Ceasefire
Animus frowned as the lance of light missed his jugular. Makarov spun, weapon swirling into a blade that howled for his blood. Animus snorted, catching the blade with his hand. He tried to counter the elderly mage only for flames to surge towards him. The man grit his teeth, leaping away from the Dragonslayers fire. He had no time to plan a way to get rid of Natsu however, as Makarov launched himself forwards again launching a punch at the threat. Animus blocked the punch but was unprepared for the flash of light that quickly shot from Makarov's body. The mage hissed, closing his eyes briefly, but that was enough time for Makarov to flip above him and send him flying to the ground with a heel drop. Natsu snarled at the crater formed, flame surrounding him before he let loose a Fire Dragon's Roar. The ensuing explosion shrouded the enemy mage from their sight.
Makarov frowned, realizing the error as thousands of orbs of light formed behind him. He could fire blindly into the smoke cloud but that would make the attack less effective. And the man's magic power was so great it was impossible to accurately detect his precise location in the smoke. He had to wait. He did not have to wait long however, as Animus blurred towards Natsu. Makarov sent his orbs towards the threat, the orbs moving faster than the man. The attack smashed into his back, allowing Natsu just enough time to avoid being skewed by Animus' arm.
"What the, so fast," Natsu muttered.
"Annoying old man," Animus muttered, spinning to look at Makarov before he extended his arm, batting Natsu away like a ragdoll. Natsu bounced along the ground, blood trailing from a busted lip as he came to a stop. Makarov's eyes narrowed, shooting forwards once more only for Animus to block his kick with his forearm. Makarov's eyes narrowed, pushing against the man to flip away before he launched his arms forwards.
"Celestial Storm!"
Dozens of beams of light flashed forwards, smashing into Animus with miniature explosions. The mage stood there, bearing the attack, a grim look on his face before he glared upwards at the Wizard Saint. The man grunted, flexing his power and dispersing the attack. The residual force flung Makarov away, only for the man to flip and land on a slab of debris facing his opponent.
"I must admit," Makarov began. "I've never fought anyone quite like you before. Your power seems to never end. What is the source of this unending power? A lacrima?"
Animus snorted. "Please, nothing so pedestrian. I'm something this world hasn't seen in 400 years."
"400 years," Makarov muttered. The elderly man frowned. That would make his opponent ancient. The claim was preposterous, but his monsterous strength was nothing to be scoffed at. If there was any time period that had mages as powerful as this, it would be then. Few tales were still told of the times 400 years ago. In fact, there was only one.
"You come from the time of Zeref the Dark Mage?"
Animus snorted. "I've met him yes."
Makarov's eyes widened. There was no hint of hesitation in the man's eyes. No hesitation in the answer. He stated it as if it was as simple as telling the color of the sky. His opponent...he wasn't lying.
Makarov's magic surged, trying to form a signal as quickly as possible. He knew Draculos and Wolfhiem were somewhere in Crocus. He would need their help. He might need more. A man who had existed during the time of Zeref...
He was one to be avoided at all costs.
Animus frowned, realizing the elderly mage's strategy. The man raised his hand, crystal energy swirling in front of him before he grunted, swinging it to his side to create a wall of crystal to stop the storm of flame that threatened to engulf him. Natsu snarled, flames swirling around his fists as he leapt at Animus. The man easily dodged the blows, his movements lazy. Natsu grit his teeth, irritation building at his missed attacks. Frustration building the Fire Dragonslayer gave up, instead opening his mouth. Animus capitalized, shooting forwards and clapping a hand over Natsu's mouth before smashing his fist into the mage's stomach. Natsu heaved, dropping to the ground before his opponent.
Makarov grit his teeth, shooting forwards to help his mage. Animus turned, blocking Makarov's attack, staring at the man with a derisive look.
"You drawing more people will just lead to more of you humans dying."
Makarov paused, confused over the wording. It was costly. Animus smashed his fist into the guild master's stomach, blood flying from his mouth before a hand clasped over his face.
"Enough of you pesky humans. We're done here."
Animus growled, the sound animalistic, before he smashed Makarov into the ground, energy crackling around his body. The man thrust his hand down, spearing a hole in Makarov's gut. Blood spurt from the wound onto the ground, the dark liquid covering Animus' hand.
"Master!"
Natsu shot forwards, white flame covering his form only for Animus to turn, an annoyed look on his face. The man easily caught Natsu's blow and smashed his fist into the teen's stomach. Natsu wheezed, eyes glazing over before he slumped to the ground.
"Don't worry," Animus muttered. "It won't kill him. I have use of him later."
Animus turned, walking away from the duo. Where was Zash? If he could find him they could gather their allies and leave. The Magic Council was dead that much he was confident in with Zash's abilities. The decision confused him though. Why would Tartarus send them to attack the Magic Council when they had just found the location of Nirvana? It made no sense to reveal their existence and become public enemy number one. Then again, it did remove a powerful player from the field. With the Magic Council dead so was the cannon Etherion. At least until a new one was formed. If he could get his hands on the magical power of the Nirvits instead of Tartarus he may have the ability to take him on now.
Animus was unable to ponder the thought any further as he was sent flying by a titanic explosion. The man skidded across the ground before flipping onto his face. Rage boiled across his face at the sting on his back. That attack had actually hurt. It was no Dragon Slayer Magic, but it was strong. Packed with Natural Magic. Animus growled, looking at the forms of his former opponents. A blonde hovered over both of them respectively, gracefully picking the two up before blasting away. The man snarled, prepared to blast after them before he heard the voice.
"You think you can touch my guild master and walk away from him like that," came the voice. Animus' eyes glanced upwards, rage on his face as he saw Uzumaki Naruto floating in the sky above him. So this was his assailant. The Fairy Tail mage was could access Natural Magic? Maybe he was more powerful than Animus had initially given him credit for. His counterpart, the Uchiha, had fought one of those Bijuu but it had clearly been a losing battle.
But maybe this one could be a good assistant.
At least, that is what Animus would have been thinking if his mind was clouded with the rage of a human sneak attacking him.
"I'm going to kill you."
"I couldn't have said it better myself."
The two combatants launched themselves at each other, their fists connecting in an explosion of power. The shockwave caused by the two sent debris flying in every direction, the two opponents eyes locking. Animus snarled, his magic power spiking again as he forced Naruto backwards. The blonde grunted, separating from the engagement. Animus roared, shooting forwards once more, unwilling to give Naruto a moments respite. The blonde grunted, dodging the punch as wind swirled around his arm. Naruto snarled, smashing his punch into Animus' stomach, the man's eyes going wide as he felt pain flood his body again.
'That magic? Is that?'
Naruto snarled, wind spiraling around his leg as kicked out at the man who had injured his guild master.
"Magic Sage Art: Sky God's Eternal Anger!"
The kick smashed into Animus' body, the man grunting as he was sent flying. The attack wasn't done however as the winds swirled forwards, dozens of spiralling black tornados smashing into his body forcing him to the ground. Animus groaned as he stood, glaring up at Naruto. His suspicion was correct. The brat could use God Slayer Magic. Of course he could use the one other magic in the world that made his defenses less effective. Animus glanced at his stomach, his armor there broken from the blow revealing a small bruise.
'A God Slayer who can access Natural Magic...and he clearly hasn't accessed his Force state either. And yet he can wound me more than any of these other humans.'
Animus stared up at Naruto, the rage on his face being replaced with a slow burning irritation. 'Of course I'd find someone like him. I can't afford to kill someone with so much potential. But this brat...'
The duo were quickly interrupted by a third figure, Barakiel floating right next to Naruto, reeking of ozone.
"Naruto, where is Makarov?"
"I moved him," Naruto stated, a frown on his face. "That's the bastard that did it."
"I see. Together then?"
A frown graced Animus' face. That man...he reeked of dragon. Another Dragonslayer? But why did he smell so strange compared to the others? His scent was...diluted almost. Still, if he was a Dragonslayer that created a series of problems. This man was clearly stronger than the other one at the arena, or even the fire brat that had attacked him. Combined with a God Slayer...
These were threats. Threats he couldn't afford right now. Taking chances with these two was not something he could afford, and if he let out his full power...well that was out of the question.
"No," Naruto hissed.
Barakiel frowned. "This isn't the time to have our revenge plans Naruto! This man defeated your guild master and yet you think you can defeat him?"
"He came with others," Naruto muttered, reaching out with his senses throughout the area. "Other mages. Don't you sense the powers clashing throughout Crocus right now? Erza is down, Mirajane is fighting someone near her, Gray is unconscious, Gajeel is chasing another power, and the newbie in our guild is currently engaged in a battle beneath Crocus. They need help Barakiel."
"The other Generals-"
"Won't get there fast enough," Naruto barked. "Mirajane is struggling and the newbie and his opponent could both die at any misstep! Four of our guild members are already down, including our guild master! Save them."
Barakiel frowned, turning to leave but glancing at Naruto.
"Can you defeat him?"
Naruto didn't answer, locking eyes with Animus the entire time. In all honesty?
No, no he probably couldn't.
But that didn't mean he was not going to try.
Barakiel took the answer for what it was, blasting away from the area, speeding towards the surging energy off in the distance. He could only hope he was fast enough to save the mages and get back to assist Naruto. Animus watched as the man left, a smile almost cracking his face.
'Well that saves me one problem,' he thought before he turned to look at Naruto. Animus growled, the beastly sound reverberating throughout the area. Naruto frowned at the action, clenching his fists as he looked at the wound he had given the man.
'He took all that and only has a small bruise! No wonder master couldn't hurt him. I'm probably stronger than master right now and I barely can. What the hell is he?'
Naruto shook his head.
'No. That's not what I should be thinking. It doesn't matter what he is. He's not an opponent I can afford to hold back against.'
Naruto breathed, eyes closed. His body slowly relaxed, the blonde taking a brief moment to garner more Natural Magic. 'I've been fighting like a mage ever since I've been in Fiore. Holding back. Trying to injure instead of cripple. Not going all out. No kill shots. No more. Mito is proof enough. But this confirms it. This worlds darkness is strong. Dangerous. I can't afford to fight like that anymore. No more fighting like a mage.'
Naruto's eyes snapped open, eyes dark and resolute.
'It's time to fight like a shinobi.'
Naruto blurred forwards, a Rasengan blurring to life in his hands. The blonde grunted, shooting the orb forwards towards Animus. The man reached out, grabbing the orb and clenching his hand, the residual energy causing an explosion between the two. Naruto didn't stop though, flipping in the air as his legs swirled towards, black winds swirling around his body.
"Magic Sage Art: Sky God's Dance."
Animus grunted, blocking Naruto's blow only for the winds to barrage his body. The man growled, a pulse of energy dispersing the storm only for Naruto to spin upwards, palm open. Naruto snarled, an orb forming.
"Magic Sage Art: Odama Rasengan!"
Animus snarled, the orb smashing against his chest, cratering the armor surrounding his body. Animus snarled, feeling the blonde's hands plant themselves on his chest. The 400 year old man reached down, grabbing the blonde around the neck in the process. He snarled, clenching only for Naruto flick a Thunder God Kunai to his side and teleport to it. Animus turned to face the blonde, irritaton on his face before he blinked and Naruto was in front of him once more, arm glowing black with Altaris. Naruto snarled launching the blow. Animus dodged, barely avoiding the punch as it skimmed through the air directly in front of his face.
'The gravitional force on that thing,' Animus thought. 'Combined with Natural Magic and that's a killing blow!'
Naruto snarled, launching another punch with Altaris, this one aimed at the body. Animus' arms shot towards the assault, grabbing the blow only for his eyes to widen as it catching it did nothing to stop it's force. The wave of force blasted through his body, sending debris flying behind the man. Animus snarled, gripping the fist tightly, only for his eyes to widen as Naruto's other arm flung backwards, winds swirling around it.
'He's not stopping his assault?'
Naruto snarled, the blow going forwards.
"Magic Sage Art: Sky God's Gale Fist!"
The blow smashed into Animus' face, sending the man skidding backwards. Naruto stared, eyes narrowed as he watched his opponent. Animus slowly opened his eyes to stare at Naruto, rage visible in his eyes. Blood trailed from the man's nose, dripping onto the ground. As the first drop of blood hit the ground Animus' power exploded, teal energy flying off of his body to form a pillar that shot into the sky. Animus' eyes narrowed, the hate on his face threatening to kill.
"I'm going to kill you."
Naruto snarled, wind swirling around him.
"Try it."
Mirajane tilted her head, the poison-coated fist flying through the air next to her. Cobra grunted, continuing his barrage of blows, leaving Mirajane on the backfoot. The S-class mage blocked his attacks, falling back as the assault continued. Cobra frowned, watching as his poison failed to go through the Darkness Magic that covered her body, allowing her to not be slowly whittled down by him. The man snarled, spinning to kick at the woman only for her to block it. Cobra grunted, poison shrouding his hand as he launched his attack. Mirajane panicked, hands coming together to block the attack only for Cobra to stop right before he made contact and open his hand.
"Poison Dragon's Grip Strike."
Poison blasted off of the attack, sending Mirajane skidding backwards, poison drifting in trails on her skin. The S-class mage winced, quickly using Dark Deflect to rid herself of the poison. The woman looked at Cobra, shock on her face.
"Did you...poison dragon?"
Cobra snarled, shooting forwards again with a Poison Dragon's Sharp Horn that Mirajane managed to block, the resulting shockwave blasting spiderweb cracks throughout the ground. Mirajane grit her teeth, locking eyes with her opponent.
"Are you a Dragonslayer? Like Natsu and Gajeel?"
Cobra grunted, leaping away from the woman before he clapped his hands together.
"Sound Wave!"
The sound waves surged, firing downwards on Mirajane. The woman cried out, grasping her head as she dropped to a knee. Cobra grunted, circulating the sound around the woman. Mirajane grit her teeth, slowly raising her head to glare at her opponent.
"You're annoying," the woman stated. Slowly she aimed a hand at him. Cobra's eyes widened, realizing the woman's strategy. With a grunt he increased the sound waves, but it didn't matter, Darkness Magic swirling in front of Mirajane.
"Darkness Stream."
Tendrils of dark energy shaped like hands shot forwards, reaching out to grab Cobra. The man grunted, cancelling his attack and leaping away from the hands but they just pursued him. The man grunted, firing off a Poison Dragon's Roar to disperse the attack before he turned to glance at Mirajane. The woman was glaring right at him, Darkness Magic swirling around both of her hands.
"Evil Explosion!"
"Tch," Cobra stated. "I can still hear you you know."
Cobra leapt away from the attack, watching as the beam of darkness detonated where he was standing before, the explosion reducing everything there to ash.
"Still, you've got some serious firepower there," Cobra muttered. "You're coming at me with the intent to kill me. Good."
Mirajane snarled. "I already lost someone important to me. I refuse to lose another."
Cobra snorted, rolling his eyes. If he had any intention of killing Erza Scarlet she would have already been dead. He would have thought that was obvious.
"I'm not here to kill anyone except the Magic Council," Cobra stated plainly. "I thought that would be obvious considering your friend is alive. I took my poison out of her didn't I?"
Mirajane frowned, eyes watching the man. She couldn't refute what he said. She had seen him take the poison out of Erza's body, but that didn't change the fact that he was still a threat. A murderer. He had killed the Magic Council. Why go through all of that and not kill the people who had tried to defend them?
"Why?"
Cobra rolled his eyes.
"Because the Magic Council was going to stand in the way of what is necessary. They're fools."
"What's necessary? What are you talking about? What is necessary?"
Cobra sighed, staring down at the woman from his higher elevation. "Sorry, but I'm not telling."
Mirajane grit her teeth. "Fine. I'll make you tell me after I bring you in!"
Cobra frowned, poison trailing off of his body as he glared at the white haired woman before him. "I'm afraid I can't allow that," he muttered. The two locked eyes, tension in the air as they prepared to rush each other only for Cobra's eyes to suddenly widen. The poison leaking from his body dissipated in the wind as he glanced upwards.
"Nice to see you again, Barakiel."
Barakiel stared down at Cobra, frowning. "Cobra," he muttered. "Are you threatening my mages?"
Cobra shrugged. "They attacked me first. I came here for the Magic Council."
The Dragonslayer lazily glanced at Barakiel, a frown on his face.
"I was successful."
Barakiel's face was a mask of stone, descending to the ground.
"Mirajane Strauss," Barakiel began. "Take Erza Scarlet and retreat. I'll handle this."
Mirajane blinked, shock on her face at seeing one of the most powerful men in the country before she nodded, grabbing Erza and flying off into the distance.
"Judging by the look on your face none of the members fell today."
"I can sense them" Cobra muttered. "Midnight is still fighting. Doriate has Fingers. Zash is running around the city and Animus is currently engaged with Uzumaki. He's...he's doing much better than Midnight or I did against him."
"I see," Barakiel muttered. "Gather your group and leave. There's no way we can allow you to leave if all the Generals arrive. Tell us when you arrive on site."
Cobra turned on his heel, waving his hand. "Of course sir."
Barakiel watched the man leave, a frown forming on his face.
"So much going on," Barakiel muttered. "I should go save the guy fighting at the arena."
The man disappeared with a sonic boom.
Azuma dove to his side as another ethereal blade cut through the air, easily cutting through the stone slabs behind him. Midnight grit his teeth, irritation on his face as he saw his attack miss. This man was proving to be more trouble than he had anticipated. He had to end it. With a grunt he sent a barrage of more blades towards him, only for Azuma to create a wall of vines in front of him, the thick vegetation holding the attack. A moment later Azuma dashed forwards, sprinting past the wall of vines towards Midnight. The man swung his arms, fruit flying towards Midnight. The teen grunted, using the wind to send the fruit flying away before he tapped the ground.
The ground beneath the duo's feet swirled, spilling in on itself. Azuma cursed, slipping into the created tunnel, Midnight falling not far above him his eyes wild. Azuma's eyes widened as he realized the predicament. The man howled as suddenly lacerations appeared on his skin, Midnight's ethereal blades biting deep. Before any more could form on his body the man clasped his hands together, vines swirling into existence in front of him to stop the assault as he continued to fall.
Midnight landed on the vines, an annoyed look on his face.
"Annoying barrier."
Midnight raised his hand, air swirling above it before he blasted it downwards, the air shredding through the vines and allowing him to drop even further. The man landed on the ground with a grunt, glancing around the area looking for his opponent. Midnight frowned as he failed to find him. The teens frustration grew, sending out a shockwave around him, only for his eyes to widen as a root shot from the ground and wrapped around his ankle.
'I should have guessed!'
A muffled roar came from the ground before the explosion ripped forwards, Midnight howling as he was sent flying. The teen smashed into the nearby wall, fear and pain on his face as he tried to stand. He couldn't. The injuries were too severe. The teen glared at the form of Azuma as the man clawed himself up from the hole in the ground.
"You have Earth Magic?"
Azuma grinned, flashing his hands to reveal dirty and bloody nails. "No."
Midnight growled, his eyes flashing as he shot ethereal blades towards the man. Azuma leapt away, a smirk forming on his face when he saw the blades carve into the ground. He looked back up at Midnight, fruit forming in his hands.
"You were fun, but looks like I win," Azuma muttered, leaping towards Midnight. The teen snarled, helpless as Azuma approached. Sure he could detonate the fruit early with his blades, but the man would still reach him. He couldn't stop an explosion at that close of a range.
But he didn't have to.
Midnight cried out as the fruits detonated on his body, the pain nearly forcing him unconscious. But the sight of Azuma grinning stuck with him. The smile filling his mind.
He refused to lose to that damn smile!
Midnight howled, using his magic to reflect the sound waves. Azuma spat out blood as the sound impacted against his body, his vision swimming as he was blasted backwards. Azuma bounced across the ground, groaning as he stared at the injured form of Midnight.
"The brat that had never been hit took the blow," Azuma muttered, failing to stand. "Heh."
Barakiel appeared to this scene, a confused look on his face.
"The hell happened here," he muttered. The man looked around, walking up to the collapsed form of Azuma.
"Well you're in serious condition."
Barakiel glanced backwards, eyes tracing Midnight's unconscious form. It would be so easy to kill him. To eliminate a threat right here and right now. The man sighed.
"But if I go acting now they likely won't move on their target. We'll get you then."
Barakiel lifted Azuma before he rocketed into the sky.
A pulse of magic shot through the air as Naruto and Animus clashed once more, the duo's hands locked together as they battled in the air. Magic swirled around them, their eyes locked on one another in a battle of strength. Animus grinned, his magic power spiking once more, slowly beginning to push Naruto. The Uzumaki grit his teeth, a clone of himself forming at his side with a sphere of energy in it's hands.
"Magic Sage Art: Energy Make: Kamehameha!"
Animus snarled as he was sent backwards by the blast of magic, the heat of the attack leaving singes on his skin. With a roar he dispersed the attack, staring at the two Naruto's that were before him. The man flexed his shoulders, rage clear on his face but both Naruto's raised a hand, forming a symbol in front of their faces.
"Magic Sage Art: Energy Make: Needle Hell!"
The blonde hair atop their head lengthened before firing at Animus, the hundreds of needles threatening to pierce skin. Unfortunately, they would never get the chance. Animus let loose a wave of magic, sending the needles flying in every direction before he shot forwards, teal energy swirling around his fist. Naruto grunted, blocking the blow only for the force to send him flying down towards the ground. Before Animus could capitalize the clone shot forwards, it's hair whipping forwards in the shape of a foxhead that forced Animus back.
"Magic Sage Art: Energy Make: Wild Lion's Mane."
Animus snarled as the lion head tried to bite him again, teal energy swirling around his body. The mage shot forwards, blasting through the lion head to punch the clone, sending it flying backwards before it dissolved into magic. The Oracion Seis member turned, looking for Naruto only for blonde to cover his field of vision.
"Magic Sage Art: Sky God's Rasenshuriken!"
Animus heard before he felt the attack. That terrible screeching that filled the air in an instance before he was sent flying. The attack grated against his body, the mage howling. Whatever this attack was, it was different. It wasn't just the Natural Magic or Sky God Slayer Magic tearing at his natural defenses. No, this was something else. Something specifically about this attack. Animus cried out in agony as the attack detonated, the blades of wind slashing across his body. The explosion shook the sky, clouds blasting away as gusts of wind blew away everything nearby away.
Animus groaned as he floated in the air, blood trickling from his body through numerous lacerations. The mage grit his teeth, raising his head to look at Naruto, the blonde across from him, winds swirling around him. Animus snarled, realizing the blonde was preparing a follow-up attack in case that didn't accomplish his goal.
'If he can throw that around more than once,' Animus thought, anger filling his head. 'He's more dangerous than I gave him credit for. Whatever that spell was, I refuse to take another.'
Naruto could only watch his opponent clear his head, a frown marring his face the entire time.
'My strongest attack...he can bear it and get right back up again. It's times like this I really wish I had access to Kurama's power right now.'
Magical power exploded off of Animus, causing Naruto's eyes to widen as the power fluctuated. Then, it slowly began to rise, teal energy swirling around the man before a gigantic column of magical energy exploded into the sky, the light from it acting as a sort of beacon. Animus snarled, his eyes flashing teal as his magic power continued to climb. Naruto watched in horror as the power flooded the city. Was there a limit? This type of power wasn't something he had thought possible outside of Bijuu. No human could possibly be capable of it alone. Who was this person?
"I'm afraid I can only use about this much of my power. Luckily enough, it should be plenty for you."
Naruto grit his teeth, bracing himself for an attack, only for it never to come.
"Animus, it's time to go!"
The duo looked down, seeing Zash Caine looking up at the both of them, an unconscious Gajeel on his arms. Zash looked at Naruto, an amused look on his face. "And you're going to let us or else I'll kill this mage."
Naruto curled his lip at the man, irritation on his face. Animus' eyes widened, looking back to Zash.
"Zash-"
The man was sent flying, Naruto's fist blowing him backwards. Gajeel was safely over Naruto's shoulder, the blonde's eyes icy as he stared down the crumpled from of Zash. The blonde glanced at his guildmate, frowning at the bruises covering his skin.
'He looked like he wasn't hurt at all and he defeated Gajeel like this? And everyone's still down.'
The blonde turned to glance at Animus, the man staring at him. He hadn't reacted to seeing his ally be sent flying. 'He's still this calm. Everyone's down and I don't know when Barakiel will be able to get back here. The other Generals are too far out. And I can't beat him.'
"You put down my subordinate with one blow. Impressive."
The blonde glanced around, looking at the devastation. "Our teams are pretty heavily hurt right now," Naruto muttered.
"I think you're exaggerating," Animus snorted, glancing down. "You mages have struggled to deal with us. I'm surprised your most powerful combatants are not here. Then again, I suppose Mito Uzumaki is a rather pressing threat."
"And you're willing to risk them coming here," Naruto questioned. "Let's face it. You have five Generals preparing to bear down on you. Plus I'm still standing. Even with you and the two other allies you have, there's no way you can win this battle, your surprising strength is irrelevant."
Animus wanted to snort but he found he couldn't. Even at his full strength five Generals and this Wizard Saint would be nigh-impossible to defeat all at once. And that didn't account for him either. He couldn't access his full strength without drawing him here.
"What are you suggesting?"
"I'll let you all retreat."
"Retreat," Animus spat, the word sounding vile on his tongue. "You want me to retreat to mere humans?"
"Like your ally said, it's time for you to go. Humans or not, we will kill you, whatever you are, if you stay here."
Animus snarled, rage forming on his face before he calmed himself. The man's magical power slowly began to wane. "Why let us leave? You could kill several powerful Dark Mages."
"We likely could," Naruto nodded in agreement. "But the devastation to Crocus would be to grave. The amount of civilian deaths would be to high. Besides, I don't think I need to bother telling you that the Council will likely send a hit squad after you."
"Ha," Animus muttered. "I don't think the Council will be doing much anymore."
Naruto's eyes narrowed. "So they were the magic powers I felt get flushed out then," he muttered, connecting the dots. "Well, that being what it may, I won't let you get away with this. I will kill you. Think of it as me allowing you to choose the grounds for our future battle."
Animus smirked. "You attempting to kill me? I must say...I do find the notion amusing. A Wizard Saint that conceals so much of his power. I wonder just how powerful you can grow."
Naruto glared.
"I assure you, you will find out."
Animus' smirk deepend. That was a clear bluff. He wasn't a fool, he could tell when someone was lying. The blonde seemed frustrated by his lack of power. He thought he should be stronger. Animus smirked. While he may not understand the exact reasoning as to why that was the case he knew what it meant. If the blonde ever got his full strength back he was confident he could kill him. And he likely would try and regain this strength before they clashed again.
That was fine. If he thought he could kill him then he would be incredibly useful against him. Even at his current stage he would be a boon.
"I'll take you up on this offer, Wizard Saint."
Animus flashed forwards, grabbing Zash from the ground. The man turned to glance back at Naruto.
"You will regret letting us regain our strength you are aware of this correct?"
Naruto turned back, locking eyes with the mage.
"Likewise."
Animus smirked. "I'll remember your name, Uzumaki Naruto," he muttered before he disappeared in a flash. Naruto turned as the ground shook, the sound barrier breaking as Animus sped away.
"He got all of his allies in that time," Naruto muttered. "Impressive."
A sigh left the blonde's mouth as the last of the Natural Magic left his body, his muscles aching as it did.
"That's gonna hurt. Now where's Barakiel?"
Naruto sat in Makarov's medical room, the other Generals of the Rune Knights present in the room.
"The others will be fine," Ging said. "Their injuries aren't serious. The dark mages weren't aiming to kill them it seems."
"But they achieved their target," Silva muttered. "The entirety of the Magic Council has been killed."
"Why would they target the Magic Council," Ging stated. "It's the most direct way of declaring war you could. There's no way they actively want us hunting them down."
"I doubt that," Silva stated. "I sensed the magical power of that member Uzumaki-san fought. He could likely match or defeat even some of us."
"That wouldn't stop us from merely sending two Generals after him. Or even sending Draculos after them."
"There's a bigger question," Silva muttered. "How did they know to attack when they did? The Uchiha's battle with Matatabi had just gotten out of hand when they decided to intervene. We had anticipated Mito Uzumaki to make a move, but we had no knowledge of their decision. Did they coordinate together?"
"Yeah," Naruto muttered, bothering to speak up. The blonde's eyes locked with Barakiel's, the Grand General awkardly quiet throughout the conversation. "Why did they know the exact time to attack."
Barakiel's eyes narrowed and the room filled with tension. The two mages stared each other down. "Are you implying something Uzumaki?"
"I can sense magic Barakiel," Naruto muttered. "They were nearby the battle with Sasuke. I noticed them the second I entered my Sage Mode. They waited until I had addressed Matatabi. They were observing the battle. But even then, Animus admitted that he wasn't expecting you all to address Mito Uzumaki. He certainly didn't seem like he coordinated with her."
"You're trusting the words of a dark mage," Barakiel muttered.
"I've met his type before," Naruto stated. "Doesn't strike me as the type to lie."
"And what? What is it you're implying?"
"I think you know exactly what I'm implying."
Barakiel snarled, lightning flickering on his skin. "You think I would willingly put the citizens of Crocus and Fiore in harms way? And what do I stand to gain from this?"
"I don't think you have anything to gain from it," Naruto muttered. The blonde then turned to Wolfhiem. "You on the other hand I don't really know."
Wolfhiem locked eyes with Naruto, his elderly face stony. He then sighed, nodding.
"I stood to gain what we all stood to gain."
"Wolfhiem-"
"Enough Barakiel," Wolfhiem muttered. "Everyone in here has military clearance. As you yourself know Wizard Saints are ranked right underneath that of a General. They deserve to know the truth."
"So I was right," Naruto muttered. The blonde stared at Makarov's unconscious form, clenching his hands. His eyes swirled back to Wolfhiem, the orbs frigid. "You better have a good excuse for why my master is in such a condition," Naruto hissed. "He's a step away from death."
"And he will live, thanks to your ability to get him medical attention quickly," Wolfhiem stated. "As for why, it's simple. The Magic Council."
"What about them?"
"Their actions during the Tower of Heaven incident," Barakiel interrupted. The man sighed, an ashamed look glossing over his face. "What they did during that incident was inappropriate. Gravely so. It was a disbandable offense, and yet they did not cede their power. Instead they plan on using the tower as some sort of tool to create Magical Weapons. Their amassing power and lack of responsibility had to be addressed."
"So you decided to get a Dark Guild to murder them?"
"It was not our first solution," Wolfhiem muttered. "We went to the King initially. He was the only person with the authority to do anything about it. But when he refused..."
"You sicked Oracion Seis on them," Ging muttered. "You both are well aware that this is treason right?"
"Of course," Barakiel muttered. "But a rogue Magical Council could have easily led to Civil War in a power struggle with the King. That's not something we can afford."
Silva frowned. "I see your reasoning. Although I disagree with the decision."
"Oh come on Silva," Ging stated. "They killed our bosses! Draculos, don't you have an opinion on this?"
The two generals frowned.
"Silva and I," Draculos began, his voice raspy. He was clearly still drained from his fight. "We have seen the depths of depravity the Magic Council will do to bolster their power. You have as well Ging. Barakiel is a product of that himself. As am I. We served them because we thought what they were doing was right. But attacking an abuse of power to that scale..."
Ging frowned, irritation on his face. "It doesn't make it okay."
"I will not pretend that it does," Woflhiem muttered. "But I've been around a long time. I know the threats both within and outside of Fiore. They are not ones we can handle with an out of control Magic Council. If there is anyone you wish to blame, blame me. It was my idea."
"I'm sorry," Naruto muttered. "I'm afraid I still don't understand how you got a Dark Guild to work with you."
"You're confused about that," Ging muttered. "That's simple. Cobra is our inside agent."
Naruto blanched.
"What?"
"Project D2," Barakiel began. "A project started by the Magic Council to recreate the power of legend. To instil others with the power of a Lost Magic. Dragon Slayer Magic."
Naruto frowned, staring at Barakiel. "What are you getting at?"
"It was a project started by the Magic Council decades ago. They had heard of the mythical power of dragons. Fiore was on the losing side of a war where we lacked the firepower to compete with our enemy. The Magic Council started several magical enhancement projects at the time to...bolster our chances. In this case, it was a project to create Dragon Slayers, using the corpses of dragons to create lacrima."
"Lacrima that contained Dragon Slayer Magic," Naruto whispered. "So you weren't taught by a dragon, and neither was Cobra."
"No," Barakiel began. "And neither was Laxus Dreyar."
Naruto's eyes widened. "What? You're telling me Laxus didn't get his abilities naturally?"
"Did you really think Makarov Dreyar would not believe Natsu Dragneel's story about a dragon if his grandson was raised by one? Of course not," Silva muttered.
"So you're saying you all were members of this project?"
"At different periods but yes," Barakiel stated. "There were many subjects. Few survived. But those that did gained significant strength. To date there are only four successful subjects. Laxus was the last successful one."
"Alright, so Cobra was given powers by the Magic Council. That doesn't explain why he is working with Oracion Seis."
"We planted him to keep an eye on them. We've kept in communication with him to halt Oracion Seis' progress to their goals. He has been our informant against the Balam Alliance. Did you think we didn't keep tabs on them," Silva questioned.
"No I knew there had to be some way," Naruto muttered. "But a spy wasn't what I expected. So you told him to attack the Magic Council?"
"We directed him to use the guild to kill them. Convince them to. An easy cover and simultaneously a good justification to destroy a branch of the Balam Alliance."
"So you're using him to set them up in a bingo book. Create a hit squad. You were willing to sacrifice civilian lives and potential cause the death of Fairy Tail mages?"
Wolfhiem frowned. "What would you prefer boy? The Dark Guild to continue unabetted, or for us to be able to send a kill squad after them?"
"You could have done it anyway," Naruto hissed.
"And then the Council would still be alive," Wolfhiem responded sternly. "It wasn't the situation we wanted, but we took advantage of the situation. Collateral is part of the job description."
Naruto snarled, rising to his feet as he glowered over Wolfhiem. "You remind me of someone," Naruto hissed. The flash of Danzo's face appeared before him before Woflhiem's image settled. "They were a piece of shit too."
"Think of me what you like," Wolfhiem muttered. "But I will do whatever is necessary to protect Fiore."
"What do you think Fiore consists of," Naruto hissed. "The people you idiot!"
"Enough," Barakiel muttered, coming between the two. "What's done is done. We can only focus on what happens next."
"Easy for you to say," Ging muttered.
Barakiel glared at the man before turning to Naruto.
"Naruto, I understand this is a lot to ask of you, but would you be willing to lead a hit squad against Oracion Seis to eradicate them?"
"Oh you've got balls I'll give you that," the blonde hissed.
Barakiel winced. "I understand we are asking a lot of you. But we cannot participate directly. They would run if any of us showed as Generals usually operate in pairs of two. You have the strength to match their powerhouse as well. You are more than willing to choose the members of this team."
"More than welcome to choose the members," Naruto mocked, spitting the words like they were acid from his lips. "You're saying to choose legal guild members, because you Generals are too precious! We have to put our lives on the line."
The room was silent at his declaration.
Naruto snarled, realizing he was correct. "You all disgust me," he hissed. Barakiel lowered his head, shame burning through his body. This was not what he had desired, but he knew it was necessary.
Naruto glowered at the man before him, rage filling his body.
"My squad. No input from you whatsoever. I get to request who I so desire."
Barakiel's head snapped up, shock and hope in his eyes. "Agreed! Thank you so much!"
Naruto snarled, quieting the man instantly. "Make no mistake, I'm not doing this for you," the blonde muttered. The image of Animus appeared in his mind.
"They're merely too dangerous to let them live. Who knows how long your spy will have them under his thrall? I can't risk him failing and having that threat wandering around. Now get out of my sight."
Barakiel lowered his head once more, but complied. The other Generals followed suit, Wolfhiem briefly glancing back at Naruto.
"We will be discussing your existence before you leave, you are aware of this."
"You'll be lucky if I tell you shit," Naruto hissed. "Now leave."
Wolfhiem snorted, closing the door behind him as he left. Naruto stared at the sleeping form of Makarov.
"Master," Naruto muttered. "I could really use some advice right now."
Sasuke's eyes blinked open slowly, the white tile of the hospital ceiling above him failing to meet his vision. The Uchiha frowned, remembering his previous predicament.
"I lost."
"You're alive," Mirajane stated, the woman next to the Uchiha. Sasuke turned to his left, noticing the woman sitting next to his hospital bed as he activated his magnetic field. The Uchiha frowned, realizing the predicament. She and him were both alive, which meant that she had likely fought. But who? She wouldn't be alive if she had fought Matatabi. He shouldn't be alive.
"What happened?"
"Naruto saved you," the Take Over mage stated. "He came from the skies and teleported the attack away. He took Matatabi away not long after and fought with her. After that things got, hectic."
"Hectic?"
"Oracion Seis arrived," Mirajane stated. "I wasn't there, I was taking you to the hospital. But when Gajeel woke up he told me. Oracion Seis arrived and attacked the Magic Council. They killed them all."
Sasuke's eyes widened. Oracion Seis arrived just when circumstances got out of control. How had they known that moment to attack? Why attack? The situation sounded too similar to what had happened to Konoha back during the Chunin Exams.
"Is everyone okay?"
"Almost everyone," Mira stated slowly. "Almost no one has serious injuries."
"Almost no one," Sasuke stated, getting worried. "Who did they hurt?"
Mirajane glanced at the ground, her fists clenching. Sasuke frowned, trying to sit up only for Mirajane to place a hand on his chest, not allowing him to.
"Master," she whispered. "Someone on Oracion Seis. They defeated him. And Natsu. If Naruto wasn't there Master would be..."
Sasuke's stilled, the words hitting him.
"Someone on Oracion Seis...was able to beat the old man," Sasuke whispered. The words were slow and filled with disbelief. To defeat Makarov, an S-class mage, a Wizard Saint, and one of the more powerful ones at that spoke volumes. How had Oracion Seis grown so powerful? And how had Naruto matched that power? With how weakened the were neither of them could likely match the master in strength. Not until they had broken the seal placed on them by Mito Uzumaki. So how?
Sasuke shook his head. That wasn't important.
"He'll live?"
Mira nodded. "Yes."
Relief hit Sasuke, but it tasted of broken promises and iron. To put their Master in such a state, it meant nothing that he would live. Whoever had done that, they would pay. But first he had others he had to worry about.
"And you," Sasuke asked, his eyes lazily centering in the area of Mirajane's face. Mirajane smiled sadly.
"I'm okay," Mira stated. "I was able to help you and I got Erza safely here. But that Oracion Seis member...Cobra...he was so strong."
Sasuke's hand reached up, clasping the former S-class mage's hand. "You shouldn't be ashamed of having difficulty with him. I've never fought him but I've heard the stories. He is no slouch."
"That's putting it lightly," Mira laughed. "He was almost overwhelming. I know I'm not quite back at my peak but I thought that I would at least be a match for him."
"You got your powers back recently Mira. And you haven't had them for years. It's going to take a while to get back to your old strength."
Mirajane's grip on Sasuke's hand tightened, irritation on her face. "I get that, but it's hard. Ever since I've got my powers back I've been training, hard. And what has it amounted to? I lost to Matatabi. I lost to Jose. I lost to Cobra."
"That's not really a fair comparison. All of them are incredibly strong. The only one you had a realistic chance of beating is Cobra."
"And that's the problem," Mirajane stated. "The threats the guild are facing are incredible. I have to be able to stand up to them, because if I can't that leaves just you and Naruto alone! I can't let you fight by yourself. I refuse! Ever since I got my powers back I thoguht that I could make a difference but I'm not! I'm just failing over and over again."
"I understand," Sasuke stated, raising himself to be level with the mage. Mira's looked up, surprise at the understanding in his voice.
"Believe me I do. When my Clan died hate filled me. So I understand why you're so protective. You don't want to lose someone, and I feel the same way. That feeling of helplessness as you watch someone you care about die. I never want to see another important person die in front of me again," Sasuke stated. "So I became strong enough to stop that from happening."
"But I can't."
"You can," the Uchiha stated. "When I get out of this hospital bed I'm going to train you," the Uchiha muttered. "I'll help you regain your old strength. No, surpass it."
"But how," Mira stated. "It takes time to reach that level of power."
"You're right, your sheer output probably won't be the same for a while. You body simply isn't used to fighting as much again, so the ability to unleash as powerful attacks probably isn't there right now. That will take time regardless of what we do. But that doesn't mean that you can't get stronger. Technique is key."
"But what technique could I learn? It's not like there's a demon out there waiting for me to take over."
"Who says you need a demon? Some of your demons use Darkness Magic right?"
"Yes."
"And if I'm correct, some Darkness Magic users can manipulate gravity correct?"
"Yes, but I don't think I'm capable of it. It's a complicated process. I'm certainly not strong enough."
"You don't think you're strong enough," Sasuke stated. "But gravity isn't about strength. I didn't understand it until I got my eyes, but I understand it now. You don't manipulate gravity with strength, you manipulate it with technique. Darkness Magic isn't forcing gravity to obey it, it's guiding it to function in a certain way."
Mirajane's eyes filled with hope for another time.
"And you think I can learn it?"
"I don't think you can learn it," Sasuke stated. "I know you can."
Naruto looked at the redhead before him as she opened her eyes.
"Nice to see you're awake."
Erza groaned, reaching up to grab her head. "I'm in the hospital? How?"
"Mirajane brought you here," Naruto stated. "She had engaged with Cobra, but thanks to Barakiel she was able to get you to a hospital."
"Barakiel? What's he doing here?"
"I'll explain later," Naruto muttered. "How are you feeling?"
"Exhausted," Erza stated. "Cobra was so strong. His attacks hurt."
A chuckle came from the blondes mouth, shaking his head. "Yeah, he's a pain to fight, even for me. Especially his weird precognition ability. I'm not quite sure how to beat it without overwhelming him."
"I seem to have found a useful solution," Erza stated. "He wasn't able to read my mind."
"Oh, that's impressive. How'd you do it?"
"Instinct," Erza stated. "I've fought with weapons so much that I don't actually need to think to attack. It's engrained in my body. I'm not so much actively thinking about my fights as much as I'm doing what feels natural." The redhead's eyes sunk to the grown, irritation on her face. "Still, it wasn't enough."
Naruto frowned. "I suppose not. But did you learn anything you think could be useful against him in the future?"
Erza frowned. "He said something about it being mentality that separated us. Not technique or power. He said I was an A-class mage."
Naruto frowned, thinking about the words Erza was stating. Cobra, he had told her that? Those words weren't the words of a mage, they were the words of a man who had fought his fair share of life or death battles. As expected of a Dark Mage the man had a bleak outlook on life. Still, Naruto found it hard to disagree with his words. Few Fairy Tail mages had the mentality to fight in life or death battles. He could list the members who could do so on one hand, and that was including himself and Uchiha friend. He couldn't blame them for not having that mentality. A rare few mages had it in this world, and even he and Sasuke only had it because of where they had come from. In this world it just wasn't as necessary as back home. Most mages were not fighting life or death battles. Only S-class mages usually took on those dangers, and even Erza had consistently had him or Sasuke to back her up on her missions.
"He's probably right," Naruto sighed, getting Erza's eyes to shoot towards him in shock. "I don't mean it cruely," Naruto quickly added, seeing the slight amount of hurt in her eyes. "You're not weak. You're an S-class in strength that much is clear. But he's right that an S-class in strength and an S-class in mentality are not the same."
"So I have to become a monster?"
Naruto snorted. "Is that what he said to you? Become a monster or die?"
Erza nodded. "He said if I venture into the world of S-class I will find monsters that I have to fight. And if I venture in as a human I'll die."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "It's extremely dramatic," the blonde stated. "But I understand his point." The blonde shook his head, his locks bouncing slightly.
"It does take something unique to survive in the world of S-class mages. Any life or death fight really. It takes two things. One, the will to survive. You have that in spades. I'd say every Fairy Tail mage does. And sometimes that is enough to carry you through. Kami knows it helped save me several times. But at a certain point you need something else. That second thing, that's something most of you don't have."
"What is it?"
"The will to kill."
Erza frowned as the words left Naruto's lips, clenching her fists.
"The will to kill? We have to be willing to kill?"
Naruto nodded. "You have to be willing to kill someone. It's not an easy thing to learn, believe me. But if you're not willing to do so you won't win no matter how much you want to survive. Your strikes need to be kill shots. You don't have to kill someone, but you have to fight to kill. It's a very thin line, but it's an important one."
"How," Erza stated. "How do you do that? How do you cross into that mentality?"
"It's not easy," Naruto muttered. "Frankly speaking I haven't killed that many people in my life. Sasuke's the expert in that. But I do know when I was willing to kill. When I finally confronted the man who killed my mentor, my godfather, I was resolute. I was positive I would have killed him up until the final seconds actually."
Naruto sighed, biting his lip. "It's something that's thrust upon you more than you take a step across honestly. I don't know many people who knew how to cross that line of their own free will. Sasuke was forced through it when his clan was murdered. I was when my mentor died. Kakashi-sensei grew into that mentality when his father committed suicide. Shikamaru only got it when his sensei was killed."
"But every one of them has a common denominator," Erza stated. "Someone died and made you develop that mentality."
Naruto stared at her briefly, a frown forming on his face. "Yes," he stated. "Most cases of it are born out of a desire to either protect what one has left or get revenge."
"I can't afford that," Erza stated. "I can't afford to have someone die just to then develop the ability to fight monsters like Laxus and Cobra. I have to get stronger now. I have to be capable of it now. So that the next time I see Cobra I can defeat him."
Naruto frowned. "I understand, but this isn't something you can force on yourself. It happens when it happens. Until then you can only prepare yourself. It's not like it was back home when there were specific missions to help you confront this type of thing."
"You have specific missions to prepare yourself to kill?"
"Erza I did grow up effectively as a child bred for war," Naruto chuckled. "Although it sounds dark when you put it like that."
"Because it is."
"Anyways," Naruto intoned, brushing past the subject of his home world's moral ambiguity. "The point is, most people can't force this type of mentality on themselves. The only person who I know who could was Sasuke's older brother Itachi. He might be willing to talk to you about it if you ask, but I'd be careful. It's still a touchy subject for him."
Erza nodded, causing Naruto to smile. The blonde stood, leaning over to kiss the redhead on the forehead. "I have to go check up on Master now. I'll be back."
Erza nodded, watching as Naruto walked to the door. The blonde opened it before turning his head back at the woman.
"But if I could give my two cents, I would say you're the type of person to reach that state through the desire to protect something. So Erza, what do you want to protect so badly you'd kill for?"
Erza's eyes widened, shocked at the reading into her character. Naruto smiled.
"Just something to think about."
And then the door closed.
Erza stared at her hands, frowning.
"Something I want to protect so badly I'd kill for it?"
Gajeel frowned as he listened to his fellow Dragonslayer's words.
"You're sure about that?"
"Yeah," Natsu said, a frown on his face. "The guy on Oracion Seis, the guy who beat Master. He smelled like a dragon."
"But dragon's haven't been seen in years," Gray interjected. "People don't even believe they existed. They're more of a myth than anything."
"They exist," Gajeel and Natsu stated simultaneously. "We were raised by them."
"And I believe you," Gray muttered. "But they looked like dragons right? How would this guy smell like a dragon if he's a human?"
"I don't know," Natsu sighed. "He might not even be a dragon. But he has some connection to them regardless. We need to learn whatever that connection is. It'll help me find Igneel."
"And if I can find Metalicana then I'll face any risk imaginable. Stronger than the old man or not, it's worth it."
"I'm glad you have such determination," came a voice, the three glancing to the door to see Naruto standing there, a small smile on his face. "Because I have a request for you."
The trio blinked. Naruto grinned.
"Meet me in the masters room," he stated, before he disappeared in a puff of smoke. A clone. The trio glanced at each other before shrugging.
"You wanted to see us," Gray stated, opening the door to Masters room. Naruto sat in the room, looking at Makarov who still lay unconscious on the bed. Sasuke was across the room, covered in bandages with a fretting Mirajane surrounding him, clearly annoyed that he was moving around but nonetheless there. Azuma was there as well, pain on the mans face from his wounds as he sat on the far side of the room. Erza sat next to the only blonde in the room, her face a mask of thought.
"Yeah," Naruto mutted, a sigh escaping his lips. "You might want to sit down for this."
The trio frowned but nodded, sitting on chairs scattered across the room. The room was practically full, stretched to its limit.
"Alright," Naruto said, sighing. "Not quite sure how to put this so I'll be as clear as possible. In about two weeks time we'll be launching an assault on Oracion Seis."
"Us," Gray questioned. "I'm not against it or anything, but wouldn't this be more of the realm of the Magic Council and Rune Knights to handle."
Naruto's face contorted at the mention of the governmental entity but said nothing of the meeting with the Generals. "Afraid not. They have to handle Mito and the threat that she posed during this attack as well. She's officially a wanted Dark Mage, and her guild is a Dark Guild. They have their hands full there, so we're going to have to pick up the slack in this area. Can't allow a Dark Guild to just attack civilians after all."
"About that," Gajeel stated. "They weren't attacking civilians. They were targeting the Magic Council members specifically. I heard as much when I fought their members myself."
"I'm well aware," Naruto bit out, barely hiding the animosity in his voice. "And we have to get them back for that. Which is why I've come to you all. We're assembling a strike force to attack them, but obviously we need the most elite mages available. These are S-class mages after all. This is a serious mission. People could die."
The room was silent, all members looking to Makarov's unconscious form in the room. Azuma sighed, opening his mouth to speak only for Gray to cut him off.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but how do you expect us to win against them? I got defeated without even being able to put up a fight. Almost everyone in this room lost their battles. Master is in a critical state. They're stronger than just some regular S-class mage."
"That's also true," Naruto stated. "Which is why I gave the timeline of two weeks. Most everyone in this room should be healed in a weeks time. The last week I want you all training exclusively, and then each of you will fight with me. Other members of the guild will be included in this when we return to Magnolia as well. Those who I deem strong enough will be allowed to be on the mission. Not a soul more."
"Still," Natsu stated. "I'm as eager to go on this mission as anyone, but I fought Animus. His power just kept growing. It didn't seem to have a limit. Master and I could barely lay a finger on him."
"Yes, well, let's just say Sasuke and I will be handling him when we engage Oracion Seis."
The Uchiha nodded, clearly having been briefed of the information before the rest of the group had arrived.
"You all just need to focus on being strong enough to defeat the rest of the group. This won't be a mission focused on individual battles. We're going to try and outnumber them as well. You all just need to be strong enough to defeat a member in at least a group of two."
"I see," Gajeel stated. "And I assume we leave back for Magnolia when the old man is capable of moving."
The blonde nodded.
"Why us," Mirajane stated. "There are other mages out there, not just from Fairy Tail. Other S-class mages than just the mages who belong to this guild. Why not recruit them to this fight as well?"
"We will be," Naruto stated. "I will be talking with Jura before I leave. There's also some competitors from the tournament I plan on reaching out to as well. It won't be exclusively Fairy Tail mages fighting these battles. Leave the assembly of this squad to me, you all just focus on getting strong enough to handle the opponent we will be facing."
Naruto looked upwards, the hardness in his eyes surprising the people in the room, bar Sasuke.
"Let me be very clear here," he stated. "We are going into this mission with the ideal of being able to take these members into custody. That does not mean it will be possible. If you will not be capable of killing on this mission, either to defend yourself, a teammate, or due to inability to successfully capture one of them alive, I will not select you. Are we clear?"
His words hung in the room for a moment, the group frowning before everyone nodded. Naruto nodded back.
"Good. Dismissed."
Naruto and Sasuke stood in a room filled with the Generals, Makarov still asleep on the bed before them. The men stared at the two natives to the Elemental Nations, their eyes watching them both with suspicion.
"We have our suspicions about you all and Mito Uzumaki," Wolfheim began. "It started with Yui Nii. Her records have her listened as a nonmage, only having the basic amount of Magic Power required to live. And yet in the span of a few years she had managed to grow significantly in power to defeat Erza Scarlet. That's not realistic. No, it's impossible."
"What does that have to do with us," Sasuke stated, irritation in his voice. Naruto had informed him of the Generals decisions. While he could not fault them in their entirety the behavior reminded him eerily of what Danzo and the Sandaime Hokage had done with his clan. "Just because she has grown in power significantly means nothing."
"Maybe it wouldn't, except there's no record of her gaining a lacrima. Most lacrima's inserted into people barely have any affect on nonmages anyway, their bodies physically can't handle the strain. There's no way a lacrima could have created that type of power. That also doesn't account for the fact that you all have interesting distortions swirling around you on camera feeds," Silva stated. "Besides, the Uzumaki already confirmed he is related to Mito Uzumaki, there is no use denying there is a connection."
Sasuke glanced at Naruto, irritation on his face but Naruto shrugged. He hadn't known what the Generals were like then.
"So what is it you're accusing us of? Working with them? If that was so why wouldn't we have fought you instead of fighting Mito?"
"We don't think you're working together," Ging stated, his hands raised placcatingly. Clearly he was trying to descelate the already tense relations between the two groups. "But you have to admit, an unknown third party existing with your levels of power is something we can't really afford. You're all quite serious powerhouses."
"So you're worried about something you can't control," Naruto hissed, glaring at Wolfhiem. The small elderly man merely stared back, his eyes hard. "What? Planning on killing us too?"
Wolfhiem's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. He did not need to. The gesture of this many Generals being there was clear enough. If they were deemed a threat they would be disposed of. And without access to their full powers, well Naruto didn't think that was a battle they would be winning.
"You can't," Sasuke stated plainly, his eyes not looking in any particular direction but the force of his words was clear. "You can't control us. Let's be clear about that. And you won't."
Naruto frowned at his friend, but nodded. He knew how he felt. The thoughts that must be running through his made. This must remind him of Konoha.
"Control is a strong word," Barakiel stated. "We merely wish to know that you pose no threat to Fiore. You have partnered yourselves with Fairy Tail, and clearly care for them. The only question is do you plan on being a threat to the country?"
"If we did why would we become so well known? We could have just worked with Mito and attacked," Sasuke stated angrily.
"What my friend is saying," Naruto interjected. "Is that we hold you no ill will...at least before we learned what bastards you guys were."
"Do you plan on doing these pointless little jabs the entirety of this meeting?"
"Not sure, keep talking and let's find out."
"Enough," Silva stated. "We merely desire to know information. Where are you all from? Where did you get your powers? And what can you tell us about Mito Uzumaki?"
Naruto glanced at Sasuke, the Uchiha looking in his general direction. The Uchiha tilted his head, only for Naruto to frown and clench his fist. Sasuke's mouth contorted, causing Naruto to sigh once more.
"We're from another dimension."
"We had theorized that."
"This other dimension," Ging questioned. "Is that where Mito and her allies are from as well?"
"Yes," Sasuke stated. "Although she was here before we were. We did not know she was here until several years ago."
"So they're not working together, case closed," Ging stated.
"Not necessarily," muttered Silva. "Who is Mito Uzumaki?"
"Like I said, my something or other grand aunt," Naruto stated. "She was the wife of the founder of the place we called home. She had died not long after my mother became thirteen years old. We don't know how she got here."
"Well how did you get here?"
"We were engaged in a battle," Sasuke stated. "Our opponent used a time-space technique to send us across dimensions. We have been since incapable of going back to our homeworld. We have all but given up on the effort."
"Is it possible that this Mito Uzumaki arrived here the same way?"
"Doubtful, this opponent was not even alive when she died."
"So there may be other ways from those of your dimension to arrive here," Barakiel stated.
"Yes, but I doubt any more of us will be arriving. The opponent we faced is likely dead. And everyone in our world believed Mito to be dead."
"And your strength," Wolfhiem stated. "Are all of the people from your dimension this powerful?"
"Yes," Naruto stated. "The world we came from was a war torn one. Only the strong survived. We had to gain power to not die."
"Think child soldiers," Sasuke stated.
"Kami," Barakiel muttered. "What type of world did you all grow up in?"
Sasuke frowned, anger flashing on his face briefly.
"One where we had to fight literal gods to survive."
"So that is how you gained your strength," Ging stated. "But that doesn't answer our questions about Mito. Do you know her powers? Those working with her?"
"Neither of us were alive when she was, so we don't know the full extent of her abilities. We can only theorize. We have not truly confronted her either. You, having fought with her, likely know more about her abilities than we do," Sasuke stated.
"But her allies as you call them are called Bijuu. There are eight of them. The creature that destroyed Era was one of them. Yui Nii, or as Sasuke and I call her Matatabi, is another. Each of them has unique abilities and are supremely powerful."
"What are their abilities?"
"Shukaku has control over sand and wind," Naruto stated. "He also possess powerful sealing abilities. Matatabi is an expert in the manipulation of fire, as you might expect. Isobu is a master of water. Son Goku can control fire and lava with ease."
"Kokuo controls steam, and Saiken has an extremely corrosive acid," Sasuke muttered. "Chomei has the abilities of any insect one could think of, while Gyuki is exceedingly physical imposing and also possesses a strange ink-like substance he can fully control."
The group glanced at Hyperion, the man sitting on a chair. The man nodded.
"Yes, I recognize some of the abilities they mentioned. I must have fought this Shukaku, along with Son Goku and Kokuo."
"Those abilities also sound similar to that of Mito Uzumaki," Wolfhiem stated. "She displayed the acidic properties you mention, and control over sand."
Naruto and Sasuke both raised an eyebrow at that, glancing at Wolfhiem.
"I assume you were unaware she possessed those abilities?"
"That was never on record," Sasuke muttered. "The only thing we know she should be capable of are powerful chains capable of sealing one's powers. We were unaware of her other abilities, but those line up too closely to those of the Bijuu."
"Is it possible she took their powers for herself," Barakiel stated. "Using them as some sort of weapon?"
"It's never happened before," Naruto stated. "We didn't think it was possible to use them as weapons. Where we are from they are walking natural disasters, things to be avoided rather than confronted. There is no way to stop them, even with our strength."
"But did you not say the only effective way to defeat them is to seal them," Silva stated, eyes narrowed.
If Naruto was worried about being caught in one of the many lies they had strung up, he did not show it. "I did, but that was mostly because I didn't think we would have the power to outright defeat her. Sealing ones power is always easier than defeating it directly."
Silva frowned, doubt on his face but otherwise did not talk. The two shinobi from Earthland did not comment, nor did their faces betray any emotion. Barakiel sighed.
"How likely do you think it is than your average S-class could face them in combat and win?"
"Zero percent," Naruto stated immediately. "Like I said they are walking natural disasters. They are best left avoided rather than fought. We have no idea how Mito Uzumaki managed to control them, and it is likely against their will. No mage who is not at least close to the level of the Four Gods should engage them, much less have a chance of victory."
"The Four Gods of Ishgar," Ging stated. "They're quite the threat then."
"The likelihood anyone in this room has to defeat any of them individually is small as well," Naruto stated. "They merely have too much stamina. They can use significantly more powerful attacks for larger periods of time."
"If they are truly that powerful why not display the power you both used during Erza Scarlet's battle with this Matatabi? Surely that should have been enough to at least allow you to compete with her."
"That power takes preparation. An all out brawl is not what we were expecting."
Wolfhiem's eyes narrowed, clearly not trusting the answer but silent nonetheless.
"If that's all your questions," Naruto stated. "We'd like to look after our guild master."
The Generals knew when they were dismissed. Even with their power likely dwarfing the two before them, they knew they could not afford to let their only source of information have strain their relationship with them further.
"We will be in contact," Wolfhiem stated, walking towards the door. The remainder of the Generals followed.
"I'm sure of it," Sasuke muttered, and the door slid to a close.