Things have turned out for the better. I'm not sure if this is by pure luck or karma, but things have gone way better than I had hoped.

How could I have forgotten about Master Mavis?

Master Mavis truly did live up to her reputation as the Fairy Tactician. Her plan had allowed us to defeat the remaining Six Kin with ease. Bluenote had been defeated by Laxus as well, his Gravity Magic offered him no protection from Laxus's wrath. It woke me up, that I shouldn't have tried to do everything alone. I should have considered asking for help somehow, if it is able to guarantee the safety of my friends.

I had erred. I'm lucky that Master Mavis had turned the situation around to our favour.

Hades is impossibly powerful. Even with the Devil's Heart destroyed, he is still able to hold himself against six S Class mages. I have no idea what he did to get to where he is today, but it probably involves illegal experimentation on Dark Magic. His power is too unnatural.

Right now, we are in the next stage of our plans, which is to defeat Hades. Our strategy had changed. This time, I no longer need to support my nakamas from the shadows.

I'm literally right up in Hades' face.

"Barrier Punch!"

I slammed Hades backwards with a huge barrier fist as my brother kicked him in his spine, power boosted by Meteor. This is a 6 vs 1 unlike the chaotic free-for-all earlier. In the earlier stage, it would be better for me to support my friends from the side, defending them from harm while remaining hidden so that no one can take me out. Support is an important role, a role that requires the person to make many important judgement calls. Supports are the ones who are able to see the bigger picture at hand and call the best shots because their role requires them to oversee the entire battlefield. Supporting my friends by defending from harm and ensuring that I stay in the game long enough to take Hades down was necessary.

However, now that we have the numerical advantage, it's different.

On my end, there's no longer a need to stay hidden and play defensively when it's only one enemy. In this scenario, as a Support Mage that specialises in defence, I need to draw aggro towards myself so that my friends are safe from Hades' power. I'm the one best suited to take everything he unleashed and still be able to keep going. My magic is made for this. Because of this, I'm constantly right up in his face, forcing him to focus his attacks on me.

This is what it means to be a Support Mage. How to support, when to support, what to support, who to support, where to support, among many other things. So many things to consider, so many decisions to make. If you don't have the ability to support everyone, the decision to support one ally over the other can bring about changes on the battlefield. One wrong decision is all it takes for everything to go wrong. You need to be able to make the right judgement call as quick as snapping your fingers.

This is what I want Wendy to learn. Her way of supporting will definitely be different and she definitely cannot copy the same exact way I am supporting my friends with her brand of magic, but the essence of the idea is there. I will have to start teaching her the ways of the Support Mage properly after we all go home.

I won't allow Zeref and Acnologia to rob away seven years of our time. For that, Hades will go down. He is the catalyst behind the entire incident.

Hades called upon magic chains to grab Jellal, only for me to interfere with my barriers blocking it. My Fairy's Aegis smashed into his face, not allowing him the time to even take a break and forcing his attention back to me once more. If all of his attention is on me, then it will give the rest of my fellow S Class mages the freedom to attack him with the least amount of attacks fired at them from Hades.

"Amatera-"

"DISPEL!"

"Lightning Dragon's Breakdown Fist!"

Laxus's punch connected just as I rendered Hades' spell useless before it could take form. Gildarts followed up with his own punch just as I Shinra Tensei'd from the opposite direction, slamming the crazy old man and sandwiching him between our attacks. Erza's slash managed to draw blood, but still not enough to put Hades down.

I yanked Hades back to me using chains of my own, just in time for Laxus and Jellal to fire their own ranged attacks at him. Hades released a blast of magic to defend himself, only for Gildarts to appear through the resulting smoke and rattled his skull with a powerful punch imbued with his magic. It's still not enough.

We need to buy time for Mystogan. He is our secret trump card.

"Move on to the next stage of the plan! Laxus! Jellal! Gildarts! Buy me some time!"

The three of them were onto Hades immediately with Jellal carrying Gildarts. Erza hovered near me to protect me as I tried to use my Requip to call out that particular item.

A huge explosion scattered the three of them as Hades rushed at me in his demonic glory.

"You are by far the most annoying opponent I have to face. You will be the first to go down."

Erza immediately called out a huge shield that blocked Hades' charge only for him to throw her aside with incredible strength. I frowned as I hurried to call that thing out. I've always been rather slow in calling out larger objects from my limited Requip space, although the same does not apply when storing them.

Hades fired his Bullet Magic. The resulting explosion engulfed me and created a dense cloud of smoke that obscured my vision of everyone.

"EL!"

"I'm fine!" I reassured Laxus as Edo me's shield finally made its appearance.

I grinned.

This shield is the full representation of what Edo me can do. This is the entirety of his power and now it is mine to use as well. With this shield, I can last longer in this fight since I don't need to over rely on my own magic.

Thank you, Edo me.

"Anima!"

I can feel a significant amount of Hades' magic being sucked into the shield and Hades obviously sensed the danger behind the attack as well. However, we succeeded. We just cut his strength down even further.

Erza requipped huge thick metal chains that she, Laxus, and Jellal quickly threw and wrapped Hades with. I quickly moved on to use Edo me's next spell. The spell that teleported us to the place where we had our final showdown before I left Edolas.

I'm so going to enjoy this.

"Reality Marble: Unlimited Blade Works!"

The world twisted as we carried out the next stage of Master Mavis' plan.


"Cana, come out."

Cana flew down from the clouds with Carla's help just as Mystogan shimmered into view. As per the plan Master Mavis had come up with, the other five of the S Class mages will battle Hades in a pocket dimension while he works on finishing the coup de grace when Hades inevitably escapes from this 'Reality Marble' his brother from Edolas had created. What possessed him to actually successfully create such a clinically insane and realistically impossible spell Mystogan will never know, but he is glad that such a spell is now at their disposal.

"I… I'm not sure if I can do this, Mystogan." Cana admitted as the wrapping around her right forearm fell off, revealing the mark of Fairy Glitter on it. It is a spell Master Mavis had loaned to Cana, a spell that only members of their guild can use.

Master Mavis had entrusted the spell to Cana, but she isn't sure if she is qualified to even use this spell. Someone as selfish as her doesn't deserve such an honour. Someone better, someone more worthy, someone more qualified should be the one using this spell.

"You will be fine." Mystogan said in a comforting tone as he held onto her hand, transferring her some of his power. "I will be here for you too. So is Carla. Everyone is counting on you and giving you our support, so you will be fine."

"You can do this, Cana." Carla spoke up, determination and support fierce in her voice.

Cana cannot help but let the smile rest on her face. They are right. She cannot afford to falter now, not when everyone is counting on her. The next step depends on her successful invocation of Fairy Glitter. To defeat Hades, a single cast of Fairy Glitter would not be enough. Now, the only way for them to be able to cast it repeatedly is if Mystogan is able to repeat the spell. However, that means that she has to successfully invoke Fairy Glitter at least once before Hades returns.

If she fails here, then all is for naught.

"Enjoy what you are touching?" She teased and suggestively wagged an eyebrow at the enigmatic mage when Mystogan's hand continued to hold onto hers, and she watched in satisfaction as the reserved S Class mage got flustered at her insinuation. The blush on his face is easily visible even through his mask and there is literal steam poofing out from within all the layers of cloth.

Too easy to tease.

Etching the sight of a flustered Mystogan into her memories, she raised a fist into the air and started the incantation for Fairy Glitter.

"Gather! O river of light that's guided by the fairies!"

Cana's gaze hardened as she continued the incantation. Her family is counting on her. She will not fail here.

She will not fail them again.


This is her playground.

Erza had never fought with so much vigour and exhilaration in the graveyards of weapons that Elden had transported them to. This is now her show.

Her proficiency with Requip is on the level of a master, but no matter how fast one can be with Requip there will always be a gap in time when one switches from one item to the next, it's just a matter of how small that gap can be reduced to. However, from the array of weapons scattered here in this battlefield, she can take anything as she pleases the moment she so much as takes a single step. There are just so many weapons here for her to choose.

She danced with metal as she showed everyone why people call her the Queen of Fairies. She is the undefeatable fairy queen, the Titania. She never let Hades a chance to even take a breather as her pace got quicker and quicker. Every weapon he destroyed is immediately replaced by another she randomly picked up that is within her reach. Her expertise in handling any and all weapons clearly showed in this scenario, not even needing a split second to get used to a new weapon. Her battle style changed erratically at her whim, keeping Hades on his toes as she randomly discarded a weapon for another different one to throw him off his tempo.

This is another part of Master Mavis's plan. According to her, Hades had never been that good at close combat even if he can hold his own. That was one reason why Elden had opted to go close and personal the moment their final clash with Hades started. This part of their plan was why she had let Jellal be the main fighter when they were facing Ultear and Meredy, fighting relatively conservatively so that she can save her strength right for this very moment. This Reality Marble is why her strength is called upon now in the battlefield, a battlefield that felt as if it was crafted for her very own use.

Maybe Edo Elden really did craft this space with the intention of letting Edo her fight in it. Who knows?

With her keeping Hades busy, the rest of her friends can take a short rest with Elden helping her to block several of Hades' spells every now and then should she need the help. There is no end of weapons for her to use. There is no end to her dance with the weapons at her disposal, not until the final preparations are complete.

She needs to buy time for Mystogan and Cana to complete their coup de grace.

Even with her slashing at Hades without stop, the person who used to be their guild's Second Master is more than capable of facing her in close combat even with his bare hands. However, unlike him, she has help. She has help from her friends. Hades' main fighting strength comes from his vast magical power and the endless list of spells that he knows. Her strength comes from the bond she has with her family.

Together, they can do this.

Hades pointed a finger at her and just right before he could fire his Bullet Magic, Gildarts's spell disassembled Hades' attack, allowing the spear she is currently using to stab into his arm. She gave a twist of the spear to solidify her grip on Hades before trying to pin him into the ground. Hades' spells are powerful. If one attack isn't enough to negate the spell, then another two or three more from her friends will definitely do the trick. Right now, they are just standing some distance away firing their attacks when she needs it, conserving their strength as much as possible.

Hades broke the spear with a chop of his hand and kicked her away before pulling the sharp end out of his body. His wounds closed with an audible hiss of steam.

"Nemesis."

Countless powerful demons rose from the scattered swords around Hades just when Erza landed back onto the ground with her feet. Damn it! She had allowed him to gain distance!

"Six Paths of Pain, activate! Deva Path: Chibaku Tensei!"

A black orb was fired from Elden's shield-like magic tool and everyone watched with unconcealed curiosity as the orb flew higher and higher. Without warning, everything starts to get sucked up towards the orb, dragging the demons Hades had created as well.

Jellal, Laxus, and Gildarts wasted no time in taking over and fighting Hades in close combat again. They cannot allow him the time to rest, to breathe, to cast a spell, and to even think. They need to keep him constantly on his toes.

"A puny attack like this will not take down the mighty Hades! Explosion Bullet!"

"I will block it! Keep going!"

A translucent barrier blocked the explosion Hades had created, allowing the three mages to carry on unhindered.

"RAGING BOLT!"

"Don't get too cocky with me, boy!"

Hades took the attack head on without any visible signs of damage on his body. He charged straight at Laxus, Chain Magic at the ready.

"Altairis!"

A gigantic dark orb was fired in Hades' direction, forcing him to swerve away from the attack and land right into the path of Gildarts' fist. The air itself shattered at the impact and Hades crashed back onto the ground with an earthquake. Somehow among the entire mess, Hades still managed to find the time to reconjure hordes of demons from all the debris in this wasteland of swords and grinding gears. The demons are now charging at them like a massive tidal wave.

"This guy's magic power is fucking insane." Laxus grumbled as he stretched his neck by rotating his head from side to side.

"Language, buzzboy."

"Now's not the time for snarky quips!"

Elden simply let out an unbothered 'meh' at Erza's words as he raised the shield he received from his Edolas counterpart into the air.

"Gates of Babylon!"

A large distortion of space formed behind the group of Fairy Tail S Class mages. Weapons of different types and sizes slowly emerged from the portal in the air. They keep emerging without any hints of stopping and the sheer number of them has Erza wondering if she would ever possess the same number of weapons in her own pocket dimension.

With a point of Elden's finger, the weapons all pointed towards the approaching mass of artificial demons in unison.

"Fire."

To everyone's disbelief, the sky rained metal.

"Edo you is one crazy bastard." Gildarts cannot help but blurt out as the demons get decimated at a rapid speed, but that delighted smirk on his face is only growing larger at the sight in front of him.

"Yeah, and I was once on the receiving end of it. Not fun, I tell you."

"Shall we wrap this up? Literally?" Jellal politely reminded everyone just as Hades burst through the hail of weapons like an enraged warlord.

"Enkidu: Chains of Heaven"

With the incantation that invoked the appearance of the spell, magical golden chains erupted from everywhere and nowhere at the same time in the pocket dimension the group was in. The bladed end of the golden chains easily pierced through Hades' defences and ensnared him, wrapping around his body and binding him in place.

"I. Will. Not. LOSE!"

Despite the chains greedily sucking Hades' magic reserves at an alarming rate, the former guild master of Fairy Tail managed to generate enough power to burst out of his confines. In the blink of an eye, he appeared before Jellal and with a swift fist to his gut, punched him far away. Laxus tried to pummel the ancient mage from behind but got kicked in the face. Another blast of Bullet Magic got him flying away from the team.

"AMATERASU FORMULA 80!"

"DISASSEMBLE!"

Gildarts immediately reacted and tried to dismantle Hades' spell into something harmless but he still wasn't fast enough. Elden quickly reacted and placed himself in front of the current Ace of the guild and the Titania, the front of his shield facing the incoming spell and chanting his own incantation to invoke another spell that is programmed into Edo Elden's shield.

"Seven Rings that cover the Fiery Heavens-!"

An iridescent magenta light bloomed at the front of the shield, spiralling in a light show that quickly took on the form of a giant seven petalled flower. Seven layers of translucent barriers formed in front of the magenta flower, blooming and humming with dense magical power.

"RHO AIAS!"

A bright surge of light from the resulting clash of magic made the very earth groan and hurt the air enough to make it scream. The seven layers of barriers were slowly broken by Hades' spell layer by layer, but Elden continues his chant to further invoke more spells, his other hand that is not holding onto his shield stretched upwards into the sky.

"Whosoever holds this hammer,-"

Four more layers of barriers left.

"-if he be worthy,-"

Another explosion marked the shattering of two more layers of barriers of Rho Aias.

"-shall possess-"

"I WILL ATTAIN THE ULTIMATE MAGIC WORLD! DIE, FAIRY TAIL!"

"-the power of Thor!"

Just as the shield of Rho Aias was finally breached, a roar of thunder could be clearly heard as blue lightning streaked in the air above before raining down from the skies. Hades' eyes widened when a hammer suddenly appeared in Elden's outstretched hand and to Hades' disbelief, the magical tool in the shape of a hammer fired a concentrated bolt of blue lightning right in his face.

Still, not a problem for the mighty Hades. That attack was too telegraphed. Any lesser mage might not have the necessary reaction time to dodge that attack, but he is Hades. The person who will bring about a grand age of magic to the world.

Dodging the bolt of lighting that was so concentrated in magical energy that even he wouldn't want to be hit by it, Hades used this chance to finally rid himself of the annoying fly that is also known as the Aegis of Fairy Tail.

Unfortunately, a bigger fly that goes by the name of Gildarts Clive got in his way as he bodily blocked Hades' attack before trying to grapple with him. With a grunt, Hades managed to separate himself from Fairy Tail's Ace before leaping backwards to avoid a lethal thrust of a bright red spear littered with barbs, courtesy of the Titania.

The Queen of Fairies did not falter despite the missed thrust of the spear, but merely reversed the grip of the barbed spear and took a stance in preparation to throw it. Meanwhile, seven spots of lights in the sky shone brightly as a blue-haired mage called upon the power of the stars to fire his next attack.

"Pierce! Gouge! Hit through! Gae Bolg!"

"Be judged by the seven stars! Grand Chariot!"

The barbed spear coated with an ominous shroud of dark magic was thrown in a powerful motion just as Jellal rained down seven blasts of light from the heavens. The speed of both spells left Hades with no choice but to cast his own spells to defend himself. Hades avoided the brunt of the attack and leapt away to gain some distance, fingers already drawing the array for his next spells.

"Oi, Sparky, you done?"

"Yeah, gimme a while to digest that damn fucking good meal. I never tasted lightning so damn delicious before."

The dust settled and Hades finally caught sight of a sparking Laxus, head hung low and is standing incredibly still. However, what worried the ancient mage wasn't the fact that Laxus is sparking, but rather the fact that Laxus is covered in sparks of red lightning.

"Goddamn it, sleepy bumpkin. Just what kind of lightning is this? I feel so… good."

Hades' eyes suddenly widened in realisation when he spotted the relative position of Elden and Laxus from each other before he was reminded of something.

That blue lightning! It wasn't meant for him in the first place! It was meant for Laxus to consume the whole time! Mages that utilise Slayer magic power up by consuming their corresponding element!

"Then hurry and beat his ass!" Elden retorted as he casually threw the hammer in his hands away, its purpose completed. The magic stored in it already depleted with that single blast of lightning.

"Red Lightning Dragon Mode!"

A suffocating pressure of magical energy descended upon the area as dark red lightning erupted out of Laxus's body, blasting a crater on the ground where the Lightning Dragon Slayer is standing.

"This power… it can easily put Laxus on the same level as a Wizard Saint."

Jellal floated back down as he made the comment, sweat dripping from his forehead from the sheer pressure pressing down on everyone. Hades cannot help but to mentally agree with the statement. The power exuded by Makarov's grandson right now is no laughing matter to fight against even for someone as powerful as him.

"Hey, our portable battery here needs to be able to do at least this much if he wants to be the next guild master."

"Shut the fuck up, bookworm."

The only warning Hades received from Laxus was the action of the Dragon Slayer raising his head to meet his gaze. In the next moment, a powerful fist coated with red lightning darker than blood itself connected onto his face, sending him tumbling back to the ground.

If Hades thought Laxus was fast enough previously, Laxus in his Red Lightning form is so swift that Hades could no longer follow the yellow-haired mage with his eyes.

"Raiko: Red Lightning!"

Hades managed to raise his own fist to meet Laxus's own just in time, but there is no denying that he, the almighty Hades, is getting pushed into a corner.

This isn't possible.

Hades wasn't allowed the time to think of a countermeasure as a new player jumped into the fray. Gildarts had rejoined the battle. Between trying to defend against Gildarts' blows and predicting Laxus's moves, Hades had no choice but to divert all his attention to both mages just to keep up.

Even then, his heart dipped a little when he spotted Elden passing the Queen of Fairies a weapon that he drew from the shield on his arm. A sword whose blade shines so bright that it appears a pure white but is steadily emitting a golden glow. The amount of magical energy packed in it is even greater than the magical lightning that was previously fired from the dull grey hammer.

Such a dangerous weapon in the hands of an experienced weapons master such as Erza Scarlet can only spell disaster for him.

A small part of Hades' mind also noted that Elden had also fallen back to using his original brand of magic instead of relying on the magical shield.

"Fairy Adamantine Chains!"

Golden chains made from Elden's barriers burst from the ground and bind Hades once more. This time, the chains didn't break no matter how hard Hades tried to use his magic to obliterate the chains to smithereens.

Gildarts bellowed.

"End him. Now!"

"Fairy Thread!"

"Sword of Promised Victory: Excalibur!"

"True Heavenly Body Magic: Sema!"

"Red Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd!"

"Crushing Evil, Spreading the Truth: Absolute Heaven!"

Hades could only watch with wide eyes as the very dimension that he is trapped in cracked just from the immense density of the magical spells thrown his way. On reflex, Hades quickly casted the first defensive spell that came to his mind even if he knew that there is no spell in his arsenal that he can use to completely defend himself in such a short period of time.

It may be his mind playing tricks on him, but somehow, at this moment, Hades clearly heard the words that Mavis had once told him ringing in his ears. Words that he heard when he was still Precht Gaebolg of Fairy Tail.

"Unwavering faith and resilient bonds will bring even miracles to your side."

At this moment, Hades cannot help but think to himself.

Mavis, is this the miracle that you speak of?

Hades never had the time to ponder further on this issue as the ultimate spells of Fairy Tail's S Class mages assaulted him.

He, the mighty Hades, can only scream.


The magical dimension they are in shattered from the sheer amount of magic power thrown about, bringing them back in the sky above the sea that surrounds Tenrou Island.

Hades grinned. He weathered the worst Fairy Tail had thrown at him. If that is all they have, then there is nothing much to fear. They should be out of magic by now for using their strongest spells like that. He admits that this generation of Fairy Tail mages are impressive, but there's no point wasting time trying to continue this useless skirmish with them. The important thing is to quickly find and obtain Zeref for the sake of his dream.

Hades tried to quickly fly in the direction of the sacred island, only for Mystogan and Cana to stand in his way. The masked mage simply raised the staff that he holds into the air.

"Repeater magic: Fairy Glitter!"

Hades' eyes widened in fear. As the second guild master of Fairy Tail, he knows just how powerful Fairy Glitter is. It is an exceedingly complex and unfathomably intricate Magic that collects and concentrates the light of the sun, the moon and the stars. A spell that radiates a ray of merciless light that denies the existence of nearby foes. The only known spell to rival it is Fairy Law.

Such a spell is extremely difficult and time consuming to cast. Even for someone like him, he will think twice before using it in combat because the casting time is a window of opportunity any experienced mage can exploit against you.

To Hades' amazement and horror, Fairy Glitter was invoked immediately instead of the long casting time he had expected. A halo of light rapidly descended from the skies and headed straight for him. If he gets caught by that halo of light, he is done for.

Right at this moment, the group of mages who were battling him in the other dimension reappeared beside Mystogan and Cana. He needs to do something before the situation could get any worse.

"MAXIMUM DEFENSE SEAL: THREE PILLAR GODS!"

Without hesitation, Hades casted the first defensive spell that comes to mind. When it is obvious that it is not enough, he casted his second spell.

"AMATERASU FORMULA 100!"

If he cannot defend himself against the Great Fairy Magic, then he will destroy it by force.

The magic seals of the Amaterasu surrounded the Fairy Tail mages before swiftly exploding into a rippling shockwave that is huge enough to part even the sea temporarily. An immense cloud of smoke filled the clear blue sky as Hades panted for breath. Judging from the lack of life in his immediate vicinity, he had finally succeeded in defending himself against Fairy Glitter and obliterated his opponents in one fell swoop.

The lethality and power of Amaterasu Formula 100 is strong enough to take out the entire group of Fairy Tail's S Class mages. They were unprepared for him to launch such an attack, that much was obvious.

He slowly straightened his back as he ignored his heavily injured state. Bringing him into another dimension must be a ploy on the S Class mages' part to allow Mystogan time to finish casting Fairy Glitter. That spell requires the user to take a lot of magic power and concentration to even wield properly. You need to be more than just an S Class mage to use Fairy Glitter.

For that, Mystogan has his respect. As the previous guild master of Fairy Tail, he admits that Makarov's soldiers are way stronger than he expected them to be. Still, even with his Devil's Heart destroyed, he is the one who emerged victorious.

Zeref will still be his to claim.

Mavis, I'm sorry.

Casting his thoughts about his previous nakamas aside, Hades turned to fly towards Tenrou Island, only to crash against a wall of invisible barriers.

"Going somewhere, old man?"

Hades quickly turned around upon hearing that voice. To his shock, Fairy Tail's S Class mages are alive and unharmed.

How?! That spell was supposed to kill them!

"We never said we were finished." Mystogan spoke coldly as the staves that were floating around him began to glow brightly.

"As is the custom of Fairy Tail's justice system, we shall give you until the count of three. Kneel."

An immense surge of magic power began to emit from Laxus as the dragonslayer began to form a familiar brand of magic between his palms.

Fairy Law

"Three." Gildarts stated.

"Repeater Magic Secret Technique: Infinite Repetition! Fairy Glitter!"

A huge pillar of light erupted from Mystogan and Cana, bathing the skies in a golden hue. Hades can only stare in fear and awe as Fairy Glitter shone once more. Instead of a single halo of light, countless halos rained down from the skies, all of them locking onto his position.

Mystogan is able to repeatedly cast so many Fairy Glitter?! That's impossible!

Hades raised his hands to cast another spell, only for ethereal chains to sprout from Elden and wrapped itself against his wrists and legs. Hades immediately tried to destroy his confinements, only to find that he couldn't.

"Don't bother. My barriers are imbued with the magical properties of Fairy Sphere, they are indestructible."

"Two." Jellal's reminder rang loudly in his ear.

Even without his hands, he can still make it. He is the mighty Hades, the one who will lead the world to the Great World of Magic. Decades of hard work cannot be wasted here!

Hades' Demon's Eye pulsed with demonic power as he prepared to call upon the Abyss of Magic.

"Black Arts-"

"One." Erza said in a tone of finality.

It's no use, he is still not fast enough. For the first time in his long life, Hades can do nothing but gape in awe as the Three Great Fairy Magic is being casted in unison against him. His mind whirled as thoughts and memories from a time long past assaulted him.

He should have known better than to go against the guild that Mavis led, the guild which he helped founded.

"There is a wall that can't be destroyed with just power."

"Fairy Law, Activate!"

"However, there is a type of power that can destroy that wall. The power of feelings."

"Fairy Glitter, Shine!"

"Fairy Tail. The guild is the ultimate form of kinship and camaraderie that I've hoped for, and it is now right in front of my eyes!"

"Fairy Sphere, Protect!"

"Comrades isn't just a word, comrades are about the heart. It's the unconditional trust in your partners. That's the guild that I want Fairy Tail to be!"

The last thing Hades saw was a golden sphere engulfing the Fairy Tail mages before the entire sky bathed itself in a radiance brighter than the sun.


The shockwave from the combined power of the Three Great Fairy Magic can be felt even from where they are on the island.

"Impossible…" Bickslow whispered. Even with his Figure Eyes, he could not tell what is going on right now. The amount of magic exuded from the combined might of the Three Great Fairy Magic is too blindingly bright.

"This means that they won, right?"

"I doubt that even Prec- no, Hades, can come out of that alive." Makarov said with a heavy heart. "I believe this is the first time that our guild's Great Magics were being casted together in this manner. It is something which we will probably never see again."

The warm light from their guild's sacred magic washed over the entire island, bathing and curling around them protectively. They can each feel the magic from their S Class mages that were fighting Hades being mixed into it.

"Unwavering faith and resilient bonds will bring even miracles to your side." Makarov suddenly said aloud to the children around him as they watched the sacred glow lighting up areas even beyond what their eyes can see. "According to our Second Master, that was what the First always preached about. Our guild's Great Magics are there for the sole reason to protect Fairy Tail, in the case that we find ourselves in a situation where we need a miracle on our side. Fairy Law is for deterrence, Fairy Glitter is our sword to smite our enemies, and Fairy Sphere is our shield to protect our guild from harm. Together, they form our guild's Great Magics, our secret trump card. To be able to learn even one of the spells is an exceedingly difficult thing to do. I never thought I would see the day where our guild could cast all three spells together."

"El, Laxus, and Cana, huh?" Mirajane mused. "They are the first three among our generation to join the guild. It's kind of fitting that they would be the ones to wield our guild's Great Magics, isn't it?"

"If you put it that way, I guess it's kind of poetic for things to turn out this way." Pantherlily replied as he scratched his chin with a claw.

"The light is fading." Lisanna said excitedly. "Can you see them?"

Sure enough, the light emitted from the Three Great Fairy Magic is starting to fade away. The mages on Tenrou Island squint their eyes to get a better look in an attempt to spot their fellow guildmates.

"They are fine, look!"

True to Happy's words, the six S Class mages are the only ones still standing in the air. Hades is nowhere to be found.

"They won! They won!"

"They did it!"

"We defeated Grimoire Heart!"

Cheers erupted from the mages who were watching from the island as they celebrated their guild's victory. Makarov, however, closed his eyes and said a mental prayer.

I hope you find peace wherever you may be, Master Precht.

"Master?"

"C'mon. Let's go give them the hero's welcome they deserved." Makarov said in the usual shit-eating grin his children know him for. He will grieve for the man that his predecessor once was in private later. Now is the time for celebration.

"Wait, where did they go?"

Lily's comment made their heads swivel back in the direction where their S Class mages were supposed to be. They had just suddenly disappeared into thin air.

They all let out a shocked scream when the group of S Class mages teleported in front of them just at that moment.

"Huh, repeating Mest's magic sure is useful." Gildarts commented as he scratched the back of his head before turning to Mystogan. "Is there anything that your Repeater magic cannot do?"

"There are limits, of course, but right now I believe all of us here would prefer to get back to Hargeon as soon as possible. I don't know about the rest of you, but I've experienced my quota of combat for the entire month." Mystogan replied coolly, somehow emerging from the fight without a single hair out of place. He planted a single stave on the ground as a large magic circle spread out beneath their feet.

"Let's go home." Even behind that mask, everyone is sure that Mystogan is sporting that same smile that they are all now wearing on their faces. "Repeater magic: Direct Line!"


"Master Mavis! When are-"

"Yukino. It's not like Master Mavis can see what is going on over there. Just wait a little longer, okay?"

"But Juvia! It's been-"

"Don't worry too much, Yuki-chan. The guys there at Tenrou are all crazy strong. They will be fine." Natsu's calloused hand firmly rested on Yukino's head to reassure her. "If anything, I'm actually worried for Grimmer Heart."

"Grimoire Heart, Natsu."

"Eh, sounds the same to me."

"Should I just send Loke to check on them?" Yukino continues to worry out loud despite the entire guild's efforts to get her to stop worrying so much. Those in Magnolia had managed to reach Hargeon in record time and joined them not too long ago.

Now, all that is left for them to do is to wait for the Tenrou group to return.

"They are back."

"Eh?"

Master Mavis' sudden proclamation got everyone to suddenly turn in her direction. The First Master of Fairy Tail turned to her guild with a smile on her face and repeated her words.

"They are back."

There was the sound of air being displaced before a group of familiar faces suddenly appeared among them. The people there looked all beat up and tired, but they are undoubtedly fine.

"El-nii! Mira-nee! Lisanna-nee!"

Yukino threw herself towards her siblings the moment she spotted them. Elden caught her with practiced ease.

"You did well, Yukino. Sorry to worry you. We are alright."

The first thing her brother told her made her vision blur as tears threatened to spill. She quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand before pounding her fist at her brother.

"W-Who said I was w-worried about you! I was worried about Mira-nee and Lisanna-nee!" She huffed, only for Elden to openly laugh and took her pounding fists in stride.

"Yeah right, who was the one who kept-"

"Keep your mouth shut if you know what's good for you, Gajeel."

Surprisingly, that was what the Iron Dragon Slayer did the moment he heard Yukino's threat.

"You weren't worried about me? Aww, glad to know that my imouto had such faith in my abilities!"

"Go away. You are annoying." Yukino swatted Elden's hand away the moment he tried to ruffle her hair and immediately ran over to her sisters.

"Mira-nee! Lisanna-nee! Are you two alright! Do we need to get Porlyusica to-"

"We are fine, Yukino." Yukino heaved a mental sigh of relief when she heard her older sister say that. "If it wasn't for you, Loke, and Gemini, we might really be in a real pinch. But we all came back alright thanks to you! See?"

"Mira's right. The information your spirit got for us was invaluable." Gildarts said with a grin from where he was standing beside Mira. "Good job, Yukiyo!"

"It's Yukino! Yu-ki-no!" Yukino replied in annoyance. "At least get my name right you old geezer!"

"O-O-Old?!"

"Woo! Erza's back too! How many asses did you and Jelly beat?"

"Cool it, ash for brains. Let Erza have a break. She's obviously tired."

"What the hell you cut me off for, ice princess? You want a go, huh?!"

"I ain't scared of ya!"

"G-Gray-sama! LOVE RIVAL!"

WHAM!

"I see that some degree of discipline still needs to be instilled in the two of you."

"EEK! We're sorry!"

"Now that's the Erza we know." Lucy laughed as Erza began to 'discipline' the rowdy ice and fire pair.

"All's well that ends well." Makarov gave a stretch as his bones gave off an audible pop. "But before that…"

The guild went deathly silent when Makarov's hardened gaze shifted to his grandson. Nobody dared to breathe as the gaze intensified.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING BY STEPPING FOOT ON TENROU! YOU ARE NOT EVEN A MAN WHO HAS BEEN REINSTATED INTO THE GUILD YET!"

"Ara ara, there Master goes." Mirajane said with a sigh as she rested a palm on her cheek. The Third Guild Master of Fairy Tail is still screaming at his grandson, his face enlarged with Titan magic. "El? Do you mind?"

"Nah, just leave Sparky to his fate."

"Laxus! It's really Laxus!"

Makarov's scolding was cut off as the Thunder God Tribe pounced on Laxus, each of them crying tears of joy.

"Laxus! It's really Laxus!"

"You've come back to us!"

"Waaaahh!"

"Hey! Cut it out! CUT IT OUT! HEY!"

"You know what this calls for?" Natsu said as he leapt on top of a nearby wooden crate and pointed a finger into the sky. The entire guild shared his smile as they answered his question together.

"PARTY!"


"Bet you guys can't do that!"

"Natsu's a real man!"

"How is stacking cups an act that defines what is a man?"

Mirajane watched in peaceful bliss as her family and guildmates went about partying like crazy in the inn their guild is staying at for the night. It was already evening when they returned from Tenrou and arrived in Hargeon, so Master Makarov decided to just find an inn at Hargeon and booked the entire inn for the guild's usage for the night. They will start making their way back to Magnolia tomorrow morning.

Of course, there's no escape from the mandatory party, because they are Fairy Tail.

"Come on Wendy! You can do it!"

"B-But Yukino! W-We are underage!"

"Cana started drinking when she was way younger than us! Come on, just try it! Just one sip!"

She heard Elden chuckling at her side. The both of them are at a quiet corner of the first floor of the inn where they have a small couch all to themselves. She snuggled and stuck herself to his side, content to just remain like this and bask in his warmth.

"You alright?" She asked in concern. "If you need to turn in early, just do so."

"I didn't overuse my magic this time, so it's fine." He replied as his fingers idly played with the ends of her white hair. "I'm more worried about you. You did overuse Satan Soul."

"Nothing I cannot handle." She assured Elden. "I still couldn't believe that we actually survived another guild war though. Feels quite surreal if you think about it."

Elden remained silent for a few seconds before speaking up.

"Yeah, it does feel surreal. We actually came out alive."

"El?" Mira asked in concern, the expression on Elden's face worried her a little when he was silent. "You okay?"

"It's nothing." Elden shook his head as they watched their fellow guildmates and their antics. The Thunder God Tribe is still orbiting around Laxus. Gajeel is trying to put up a solo performance, only for Natsu to throw a chair at him to get him to shut up. Elfman is trying to convince Mystogan and Jellal to have an arm-wrestling match to determine the manliest out of the two Jellals.

"I'm just really happy, Mira, and I don't really know how to explain."

"Are you now?" She teased as she leaned her face closer to his, unable to hold back the smile forming on her face.

His hand gently caressed her face with a loving look on his face.

"Did I ever tell you how beautiful you look with your hair down?"

"Many times." She replied with her own smile. She didn't tie her bangs in an upward ponytail tonight, instead letting it fall naturally over her forehead. "You also told me that I look pretty with my hair tied up and that I look sexy when I am using Satan Soul. You should just make up your mind already. Just what kind of appearance do you think I look best in?"

"I don't know, maybe… if you are bald? Hmm..."

She pinched him hard for that teasing remark.

She felt him use his magic to protect them from harm when a bottle of wine flew their way. Already, a guild brawl had started in the middle of the inn, the cause of it unknown.

"Oh dear, even Erza's involved."

"They are all drunk." Elden deadpanned.

"Time to get the S Class Trial going again! Fire Dragon Slayer's- oof!"

"I'm the one who will be S Class, matchstick!"

"MAN!"

"Let's go, shrimp! Time to get you that S Class title!"

"G-Gajeel! W-Wait! Let me go!"

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Their First Master cheering the mayhem on isn't exactly a very reassuring sight.

"How much do you think the guild has to pay for the damages this time?"

"Let's see…" Elden pondered as his gaze swept across the inn they were both in. "We are both too comfortable to move. Erza's drunk. Jellal's knocked out. So is Gildarts and Master. Laxus can't be bothered to care. Mystogan is nowhere to be seen. Everyone else is either involved in the brawl, too drunk to stop it, or cheering them on. I guess that means we will incur a lot of expenses to be paid for tomorrow?"

"And that means more paperwork for me." Mira sighed. "All the paperwork involving major expenses the guild incurred are prepared by me. Go be a dutiful boyfriend and stop them for me, won't you, El?"

"Aye ma'am." Elden replied in a perfect imitation of Happy before conjuring a flat horizontal pane of barrier above the free-for-all currently happening in front of them before dropping it forcefully on the participants below.

"Ow!"

"Hey!"

"Ah! Stop pressing on me!"

"Let us go!"

"Alright, that's enough from the lot of you." Elden said in a bored voice as he single handedly stopped the brawl by pressing his barriers down on the rowdy members, not allowing them to move. "Break it up, shoo."

"Told you either El-niichan or Mira-nee would stop it." Yukino told Jet as she held a palm up to the Speed mage. Jet grumbled inaudibly before taking out a wad of cash from his pocket and pressed it on Yukino's hand.

"Yukino. I told you to stop betting-"

"Nyeh." Yukino made a face and stuck her tongue out in defiance when Elden frowned in disapproval at what she did.

"Chill a little, El! Yukino's growing up just fine!"

"You are a bad influence, Cana."

"You and Mira are the bad influence. Look at your lovey-dovey position the two of you are in now! Is that something to be shown in front of children?"

Mira looked at how she is currently hugging Elden in an intimate position. Huh, maybe Cana does have a point.

"Ara ara, I guess I should only hug El like this when we get ourselves a room then. I would feel bad if I gave the children in the guild some mental scars." She turned to face her lover and even added a wink for extra effect. "El, shall we go get ourselves a room and… You know?"

She purposely let her words trail off at the end as she leaned in closer to mock whispered into his ear. Judging from how his left eye is twitching, she knows that he knows that she is doing this on purpose to mess with him in front of the entire guild.

Everybody heard her. A chorus of ooohs sounded out from the guild as they all got what she was insinuating. Whistles and catcalls could also be heard as their nakama cheered them on. The only clueless ones are the children like Wendy and Romeo. Yukino had seen her flirting with El long enough to figure out all the sexual innuendos.

Welp, maybe she really is the bad influence.

"Ew! NO! Mira-nee! Go do it somewhere else where we are not around!" Yukino is almost tearing her hair out this time. "Ew! Yuck! Now I cannot unsee it in my head! ARGH!"

"Uhm, Yukino?" Wendy asked perplexedly. "What is Mira-san going to do if she gets a room with Elden-san?"

"Well, uhmm-"

"IT'S NOTHING!" Mystogan made a sudden reappearance out of nowhere and covered Yukino's mouth with a hand, not allowing Yukino to answer Wendy's question. "NOTHING!"

"Dad?' Romeo tugged on Macao's shirt. "What is Yukino and Wendy talking about?"

"Uh, ahh, uhh… Wakaba! Help me out here!"

"No can do! I'm drunk!"

"Like hell you are drunk!"

"You see, Wendy, Romeo, when a girl and a guy love each other very much and they get a room all to themselves. They start to-"

"CANA!"

"Hey, someone has to teach them about that someday!"

Wendy's and Romeo's facial expressions got more and more confused.

"Hey, I don't get what Mira and the rest were talking about either. Happy, do you know?"

"No sir!"

"Why am I not surprised." Lucy muttered in resignation upon hearing Natsu's words.

"Damn it, Mira! This is your fault! Fix this!" Macao yelled in desperation at her direction and Mira laughed. This is way too much fun!

"I can't hear you Macao~"

"Dad? What is it that everybody knows except for me and Wendy?"

"You are too young to be asking! It is adult stuff!"

"But Yukino already knows!"

"I-It's different!"

"You see, Romeo." Mira blinked in surprise when her boyfriend got up from their comfortable position. He walked up to Romeo and squatted down to get himself on the same level as the little boy and patted him on the head in that usual brotherly manner. "When Mira was asking if we should get ourselves a room, she was giving me a hint to-"

"EL! NO!"

Ignoring the collective cries of the rest of the guild that are trying to protect Romeo's and Wendy's innocence, Elden continued. Romeo, on the other hand, shared none of that as he looked at Elden eagerly. The same action is being copied by Wendy, who is more than ready to learn something new that only adults would know.

"It is a hint that as a guy, you absolutely have to be able to pick up, you know? You get what I'm saying?"

Romeo and Wendy both nodded with a serious look on their faces after hearing what El had to say.

"Hey hey Aegis! Stop that, seriously!"

Mira cannot help but burst out laughing. She is already laughing to the point that her stomach is starting to hurt! This is really too much fun! Even Gajeel is being overprotective about Romeo's and Wendy's innocence!

"What Mira is trying to hint to me is that-"

"Someone stop El!"

Mira doesn't know who started it, but immediately the entire guild tried to rush and dogpile him to get their Barrier mage to shut up before the children's innocence got corrupted.

In their haste, they forgot that Elden is a Barrier mage.

"Ah! This stupid barrier! I can't get through!"

"Stop pressing on me! Hey, watch where you are touching!"

"You stink!"

"Well, you stink too!"

"Someone stop El!"

"Geez, can you guys be quiet for a second?" Elden gave a long dramatic sigh before turning to give Wendy and Romeo the so-called important lesson. "What Mira is hinting to me when she told us to get ourselves a room is that-"

"EL!"

"- she is tired of waiting and wants me to-"

"EL!"

"- Propose to her!"

Eh?

The guild went silent. Time stopped. She didn't even blink. She didn't move. Her mind ceased functioning.

Slowly, Elden walked up to her where she was still sitting on the creaky couch where he was sitting next to her not long ago. She could literally hear her heartbeat hammering loudly in her chest. She could feel the heat growing on her face that she is sure is her own doing.

He went down on a single knee in front of her.

"Wait, wait! Not like this!" She panicked as her hands immediately went up to try and tidy her appearance. She's a mess right now. Her hair is not combed. She is dressed in an oversized shirt that is full of creases that wasn't ironed out. She did not apply makeup, not that she usually applies any but still!

"You still look beautiful to me, Mira." He told her with that soft gaze that she had grown to love as he produced a little square box in his hand using Requip, making her freeze once more at the sight of it. She had seen it before when he hid it beneath the floorboard of his apartment and he thought she didn't know about it. She knows what is in that box.

"You told me that you were the one who took the initiative to ask if we wanted to be together and I should be the one to take the initiative to propose to you so, well."

He opened the box, revealing the pair of rings, one ivory one and the other an ebony black.

"Truth to be told, it is supposed to go a lot better in my head." He laughed a little awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head in a sheepish manner that she grew accustomed to seeing. "I've spent at least three nights rehearsing and memorising the lines I am about to say but I cannot remember a single thing right now. So, uh, I will get straight to the point instead."

They looked at each other in the eyes as the world around them came to a standstill. Right now, it is just the two of them.

"Marry me, Mira?"

Nobody moved. Nobody dared to even breathe. She is sure that she never moved the moment he started to propose to her. She knew this day was coming. She was expecting it, yet when the day really arrives, she's…

Just so happy.

"Yes." She whispered, her voice so uncharacteristically soft. She knew how hard it is for a severe introvert like him to bring himself to do something like that in front of everyone. She took another gulp before repeating herself once more.

"Yes."

She can see a truly happy smile breaking out on his face in slow motion. She can hear the guild starting to cheer. She can feel the inn they are at starting to vibrate from the sheer volume of their guild's cheering.

Her mind was still in a daze as he allowed him to slip the black ring on her finger, officially claiming her as his. She is still in a daze when he puts on the white ring on his finger, claiming him as hers. It wasn't when everybody toasted to them that she finally broke out of the spell and jumped on Elden, giving him her biggest and tightest hug that he returned in kind.

"Thank you." She whispered into his ear. "Thank you, El. I'm happy too."

"I will make it my personal SSS Class mission then, to always keep you happy. This is my Century Quest."

She laughed as the guild collectively cringed at the corny joke.

"Ew!"

"Get a room, you two!"

"Control yourselves dammit! Think about the feelings of us single men!"

"I cannot wait to be an Aunt! Isn't that right, Elf-nii? Yukino?"

"El is a MAN! I'm sure we will be uncles and aunts within the next six months!"

"Uh, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm sure the bun needs to be cooked in the oven for at least nine months."

"You think this is corny?" Mira cannot stop smiling as she said it. She's just so happy. "Why, when I asked El how much he loved me on a scale of one to ten he said it is one divided by zero! Because one divided by zero is mathematically impossible and cannot be defined! He loves me so much that it is impossible to be defined! How about this?"

"Argh! No! My heart! I can't take it!"

"Please stop!"

"No more corny love jokes! Please!"

"Just get a room already!"

"One divided by zero… Hey Lucy, what is one divided by zero?"

"Weren't you listening?! One divided by zero is impossible!"

"Aye sir!"

"See this, you pieces of shit? This is why you guys are still single! Learn a thing or two from El!"

"Damn it El, you are making us guys look bad!"

December 16, Year X784. It is the day where their guild partook in one of the most dangerous battles in their guild's history where they engaged in a life-and-death battle with Grimoire Heart.

December 16, Year X784. It is also the day where Elden made her the happiest women alive.

December 16, Year X784. It is a day that she will never forget.

The day that she became Mirajane Tyrell.


AN: I've no excuse for the late post, so I won't make any. I just hope this chapter lives up to your expectations.

The responses from the previous two chapters were overwhelmingly supportive. I wasn't expecting such a good response, to be honest, because I didn't feel that it was that good but you guys thought otherwise. It feels me with joy that people loves TAOFT so much, but I guess with expectations comes the pressure to continue to deliver good chapters. I'm still very unsatisfied about how the fight with Hades was written, but I really could not manage to write a better version so I'm stuck with this or this story will never move on. I lost count on how many times I reread the Hades fight over and over again to the point that I no longer felt anything about it. Actually, the same goes for my other stories. I read them so many times that I kind of lost the ability to feel anything about them. It's like my senses to judge whether the chapters I wrote turns out good or bad had been dulled. I just don't feel anything. Nothing I wrote nowadays moved me anymore. If you want to know the real reason why this chapter took so long to come out, well, this is it.

Once I decided to just move on with the Hades fight as it is because this is probably the best I can do about it right now, the part after that comes much easier because I already have somewhat of a brief idea on how this story will develop. It will probably take a long while again before I can get another chapter up. Not just to meet your expectations, but mine too. I really want to see this story turn into what I've envisioned it to be now that canon is officially screwed without Acnologia appearing.

In any case, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Also, do stay safe. Do what you can to protect yourself from Covid-19. I'm confident that this crisis will pass soon. Until then, we just have to hang in there and look out for each other.

On a side note, I should also start thinking what name I should give El's and Mira's kid lol.