January 15, X778
"Ahhh—"
Raizel opened his bleary eyes, staring blankly at the wooden ceiling. He let out a long, drawn-out yawn that seemed to stretch his jaw.
He pushed the heavy winter quilt aside, struggling to sit up in the cold morning air. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and glanced at the magical clock on the wall.
7:32 AM.
The house was quiet.
Too quiet.
Ultear, Erza, and Kagura had accepted a quest and left the day before yesterday. Even Mira had taken her younger siblings, Elfman and Lisanna, out to perform some simple D-Class quests to build their experience.
Raizel washed up quickly, splashing cold water on his face to wake himself up. He grabbed a quick breakfast from a street vendor on his way to the guild—a steaming meat bun that warmed his hands in the biting January chill.
He walked through the snow-dusted streets of Magnolia. His mind wandered to Mira and Elfman.
He wasn't worried about their safety; anything too difficult wouldn't get past Makarov's screening process.
However, Raizel knew the future.
He knew about the tragedy of X782—the Beast King incident where Mira would be injured, and Lisanna would be "killed" due to Elfman's loss of control.
'That tragedy stems from Mira's carelessness and Elfman's desperation,' Raizel thought, chewing on his breakfast.
'Elfman tries to force a Take Over he isn't ready for because he feels weak.'
Raizel had already decided to intervene.
He would start properly training the currently timid Elfman when they returned. He needed to build the boy's confidence and control now, so he wouldn't be desperate later.
Of course, he would need to seek Mira and Lisanna's permission first, but he doubted they would refuse.
...
Raizel pushed open the heavy double doors of Fairy Tail.
It was just past 8:00 AM.
A few figures were scattered around the hall, but everyone was quiet. With the main noisemakers (Natsu, Gray, and the girls) gone, the guild felt unusually peaceful, almost like a library.
"Morning," Raizel greeted the few members present.
He didn't bother looking at the regular quest board on the first floor. He headed straight for the stairs leading to the second floor—the domain of the S-Class Mages.
He scanned the S-Class board.
One flyer caught his eye immediately.
[SS-CLASS REQUEST: SUBJUGATE THE DEMON ONACXES]
Client: The Magic Council
Reward: 5,000,000 Jewels
Location: Eastern Border Defense Line
Raizel pulled the flyer down.
This quest was issued directly by the Council. Every legitimate Guild with S-Class Mages had received this commission.
It was an open bounty.
The system was simple: if someone accepted it, Makarov would signal the Council, and the commission would be temporarily removed from other guilds' boards.
If the quest failed (or the mage died), it would be reposted, often with a higher ranking and reward.
Raizel read the fine print at the bottom.
"This quest was successively accepted by the Ace Mages of the Ruby Knight, Onyx Serpent, and Cross Poseidon guilds. Three S-Class Mages have died in succession. The quest has been upgraded from S-Class to SS-Class."
"That's a nasty one."
A voice spoke from behind him.
Raizel didn't turn around; he had heard the footsteps on the stairs. It was Makarov.
"Gramps," Raizel said, holding up the paper. "I want to take this one."
His interest was piqued. Three S-Class mages dead? This demon wasn't weak.
Demons in Earthland came in two varieties: natural-born demons found in the wild, and the Etherious created by the Black Mage Zeref.
Either way, this target clearly possessed high-tier power.
If it was a natural demon causing havoc, the Council labeled it a "Dispersed Demon." Zeref's demons usually announced their origins themselves with arrogance.
Makarov stood with his hands behind his back. He pinched his chin, his eyes turn serious as he pondered the quest.
"I heard this demon has slaughtered several villages near the border," Makarov said grimly. "It is fast, cunning, and brutal. But..."
He looked at Raizel.
"Your strength is definitely sufficient. I was actually hoping you would take it. Someone needs to stop that thing."
"Don't worry, Gramps," Raizel nodded firmly. "I'll handle it."
"I've informed the Council via the Communication Lacrima that you are accepting the job," Makarov said.
"Someone will receive you directly when you arrive. But Raizel... this is a demon. Do not let your guard down."
Makarov believed in Raizel's capabilities, but as a parent figure, he felt compelled to offer these reminders.
He never tired of repeating them, no matter how strong his children became.
"I know. I'll be back soon."
...
The quest location was a military outpost east of Magnolia, technically crossing the border into the neighboring country of Bosco.
The Council had established a temporary blockade there.
They had deployed a battalion of Rune Knights and heavy magical artillery to stop Onacxes from advancing further into civilized lands.
"Take Over: UlforceVeedramon."
He transformed into the Blue V-Dragon Knight, the fastest of the Royal Knights. He tore through the sky becoming a streak of blue light breaking the sound barrier.
According to the briefing, the demon had been quiet for the last few days.
It was either unable to break through the Council's magical barriers or it was biding its time, looking for a weakness.
BOOM.
Raizel landed at the entrance of the Council outpost, kicking up a cloud of snow and dust.
Two guards leveled their spears, startled by the sudden arrival.
"Take Over: Release."
The armor vanished, leaving Raizel who stood calm and composed.
"I am Raizel Bael, an S-Class Mage from Fairy Tail," he announced, showing the guild emblem stamped on the back of his hand.
"I am here to take on the quest to subdue Onacxes. Please take me to the person in charge."
The guards relaxed instantly upon seeing the emblem. The news of his arrival had obviously been broadcast.
The information was relayed step by step to the central command tent.
Normally, a grunt would escort a mage, but this time, the Council's commanding officer came out to greet him personally.
After the three-way battle during Magnolia's Harvest Festival and the extensive coverage in Sorcerer Weekly, Raizel's reputation had skyrocketed throughout the Kingdom of Fiore.
He was practically a celebrity now.
"Raizel of Fairy Tail. I've long heard of you."
A man in his thirties, wearing a pristine Council officer's uniform with captain's epaulets, approached Raizel.
He looked tired but professional.
"I am Urban Dahar, Captain of the Council's Second Enforcement Brigade." He extended his right hand.
"Pleased to meet you, Captain Urban," Raizel replied, shaking the hand firmly.
"Please, come inside the command tent. It's freezing out here, and I need to brief you on the situation regarding Onacxes."
Urban gestured toward the large central tent flying the Council's flag.
Inside the tent, it was warm. Maps covered the tables, and magical sensors hummed in the corners. Urban dispensed with small talk and got straight to the point after having tea served.
"Here is our target."
Urban slid a photograph across the table. Raizel picked it up and examined it closely.
The demon was... peculiar.
It was an Arachne type.
The upper body resembled a human female—topless, but with long, thick hair covering her modesty. Her skin was a dark, wheatish hue, and her face was a nightmare of pointed ears and a mouth full of razor-sharp shark teeth.
But the lower body was where the horror lay.
It was the body of a massive spider, supported by eight terrifyingly sharp legs.
"Onacxes appeared near the end of last year," Urban explained, pointing to a map marked with red crosses.
"It attacked the nearest village and caused numerous casualties. It eats humans."
Raizel's eyes narrowed.
"Upon learning of the situation, the Council deployed the Second Brigade," Urban continued. "We brought the Magic Convergence Cannon—Jupiter—along with various other magic artillery. We drove it into this canyon 23 days ago. It has been attempting to break out ever since."
"You have a Jupiter Cannon here?" Raizel asked, surprised.
Jupiter.
One of the strategic weapon of the Magic Council.
It was a massive cannon capable of firing a condensed beam of pure magic power.
In the original timeline (X784), Erza barely withstand a shot from it using her Adamantine Armor, and that nearly killed her.
"You've been stationed here for 23 days?" Raizel noted. "That means you missed both Christmas and New Year's."
Although the upper-level Council members were often corrupt or incompetent bureaucrats, Raizel had to admire the mid-level officers like Urban.
They were the ones that actually protecting the people.
"We do our duty," Urban said simply, though he looked weary.
"Even Jupiter couldn't kill it?" Raizel asked, tapping the photo. "That cannon should be able to vaporize a mountain."
"It's not a question of power," Urban said, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "It's speed."
"Speed?"
"Onacxes is terrifyingly fast," Urban explained. "The Mage operating Jupiter can't track it. We have fired Jupiter five times so far. We missed every single shot. We only managed to graze it with the smaller cannons."
Urban sighed, looking at the map where three black markers were placed.
"The three Guild Mages who accepted the mission before you... they were supposed to assist in controlling it. The plan was for them to pin the demon down so Jupiter could strike."
"And?"
"They became bait," Urban said grimly. "None of them could match Onacxes in speed or strength. They were slaughtered before we could line up a shot."
Raizel nodded slowly.
He understood the situation. The previous mages tried to fight a containment battle against a superior foe and paid the price.
"If you can't resolve this, will you remain stationed here indefinitely?" Raizel asked.
"Not exactly," Urban admitted. "We are losing resources. If we can't resolve it within two months, the Council will likely petition one of the Wizard Saints to intervene."
"I see," Raizel stood up. "That won't be necessary. Keep your Jupiter Cannon on standby Captain, but don't fire unless I signal. I don't want to get hit by friendly fire."
"You intend to fight it alone?" Urban asked.
"Pinning it down isn't my style," Raizel said, walking toward the tent flap.
"I prefer to hunt."