Crawford Seam, who had hitherto been indifferent, suddenly narrowed his eyes and felt his heart pounding fiercely upon hearing about the books and documents collected by Hades. Hades's… books and materials?!
Almost unconsciously, his eyes grew warm as he reached for the volumes handed over by Makarov and began to flip through them rapidly.
Makarov said, "These books span various years—from the first time Acnologia the Black Dragon was mentioned to the ongoing search that has lasted for decades. Hades has scoured the entire Ishgar Continent. According to our guild's Ultear—the very child who was previously abducted by Hades—he has roughly pinpointed Acnologia's location. It may only be a matter of a few years before he finds it. After all, Acnologia the Black Dragon is the Dragon of Doom; if a man like Hades were to locate him, the consequences would be unimaginable."
Crawford Seam flipped through the pages and nodded, "Yeah, yeah, I agree."
Yet even after gleaning much information—and finding many documents in Hades's own hand—Crawford Seam discovered that none of the crucial details regarding the Magic Source were present.
Crawford Seam couldn't help but ask, "Is this all? What about Hades's other books?"
Makarov, recalling Gaal's instructions, replied, "There is nothing more. These were culled from the books Gaal had gathered on the ship. Another portion consists of materials Hades collected in his search for Zeref, but they haven't been sorted out yet—Gaal will deal with them when he has time."
Crawford Seam frowned slightly and said, "How can we wait on this? This concerns the very future of the Magical World—we must have it organized as soon as possible!"
Makarov nodded and added, "Indeed, I feel the same. However, Gaal has already made progress on his end—he is searching for any evidence of Acnologia's existence. Once found, it will confirm the reality of the threat, and we must prepare accordingly."
Crawford Seam's gaze hardened as he declared, "Very well. As long as Gaal can find evidence of the dragon's existence—or its threat—I will convene a council to deliberate the future of the Magical World."
Makarov quickly interjected, "I'm afraid that won't do. This matter can only be discussed among trusted individuals; even the Magic Council isn't entirely secure."
Crawford Seam's brow furrowed as he retorted, "Not secure? How could that be? If the Magic Council isn't safe, then what is? Am I to be suspected of being an undercover agent for the Dark Guild? Preposterous."
Seeing no point in arguing further, Makarov insisted, "Then why don't you come with me to a few locations?"
Crawford Seam nodded, intrigued to see what mischief Makarov had in store.
Makarov, looking troubled as he recalled the intelligence provided by Gaal, led Crawford Seam quietly through several areas within the Council.
That very afternoon, inside the Magic Council, Chairman Crawford Seam suddenly initiated a sweeping purge. Over a hundred undercover operatives—from council members and guards to gardeners, cooks, and maids—tied to the Dark Guild and the Black Magic Order were apprehended, and this was only the beginning…
––––
Elsewhere, in Crocus—the City of a Hundred Blossoms—beneath the Western Region underground, inside the Dragon Graveyard, a long day's work by Gengar and Haunter had finally borne fruit. After hours of labor, over two hundred intact giant dragon skeletons had been assembled.
The dragon skulls, tilted upward as if yearning to let out one final roar in defiant agony, belonged to these very dragons. Even more numerous were shattered limbs and bone fragments, outnumbering the complete skeletons several times over.
Some of the remains had been brutally torn apart—ripped open in midsection, with necks bitten off or even pulverized to dust by crushing blows. These dragons had died swiftly, without prolonged suffering; after all, those who are killed in an instant have little left to cry about.
The intact dragon skeletons and the remnants of shattered bones were split into two piles and stored in spatial pockets by Gaal, to be reconstituted later. In the vast underground cavern, an abrupt change had suddenly rendered the space considerably more open.
Before the trio, there remained only a solitary giant dragon skeleton surrounded by drifting fragments of dragon souls that shimmered like fireflies, along with a gathering of black, seething malice.
Ultear raised her hand and touched one of the glowing green dragon soul fragments, triggering the power of the Arc of Time. The fragment transformed into a green magical orb, within which a series of fragmented images played continuously as Ultear's magic surged in. These scenes were projected into the void before the three of them.
In the projection, from the first-person perspective of that dragon, one first witnessed a blur of landscapes whizzing by as if in rapid flight, before the view began to spin out of control. Then, as the perspective shifted, it met with a pair of savage, brutal dragon eyes.
Their sudden appearance startled Ultear so much that she recoiled in shock, her face etched with horror as her heart raced uncontrollably.
In the very next moment, dark giant dragon claws lashed out. The view trembled violently, and half of the dragon's body disappeared from sight before the scene plunged into darkness and began to replay.
Ultear, visibly unsettled, released her grip and said, "Even if it's merely a phantom from memory, I can still feel that creature's terror."
Gildarts nodded gravely and remarked, "Indeed. That giant dragon was, while fleeing, caught by Acnologia the Black Dragon. And then…"
Gildarts continued, "With his immunity to magic and the terrifying force with which he can literally rip a giant dragon apart… I now understand what Gaal meant when he said that his magic had no effect on him—one casual blow from this beast could tear you limb from limb."
If he can tear apart giant dragons with such ease, ripping apart a human would be no more than squashing an ant. This is troublesome… how on earth does one fight such a foe?
For a moment, Gildarts could offer no solution and simply shook his head. He then glanced at the sole remaining giant dragon skeleton and questioned, "It looks rather small. Was this giant dragon killed before reaching maturity?"
Ultear considered it for a moment, using the Arc of Time to sense its state, and replied, "It was an adult, I believe—its strength must have been feeble. However, there is still a latent power slumbering within this dragon's remains."
Gaal then interjected, "There is a sleeping dragon soul within—one that must have miraculously survived."
"Gengar, wake it up," Gaal commanded.
Gengar nodded and, brandishing a trident, aimed it at the smaller giant dragon skeleton. "Heh heh—!" he declared.
At the tip of the trident, sparks of crackling electricity danced. A bolt of black-purple lightning shot forth and struck the skeleton. With a sizzling sound, the lightning crackled along the bones. A terrifying shriek pierced the air, followed by an enraged roar as a vibrant, emerald dragon soul burst forth from the remains—gradually materializing from hand to body—and glared down menacingly.
"How dare you disturb the great Jade Dragon Zirconis! Humans? You ask to die!" (TL: You are courting your own death !)
The massive emerald dragon soul roared as it confronted the trio, and its roar reverberated, "Roooaar—!!!" as it fixed its gaze on the three motionless figures.
Jade Dragon Zirconis's lips curled into a disdainful sneer. "Foolish humans—have you been so completely paralyzed by fear? Excellent. But tell me, has that bastard Acnologia even met his end by now? This is the Dragon Graveyard, isn't it? What about the rest of the giant dragon skeletons—have they been moved?"
Yet no one responded to the dragon soul's challenge. In truth, the trio remained entirely unmoved by its attempt at intimidation.
Gildarts stroked his chin and remarked, "This creature… I must say, it seems rather idiotic. Even in its soul form, what can it possibly do?"
Gaal nodded in exasperation. "Indeed… it does appear utterly foolish. Engaging with it would only be a hassle."
Jade Dragon Zirconis glowered at their assessments and hissed, "Damn humans! If I were still in my prime, I'd have eaten you whole in one bite…"
Gengar cocked his head and raised the trident once more.
"Ahhh! Spare… spare me! Have mercy!!! I'm only a soul—stop it, I'm… I'm dying!!!" (TL: that was fast)
It was not until Gaal signaled that Gengar lower his trident and withdraw his energy that the assault ceased.
The jade dragon soul of Zirconis slumped to the ground, pulsating weakly as it stared in terror at Gengar, who was scarcely larger than the tip of a fingernail.
"Damn it! What on earth is this abomination? Have humans really mastered the power to control such a soul-manipulating creature? Damn! It seems that even this dragon must, for now, submit!"