view.
At Grimoire Heart's base...
This was the dark guild established by Precht after leaving Fairy Tail. It was a massive flying ship powered by the Demon's Heart, an imitation of the Fairy Heart within Mavis. It could fly freely across Ishgar, making it impossible for the Magic Council to locate its base.
Precht, now known as Hades, wearing a silver helmet and an eyepatch over his right eye, sat on the throne in the guild master's quarters. With his eyes closed, he rested, conserving his strength. Despite his immense magical power, age had taken its toll, and he no longer had the stamina of his youth.
"Hm?!"
As Precht rested, he suddenly sensed something and opened his left eye, which still shone with sharpness and authority.
"Something's coming…"
Precht looked up at the ceiling, sensing an impending presence.
"Crash!!!"
Just then, accompanied by a shrill scream and a loud crash, a dark shadow broke through the ceiling, landing in Precht's room.
"Oh?!"
Precht remained seated on his throne, calm and regal. His piercing gaze cut through the dust and smoke, revealing the two figures who had crashed through.
"I thought I was going to die…"
"Evan, I swear, I'll never go on a mission with you again!"
Through the dust, a female voice reached Precht's ears.
"Hmph!~"
With a cold snort, dark magic surged from Precht, dispelling the dust and revealing the intruders.
There stood a beautiful girl with long black hair, clinging to a red-haired boy's leg, her expression one of panic. She kept muttering that she would never go on a mission with Evan again. Whatever she had experienced must have been traumatic.
"Ultear?! What is this nonsense?"
Precht, from his high throne, recognized the girl as his student and a member of Grimoire Heart. Ultear was supposed to have ended her infiltration mission and returned alone, as per his orders. But now she was here with a red-haired boy, making Precht feel a surge of anger at her disobedience.
Clearly, Ultear had not followed his orders!
Such disobedience was unacceptable in Grimoire Heart. But when Precht saw the red-haired boy's face, his calm expression wavered.
He recognized the boy as Evan Belserion, one of Fairy Tail's top wizards and a member of the Holy Ten.
"Ah, I see..." Precht laughed lightly, seemingly understanding everything. He looked at Ultear and said, "Ultear, aren't you going to introduce your guest to your guild master?"
"Master Hades, it's been a while. This guest is..."
Ultear, hearing Precht's voice, quickly composed herself. She released Evan's leg, straightened her clothes, and prepared to introduce Evan properly.
"Isn't this the famous Second Master Precht?"
"Since you left Fairy Tail, it seems you've fallen on hard times."
Before Ultear could finish, Evan spoke up, smiling as he addressed Precht, though his words lacked any real respect.
"Hmph! Insolent boy! Didn't Makarov tell you to show respect when you meet me?"
Precht's brow furrowed. As a former master of Fairy Tail, he expected basic respect from its members. Evan's casual demeanor irked him.
"Well, to be honest, Master Makarov never mentioned that. Maybe he forgot~"
"But he did tell me that if you went mad, I should just beat you up."
"So, I came here to do just that…"
Evan's calm expression and smile irritated Precht further.
"You've got quite the mouth on you."
"Like Makarov, all talk and no substance. You're far too inexperienced to defeat me!"
"Today, you'll regret your arrogance!"
Precht's body erupted with dark, powerful magic, giving off an abyssal aura.
"Hehe…"
Evan crossed his arms, watching Precht's display without a trace of fear. After a few minutes, he yawned and asked, "Are you going to start or what? As a senior, I've been patiently waiting for you to make the first move. If you don't, I will, and then you'll lose your chance."
"Hmph! You brat and Ultear, stop stalling!"
"If you've come to defeat me, then Warrod must be with you, right?"
"Surely Makarov, Ur, and the rest of the Holy Ten wizards are here too?"
"Stop hiding and face me! Even if you gather all the Holy Ten, they're a joke compared to me!"
Precht's gaze scanned the damaged ceiling, waiting for the rest to
show up. He assumed that if Ultear had betrayed him, she must have informed Makarov and Warrod, and they would not take his actions lightly.
"You…"
Hearing Precht's words, Evan chuckled lightly. This was typical of Precht, always overthinking.
"What are you laughing at?"
Precht demanded, feeling slighted by Evan's amusement.
"Master Precht, I think you've misunderstood."
"No one else is coming…"
"Because the only person here to defeat you is me. Warrod, Makarov, and Ur are all too busy with their own affairs to deal with you…"
Evan smiled as he spoke.