"Yes. That place... was once the home of our Nirvit tribe. We depended on Nirvana, the magic that could reverse light and darkness, to stop countless wars and bring peace to the land.
But with great power comes great danger. The more darkness was turned into light, the more light was twisted into darkness. When Nirvana could no longer hold back that darkness, it turned inward... onto us.
Our tribe was consumed by chaos. Brothers turned on brothers. Some even dreamed of using Nirvana to bring ruin instead of peace. If Nirvana is misused, it won't just harm a village, it could plunge the entire world into despair."
As Roubaul recounted the past, his voice was filled with deep sorrow and regret.
Rhodes and Mira listened closely, understanding that when Roubaul said "we," he meant the ancestors of the Nirvit tribe. But Wendy heard it differently. Her face turned pale, realization dawning.
Roubaul noticed her reaction and hesitated, but continued, "In the end, we sealed Nirvana away. For four hundred years, we've guarded it here in secret, praying it would never fall into the wrong hands. Hoping that one day, someone strong enough to destroy it would appear.
And yet... today, someone has awakened it. I heard that the local guilds have formed a coalition to stop them. But... it may already be too late.
Maybe this is our fate. We created this magic. And now, it may be the very thing that ends us. This is the sin we bear.
But Wendy, Carla, and the two of you from Fairy Tail... you have nothing to do with this. Please, go. Leave this place behind."
"No!" Wendy cried, her eyes shimmering with tears. "I want to protect the guild! I have to protect it!"
Roubaul tried to reason with her. "Wendy... you understand now, don't you? We—"
"I don't care!" Wendy shouted, voice trembling but fierce. "Even so, I want to protect everyone!"
She bolted toward Nirvana without a second thought.
Rhodes reached out and scooped her up with ease, lifting her off the ground.
The usually soft-spoken Wendy struggled in his arms. "Brother Rhodes, let me go! I want to fight!"
"Summon: Rift Herald!"
A burst of purple energy exploded beside them, and a massive creature materialized—the Rift Herald, its eye glowing as it stomped toward the horizon.
Wendy paused, stunned. "Brother Rhodes...?"
Rhodes gave a calm nod. "Tear it down."
The Rift Herald took off at full speed, pounding across the terrain in a trail of dust and cracks.
Mira knelt beside Wendy and met her gaze, her voice soft and soothing. "Don't worry. We would never abandon Cait Shelter. Nirvana's still a long way off, so we have a bit of time. Once Rhodes finishes asking what he needs to, we'll go together. Fight with us, okay?"
"Okay!" Wendy pouted and sniffled, her lips trembling. The tears she'd held back finally spilled over. Seeing Rhodes' summon and hearing Mira's gentle reassurance gave her the strength to let go. She sobbed, clinging to Mira's arms.
Rhodes gently lowered her to the ground and let her cry it out with Mira holding her close.
Carla's tense expression softened. "That creature just now..."
Rhodes glanced at her and replied, "That's the Rift Herald. It's great at smashing things, especially structures. And if it's not enough, I've got more tricks up my sleeve. We'll bring Nirvana down, one way or another."
Roubaul, however, was not convinced. He shook his head solemnly. "Destroying Nirvana won't be that easy. That purple beast... as fearsome as it looks, it's barely the size of one of Nirvana's toes."
Even if the Rift Herald could crush a tower in a single blow, Nirvana wasn't a building.
It was an entire city.
Rhodes knew that too. He crossed his arms, thinking back to the siege weapons the Phantom Legion once used—massive six-legged machines that struggled to even dent something this big.
He wasn't sure if the Rift Herald alone would be enough.
If he wanted to rely on the Voidgrubs, Rhodes would have had to start spawning troops well in advance, but there simply wasn't enough time now.
For the moment, letting the Rift Herald take the first shot would have to do.
Rhodes summoned the Blue Sentinel again to boost his endurance in case a fierce battle broke out. He could feel the magical resistance surge around him as the golem appeared beside him, stoic and silent.
"You just said the local guilds formed a coalition?" he asked Roubaul.
Roubaul nodded, but looked puzzled. "Yes… it's a coalition of the three major guilds. Fairy Tail is among them… Wait—don't you know this?"
"…"
Rhodes and Mira exchanged a glance, both clearly baffled.
Either the roster had been decided in secret long ago, or it was a last-minute decision made at a routine meeting. Whichever it was, they had missed the memo.
Still, if there had been any trouble with the operation, Makarov should have contacted them immediately. Erza knew where they were, and this place wasn't far from the mission zone. That left only one possibility: their teammates were still fighting.
"If Fairy Tail is involved, then so are we," Mira said firmly, her eyes lighting up with determination. "And if Nirvana's come all the way here, we have every right to step in."
Rhodes turned back to Roubaul. "Since Nirvana was created by the Nirvit tribe, is there anything you know about its weaknesses?"
"You're really planning to fight it…?"
"You said it yourself. If that magic falls into the wrong hands, it could turn the world into hell. We can't let that happen. Our guildmates are still out there fighting. Please, give us anything you know."
Roubaul fell silent, the weight of history on his shoulders. Then he gave a small nod. "Alright."
He had no choice now but to put his faith in these young wizards.
"The biggest challenge with Nirvana is not just its size or durability. It absorbs magic directly from the earth, it uses that energy to move, to attack… and to regenerate. Even if one or two legs are destroyed, or any other part is damaged, it can repair itself quickly.
To stop it, you must destroy the six magic crystals located at the base of each leg, simultaneously. And if you want to destroy it completely, you'll need to strike its core. But…"
But Nirvana was enormous.
The distance between each magic crystal was half a city's length. Even if someone could fly, they wouldn't make it in time to destroy two. It would take at least six mages, attacking in perfect sync, each capable of shattering a crystal the size of a small room.
And that was just the legs.
As for the main body, the heart of Nirvana, it was built from materials strong enough to lift and carry an entire city. There was no telling if ordinary attacks could even scratch it.
Wendy and Carla were beginning to feel overwhelmed. Could something like this even be destroyed? And even if they managed it… would Cait Shelter survive the aftermath?
But no matter how hopeless it seemed, they had to try.
"How strong are you, exactly?" Rhodes asked calmly, looking back at Roubaul.
Roubaul shook his head. "I'm sorry… my condition is too frail to fight. And I'm afraid… there's no one in our guild with power strong enough to help."
"What about Nirvana's control system? Can we force it to shut down? Make it self-destruct? Or at least steer it toward an uninhabited area?"
"If we had that kind of control, we wouldn't be in this situation."
"Right." Rhodes narrowed his eyes. "Then let's see what the Rift Herald can do first. If it's not enough, we'll find whoever's controlling Nirvana… and take them down. Then we'll dismantle the rest—piece by piece."
Wendy still had tears in her eyes. Her voice trembled, but there was hope hidden beneath the fear. "Brother Rhodes… can you really do it?"
Even if the answer was no, she would still fight. But… just for a moment, she needed to believe in something stronger than herself.
"Don't worry. When it comes to breaking things, you can count on Fairy Tail." Rhodes gave Wendy a confident smile. "It's just a city. We'll tear it down right before your eyes."
Mira gently patted Wendy's head and added with a warm smile, "That's right."
"Right!" Wendy nodded firmly, the fire in her heart rekindled.
With a quick gesture from Rhodes, the Blue Sentinel extended its massive stone arms. With surprising gentleness, it scooped up Rhodes and Carla onto one shoulder, and Mira and Wendy onto the other.
Then, with a heavy yet swift stride, the golem charged off toward Nirvana.
Before disappearing into the night, Rhodes called back, "Start preparing everyone in the village to evacuate. As long as the people survive, the village can always be rebuilt."
Roubaul smiled faintly and gave them a wave. "Be careful out there."
…
Just as Rhodes suspected, the allied guild forces hadn't given up yet.
The enemy leader's tactic of leaving five of his own behind had delayed them slightly, but it hadn't stopped them. It barely bought time, and it certainly didn't crush the alliance as he had hoped.
Jura's sheer power was overwhelming.
In one-on-one combat, no one could match him. The strange and twisted magic of the Oración Seis caused some trouble, but it wasn't enough to change the tide of battle.
Some of the Six were more skilled at provoking their enemies than fighting them. Aside from Cobra and Midnight, most were defeated before they even got a solid hit in.
One name, however, had to be called out—Angel.
A Celestial Spirit Mage like Lucy, she had brazenly flaunted her magic of dual summons. But she went too far when she revealed that she had once slain Karen Lilica of Blue Pegasus. That alone sent Hibiki into a rage.
Despite his injuries, Hibiki forced himself back onto the field and teamed up with Lucy. Together, they took Angel down with the help of Hibiki's emergency spell—"Archive: Star Chart History"—which he loaded directly into angel's mind.
Of course, lasting until the end wasn't necessarily a blessing. Midnight and Cobra ended up taking the worst of the beating. Cobra's snake even walked away with a lump on its head.
After finally finishing the battle, the coalition regrouped. They also had to fend off interference from two minor dark guilds, Red Hood and White Wing Falcon, before they could pursue Nirvana.
By the time they reached its location, the ancient magic had already been activated.
The leader of Oración Seis had taken control of Nirvana and was guiding it straight toward Cait Shelter. His aim was clear, eliminate the Nirvit survivors before they could reseal it.
The coalition wasn't in great shape either.
Ichiya of Blue Pegasus was severely wounded, using his pain-relief perfume just to stay conscious. Hibiki and the other two had recovered a bit.
From Lamia Scale, Lyon and Sherry were only lightly injured, but their magic reserves were nearly empty. Jura, dependable as ever, had only minor scratches.
Fairy Tail had taken the brunt of the damage. Lucy's magical energy was nearly drained. Natsu and Erza had both been poisoned by Cobra's snake magic. Thankfully, they had prepared antidotes in advance, so it wasn't fatal.
Still, Natsu had lost nearly all his strength and could barely stand. He leaned on Gray for support. With Nirvana moving as fast as it was, it was clear, it wasn't just a city. It was a massive, mobile war machine.
If Natsu had to fight again, he would have to rely entirely on Happy to carry him.
"Tch… So you actually made it here." The Oración Seis leader stood calmly atop Nirvana, his voice echoing through the night. "Even Midnight couldn't stop you?"
His appearance had changed, five of the six dark lines on his face were now gone. But the guild coalition hadn't noticed yet.
Jura stepped forward, raising his arm and pointing directly at him. "Cease Nirvana's march. Now!"
The leader laughed coldly. "It's come to this, do you really think you can stop it now?"
Before he could finish gloating, Jura raised a finger and acted. A massive stone pillar erupted from beneath the leader's feet, launching him high into the air.
Then came a flurry of boulders, each the size of a man, slamming into him in rapid succession. The barrage buried him under a mountain of rubble, leaving him no room to counterattack.
Jura extended his right hand, palm facing upward, and said firmly, "If words won't reach you, then I'll use force. I won't stop until Nirvana does."
His headband had fallen during the battle, revealing his bald head, a symbol of his resolve and strength. The magical pressure he unleashed was awe-inspiring, enough to make even Erza watch in silent admiration.
Coughing up blood, the leader forced himself to his feet, his expression darkening. "So this is the power of a Wizard Saint... Your title isn't just for show. But even so... the Oración Seis must not lose!"
He leapt out of the rubble, narrowly avoiding two more stone pillars that erupted where he'd just been standing. Just as he was preparing to counterattack—
The ground trembled violently beneath him.
The shaking was so intense that the surrounding ruins of ancient stone structures rattled with it.
Instinctively, the leader assumed it was Jura's Earth Magic and braced for impact.
But then he noticed something strange, Jura and the others were also losing their balance.
This wasn't Jura.
This was Nirvana itself trembling!
Someone was attacking it?
Far away, beyond the coalition's line of sight, a hulking purple creature had rammed into Nirvana's left front leg.
It was the Rift Herald.
Just as Roubaul had warned, the monster wasn't even as tall as one of Nirvana's toes—but even so, when it slammed into the massive leg, a web of cracks spread from the impact point all the way up the colossal limb, stretching toward its base.
Though the blow wasn't strong enough to break the leg outright, countless chunks of debris shattered and began to fall.
Calling them "debris" didn't do them justice. Each one was the size of a boulder.
They rained down like a storm. Trees were crushed like twigs under the falling stone. The ground cracked and cratered beneath the impact. Forest creatures scattered in every direction, panicked by both the earlier tremors and this sudden deluge of rubble.
The Rift Herald, unfazed, reared back and prepared to continue its attack, claws raised and eyes locked onto its towering target.
But then—
Nirvana's colossal leg moved forward.
The limb that had been struck showed no sign of hesitation. Its motion was smooth, steady, as if it hadn't been damaged at all.
As it stepped forward, the cracks that had marred its surface mended themselves. In mere moments, the damage was gone.
Nirvana had healed.
Nirvana's legs were simply too long, and its stride too massive. The moment the Rift Herald landed on one of its "feet," it was immediately flung off by the sheer momentum of Nirvana's step.
Fortunately, it was thrown off early, if it had stayed on any longer, it could have been crushed or hurled fatally when the leg rose into the air.
The Rift Herald picked itself up from the forest floor and looked up at Nirvana's left foreleg, which had already stepped several hundred meters ahead. Just as it prepared to give chase, the colossal left middle leg was already descending right in front of it.
Rhodes's command echoed in the Rift Herald's mind: "Demolish."
With single-minded focus, the creature charged forward and rammed straight into the descending leg.
Nirvana shook again. Cracks spread across its left mid-leg, and more debris, chunks of masonry and support structures, rained down from the impact. But even as damage appeared, Nirvana began to regenerate.
The Rift Herald didn't understand why this particular "tower" was so hard to tear down today. Still, it had its orders. So it kept ramming, again and again.
One by one, Nirvana's three left legs took direct hits. Up above, in the city atop the massive structure, the coalition forces were disoriented. The ground trembled continuously under their feet, each quake coming from a different leg. No one could get a stable footing, let alone anticipate the next shock.
The leader of Oración Seis could barely keep fighting. Meanwhile, Jura was conjuring massive walls and pillars of stone, steadily cornering him. The leader's ability to counterattack was growing weaker by the second.
....
In the original canon, Nirvana could be destroyed by simultaneously shattering the six magic lacrima embedded at the base of each leg. But that concept always felt a bit strange.
If it were truly that simple, would Roubaul have needed to wait 400 years? He had enough power to found a guild, maintain its operations, and even stay in contact with the Magic Council. Surely, in all that time, he could have found six trustworthy people to strike the lacrima at once?