Face

Erza wrote a letter as soon as she returned, and Riyao and Mirajane looked at Erza's handwriting.

Are you sure it won't be mistaken for a prank?

"Erza, can't you practice your handwriting?"

The two took turns criticizing Erza's handwriting.

Erza's handwriting was legible, but very messy, and it carried a hint of her ruthless and decisive nature. At first glance, it looked like a threatening letter.

"Shut up! Mind your own business! Get to work!"

Erza's sore spot was touched, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

She roughly shoved the completed letter into the envelope, slammed it on the table, and glared at the two of them with displeasure.

"The guild's cultural level is really worrying. At this rate, they won't even be able to understand the commission forms," Carla remarked mercilessly from the side.

Riyao and Mirajane exchanged a smile, both looking completely unconcerned.

Riyao acquired his knowledge by wielding Porlyusica's broom, while Mirajane was taught by Riyao word by word in the library.

In terms of cultural level, these two are definitely among the top tier in the Fairy Tail guild, so they naturally have the right to watch the show.

Erza initially felt that studying was less enjoyable than swinging her sword a few more times.

Since she had barely regained her sight and was able to understand the basic task requirements, she had never touched a thick book again, focusing all her attention on swordsmanship training.

"President, could you please have someone deliver this letter to Sabertooth?"

Erza took the sealed letter, walked quickly to the bar, and handed it to Makarov was drinking a little wine.

Makarov took the letter, carefully tucked it into his pocket, and nodded to indicate that he understood.

Just then...

"Something's wrong! Something's wrong! Guild Master! Laxus and the others... they're dying! Riyao, come quick, save them!"

Max rushed in from outside, his face covered in sweat, his voice filled with undisguised terror and anxiety.

The once noisy guild hall suddenly fell silent, as if the air itself had frozen.

Everyone turned around abruptly, their gazes filled with surprise and uncertainty as they looked towards the gate.

Without saying a word, Riyao flipped over the table and rushed out, his movements as fast as lightning.

Mirajane, Erza, and others followed closely behind.

As soon as Riyao rushed out the gate, he saw several townspeople struggling to carry Laxus, Yajima, Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen into the guild's spacious courtyard.

All of them were deathly pale, their lips were purple, and their breathing was so weak that it seemed they might stop breathing at any moment.

Laxus, in particular, whose once tall and mighty body now appeared weak and frail, his forehead covered in a fine layer of cold sweat, his brows furrowed in pain.

"Don't just stand there! Quick, lend a hand and carefully carry Laxus and the other seriously injured men into the infirmary!"

Riyao loudly directed the guild members who had surrounded them.

Inside the medical room, everyone busied themselves settling the wounded.

"How can you be so greedy? Natsu usually eats whatever he wants, at most he'll get diarrhea from eating some magic with conflicting properties. But you, you just swallowed some unknown toxin, and you even gulped it down. You really have no pickiness at all."

Riyao stood before Laxus's bed, his hands radiating a gentle, life-giving green light.

The light gently pressed against Laxus's heaving chest, repairing his damaged internal organs.

While concentrating on casting Healing Magic, Riyao also relentlessly berated the patient in the bed.

Laxus lay weakly on the pillow, listening to Riyao's sarcastic remarks, and rolled her eyes with difficulty.

What do you mean he was gluttonous? In that critical situation, if he hadn't swallowed the poisonous fog, the entire city would have perished!

"Ahem... I knew you were still in the guild..."

Laxus coughed twice, his voice hoarse like sandpaper rubbing, yet carrying a hint of barely perceptible trust.

"Stop, stop, stop! That sounds way too suggestive, it's giving me goosebumps. Save that for Freed, he'll love hearing it."

Riyao curled his lip and shrugged in disgust.

The oppressive and suffocating atmosphere in the infirmary was instantly lightened by Riyao's nonsensical remark.

Laxus didn't bother arguing with Riyao. He took two deep breaths, suppressed the churning in his chest, and recounted exactly what had happened at the restaurant.

"The one who attacked us called himself 'Tempester.' He's one of the 'Nine Demon Gates,' a core fighting force of the Tartaros, and his initial target was Mr. Yajima."

"Judging from his words, it seems that not only Mr. Yajima, but also other retired and current members of the Magic Council will likely fall victim to their schemes."

The infirmary fell silent instantly; you could hear a pin drop. Only the heavy breathing of the wounded could be heard.

Makarov walked heavily into the infirmary with his hands behind his back and his face so gloomy it seemed like it could drip water.

"Laxus is right. We just received confirmed emergency news from Lahar. The current council members were attacked by Tartaros while they were meeting at the Magic Council headquarters. The Magic Council was almost completely razed to the ground, and all the current council members have been confirmed dead, with no survivors. The entire magical world is in shock. The Magic Council is currently being temporarily managed by the surviving Lahar and her men, barely maintaining order."

The news left everyone stunned, unable to process it for a long time.

Yajima, lying on the hospital bed next to him, let out a long sigh. He had just woken up thanks to Riyao's treatment.

He heard every single word Makarov said clearly.

"If I'm not mistaken, the reason the Tartaros have gone to such lengths, even wiping out the entire Magic Council's leadership, is that their target is the Magic Council's white legacy, 'Face'."

Yajima paused, then gasped for breath in pain.

"The only way to activate Face is to kill a senator with a 'Living Link' implanted in their body. The problem is that both former and current senators could have had Living Link implanted without their knowledge, and for secrecy reasons, even they themselves don't know whether they have it or not."

The Fairy Tail members looked at each other in bewilderment.

Today's news feels more and more explosive than the last; it's like listening to some terrifying story about the destruction of the world.

The vast majority of them had absolutely no idea what "Face" was.

Why go through all that trouble to activate the Tartaros?

Yajima noticed everyone's confusion, and his next words made everyone fully understand the terrifying nature of this weapon.

"Face is an extremely terrifying magical pulse bomb. Once successfully activated, the pulse wave will instantly cover the entire continent, at which point all the magic in the world will be completely evaporated and vanished."

Everyone was stunned by these words.

Especially those like Lucy and Natsu who had been to Edolas and personally experienced a world without magic, knew best what a devastating disaster "losing magic" meant for this world built on magic.

Laxus struggled to sit up, which aggravated his wounds, causing him to gasp in pain.

"Those guys at the Tartaros keep claiming they're using some kind of 'Curse Power,' not the magic we use. If they're truly unaffected by the loss of magic, then their motives make perfect sense. Riyao, tell me, how long will it take for us to regain our fighting strength?"

"What's the rush? You'll be able to walk soon."

Riyao withdrew his hand, which was covered in green light, and replied indifferently.

"Then I want..."

Laxus propped himself up on his elbows, his eyes flashing with furious lightning, becoming incredibly sharp, clearly intending to go and settle scores with Tartaros immediately.

"Stop, lie back down. I'm talking about those few."

Riyao pointed to the three members of the Thunder God Tribe and Yajima, whose complexions had improved considerably, lying on the hospital bed next to him.

"As for you, you'll have to stay in this bed for a full day. Don't glare at me like that. The Magic Barrier Particles you ingested are strongly incompatible with magic itself; you need help digesting them slowly."

Riyao shrugged, looking helpless.

Yajima forced himself to sit up and turned to look at his old friend Makarov with a solemn expression.

"Little Makarov, we absolutely cannot let them activate 'Face'."

"Fairy Tail will take this request!"

Makarov leaped and landed firmly on the table in the infirmary, raising his arms and shouting.

"My men! Prepare yourselves mentally, the war is about to begin!"

"Oh!!"

The Fairy Tail members were filled with excitement, and they all raised their fists in unison.