Crawford, the Mole

On the long wooden table in the guild hall, communication crystals emitting a faint glow were neatly arranged.

The atmosphere in the hall was as heavy as the calm before a Tempester.

The remaining members sat around the perimeter, holding their breath and waiting for news from the search and rescue teams dispatched in various directions.

Just then, without warning, Riyao, who was sitting at the bar, was surrounded by a dazzling white light, and the space rippled violently.

The next moment, his figure vanished into thin air.

"There's a problem with Mira. The Magic Council is riddled with holes. Yajima is right, the Magic Council is far too bloated now."

Makarov's two white eyebrows were tightly furrowed together, his face so dark it seemed like it could drip water; the worst had finally happened.

Meanwhile, in a secluded mountain forest somewhere in the Kingdom of Fiore, in the luxurious and elegant private mansion of former Speaker Crawford Him.

In the spacious and bright reception tea room, a set of exquisite silver tea set was placed on a sandalwood table. Steam rose from the black tea in the teacups, emitting a rich and mellow aroma.

Mirajane sat upright on the high-end leather sofa, looking down at the tempting cup of black tea in front of her.

Judging from its color, temperature, and even aroma, this cup of tea is flawless, just like the finest black tea a respected elder would warmly entertain guests with.

The solemn words of advice from Riyao my departure still echoed in my ears.

Riyao has always had an extremely keen intuition about crises. Since he specifically mentioned that the former speaker had problems, it was definitely not unfounded.

Mirajane wore a gentle and kind smile as she gracefully picked up the porcelain cup, brought it to her lips, and pretended to drink the tea, concealing it by the rim of the cup.

Former Speaker Crawford Him, sitting opposite him, leaned back in his wide chair. A barely perceptible glint of triumph flashed in the depths of his slightly narrowed eyes, and the corners of his mouth twitched upwards in a very subtle manner.

Mirajane's keen senses, honed by Hundred Battles, instantly caught that subtle expression.

That's enough.

Puff.

Mirajane's eyes suddenly turned cold, and without hesitation, he spat the black tea in his mouth onto the expensive carpet beside him. The porcelain cup slammed heavily onto the coffee table, making a crisp thud.

"You definitely have a problem."

Crawford's expression changed slightly, but as a seasoned politician, his face immediately filled with astonishment and grievance. He spread his hands and waved them repeatedly, trying to buy some more time.

"What are you saying? Is there some misunderstanding? Miss Mirajane, I've been treating you kindly, how can you suspect me for no reason..."

Mirajane frowned slightly, feeling a strange numbness on the tip of her tongue, followed by a faint, weak feeling throughout her body.

Did the drug take effect simply because it was held in the mouth without being swallowed?

We can't delay any longer.

Mirajane acted decisively, raising her right hand and drawing a mysterious light trail in the air in front of her with her slender fingertips.

"Fairy Constellation, open the door!"

Boom!

Celestial Spirit blinding white light, like a blazing sun, burst forth in the center of the luxurious living room, causing the space to tremble violently like waves.

Under Crawford's horrified gaze, Riyao's tall and slender figure emerged slowly from the light with steady and composed steps, landing steadily beside Mirajane.

Crawford's pupils instantly shrank to the size of pinpoints, and he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

As the former chairman who once held great power in the Magic Council, how could he not know about the Riyao's intelligence!

Crawford, feigning bravado but actually quite cowardly, slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and pointed at Riyao in an attempt to intimidate.

"Are you sure you want to take action against me, the former speaker? You dare to attack me without evidence? Do you know the consequences? The laws of the Magic Council will never let Fairy Tail get away with this!"

Riyao didn't even spare a glance for this clown.

As soon as he appeared, his eyes were fixed on Mirajane. He quickly stepped forward and began to search Mirajane's shoulders, arms, and waist without saying a word.

"Are you hurt anywhere? Let me see."

Mirajane felt a tickle from his touch, and her tense mind instantly relaxed.

"I felt something was wrong with the black tea he gave me, so I drank some. I don't know what kind of medicine it was, but it tasted strangely good."

"Knowing there was something wrong, you still drank it."

Riyao glared at her irritably, then reached out and pinched her fair and soft cheek. A jade-green magic circle appeared in his palm, and healing magic flowed into Mirajane's body.

As the green light flowed, the numbing and weakening effects of the drug within Mirajane's body were instantly washed away, and she regained her abundant vitality.

Mirajane stretched out her arms and hugged Riyao tightly, burying her little head in his chest and gently nuzzling him.

"I can summon you anytime, and you can come over anytime you want. I'll just give it a try."

The two of them were completely oblivious to everyone else, whispering sweet nothings in the middle of the living room, filling the air with a cloying pink scent, utterly ignoring the roaring Crawford beside them.

Crawford's face turned pale and then red, veins bulging on his forehead, and he looked as embarrassed and angry as a ridiculous clown.

He could no longer maintain his pretense and roared through gritted teeth at the air.

"What are you waiting for? The plan has failed, so let's take action!"

Accompanied by an extremely loud, piercing sound of shattering glass.

Hundreds of Tartaros minions burst through the windows.

Crawford slammed his hand on a hidden mechanism on a nearby display shelf, and a thick, pungent, grayish-white anesthetic smoke instantly billowed out from the cracks in the floorboards in all directions.

In just two seconds, it completely enveloped and filled the entire living room and even the entire mansion.

Surrounded by thick smoke, Riyao shrugged nonchalantly, his eyes filled with disdainful mockery.

"Anesthesia again? If all else fails, why don't you use poison? With all this rotten fish and shrimp, won't the Tartaros send one of the Nine Demon Gates to help you? Aren't you important? The kind you use and then discard."

"Kill them all! Chop the Fairy Tail mages into mincemeat!"

The underworld minions roared from all directions, brandishing their black spears, and swarmed towards the two figures in the center of the smoke.

Faced with this impenetrable siege, Riyao and Mirajane didn't even bother to get into a fighting stance, their expressions as calm as if they were taking a leisurely stroll in their own backyard after a meal.

The two figures left elusive afterimages amidst the flashing swords and clashing blades.

Riyao strolled leisurely, even with his hands in his pockets, and with a seemingly casual sidestep, he caused dozens of spears to miss their mark.

Mirajane's figure was graceful and light, her footwork like a butterfly flitting among flowers, her jade hands moving freely and striking, each palm landing precisely on an enemy's throat or jaw.

The two didn't even transform; relying solely on their basic physical strength and agility, they swept away the fallen leaves like a whirlwind.

Bang! Bang!

The continuous sounds of bones cracking and screams echoed in the smoke, lasting less than half a minute.

Hundreds of elite Tartaros soldiers collapsed to the ground, piling up in the center of the living room to form a small, human-shaped mountain.

One of the henchmen, his face covered in blood and pinned to the bottom, still glared defiantly with his bloodshot eyes, shouting wildly at the Riyao with a fierce but ultimately cowardly tone.

"The Tartaros will not let you go! You have no idea how terrifying the Tartaros are! The great Demon Lord will tear you all to pieces!"

Without even lifting an eyelid, Riyao casually raised his foot, and with a dull thud, slammed it into the face of the henchman leader, twisting his head to the side at a ninety-degree angle.

"Miscellaneous fish."

Riyao withdrew his foot and gently patted off non-existent dust from his trouser leg.

At this moment, the mountain breeze blew past the window, and the thick smoke that filled the living room gradually dissipated.

The spot where Crawford had been standing was now empty.

Riyao showed no surprise whatsoever.

"Alright, the bait's been laid. Let's head back now. Crawford will lead us to the Tartaros."

"Hmm, I wonder how Erza and the others are doing."

Mirajane stepped forward and gently straightened Riyao's slightly disheveled collar, her eyes filled with concern for her companion.

"I don't know. When I arrived, there was no news coming back."

With a sweep of his long arms, Riyao lifted Mirajane up in a tight princess carry amidst her delicate cries.

"Let's go back first. Once they return, we'll launch a full-scale attack on the Tartaros and plunder them all."

Mirajane, held in his arms, brightened up and wrapped her arms around Riyao's neck.

"If they are all demons, then can't I just accept them all?"

Mirajane felt a surge of excitement at the Tartaros being filled with demons. He imagined receiving them all and showing off to Erza, a thought that made him incredibly happy.

[Life Mimicry - Azure Dragon]

A flash of azure dragon scale patterns appeared on Riyao's body, and a surging, violent wind howled up.

He stomped his foot heavily on the broken floor, causing the ground to collapse and create a large crater. He then transformed into a streak of azure light, soaring into the sky, tearing through the clouds, and flying straight towards Magnolia.

Amidst the howling winds high in the sky, Riyao looked down at the beauty in his arms and chuckled strangely.

"We'll tie them all up and give them to you to take over, hehe. These days, there aren't many good people... and not many devils left."

"I think so too, hahaha..." Mirajane was amused by Riyao and laughed so hard that she almost fell over. Her clear, bell-like laughter echoed among the clouds.

Shortly after the two left the dilapidated mansion.

A small figure fluttered its wings and flew hurriedly from the sky; it was Happy, carrying Natsu.

Natsu hovered in mid-air, his nose twitching violently like a police dog, trying to discern the scent. His eyes blazed with fury as he chased after the scent with lightning speed.

"Happy! Let's go and take care of the entire Tartaros, then we'll go back and laugh at Laxus and Riyao!"

"Aye!"