The air crackled with tension.
On the rocky outcrop overlooking the beach, the possessed Celestial Spirit, Capricorn, stared down at the white knight, Omegamon.
Zoldeo, trapping the spirit from within, couldn't understand it.
His Human Subordination Magic was absolute.
It reduced the magic power of humans and enslaved them to his will.
Yet, the armored man before him remained unaffected.
Not only did Raizel not kneel, but his magical pressure was increasing, pushing back against Zoldeo's influence like a physical wall.
"Why...?" Zoldeo grit his teeth, sweat forming on his snout. "Why does my magic not bind you?"
"Because I am not just human right now," Raizel's voice boomed from the helmet. "And you... you are no longer the mage you once were."
Raizel took a step forward. "Zoldeo. One of Layla Heartfilia's most trusted servants. You inherited the key to Capricorn from her, swearing loyalty. Yet, Capricorn vanished from the Celestial Spirit World shortly after. Am I right?"
Zoldeo's eyes widened behind his sunglasses. "Impossible! How do you know that name? Did Lord Hades send you?"
Only Hades knew the truth—that Zoldeo had fused with the spirit to extend his own life and power.
"I have nothing to do with Hades," Raizel said coldly. "Break the contract with Capricorn, leave his body, and I might spare your miserable life."
It was a bluff.
Raizel knew that the moment Zoldeo left the host body after so many years, the side effects of his dark magic would kill him instantly.
But he needed the spirit separated.
Zoldeo struggled internally.
He sensed the overwhelming holy energy radiating from Raizel.
He knew he couldn't win in a fair fight. But he craved power. He couldn't give up this immortal body.
"My lord," Zoldeo changed tactics, bowing his head in mock subservience. "I am a subordinate of Lord Hades, the Master of Grimoire Heart. We built this R-System for the Black Mage Zeref. Once Zeref is awakened, the world will be reborn in magic! With your power... if you join us, you could be a king in the new world!"
"I have no interest in your delusions," Raizel cut him off. "Precht has lost his way, chasing ghosts and false keys."
Zoldeo froze.
This boy dared to use Lord Hades' real name?
"Building the Tower of Heaven was merely an attempt to awaken Zeref," Raizel continued. "But your true goal here was to find children with the potential to master Lost Magic, wasn't it?"
"You know too much," Zoldeo hissed.
Suddenly, shadows erupted from the ground around Raizel.
While talking, Zoldeo had been preparing a sneak attack.
If he couldn't enslave Raizel, he would devour him.
"DIE!"
"How... stubborn," Raizel sighed.
The thrusters on Omegamon's back flared.
Raizel shot into the sky, dodging the tendrils of darkness.
He raised the Garuru Cannon.
"Absolute Zero."
A beam of freezing energy struck Capricorn.
The demon didn't have time to dodge. The ice encased him instantly, freezing him mid-shout.
"Grey Sword."
Raizel's left arm transformed into the massive blade.
He dove, a streak of white light cutting through the night. He didn't slash the body; he slashed the magic.
CRACK!
The ice shattered.
A wisp of black smoke was forcibly torn from Capricorn's body, screeching as it hit the air.
As the smoke cleared, Capricorn collapsed to the ground, unconscious but free.
Beside him, a man materialized—Zoldeo, in his original human form, with his wild afro and dark circles under his eyes.
"Please! Spare me! Spare my life!" Zoldeo wailed, realizing he was exposed.
He prostrated himself, kowtowing repeatedly.
"Take a look at your body," Raizel said grimly, landing softly and canceling his transformation.
Zoldeo looked down. His legs were turning into ash.
The disintegration was spreading rapidly up his torso.
"No! NO!" He grabbed his hair, screaming. "Lord Hades! Save me!"
"Hades never told you, did he?" Raizel watched without pity. "This is the price of the Human Subordination Magic. You violated the laws of nature. You were never a partner, Zoldeo. You were just a pawn."
"AAAAHHH!"
With a final scream of regret, Zoldeo dissolved into nothingness.
The Golden Key of Capricorn fell to the stony ground with a metallic clink.
Raizel picked up the key.
Nearby, the goat spirit stirred.
"I'm sorry," Capricorn groaned, sitting up.
He rubbed his head.
As a spirit, he retained the memories of what his body had done. "I... I couldn't stop him."
"It's not your fault," Raizel extended a hand to help him up. "I am a friend of Layla Heartfilia. Your contract with Zoldeo is void. I will return you to her family later. When the time comes, you will serve her daughter, Lucy."
"Yes," Capricorn bowed deeply, his demeanor elegant and refined despite the situation. "I sensed your intent. I am in your debt."
"Do you know where the other R-System towers are?" Raizel asked.
"I fear I do not," Capricorn shook his head. "Hades kept the cells isolated. I was only tasked with finding potential mages."
"Figured as much," Raizel sighed. "We'll have to do this the hard way."
Raizel transformed into Jesmon again. "Go. Eliminate the remaining cultists and monsters on the island. Leave no one armed."
The three data spirits zoomed off to clean up the trash.
"Come with me," Raizel told Capricorn. "Let's free the prisoners."
They descended into the slave pens.
The stench of fear and filth was overwhelming. Hundreds of people—mostly children—were huddled in cages.
As soon as Raizel entered, the laborers panicked, seeing the goat demon who had tormented them.
"It's okay!" A frail, rasping voice called out from the back. "Stay calm!"
An old man with a hunched back and a white mustache limped forward, leaning heavily on a cane.
Raizel's heart skipped a beat.
"Grandpa Rob!"
"Raizel...?" Rob squinted, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Is that... really you?"
"It's me," Raizel rushed forward, grabbing the bars and ripping the lock off with his bare hands.
He caught the old man as he stumbled out.
"I never thought I'd see a Fairy Tail brat again," Rob laughed, though tears streamed down his wrinkled face.
"I thought I'd die in this hellhole!."
"Not on my watch," Raizel smiled, supporting him.
As they moved through the crowd, breaking chains, Raizel spotted several familiar faces among the terrified children.
A boy with maroon hair sleeping deeply (Midnight), a boy with snake-like eyes (Cobra), a fast-looking kid (Racer), a girl with white hair (Angel), and a blocky boy clutching a Bible (Hoteye).
The future Oración Seis.
Raizel paused, considering taking them, but he couldn't save everyone personally.
He didn't have the resources to raise a dozen traumatized S-Class potential mages.
"Capricorn, gather everyone at the shore," Raizel ordered. "I'm going to get us a ride."
Raizel flew to the nearest coastal town and bullied the local Council branch into action.
When the lazy captain heard "hundreds of kidnapped children found," he scrambled his fleet immediately.
By dawn, Council ships were docking at the island.
"Thank you for your assistance, Mage of Fairy Tail," the Council Captain saluted Raizel as the children were loaded onto the ships.
"We will ensure they are returned to their families."
"Make sure you do," Raizel said sharply. "Or I'll come visit you."
He sent Capricorn back to the Spirit World to recover.
The spirit had done enough.
Raizel led Rob to their own small boat—the one the cultists had used.
"Grandpa Rob," Raizel said gently, helping the old man sit down.
Rob was suffering from Mana Depletion Syndrome.
His body was frail, his magic nearly gone.
That was how he had been captured; he had tried to save a friend's village from the cult, but ran into Capricorn and was overwhelmed.
"Where are we going?" Rob asked, looking at the rising sun.
"Rosemary Village," Raizel grinned, starting the magic engine. "Laxus is waiting for us."
"Laxus is here too?" Rob's eyes lit up.
He adored the Master's grandson. "Oh, that makes this old man happy."
"Yeah," Raizel steered the boat away from the cursed island. "Let's go home."