Back with a new chapter
Skip Edolas Arc
Edo lisanna is alive and Lily joined Fairy Tail
"speaking"
""thinking""
On with the story
A week later
Natsu's home
Natsu was currently sitting in his living room while reading a newspaper
North was chewing on a piece of bone as the little wolf pup grew to the size of an actual wolf
Natsu flip through a page of the newspaper trying to find something interesting
Knock knock knock
The sound of knocking from the front door could be heard as North's ear perked up before running to the door
Natsu flip through another page of the newspaper as he let North answer it
"woof! woof!" North started barking as it was Gray coming in
"yo, North" Gray greeted the wolf and went in as he takes off his shoes
"what's bring you here?" Natsu asked Gray while reading an article in the newspaper
"Gramps told me to call you in" Gray said while petting North's head
"what does he need?" Natsu asked him
"dunno, he said it's important" Gray replied to him
"important?" Natsu asked while looking away from the newspaper
"he said you are needed at the guild pronto" Gray told to him as Natsu folds his newspaper and place it on the table
"guard the house with North" Natsu told to Gray before walking to the front door as he put on his shoes
He then grabs the doorknob before looking back to them
"Lyon said he's coming to visit"
Natsu told him as Gray nodded
He then walks out of the door and closed it
At Fairy Tail
Natsu arrived to the guild as he saw that everyone was doing their usual thing
"take this to Macao's and Wakaba's table, Jellal" Mira said as she gives a tray filled with drinks to Jellal
"yes" Jellal replied and went to do as he was told
Jellal was now under the supervision of Fairy Tail as he was now under the bar service till the day he is proved innocent, but for now he is an honorary member of Fairy Tail
Natsu went in and saw Makarov at the bar chatting with one of the guild's top S-class Mage, Gildarts Clive
When Natsu met the man a few weeks back, his body was burning hot for a fight as he could tell that Gildarts was strong and both challenged each other to a fight that ended in a draw and nearly cause the guild to almost be destroyed
"yo, Natsu" Makarov greeted him while Gildarts nodded to him with a smile
"you needed me for something?" Natsu asked him
Makarov nodded and motions him to lend him his ear
Natsu did as he was told and Makarov started to whisper to his ear
He leans away and crosses his arms as he did a thinking pose
"I could ask Lyon to take care of Ur-san for a while" Natsu muttered while closing his eyes before looking to Makarov
"alright… a week or 2?" Natsu said to Makarov who point out 1 finger
"fine, I'll be there" he said before turning to walk away
Makarov nodded as he looks at Natsu leaving
Next day
Fairy Tail
"S-Class Wizard Exam?!" repeated Lucy in shock. She quickly looked over at Gray, who had a confident smirk glued to his face. "Is that what all of this has been about?"
"Yeah." he said. "Every year, Master chooses a few of us to take a part in the exam. One S-Class Wizard per year."
"That would explain all this chaos." remarked Carla from Wendy's arms.
The guild was now once again loud from cheering.
"Hurry up and tell us, Master!"
"Don't keep us waiting!"
Erza's face twitched, and Lucy immediately knew what was about to happen.
"Silence!" roared the knight, successfully muting the hall. "Behave yourselves!"
"Master isn't finished talking." added Gildarts, his tone not leaving much room for discussion.
Makarov looked at his examiners with gratitude and cleared his throat. The guild awaited the names in anticipation.
"This year's Exam will take place on Tenrou Island! The sacred ground of our guild!"
"This year?" asked Lucy.
"It's different each year." explained Warren. "You never know what you're up against until you get there."
"And it's always hard." added Alzack.
"After all, those who pass become S-Class!" said Elfman with pride.
"For the past year" roared Makarov "I have been observing you. Your hearts, your resolves, your desire to follow down the path of magic! I have taken them all under consideration! I have considered these individuals to be a cut above the rest!"
"Gray Fullbuster!"
Gray punched his left hand and grinned wickedly, icy mist emitting from his body.
"As expected." smirked Elfman at his rival.
"Can't say I'm surprised, either." added Lucy with a small smile, proud of her teammate.
"Juvia Lockser!"
Juvia blinked. "Me?" she asked in disbelief.
"Elfman Strauss!"
The man roared and threw his hands into the air, those around him covering their ears, although, nobody had the heart to scold him. This time.
"Sis! I'll be joining you soon!" he exclaimed.
Mirajane giggled with a smile
"Cana Alberona!"
Cana didn't say a word. She simply lowered her head and sighed.
"Freed Justine!"
"I shall follow in Laxus' footsteps." stated proudly Freed, with Bickslow patting him on the shoulder in joy.
"Lecy McGarden!"
"Finally...my turn." whispered to herself Levy.
"Mest Gryder!"
A man with very short, black hair raised his head proudly, his eyes grateful for Makarov's choice.
"Man, he was so close last year." whistled Warren.
"I wonder if he'll take it this year." wondered someone at the back of the crowd.
"But Gray's there. And Elfman!"
"This year is going to be packed!"
"The exam will take place 7 days from now! We shall meet in Hargeon Port at 8 AM. I hope you spend the upcoming week wisely and prepare best to your ability! Dismissed!" announced Makarov and walked off the stage
"wait a minute" Gray said while realizing something
"what?" Lucy said to him
"Laxus ain't here and Gildarts did not take a part in any of the previous exams. It's always been just Erza and Mira, right?" explained Gray
"yeah, so what's wrong?" Elfman told to him
"have you forgotten that we have a new S-class mage with us?" Gray said with his face turning white as everyone realized what he was saying
They slowly turn their head to Natsu who was at the bar drinking a glass that had some red type of juice
He gulps it down and looks to them as they all saw that some of the red juice dripped down his lips making it look like he had just drink blood instead of juice
"what?" Natsu said as they all shook their head
"nothing!"
Natsu looks to them and shrugs as he grabs a tissue and wipes his mouth before walking out of the guild
"I'm starting to regret being chosen." Levy said while shaking
Evening
At the front door of Natsu's home
Natsu was talking with Lyon who was carrying a suitcase as he had asked him to take care of Ur while he was away
"here's the key" Natsu said as he gives Lyon a spare key to his house
"everything else is in the notes near the freezer, and remember to give Ur-san her medicine"
Lyon nodded as he smiled in amusement a bit
"I'm starting to think that you'd be better off as a nanny than a mage" Lyon said to him
Natsu shrugs his shoulders to him
"I'll be back in a week or so" Natsu said as he pulls up a bag to his shoulder
"North be a good boy and don't try to mess up the backyard, ok?" Natsu told the ice wolf who barks to him
Natsu nodded as he bid his goodbye to Lyon and North
At the dock
Natsu was walking to the dock as he was told to meet up with Erza and the others as they will be going to Tenroujima early than the other
"Natsu" Gildarts voice out as Natsu turns to see Gildarts, Erza and Mira standing at near a ship
"hurry up, we're leaving" he said as Natsu jumps up to the ship while making it shake a bit
"how long is the ride?" Natsu said
"a few hours" Erza said as Natsu sighs
"good, I'll be taking a nap for a while"
He told them as Erza nodded
Natsu then proceed to the lower cabin as he went in and rested a bit
"Natsu." Drac called out to him as his bracelet glowed
"what?" he asked back
"I've just sensed your woman's presence through the brand"
"where!?" Natsu exclaimed at him
"I'm not sure where, I can only tell that she is near"
Natsu looks to the bracelet before sighing
"keep me updated"
Natsu said before leaning back to rest
"as you wish"
Drac said before the glow dimmed
Next day
They were all currently sailing towards Tenrou Island on their private ship, their moods foul, to say the least. Their ship was reserved only for the participants and Makarov.
"Why is it so god damn hot?" whined Lucy for the tenth time since they left Hargeon. As she had a few of her buttons opened on her shirt
Levy, who was currently sitting at the table, raised her head lazily. "Lu-chan, you're showing off too much."
Too tired to care, Lucy looked over to the side, where Gray was. He was one of the three people who were perfectly fine with the heat. With an idea popping into her head, she got up from her seat and walked up to her teammate, before taking his hand and placing it on her forehead.
Gray blinked. "What are you doing?" he asked her.
"Magic. Use. Now." she mumbled. To no avail.
"I'm not a freezer."
"Please?" she added, her voice on the verge of begging.
Sighing in annoyance, Gray released a bit of his magic, icy mist forming in his hand. Lucy groaned in relief.
"Thanks." she said with a grin.
"Enjoy it while you can, couple more minutes and you can forget about me helping you." he said.
"The currents around this area keep clashing with each other, so it's not affected by other types of weather or climate. It's summer here all year long." Cana said while fanning herself
Lucy hummed under her nose.
Gajeel, who continued to stare into the horizon, squinted his eyes and straightened himself in his seat. "Is that the island?"
Everyone looked at him, before turning around. Their eyes widened.
In front of them was and island filled with greenery as the most eye catching thing on it was the giant tree in the middle of it
"Beautiful..." gasped Lucy.
"It is said, that Fairies used to live on this island." said a voice from behind.
Makarov walked out of the cabin and gazed at the island, a warm feeling reflecting in his old eyes. "It is also the place of rest of Fairy Tail's First Master, Mavis Vermillion."
"The hell's up with that outfit, old man?" asked Gray.
"What am I supposed to do? It's hot." sighed the elder. "Well, now that the island is in sight, allow me to explain the first stage of the exam."
Everyone's attention was focused on Makarov, who closed his fan and cut the air with it. A magical map was formed to his right, with drawings forming with each second.
"First exam?" asked surprised Wendy.
"It's always divided into stages." explained Mest from behind her.
"As you can see, there is smoke rising up from that beach." continued Makarov and pointed at the place at hand. "That is where you're headed. Upon arriving, you will find nine paths. Only one group can enter each path. This is what awaits you upon entering."
As soon as he finished, the magic table has been completed.
9 paths have been formed. 4 of them were decorated with faces of Erza, Mirajane, Natsu and Gildarts, with HARD BATTLE written above. 4 other paths met each other in pairs at one point called BATTLE, while the last, ninth path was called QUIET.
"Hard battle?" asked Wendy.
"That's where the monsters are." explained Bickslow.
"So Battle must be us fight each other." deducted Levy.
"What does Quiet mean?"
"Battle means two teams will meet each other and fight. The winning pair will continue to Second Stage." said Makarov. "Hard Battle is the most difficult one. In order to pass, you must best an S-Class Mage in combat. Quiet is the only path where you can pass without fighting anyone."
"Master, may I ask why there are 7 paths, when there are six teams?" asked Freed.
"I was about to get to that." Makarov said with a grin
"for two paths of the test, they are connected to one S-class Mage naming Natsu,"
"eeeeehhhhh?!" they exclaimed
"anyone with bad luck who chose either of the two paths will encounter Natsu and will have to face his test, answer his riddle and pass safely, or answer it wrong and you will have to fight him"
The guild looked at the elder with surprise.
"So this must be this special term he talked about last week." said Cana.
"Second, Quiet route may be untouched, or one team will not be forced to battle yet another team."
"So, best case scenario, 4 teams will pass onto the Second Stage." pointed out Evergreen.
"No way this many of us will get further." said Elfman with a sigh.
"Worst case scenario, three teams get further." added Levy, her enthusiasm gone. Gajeel, on the other hand, was beyond excited.
"That's exactly right." said Makarov and opened his fan once again. "In this test, your luck and power will be put to test!"
"Luck, huh?" sighed Cana.
"If we're lucky enough, we will hit one of the non-battle related paths!" Lucy tried to comfort her.
"Our chances of that happening are low, though."
"Even if we have to fight, we'll pull through! I promised you, didn't I?"
The brunette couldn't help but smile at her friend's eagerness.
"Well then, now that we've talked things through!" roared Makarov. "Let the exam begin!"
Gray blinked. "Huh?"
"We're still on the ocean though." added Loke, also confused.
Their only response was Makarov's grin.
Suddenly, flapping of wings could be heard on the ship, as Freed and Bickslow took off the ship, both of them flying towards the island.
"So that's how it is." huffed Gray and ran towards the board. Only to hit something invisible. "The hell?!"
"Sorry!" yelled Freed. "I'd rather be the first one to choose a path. They will disappear after 5 minutes!"
Gritting his teeth, Gray started to look for another way of getting out. On the other side of the ship, Evergreen chuckled to herself and pulled out a pen.
"What are you laughing about?" asked her Elfman.
"I've known Freed for long enough to learn a thing or two." she said while doing something with the runes. "Something of this caliber...I can bypass with my eyes closed!" she exclaimed and created a hole in the runes. "Let's go, Elfman!" she said before jumping into the water, with grinning Elfman behind her.
"The hell geezer, they're going to cover the island in runes!" yelled Gray.
"It's not like this is a race, you know..." sweatdropped the elder.
"Yes! I can rewrite it!" exclaimed Levy.
"Levy..." started glad Lucy
"But only for me and Gajeel!" added the bookworm, before jumping into the water with Gajeel, the gap closing behind her.
Lucy did not say anything.
Feeling frustrated, Gray and the others sat down, waiting for the time to pass.
Four minutes later, the runes have disappeared. With everyone expressing their happiness, Gray walked up to the board and put his hand on it, only to be interrupted by a scared yelp behind him.
"Don't tell me we're the last ones..." started Lucy while swimming with Cana
"Mest should still be on the ship." reassured her Cana, only to be grimly mistaken, as the man was already nowhere to be seen. "Damn it!" yelled the woman and started to swim, with Lucy doing the same right beside her.
At Tenroujima
In a cave
Natsu was sitting on a rock while caressing the ring on his finger as he had a soft look to it
"Natsu" Drac called out as the bracelet glowed
"what?" Natsu said to him
"Ultear…she is getting close….." Drac said as Natsu's eyes widen
"she's going to this island?!" Natsu exclaimed
"highly possible…..it is best that we keep a sharp sense to see if she is coming to the island or not" Drac said before the bracelet glow dimmed
Natsu sighs as he then heard footsteps
"please be a safe route! Please be a safe route!"
Natsu can hear the sound of a familiar blonde praying as he stands up and was now face to face with Lucy and Cana whose faces went pale
"we're doomed" the both of them said
"shall we begin?" Natsu said as he crosses his arm
Lucy and Cana cried in tears as they hug each other
elsewhere
Pantherlily and Carla flew above the quiet, peaceful island, the sound of the ocean and birds being the only distractions. Having arrived on the island earlier, they helped the S-Class mages to set up the first stage of the exam. With the exam finally taking place, they had some time to look around the island.
They flew beside each other, circling the island for the second time. Each time they did so, they managed to find something new, be it a new animal, or piece of nature.
Pantherlily seemed to be more interested in the island than his companion. Carla simply hovered in the air beside him, her face stuck in a gentle frown.
Having noticed her mood, Lily decided to finally address the issue. "Is something wrong?" he asked her. "You've been quiet for a while now."
Carla shook her head. "No. I'm fine."
Not buying it, Lily decided to pressure her a little harder. "You're worried about Wendy, aren't you?"
His plan worked wonders. "I told her I'm against it, but she still went through with it!" blew up Carla, getting a small smile from her companion in return. "She said she was going to help him, because they'd both benefit from it, and after that, she refused to talk to me."
"She gave you the silent treatment for a whole week? Now that's stubborn." Lily stated with surprise, although he couldn't hide that he was slightly impressed. "Are you that scared of this Mest person?"
Carla sighed and shook her head. "No, I know he wouldn't hurt her. I just have a very bad feeling about this whole exam thing."
"You mean that future related ability of yours?"
"Yes. But all I've seen were small fragments, so I can't say for sure. Call it a hunch, if it makes it easier to understand."
Pantherlily grabbed his chin with his paw. "I'm more caution on this Mest person."
Carla blinked. "Why so?"
"He claims to be Prince's disciple. Something is fishy about this."
This statement only made Carla feel more anxious.
At Tenroujima
In the forest
Gray and Loke were walking out of the cave of their path after defeating Mest and Wendy as they then got blinded by the sun.
"Gray, Loke!" someone called out to them.
After getting used to the light, Gray spotted Lucy and Cana standing right in front of them, both grinning. Behind them sat Gajeel and Levy, their expressions being polar opposites of each other, with Gajeel's face twisted in a scowl, and Levy's in a happy smile.
"So, you guys have made it through huh?" asked them Lucy and raised her hand.
"Yeah." nodded Gray and gave her a high five, with Loke doing the same a second later.
"Well, congratulations." smirked Cana.
"Is that everyone?"
Makarov walked out from behind the bushes and slowly strolled to the candidates. "I guess it's safe to assume it is. Time to announce the official results."
The elder cleared his throat and pointed with his hand at Lucy with Cana.
"Cana and Lucy have passed Natsu's test and pass safely!"
Lucy grinned and raised her fingers in a victory sign, with Cana sighing at the sight.
"what!?" Gray exclaimed
"who knew that Natsu was a very wise guy, huh?" Cana said to Lucy who nodded
"Levy and Gajeel entered the "quiet! Route and passed"
"We got lucky!" beamed Levy.
"Like hell we did!" yelled angry Gajeel. "I didn't get to hit anyone! I got worked up for nothing! There is nothing lucky about that!"
Makarov sighed to the iron dragon slayer
"Freed and Bickslow have fallen before Gildarts in "Hard Battle."
"Talk about bad luck." Levy shook her head.
"Gray and Loke have defeated Mest and Wendy in another "Battle" Route." Makarov concluded the results.
Gray looked around. "Does that mean Juvia failed?" he asked.
Makarov blinked, before his face twisted in an unpleasant grimace.
"What the hell's up with that face, old man?!"
Makarov turned on the balls of his feet and straightened his back. "Juvia and Lisanna met her..."
Gray blinked and awaited the continuation. There were two women that could have this effect on the elder.
"That woman-knight that does not know the definition of holding back!" he yelled, the image of victorious, smug Erza standing above Juvia and Lisanna's unconscious figures still haunting him in his mind. Gray could only laugh awkwardly.
"That leaves Elfman and Evergreen." noted Cana.
"And the only route left they could take is..." added Lucy, before her face dropped, with Cana doing the same beside her. "...Mirajane's." they finished with lifeless voices.
"Poor things." Levy said with a sweat drop.
"We would've beaten her." smirked Gajeel.
"Hold on a second!" yelled someone from behind trees.
The group turned around to the sight of Elfman and Evergreen, both of them injured and supporting each other, but happy nonetheless. "You forgot about us! We defeated Sis!"
"What the-" Makarov failed to supress his shock.
Gray facepalmed in disbelief, with Loke laughing behind him.
"You've bested Mira?" frowned Cana. "How?"
As soon as she asked the question, the giant's face took the shade of pure scarlet. "I-I can't tell...as a man." he stuttered.
Makarov cleared his throat. "In that case, it is time to make it official. Gray and Loke, Cana and Lucy, Elfman and Evergreen, Levy and Gajeel. These four teams shall advance onto the Second Stage, which will begin in 20 minutes. Allow me to explain the details of this exam."
Makarov snapped his finger, and a magical drawing of the island showed up. "Somewhere within this island, there is a grave of Fairy Tail's founder – Mavis Vermillion. Your objective is to find this grave within 6 hours. There are no clues, no head starts, no checkpoints. You have 6 hours to find it. Those, who find it, will become S-Class. If all of you fail to stumble across the grave, the exam will be ended with no one taking the rank. That is all. You have 20 minutes to restock your supplies and treat your wounds. You will need it." he finished with a sinister smirk and cancel the map.
The teams started to whisper to each other.
"No clues? This place is too big to search through everything." noticed Lucy.
"Looks like this stage is also dependent on luck." Cana bit her lip.
"What a boring exam." yawned Gajeel, all of his interest gone.
At the shore line
Carla and Lily walked on the beach, with Lily continuing his previous thought.
"The Prince has avoided making contact with people of this world. Even when he visited the guild, he'd always put everyone to sleep, so that no one could see his face. I find it hard to believe he'd take a disciple."
Carla gulped anxiously. "Where are you going with this?"
Pantherlily exhaled through his nose and looked into the sky. "It might be just a wild guess, but...is that Mest person really a member of the guild?"
Carla's eyes narrowed. Now she wished he did not finish his thought. Her bad feelings only getting deeper, she looked at the island, her thoughts with Wendy.
Unbeknownst to both of the Exceeds, they were being watched from behind the trees by a male figure, his earring gently reflecting in the sun.
20 minutes later
Back with the participants
And so, the Second Stage of the Exam has begun.
Makarov's instructions were quick, and easy to follow. The remaining candidates were to find the grave of the Fairy Tail's Founder – Mavis Vermillion. No clues, no hints, just a time limit of six hours and the title of S-Class for taking upon finding it. With this in mind, everyone scattered with the thought of how easy this stage was going to be.
Thought being the key word.
10 minutes after leaving, Lucy and Cana found themselves being chased by a giant lizard, too big and tough for them to just defeat. Gray and Loke had to run away from a swarm of bird-like creatures with sharp teeth, Levy and Gajeel stayed quiet behind a rock, with a giant dinosaur lurking around, and Elfman and Evergreen continued to argue while running away from a giant boar.
Elfman and Evergreen continued to make their way through the bushes, a giant boar still tailing behind them. Fatigue was starting to get to them, but fighting was not an option, which Elfman learned the hard way after being blasted away in just one strike.
Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet ended, both of them now flying above a cliff. Instinctively, Elfman grabbed his partner and tried to shield her, as they rolled down the cliff.
With loud thuds they both landed on their back at the bottom, the pig no longer following them, as it stared them down and turned back around.
"Yeah...you better….run." grunted Elfman and slowly sit up, massaging his sore neck. "You ok?" he asked Evergreen.
She groaned and stood up, dusting herself off. "Nothing you should be concerned about."
Elfman sighed and also stood up. "No need to be so fussy. By the way, I've yet to thank you for that cowardly strategy, I wouldn't have come up with such a plan on my own."
"Don't call it cowardly! That was the only way we could have walked past that monster of a sister of yours!"
Elfman opened his mouth to retort, but caught something with the corner of his eye.
They've been approached by a strange young man with black hair and black and white robes, too big to fit his body. His expression was that of mixed boredom and indifference, his messy hair covering a big part of his face.
"People…?" he wondered out loud to himself. "On this island? I thought there wouldn't be anyone..."
Elfman quickly got in a fighting position. "Who are you?" he asked sharply.
"Only members of our guild are permitted on this island." said Evergreen.
The man's eyes widened a little. "A guild? I see...so this island belongs to a guild. I was not aware of that."
Elfman couldn't quite put it together. Although he didn't feel any extraordinary magic from this man, his senses were screaming in danger. He was beyond confused, and he soon let the intruder know that. "I asked you, who are you?!" he yelled and took a step forward.
"No!" screamed the man and raised his hand, signalising Elfman to halt. "Please, do not approach me. Very well, I shall take my leave, but please, do not come any closer."
"What is he talking about?" frowned Evergreen.
"Can we even let him off this easily?" wondered Elfman.
Suddenly, the man's face twisted in a painful grimace, as he clutched his head with his hands. "No...It's coming..." he grunted through his teeth. "The Death Predation...is coming!"
A black sphere began to form around his figure, rapidly expanding to nearby areas. The grass beneath his feet started to wither, losing its colors and turning into ashes. The leaves traveling with the wind have turned into nothingness, as the wave of death marched towards Elfman and Evergeen, both of them unable to move.
The pair felt a strong grip on their heads, as someone forcefully dragged them to the ground, lying on top of them. The wave went over their bodies, taking nearby trees, bushes, as well as animals.
Shortly after, it stopped. Elfman lifted his head off the ground and looked to his left, his eyes landing on a familiar scar and scarf.
"N-Natsu?!" choked out Elfman.
Natsu released the pair from his grip and turned his attention to the intruder, his eyes wild. Elfman stood up, still shaken up, with shocked but grateful Evergreen giving the Slayer a look of her own. "Don't surprise us like that..." she sighed in relief.
The giant looked over at the black haired man, only to feel his eyes widen in shock, if that was even possible.
He was crying.
The man who's just tried to kill them was now crying, his eyes glued to Natsu's face.
"Natsu..." he muttered in disbelief.
"get out of here" Natsu told to Elfman and Evergreen as they look to him
"huh? Don't tell me w-!?" Evergreen tried to retort to the man whose face went dark and a glowing red eye appeared
"NOW!" Natsu voice out as Elfman and Evergreen shake in fear
"a-aye!" they screamed and started running away
Natsu then looks to the man who was crying
"why are you here?" Natsu said as he slowly walked to the man
"Nii-san?"
Elsewhere
"He has woken up." announced an elderly tall man sitting in a throne and raised his right arm, his long, silverwhite beard following the movement of his body, flowing in the air. He was speaking to a crowd of people, with six individuals standing up front in a line.
His real name is Precht but his name is now Hades, the Master of Grimoire Heart
"The day the great dark mage, Zeref comes back to life, has come. We've looked forward to this moment for a long time, and now, all the keys are finally within my grasp." said Hades as he clenched his fist. "Today, we shall awaken what slumbers deep inside Zeref."
"Congratulations, Master Hades." Bowed Ultear.
"Raise your head, Ultear." ordered Hades. "You have done well figuring out his location. It is thanks to you our goal will become reality in a matter of hours."
"Your words honor me greatly." Said Ultear with a smile.
"However, it appears there is a small problem we may have to deal with first. The strongest guild in Fiore, Fairy Tail, is now present on the land Zeref resides in. They are a fearsome adversary, one capable of destroying two corners of the Baram Alliance. The confrontation may harvest casualties on both sides."
"You're giving them too much credit, Miss Ultear." A crazy voice boomed in
Ultear looked to her right, her eyes landing on a young man with long, spiky blond hair, a condescending smirk glued to his face. "Even if they did manage to take care of those weaklings, they are nothing when compared to us. If they try to do anything funny with us around..."
He was Grimoire Heart's God Slayer, Zancrow
black flames forming around his body as Zancrow laughs crazy. "I'll just burn them to a crisp. I've always wondered what does a burned fairy smell like, I can hardly contain the excitement."
"This carelessness will one day be the cause of your downfall, Zancrow." said a tall humanoid goat. He was wearing a suit, with black sunglasses sitting on the bridge of his nose.
Zancrow extinguished his flames and looked at his comrade. "You say that, but you're looking highly confident as well, Caprico."
"That is because I was born ready for this day. Confidence and carelessness are two different things."
"Aren't you just being stiff?" asked him Zancrow and playfully smacked his stomach with the back of his hand. "There is nothing wrong in a little bit of danger. The thrill of almost being killed in battle is what makes it feel so good." he finished with a sinister smirk.
"Caprico is right, Zancrow." said a young man with silver hair styled into a pompadour, with square glasses on his nose. "You are being not only careless, but vulgar as well. You lack the ability to realise how marvelous and refined this day truly is. It is the day our guild faces its biggest obstacle, and overcomes it in the most beautiful fashion. We shall release our desires and reach Nirvana."
Zancrow frowned. "Now you're just being creepy, man."
"Your jealousy does not reach my ears."
"I'm not jealous."
Next to them was a giant man with pale skin and a face too small for the size of his head. He was breathing very quickly and loudly, his eyes bloodshot. "I..." he wheezed out. "Ifeelthesame!"
"You're talking too fast, Kain!" yelled Zancrow.
"Should I translate?" asked Meredy.
"That won't be necessary." said Ultear. "Are you planning on fighting as well, Meredy?"
Meredy nodded. "Yes. Fight. I will fight."
Hades laughed gently at the eagerness of his subordinates and stood up from his throne, clapping. "Interesting! Truly interesting! They have yet to experience true darkness, for the absolute darkness lurks in the abyss. Today, we shall drag them down into this very abyss. Today, demons and fairies will squabble - eat and be proud, be eaten and scatter! Show me your worth, my Seven Kin of Purgatory!"
The Kin all stood up straight and bowed to their master. "Yes, Master!" they chanted, some of them barely able to contain their excitement.
Hades smirked and looked out the window. "This is the decisive battle, Fairy Tail."
That's a wrap!
Bye bye