When "Nirvana" first activated, it took the form of a massive pillar of black light. Its function was to forcibly flip the moral alignment of anyone wavering between good and evil in its vicinity—turning light to dark, and dark to light.
On the Light Guild's side, only Kira and Hibiki were aware of this mechanic.
It had been ten minutes since the pillar appeared, yet nobody had turned. Kira initially chalked it up to the butterfly effect, but looking at it now, he started to wonder... Did the process just not start yet?
"Bwahahaha!!"
A raucous laugh broke the silence. Everyone turned to see Brain lying flat on his back, his face twisted in ecstatic joy. "It's begun! It's finally begun!! The Light Guilds are doomed! There is nothing you can do to stop it now!!"
The Allied Forces watched nervously. Panic... disappointment... confusion... anxiety... fear. A cocktail of negative emotions began to well up inside them. Witnessing this scene up close was spiking the darkness in their hearts.
On the flip side, Midnight and the others, having picked themselves up, wore expressions of fanatical devotion.
Jellal watched it all with a detached gaze. He could sense it—the mysterious energy inside that black pillar behind him had peaked and was beginning to take effect.
"Reversing 'Light' and 'Darkness,' is it?"
His mind drifted back to the Tower of Heaven. Was that place "Light" or "Dark"?
Once, the Tower was pure darkness to him—he could never forget the days of his enslavement. Under that shadow, he wasn't the only victim, yet back then, everyone claimed it was the only path to the light.
Later, he convinced himself the Tower was the light, the only righteous path. But nobody else bought into his twisted philosophy. Even the "Ghost of Zeref" hadn't spoken to him in a long time.
Was that guy, Kira, telling the truth back at the Tower? Is Zeref actually dead?
If he is... then what was the point of everything I've done?
Erza... Erza...
Meanwhile, hiding in the forest, Ultear stared daggers at the laughing Brain, her eyes filled with resentment. Unnoticed by anyone, a faint dark aura began to drift off her.
Hibiki of Blue Pegasus looked at the manic Brain with total confusion. This doesn't add up, he thought. According to the Master, shouldn't Nirvana's conversion process have started the moment it activated? Even if it was charging up mana before, hitting 100% shouldn't change the conversion intensity that much.
Suddenly, reading the room and sensing the shifting emotional tides, it clicked. Brain is monologuing to amplify the negative emotions of the Alliance! Low morale is a form of darkness!
We have to boost morale, right now!
Hibiki immediately shouted, "Everyone, stay calm! Listen to m—"
But someone beat him to the punch. Just as Hibiki opened his mouth, a rousing, high-octane anthem blasted through the air!
DUN-DUN-DUN-DUN-DUN! DUN-DUN-DUN-DUN-DUN!
The sudden explosion of adrenaline-pumping music made everyone jump.
Hibiki spun around in surprise. There was Kira, holding a small, exquisite Sound Lacrima. The music was coming from that crystal.
It was the Fairy Tail Main Theme—colloquially known in the fandom as the "Plot Armor Track" or the "Auto-Win Song." The soaring, electric melody instantly jolted everyone awake. The gloomy atmosphere evaporated in seconds, replaced by a massive surge in morale!
Of course, normally, a simple instrumental track wouldn't be enough to turn the tides of war. But Kira, being Kira, had woven high-level [Buff: Encourage] magic into the audio.
"OHHH YEAAAHHH!!!!"
Aside from the simple-minded Happy, the music hit Natsu the hardest. Crimson flames erupted over his entire body, rolling off him in waves and rapidly heating up the area. "It's just Nirvana, right?! What's the big deal?! I'm all fired up now!!"
Next to him, Happy was dancing wildly, flying around in circles and screaming, "Aye! Aye! Ohhh!!"
Hibiki looked around. Aside from Kira (the DJ), the only people—and cats—who managed to keep a straight face were Erza, Laxus, and Jura. Even Ichiya, a man Hibiki deeply respected, looked like he was having trouble containing his urge to boogie.
Weird! How did Kira know to... Oh, right! He said the Chairman of the Council sent him. Makes sense he'd have intel.
"Buff magic?" Laxus side-eyed Kira. "What are you up to now?"
Kira shot him a smug look that clearly said, You wouldn't get it.
Erza turned and asked, "Kira, what is this for?"
Kira replied casually, "Oh, just helping everyone hack the Nirvana mechanic."
"With a song?"
"Absolutely."
"Understood."
The exchange was short, but it spoke volumes about the absolute trust between guildmates.
Hibiki watched, stunned, but he had to admit—Kira's move was brilliant.
"Damn it! That brat..."
On the other side, Brain was having a significantly worse time. The magic he had pursued for so long, the strategy he had crafted to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat... ruined by a mixtape?
No! They only countered the "Morale Debuff." Negative emotions are complex; you can't just fix them with a little cheerleading! Nirvana hasn't lost yet! Once it fully takes form, the Light Guilds will tear each other apart!
"Whoaaa..."
A strange, wailing cry erupted nearby. The members of the Oración Seis turned to look. Hoteye was on the ground, hands covering his eyes, wailing. Smoke was still rising from his body—a souvenir from Laxus's lightning bolt earlier.
Brain's heart skipped a beat, a sense of dread creeping up his spine. "No... it couldn't be?!"
"Hoteye, what's wrong with you?!"
Cobra, standing closest to him, froze. He could vaguely hear the voice of Hoteye's heart. It was chaotic, and very... bad.
(Money... money... I want money... I don't want money... I want money... I...)
Cold sweat broke out on Cobra's forehead. He screamed frantically, "Idiot! What are you thinking about?! Snap out of it!!"
"AAAAHHH—!"
The screaming stopped abruptly. Hoteye suddenly looked up, eyes squinting into crescents, a gentle, beatific smile on his face.
"I don't need money anymore!!"
Cobra closed his eyes. It's over. We have a traitor in our midst.
The Allied Forces: ??
Brain realized what had happened instantly. He flew into a rage, nearly coughing up blood, his grip on his skull staff trembling. "You got converted by Nirvana?! What the hell are you doing, you useless trash?!"
The enemy hadn't turned evil; instead, his own guy got auto-balanced to "Good." The Oración Seis had completely lost face. How were they supposed to be taken seriously as villains after this?
The Allied mages were just as confused, staring blankly at the scene, unsure of the protocol for when a bad guy suddenly finds Jesus.
"What's up with that guy? Wasn't his whole personality just 'money, money, money'?" Gray asked, confused. He glanced subtly at Kira but decided against saying, Kind of like you.
The look was subtle, but Kira caught it. "Naturally, this is because I'm here! In the presence of this Great One, a mere 'General of the Five' dares to talk about wealth?"
The naked mockery was like pouring salt on Brain's wound.
"You bastard!" Brain roared, struggling to sit up and gripping his staff. "Dark Rondo!"
A massive swirl of dark green magic coalesced, turning into a devastating blast that shrieked toward Kira!
However!
A powerful magical blast intercepted it from the side! Dark Rondo was shattered before it could even get close.
Everyone: ??!!
"Nani?!" Brain whipped his head around, staring in disbelief at the man behind him. "Jellal?! You..."
Behind him, Jellal stood with his arm still extended, residual magic fading from his palm. His eyes held a complex mix of emotions, but his gaze upon Brain was unwavering.
"I'm sorry, Brain."
"I've realized something. Activating Nirvana was a mistake. This talk of 'Paradise' and 'Light'... it's all a lie! It will only bring disaster to the world!"
"I've made too many mistakes in the past. Now... I just want to be a good man!"
"I cannot let you hurt them!"
Great. Not only did the squad have a traitor, but now their ally was backstabbing them too!
Is the darkness in your hearts made of wet tissue paper?!
Brain felt like his lungs were going to explode. He turned to the remaining four members and screamed:
"Who else?! Is there anyone else who wants to betray me right now?!"