In the heart of Era, the Magic Council Headquarters hummed with a tense energy. The air was thick with the weight of recent events as alarms blared incessantly in the vast control hall. Blue and red lights flickered against the polished stone walls, their rhythmic glow casting fleeting shadows across the worried faces of mages manning their stations. Instruments designed to measure the flow of magical energy in Ishgar sputtered and blinked, unable to process the staggering readings coming from the northern continent.
In a grand chamber above the commotion, the Ten Councillors of the Magic Council convened in their weekly assembly. The chamber was as ornate as it was imposing, with tall stained-glass windows depicting moments of ancient triumph and tragedy.
The councillors sat around a circular table, their expressions grave as they debated the increasing activity of Zeref's cult. The mysterious group had been kidnapping children and razing villages with a boldness unseen in centuries.
"We cannot continue to overlook this," Councilor Org said, his voice deep and commanding. His weathered face bore the marks of decades of service. "These cultists are growing bolder by the day. If we do not act soon—"
"They are but scattered fanatics," Michello interrupted, dismissively waving his hand. His thin, pinched features betrayed a hint of impatience. "What they lack in subtlety, they more than make up for in incompetence. We have bigger matters to attend to."
Yajima, the gentler among them, stroked his beard with a grim look. "Incompetent or not, Michello, their actions are inhuman and must be stopped !"
Before the discussion could escalate further, the heavy oak doors to the chamber burst open, slamming against the walls. A frog-like councilman stumbled in, his eyes wide with panic.
"What is the meaning of this interruption? We are in session!" Michello snapped, his irritation palpable.
"Calm yourselves," Chairman Sean Crawford interjected, raising a hand to quell the brewing anger. His tone was even, but his piercing gaze demanded silence. Turning his head towards the councilman, he inquired "What is it?"
The frog-like councilman gulped audibly, steadying himself. "Chairman Crawford, my apologies, but this cannot wait. Something unprecedented has occurred."
Sean leaned forward slightly, his brow furrowed. "Explain."
Leiji took a deep breath. "Our instruments... they've detected a magical reaction in the northern plains of Ishgar—"
"The northern plains?" Belno interrupted, her sharp eyes narrowing. "That region is practically uninhabited. What could possibly—"
"—at the level of Etherion," Leiji finished, his voice trembling.
The room fell deathly silent. The councillors exchanged glances, their disbelief palpable. Etherion was a weapon of catastrophic power, capable of obliterating entire regions. To hear that such a reaction had occurred naturally was unthinkable.
"That's impossible," Michello scoffed, though his voice wavered knowing the accuracy of the instruments. "No one but the council possesses that kind of power, not without Etherion itself."
"Are you certain of these readings?" Org asked, his tone grave.
The frog-like councilman nodded vigorously. "We confirmed it thrice. The magical energy surge was instantaneous but immense. It originated in the northern plains—where the demon Deliora is currently raging. But that demon is incapable of such destruction"
Yajima frowned deeply. Hearing once more about that rampaging demon made his anger simmer beneath his calm exterior. They had attempted to destroy it before—Draculos Hyberion, the strongest mage of Ishgar, had faced the creature and nearly succeeded. Yet, even his immense power had fallen short; the demon regenerated each time it was struck down. They also tried to seal it, but no one in Ishgar excels enough in sealing magic to seal a demon of this caliber.
There was only was last choice : to vaporize it. Unfortunately, the others councilors, reluctant to expend Etherion on a desolate land with scarcely any inhabitants, had dismissed the idea, letting it wreck havoc as long as the demon doesn't come out of the sparsely populated northen lands !
The councillors erupted into a flurry of questions and accusations.
"This has to be some kind of error," Yuri said, his normally jovial demeanor replaced by unease. "There's no way such a surge could occur naturally."
"What if it's not natural?" Hogg growled, his bulky frame leaning forward. "What if those guys from the western continent are involved?"
"The Western continent?" Org repeated, his voice heavy with skepticism. "What would they do in the northern plains of Ishgar?"
"Or perhaps it's another creation of Zeref," Belno suggested grimly. "We know of his demons. If another of them has awakened—"
"Enough!" Crawford's voice cut through the chaos, silencing the room. He stood, his presence commanding respect. "Speculation will not help us. If these readings are accurate, then we must act immediately. Leiji, prepare a team to investigate the northern plains. Send word to our mages in the area to proceed with utmost caution."
Leiji nodded. "Understood, Chairman."
"Org, Yajima, and Belno," Crawford continued, addressing the more seasoned councillors. "I want you to oversee this personally. If this is a threat, we must eliminate it before it grows. Even if we have to use Etherion…"
"Etherion..." The mere mention of the weapon cast a heavy silence over the room. Yajima's eyes darkened, a derisive glint flickering within them. He knew all too well that the council would only unleash such power if their own safety or power was directly threatened—not out of concern for the well-being of everyone else.
As the councillors dispersed, the alarms in the control hall continued to blare, their shrill cries a reminder of the unknown force that had just shaken the northern plains. Beyond the walls of Era, in the snow-covered wilderness, the faint remnants of a brilliant purple light lingered on the horizon.
---
Hours after the colossal explosion lit up the northern skies, silence reigned over the snow-blanketed plains. The once-pristine landscape was scarred by a massive crater, its edges charred black and radiating faint traces of heat. The air was thick with the acrid scent of burnt magic, and the remnants of ethereal energy shimmered faintly, a testament to the cataclysmic event that had unfolded.
Three figures trudged through the snow, their footsteps crunching softly in the eerie quiet. Ul, Gray, and Lyon moved cautiously, their faces a mixture of apprehension and disbelief. The two boys followed close behind their teacher, their gazes fixed on the massive crater ahead.
Gray broke the silence first, his voice trembling. "What… what could have done this? Is such destruction even possible?"
Lyon, ever prideful, tried to mask his unease with bravado. "This can't be natural. No mage is capable of this… right?"
Ul didn't answer immediately. Her sharp eyes scanned the devastation, taking in every detail. Her breath came out in visible puffs in the frigid air, but it was the cold dread in her chest that truly chilled her.
They reached the edge of the crater, peering down into its depths. It stretched wide and deep, the snow at the bottom melted away entirely, revealing bare, scorched earth. The faint hum of residual magical energy prickled at their skin.
Ul knelt, placing a hand on the ground. Her eyes narrowed as she focused, her trained senses picking up the faint, lingering trace of a familiar presence. "It's Deliora," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
Gray and Lyon exchanged nervous glances.
"What do you mean?" Gray asked, stepping closer to her.
Ul stood, brushing her hands off. "His aura is everywhere. This was his territory. The sheer intensity of power here… it's unmistakable. But his presence has vanished completely." She pointed toward the center of the crater. "That pit is where he met his end. There's nothing left of him. He's dead. Utterly obliterated."
Lyon face twisted in disbelief. "Deliora… dead? That's impossible. That monster—nothing could stop him."
Ul turned to Gray, who was completely frozen unable to believe that his nightmare disappeared just like that, her expression relieved. "Nothing could stop him—until now."