suggestion music for this chapter: LOTR: A Spell of Concealment [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqRPifHxIjg&t]
The meeting chamber of the Balam Alliance was steeped in a heavy, almost suffocating gloom. The walls of black stone were covered in forbidden runes, carved over decades. Each symbol pulsed faintly, fed by the dark magic of those who occupied the room.
The leaders of the most dangerous dark guilds in Fiore were gathered.
They were not speaking.
They were measuring one another.
The looks they exchanged were laden with hostility, pride, and contempt. Every individual present had built their power on fear and destruction. None would accept being considered the equal of another.
And with arrogance came impatience.
Hades, master of Grimoire Heart, was the first to break the silence. He slowly crossed his arms, a cold smile stretching across his face.
"Well then… which one of you decided to call this meeting?"
His gaze swept over the others, lingering briefly on Brain, then on the representatives of Tartaros.
Brain, lounging casually in his seat, frowned slightly.
"I was under the impression it was you… or perhaps our demonic friend here."
Both human mages turned their heads toward Mard Geer, the Underworld King of Tartaros. He remained perfectly still, his expression as frozen as an infernal statue.
"Honestly, I had nothing to do with this."
A dry laugh rang out.
Azuma slammed his fist violently onto the stone table.
"Then who's the damn one responsible? We don't have time for this. Each of us has our own goals."
Before the discussion could devolve further, something changed.
The air vibrated.
An invisible pressure crashed down upon the chamber, so sudden that several mages instinctively stepped back. The runes along the walls dimmed, as if smothered by a superior force.
Then a voice echoed.
A voice that did not seem to come from any single point.
A voice layered, deep, distorted—like a thousand entities speaking in unison.
"That would be me."
The torches went out abruptly. Darkness spread, devouring what little light remained. At the center of the room, a black mass materialized—dense, shifting—devouring ambient magic like a bottomless abyss.
Ultear narrowed her eyes, a shiver running down her spine.
"And you… what exactly are you supposed to be?"
The other mages nodded. None of them recognized this presence—and that alone was alarming.
The mass of shadow pulsed slowly.
"Me? I am something none of you can comprehend."
Cobra clenched his teeth. His serpent hissed violently, rearing into an attack stance.
"You taking us for idiots or something?"
A low laugh echoed, making the walls tremble.
"Oh, not at all… you are simply incapable of grasping the power standing before you."
Hades unleashed his dark magic. The air itself tore under the pressure.
"That's enough! Let's eliminate this intruder and resume our search for Zeref!"
At that precise moment, something answered.
An ancient, bestial, primordial roar.
The darkness exploded.
Shadows and flames intertwined, erupting outward. A crushing aura descended upon the assembly, pulverizing the dark mages' magic as though it were nothing.
"FOOLS!!!"
The voice shook the entire chamber. The walls cracked.
"Do not test my patience—or my power!"
Without any visible movement, a shockwave swept through the room. Every member of the Balam Alliance was hurled violently against the walls. The floor caved in under the impact.
Even Mard Geer fell to his knees.
The King of Tartaros—embodiment of demonic destruction—felt something for the first time in his existence.
Fear.
"H-His power is greater than Lord Zeref's?!" he stammered. "Impossible!"
The silhouette slowly straightened. The flames revealed a massive, armored, dominating form. Black armor engraved with ancient runes. A blazing gaze, burning with pure will.
"Who do you think cursed him in the first place… little Balrog?"
The silence that followed was absolute.
Kyôka lifted her head, trembling.
"H-How do you know that word…?"
The flames intensified.
"I know everything about you."
The voice rang like a final judgment.
"Your origins. Your creators. Your sins."
The figure fully revealed itself.
"Just as I know the offspring of the Blue Mages infesting this continent."
The aura became suffocating.
"I am the Dark Lord… Sauron."
A silent scream seemed to ripple through the souls present.
"YOU WILL OBEY ME!"
The being's will crushed theirs. One by one, they were forced to their knees. Even Hades. Even Mard Geer. None could resist.
Today
Thus, the Dark Guilds obeyed their new master.
Sauron promised them neither kingdoms nor immediate domination. He offered no salvation, not even a glorious future. A single mission was given.
Sow chaos.
He knew Zeref was still alive. After all, Zeref was the very origin of his power—the one he had cursed long ago. But Zeref was not yet a target.
Not now.
To achieve his goals, Earthland had to be consumed by its own conflicts. Its mages had to be too busy surviving to look beyond their continent. They had to weaken, exhaust themselves, break.
The dark guilds struck relentlessly.
Cities razed. Roads severed. Guilds annihilated.
Fear became routine.
And above all…
The most powerful guild of all—Fairy Tail—had just lost its most important members. Not because of Sauron's orders, but because of his personal project.
Achnologia.
The Dark Lord watched the chaos from the shadows, unseen and patient.
Earthland was playing its role exactly as he had planned.