"Sir Demon slayer, you have been summoned by the Magic council "

 

"Huh..!"

 

"Why did I even agree to them back then." Ciel sighed as the carriage containing him headed towards Era, the town that served as the headquarters of the Magic Council of Ishgar.

 

---

 

After the battle with Lullaby, he had gone with Erza to report the situation to the rune knights.

 

"Fairy tail mages...I'm Lahar, the Captain of the 4th Custody Enforcement Unit. We will be taking Lullaby." A glasses man said walking forward.

 

"Here you go, we would be glad if you could take that thing away as far as possible." Ciel gave the nearly destroyed flute to him.

Accepting the thing he gave it to another member of the squad for sealing it in a containment unit.

 

"Now that the matter about the flute is settled, we would like to ask you some questions about the incident. Is that okay..?"

 

"Of course," Erza said walking away with the knights with Ciel.

 

---

 

"Sigh...I should have just declined the request back then...Even so, I don't think the geezers in the council would give it up that easily. They would find a way or another to get me there." Ciel monologues leaning onto the cuisine on the carriage.

 

"Sir Demon slayer. We have arrived." The coachman informed.

 

"I see. Thanks." He opened the door and got outside thanking the man.

He was in front of an imposing palace, composed of both pure white stone and light blue bricks, with large, elongated windows with arched tops being placed over its walls, some complete with glass and some others hollow.

 

At the center was a gigantic door, where a frog-like person waited.

He walked to the entrance, seeing him approach the frog spoke.

 

"Sir Luciel, the council has been expecting you."

 

"Hmm..are they assembled already..?"

 

"They are currently discussing some matters. But by the time, we arrive they will be free." He said bowing.

 

"I see. Then please lead the way."

The frog took him inside the massive building. Worthy of being the headquarters of the Ishgar magic council the building possessed very imposing and majestic interiors.

The walls were adorned by various paintings and statues.

 

"Man..they didn't hold back building this at all." Ciel thought marveling the insides of the HQ.

Finally, they reached a very large door with very intricate patterns on them.

 

"The council awaits you inside.." The frogman said moving to the side.

The door was opened revealing a vast hall inside. On the opposite side was a very high structure where the council members sat according to their ranks.

 

"Welcome Luciel Aracelis." An elderly man with long graying hair and a long beard said. His voice was very commanding and seeing that he was at the center which was the highest position, Ciel Assumed he was Crawford Seam. The chairman of Magic Council.

 

"It is an honor to be here, sir."

 

"I'm sure you have guessed why you have been summoned by the council, yes..?"

 

"I suppose it is somehow related to Lullaby,"

 

"That is correct. You are one of the most talented mages in the new generation. And one of the very few Demon slayers to live today. So we wanted to hear about your opinion about the flute from what you have experienced."

 

"I see. The demon flute is indeed a troublesome enemy for normal mages. I suppose you can eradicate it if you could gather enough magic power. But even the combined attacks of the guild masters who were present there weren't able to take it down."

 

"Hmm.. then how exactly were you able to take it down then..?"

 

"The problematic part was the powerful regenerative ability it had, but I was able to suppress it using my devil slayer magic."

 

"Hmmm...you were also the one to investigate the actions of the dark guild before right. The report says you encountered one of Tartaros during the job."

 

"Yes, that's correct. Her name was Kyoka. And she had the ability to enhance anything. Apparently it is different from magic. She called it curse power. I was able to escape because she primarily underestimated me and one of my guildmate's help. The rest is in my report." Ciel concluded.

 

"..Curse power...huh," A blue-haired man, sitting on one of the sides said.

 

"Huh..Mystogan..No...so that must be his earth land counterpart." Ciel thought while staring at the said man.

 

"Luciel Aracelis...the council appreciates your assistance in this incident."

 

"It wasn't much sir. I did what I should have."

 

"Such talent as yours will achieve great things in the future for sure. What about it, do you want to join the Magic Council."

 

"Thank you for your offer sir. But I'm afraid that, I can't take that." He immediately responded looking right back at the elderly man.

 

"I see. That's a pity. If you change your mind in the future, consider joining." Crawford said as he felt the intent in Ciel's eyes.

 

"Yes."

 

"Well..that would be all for today. Thank you for your cooperation."

After that Ciel was escorted back. The council members began talking among themselves after the boy had left.

 

"The dark guilds are being more and more active nowadays. We need to devise a plan to wipe them out." The council member named Org said.

 

"Even Tartaros was involved this time...Normal mages won't be enough to handle them."

 

"That boy...He has so much potential. Too bad he got inside Fairy tail. Or he would become an excellent mage under us." One of them said.

 

"I don't think so...although Fairy tail seems to be a thorn in our sides, this time they were quite useful," Siegrain said.

 

"Don't forget that they also took down an entire guild with a handful of wizards." Ultear also added. Throwing the people around into a chatter.

 

"You may not want to accept it. But in the end attack on the guild masters was prevented by them. No lives were lost. In addition, none of us had to give up on our hard-earned positions also." Siegrain continued.

 

"You fool, are you insulating that the council was responsible for this..?" Another man scolded Siegrain.

 

"Enough of this. Fairy tail's good deeds are overshadowed by their reckless destructive behavior." Crawford Seam interjected.

 

"That's correct, not only Clover meeting hall was obliterated, the Oshibana station and Ryushika gorge railway bride was destroyed in their fight too."

 

"Now now...all those locations were the most of the major battles took place. And the bridge itself was supposedly destroyed by Erigor of Eisenwald." A short thick eyebrowed man tried to reason. This man was called Yajima.

 

"Yajima, you're only taking their side because you and Makarov are close." Another member yelled at the small man.

 

"This incident will be big news soon. If we don't take action.."

 

"Then why don't we take this opportunity to discuss this matter with them...Fairy tail.." Siegrain said cutting the man off.

 

---

 

It was a long trip from Era to magnolia. So Ciel only reached back at the guild two days later.

As he walked into the guildhall he felt the mood was especially depressing and sore inside.

Most of the people were just laying like lifeless corpses on with heads on the table.

 

"Huh..? What's with everyone today..? Did something happened..?"

 

"Ohh...It's Ciel. He has returned." Elfman was the first one to reply back.

 

"Yeah..I'm back what happened..? Why are you all like this..?" He asked walking towards the master.

 

"CIEL....YOU'RE HERE. LEMME OUT...TELL THEM TO LET ME OUT..." On the bar, the counter was a small lizard with a flaming head and tail screaming at him.

 

"Huh...a lizard..? Natsu..? Why are you like that..?" He asked surprised.

 

" I'VE BEEN STUCK IN HERE. SAVE ME, MAN...." The lizard yelled again.

 

"Natsu...be quiet.." Mirajane reprimanded the lizard.

 

"I've been quite worried since you didn't return too." 

 

"What do you mean me too..?"Ciel asked the old man.

 

"Erza...she has been arrested by the council," Mira replied to the confused boy.

 

"What..!! Arrested..? Why though..?"

 

"The destruction of Oshibana and Clover."

 

"But why...We've done so many things in the past. Why this time.?" Elfman said.

 

"Yeah...I just don't understand." Loki too joined him.

 

"I'm certain..there's something fishy going on here.."

 

"They want a scapegoat..." Ciel grunted.

 

"Huh...??"

 

"The attack this time was too severe. If done nothing, the council will suffer its blame. So they wanted someone to be their scapegoat." He explained to everyone.

 

"AAARGH... LET ME OUT OF HERE. I'LL SHOW THOSE COUNCIL JERKS THAT THEY'RE WRONG.." Lizard Natsu roared inside the glass.

 

"They won't listen to you Natsu. Once the Magic council says you are wrong, you're wrong already in their eyes."

 

"I can't just leave her like that. Let's go testify for her." Lucy stood up, fed with all this bullshit.

 

"Hmm..have some patience Lucy."

 

"But master...How can you say that..? Erza doesn't deserve this. If we don't do anything, they'll sentence her."

 

"No matter how fast we try to get there. We'd be too late anyway." The old man spoke with his eyes closed.

 

"Luciel can fly right...If he.." Lucy turned to the boy only to be disappointed.

 

"I'm sorry Lucy. I'm afraid, even I won't be able to make it from here in time."

 

"THAT DOESN'T MATTER. WE'LL HAVE TO TRY ANYWAY.." Lizard Natsu shouted from his glass.

 

"Are you sure you want to come out...Natsu..??" Makarov asked the lizard making him go silent.

 

"..."

 

"What happened..? Cat got your tongue?" He asked firing a blast at him, revealing Makao, instead of Natsu inside the cup.

 

"Sorry guys...I owed him one. So I turned myself into a lizard with a magic tool, instead of him." He apologized rubbing his head in shame.

 

---

 

Meanwhile, the real Natsu had made a ruckus at the Magic council branch, resulting in him and Erza being thrown into prison for the day. And then they were released, fortunately returning home afterward.

 

It seemed that they only intended to have an arrest as a formality. But Ciel wasn't still convinced about the fact that the council let them go so easily. The feeling that he got back then was very nasty.

Especially from that Siegrain fellow. He decided to ask Mystogan about this the next time they would meet.

 

In one of the rooms of the Magic council headquarters sat a man with blue hair. His name is Siegrain. One of the council members.

 

"Ha ha....so he was at Fairy tail...Natsu Dragneel...and that boy Luciel Aracelis, he was the one with the other..."

 

"What happened..? Siegrain..." A woman came inside the room asking.

 

"Nothing...the game just got a little bit more interesting," he replied ominously.