Chapter 228
Makarov returned from the guild masters’ meeting soon afterward and immediately called Fairy Tail’s S-Class Mages together for a private discussion.
For once, every S-Class member happened to be present at the same time.
Gildarts, Laxus, Erza, Mira, Mystogan, and Marshall—the guild’s six S-Class Mages had all gathered in one place.
"Our guild is preparing to join forces with Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale to take down Oración Seis."
Makarov looked around the room.
"We’ll be sending one S-Class Mage to lead Fairy Tail’s team. Any volunteers?"
Laxus spoke first.
"I’ll go."
He crossed his arms.
"I’ll take the Thunder God Tribe with me. We could wipe out that Dark Guild by ourselves."
Gildarts burst out laughing and slapped him on the shoulder.
"Whoa, pretty confident there, kid! Hahaha! Fine, I’ll leave this one to you youngsters. I’m sitting it out."
Mystogan silently shook his head, clearly uninterested.
Then Erza and Mira both looked toward Marshall.
Marshall didn’t volunteer.
Instead, he asked, "Master, what exactly is Oración Seis planning?"
"They’ve been gathering their forces in the Worth Woodsea, near the location of Wendy’s former guild, Cait Shelter."
Makarov’s expression became serious.
"Mr. Roubaul reported the situation to the Magic Council. He believes Oración Seis is searching for a powerful ancient Magic sealed somewhere inside the forest."
He paused.
"It’s called Nirvana."
"We know very little about the spell itself, but if ancient people went to the trouble of sealing it away, I doubt it was anything pleasant. Since a Dark Guild is trying to obtain it, naturally we have to stop them."
Makarov folded his arms.
"Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale will each be sending S-Class Mages of their own. With three major guilds working together, we should have more than enough strength to stop Oración Seis."
Marshall sighed.
"Master, do you know why villains in stories always lose?"
"Huh?"
Makarov stared at him.
They were discussing a serious operation.
What the hell was Marshall talking about?
Marshall ignored his baffled expression and continued as though this were perfectly relevant.
"It’s because villain bosses are always stingy."
"Instead of crushing the protagonist with overwhelming force from the beginning, they keep sending subordinates who are only slightly stronger than the hero."
Marshall spread his hands.
"And then those subordinates conveniently line up one after another to get beaten."
Everyone fell silent.
"Underestimating an enemy is one of the worst mistakes you can make in battle."
Marshall looked back at Makarov.
"You want us to choose one S-Class Mage and combine that person with the forces from two other guilds. On paper, it looks like enough to win."
"But in reality, all you’re doing is forcing the people who participate to take an unnecessary risk."
Marshall shook his head.
"I don’t think that’s the correct approach."
Then his expression became completely serious.
"If a lion hunts a rabbit, it should still use its full strength."
"So my suggestion is that we don’t send one person."
Marshall grinned.
"We mobilize everybody!"
"Anyone who doesn’t have something more important to do can sign up for the operation. Hell, we should put our own bounty on Oración Seis and turn it into a competition to see who can take them down first."
"..." ×6
Which side was supposed to be the evil guild again?!
Makarov rubbed his temples.
There were times when he genuinely thought Marshall had become far too extreme.
"Everyone in the guild has their own work to handle."
"And we still don’t know exactly what will happen. It’s entirely possible the team could go there and never even encounter Oración Seis directly."
Makarov sighed.
"We can’t mobilize half the guild for a single mission under circumstances like that."
"That’s easy to solve."
Marshall immediately answered.
"We send a small advance team to meet the other guilds first."
"When the actual fighting starts, they contact me through the terminals. Then I teleport a whole shitload of people straight onto the battlefield and we crush Oración Seis all at once."
He smiled.
"How does that sound?"
Gildarts’s mouth twitched.
He hadn’t seen Marshall for only a few years.
How had this brat become so completely shameless?
Who the hell had taught him this?
"Isn’t that a little excessive?"
Gildarts scratched his cheek.
"It’s only Oración Seis. Honestly, Laxus could probably handle them by himself."
Marshall immediately pointed at him.
"See?! There you go underestimating the enemy again!"
He glared.
"You useless old man, did you already forget how you lost your arm and leg? Your wounds barely finished healing and you’ve already forgotten the lesson!"
"Brat! I’m only saying there’s no need to make such a huge production out of this!"
"They’re a Dark Guild!"
Marshall threw up his hands.
"Why are we worrying about fighting fair against criminals? Just jump them together and be done with it!"
He planted his hands on his hips.
"That’s my position, and I’m telling you right now, it’s objectively the optimal strategy!"
Makarov actually fell into thought.
"...Marshall’s argument isn’t entirely unreasonable."
He glanced at him.
"Would a large-scale teleportation array be feasible?"
Marshall pointed toward Mystogan.
"That’s what he’s here for."
Mystogan silently looked at him.
"If Mystogan and I work together, putting together a teleportation array like that will be easy."
In the end, Makarov accepted Marshall’s plan.
A small team would first travel to the rendezvous point and join the other two guilds, maintaining the appearance of an ordinary coalition operation and lulling Oración Seis into complacency.
Then, once the decisive battle began...
Fairy Tail would bring in everyone available and crush them in one overwhelming strike.
Makarov soon announced Fairy Tail’s participation in the Oración Seis subjugation operation to the rest of the guild.
He deliberately left out the actual battle plan and simply encouraged everyone interested to register.
Naturally, not just anyone could participate.
Only members whose Magic Power had crossed the approximate S-Class threshold were eligible for Fairy Tail’s new—Limited-Time Oración Seis Subjugation Event!
As for the advance team responsible for meeting Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale, Makarov still assigned leadership to Marshall.
After all, Marshall needed to physically reach the destination before he could establish the large-scale teleportation array there.
Makarov allowed him to choose his own teammates.
The three guilds would rendezvous at a villa belonging to Blue Pegasus.
Marshall had no objection.
His main reason for caring about this operation was to help Ultear settle her grudge anyway.
For the advance team, he could simply grab a few people and take it easy until the real fighting began.
"Oi, Gray."
Marshall spotted him nearby.
"Want to come to the meeting with me? Your senior Lyon will be there too."
Gray froze.
"Huh?"
"Lyon? What the hell? You’re still in contact with him?"
"No."
Marshall shrugged.
"I’m still in contact with Sherry, though. She and Lyon both joined Lamia Scale, and they’re participating in the Oración Seis operation."
He grinned.
"Want to come along and join the fun?"
"I’m going!"
Gray immediately broke into a malicious smile.
"I’m ridiculously strong now."
His grin widened.
"I really want to see Lyon’s face when he sees me."
Gray’s Magic Power had also risen dramatically after Origin Opening and now exceeded 40,000.
Lyon was probably still somewhere around 20,000.
There was a very good chance Gray was about to enjoy the opportunity to show off.
"Fine. You’re in."
Marshall nodded.
"When the time comes, you, my maid, and Lucy can come with me."
"Wait."
Gray stared at him.
"What do you mean, ’your maid’?"
Then his expression became even stranger.
"And why is Lucy coming?"
"I’m a noble."
Marshall answered as though it were obvious.
"It’s perfectly normal for me to travel with a maid."
"As for Lucy, one of the members of Oración Seis is a Celestial Spirit Mage."
Marshall smiled.
"I’m planning to take her keys."
Gray blinked.
"You already have intelligence on Oración Seis?"
"You want to see?"
Marshall activated the Super Archive and projected several portraits into the air.
"Here. These are the known members."
Gray began looking them over.
But before he could say much—
"W-Wait!"
Someone passing nearby suddenly rushed toward them.
"Marshall! This person..."
It was Wally.
He pointed at one of the projected images, visibly shaken.
"Is this man really a member of Oración Seis?"
Marshall looked at the portrait.
"Hoteye, the ’Heaven’s Eye.’ He specializes in Earth Magic and is one of the Six."
Marshall turned toward him.
"Why, Wally? Do you know him?"
"H-He should be my older brother, Richard!"
Wally’s voice became increasingly emotional.
"He was captured and taken to the Tower of Heaven with me when we were children, but later somebody took him away."
His hands clenched.
"I’ve been trying to find him ever since!"
"Ah."
Marshall finally understood.
"So there was another connection like that..."
He remembered something Ultear had once mentioned.
Most of the members of Oración Seis had originally been children Brain selected from among the prisoners in the Tower of Heaven.
Apparently, that information had been accurate.
Marshall looked at Wally.
"In that case, you’re coming with me too."