The night was cool as water. Faint starlight spilled from the heavens, veiling the shadowed earth.
Beneath that mysterious starry sky, a figure in flowing robes walked toward the bright moon through the silent hills. In the mingled moonlight and starlight, his face bore a faint air of indifference and dominance—
It was Achill.
Over the course of the day, he had learned everything he wanted to know. With the information Doranbolt and Lahar had secretly shared with him, the intelligence the reborn Six Demon Generals led by Angel had delivered that evening, and the inside information provided by Crime Sorcière—the trio of Gerard, Ultear, and Meredy, who had arrived afterward—he now had a fairly complete picture of the upheavals sweeping the continent and the shadows lurking beneath them.
Incidentally, Achill could no longer be bothered to dwell on his past enmity with Ultear. Since Gerard and Erza had both chosen to forgive her, he had no interest in wasting time or magic power on this former enemy. That was their choice to make.
Now, back to the matter at hand. Judging by the world's current state, nothing seemed amiss on the surface, and everything appeared peaceful. Beneath it, however, hidden currents never stopped flowing, as though several hands were secretly pushing something forward. Whether it was the Kingdom or the other major powers, they all seemed to be doing something—or preparing for something.
That was the conclusion Achill had reached after combining the information from all three parties. Although he still did not know the precise purpose behind these changes as a whole, that did not hinder his plans or his next move.
"Though I don't know what you're after, or what your true objectives are, no matter what..." A chilling coldness seeped into his ink-black eyes. With his