The Tartarus issue has been on the back-burner, but now is the time to address it.
The enemy's identity is unknown.
But if we destroy them now, the whole Balam Alliance will fall apart.
Now is the time for us, the Magic Council, to wield our great power and fight.
We have an emergency!
What is it?
Fool! We're in the middle of a meeting!
Th-This is more important. I-Intruder...
Sage Org!
You are okay?
No, no.
I need you dead.
We were after all nine members.
Explode.
D-Don't!
Doranbolt...
Escape!
I can't!
What good is it if you die, too?
Nobody can escape... my explosions.
Go, Doranbolt!
My name is Jackal.
I'm a member of Tartaros, one of the Nine Demon Gates.
Remember that in hell.
Remember the name of the man who slaughtered the Council.
L-Live so you can avenge us...
...Doranbolt!
Sage Org!
None of them are human.
They're all demons from the Books of Zeref.
The name of their master is END.
He's the most powerful demon from all the Books of Zeref.
Rumble.
Who is he?!
Yajima-san!
Boom.
Whipper-snapper!
Gust.
The enemy is Tartaros.
They're a cornerstone of the Balam Alliance, like Oracion Seis and Grimoire Heart were.
However, we destroyed both of them.
And like them,
Tartaros will regret making an enemy out of us!
Our comrades have been hurt. Their pain is ours.
Their blood that is shed flows from our bodies just the same.
This pain! This suffering!
Turn it into fighting spirit and avenge them!
We don't act out of justice!
We act out of will!
Take pride in our bond,
and drive away your family's enemy!
You should listen when someone wants to tell you something.
Natsu! Your hands!
What the...?!
My curse is the power to turn anything I touch into an explosive.
How many times did you touch me?
Natsu!
Stay back! Everyone move away from me!
But...
Natsu-san!
Hurry!
Natsu!
Wendy!
Natsu-san!
Oh, no...
Natsu-san!
Tartaros's targets aren't only current Council members,
The members of Tartatos don't use magic. We use curses!
Curses?!
but former members as well, so when Fairy Tail learns this,
Power that's ranked above magic!
Mere wizards can't beat us!
they split up and head out to act as bodyguards for the former members.
Explosive Helix!
Lucy!
Wendy!
Then Jackal of Tartaros appeared
in front of Natsu.
Well, bye-bye!
I've gotten the hang of it!
Hang of it?
Natsu!
Natsu-san!
See?
Tartaros Arc (Prologue): Natsu versus Jackal
Impossible...
It can't be...
It just can't...
I'm fired up.
You...
What are you?!
I'm Natsu!
You...
...touched me again!
Ka-boom!
Detonate!
Natsu!
Natsu-san!
I told you I got the hang of it.
It ain't gonna work anymore.
What is he?
How can a mere human...
...make me...
...quiver?
Wait... Is he really human?
This can't be!
It's impossible!
What is he?!
Natsu-san, be careful! He's changing!
He turned into a monster!
Scumbag! What, does he intend on wrecking the town?!
No puny human is superior to us demons!
Stop trying!
Demons?!
He said "demons"?!
You're all demons?!
Perish, humans!
Is that what you're fightin' for?!
We're different!
We're fightin' for our comrades that you people hurt!
The enemy could be humans, demons,
gods, it doesn't matter!
Lend me your power, Laxus!
Hammer...
...of the Lightning Flame Dragon!
Both of them made a shambles of the town.
True.
Natsu!
After absorbing an explosion of that scope, even Natsu-san...
Is everyone okay?!
We finished evacuating all the area residents!
Natsu!
Is he all right?
The enemy was powerful. It took all of Natsu's might just to make it a draw.
No, I won.
It seems he won.
You beat him, huh?
We have to somehow get information from him.
Boy... You really beat me.
No one has ever done this before.
It's frustrating...
I'm sorry... Kyoka.
At least... I'll take them to hell...
...with me!
W-What is this?!
Don't tell me...
He's going to blow up the whole town?!
Don't!
It's too late...
I'm going to detonate.
Nothing can stop it, not even death!
I'll see you in hell!
What should we do?
At this rate, the whole town will...
I won't let that happen!
Happy!
Hey...
You...
Happy! Fly away fast!
We're not gonna lose to you guys!
Dammit!
Happy!
Oh, no...
Happy...
Hair?
That was close...
I can see it.
That town...
What did you suddenly stop for?!
It seems to be afraid of something.
Then something's here?
Well?
No good. We were too late.
What?! Where's Sage Fogg?
He's... gone...
Someone apparently went on a rampage through the town.
I can't bear to look at it.
Good lord...
How about your team, Gajeel?
Have you found Sage Belno?
We were too late.
There are no signs of violence here.
We believe she was assassinated.
Dammit!
If we'd only gotten here a little earlier...
Gajeel...
Even Sage Fogg and Sage Belno...
There's still Natsu's team, which headed for Sage Michello.
And there's Elfman's team, which set out for Sage Yuri.
No good. He's not breathing...
Oh, no...
Prepare a communications lacrima. I'll report to the guild.
Right.
Still, how was he murdered?
He doesn't have any visible wounds.
Sage Yuri, you're alive...?
What are you doing?!
That was our communications lacrima!
W-What's going on here?!
What is this?!
I guess Macro doesn't work so well with the dead.
Who the hell are you?!
What did you do to Sage Yuri?!
I helped him reach the realm of the dead.
You're Tartaros!
Human-penned tales are boring, aren't they?
I'll spin you a tale.
A tale of demons.
Lisanna, she's gonna attack!
Right!
Elf-nii-chan?
It's not me!
My body is moving on its own!
Lisanna! Lisanna!
I... I can't breathe...
What did you do?! Stop it!
Stop it right now!
In demons' tales...
...you'll never find the word "mercy."
Good! We finally got through!
Lucy!
The thing we brought got broken.
This is one from the town.
What's going on by you?
Michello-san is safe.
Though Natsu was hurt badly...
I won!
He defeated a member of Tartaros.
I won!
So it seems.
The town is a wreck, though.
And so is my hair...
Did you get any info out of Michello?!
Actually...
White legacy...
Face...
I don't know anything...
I really don't know anything...
Face?
Face... is one of the Council's weapons.
Weapon?
Why would the Council have that?
It must be to maintain order in the magic community.
Right now, I think we should
continue to hear him out.
We have many weapons.
The way we manage each one is different...
...depending on its levels of danger and necessity.
For example, Etherion.
It's a super-powerful magic cannon that can target an entire continent.
It has the power to decimate a nation in a moment.
Firing it requires the permission of the nine current Council members
and activation codes of ten senior members.
In other words, with all the current members murdered...
...the Council can't use Etherion?
Is one of their goals to neutralize Etherion?
What kind of weapon is Face?!
I know you're sworn to secrecy!
But this is more important!
Magical pulse bomb...
It's a weapon that would destroy all magic over the whole continent.
Wha...?!
Magic all over the continent?!
Destroyed?!
All wizards would get magic deficiency disease.
That's not all!
That member said Tartaros' power comes from curses, not magic!
So it would be a world in which all wizards would be suffering and unable to use magic,
while only Tartaros could use their powers.
To think they'd use a devastating weapon like that!
Where is it?!
We'll destroy it before they get there!
I... I don't know...
I swear...
I've heard that
three former Council members used Living Link Magic to seal it away,
but only the former chairman knows who those three are.
Living Link Magic...
Three lives are the key to unlock the seal...
That's why those bastards are killing them without trying to pump the members for information.
Then in other words, they don't need information.
So does Tartaros already know where Face is being hidden?
If the three former members who are keeping it sealed are murdered,
Face will belong to Tartaros, Gramps!
We need to find those three and protect them, ASAP!
The former chairman knows who they are, right?
I... I believe so.
Nobody's figured out the former chairman's address yet?!
The enemy is targeting him, too, so hurry!
It'll be okay! We found the addresses of 16 more former Council members along the way.
They're now under the personal protection of other guilds that agreed to help!
The former chairman's address is among them!
Send someone over there on the double!
Relax. They're already on their way.
Our two most reliable members!
Erza and Mirajane are rushing over to Crawford, the former Council chairman.
But it's all a ruse of Tartaros.
Meanwhile, in order to get information on Tartaros,
Doranbolt makes contact with Cobra of Oracion Seis.
Now, with unwavering resolve, he makes an unforgivable decision.
Next time: Tartaros Arc: Immorality and Sinners.
Tartaros Arc Immorality and Sinners
The prayers of sinners will reverberate through the wasteland.