"What is that? Such a huge monster!" Lucy gasped, covering her mouth in shock.
Lullaby, which had transformed from a flute into its Etherious form, stood over 100 meters tall, its body seemingly made of withered wood with a gaping hole in its chest. As it appeared, it let out a deafening, horrific scream, shaking the night.
"That's the demon from Zeref's book…" a voice said behind her.
Lucy quickly turned around to see three guild masters approaching. The speaker was Goldmine, the guild master of Quatro Cerberus, wearing a magic hat and dark sunglasses.
"That is the true form of Lullaby, a living magic," Goldmine explained.
Lucy's eyes widened. "Guild masters? I thought you were all asleep!"
"We heard the commotion and decided to come take a look," Makarov coughed lightly.
Bob added, "Zeref was the most infamous black mage in the history of magic. Who would have thought that one of his creations from centuries ago would resurface in our time?"
As they spoke, the demon Lullaby, ignoring Nate, set its sights on Lucy and the three guild masters.
"You pesky mages! Die and offer up your delicious souls!" it roared, opening its massive jaws. Dark energy spread from it, enveloping the area within hundreds of meters.
The plants and trees around the area quickly withered, as if their life force had been drained. In the next moment, a beam of black magic shot out of Lullaby's mouth.
"Ahhh!" Lucy screamed in terror.
The beam, sharp as a giant blade, cut through the earth, heading straight for Lucy and the guild masters. Makarov's eyes narrowed, and in an instant, a large golden magic circle appeared in front of them, blocking the attack with ease.
Boom!
An explosion sent fire and smoke into the air.
"As expected from Makarov-chan," Bob exclaimed, twisting his body like a snake and covering his face dramatically. "If that had hit us, we'd be done for. It drains your life force."
Lucy, on the other hand, was nearly paralyzed with fear, internally cursing the guild masters for being so calm while she was the only one freaking out.
Meanwhile, beneath Lullaby's feet, Nate broke off a branch from a withered tree. Holding it between his hands, black lightning crackled around the stick.
"Demon creation…" Nate murmured, as a black magic circle formed around the branch. As he poured magic into it, the branch began to change shape, slowly growing limbs and resembling a miniature version of Lullaby.
However, it didn't move.
"Useless? It lacks a soul…" Nate sighed and tossed the failed creation aside. "I guess I can't fully master magic just by seeing it once."
His lack of knowledge about soul-related magic meant he could only create a "puppet," nothing more.
With a shrug, Nate turned his attention to the rampaging Lullaby. "You're too loud."
He floated up into the air and punched the sky. "One-Star: Airquake!"
In an instant, cracks formed in the atmosphere as tremors rippled outward. With a sharp crack, Lullaby's body began to fracture.
"What? What is this magic? My body…!" Lullaby watched in horror as its form shattered, collapsing like a building under a precise demolition, crumbling into pieces of wood scattered across the ground.
From a distance, Goldmine watched in awe. "What incredible magic! Is that an advanced form of magic? To master it so proficiently at such a young age is remarkable!"
Makarov chuckled. "Tremor Magic isn't rare, but to refine it to Nate's level, that's something truly exceptional."
Lucy was left speechless, unsure whether Lullaby had been too weak or if Nate was just that powerful. Maybe it was both.
…
The next day, the regular guild meeting continued as planned, though the building where the meeting was originally held had been destroyed during Natsu's fight with Erigor. The location was moved to Clover Town.
The events of the previous night quickly reached the Magic Council, and by noon, a force from the Custody Enforcement Unit arrived. They arrested Erigor and the remaining members of Eisenwald.
"We really appreciate your help, Fairy Tail mages," said the leader of the Custody Enforcement Unit.
"No problem," Nate replied. "I didn't do much. Erigor was taken down by Natsu, and the others who tried to escape were caught by Gray."
"What about me?" Lucy chimed in, pointing to herself.
Happy quipped, "You didn't do anything, Lucy."
"Shut up, stupid cat!" Lucy's face flushed red, realizing she had indeed done nothing except come along for the ride.
The captain of the Custody Enforcement Unit chuckled. "Regardless, we're grateful for your assistance. One more thing, Nate, could I have a word with you?"
"What is it?" Nate followed him to a quiet corner.
The captain seemed a bit embarrassed as he spoke. "I've heard about the magic you developed, the internet magic. I was wondering if I could buy a few of those magic rings from you?"
"The rings?" Nate pulled out a small pouch containing about a dozen magic rings and handed it over.
The captain's face lit up, and he quickly paid Nate 150,000J before calling for his team to prepare for departure.
"Well then, farewell, Fairy Tail mages. Next time, though, try to keep the damage to a minimum," the captain said with a smile before leading his men, prisoners in tow, out of town.
Erigor and his companions were heading to prison, their fates sealed.
As the Custody Enforcement Unit left, Nate turned to his companions and said, "The guild meeting will be over soon, but until then, we have some time. Let's split up and do our own thing."
With that, Nate headed off alone to check out the local gift shops.
…
Later, as Nate and his companions boarded the train for their return trip, the Custody Enforcement Unit was transporting their prisoners to the Magic Council's division in Fiore. Despite their obvious guilt, formal trials had to take place before sentencing.
As the convoy moved down the road, the captain suddenly raised his hand. "Wait!"
Everyone came to a halt, their eyes turning toward the road ahead.
Standing in the middle of the road was a young girl with her eyes closed, quietly blocking their path.
The girl appeared to be in her early teens, her silver hair tied with a blue ribbon, and a halo-like ornament above her head. She wore long gloves and stood motionless, barring their way.
"That girl…!"
"She's…!"
The faces of the Custody Enforcement Unit officers turned pale, and they immediately assumed battle stances.
"All units, prepare for combat!" the captain shouted in alarm.
"Resistance is futile," the girl whispered softly.
She took out a golden key and flicked it to the side, chanting a spell:
"Open, Gate of the Scorpion, Scorpio!"
Shortly afterward, the entire Custody Enforcement Unit was wiped out.
Standing over the fallen captain, the girl took a small pouch from his belt.
"Is this what I was looking for? Seems like today's my lucky day."
Covered in blood, the captain weakly lifted his head, his voice barely audible. "You're… Angel from the Oración Seis…"
His head slumped as he finally lost consciousness.