A deathly silence prevailed.
Every sound in the world seemed to have vanished.
The Fairy Law in Gaal's hand was poised for action, and the Grimoire Law in Hades' grip was equally ready to strike. The dazzling golden light on the ground silently confronted the spreading darkness in the sky.
The Dark Guild mages caught between the two were the most uneasy. They dared not move, for fear that any disturbance might lead to their complete annihilation.
Ur and Ultear halted on their side. Meanwhile, Kain Hikaru and Meredy realized that the timing was off and ceased fighting, not daring to act rashly.
Even Zancrow—whose hatred for Gaal burned fiercely—felt a surge of terror as he gazed at the dazzling golden light in Gaal's hand.
Hades and Gaal faced each other for a moment before Hades spoke in a cool tone:
"I can see that you're not surprised. So, does that mean Makarov revealed my identity to you?"
The Grimoire Law Hades released from his hand could almost be said to share the same origin as Fairy Law. Yet, there was no trace of shock on Gaal's face. Hades easily deduced that either Makarov had informed Gaal of his identity or that Gaal had learned it when Fairy Tail declared war against Grimoire Heart. In any case, Hades knew Makarov was already aware of his identity—otherwise, Makarov would not have taken such drastic action.
Gaal looked at Hades and replied: "I mentioned it a bit. What a pity..."
Hades then continued in a measured tone: "Whether it is Light or Darkness, they are but means to pursue the ultimate secrets of Magic. It is those of you who cannot even see through them who are the most foolish. I'm quite curious—since you know my identity, you must understand my interpretation of Fairy Law. Makarov surely hasn't handed it over to you, so what gives you the confidence to wield Fairy Law? Or do you believe your Magic Power surpasses mine?"
Gaal met Hades' gaze and answered: "There are many ways to resolve things. The world is not immutable; perhaps what was once impossible can now be accomplished. Shall we give it a try?"
Gaal slightly raised his hand, and the light emanating from Fairy Law in his palm grew even brighter.
Hades narrowed his eyes, his heart filled with uncertainty. He couldn't be sure if, over decades, Fairy Tail had truly discovered a way to cure the aftereffects of Fairy Law.
He stared at Gaal, contemplating the possibility, only to dismiss it in an instant. It was impossible—nothing in this world could rival Lumen Histoire.
After all, Mavis's existence was unique, just as Zeref the Dark Mage was. Moreover, knowing Makarov, there was no way he could have devised anything at all. Otherwise, Fairy Tail would have progressed these past decades.
Hades looked at Gaal, clasped his hands together, and slowly spread them apart as an endless aura of darkness seeped out, spreading across the land. In a detached tone he said:
"Honestly, I don't believe it. Casting 'Law' demands incredibly strong Magic Power. How long can you sustain it? One second? Two seconds? That must be your limit."
Gaal also slowly opened his clasped hands, releasing endless light, and declared: "That said, how long can you hold on? Whether you're a C-Class Mage or an S-Class Mage, no matter how much Magic Power a human might have, under the extraction of 'Law' it is drained in an instant. The incident at the Rock Mountain Range showed that your inexhaustible Magic Power cannot overcome Gildarts' amplified strength. Therefore, it's not hard to deduce that even with the supply of Dark Magic Source, you'd probably only manage about three seconds. Once you exceed that, your Dark Magic Source will be damaged. Judging by your age, your current strength and longevity depend solely on that Dark Magic Source. So, how long can you hold on for?"
"Three seconds?" Gaal asked.
Hades gave Gaal a long, scrutinizing look. Could he really guess this much—even about the Dark Magic Source?
"You are very smart, but alas... I still don't believe it."
Gaal sighed and said: "That really is quite troublesome."
The battlefield was incredibly silent. No one knew what the two had been discussing—whether it was their identities or the Law—and everyone listened in a daze, too afraid to speak. Yet the heart-pounding sensation only grew stronger.
As Gaal's words faded, the youthful hands on the ice and the aged hands in the sky opened simultaneously, their detached voices echoing across the battlefield: "Fairy Law/Grimoire Law!"
In an instant, endless light and infinite darkness burst forth. Using Magnolia Town as the dividing line, it was as if the entire world had been split in two—one half bathed in light, the other in darkness.
Everyone's vision was overwhelmed by the encroaching radiance or darkness. They raised their hands to shield their eyes, gradually losing their grip on reality. Only Gaal and Hades stared fixedly at one another.
One second...
Two seconds...
Three seconds...
Until their vision was gradually obscured by either light or darkness.
Time passed—though no one could tell for how long. Then, with a tremendous boom, came a resounding shout from Gildarts: "Gaal!"
Inside the guild hall, many gradually lowered their arms and opened their eyes:
"Is it over?"
"Are you okay? I'm fine!"
"Is everyone alright?"
"What happened?"
"That's Gildarts' voice!"
A group of people rushed out of the guild. At that moment, Stellium Celestial Serra, who had been guarding the back door, had vanished without a trace. What met their eyes was a scene of lush greenery and a lake whose surface lay calm as glass, as if the battle had never taken place at all:
"Have those guys been eliminated?"
"It feels as if nothing ever happened."
"Did we really just experience a battle?"
Gone were the icy chills that had frozen everything, the countless ships, and the smoky, bloody remnants of conflict. There was nothing— the lake remained as placid as ever.
By the lakeside, Gildarts stood with astonishment as he reached out and gently checked on Gaal: "Really, are you alright?"
Because Hades and Gaal had expended so much energy in their duel, the sealing formation protecting Gildarts was naturally broken. When Gildarts shattered Hades' seal and came down, he was met with this scene.
Gaal stood motionless by the lakeside. Wearing a weary expression and speaking in a feeble tone, he said: "What do you want?"
From behind came a chorus of voices:
"Big brother Gaal!"
"How are you? Are you okay?"
"That's great! We won!"
"Hahaha, is that all the Dark Guild had to offer?!"
Everyone gathered around Gaal—while the young and combative Gray, Laxus, and others chattered excitedly about the battle that had just taken place. Yet Gaal felt no urge to celebrate; his body was simply too exhausted and overwhelmed by pain.
Even though the massive subterranean Magic Crystal supplied him with Magic Power, his own body was the conduit for releasing Fairy Law. In those few seconds, his body had to channel an enormous amount of Magic Power. Gaal remained immobile not out of mere reluctance, but because the excruciating pain had already drained most of his willpower just to stand.
Splash! Splash!
Ripples disturbed the water's surface as Ur, clutching Ultear, emerged from the lake and asked: "Have they all run off?"
Gaal nodded with difficulty and, in a weary tone, said: "Hades did not continue the struggle."
At that, Gaal's lip twitched involuntarily—partly from the pain, partly from shock. The massive subterranean Magic Crystal had been hastily prepared, so its current Magic Power reserve could only sustain Fairy Law for six seconds. Yet Hades had remained unmoved until the fourth second. One second felt like an eternity. It wasn't until after the fifth second, perhaps realizing he could go no further, that Hades finally chose to withdraw.
The brilliant light of Fairy Law overpowered the darkness of Grimoire Law, instantly erasing most of the Dark Guild members on the lake. Only a few strong-willed mages, sheltered by Hades' protection, managed to vanish into the darkness.
Noticing that something was wrong with Gaal, Gildarts dispersed the crowd: "Let's head back. I'll get Gaal to safety."
Gaal stood there motionless— even a fool could see something was amiss. Gildarts stepped forward, intending to support him. Suddenly, Gaal's eyes widened as he abruptly looked upward: "Above!!!"
Damn it!
The town's protective barrier that once spanned the skies had vanished. At this moment, there was no defense at all. Both Gildarts and Ur reacted instantly, their faces turning pale as they stared up at the sky.
"Crash!"
"Ice Make: Rose Garden!"