Chapter 28 – Blood Feud

Outside Fairy Tail's Guildhall, Autumn Time

Year X792

Rogue Cheney

"Damn it…" the two words seemed so devoid of emotion. I glanced over towards their source, Thomas Zollzero, who stood with Makarov at the entrance to the Fairy Tail guildhall. The blond teenager stood with a relatively blank expression on his face that made him unreadable, his hands in the pockets of his grey shorts, and his slumped shoulders gave no clue as to how he was feeling. This isn't good… I don't know whether I should attack, defend, or just watch wondering as to what my next action should be, I looked to the Ice Mage beside me. If he makes a move, I will too… otherwise I can only stand here and observe, since we still don't have enough information on this guy to attack him with confidence I made my decision firmly, placing all my trust in Gray to pick the right course of action.

Turning my attention away from the dark-haired Fairy Tailer I narrowed my eyes onto the source of all this commotion; the ebony-haired figure that had announce himself as Hugo and nothing more. All the Zollzero's seem afraid of him, so he must be powerful… just… how powerful we don't know yet I thought to myself, before becoming distracted by the many screens that were flying in the air around us, their source, a little lacrima crystal, hovering over the dark-haired sword-wielder's head. Each screen showed an image, some of interesting characters, and some of a cluster of plain dark buildings hidden amongst some trees, however the most interesting of all remained clearly visible from all sides. The picture of the beaten and chained Zollzero family Patriarch, which was displayed upon the largest screen, shaped into a cube with each of the four outward-facing sides displaying the same terrible image, had struck silence into all of us gathered there at that moment.

Thomas had been the only one to speak so far, if in fact you could call two words 'speech'. It was only after a particularly drawn-out stillness that another voice broke out. "Is this all you came to do, show off your picture book collection of images?" Makarov asked Hugo, his tone menacing, but level. Sting would've gone crazy, screaming at him after seeing these… guess that shows the difference in maturity levels between the guild's Masters… I commented internally, a slight smile playing with the corners of my mouth which I quickly suppressed. Hugo frowned toward Makarov after his comment. "These are not some picture book collection, old man, they tell a lot more than that" he replied. Makarov scoffed at the response, before looking to Thomas.

"Are you alright, Thomas, you're being very quiet. Have these images startled you?" the older mage asked the boy, noting his surprisingly calm and quiet demeanour. He's not even frowning… could these images be fakes?

Thomas did not reply to Makarov's query for a whole three minutes. When he finally did, it was not in the way the Master had expected. "These images are very… interesting. From the light pattern on the trees in those four, they are three days old. Does that mean that our father put up that much of a struggle that you could not leave the Family home in all that time?" Thomas stared at Hugo directly as he gave his impromptu analysis. Hugo smirked at the boy.

"Seems your reputation as a robot was not as unearned as I may have believed" Hugo stated, before nodding, "However yes, even drugged that damnable old fool still put up too much of a fight. He even broke the arm of one of those assigned to watch over him in the first day" the dark-haired man added. Thomas nodded.

"Yes, he can prove quite… troublesome to pin down. His skills make for one deadly combo, even if he only has access to a few of his limbs" Thomas muttered, before smiling. "However, the fact that those traitors who joined you underestimated him, despite having known about his abilities beforehand, proves just how sloppy they all are" he added with a hint of arrogance that I had not expected him to express. Each time I have seen Thomas, he's always been by himself, or with Edric, and he never seemed to speak more than a few words to anyone, unless it was something of importance... I continued to analyse the situation as it unfolded before me, although I did keep my Dragon Slayer's senses tuned for any sudden shift that could mean that Hugo was attempting something. The male wasn't as unreadable as Thomas, however his skills and powers were still unknown to me, and so I could not be fully prepared for everything he might try. The dark-haired Ice Mage beside me shifted, however he didn't act. He's watching and waiting too… I noted to myself as Hugo continued to speak.

"Despite the difficulty, however, as you can see we have successfully manage to hole the ex-Patriarch up in a neat little cell," Hugo stated to Thomas, before laughing, "Although, he won't have long in there, since in two days' time we intend, that is my master's, intend to put a permanent end to the previous Patriarchy, and begin ourselves anew down the correct path" Hugo stated. Thomas frowned upon hearing this.

"You intend to put yourselves down the 'correct path' by following the wrong directions?" the boy commented, earning a slightly confused look from the sabre-wielding man. Seeing this expression on Hugo's face, Thomas elaborated. "That is to say; you call me inhuman and robotic because I show little emotion, yet you and your group will do anything and disregard any moral code just for the sake of your 'justice'. I guess that makes you a hypocrite of sorts" Thomas stated with a flat, unargumentative voice. This riled Hugo up greatly.

"You… you call me a hypocrite? You mock the justice we seek?" the man said in an increasingly angry tone. "I have done much wrong, I admit, and although I may be many things… I am no hypocrite!" he roared, before brandishing his blade, "And even if I was, I would never... never accept being called it by the likes of you, child of the Zollzero" Hugo barked, pointing the tip of the sabre right at Thomas's heart. The blond laughed at the gesture.

"You do not accept being called it by me? That's understandable" the boy commented, before pointing, "However, what I don't understand is why you're even bothering with that empty threat, there is nothing that you can do in this situation with that flimsy weapon you wield" Thomas added. Hugo almost looked ready to leap upon hearing this; I tensed my body, just in case I would need to react, or dive into Shadow-Form suddenly.

"You would do well not to underestimate me, child" Hugo scowled, his eyes narrowing down onto the boy in front of him with an almost predatory look. "For one, what's to stop me from killing all these people here, you included? You may be a powerful mage; however, you are also a user of Archive Magic, magic designed to be used for defence and information transfer only… what could you really do to stop me now, at this very moment, from killing all of you and making my escape?" Hugo's tone was laced with so much venom it almost sounded inhuman.

Thomas smirked wickedly upon hearing these words; it was an expression that seemed very alien on his childish features. "What could I do?" he parroted, before shrugging dismissively. "Nothing… right now. However, I wouldn't even need to, for what I have already done has ensured your defeat, Hugo" he added, with a confidence that could only have been matched by his twin. Hugo furrowed his brows upon hearing this. What does he mean 'already done'… has he planted some sort of trap spell?

Hugo looked as though he was about to question the boy further, however as he attempted to take a small step forward, a sudden blur of motion caught his action, making us all jump in the process. "What th- you!" Hugo spat, as the sound of steel clashing rang out across the evening air. Kenji smiled, his wizened features seemingly unperturbed by the ridiculous speed at which he had just arrived to deliver that attack, the twin katana in each of his hand being held back solely by Hugo's lone sabre. Kenji's here… wait... his swords… one's on fire and the other one looks like… it's coated in ice? Does he also use magic swords?

"Hello, my ex-pupil" the older sword master greeted his dark-haired opponent. Hugo smiled predatorily.

"Hello, my traitorous ex-master" he replied, in a tone both devoid of emotion, and yet full of bitter rage.

Thomas smiled, before bringing up his own Archive screen, which displayed a rough map of Magnolia, along with numerous other pieces of data. "Well timed Kenji" he commented flatly.

The older Mage nodded. "Yes, Master Arthur always does have a knack for getting people to a place on time" he replied. Hugo looked between the pair for a moment, before using his strength to push back on his blades and force some distance between Kenji and himself, although his sabre remained within striking distance of the old man.

"So… you used Archive before to contact Kenji and Arthur and then stalled me?" Hugo muttered, seeking confirmation from Thomas with a continued glare. The boy nodded, not even looking away from his Archive screen for a moment. And he's already reverted back to how he usually is… I guess he was just stalling for time before then… I noted to myself, as I continued to watch what was occurring with increasing interest, but also increasing worry. To my side, Gray looked increasingly angry, and bored. I hope he doesn't end up losing it and charging in like Sting usually does… that never ends well I added mentally, making sure to keep my own restraint in check whilst also simultaneously preparing to grab Gray if he looked as though he were about to do something stupid. "Damn it" Hugo cursed after a moment, "And after I spent so long spreading those rumours to keep this damned old timer on the other side of town" he added with a slightly cocky tone of voice. Kenji laughed upon hearing this; it was a cold gesture, since his face didn't seem to shift one millimetre from his stock stone-faced expression.

"Your lies are not nearly as good as Arthur's or Edric's, and especially not as believable as Lady Medea's… we didn't believe them for one second, however we did act to make you think that we did" Kenji commented, before holding up one of his blades to point toward Hugo with its tip. "We have been prepared for your attack for quite some time now, useless pupil of mine" he added.

Hugo gave an angry grunt at Kenji's comments, before he sidestepped a stray attack that was sent from Thomas and Makarov's position. "Aw damn, I missed" Haruki commented, standing in the same suit he had been wearing when I was sitting with him a little while ago. The teen boy grinned at his grandfather. "However, Gramps, don't tell lies… it wasn't you or Master Arthur who saw through his lies, it was Lady Medea, and of course, Edric too" Haruki added with a vaguely amused tone, earning a scolding look from Kenji.

"Haruki, do not give out unnecessary information so willingly…" the older man stated, just as Medea, Edric and Arthur all appeared out of the same shimmering, red portal that Haruki had just stepped from.

"Oh great, all of you are here now…" Hugo complained in a bitter tone.

Edric chuckled. "Yes, the Zollzero's are back together again… although I suppose we shouldn't call ourselves that on account of our banishment" the teen mused. As soon as Edric had spoken, I noticed Gray become very alert, and I realised he was about to ask something. Just in case he got angry by the response I prepared to restrain him. I don't want him losing it and rushing Hugo when everything's going so well… that definitely will not accomplish anything…

"How's Juvia doing?" the Ice Mage barked out, earning Edric's attention. The Dice Mage smiled, before shooting him a thumbs-up.

"She'll be fine, she was just rattled. Mirajane gave her some water to drink and tended to any minor injuries" Edric confirmed cheerily, before returning his attention once more toward his black-haired foe. I noticed Gray relax a little upon hearing this, and smiled to myself. Although he complains about her advances, and he worries that I might somehow get angry at him because of them, I know he cares for her… as a friend I thought, before a sudden noise drew my attention.

"Alright, I think it's time I do what needs to be done" Arthur called out, magic flowing around his person as he took two steps towards the mind-manipulating Sword Mage. Hugo smirked at the eldest of the Zollzero Patriarch's children.

"You intend to kill me then? Gaining no information?" Hugo commented, in a tone that was unafraid. Arthur grinned slightly, before shaking his head.

"No, that would be stupid in this situation" he replied, earning a vague nod of agreement from Kenji and the others. "Instead, I would like to give you one, and only one, chance to give yourself up willingly; otherwise, I will use my power to trap you within a Territory until all of your magic is drained from both your body and that damned sword" Arthur laid out his terms in a firm and level tone of voice, his eyes steeled against intimidation and threat. Hugo scowled at the young male for a moment, before shrugging.

"I guess that would be reasonable" he stated, sheathing his sword, "However, I much prefer my plan of escape" he added with a laugh. Arthur furrowed his brows visibly. I tensed upon hearing this, expecting Hugo to leap at any moment and attack or even try to flee on foot. With my shadow I should be able to reach him the fastest, and he can't cut me in shadow form I thought quickly, preparation making my muscles like well wound springs.

"You can't possible still think you can escape, Hugo… not with all of us here to stop you" Arthur stated in a confused voice. Hugo laughed again, before nodding.

"Of course, I don't think I can escape… no, I think that we are going to escape… in about three seconds" the ebony-haired man commented. Arthur and the others all frowned in confusion, however I realised, too late, that Hugo had an odd scent about him.

"He's got a lacrima in his pocket!" I shouted suddenly, as my well-honed Dragon Slayer eyes locked onto the very tiny flicker of light beneath the material of his trousers. Hugo turned his head to me, with a grin on his face.

"So now you notice Dragon Slayer" he stated, just as a figure appeared in a blur of motion. "However, it was too late. Good day everyone" with that the figure grabbed him and teleported away without so much as a single word being uttered. Arthur and the other's stood dumb-struck, the sheer annoyance clear as day on their faces. We had him… right in front of us… surrounded… and we couldn't… capture… him… the surprise hit me pretty hard too.

Arthur let out the longest, angriest list of profanities I had heard in a long time. Just then, a newcomer voice broke out across the guild hall's courtyard. "H-hey, guy's… what… what happened here?" Natsu asked, as he and Sting walked in panting, their eyes glancing over the scene with intrigue.

Just in time… I mused silently to myself, frustration still growing in my chest. After a moment another thought occurred, that, at least, satiated my anger for a while. At least Gray's safe…

/

Fairy Tail Guild, Autumn

Year X792

Sting Eucliffe

We all sat down in the building's bar, trying to understand what had happened. Most of it came as quite a surprise for Natsu and I, since we had apparently missed a great deal in the half-hour that we were late for our meeting with Edric and the others. "So… is someone gonna explain all this from the beginning?" I asked, as I gratefully accepted a beer from Mirajane. Makarov nodded, drinking from his own cup.

"Yes, an explanation would be helpful. I thought you said we wouldn't be attacked again, Arthur" the old man commented, before setting his aged gaze upon the blond-haired Spatial Mage. Arthur accepted the look humbly, before frowning.

"It wasn't within our expectations to have them come directly to us" he replied, in a tone that emphasised their own confusion into the matter.

"But I thought you said that you were aware they were here in Magnolia?" Gray asked as he sat down next to Rogue. Erza nodded.

"Yes, it would appear that you should have expected some form of attack" the red-head concurred. Kenji stood forward to answer.

"That was a… lie" he stated, his face as rigid as ever. "You see, I knew I needed to make a little time for Master Arthur to pick up Medea and Edric, so I distracted him by mocking his plan" he added in detail.

I pouted upon hearing this. "So, they managed to get here without you knowing?" I asked the Zollzero eldest.

Arthur shrugged. "We knew that something was going on, because all of my father's contacts went quiet, however… we never suspected something this bad had occurred" he explained. Makarov nodded in understanding; having seen those images himself he understood how brutal the world these children lived in must be.

"It would concern anyone, naturally, to see their father in such a beat-up state" the old man said in a sympathetic voice. Arthur looked towards Makarov and furrowed his brows.

"What was…" his mind raced for a moment, before he realised. "Oh… those pictures, they were not what I meant by bad" he stated, earning odd looks from several present.

"But, that was your dad" Gray stated in a confused mutter. Arthur smirked.

"Yes, that's true, but remember we were going to be the ones to take him down. Seeing him beat up was probably the best thing to come out of this" Arthur stated in an uncaring tone, before resuming his withdrawn expression. "No, what I meant was that our cousins have finally made their move, and we were unprepared. If we're not careful about this it's likely that we could be looking at our own deaths here" he stated, before glancing around at his siblings. "All of our deaths" he corrected. He really cares about his siblings… I noted silently to myself.

Makarov frowned at the Zollzero children. "Do you mean that your cousins, or whoever this is behind all this, intend to kill you?" the old man asked. Edric gave a saddened expression.

"Yeah" he confirmed for Arthur, "We… don't really get on" he added in a tone much more muted than his usual.

Arthur looked to Edric, before looking back towards those of us assembled at the bar. "I think it may help if I explain things fully here, however… before I do I want to make a formal plea to your guilds, Fairy Tail and Sabertooth" Arthur stated. I looked to Makarov upon hearing this, however the old man maintained eye-contact with the blond Zollzero.

"What's your request?" he asked in a no-nonsense tone. Arthur smiled slightly to the old man, whilst maintaining his own air of dignity.

"I wish to ask for your assistance in this matter. In return… I will surrender all earnings the Zollzero has claimed from your guilds, if we are successful that is" Arthur stated. Makarov and I both smiled upon hearing this.

"Alright, we're listening" we both said in unison.

Arthur chuckled. "Okay… now, where to begin…" he muttered.

/

"Well, I guess I should start with who it is we're exactly up against" Arthur began, addressing the group, who now also included several other nosey bystanders from within the guildhall, such as Lucy, Romeo, Wendy, Carla, Happy, Maccao and Wakaba. "You see, in our family it has always been a rule of strength that has decided who would be the Patriarch, and that is where the rift between us and our cousins begins. The foe we face, our deceased uncle's twin boys, Aaron and Adam Zollzero, have particularly despised our father since the time of his ascension to the position of leadership over our family and their allies" Arthur paused for a moment to allow this to sink in. Makarov nodded in understanding.

"Alright, so it's those two cousins who you're fighting. But who are these other guys that have attacked us so far?" the old Mage asked. Arthur smirked.

"They are servants of our cousins, and people who used to serve our father loyally. The name they go by is the Blade Troupe, an elite fighting force of bladed-weapon specialists, each of which wields a magical weapon" Arthur stated, before looking to Thomas. As if on cue, the teenage Archive Mage brought up a screen large enough for everyone to see, displaying the five individuals that Natsu, Gray, Rogue and I faced in the abandoned building back in Sabertooth's town.

"These are the five members of the Blade Troupe, ex-pupils of Kenji and each a warrior in their own right. From left to right they are; Hugo, Caspian, Andor, Argent and Vance" Thomas stated aloud, before making a gesture that enlarged the image of Hugo displayed on the screen. "The man who arrived here earlier was Hugo, their leader. He is a wielder of a sabre-type blade, nicknamed the Mind's Eye. As its name suggests, with each cut it can deliver a curse that will continue to grow until it consumes the host and grants him full control over their mind and actions" Thomas made another gesture and the picture of Hugo diminished. In its place the image of Caspian, the red-headed scimitar wielder that Natsu and I had fought in the alley by the bar a while ago, grew to an enlarged size. "This is Caspian. He is a user of a scimitar-type blade, and also practices a small amount of Elemental Magic as well as some Telepathy, not that it is really all that strong. His weapon is named the Touch of Hypnos and allows him, through a cut, to put a person to sleep, controlling their body whilst they are unconscious. This also can be used to implant subconscious thoughts into an individual if they are already asleep when cut, to active later at his whim" Thomas continued his explanation, before flicking the image of Caspian away to instead enlarge the next picture, showing the picture of the youngest in the Blade Troupe, brown hair sticking up at all odd angles. "This is Andor, the youngest in the Blade Troupe, and by all accounts the most dangerous one amongst them. His weapon of choice is a dagger, named Edge of Reality. With just one cut he can slowly diminish your ability to perceive your environment, and with subsequent cuts can continually weaken each of your five senses. In a worst-case scenario, he can leave you blind, deaf, unable to feel, unable to smell, and unable to taste anything. His power means his victims will not see his attacks coming, be warned of this. He was not a member of the original Troupe, but betrayed our family later and joined their side" Thomas gave an unusually stressed tone when explaining this guy's powers. My mind flickered back momentarily to the time we had faced the group. He was always really cocky… was that because he thought his power was unbeatable? I pondered on this whilst Thomas brought up the next image. This one depicted the burly, silver-haired man who had done nothing but stare and growl angrily during our earlier confrontation with the group. "This is Argent. He is perhaps the most physically powerful of the group. His weapon of choice is a greatsword, called Primal Urgency. This weapon allows him to massively increase his strength and speed, but at the cost of his humanity. The more he uses this power the less reasonable he will become. In any interaction with him, caution is advised, and it would be likely reasoning with him would not work. Beat him down before he becomes too difficult to handle" Thomas explained, before removing the image of Argent to replace it with the final member of the group; the brunette called Vance. "The final member is Vance. He is a longsword wielder with very little known about his past or his skills. He always went on solo missions when he was part of our family's organisation. His weapon is the Greater Agony and through its curse, allows him to enhance or weaken any physical aspect about an individual. This means he can increase the amount of pain you feel by cutting you, or desensitise himself against feeling pain by cutting his person. He also can make you feel tired, decrease your speed and strength, and overall just weaken your skills with each blow he delivers to you. Like Argent, he is a foe you would be best defeating quickly, since he doesn't respond well to reasoning" Thomas finished his summary promptly, making his screen vanish instantly after speaking. With his brother finished his explanation, Arthur continued.

"As you can see we face some dangerous foes; these Blade Troupe are skilled, as too are our cousins. Now, though, if you would let me, I would like to explain a little of the reason behind this feud, then perhaps you can make a decision about how you wish to proceed" Arthur looked towards Makarov and I to see if this was okay. I just shrugged and looked to Makarov, who nodded with anticipation.

"Go on, you can. It might help us have the edge, if we accept your proposal" he stated, earning a slight smile from Arthur.

"Alright, so, to begin with I should say our cousins are about the same age as Medea, that is to say about nineteen. I am twenty-one, and so I am the only person here who even vaguely remembers the events that happened sixteen years ago" Arthur stated, pausing for a moment as he obviously decided how to tell this story. Once he had chosen his words he smiled.

"It is tradition in our family, started by my Great-Great-Grandfather, that regardless of age, the child to take the position as Patriarch must kill the previous one. This may seem a little extreme, however by following this rule our family has avoided unnecessary bloodshed between brothers for these last few generations. That was until the time of our Grandfather, the previous Zollzero Patriarch" Arthur paused for a moment to allow this to sink in. "You see, although our father now holds the title of "world's greatest assassin", that role originally belong to our Grandfather. Our Grandfather was a surprisingly kind man, towards his family at least, and he adored his two sons most of all, our father and our uncle. He was also a skilled fighter and practitioner of Territory Magic, just like me" Arthur grinned cockily as he mentioned this.

Edric chuckled slightly. "So, you say, yet if I remember rightly it was more me and Medea who were fighting our father last time" the teen chirped up, earning an annoyed look from the elder brother.

"Well, that was because I couldn't reveal all my tricks just at that moment, Edric, and you know it" Arthur retorted, before rolling his eyes. "Anyways… our Grandfather was such a skilled user of this magic that he had developed a secret technique, thought to be unbeatable by any Swordsman or Mage, the Dominion spell. With this he could manifest a bubble of Spatial Magic around his person that he could use to control time itself, and according to every surviving record, he would use this spell twenty-four hours a day, including when he was sleeping. This made it impossible for either my father and his brother to sneak up on my Grandfather and subsequently kill him. Thus, a stalemate was reached between them" Arthur once again paused to let this information sink in. I decided to take the opportunity to ask a lingering question I had been withholding.

"So, if it was impossible, did that mean your Father used another means to become the Patriarch?" I asked Arthur, who smiled.

"A good guess, and yes, it is partially correct. You see, my uncle, unlike my father, was not a man to take things into his own hands. Whilst my father uses Speed Magic and Telekinesis to kill up close and personally, my uncle was a Telepath, who had a much more interesting way of committing his crimes. Using his own secret technique, my uncle could place thoughts into another's mind, effectively allowing him to control them subconsciously. This way he could get others to commit the crimes, and he would still reap the rewards" everyone frowned upon hearing this news.

"That's terrible!" Lucy exclaimed, earning a nod of contempt from Erza.

"Agreed" the red-head stated. Arthur smirked.

"For the Zollzero's this is business" he commented, before shrugging. "However, that is not important. What is key is that my uncle was the only person capable of using a spell that could circumvent my Grandfather's Dominion. This led him to make a plan, alongside my father. In true Zollzero fashion, the pair attacked my grandfather whilst he was eating his dinner one night. According to records, my uncle charged in, unleashing a psychic attack strong enough to send my Grandfather reeling, his defence temporarily withdrawn to his mind. At that moment, our father rushed in using Speed Magic, and then, using his Telekinesis, crushed our Grandfather's heart whilst it was still inside his chest. This left our father dealing the killing blow, however he was not supposed to take the Patriarchy, as he had secretly agreed with our uncle to allow him to have the Patriarchy in his place" Arthur paused for a moment, to eagerly observe the faces of all those he had enthralled with his story-telling skills. Suddenly a hand shot up; it was Lucy.

"But he didn't allow his brother, your uncle, to have the position, right?" the blond-haired Celestial Mage asked. Arthur nodded.

"Correct, well guessed. Our father instead broke his pact, and took the position for himself. This led to a great rift in all the members of our household, and the Zero Star guild, who were split between serving our father, the one whom had dealt the killing blow, and our uncle, the 'rightful' Patriarch of the family, as per their agreement. Naturally, there was some fighting about this, however our uncle left quite quickly after our father crushed any defiance, taking his sons, our cousins, with him" Arthur once again paused, although for a shorter time than previously. "He didn't return until sixteen years ago, when they and Medea were only three. He had apparently used a forbidden technique, the same that has apparently been used on Laxus here in your guild, Makarov, to bind lacrima to each of their bodies. Unlike Laxus, however, their lacrima contain the power of Devil Slayers" Arthur looked directly at Makarov as he stated this. Makarov frowned hearing this.

"So, Ivan wasn't the only one who knew about that spell…" the old man muttered in disgust. Arthur nodded.

"Yes, although it surprises me more that someone other than our family would have familiarity to it" Arthur commented, earning a furrowed brow of intrigue from the older Master.

"How so?" he asked. Arthur smiled.

"Just as a little tangential aside, our family were not meant to be the bunch we are today. Originally, we were a clan of researchers, who's studies into magic gave us great fame and fortune. It was only by the discovery of a secret technique in my Great-Great-Great Grandfather's time that led us down the path we are now on. You see, our Great-Great Grandfather had no intention of continuing the family research, instead leading a group of bandits. After learning of the then newly discovered technique for increasing magic power, he assaulted and killed his own family, taking the skill and using it for himself. His actions then set us on course for what was to become our family's 'businesses' of assassination, infiltration, theft, and other devious deeds" Arthur said all of this with a despair that I had never heard in his voice before. Gray nodded in time with this information.

"You mentioned a while ago that you wanted to make your family researchers again, right?" the Ice Mage piped up. Arthur smiled a little more happily at this.

"Yes, it is our joint aim and goal, and also the cause of our father's scorn towards us, to return our family to its roots" Arthur confirmed, before continuing on with this previous story. "Anyways, back to our cousins… naturally our uncle returned to challenge our father for the position of Patriarch, however he had come with a cunning plan of his own. Realising that he could not overcome our father in a direct battle of strength, our uncle had hidden an explosive lacrima on his person, with just enough juice to kill one person. I remember watching this duel, however it is all a bit of a blur, since I was so young at the time. After talking for a few moments, our uncle threw something towards our father, however our father, not realising what it was, used his Telekinesis to redirect it upwards, towards the ceiling. The subsequent explosion caused the roof to collapse, and whilst our father could escape the falling debris unharmed, using Telekinesis to hold up a few rocks… our uncle was not so lucky. He was crushed to death" Arthur gave a solemn tone as he recounted this section of his own past. After a little moment of silence, the Territory Mage picked up and finished his story.

"So… anyways, our uncle's death was quite a blow to the family. Some accused our father of planning it, and left our service, these were namely Kenji's pupils, who had been quite close to our uncle, as well as a few other members, such as the man you saw earlier whom teleported Hugo out of that situation… annoyingly" Arthur finished his speech with a smile. "And now you know the real reason our cousins are targeting us; revenge… they intend to take the Patriarchy, however unlike me and my siblings, they will likely turn the Zollzero business into the most horrific imaginable, fuelled by an unquenchable rage. We cannot let this happen, and so… we implore your guilds to help us, for both the future stability of Fiore and the resuscitation of a long-condemned family" Arthur looked expectantly towards Makarov and I as he said this. I smiled to myself, before glancing over at Rogue, sitting with Gray. The Shadow Dragon Slayer gave me a cold-faced expression and a nod. That means it's up to me… I thought to myself, before glancing over at Natsu and Makarov in turn. The pinkette's eyes practically glowed with passion; he obviously wanted to help these people. And also get his own personal revenge for what they've put us through I noted mentally. Makarov just smiled at me.

With a nod to the old man we both met Arthur's gaze, our eyes steeled with decision. "Alright, we'll help" we both said in unison, "If you keep your end of the deal" Makarov added with a wink.

Arthur laughed. "I thought you might say that, so… let's talk plans" the Territory Mage stated, rubbing his hands together in anticipation, along with Thomas, who then detailed their own idea for a plan of attack on their family base, where their cousins were surely hiding.

After listening, Makarov and I both agreed to it, and I immediately set off with Rogue for Sabertooth, much to the annoyance of Gray and Natsu, who still wanted to have their triple date. I just shrugged at the pinkette as he followed me out of the guild discretely that evening. "Just think, after this we can go on as many dates as we want without having to look over our shoulder" I stated. Natsu pouted.

"But… we can do that now, so why leave right this instant?"

I laughed. "Because we just said we only have two days to get ready, so it needs to be now… don't worry though, after this I'm gonna take you out for the biggest meal you can imagine and then… maybe… maybe we can start telling people about us, alright?" the pinkette's eyes danced with fire, an odd mixture of uncertainty, want, and love clear in the dark orbs.

After a moment's hesitation, Natsu kissed me sweetly, and then nodded. "Alright, first we beat the crap outta these kids, then we have our date" he agreed. I nodded in agreement also.

"Now, I gotta go, thing's have got to be planned if we want this to be successful" I stated. Natsu smiled.

"When did you become such a model Guildmaster?" he asked sarcastically. I pouted.

"Since I became a Master, now… are you gonna let go of my arm now nor not?" I looked down at where the Fire Dragon had gripped my sleeve as I had moved to leave with Rogue. Natsu smiled, before letting go.

"Sorry, now get going, the sooner this gets done the sooner-"

I cut off the pinkette with a laugh. "Yeah yeah, see ya later" I stated, before turning to follow Rogue.

The Shadow Dragon Slayer smiled at me as we left. "And here I thought Gray was clingy" he mused.

I just smirked at him. "You're lucky you're the only Dragon Slayer in your relationship" I replied.

He laughed alongside me as we headed towards the… train station.

Desperate times… call for… desperate measures I thought to myself as we entered the dreaded place.

Although… I do kinda wish we had at least gone on the date before all of this happened…

/

Zollzero Mansion, Autumn Time,

Year X792

General Perspective

The Zero Star guild, fresh from their betrayal, celebrated with a large party in the guild building that was placed just within the bounds of the Zollzero territory. Wine, drink and food flowed freely, allowed at the benevolence of their new master's will. Everyone was enjoying themselves. Just as the party was in full swing, however, the unlucky pair of sentries who had been outside came rushing in, breathless. "What the hell's going on?" the Number Two Mage in the puppet guild, who had recently taken the position of Guild Master when Kenji had been banished by the soon-to-be-previous Patriarch, demanded in an angry tone.

The sentries shook their heads. "They've… broken the door… they're coming…" they panted desperately, their voices brimming with fear and worry. The new Guild Master frowned.

"Who's comin-" he didn't even get to finish his sentence as a wall exploded in a shower of brick and debris.

"Fairy Tail…" a voice called out; it was Laxus, leading a large cohort of Fairy Tail's wizards.

"And Sabertooth" Minerva added, herself leading a group of Sabertooth's finest.

"Has arrived" They finished in unison.

/

"Looks like Laxus and the others have gone inside" Gray commented from his position watching the first battle of the night unfold, hidden in amongst the numerous trees of the Zollzero estate. Edric grinned.

"Then I guess it's our time to move, everyone knows what they've got to do, right?" he looked between his own force, consisting of Gray, Natsu, Lucy, Sting and Rogue. They nodded.

"Yeah" Natsu smirked wickedly. Sting pouted and tapped the pinkette's shoulder.

"Don't look so happy about this" the White Dragon scolded. Natsu laughed.

"But you're smiling just as much as me" he mused. Sting rolled his eyes, before looking back to Edric, who was smiling between the pair.

"Alright, since everyone's ready, let's go… we need to meet up with Thomas and the others at the doors, if everything goes to plan. Stick close, it's easy to get lost in here" he stated, before heading off in amongst some very nondescript scrub. The group all nodded in understanding, before they made their way through the forest, following Edric towards what would become the second site of battle in that night's events.

Sure enough, as they approached the secret back-door to the Zollzero Mansion, Edric's small force was met by Thomas, Arthur, Medea, Haruki, Kenji, Juvia and Erza, who had taken another way in just to be careful and avoid too large a force being detected in one go. Unfortunately, however, they were also met with another, more unwelcome force.

The Blade Troupe, in full assembly, stood ready, guarding the way ahead. "We meet again" Hugo grinned as he stared down the larger force.

Arthur smiled. "Hello, idealistic follower of the wrong path" he replied.

End of Chapter 28

Chapter Hint; Topple the Troupe