Several years earlier, inside the Grimoire Heart guild.
In the dim hall of the airship, Hades sat upon a menacing throne fashioned from the skull of an enormous magic beast.
He gazed expressionlessly down at the rank-and-file member kneeling before him on one knee and issued his orders in a low voice:
"Go to Fairy Tail and make contact with the sleeper agent we planted there years ago. Find out whether he has uncovered any new leads on Zeref!"
The man lowered his head and answered solemnly, "Yes, Guild Master."
Then, with some hesitation, he asked:
"But, Guild Master, what is this agent's code name or real name? How am I to confirm his identity?"
Hades slowly closed his eyes. His voice echoed through the empty hall, carrying an inexplicable weight:
"He is a child who feels profoundly unsafe. Even within our own guild, he always preferred to hide beneath a loose black robe, a hood, and a mask, unwilling to show his true face."
"I know him well. Given his personality, he would never use his real name while infiltrating Fairy Tail, so knowing it would serve you no purpose."
"All you need to do is find an oddball in Fairy Tail who 'conceals everything about himself.' That will undoubtedly be him."
Understanding dawned on the man, and he bowed his head respectfully. "Understood!"
Some time later, the member assigned to make contact returned, weary from his travels. Once again, he stood in the airship's gloomy hall.
The man dropped to his knees with a thud, cold sweat streaming down his face:
"Guild Master! My deepest apologies! I managed to learn the agent's whereabouts, but... but I failed to make contact with him!"
Hades's brows knitted at once. His closed eyes snapped open, and a suffocating pressure swept