Back with the next chapter!
"Speaking"
""thinking""
On with the story
In the forest
Elfman and Ever was looking over Natsu who was lying on a crater that was scorched
"hey, Natsu. wake up!" Elfman shakes the man's shoulder as he wasn't waking up
"what could've caused him to become like this?" Ever said as she can't believe that Natsu's magic could just go berserk all of the sudden
"uuughh" Natsu groaned as he opened his eyes slowly
"Natsu!" Elfman exclaimed as he helps the man stand up
"i…what happened?" Natsu muttered out while holding his head
"you were out light," Elfman told him as Natsu stands up
"what the heck happen to you?" Ever asked him as the two explained Natsu how he went crazy for a moment
"where did he go?" Natsu asked them as he looks around the scorched area
"when we got here, he was gone" Elfman said before they felt a rumbling sensation
Natsu looks to where the sound came from as he heard running coming towards them
"someone is coming" Natsu said as Elfman and Ever got ready, in case that it was an enemy
"help!" a familiar voice shouted out as Levy came running towards them
"Levy?!" they exclaimed in surprise as they see her falling down with bruises and injuries on her
"what happened?!" Ever went to her as she helps her up
"Gajeel…enemy….got attacked" Levy muttered out before passing out from exhaustion
"stay here with her, Ever. Elfman. Your' with me" Natsu said as Elfman nodded and the two went to where Levy came running out of
The two reached to an opening where they see Gajeel on the ground with two strangers lying beside him, defeated
"what the heck happen here?" Elfman said as he and Natsu went to help Gajeel up
"that symbol" Natsu said as he looks at one of the stranger's equipment as sees a dark guilds' symbol
""Grimoire Heart""
He thought as he had a bad feeling about this
"Elfman, you get Gajeel out of here with Ever and Levy. The exam is suspended, we got some uninvited people here" Natsu told to him
"you think that guy from last time is with them?" Elfman asked him while carrying up Gajeel up to his shoulder
"maybe, but I'm not sure" Natsu said as he took a deep breath and fired a fireball up to the air that made a red signal appeared in the sky
With the others
In the middle of the island, Lucy and Cana stared into the sky, the latter's face slowly twisting with anger. "Why now?!" she roared, frustration taking the better of her. "Why did this have to happen today?! We're so close to the finishing line!"
"Nothing we can do, Cana." Lucy put her hand on brunette's shoulder. "It's only suspended. There's a chance it's a false alarm, and it'll be resumed."
She wanted to argue, but deep down, she knew her personal feelings had no place here right now. Cana slowly nodded, receiving a reassuring smile from Lucy in return.
Gray and Loke, who've been tailing the pair for quite a while now looked at each other and nodded, before coming out from the bushes.
"Yo." greeted them Gray, his right hand raised.
Lucy blinked in confusion. "Gray? What are you doing here?"
"Pure coincidence." he replied quickly. "But it's a good thing we met you. There are enemies on the island, best to stay together."
"Let's head to the emergency meeting spot. We have to filled in on what's going on here." added Loke.
Lucy nodded, with Cana doing the same a moment later, although not as eagerly.
with The Exceeds
Pantherlily and Charla flew over the coast, searching for Mest and Wendy.
Their already bad feeling has been fed by the flare shot out in the sky, which Lily recognized as a signal of approaching enemies.
"Can't things just stay quiet for once?! How did they even get here?" Charla shouted in annoyance
"It is possible they sneaked in on the same ship as we did." noted Lily.
After couple more minutes of flying, the pair of Exceeds spotted the man in question, who was standing on the edge of a cliff, staring into the vast ocean with Wendy beside him, making flower rings
"Mest!" called out Charla, catching the man's attention. He slowly turned around in their direction, surprise written on his face.
"Charla? Lily? What are you two doing here?" Wendy asked the two as Charla got in front of Wendy
"We've been looking for you." Charla answered her
"But more importantly, have you seen the signal?" she asked Wendy who shook her head as a no
Mest blinked in confusion. "What signal? I haven't seen anything."
Lily's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Just who the hell are you?"
Now the man was completely lost. "What do you mean, who am I….I'm Mest, Mystogan's disciple-"
Before he could even react, Mest felt a giant fist fly by his right cheek, as it smashed into the rock placed behind him. He stared with eyes wide open, taking the sight of an enraged Pantherlily, now in his true, battle form.
"If this is a poor attempt of a joke, then I suggest you drop it immediately." Lily told him
"the Prince never took any disciple in this world, but I applaud you for using someone's name who is no longer here"
Cold sweat ran down his face. "I...I don't know what you're talking about!" Mest tried to defend himself.
"You can probably use magic that allows you to alter memories of other people. You cast it on other members and then pretended to be one of them. However, even without the bit about the Prince, your story is almost as full of holes as a wheel of cheese. Starting with the fact, that you've been absent from the guild for months, and you did not even bother to put the new members under you control after reappearing. Me included. You probably never even suspected someone could doubt you."
Charla watched the scene, slightly impressed by her friend. As expected of a former military commander.
"On top of that" continued Lily. "you appear to not even know what the signal sent out earlier means. Tell me the truth. While you still can."
Mest's expression changed. Now it expressed pure annoyance. He opened his mouth to speak out, but he froze in this position, his mouth slightly agape, his gaze glued to something behind Pantherlily. Suddenly, he vanished, surprising the Exceed.
""He disappeared?! No…Teleportation Magic!""
Mest appeared in front of Charla and Wendy and before they could realise, he grabbed them and clutched tight to his chest, before jumping to his right.
A massive chain of explosions plowed down the place she was hovering in, dust and pieces of the cliff flying in all directions.
Once it calmed down, he released the two from his arms, his gaze focused on the tree up ahead.
"An attack? What is going on in here?!" Lily exclaimed.
Charla stared at Mest, shocked.
""He guarded us?""
"Who are you?! Show yourself!" demanded Mest.
Suddenly, the tree started to shake, with something that resembled a man shaping out of it, his face growing out of the trunk.
"Well done finding me." he praised, as he continued to grow out of the tree.
"A person is growing out of the tree?!" questioned Charla, having never seen such absurd in her life
"Who are you?!" Lily repeated Mest's earlier question. He sensed tremendous magic from the man, who was more than likely an enemy.
"My name is Azuma." stated the man, his head now out of the tree. "One of the Seven Kin of Purgatory."
"Grimoire Heart?" repeated Pantherlily in confusion.
"One of the dark guilds." explained Charla.
"I see." Mest's eyes narrowed. "So the previous signal was to announce an enemy attack."
"And, as you can see, it was launched slightly too late." mocked him Azuma, his torso now freed from its prison.
Mest started to chuckle to himself nervously. "Of course...I should have expected, that if I infiltrated Fairy Tail's Holy Land, then a few questionable things would have popped out." He then covered his face with his palm, his body now slightly shaking. "But Grimoire Heart on top of Black Wizard Zeref?! Give me a damn break..."
"Just who the hell are you?" questioned him Charla.
Mest turned around and looked at the cat, a nervous grin on his face. "Haven't you realised it yet? I'm with the Council. I've been put in here to find evidence good enough to take Fairy Tail out for good."
"Oh?" hummed Azuma from his tree, clearly intrigued by the confession.
"But it looks like my mission has failed. Time for a change of plans." grinned Mest and looked at the ocean once again with a confident look.
The Exceeds and Azuma looked in that direction as well. On the horizon, there was a giant ship approaching the island, with the Council's sigil on its sails.
"To think a guild with an unknown location such as yourself would come directly into my trap. It must be my lucky day!" exclaimed Mest. "This battleship was originally intended to carry the members of Fairy Tail after I've found them guilty, but it will do just fine for you demons! I am taking you all under arrest!"
Azuma slowly directed his gaze back onto Mest. He was now completely out of the tree, his arms crossed on his chest. He was standing perpendicularly on the trunk. "Battleship?" he questioned. "Are you talking about that?"
Suddenly, the ship blew up, a massive explosion swallowing it in a matter of a second. Pieces of scorched wood, metal and bodies flew up in the air, with a giant mushroom of fire and smoke expanding on the surface of the water, shocking the other three. They were speechless.
Azuma scoffed and jumped down, his feet now fully on the ground. He had dark skin, with thick brown hair and a goatee. He wore silver earrings in the shapes of a crescent moon pointing downwards, with a leather armor and dark-green pants with widened pantlegs.
"Now then, Mister Official." he said as he cracked his neck. "Would you mind if I began my job now?"
Lily readied for a fight as he knew that this man was dangerous
At a certain cave
Makarov stared at the grave with guilt filled eyes, before closing them. "First Master, Mavis Vermillion..." he uttered quietly. He then bowed down. "Please forgive me. I have invited enemies onto this holy land. Words cannot express how disappointed you must be at this moment. I take full responsibility."
He straightened himself up and opened his eyes. "I absolutely accept any form of punishment you wish to inflict upon me. Therefore, please...protect these kids from harm." he begged, and bowed once again. He picked up his previously casted aside bottle and took couple more sips, before putting it back on the ground and walking away from the grave.
Back with the Exceeds
Lily kicked the ground and rushed at Azuma with a beastly roar. The man has simply raised his right arm in response, aiming it at the cat.
"Bleve!"
Pantherlily was swallowed by a point-blank explosion. Azuma stayed in his spot, curious of the state his opponent was in. Much to his joy, the Exceed emerged with light injuries and struck him with an uppercut, landing beneath his chin, which blew him back.
With all of his expectations lost, Azuma put his head back in its position, completely rid of damage. Disappointed by his opponent's strength, he scoffed and jumped back.
Before Lily could follow through with another attack, he spotted multiple glowing particles around him, which then blew up, swallowing him with yet another explosion. Lily cried out in pain inside the explosion. Mest and Charla who were watching from the side have been blown away by the wind pressure.
After a short while the dust has gone down, revealing injured Pantherlily. Although he managed to put up his guard at the last possible moment, he still received heavy damage, his forehead split and bleeding, as well as many cuts and burns all over his body. Damn it. If only I had a sword…
"Oh? You can still stand?" questioned impressed Azuma and pointed at the cat with his hand once again. Lily grit his teeth and spread out his wings, flying up into the air just in time to avoid another explosion, with the ground beneath his feet blowing up into pieces.
"Mest, you fight too!" shouted Charla.
The man looked at her like she was insane. "What the hell are you talking about? I'm a member of the Council!"
"That doesn't matter right now!"
"I came here to destroy your guild in order to get a promotion, don't you understand it?! Why would I help you?!"
"Because even if you run away from here, you will still get killed once he's done with us! If you stay and help us, we still have a chance! He blew up your friends, right? Does that mean nothing to you?!"
Charla's words stung Mest deeply. Although it belonged to a different unit, he still had people he knew onboard. And they were more than likely gone now. The sheer thought ignited flames of anger he hasn't felt in years.
In the meantime, Pantherlily ducked right under a long chain of explosions, one of them catching the fur of his ear. He flew into the sky, another chain following him. He danced in the air before diving down, with yet another explosions flying in his direction. This time he had no means of dodging, and blocked it with his already injured arms.
"No matter where you go, my explosions will still reach you." proclaimed Azuma.
Fed up with the man, Lily grit his teeth in anger and dived down at Azuma in a straight line. Cursing his opponent's foolishness, the Kin released another Bleve. Lily let it come close to him, and using every bit of agility he had in him, he maneuverer out of the way and moved to his right, the attack passing him by. He then resumed his charge, his right fist readied to strike.
In the meantime, Mest teleported directly behind Azuma with a knife in his hand. He's surrounded. It's over!
"Pathetic." scoffed Azuma.
"Tower Burst!"
A giant tower of fire erupted from beneath Azuma, taking both Mest and Lily in, with Charla being struck by the wind pressure as well. The entire cliff has been blown up, with the tower flying high into the sky and expanding with each second.
Azuma looked down at the aftermath of his spell, with downed Mest and Lily lying right by hiss feet. The Exceed tried to stand up, only to fall out of his battle form and plop back onto the soil. Charla has been blown aside, completely unconscious.
""So this is one of the Seven Kin of Purgatory that the rumors spoke of…"" wondered Mest, a black curtain forming before his eyes.
"Is this guild made out of cats and spies? What a waste of time." questioned Azuma in disappointment, before walking away for a bit.
He then turned back around, his figure now facing the Tenrou Tree.
"If that is the truth, then I will deal with you all before the rest of the guild comes here. There may be no need for it, but I shall give the signal, just as how I was instructed to."
"S-signal? What signal?" asked him weakly Pantherlily.
"You can't miss it."
Azuma spread his arms out and then quickly clapped his hands. As soon as he did it, the whole island has started to shake, with a deafening, painful sound echoing throughout the island. The Exceed was forced to block his ears in pain, his eyes closed shut. Still, despite the pain, he slowly opened them, before feeling them widen in complete terror.
The Tenrou Tree has been blown up at the very base, pieces of its trunk flying in all directions, plunging themselves into the ground, ocean and rocks. A giant cloud of dust and smoke started to form around the blown up area, as the tree has started to slowly tilt to its right, falling.
Everyone on the island could not muster a single sound at the sight, as they all stared in shock and horror.
"What have you done?!" roared Lily.
"The Tenrou Tree provides those with the mark of Fairy Tail with divine protection and a boost in magic power. No one with your guild's mark can die on this island, as long as this tree is intact. I have destroyed this tree, thus taking your protection away. You have also lost your magic boosts, meaning everyone present on this island has been weakened. I have been setting this up long before your arrival on the island." explained Azuma as he turns away and leaves them as his mind was now focused on finding someone stronger to battle with.
""There are...six more people like him?"" panicked Mest, as the sound of the falling tree filled every fiber of his being.
""Fairy Tail has….no chance of winning…"" he concluded before losing consciousness.
At Grimoire Ship
Ultear walked out of her chamber and stretched, now clad in her usual battle uniform. She entered the main room of the ship, where everyone has already been assembled. At her sight, Zancrow raised his eyebrows and whistled, impressed.
"Damn Miss Ultear, you're unusually pumped up about this, aren't you?" he asked her with a smirk.
"I appreciate your compliment, Zancrow, but I don't think now is the time for this." she smirked in response.
"In his defence, I, too, think like this. To me, this is war. The sensation of excitement is only natural." said Caprico from the side.
"That's not what you said last time, though." remarked Zancrow.
"Opinions change."
"It's not really an opinion."
"I understand your feelings very well, my comrades." threw in Rustyrose while adjusting his glasses. "The sensation of the upcoming battle with the fairies provides me with the most stimulating sensation, that I am unable to describe with human vocabulary. Let us all head to the Eden known as battle! Let us full fill our inner desires!"
"You're being creepy, man." noted Zancrow.
Meredy, who was ignoring the bickering of her male guildmates looked out the main window and beamed. "Ur, look!" she announced happily, as she pointed at the window in excitement. "I can see something!"
Ultear quickly snapped her gaze at the girl. "Do not call me by this name." she whispered coldly. Although it was rid of anger, the cold left by this warning was just enough to make the girl curl up, her smile gone.
"I'm sorry." she apologized quietly.
Zancrow laughed and walked up to the girl, before patting her on the head. "Now, no need to be so scary, Miss. So, Meredy. What did you see?" he asked her in a curious tone.
Meredy recovered a bit of her smile and pointed once again. "There! I can see the island!"
The man looked out the window, and so did the other Kin. Just like she said, Tenrou Island was now in full view. The Tenrou Tree has been already falling down, a sight that suggested the island was ready to start the operation.
"So, Azuma did it after all, eh?" Zancrow licked his lips in sinister fashion.
Despite their eagerness to crush Fairy Tail, and although they came here to leave it in flames, they would lie if they said they didn't find the island fascinating. Some of them even regretted destroying the tree, which they considered to be simply beautiful. However, they did not get to admire it for too long.
Something has started to raise up from the ocean, with a giant figure resembling a human growing with each second. The Kin could only stare in shock at the sight of a giant elderly man with a white mustache standing in front of the island, like a guardian protecting its fortress, as he stared the ship down from above. Even Hades was surprised.
"A giant..." muttered Ultear in disbelief.
"Are you serious?" Zancrow grinned nervously. "I haven't heard anything about this!"
"It's huge." pointed out Meredy.
Hades recovered from his shock, now with a small smirk forming on his lips. "Makarov."
Makarov breathed in, his enlarged mouth making a deafening noise. "Your sin is far too serious to be left unanswered! All of you shall disappear by my hand!" he roared in pure rage, his voice creating waves on the surface of the ocean.
Not intimidated in the slightest, Hades continued to smirk, taking in the sight of the man standing before him.
Seeing that they were not eager to comply to his order, Makarov punched the ship, shattering it into tiny pieces in the process. Everyone inside the ship has lost balance, some people even fell out due to holes in the armor.
"The steering is dead!" called one of the crew.
"He's pierced through our enhanced armor like it was paper! I can't believe this!" yelled other member.
"Increase speed!" ordered Hades.
The ship sped up and managed to dodge a second punch just in time, the wind currents created by the strike pushing it even further away.
"Deploy magical convergence cannon, Jupiter!" Hades gave another order from his throne.
The cannon slid out of the roof of the ship, now aimed at Makarov. "Fire!" shouted Hades, as it launched itself at the giant.
Makarov raised his left arm, blocking the beam with his left forearm, which earned him an impressed sound from Hades. Feeling himself being pushed back, he gritted his teeth and raised his left leg up, kicking the ship from beneath, this time killing its engines for good.
"Ultear!" called out Hades, his voice expressing a small glimpse of worry.
"Yes, Master!" The woman kneeled and touched the floor with her hand.
"Toki no Arc! Restore!"
The ship has started to put itself back together, regaining its original shape in mere seconds. Makarov stared at the repairs in awe, but quickly brushed it off, ready to strike again.
"Caprico, take everyone on board to the island." ordered the Master.
"What about you, Master Hades?" questioned the goat.
"I shall deal with Makarov myself."
"As you wish."
Caprico bowed and straightened himself up, before clapping his hands. Everyone on the ship has vanished in an instance. He then put on his jetpack and flew out of the ship, heading towards the island.
Makarov, who caught the small figure flying past him clenched his fist. "Do you think you will escape from me?" he asked and reached out for the goat, only to be avoided with ease. "Well, no matter. There is no escape for you lot anyway."
He shifted his attention back to the ship and put his hands in front of each other, a green orb forming in-between them. "By Fairy Tail's ordinance, I shall give you all a moment to pray, while I count to three."
Hades stood up from his throne and walked up to the pedestal, the roof above his head opening slowly. "A mage has to be prepared to acknowledge his target as an absolute enemy to cast this spell, the ultimate magic. Fairy Law, is it not?" he questioned, as he rose up with the platform.
"One."
"When exactly did you learn such powerful magic, Makarov?"
Annoyed with the familiar tone used by the dark mage, a vein appeared on Makarov's forehead. "Two."
Natsu and Wendy have finally emerged from the trees and rushed to the scene, taking the sight of their downed friends in.
"Carla! Hang in there!" called out Wendy and ran up to her friend, gently picking her up onto her lap. The tabby slowly opened her eyes, glad that the girl was still safe. "Wendy..."
"Don't talk, I'll heal you right away!"
In the meantime, Natsu walked up to Mest and eyed him down. "You the one who did it?" he questioned. He then took his sorry state in, and realised how stupid this question was. "Guess not. Who the hell are you?"
Mest stirred and looked up into the Dragon Slayer's eyes. I see...my magic has worn off…
"What happened here? Answer me."
Before Mest could respond, Carla has raised her head and replied the question for him. "Grimoire Heart...is on the island."
Natsu's eyes widened in shock. "What are they doing here?"
"One of them has blown up the tree. He said they came here to destroy us." added weakly Lily from the ground. Natsu quickly ran up to him and gently picked him up, before placing him next to Carla. The girl spread her arms out and started to heal them both at the same time.
Unbeknownst to all of them, Caprico was flying above their heads on his jetpack. Deciding that the time was ripe, he spread his arms out, dozens of small, white balls starting to fall onto the island.
Lucy looked up curiously, one of the balls falling directly at her. Suddenly, it popped, revealing a young male, who swung his club at the blonde, forcing her to jump back to avoid a critical hit.
Multiple people landed around Lucy, Loke, Gray and Cana, confusing them greatly.
"People are falling from the sky?!" gasped Cana.
"Enemies, I presume." noted Loke and put up his guard.
"Wait a second..." began Gray and stared with wide eyes into the sky. "Those are all people?!"
The sky above was now covered by the bubbles, with people popping out of them everywhere, the number of enemies standing before them increasing with each second. Gray's group wasn't the only one – every Fairy Tail mage has now found themselves surrounded by enemies, all of them dosing Grimoire Heart's guild mark.
The Kin have also landed on the island, each of them heading in the direction of their choosing. Zancrow landed with an excited scream and sighed, unable to contain his excitement.
Ultear has gracefully landed on her feet and started her search for Zeref.
Meredy landed not too far from Zancrow, and carefully observed the area. "Mission, begin!" she muttered to herself, before dashing into the wild.
On the other end of the island, Zeref looked up into the sky with pained eyes. "Another war is about to begin. Is there really no other way?" he questioned no one in particular.
Back to the fight
"Three! Your time is up!"
Makarov clapped his hands, a golden blinding light emitting from his hands.
"Fairy Law! Acti-"
"Stop it."
Hades interrupted the spell and raised his hands in similar fashion, a dark-bluish purple orb forming in-between his hands. Makarov's eyes widened in shock at the resemblance of the spell – it looked like a re-colored Fairy Law.
"Grimoire Law!" announced Hades. "This magic is deterrent. I can't just launch it whenever I want to. However, if you refuse to stand down obediently, you shall witness the most grim of conclusions."
Makarov dispelled his magic, too shocked to go through with the attack. "This is...impossible..." he gasped, memories of 48 years ago flashing before his eyes like a film.
Hades canceled his magic and smirked gently. "It's been a while, boy."
"Master Precht!" announced shocked Makarov. "Why are you..."
Before he could ask the question, Hades conjured two giant chains with claws and attached them to Makarov's shoulders.
He then pulled them to his right, knocking Makarov off balance. The giant fell into the water and slid on the ground, now entering the terrain of the island.
He reversed back to his true form and Requipped his signature coat with the insignia of Ten Wizard Saints on his back, as he slid on the ground. He then came to a halt and glared at his predecessor, who was now casually walking up to him.
"Why are you of all people in a dark guild?" questioned Makarov.
"Aren't we just two sides of the same coin, Makarov?" replied Hades. "This world is full of things that cannot be described with merely the definitions of good or evil."
"Good or evil have nothing to do with this. The spirit of Fairy Tail that you have carried for decades should never have wavered. "
Hades snorted in amusement. "Looks like you've learned how to use words, boy."
"Enough with the boy." scoffed Makarov. "You are no longer a member of this guild. However, I do not wish to fight you. Could you please leave this island?"
Hades' smirk faded, now giving in to a small, saddened frown. "Although my heart pains me a little at the thought, I must see the destruction of Fairy Tail through with my own hand. I'm afraid I cannot leave until Fairy Tail is no more."
This declaration was enough. Makarov unleashed his magic power, his body now surrounded by a green aura. "I will not give you my guild." he declared in a low voice.
Hades scoffed and released his own, a dark-purple aura surrounding his figure. "So, you're going to defy me after all, boy?"
After a long while of building up their magic, both men mirrored each other's movements, both of them launching the exact same spell at the same time. Multiple thunders crashed into each other above their heads, neither gaining the upper hand.
The two waved their hands in a gesture as Makarov tried to attack first but was stopped by Hades who created multiple purple magic circles around him
"Amaterasu's 28th formula...in an instance?!" gasped shocked Makarov.
"You cannot defeat me." declared Hades and swiped his fingers to the side.
Shortly after he was taken in by an explosion of purple magic, that formed itself into a shape of a pillar, with everything inside of it being obliterated. Makarov put up a round barrier and forcefully expanded it to the sides, breaking the spell in the process.
In response to that, Hades conjured his chains and launched them at Makarov, who turned his right arm into a sword of light and knocked them to the side in return. Using the momentary opening, he pointed his left hand at the older man and created a sharpened pillar of ice, which was then launched at Hades.
Hades did not even move from his spot, with the pillar breaking into pieces before it could even make contact with his chest. Unwilling to give up just yet, Makarov knocked the chains away once more and put his hands on the ground, a chain of earth spikes forming in Hades' direction, all of them pointed at him. The dark mage turned his left hand into a magic sword, just like Makarov, and sliced the spikes in half, killing them before they reached him.
He then spotted his opponent, who leaped at him in the air and swung his blade downwards. Hades was forced to raise his hand and block the strike, before pushing Makarov back. The tiny mage slid on the ground and dispelled his blade, ready to attack once again.
Not wanting that to happen, Hades snapped his hand to the right and successfully caught Makarov with his chains, before throwing him to the side and dragging him against the trees and rocks.
"I dance with magic! Freely!" announced amused dark mage and smashed Makarov into the ground, breaking it in the process. To his surprise, the tiny mage was standing on his feet, with his guard put up.
Hades used his free hand to draw another sign in the air, this time surrounding Makarov with multiple purple magic circles. The sight froze the elder's blood, fear starting to take control over his body. "What is this?!" he questioned, before crossing his hands on his head and torso.
"MAXIMUM DEFENSE SEAL: THREE PILLAR GODS!"
"AMATERASU: 100TH FORMULA!"
A giant explosion of purple energy shook the entire island down to its core, a vast chunk of the forest getting destroyed in the process. Trees and rocks flew in all directions throughout the island, startling the wildlife and knocking people off balance.
Hades carefully watched the aftermath of his attack, his eyes slowly widening at the sight of Makarov still standing in his spot. His clothes were torn up and he was bleeding from several wounds placed all over his body, but still standing
"Your choice and timing of spells is truly remarkable, my old friend." praised Hades. "As expected from the man I had entrusted my hopes to. You did well, supporting the guild for the past 48 years."
Just when he was about to reply, Makarov felt excruciating pain in his chest, as he grabbed it, struggling for breath.
"Oh? Is something wrong, Makarov? Do you not feel well?" taunted him Hades, as he walked up to his opponent.
Makarov stared at Hades with hateful eyes, his breath uneven.
"I guess it is to be expected. We have both grown old, haven't we? This is also the difference between two men, who've taken different paths. You stayed on the path sculptured by Mavis, and you are about to die by my hand. I, on the other hand, have found a new one, and I shall see the changes that shall befall onto this world in near future."
Makarov panted heavily and dropped to his knee. "You were...an admirable Master. You taught us about the harmony of the world, you've shown us the right path. What happened to you? What could possibly cause this drastic change?" he questioned, now back on his feet.
Hades' eyes narrowed. He raised his hand and increased the gravity above Makarov's figure, brutally grinding him into the ground. The tiny Master gasped from pain, blood escaping his mouth.
"Magic was originally born in darkness." explained Hades. "A power once feared and detested by humans. However, years later, gradually, magic has become an everyday phenomenon, to the point where taking it away could cause the entire human culture to crumble. After tracking down the very roots of magic, as well as going through Zeref's research, I have seen what can be called the "essence of magic". This, my old friend, is what changed my views."
Realising that Makarov was no longer conscious, Hades turned around on the balls of his feet. "Sleep well, Makarov. Fairy Tail's era has come to an end." he announced, before walking away
That's a wrap!
Bye bye