The dark clouds in the sky grew thicker, as if raindrops were about to fall. On the shore of Tenrou Island, the heart of the demons, the Magic Council's airship, remained silent, though not devoid of occupants.
A figure leisurely occupied a spot within the airship. Suddenly, the figure's owner sighed softly.
"Another one defeated? The Fairy Tail members are quite capable~"
Whether a sigh or a mocking remark, those words left his lips, followed by a faint smile as he stood up.
"Who would've thought, aside from Makarov, someone could push Hades to this extent. Over half of the Seven Kin have been annihilated. If I step in, he'd have nothing to say."
"I feel like soaring today, hmph..."
As he spoke, the figure's owner quietly exited the airship, casting a distant glance at the fierce battle between Hades and Karlvan, finding it uninspiring, and left alone.
He emitted a faint magical aura, not very conspicuous, but in reality, his magical power was quite astonishing, comparable to the energy Karlvan initially sensed from him.
His identity was the Vice-Chairman of the Heart of the Demons, akin to the second-in-command.
On Tenrou Island, in a recently concluded battleground, two women were basking in their victory.
They were Cana and Lucy.
Lucy couldn't help but sit exhausted on the ground. She wasn't alone in her fatigue; Cana was equally drained. Nevertheless, they had achieved victory.
Hua Warden's massive body lay motionless on the ground, devoid of strength to fight further. Pantherlily beside him had retracted into himself, audibly relieved.
Truth be told, if it weren't for Hua Warden's sheer idiocy, even if they managed to win, it wouldn't have been so easy. Undoubtedly, this victory owed a lot to Lucy.
Shaula disdainfully glanced at Hua Warden's obese figure, mockingly remarking, "Is strength not proportional to intelligence? He seems to have a Fairy Tail style."
Cana was instantly at a loss for words. Indeed, Shaula's sarcasm was quite potent, almost disparaging every Mage in Fairy Tail in a single sentence.
Laughter echoed in this place. Although they understood there were still other enemies yet to be defeated, the rare victory had relaxed them considerably.
Perhaps in their minds, if even they, two high-ranking officers, could defeat the enemies, then the others would be even less of a problem!
Their thinking wasn't entirely wrong, given that even Azuma, among the Seven Kin's top-tier strength, had been easily defeated by Karlvan. Defeating the enemies seemed to be only a matter of time.
However, this was somewhat too optimistic. The battle had not yet concluded.
At the same time, a youth wearing a leather jacket, sporting glasses and a crew cut, strolled amidst the jungle, murmuring poetic yet cryptic words.
Not far from him, a beautiful white-haired woman stood alert.
That woman was one of Fairy Tail's S-Class Mages, once known as the "She-Devil," Mirajane Strauss.
The location was Fairy Tail's temporary camp. Behind Mirajane lay several injured comrades.
Others with combat capability like Freed and Lisanna stared at him disapprovingly. However, the bespectacled youth seemed indifferent to their glares.
His eyes were fixed solely on Mirajane.
"Will the pure white Fairy fall at my feet? A tragic ending. I'll offer a rose ceremony for your corpse."
With a hand supporting his forehead, the youth indulged in his soliloquy with a mysterious aura.
To the others, he probably seemed like a lunatic, or perhaps one suffering from delusions of grandeur.
"Sis... be careful, he's... very powerful," panted Elfman behind Mirajane, recalling how easily the youth had defeated him and Lisanna.
Regarding the youth's information, Elfman had already briefed Mirajane. Hence, Mirajane appeared as if she were facing a formidable foe.
After all, he used the Lost Magic, 'Concrete Arc,' employing imaginative combat.
The youth glanced at Elfman lying on the ground, a playful glint in his eyes.
"You're not dead yet? Quite resilient. Is this your sister? You two don't look alike at all," the youth lightly teased, as if defeating Elfman wasn't worth mentioning.
Then, he turned his gaze back to Mirajane, withdrawing his frivolous smile and speaking in a nonchalant tone.
Let me introduce myself. I am Rustyrose, one of the Seven Kin of Purgatory, known as the Iron Rust, and I'm here to kill you."
Mirajane remained composed, but flames of anger flickered in her eyes. She chuckled lightly before saying, "Who you are doesn't matter, but anyone who hurt my brother and Evergreen, that's definitely you."
"In that case, are you ready to go to hell?"
Mirajane's charming smile contrasted with the menacing words. As she spoke, her formerly serene attire disappeared, replaced by a more revealing outfit.
She sprouted a tail with bone-like spikes behind her, her expression turning ferocious. Her hands were covered in thick scales, and sharp nails gleamed with a terrifying light.
It was her acceptance of the magic—'Satan Soul'!
"Oh~ Fairies turning into demons? But regardless, you're useless before me, even with your tricks!" she proclaimed.
"I want to fight with Karlvan Makarov. I heard his Summoner's Card surpasses my Concrete Arc. I want to personally tell him that before me, he's nothing but an ant!"
Rustyrose roared, appearing somewhat excited, but Mirajane was even more thrilled. While he spoke, her figure darted forward like lightning.
Instantly appearing in front of Rustyrose, her sharp claws, like the most ferocious beast's, struck down fiercely.
Rustyrose was taken aback, too rushed to even utter common words. His arms turned into golden shields hastily, barely managing to block Mirajane's claws.
Yet, despite the shield's buffer, the force of the claws pushed him back a few steps. Before he could react, a massive whip came at him.
It wasn't a whip; it was clearly Mirajane's tail.
Rustyrose couldn't muster any other reaction but to continue using the shield to fend off the attack.
The tail's power surpassed that of the claws. Even with the shield as a buffer, Rustyrose was sent flying far away.
Frantically looking up to locate Mirajane's figure, readying for her next attack, she didn't pursue but instead looked down on him with disdain, saying calmly:
"This level wants to challenge Karlvan? You'd better give up; you'd be obliterated."
Without waiting for Rustyrose's response, Mirajane charged again.
The demonic aura erupted fully. After a period of rest, Mirajane's magic power had completely recovered, and her combat prowess was at its peak.
That terrifying demon from the past once again showcased her strength before everyone. Both Elfman and Freed were left speechless, their mouths gaping in awe for a long while.