The Magic Council was on high alert.

  The leader of Grimoire Heart, and former second master of Fairy Tail, Precht Gaebolg, had come to surrender. Who could possibly believe such nonsense?

  Gran Doma spoke in a grave tone:

  "Precht Gaebolg!”

  “I advise you not to make any sudden moves. I’ve already contacted one of the Ten Wizard Saints who is nearest to us.”

  “And, incidentally, it’s someone you’re very familiar with!"

  Hearing the mention of an "old acquaintance," Precht couldn’t help but reminisce.

  The founders of Fairy Tail were four individuals: Mavis, Yuri Dreyar, Precht, and Warrod Sequen. Aside from Mavis, the other three were treasure hunters from the guild Sylph Labyrinth. In their pursuit of the S-Css artifact, the Tenrou Jade, they ventured to Tenrou Isnd, where they met Mavis. That was in X686, 99 years ago.

  Precht sighed deeply and said:

  "After Mavis and Yuri passed away, I became the second guild master.”

  “At the time, I became consumed by my research into dark magic. Warrod and I had differing ideologies, which led him to part ways with me and leave the guild.”

  “If I could meet him again, I should properly apologize."

  The council members exchanged bewildered gnces. Could this really be a surrender? Wasn’t there some kind of scheme behind this?

  Former chairman Crawford Seam interjected:

  "You mentioned earlier that it was Nate who freed you from the darkness?"

  "That’s correct. I owe him a great deal of gratitude."

  "Could you eborate on what exactly happened?"

  Upon hearing this, Precht did not hesitate. Now a reformed old man, he even revealed everything about Zeref.

  "Hidden within the depths of the Magic Net is a pce called the Dark Web.”

  “It’s a hub where dark mages gather to exchange information.”

  “It’s known as [Zeref’s Bck Magic Tavern]."

  The council members were utterly stunned.

  The Dark Web? [Zeref’s Bck Magic Tavern]?

  "Wait, why does such a thing even exist?" Gran Doma asked, visibly shaken. "Has someone hacked into Nate’s Magic Net?"

  Nate’s reputation was too impeccable, so no one even considered the possibility that he might have created the Dark Web himself. The idea that Nate could be behind it? Unthinkable. And Precht’s expnation only reinforced this belief.

  With a serious expression, Precht continued:

  "The existence of the Dark Web is tied to a single individual.

  “A god—or rather, an evil god, perhaps?

  “This individual goes by the name Voldemort!"

  Now it all made sense to the council members. Voldemort—a name they were well aware of—was a mysterious figure. He wasn’t very active on the Magic Net forums, but he had left an impression during his two appearances:

  The first was when he revealed that dragons resided within Dragon Syers.

  The second was when he expined the existence of the parallel world Edos.

  In fact, there was now an active sub-forum on the Magic Net titled "Edos Geography," with many Edos natives engaging in lively discussions.

  Council member Michello voiced his growing fear:

  "What did you just say? An evil god?"

  "I don’t know the full details either," Precht replied, shaking his head. "But back then, I had someone attack the original Magic Council. In the process, I also freed Jell from prison."

  "How is Jell involved in this?" Council member Org frowned. "Are you trying to suggest that Jell is Voldemort?"

  "No," Precht crified, his tone grave. "Voldemort is parasitizing Jell."

  …

  At the same time Precht was surrendering and confessing everything to the Magic Council, thousands of meters in the air, the Grimoire Heart Magic Airship hovered slowly over the ocean.

  Inside the conference room, the Seven Kin of Purgatory wore grim expressions.

  "What is going on, Rustyrose?" Azuma demanded.

  "I don’t know either…" Rustyrose was equally baffled, sitting at the table with his hands clutching his head. "It has to be Nate’s doing. When I saw Hades-sama, he and Nate had just walked out of some huge bck sphere together."

  "Bah! Those council rats aren’t fit to judge Hades-sama!" Zancrow shouted in fury. "I’ll burn them all to ashes!" It wouldn’t be the first time.

  "Wait."

  A raspy voice interrupted the commotion. Everyone turned to look at the main seat in the room. The chair that had once belonged to Hades was now occupied by a ponytailed man—the vice-guild master, Bluenote Stinger.

  With one hand propping up his chin in a rexed posture, he said:

  "Hades was probably caught by some kind of magic. Jell, you know something, don’t you?"

  All eyes turned to the sofa in the corner.

  Jell sat zily on a single-seater, legs crossed, casually filing his nails. Hearing his name, he blew the nail dust off his file before speaking.

  "It’s likely Nirvana, a super reversal magic capable of altering a person’s moral alignment."

  "What?!" Kain Hikaru excimed, utterly shocked. "Wasn’t Nirvana destroyed? I even watched the live broadcast st year during the official guilds’ operation against the Oración Seis."

  Jell chuckled lightly. "Who knows? Maybe Nate learned it. He’s a prodigy of the magic world, after all."

  No one could deny Nate’s genius. He’d created the Magic Net, after all. Learning Nirvana was nothing in comparison.

  "Is there a way to undo it?" Azuma asked, taking a deep breath. Without Hades, Grimoire Heart was as good as doomed.

  "There isn’t," Jell said, shaking his head. Even the caster themselves couldn’t undo the effects of Nirvana.

  The room fell into a heavy silence.

  Bluenote, however, smirked. "Looks like our revered master isn’t coming back. How about this? I’ll assume the role of the new guild master. Anyone opposed?"

  "You bastard! What did you just say?!" Zancrow roared, his anger erupting like a volcano. "We’re going to rescue Hades-sama! The position isn’t yours to take!"

  "I support it."

  Jell raised his hand with a sly smile. "Electing a new master is essential to stabilize morale. However, I believe I should take that position."

  The room froze. Hades-sama wasn’t even dead yet, and these two were already vying for his spot?

  Bluenote’s face darkened.

  BOOM!

  Suddenly, the entire ship shook violently, the furniture in the meeting room creaking as if ready to colpse under immense pressure.

  "You’re challenging me for the position of guild master?"

  "Why not?" Jell said nonchantly, now glowing faintly with a golden aura. "A dark guild survives through strength. The stronger one becomes the leader."

  "Fair enough!"

  Bluenote spat angrily. "Do you think you’re stronger than me, former Wizard Saint Jell?"

  "Why don’t we find out?" Jell set aside his nail file, his aura intensifying. "It’s said you can rival the top five Wizard Saints. Let’s see if that’s true."

  As the tension between the two reached a boiling point, the remaining Seven Kin of Purgatory members looked increasingly uneasy.

  Azuma shouted in frustration, "If you want to fight, take it outside the ship!"

  …

  Afternoon.

  In the eastern forest, Nate stood before a massive tree, perfect for constructing a treehouse. It was located less than 100 meters away from Porlyusica’s home.

  Mavis eagerly presented her design sketches, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

  "How’s this for a treehouse, Fourth Master~?"

  This abstract scribble… It wasn’t much better than Mirajane’s art. Nate couldn’t help but tease her:

  "A child’s doodle? Who could possibly understand this?"

  Mavis immediately teared up, looking pitiful.

  "I’m… not a child! Waaah~"

  Well, technically, she was already a remarkable woman. Nate wondered if he should py along with her fake crying.

  "It’s wrong to make a girl cry, Nate."

  Porlyusica’s voice suddenly interrupted as she approached, carrying a basket of mushrooms. Judging by the fresh harvest, she had likely been foraging in the forest.

  "What are you two up to here?" Porlyusica asked, her tone curious.

  "Building a treehouse—" Before Nate could finish, Porlyusica’s expression darkened, and a vein bulged on her forehead.

  Oh no…

  He had managed to upset two women at once.

  Perhaps honesty wasn't always the best policy.

  Bleam