With Padre, the nominal leader, defeated, the dark guild Seven Sins was nearly obliterated. Five of the Seven Deadly Sins, considered top officials, had already been taken down.
The remaining two seemed close to the edge of defeat as well.
Even the strongest, the Black Dragon of Crimson Eyes, now called Valef, was in the same state. Although still fighting, he looked as if he could fall at any moment.
After all, his opponent was none other than Makarov, the sixth master of Fairy Tail.
Makarov's massive fist roared down, its unparalleled strength creating a fierce whistling sound as it cut through the air. Valef had no way to avoid the mighty punch, which struck him brutally on the neck.
His entire head whipped around like the end of a flail, smashing into a wall, causing it to crumble.
Luckily for him, his neck was unusually flexible and tough; otherwise, this punch would have decapitated him.
Even so, he was barely breathing now.
As one of the Ten Wizard Saints, representing the continent's strongest, Makarov was an unbeatable force. Despite Valef's power as a summoned beast, there was no way he could stand up to Makarov.
So Valef's defeat was only natural.
No matter how enraged or desperate he became, the gap in their power wouldn't change.
Stepping on Valef's head, Makarov's expression remained calm and indifferent, his eyes carrying a mysterious depth.
"Disgraceful! To be defeated by an old man like you!" Valef growled through gritted teeth, his voice buzzing with barely contained fury, making it clear just how enraged he was.
But Makarov's expression didn't change; he simply pressed harder with his foot.
Snap!
The skull shattered.
Makarov's massive form shrank back to his original small stature. He picked up a card from the ground, murmuring to himself, "Being used by you unknown fools, it's Calvin I feel ashamed for."
With that, he turned and left without looking back.
The altar of evil had already been destroyed during the battle.
In a room some distance away from Makarov, Ultear and Meredy were leisurely toying with an enemy.
Their opponent was the last of the Seven Sins, Gluttony's Grufnini.
The body he occupied was the most demonic-looking among Calvin's summoned beasts, and his strength was considerable.
However, against Ultear and Meredy, who had once followed Hades and were among the Seven Kin of Purgatory, victory was far from easy.
In fact, winning was nearly impossible, especially since Grufnini had the intelligence of a beast.
"Arrgh! I'll devour you!" Grufnini charged forward manically, claws outstretched, trying to grab and consume Ultear and Meredy. His menacing appearance was indeed quite threatening.
Unfortunately for him, the two he faced had been through horrors beyond mere terror.
In summary, their past was a tale of blood and slaughter.
Ultear didn't even move as Meredy summoned dozens of magical swords, weaving a deadly net in the air.
Grufnini was forced back. Though not smart, his instincts were sharp, making it hard to land a fatal blow.
Their fight had been ongoing for a while. Though Grufnini couldn't harm Ultear, neither could she and Meredy easily defeat him.
'Demon Summon,' Grufnini's body, wasn't the strongest among Calvin's summoned beasts, but its physical abilities were undeniably formidable.
Every part of his body was a weapon and a shield. Combined with his lightning magic, he was no small threat.
Ultear and Meredy's magic couldn't inflict significant damage on him.
Thus, the battle remained deadlocked.
Ultear's seductive face gradually showed signs of impatience. The prolonged fight was taxing her patience.
She still bore grudges for her two defeats by Calvin. Now, even a summoned beast was giving her such trouble, implying a greater gap between her and Calvin than seven years ago.
How could she endure this?
Seeing her expression, Meredy dared not make a sound, fearing misplaced anger. Over the past seven years, she had always borne the brunt of Ultear's wrath whenever Jellal upset her.
When another attack on Grufnini failed, Ultear finally snapped.
"You gluttonous bastard! Don't get so cocky!"
Her magic surged, blowing Meredy aside.
Placing her hands together, her eyes turned cold as she chanted.
"Ice Make: Rose Garden!"
The temperature dropped abruptly. Countless ice blocks appeared, forming into roses, filling the room with a beautiful yet deadly sight.
Just like its name, the room became a garden of roses, enveloping Grufnini.
Grufnini was frozen and then shattered into foam, disappearing without a trace.
Meredy was stunned.
"Did we defeat him so easily?" she asked in disbelief.
Ultear frowned, clearly unhappy, breathing heavily before replying flatly.
"Let's go. The Seven Sins are finished."
She flicked her hair and walked away without looking back.
Meredy hurried to catch up, asking, "Finished? All the Seven Sins have been defeated?"
Before Ultear could answer, a powerful surge of magic erupted from somewhere in the castle, a familiar presence.
Every Fairy Tail member recognized the magic immediately—it was warm and reliable.
Even Meredy mumbled in astonishment, "Is that... Calvin?"
The memory of Calvin battling Hades on Tenrou Island was still vivid in her mind.
"Who else? Did you really think that demon was defeated by Rose Garden? He was obviously recalled by Calvin."
"By the way, his magic keeps getting stronger. Is he really the guy who slept for seven years?"
Ultear cursed with dissatisfaction, her tone revealing her disdain for Calvin.
But she kept moving, heading toward the source of the magical burst. Not only her, but everyone in the castle was rushing toward the explosion of magic.
They all eagerly awaited seeing Calvin once more.