A/N: I only expect to have another few chapters until the story is done!


A few miles away from Magnolia Kyoka took Natsu's hand in her own and altered their course, circling around the forest in which they had just exited. They had been walking in silence with Natsu running his plan through his head. Then throwing it out and making a new plan, only to eventually throw that one away too. Okay, so he didn't have a concrete plan on how he was going to handle this. The only thing that he was set on was that his friends couldn't be there.

He didn't fight her while she practically dragged him off in a direction that wasn't where she had told him where the Cube was back when the initial plan was made with the others. As if she could feel his question on the tip of his tongue, she gave him a wry smile.

"I had a feeling something like this was going to happen. I lied earlier. Tartaros isn't hiding above the Haunted Forest. We're heading to the desert west of Hargeon." She held no remorse for her lie and in fact looked pleased with herself.

"You predicted I would head out on my own?" Natsu was perplexed. He had come to the decision mere hours prior. "That seems a little farfetched."

"Not you specifically." Kyoka clarified. "I expected one of you to go out on your own. Whether it be you or your friends. With that in mind, I stretched the truth. We were over the Forest not long ago, but Mard likes to keep us moving and told me where to find them after I completed my mission."

Natsu groaned and rubbed his eyes with his free hand, only just realizing that Kyoka hadn't let go of him and was steadily pulling him ahead. He gently pulled his hand out of hers. "Anything else you've been lying about? I don't appreciate being manipulated and lied to."

"Of course not, Master!" Kyoka was quick to dissuade him. "I only did that to protect you and those… people you care about. I knew you would be upset if they went and got themselves hurt." She still didn't understand why he was so adamant about these humans, but knew it wasn't her place to question it. If he wished to punish her for her treachery, she would gladly accept it and when he was satisfied, she would rejoin him at his side until he had use for her.

Anger sparked through Natsu at the thought of his friends going off on their own. They were strong, but they weren't prepared for what was coming. "Do not make these decisions for me. You should have told me last night when we were alone."

Kyoka nodded her acceptance at his request. She could accept that quite easily. "What are you planning to do when we get there? If Mard's actions are any question so far, then he isn't going to just roll over and let you take over."

"I wouldn't expect him to. He sent you to spy on me. Who knows what else he is doing behind my back? I'll have to do something drastic if he doesn't accept me immediately." Natsu knew it was going to be tough and he didn't have much confidence in a straight up fight against the entire Demon Guild, but if Kyoka was any clue, then there had to be more that would accept him and wouldn't fight.

"Should we rush there, or would you wish to take our time?" Kyoka asked.

Natsu remained quiet while he thought about it. On one hand, it would be better to get this over with so he could get back home and figure out what to do with his already fucked up situation. On the other hand, it might make him look anxious if he was to rush over there and he was sure that wouldn't look good to the demons. He was sure they would question his capabilities to lead them if that was to happen. "We can't start rushing there until the others have made their complaints known. I'm waiting for them to contact us so I can tell them not to chase us."

Kyoka let out a hum of understanding. If she was honest, she was somewhat worried about how the others would react to her Master. Lamy was the only one she knew that would be on board as soon as she saw him, she had one of the highest sensory abilities, she would feel END's power the second he arrived on the Cube. Sayla would be a quick convert too. She may not be as adept at sensing power, but she had a large sense of self preservation and Kyoka thought she would be quick to join behind her Master.

After another hour of walking, Natsu answered his Communication Lacrima when it warmed up in his pocket. Erza's angry scowl popped up into view. "I figured you were going to call a lot sooner." Natsu gave the angry redhead a cheeky smile.

"Where are you?!" Erza snapped. "We waited at the train station for you and that demon for over an hour. We stopped by the Guild to see if you decided to walk Myou there, but they claimed they had left you at your house. We're here at your house right now, but would you believe it?! You're not here!"

"Of course I'm not there." Natsu said matter-of-factly. "Why would I be anywhere that you can follow me?"

"You're going off on your own aren't you! Damnit Natsu, why the hell would you do that?" Natsu was a little surprised to hear the redhead swearing. While she could be hotheaded with the best of them, she usually refined her speech and didn't bother with uncouth language. She must be really upset at him, and it surprised him that he didn't much care. He was doing this to protect them and it didn't matter whether she accepted that or not.

"Nope!" Natsu grinned. "Not going alone, I have backup. Just not you."

Erza's anger was replaced with confusion and a little bit of hurt. "Who… what? We saw everyone at the Guild, who's with you?"

Natsu turned the Lacrima to show the green-haired demon walking beside him. "See?" Kyoka awkwardly gave a wave, not sure what he wanted her to do in that scenario. She would admit that she took joy in the anger his friend was showing.

"Natsu, this isn't the time for jokes!" Erza snapped again. He could hear a male in the background snickering quietly. "Shut it! Natsu, stop being stubborn and tell us where we can meet you."

"You know where I'm headed." Natsu did his best to remain calm. "You're already a couple of hours behind us and I doubt Gajeel is going to be able to pick up my scent. Go back to the Guild and I'll see you all when I'm done. Don't bother going to the forest, the Cube isn't there."

"Natsu, please." Erza pleaded weakly. "I know you want to take care of this and you're worried we can get hurt. I know what it's like to beat yourself up over something that is out of your control-"

"That's the difference here, Erza." Natsu interrupted her with as kind a smile as he could muster. "I'm not blaming myself for what's happened. I know where the blame lies. I'm going to put an end to this, then we'll deal with the fallout when I get back. Goodbye Erza." He ended the call and dropped it back into his pocket. Immediately he felt it warm again and he assumed she was calling again, but he ignored it. "Kyoka, I'm going to fly us over there." Without waiting for her response, he pulled off his cloak and thrust it into her hands, transformed his wings out of his back, picked her up and took off towards where she had been directing him.


[Fairy Tail]

Myou wasn't fully aware of what was happening or why everyone was tense. She understood that her father was headed out to fight someone really tough and it had to do with her new auntie and that mean blonde that had attacked her in the park. Sure, the other guys were strong, but so was her father! Besides, he had fun Miss Erza, cranky Gajeel, and the pedophile, she still didn't know why her dad wanted her to refer to him as that even if it made Miss Erza really mad, helping him out.

This was just like him being out on a mission. He would be gone and she would have fun with her Mamas, all three of them, then he would come home and they would have more fun!

Currently Myou was cuddled up with Millianna while reading a book. Even if she enjoyed playing more, Myou still appreciated these moments. Just being back at the orphanage to help out, even for a couple of days, reminded her of how much she had wished that she would have a family to call her own.

Pushing aside the depressing thoughts, she burrowed deeper into her Mama's comforting grasp, relishing the feeling of the older woman running her hand through her hair.

She was jolted out of her comforting spot when the doors to the Guild were kicked open and Erza stormed in with Gray and Gajeel a few steps behind her. "Stupid noble idiot!" Erza grumbled under her breath, much to everyone's confusion.

"Couldn't find them?" Lisanna asked from her seat next to her sister, across from Myou and Millianna.

"Oh, we found him alright." Erza growled out. "The idiot ran off on his own that that demon woman. They ran off just after you left and from what I gather, they lied last night about where Tartaros really is."

"Damnit, Natsu." Mirajane dropped her head to the table. "We really shouldn't be surprised, though. This is just like him, all self-sacrificing and all that."

"Do we even know if this is his doing? What if this is that woman's doing? She did something to him yesterday, its possible she did something to his mind." Lisanna supplied. "We shouldn't have left him alone with her, but he seemed so sure that she wouldn't do anything."

"Auntie Kyoka helped me make breakfast this morning." Myou perked up realizing they were talking about her new family member. "She was really nice even if she didn't know how to cook."

"You were alone with that woman?!" Erza turned her attention to Millianna who she knew was at the house with them.

"She woke up before Natsu and I and snuck out to make breakfast." Millianna shrugged. She may not like the idea that Natsu was trying to take this on by himself, but she had learned to trust the Dragon Slayer. He had proven more than once that he was dependable and stronger than people gave him credit for. "Natsu has always been an amazing judge of character and able to see the best in people. If he trusts Kyoka, I think we owe it to him to trust his judgement."

"Millianna is right." Mavis spoke up, not that Millianna could see or hear her, but judging by everyone turning to an empty space next to the table, Millianna thought it was safe to assume that the first master of Fairy Tail was speaking. Initially, almost everyone had been skeptical to explain Mavis' existence, but Natsu had told her as soon as she had inquired about the seemingly one-way conversations that he had been having. "None of you saw the reverence in Kyoka's actions before she used her power on him. She is entirely devoted to him and wouldn't see him hurt. It was dumb of him to go on ahead by himself, but this wasn't her doing."

"Someone wanna clue me in?" Millianna asked when the Guild had been silent for a time.

Lisanna held up her hand and counted out Mavis' points on her fingers. "Master Mavis agrees with you. Natsu's an idiot. It's not that demon woman's fault."

Millianna perked up at that. She felt a sense of pride that the first master agreed with her, even if she had never met the woman in person before. "Good, then we are all on the same page. Besides, none of you saw how Kyoka acted around Myou. It was like she had found the most precious thing in the world just because Myou was related to Natsu. It was downright adorable." She squeezed Myou tightly in her arms.

Most of the Guild hadn't had too much interaction with the Mermaid Heel Mage and didn't know how to feel about someone that wasn't one of them making decisions about what to do with one of their Guild members. The Guild was quiet until Millianna spoke up again, trying to be the voice of reason. The cat was already out of the bag and there was no point hiding it anymore.

"Let's look at this from a rational standpoint. Who here can claim that they commanded a dragon to do as they wanted? Think about that. Commanded A Dragon." Millianna paused to look over the Guild that had surrounded the table. "Besides that, these Tartaros guys are claiming that Natsu, or whatever this END guy Natsu is supposed to be, is their leader."

"We don't' have much choice regardless. He's already gone and I wasn't able to track him from his house. Too much time had passed and his scent dissipated too much." Gajeel frowned with his arms crossed.

"That's 'cause Daddy's badass!" Myou cheered. She shivered as a feeling of dread passed over her and she turned towards the cause.

"Myou, dear, who taught you to talk like that?" Mirajane's overly sweet voice and smile made the young girl panic inside.

She went with her gut instinct and pointed directly at Gray. "The pedophile told me that I should talk that way when I'm around him!" She cried out in her panic, reverting back to the way Natsu had told her to refer to the ice mage.

"I ain't a pedophile!" Gray yelled, pointing accusingly at Myou. "Stop trying to tell people I am!"

Gajeel snorted a laugh. "You strip your clothes off in front of children. Whether on purpose or not, that makes you a pedophile."

"You didn't even deny teaching her that word!" Mirajane diverted her anger towards him with Erza right behind her.

"You're still doing that? I see my lessons didn't stick well enough. I'll have to try harder to beat the lesson into you!" Gray turned and tried to run, but Erza and Mirajane were far too fast for him to get away. Each had one of his arms in a death grip and were dragging him towards another part of the Guild where they would be out of sight of the children.

Mavis watched her Guild with a smile. She was worried about Natsu, but seeing the others quickly reverting back to their usual selves eased her worries. She would put her faith in the man she had come to know in such a short time. If anything, she knew that he would come back, if only because Myou and the others were waiting for him.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mavis watched while one particular blonde mage stared down from the second story. He was glaring down at the small group of younger mages, the top of his head wrapped with bandages and a particularly nasty looking bruise on his cheek. He had shown up the day prior already hurt. Apparently, he had gotten into a fight on the way back from Clover Town.


[With Natsu & Kyoka]

Natsu hadn't previously had time to notice the full change in his body, what with Kyoka just having used her curse on him the day prior. Now that he had time to put it to use, he relished the feeling of flying through the air. Unlike when he had been running away with Myou previously, this felt much more natural. It wasn't taking nearly as much energy to maintain this form and even though Kyoka weighed nearly three times as much as Myou, it didn't put any form of strain on him. She may as well be a light as a feather.

Thinking of the demon, he felt reassured in his decision to head off on their own. She had been telling him everything he felt he needed to know and while he wasn't fully prepared, it would be better for him to attack this on his own rather than risk his friends. Besides, he didn't have it in him to question her. The look of sheer devotion and the reverence in which she spoke to him. Like right now, even while flying and guiding him in the correct direction, she almost continually had a look of awe and submission.

"Set us down at the top of that hill." Natsu followed her directions and landed where she directed. Upon landing he took his cloak back, pulling his wings back into his body at will.

"Why are we landing here? I don't see the Cube anywhere nearby." Natsu frowned and scanned the area in front of them. It was nothing more than a wasteland of sand and rock.

Kyoka flashed him a grin. "You simply aren't looking for the right signs." She walked forward and raised her hand. Her palm found resistance and a pulse of energy rippled out in the air. Natsu watched the ripple flare with power and a large rock appeared, quickly spreading out as the power continued to ripple. In no time the illusion faded and the entirety of the Cube was in view. "Only the Etherious have the ability to break the illusion."

Natsu nodded, keeping his comments to himself. The Cube was hovering just over the ground. Natsu gave a nod to the Etherious and they leapt and flew up to the top, entering the castle through the large double doors at the front. Natsu had his shoulders squared and he marched forward confidently, Kyoka beside him.

Almost immediately upon entering they were met with a short girl with dark blue hair and what appeared to be rabbit ears poking out the top of her head bounding down a staircase in excitement, talking animatedly to an exceedingly tall dark-skinned man with blonde hair.

"Just give me a little more time Tempy, I'll make you even more beautiful!" The young girl bounced around the tall man. "Anything you want! I can give you-" She paused seeing the two entering through the main doors. "Kyoka, is that you?"

Kyoka paused with a smug smile. "I see you are still trying to perfect your toys, Lamy."

Lamy's eyes darted over to Natsu and her eyes widened comically. "Did you bring me another toy? I knew I kept you around for a reason!" She squealed and darted forward, running her small hands over Natsu's muscles. "I can feel the demonic energy coming off of him, but he also feels so human. Just where did you find him?"

Lamy was too absorbed in her inspection to see Kyoka starting to pale, but Tempester could see it just fine. That thoroughly intrigued the man. "Perhaps you should let him introduce himself." A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. It was nice to see someone else under Lamy's tender care.

Lamy, still not seeing how her interactions were affecting those around her, hummed thoughtfully while she moved around Natsu, lifting his arms and generally inspecting him. "Don't be such a downer, Tempy. So big guy, you got a name or should I just make something up for you."

"Lamy, kindly take your hands off of…" Kyoka stopped when Natsu raised a hand.

Natsu, while normally he would have found the situation entertaining, was growing rapidly annoyed. "Kyoka, dear, is this the kind of reception I should expect?" Lamy drew back from her inspections at the ice in his tone. "I would hate to have to make an example of someone so young."

"She has her uses." Kyoka schooled her features. She had to keep up appearances around her fellow Etherious. Her master demanded that of her. Who was she to question his will, especially when it was so inconsequential? She cared little about what the others thought of her, but if it helped END, then she would act as her station saw fit. "She can bring back our injured stronger than ever."

"Ah. So she's the one that tried to bring Jackal back?" Natsu raised an eyebrow down at the short girl. "Any luck bringing back something that no longer exists? Kyoka told me of your lack of success thus far."

"Was it you that did all that damage to Jackal? We haven't been able to get his body back and for some reason, despite building him a new one, I haven't been able to wake him up. It's like he's dead, but I've brought people back before when their bodies were vaporized." Lamy's pout turned into a frown and she pointed at him accusingly. "You must have done something to him, you jerk!"

"Did more than kill the idiot." Natsu frowned, snarling down at the girl. "I erased everything that he was. All that Jackal was, no longer exists." His anger spiked at the thought of the blonde. He turned to Kyoka with a deep frown. "This is what I have to work with? Whiney children and a walking meatsuit?" He gestured over to where Tempester was watching curiously.

Kyoka bowed her head. This was not a good first introduction to the rest of the Guild. "Lamy simply isn't aware of current affairs. Mard has been less than forthcoming with his plans. I doubt she is aware that we were sent out to ensure your awakening, Master." Her frustration at Lamy's poor impression was evident as she glared at the bunny-girl out of the corner of her eye.

"So you're the one that Mard has been sending us out to find." Tempester folded his arms across his chest. "Met one of your friends, strong one too. Mard wanted to hammer you from all sides. When hurting your relationship with that blonde didn't work, he sent us out after others you care about. If it wasn't for Lamy here, I'd be a gonner." Natsu didn't bother hiding his disgust. This man had attacked one of his friends and was talking like it was an accomplishment.

"I don't particularly care what Mard told you to do." Natsu hated acting like this. This wasn't him and it made him feel like he was just like Laxus, or those jerks from the council that tried to pin the tower on Erza. But he knew that this was necessary if he wanted to end this. "Why are you bothering to explain what Mard even wanted? Worried that I'll do to you what I did to Jackal? Or are you ashamed that you lost to a human?"

Kyoka saw Natsu losing what little patience he had left and stepped forward and set a hand on Natsu's arm, her voice dropping to a near whisper. "Master." She offered as comfortingly as possible, bowing her head when Natsu turned to her heatedly. "He lost. He obviously isn't worth getting worked up over."

The action sent a wave of surprise through the two Etherious. Neither had seen the avian woman ever act subservient. Not even with Mard Geer, the man barely received a modicum of acceptance and most of that came from her respect for his strength. To see the prideful woman like this made Lamy's jaw drop comically.

Tempester was far more capable of masking his surprise, one single eyebrow rising. He reasoned that he may need to reevaluate the man in front of him. If what Mard was saying was true, then his potential was still locked inside a human body. But, seeing Kyoka reacting like this, maybe his potential was far higher than they had previously thought possible. The only problem was that this man smelled and felt far too human. 'Just what does she see in him?' He thought to himself, unsure about if he should voice his concerns. On one hand, if he was right then Mard would wipe the floor with the pretender, but if he was wrong then he would end up like Jackal.

"Where are the rest of your brethren?" Natsu asked, his eyes narrowing. "I do not like to repeat myself, so when I talk with this Mard fellow, I want everyone present." He eyed Kyoka while her smile turned sadistic and he could see the malice shining through.

"If you would allow me but a little time, I will see to it that everyone is in attendance." Kyoka continued to grin at Natsu. "I assure you my methods will please you."

"Where is Mard usually found?

She gestured down the hallway in front of them. "Main hall on the third floor. Treats it like a throne room." Kyoka's grin dropped into a sneer. "Hardly ever leaves the place unless it's to deal out punishment for whatever he deems fit."

"Punishment you say?" Natsu grew intrigued. "What does he punish you for?"

"Whatever he deems fit. Disobeying him, moving too slow, sometimes for even speaking. Even fraternizing with humans, as if we would even bother-"

"And here I thought you actually liked Myou. A shame, I'll have to tell her how you feel." Natsu sighed. "Such a disappointment."

"Oh, please. Her being your daughter makes her far more than a mere human. She's practically royalty, anyone who says different…" She shot a look to the other two demons. "I'll warn you for free this time. I've only felt a taste of his power, but what I did feel…" Kyoka shuddered. "Mard is strong, but he is nothing more than a filthy urchin compared to our true king."

"Do you plan on telling them my life story as well?" Natsu drawled out with a light glare. If he was completely honest, he hated how utterly devoted Kyoka was. He had never liked using anyone, but he knew how needed it was in this scenario. "You have until I find this hall that you speak of."

Kyoka nodded seriously. "It will be done." Without waiting for a dismissal, she turned and strode down the hall. Natsu watched her head off; she wasn't running, but she was certainly speed walking away.

Natsu turned to leave as well, but stopped when he saw the other two still standing there. "I believe I gave you a task." Lamy cocked her head curiously but Tempester stood stoically. 'They want a show of power, do they?' Natsu shifted his eyes, drawing on the demonic energy that facilitated his change. It was eye opening the night prior; the demonic transformation was only facilitated by the cursed energy within him, the power that made END what he was.

The difference in magical energy and the demonic energy was staggering. He felt like just a taste of this new energy had sent him to new heights, but if he was created to destroy the strongest dark mage that ever lived, then he knew he needed to figure out how to draw the rest of the power that lay hidden within him.

Lamy's eyes formed into hearts as the man's power rolled over her. Though she was not physically strong, Lamy had grown accustomed to feeling power levels. She could practically see the waves rolling off of him. She snapped a mock salute and turned, sprinting back up the stairs she had just come down.

Tempester blinked slowly. A slight incline of his head in recognition and he was off, his stride calm and calculated. He delved down a set of stairs towards what Natsu assumed was the dungeons.

In a blink, Natsu released his transformation and strode down the hall Kyoka had gestured for him to go down.


[Fairy Tail]

A lone cloaked figure slipped soundlessly through the front doors of Fairy Tail. Shadows seemed to cling to him, obscuring his features despite it being in the middle of the day. Despite his silent entrance, his presence was seen by several in the Guild as they had been on the lookout while Natsu was away.

Elfman, being one of those closest to the door, stood and gave a jovial smile to the newcomer. "Welcome! My name is Elfman Strauss. I hate to be the one to tell you, but we are currently holding a closed function." The giant white-haired man planted his fists on his hips, taking up a powerful stance while keeping his disarming smile. "If you are willing, I can take a message and we will get back to you when we are able."

The figure scanned what little of the room he could see around Elfman. A head of silky black hair was peaking out, golden eyes watching him in fascination. The young girl's appearance fit the description that he had been given, but the scarf that was wrapped around her more than solidified that he had found who he was looking for.

The figure immediately forgot about the tall man blocking his way and walked around him. "I will be speaking with her." His voice was smooth, intoxicatingly so.

Elfman grabbed his shoulder with one of his beefy hands, his expression turning serious. "That won't be happening, sir. As I said, we are closed for the day. I will have to ask you to leave."

"I only wish to speak." The man's voice remained calm and there was no notion of him putting up a fight.


[Tartaros]

Natsu couldn't count the times he had gotten lost in his walk. The castle did not have a normal layout, not that Natsu was adept at traversing castles. By the time he reached the room in question, after checking many bland and unused rooms, he knew he had found the correct room when he saw Kyoka standing outside the doorway looking thoroughly irritated. She was flanked by Seliah who looked more amused than anything.

As soon as they saw him, their expressions switched and Natsu had the feeling that Seliah didn't like how Kyoka was treating him. Kyoka clasped her hands together in front of her with a proud smile. "Everyone within the castle has been retrieved."

Natsu continued down the hall towards them, a frown marring his face. "How many are missing?"

"Hard to tell. Mard has been starting a collection of weaker demons. But, as far as I can gather, only one of our converted human mages is currently out." Kyoka hadn't lost her smile and looked quite proud of herself.

"Why are you out here?" Natsu stopped in front of the doors, watching Seliah out of the corner of his eye.

"We thought it best if we were to enter with you." Kyoka nodded as she spoke.

Seliah shrugged her shoulders, but didn't argue against Kyoka's claims. Natsu nodded and pushed his way through the doors, striding through the room.

"Ah." A man with messy black hair pulled up in a high ponytail lounged on a chair at the far end of the room. "I had wondered why all of my followers were gathering under Kyoka's instruction. Little Natsu, to what do we owe the honors of you showing up here today? I was under the impression that you wanted to spend more time around that pathetic little girl."

Natsu stopped a dozen steps from where Mard Geer sat. "Do you have no sense of self-preservation?"

"Do you know why I am so confident to openly antagonize you?" Mard raised his hand, a book held tightly in his grasp. "I hold the origins of your strength in the palm of my hand. I feel the power that radiates off this book." Mard sneered down at the Dragon Slayer. "I am confident because, while we know who you can truly be, you are not him yet. You are still stuck in that pathetic human corpse."

Natsu snorted a laugh before he could stop himself. "You expect me to believe you are doing this because you feel power from a book?" He turned his attention to where Kyoka had moved off to the side to stand with others. He barely regarded those around her with more than a glance. "I thought he would be more intelligent than this."

"You have no room to speak, Dragneel. You have yet to prove yourself to me. I don't care what the others say or what they believe." Mard leaned forward with a twisted grin. "But, you're in luck. We have a little test for you. If you pass this test, you will be on your way to taking your place as out leader."

A wave of Mard's hand brought another demon forward from the wall, this one Natsu recognized. He blinked, clearly not having expected the old master of Sabertooth to be there. "So this is where you ran off to Jiemma."

The tall man sneered at Natsu and brought out a crystal from a pouch at his hip and handed it to Mard. Mard immediately activated it, a picture of Magnolia rolling into view. "You see, I knew you were on the Cube the moment you stepped foot on it and I have been keeping an eye on you ever since. We have been moving ever since towards your precious friends. I will give you this one chance." A malicious grin spread across Mard's lips.

"I have a bomb primed and ready." Mard continued. "Prove to me that our mission means more to you than those supposed friends of yours."

Natsu didn't bother to hold back his anger this time. "Are you trying to be cute? Give me one reason I should do anything you say?"

"Is that all you have to say?" Mard waved his hand dismissively. "Have it your way. Everyone, restrain him. I'll drop the bomb myself, maybe that will wake him up."

Power exploded from Natsu, his eyes bleeding red while his face grew scales once again. "Kyoka, if anyone takes even a step forward, kill them. Mard is mine."

The air around Natsu rippled and he started to march forward, ignoring everything else around him. Everything outside of Mard was inconsequential.

Mard grinned despite himself. This is what he was hoping for, a challenge. But, it wasn't enough. Not yet. Half of the demons in the hall were frozen stiff while some of the weaker ones had fallen to a knee under the oppressive energy the Dragon Slayer was putting off. "That will be far enough." Mard pulled a short stick from behind his back. "I take it you remember what this is? I made some modifications to suit my tastes." He raised the stick up in the air, vines extending out of his arm to wrap around the stick. "Lullaby, let us hear your song. Bring this pretender to his knees while I destroy what little he has left."

An eerie sound emanated from the stick in Mard's hand. Natsu felt the sound grasp onto his soul and he dropped down to a knee. He clenched his teeth and growled in frustration. Lullaby continued to draw energy from him and Mard stepped down in front of Natsu. "You had your chance to prove your worth. If you can't even stand up to this, then you don't deserve your place leading us to our leader. Say your goodbyes while you can."

More vines slipped out of Mard's arm and dug into the ground. Natsu struggled up to his feet, glaring heatedly. "If you even try, I'll tear you apart."

"It's already done." Mard grinned and turned towards the video. They watched, Mard in pleasure and Natsu in complete horror, as black orb dropped into view over the Guild. The orb condensed then erupted, blocking out the view and knocking out the video. "Oh my, I was not expecting it to destroy the surveillance."

Natsu stared at where the video had been playing while Mard laughed. Suddenly, Lullaby's song didn't seem so strong. He just didn't seem to care about what was happening to him. He looked up at Mard, the taller man still standing a few steps away.