Kyoka had originally been prepared to gamble everything.
Her plan was to use the widespread demon uprising to draw away the guild alliance, then gather every major fighter Tartaros possessed and send them to kill Ankh and Jellal.
But shortly after the operation began, former Chairman Crawford made an unexpected discovery.
With Curse Power enhancing his Super Archive, he could actually transfer Organic Link Magic from one person to another.
That gave Kyoka a new glimmer of hope.
Perhaps the Face plan could truly succeed, rather than merely serving as cover for Tartaros's retreat toward the north.
She was still considering how to convince her superior, the Underworld King, to place greater importance on Face when Crawford suddenly trembled.
He stared at one of the location markers on his floating screen, fear spreading across his face.
"What is it?" Kyoka demanded.
Crawford raised a shaking finger toward a red dot moving across the display.
"The Fairy Reaper is flying straight toward my home!"
Kyoka's heart lurched.
Her monstrous claw shot out and grabbed Crawford's fat body by the collar.
Then she turned and roared toward the demons behind her.
"You stay here and stop that human!"
Because they were getting the hell out of there.
Kyoka dragged Crawford toward the exit, only to stop when she noticed a striking woman sitting in one corner.
The woman's eyes burned with resentment, while hatred and obsession seemed to pour from her entire body.
Kyoka frowned as she searched her memory.
This woman was called Minerva, wasn't she?
When the demons attacked the Magic Council, the Four Gods of Ishgar had still been present, so the assault had never truly threatened headquarters.
The attackers merely caused chaos near the prison, released several criminals, and withdrew.
Following their instructions, they had also brought back any prisoners who appeared suitable for demonic modification.
Minerva was among the most promising.
"What an interesting human," Kyoka murmured, licking her lips with disturbing interest. "She would make an excellent addition to our ranks."
Without another thought, she took the hatred-consumed Minerva with them.
As a member of a guild that had spent years hiding from the world, Kyoka had naturally mastered the art of escaping.
By the time Ankh and Natsu finally reached Crawford's mansion, she had already evacuated with both captives.
The moment the two arrived, swarms of demonic soldiers surrounded them and attacked without the slightest fear of death.
Ankh and Natsu, who had originally intended to question the former chairman, immediately understood the situation.
The mansion had been abandoned, and there was no corpse.
Whether Crawford had left willingly or been forced to cooperate, he was now a traitor to humanity.
"MOVE!"
Flames erupted from both of Natsu's arms.
A firestorm hot enough to burn clothing to ash swept through the mansion.
The demons crowding around them were roasted like pork cutlets—soft in the middle with a slightly charred crust.
It did not take long for Natsu to wipe out the soldiers left behind as disposable guards.
Happy looked at the tea on the table, which had only just begun to cool, and spoke dejectedly.
"Looks like the chairman was taken away by the demons. We arrived too late…"
Ankh turned toward a group of criminals huddled in the corner.
The demons had freed them from the Council's prison, but Natsu had mistaken them for enemies and beaten them up along with everyone else.
"Which way did the demons go?" Ankh asked directly, having no patience for interrogation games.
"We really didn't see much!" one of them stammered. "But that terrifying woman left through the back door with the fat chairman and… and Minerva!"
"Minerva?"
Ankh immediately turned toward Natsu.
"Do you remember her scent?"
Natsu nodded, drew in a deep breath, and quickly caught the trail.
"I've got it!"
"Good. We're going after them."
Natsu's sense of smell was unusually sharp even among Dragon Slayers.
The difference was obvious whenever he was compared with Gajeel or the others.
With Natsu acting as their tracking hound, the two rapidly closed in on Tartaros's true headquarters—
Cube.
The island was actually an enormous flying demonic creature. It normally took the form of a gigantic cube suspended high in the sky, its exposed earth a deep crimson.
Each face possessed its own gravity, allowing people to walk freely across every surface.
Having returned before the relentless legal guilds could catch up, Kyoka dropped Crawford onto the ground in irritation and immediately summoned the other Nine Demon Gates to discuss their response.
"How much money will we make if Face is successfully activated?"
"Shut up, Franmalth."
A vein throbbed against Kyoka's temple as she silenced his greedy muttering.
Powerful enemies were already closing in.
Their hardest battle was about to begin.
"At least Lord Mard Geer never placed all our hopes on the Face plan," Kyoka said with a complicated sigh.
One by one, Tartaros's officers gathered around her.
Kyoka of the Stars, Seilah of the Cold Moon, Silver of Absolute Zero, Franmalth the Hard Armor, Torafuzar the Dark, Keyes the Black Archbishop, and Jackal.
Seven powerful demons, each possessing a different Curse.
Kyoka swept her gaze across them and frowned.
"Where are Ezel and Tempester?"
Seilah stood closest to her and answered in her ethereal voice.
"Tempester was killed by Laxus of Fairy Tail and is awaiting resurrection within the Hell's Core."
"As for Ezel…"
Seilah hesitated.
"He encountered Jellal, Ultear, Meredy, and the former Oración Seis. He suffered a crushing defeat and is also awaiting resurrection."
Kyoka's expression immediately relaxed.
That was understandable.
Anyone would have been destroyed by that lineup. Even the Underworld King himself might not have escaped unharmed.
"However," Seilah continued carefully, "according to Ezel's final account, it was not Jellal's group who killed him."
"It was another demon… whose identity remains unknown."
"What?!"
...
While the Nine Demon Gates discussed the mysterious demon Ezel had encountered, that very individual was already inside their master's private chamber.
Mard Geer, the Underworld King who governed Tartaros on behalf of E.N.D.—the legendary strongest demon from the Books of Zeref—sat upon his throne with an ancient-looking book in his hands.
The letters E.N.D. were written across its cover.
He watched the three uninvited guests before him with guarded eyes.
God Serena glared back impatiently.
Bloodman slowly examined the chamber, and even through the mask covering his face, Mard Geer could feel the demon's undisguised arrogance and contempt.
Mard Geer tightened his grip around the Book of E.N.D.
Bloodman's attitude toward a supposed fellow demon infuriated him, but he did not dare voice that anger.
At the center stood the elderly August, still carrying himself with the same calm authority and seasoned composure.
He looked at Mard Geer and asked in a steady voice,
"How much longer until this island reaches the border?"