"Alright, let's head back now."
Mystogan nodded and immediately began setting up the magic circle.
"Hum!!!"
Before long, Mystogan activated the magic circle.
A dazzling light flashed, and a magical vortex appeared in the sky, sucking both Marco and Mystogan into it.
"Look! What's happening over there?! Who activated Anima?!"
The place where Marco and Mystogan had chosen to leave was not too far from the royal capital.
The disturbance caught the attention of the capital, and many people vaguely noticed the vortex in the sky.
To them, this was not an unfamiliar sight.
Although the success rate of activating "Anima" had been very low in recent years, there were still occasional successes.
Otherwise, the magical energy in the world of "Edolas" would have long been depleted, and there would be no magic crystals left for them to use.
"What's going on?"
Erza Knightwalker frowned deeply as she asked the question.
She had also noticed the commotion and turned to the two men beside her—the other two squad leaders.
One of them, a younger man named Hughes, had purple hair with a streak of white at the front.
The other, an older man with neatly combed blond hair, was Sugarboy.
"It looks like Anima," Hughes replied after a glance, though he wasn't entirely sure.
The main reason was that they hadn't received any news about activating "Anima," which was indeed strange.
After all, if "Anima" were activated, they should have been called to provide protection.
The lacrima converted by Anima couldn't just be left unattended—they needed the Magic War Unit to guard them.
"Anima has been acting more and more strangely lately," Sugarboy, clad in brownish-pink armor, said with a worried expression.
He recalled the previous incident when a perfectly fine "Anima" failed to convert magic energy into lacrima.
The terrifying surge of energy had poured down, killing many of their comrades.
And now, what was happening? Could it have activated on its own?!
Was "Anima" even reliable anymore? If not, they should stop using it altogether—it hadn't succeeded many times anyway!
As a victim who had nearly been killed by that magic energy last time, Sugarboy was naturally filled with resentment.
But Sugarboy also knew that stopping was impossible—at least not until the grand plan was completed.
They had to continue using Anima, even if the success rate was low.
An occasional success could sustain them and keep their magical tools functioning.
After all, the reality was that using magical tools consumed magical energy and magic crystals.
If magic crystals ran out, the Magic War Unit would truly have to drop the "Magic" from their name—something they absolutely could not accept.
"One trouble after another..."
Erza Knightwalker's expression was serious, but inwardly, she felt a sense of relief.
Though it might not be the best way to think, if everyone was facing trouble, the matter of Fairy Tail would become less conspicuous.
That guy Marco Darkhning, who claimed to have wiped out a bunch of Magic Guilds, ended up being taken down by those remnants—how ironic.
In contrast, she had suffered few losses and had been the one relentlessly pursuing Fairy Tail.
Then there was Byro, constantly pressuring her and comparing her to Marco.
Well, now there was no need for comparisons anymore.
"Finally... the fire is finally out!"
While Erza Knightwalker, Hughes, and Shagotte—the three squad leaders of the Magical Combat Unit—were lost in their own tangled thoughts, some good news finally arrived.
The fire at Edolas Marco's home had been extinguished before it could spiral completely out of control.
"Great!"
Hughes clapped his hands cheerfully—it was a relief to finally hear something positive.
"I just wonder if we'll still be able to find any useful clues."
Erza Knightwalker gazed toward the still-smoldering ruins.
One thing was certain: the culprit had likely escaped, setting the fire on their way out to cover their tracks.
"Let's start by looking for Captain Marco's remains." Shagotte sighed.
After all, they had been colleagues; the least they could do was give him a proper burial.
Besides, the kinds of things Marco had done, they had all done themselves.
Now that Marco had met such a fate, Shagotte couldn't help but feel a sense of shared sorrow—who knew if he might be next?
"That might be a bit difficult to find."
Hughes, who still carried the demeanor of a big boy, wore a faint smile.
Unlike the sentimental Shagotte, he had never liked Marco and simply thought the arrogant bully had gotten what he deserved.
In terms of likability, Edolas Marco was the polar opposite of the original Marco.
Not only was his reputation fearsome, but his interpersonal relationships were just as terrible—neither his colleagues nor his superiors had any fondness for him.
Of course, regardless of how anyone felt about Edolas Marco personally, giving him a proper burial was a duty they had to fulfill.
"Nothing found..."
After an exhaustive search, clearing the entire ruins, and spending several days combing through the debris, they found no trace of human remains—not even ashes.
Logically, even a fire this intense shouldn't have incinerated a person completely, leaving nothing behind.
"Could he have been captured?"
In the royal palace, Faust, the "King of Edolas," wore a grim expression.
His voice was identical to that of Makarov from the world of "Earth Land"—as if they had been carved from the same mold.
"Why would they capture Captain Marco? To torture him?"
Byro frowned as well.
Just how much did those Magic Guild remnants hate Edolas Marco? Killing him outright wasn't enough—they had to take the risk of bringing him back to torment him?
"Was there really no trace of any clues?" King Faust asked, his tone tinged with irritation.
Though he wasn't particularly concerned about Edolas Marco's "Star Stone"—after all, the magic of the stars would gradually deplete over time—and besides, Marcos "Star Stone" couldn't draw down too much stellar energy at once; it was incapable of harnessing the full power of the stars.
However, the power of that object was still considerable.
If it fell into enemy hands, it would pose a significant threat. Edolas Marco's death was insignificant compared to the loss of the "Starstone."
"The city has been sealed for several days, and we've searched the entire capital without any leads."
Byro lowered his head in shame.
This matter was truly humiliating, making them appear utterly incompetent, completely outplayed by the enemy.
"A bunch of useless fools!"
As expected, King Faust cursed angrily.
But he could only vent his frustration with those words—a helpless rage.
He couldn't blame everyone too harshly, as they had genuinely done their best.
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