"ankhseram..."
Hope repeated the name in a low Voice, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "That so-called 'help' is likely just using you as a pawn."
Hades gritted his teeth and retorted, "But He can guide me to the Hope of resurrecting Mavis. What does it matter if I'm being used?"
It turned out he had long understood that the so-called god harbored ill intentions.
Hope sneered. To knowingly abandon one's bottom line and walk into the darkness for the sake of an obsession—if this were the Magnetic Field World, Hades would certainly have the qualifications to become a powerhouse.
Unfortunately, this is the Fairy Tail world; just going crazy is useless here.
Hades' confession made the atmosphere heavy.
A warm sea breeze blew through the shattered woods of Tenrou Island, kicking up smoke and the scent of blood, but it could not dispel the heavy disappointment and sorrow etched between Makarov's brows.
He looked at the teacher he once looked up to, the towering figure who had taught him magic, responsibility, and love, who was now willing to become a pawn of a god for a piece of ethereal information, even at the cost of dragging the guild and countless lives into a potential abyss.
"For the sake of resurrecting the First Master... can you disregard everything? Master?"
Makarov's Voice was hoarse, filled with heartache. "If Master Mavis has a soul in heaven, would she want you to 'resurrect' her this way? Would she want you to pave the way for her return with the corpses of the innocent?"
"What's more... the Great Magic World might not even be real," Hope added, twisting the knife.
Every word pierced the heart.
These words were like the final straw that broke Hades' last line of psychological defense. Hades staggered back, the pain from his severed arm now far less than a ten-thousandth of the shock in his heart.
With his wisdom, how could he not understand these truths?
It was just that... even Hope born of malice was still Hope. Only a tiny spark was needed to make a moth like him ignore the risks and plunge into the unknown flames.
As long as there was a glimmer of Hope, even if it meant a deal with the devil... Hades' body swayed imperceptibly. The wound on his severed arm, sealed by magic, seemed to throb with pain again, and his entire presence rapidly withered.
Makarov took a deep breath and stepped in front of Hades, his aged eyes full of pity. "Master... you were used. But what's more tragic is that you exploited your feelings for the First Master, Coفرing them into an excuse to harm others."
Hades lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly. After a long silence, he said hoarsely, "Kill me, Makarov. I have no face to see Mavis... and no right to live on."
Makarov shook his head. Since he had already decided to spare Hades, he would keep his word.
Whether Hades would face judgment by the Council, use the rest of his life to atone for his mistakes, or continue to fall, he would not interfere.
Hope crossed his arms to the side, offering no objection.
Living to face one's sins and repeatedly chewing on the bitterness of a late-awakened conscience in the years to come—perhaps this was the harshest punishment for a man like Hades.
"Alright, Master, let's head to the final battlefield."
Hope stretched and turned toward the north of Tenrou Island. "If we're any later, we won't even get a chance to snatch a kill."
"And while we're at it, let's meet that legendary... Black Wizard."
Hearing that the Black Wizard might be with the younger generation, Makarov no longer cared about Hades. He had said what needed to be said; whatever Hades chose next was none of his concern.
——
——
The figures of the old and the young were already leaving afterimages through the forest.
In Hope's perception, the fluctuations from the north of Tenrou Island were becoming clearer. There were multiple massive Magic Powers, along with a chaotic, evil Curse Power that carried a nauseating sensation.
When Hope and Makarov reached the outskirts of the battlefield, this was the sight they beheld.
A relatively open forest clearing now looked as if it had been plowed by a storm. Gildarts was leading the young main forces of Fairy Tail in a fierce battle against the last demons of Tartaros.
The shouts of battle, the sounds of explosions, and the roar of Magic and Curse clashing intensely were incessant.
In the center of the battlefield, the ruler of Tartaros, the "Underworld King" Mard Geer—the great demon said to be closest to the strongest demon "END"—now appeared extremely wretched.
He had multiple wounds on his body, and his face no longer held its initial composure and cold-bloodedness. Facing the storm-like siege from the elites of Fairy Tail, he found it difficult to hold his ground even after unleashing all his Curse Power and entering his Etherious Form.
"Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd!"
Laxus's thick lightning halberd shadow tore through the air. Mard Geer hurriedly dodged to the side, the lightning halberd grazing his shoulder and exploding into a scorched deep pit on the ground.
Before he could catch his breath, Erza had already donned her Heavens Wheel Armor. With "Po Jun" in her left hand and "Tan Lang" in her right, the shadows of her two Dragon Slayer Weapons were dense, sealing off all his evasion routes.
The blades collided with the Curse barrier Mard Geer had hastily constructed, producing ear-piercing screeches and sending sparks flying. The moment cracks appeared in the barrier, a vigorous demonic figure burst into close range.
"Soul Extinguisher!"
Mirajane, having used Take Over for her satan soul, landed a powerful punch heavily on the barrier, completely shattering the already crumbling protection.
Mard Geer groaned and was knocked back several steps by the massive force.
"Not over yet! Fire Dragon's... Iron Fist!"
"Ice-Make: Ice Bringer!"
Natsu and Gray attacked from the left and right, ice and fire combining.
Mard Geer condensed Curse Power in each hand. One hand flared with a purple evil light to block Natsu's flames, while the other sprouted black vines to entangle Gray's ice sword.
As the saying goes, two fists are no match for four hands.
Especially since the hands Mard Geer had to face were too many to count.
After forcibly pushing back the ice and fire duo, Gajeel's Iron Dragon Sword and Elfman's Beast King Fist struck again.
Under Cana's control, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Red-Eyes Black Dragon exhaled powerful dragon breaths in mid-air. The Sagittarius Celestial Spirit summoned by Lucy also fired arrows.
Because too many people were participating in the gang-up, Levy and Juvia couldn't even squeeze in. They could only throw some magic from the periphery to chip in for assists.
Fried was even idle enough to have time to work with Mystogan on writing a "Formula" to restrict some of Mard Geer's movements.
"Damn it..."
Facing the dizzying array of attacks, Mard Geer gritted his teeth and held on, the ground beneath his feet cracking inch by inch.
These wretched humans actually forced him, the dignified Underworld King, to such an extent. They truly deserved to die!
"Absorption: Underworld Tree!"
With a roar from Mard Geer, his "Absorption Curse" and "Plant Curse" erupted simultaneously. A demonic tree capable of absorbing magic surged from the ground, greedily soaking up the incoming magic.
In just a brief moment, the Underworld Tree absorbed an excessive amount of Magic Power, turning into a bomb that could explode at any time.
But in the next second... Gildarts made his move.
Under the powerful and ruthless Super Magic "Crush" attack, the Underworld Tree, along with the internal Magic Power and Curse Power, was instantly decomposed into a massive amount of magic particles that scattered into the air.
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