Fairy Tail Guild - Evening
The setting sun, like blood, cast its afterglow through the colorful stained-glass windows, scattering sporadically into every corner of the Fairy Tail Guild hall.
However, this warm light could not dispel the heavy and oppressive atmosphere that permeated the air.
Ezreal and his companions sat gravely around a long table, meticulously reporting information about their recent operation to the guild members.
Ezreal shared his suspicions, "The fact that they can summon a projection of the Moon Demon means that the demon they worship must still be alive. Furthermore, the guy who calls himself Jupiter has already crossed paths with me twice."
"The first time was when Natsu and Happy and I were on a mission together. He took advantage of my weakened state and used Shadow Puppet magic to influence my mind. Although he only deployed one puppet clone that time, I remembered his magical aura."
"In this recent encounter, I'm still not sure if we ran into his true body. Shadow Puppet magic is a sinister art; theoretically, one can house their spirit in a puppet, and there have been cases where the practitioner abandons their physical body, leaving only a spiritual form."
"This organization that worships the Moon Demon is too mysterious, too powerful. This Jupiter calls himself a loyal servant of the demon. Before this, we also dealt with a werewolf who called himself Comet. Both of them are very strong, at least on par with first-tier members of a legitimate guild."
"I had someone investigate, and the Magic Council has no records of any cults or Dark Guilds that worship the Moon Demon, yet they truly exist."
"This means that the other side not only possesses strength but also operates with extreme stealth, possibly being an ancient, clandestine organization."
After Ezreal finished his long string of conjectures, he picked up the juice on the table and took a sip. The guild hall was silent.
After a while, it was the straightforward Erza who first broke the silence.
"So, this organization that worships the Moon Demon is not only unimaginably powerful but also very likely to have been lurking in the shadows for many years?" Erza asked with a serious expression.
Ezreal nodded, "If it were just a small organization, they wouldn't be able to recruit or cultivate such strong individuals."
Cana interjected, "This time, we only won because we had the advantage in numbers; it was a multiple-on-one fight. That guy named Jupiter definitely has S-class level strength."
Levy pushed up her glasses, her eyes behind the lenses filled with worry. "These people are capturing ordinary citizens in various places. According to ancient magic texts, if a demon is sealed or on the verge of death, it needs sacrifices to gradually unseal or recover. They might be trying to revive or unseal the so-called Moon Demon."
"Based on the clues we have so far, this possibility is very high," Ezreal said with a grave expression, nodding and unconsciously tapping his fingers rhythmically on the table, making a "thump-thump" sound.
"The previous two incidents clearly left traces of missing persons, and their methods were extremely covert, almost flawlessly planned. If we hadn't stumbled upon it by chance, this dark secret might never have surfaced and would have continued to spread unchecked in the darkness."
The guild hall fell into a sudden silence. Natsu and Gajeel, usually boisterous and full of energy, were uncharacteristically quiet, their faces etched with shock and anger.
Makarov, the Guild Master, stood quietly at the bar, his brows furrowed tightly into a "river" shape.
The old man felt that the recent events had suddenly made his old age turbulent. He slowly scanned his gaze across everyone.
After a moment, he cleared his throat and said in a deep voice, "The seriousness of this matter has far exceeded our guild's ability to handle it alone. The most pressing task is to report it to the Magic Council as soon as possible, requesting a joint investigation to leverage their greater resources and power to uncover the true nature of these people."
"But..." Mirajane bit her lip slightly, hesitating, a flicker of worry in her eyes.
"If they are truly as we suspect, having lurked in the shadows for many years, and even possibly having informants within the Council, wouldn't reporting it rashly alert them, causing them to hide even deeper?"
"But if we don't rely on the Council's strength, relying solely on our guild's power, the difficulty of completely eradicating this deeply hidden Dark Guild is simply too great." Erza crossed her arms, standing tall and firm, her tone resolute and unquestionable.
"Moreover, we assume their ultimate goal is to revive the Moon Demon. If we delay due to our indecision, it will only make the situation worse, and by then, there might be big trouble."
Makarov, the Guild Master, fell into deep thought, looking down at the ground, his mind rapidly weighing the pros and cons.
Time seemed to stand still at this moment; the hall was so quiet that only the faint breathing of everyone could be heard.
Finally, he slowly raised his head, his gaze firm as he nodded, "Alright, I've decided to go to the Council myself to discuss countermeasures with them. However, this matter must remain strictly confidential for now, known only within the guild, and absolutely not spread outside to avoid unnecessary panic."
...Half a month later - Fairy Tail Guild
"Why are there still no clues?" Cana sat irritably in the corner, constantly shuffling tarot cards in her hands.
The tarot cards flipped rapidly in her hands, making a "whoosh" sound, but the cards remained chaotic, without any predictions.
She couldn't help but complain, "What's going on with the Council? Is there really no news at all?"
"No progress," Gray leaned against the wall helplessly, hands in his pockets, his voice so low it seemed to drip with despair. "Those people have vanished without a trace, as if they evaporated. Not only have all traces of their movements disappeared, but even the frequent missing persons cases have significantly decreased recently, almost vanishing entirely."
"They must have sensed something was wrong," Ezreal stood by the window, arms crossed, gazing at the bustling street in the distance.
The sunlight fell on him, but it couldn't dispel the gloom on his face. "The large-scale investigation launched by the Council alerted them, which is why they chose to temporarily lie low, hiding in the dark corners, waiting for the right moment to act again."
In the guild hall, people gathered in twos and threes, their faces filled with helplessness and anxiety.
For the past half-month, they had tried every possible method, rushing around to find any trace of the Black Moon Church, leaving no stone unturned for any possible clue.
However, the other side was like a ghost, as if they had never existed in this world. All their efforts were like a stone sinking into the sea, not stirring up a single ripple.
"This is so frustrating!" Natsu slammed his fist on the table, uncontrolled flames erupting from his fist, charring the tabletop black. "We know those guys are causing trouble in the dark, doing evil deeds, but we can't do anything about them. This feeling is just terrible!"
"Calm down, Natsu." Erza stepped forward and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Since they chose to hide, it means they also have reservations and dare not act rashly. What we need to do now is maintain a high level of vigilance. Only then will we have enough ability to respond when they reappear."
Just then, Makarov, the Guild Master, slowly descended from the second floor, holding a thick stack of documents, each step seeming a little heavy.
He looked at everyone, a hint of fatigue on his face, and said helplessly, "The Council has issued orders to strengthen patrols and surveillance in various areas. However, from the current situation, it is probably difficult to achieve substantial breakthroughs in the short term."
He sighed softly, a trace of helplessness in his expression. "However, at least the missing persons cases have decreased now, which can be considered a blessing in disguise."
"Guild Master..." Laki asked softly, her voice carrying a hint of confusion, "What should we do next? Are we just going to keep waiting like this?"
Makarov, the Guild Master, looked around at everyone, and his familiar gentle smile gradually reappeared on his face. His gaze was firm and powerful, as if it could instill endless confidence in everyone: "Life must go on. We cannot stop moving forward because of this huge potential threat. The guild must operate as usual; everyone should take on missions and train as usual. Only by making ourselves stronger can we better face unknown challenges."
He paused, his tone becoming even more resolute, and said word by word, "But everyone must remember, once you discover any unusual situation, even the slightest clue, report it to the guild immediately. These dark scums cannot hide in the darkness forever, and we... will be fully prepared, waiting for the moment they surface, to deliver the heaviest blow to them."
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 70 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
[patreon.com/TripleCrown07]
Thank you so much for your support!!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"