Fairy May Cry - Devil's Retribution

by Iron117Prime

After seven years, Dante and the rest of Fairy Tail have returned from Tenrou Island. So much has changed since their absence; a guild called Sabertooth is now at the top spot, the forces of the Underworld are starting to become more active, and what's this new religious movement called the Order of the Sword? Times might have changed, but the insanity of Fairy Tail has not.

9. Key of the Starry Heavens

Hi everyone, thanks again for your patience. So Fairy Tail has had their first conflict with the Order of the Sword and things are going to start escalating very quickly. There's a whole lot more to the mystery than what appears on the surface, even more so than it was in the anime. Where are our heroes going to go from here? Find out right now.

Key of the Starry Heavens

"What?! Are you serious?! Zentopia's involved too?!" Wakaba questioned to Gildarts as most of Fairy Tail had returned to the guildhall after Lucy's memento had been stolen by the Knights of the Order of the Sword, though a few remained behind to search the area for any sing where they might have gone.

"Yeah." Gildarts confirmed. "Seems like they and the Order of the Sword are working together."

"Well, we have heard that the two organizations would be joining up in the future." Cana pointed out.

"But why would they do something like this?" Wakaba questioned.

"We don't know." Lisanna replied. "But right before that Byro-person left, we heard him mention something about a 'Holy War'."

"That's right." Gildarts confirmed. "We didn't have time to question him about it before he vanished."

Natsu slammed his hand down on a table. "All that matters is they stole from Lucy!" He then turned to the aforementioned blonde sitting at the table. "I swear, we're gonna get back what rightfully belongs to you!" Lucy gave a slight nod in thanks, but that didn't do anything to lift her spirits.

"It's not your fault they were able to take it." Happy tried to console her. "First you had to deal with that crazy Mary girl, then that Nero guy showed up out of nowhere."

"I was right there, and I couldn't do a damn thing to help you." Trish said, while also consoling Lucy, but also frustrated with herself. "I'm sorry Lucy."

"And I couldn't do anything at all." Michelle added. "Perhaps if you had someone who wasn't dead weight…"

"No… Michelle you're not dead weight." Lucy told her. "And you did the best you could Trish. It's all on me." She clenched her fists in her lap. "Because… I'm too weak."

"No, you're not." Dante stated as he appeared behind his cousin. "You were caught off guard, we all were. Who else expected the Order of the Sword, a new church that worships my old man, to just straight up attack us? And I wasn't even thinking about all that. My thoughts were all on that Nero kid."

"Dante, are you certain he was a hybrid?" Modeus asked with a serious expression. "Part demon, and part human?"

"Without a doubt." Dante confirmed. "A half-breed like me."

Lady gave a contemplated sigh. "First these guys worship a demon as a god, then they go collecting Devil Arms, now they got a half-demon in their ranks? We got more questions than we do answers."

"Yes, this is all very concerning." Erza added. "Based on what I've learned from that Credo individual, it would seem that the Order is more than just a church with a small number of knights serving them. He referred to himself as a 'supreme general', which suggests they not only have more followers than we've seen so far, but that they're incredibly organized."

"Actually, now that I think about it…" Patty began to recollect their first meeting with the Order. "That Nero guy, actually looked a lot like you, Dante."

"Yeah, I noticed it to." Lisanna pointed out. "He even wields a gun and sword like you do."

"That ain't a confidence." Dante responded. "When I fought him… his power felt very similar to mine… made me almost think I was fighting Vergil again."

That caused everyone to look with serious expressions before Happy gave a startled gasp. "Oh no! What if Nero is Vergil's son?!"

"Your math is way off Happy." Gray pointed out with an annoyed sweatdrop. "That guy seems way too old to be Vergil's kid."

"Yeah, if my bro had a kid, they'd probably be around Asuka's age." Dante added. "But we can worry about that later. We gotta figure out what exactly is going on."

"First, the reveal of a new religious movement that has its own military force and has been collecting Devil Arms, then they announce they are going to merge with the Zentopia…" Makarov began. "Shortly after, there is a series of church burnings just before the founding festival, and a mysterious clock hand inscribed with an ominous phrase that may also be connected to Sparda, which is also sought by the Order, now there's talk of a holy war."

"What exactly is a holy war?" Patty asked.

"To put it simply, it's a war that's declared or waged in support of a religious cause." Modeus answered.

"Who wants to wage a war over a religion?" Natsu questioned. "Sounds pretty stupid to me."

"Not to the people who practice that religion." Lady pointed out. "To them, they think it's the will of their god or whoever else they worship, which makes this kind of war even more dangerous. You'd be surprised how far people go with this kind of thing."

"We've actually seen that kind of thing before, remember?" Lisanna recalled. "Grimoire Heart declared war against us because they felt it was the will of Mundus, who they worshiped as their own god."

"So that was a holy war, too?" Gray questioned.

"That Devil Slayer creep from that guild met sure seemed to think so." Cana agreed.

"Kinda sounds like the Order of the Sword and Grimoire Heart aren't all that different." Macao said.

"Well, if these creeps are like a dark guild, let's go pound their faces in!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Hold it, Natsu." Dante stopped him. "We need to figure out what they're after first, otherwise we'd just be running in circles like a bunch of dogs."

"Has anyone been able to find them or pick up a trail?" Michelle asked.

"According to Warren, every single search team has lost sight of them." Erza answered. "But I agree with both Dante and Natsu, we need to figure out the Order's objective. And if it is sinister, we'll make sure to put a stop to them."

"Maybe these guys aren't all bad." Happy pointed out, getting everyone's attention. "Before everyone started fighting, Nero said he wanted to sit down and talk with us."

"And the fighting only started when that crazy Mary bitch with the wand attacked first." Trish added.

"And when she took me hostage, Nero actually saved me." Patty reminded.

"Yeah…" Lucy picked herself up before a serious expression formed on her face. "When he… took the clock hand from me…" She stuttered slightly before getting serious again. "He told me that it was something dangerous, like he wanted to lock it up and keep it out of the wrong hands. He even seemed… remorseful about it, especially when I said it was from my dad."

"We can ask him and his pals when we find them." Dante stated. "I got the feeling that whatever the Order of the Sword's cooking up, they're just getting started."

"Let's try to make sense of what's going on." Modeus began. "What do we know of the Order of the Sword at the moment? They're not only a religious organization, but they also appear to have an organized military force. The central figure of their worship is Sparda, and we also know they've been collecting Devil Arms as well, though we don't know yet the reason why. Now, as to why they wanted that clock hand, we know it's somehow connected to Sparda, and this Nero individual claims it to be dangerous, which suggests they know more of it than we do. But I have a feeling that if we discover what the clock hand's connection to my former mentor is, we'll be able to learn what the Order is after. Perhaps then we can understand what this 'Holy War' they were talking about is."

"Uh… you kinda lost me, pal." Natsu said, much to the group's minor annoyance.

"He's saying we need to figure out what the clock hand is." Gray translated.

"What about that scary writing that was on it?" Happy asked.

"'Time ticks forward, when the Darkness of the Pit meets the Light of the Stars, Chaos will engulf the world.'" Michelle recalled. "That was what the inscription said."

"We know the 'Darkness of the Pit' may refer to the Underworld…" Erza said.

"But we don't know what the 'Light of the Stars' means." Trish added.

"Whatever they are, it sounds like these two things are not meant to come together." Lisanna said. "Or else 'Chaos will engulf the word'."

"So, we got another potential apocalypse on our hands, huh?" Dante guessed.

"Maybe the Order of the Sword wants to stop the apocalypse." Patty also guessed. "Why else would they want it?"

"Maybe they want to start the apocalypse." Gray said

"Why would a group that worships the Dark Knight want to bring the end of the world?" Macao questioned.

"I know for a fact that this clock-thing is real." Lucy said as she looked through the book that had the same ominous phrase written in it. "And that hand is only a piece of it, meaning there might be other pieces somewhere out there. I just can't figure out where though, there's no mention of it here."

"Maybe this Chaos and the Holy War are one-and-the-same." Cana suggested.

Natsu groaned once more. "Again… you lost me."

"Natsu's brain can't keep up." Happy said.

"Chaos also means no more rules." Gray stated.

"Now this guy is making sense." Natsu pointed his finger toward Gray with an excited grin.

"Slow down, Natsu! The world needs rules to work like it's supposed to." Lisanna told him.

"I don't think it's just 'don't take what doesn't belong to you' and stuff like that." Dante said. "I mean, yeah take away law and order and you got total anarchy, but anybody can pull that off, you don't need some big holy weapon to do it."

"Unless you wanna engulf the whole world." Lady said.

"Weren't the Underworld and this world connected together before, two thousand years ago?" Michelle asked.

"They were indeed." Modeus confirmed. "Until Sparda separated them with the Yamato."

"Vergil's sword." Natsu said in a low growl as he felt the scar on his chest once more.

"But what were to happen if the Underworld and our world were joined together again?" Michelle asked once more. "Could that be the chaos the inscription was referring to?"

"Maybe…" Trish replied. "If both Earthland and the Demon Realm were united again, it would be total chaos. Demons and people fighting everywhere."

"So, this Clock is a means to bring together the human and demonic realms?" Erza asked.

"All we have our theories." Makarov spoke up from the bar. "But with a potential apocalypse on hands, we must do what we can to prevent it."

"So where do we start?" Gray asked.

"I think I might have an idea." Lucy said as she stood up fully from her chair.

---

The Archbishop of Zentopia appeared to be running through a dark void, the only source of illumination came from two rows of candles on his left and right sides, though it only seemed to make the scene even more ominous. When he turned around, he gasped in shock at the sight of a dark figure, its features obscured by darkness, though he noticed a pair of curved horns on the side of the figure's head, a blue glowing gem in the center, and a golden light shaped almost like a halo near the back.

"The Savior Comes… He shall deliver a glorious chaos…!"

---

Carla gave a sudden gasp as she was brought out of her vision and into reality, remembering how she, Wendy, Lily, and Romeo were one of the groups out searching for any sign of the Order of the Sword around Magnolia.

"Is something wrong?" Wendy asked her Exceed companion.

"Oh no… it's nothing…" Carla said. Due to her Clairvoyance being all 'glitch' from their seven years in stasis on Tenrou Island, she had nothing to go on, so she didn't see a need to trouble Wendy if she couldn't make anything out.

---

Meanwhile, Lahar led a large squadron of Rune Knights as they guarded the area around another Zentopian church late at night.

"All clear, so far." One Rune Knight reported to his commanding officer. "Nothing to report from the other two perishes, sir."

"Very good." Lahar replied.

"But what if the next attack takes place somewhere other than these three locations?" Another Rune Knight asked.

"There is a slim chance." Lahar responded. "But still, after investigating the prior incidents, and some expert divination, we've narrowed it down to the three most likely targets. I have faith in our intel."

"Is anyone inside?"

"At this late hour? The priest assures us its empty."

---

However, there was somebody in the church. A single man who wore a tattered robe who appeared to be kneeling to the altar and praying silently. Suddenly, the man was brought out of his prayer by the sound of a door opening, he turned around in shock to see an individual clad in a dark hooded robe, who chuckled evilly.

"Your time has come." The assailant stated.

"Stop right there!" The man who was praying exclaimed as he stood up and drew what appeared to be a silver key. "If you think I'll go down quietly, you're dead wrong!"

"Feel free to die as loudly as you want." The hooded assailant said as he flicked the hilt his katana.

---

A loud scream drew the attention of all the Rune Knights outside. "Did you hear that?!"

"Someone's screaming!"

"Now! Inside!" Lahar ordered.

However, right before they could even enter, a vertical slice that appeared to be made entirely out of lightning shot through the middle of the church, slicing the entire building in half before it suddenly exploded in electric fashion, blasting back several Rune Knights in the process.

"No…!" Lahar muttered as he saw the building destroyed before his very eyes. However, he also caught sight of the perpetrator standing at the top of the rubble.

"Well, what do we have here?" The dark hooded individual with the katana observed. "Soldiers of the Magic Council. Are you going to try and stop me?"

"Are you the one behind these attacks?!" Lahar demanded as his men recovered and readied themselves for battle.

"Obviously." The assailant confirmed. "Why else would I be standing on a pile of rubble?"

"Tell me who you are this instant!" Lahar exclaimed.

The figure chuckled. "You want to know my name? Alright, I'll tell you." He threw away his robe to reveal himself to be a tall man clad in a green suit with a gray undershirt and a black tie. His face was also completely wrapped in bandages. "You can call me Gilver. So, if you really wanna arrest me? Give it your best shot, but don't expect me to go easy on you."

He quickly unsheathed his katana to swing it and produce a powerful flame from the blade before slicing to send several waves of flame toward the Rune Knights, prompting Lahar to create a shield with his Runes to protect himself and his men.

'Fire magic? But from his previous attack, I thought his ability was lightning!' Lahar thought before getting serious. "Attack! Now!" Several Rune Knights aimed their spears and fired a series of different magical attacks toward him, but Gilver spun his body and his katana around to create a circular wall of ice to shield himself. 'He possesses lightning, fire, and ice?!' Lahar looked in shock.

"Alright, I believe it's my turn." Gilver grinned before sheathing his katana and quickly pulling it out for a deadly slice attack that sent a green liquid soaring straight at the Rune Knights, most of them had managed to get out of the way, but two in the back couldn't as they were caught in the liquid and screamed in agony as they felt their skin burning and even melting.

'Acid now too?! Wait…!' Lahar looked towards Gilver's katana. "It's not his power, it's weapon! Somehow, it's able to utilize different forms of magic!'

"As much as I'd love to continue, I'm on a bit of a tight schedule, so we'll have to call it here. Farwell." Gilver generated more electricity from his katana before thrusting directly up to shoot a bolt of lightning that blinded everybody like a flash bomb. When the light subsided, Gilder was gone.

"So, he's behind the attacks?" One Rune Knight questioned.

"It would seem so, and we finally have a name." Lahar stated with a serious expression. "Gilver. But just what is his goal?"

---

Fairy Tail Guildhall

"I hate to ask you this, but do you think you're up for it?" Macao asked Gildarts as they and Wakaba met secretly outside the guildhall.

"Yeah, what other choice do I have?" Gildarts replied.

"You're the only one in the guild with the kind of power to pull this off." Wakaba said.

"But of course, you won't be alone. Laki and Morrison will be joining you." Macao said.

However, it didn't seem like they were really alone as Cana and Makarov appeared to be listening nearby. "Back to his old tricks again." Cana noted with minor disapproval. "Sneaking around late at night."

"Go easy on him, would ya?" Makarov told her. "I'm sure he and Macao have their reasons."

Gildarts happened to notice his daughter's presence and put on a guilty smile. "Cana sweetie, we're you listening to us?"

"A little bit." Cana smirked.

"You wanna tag along with your daddy?" Gildarts offered with a gushing smile and hearts around his body. "We've never had a chance to go on a real father-daughter mission before."

"Nah, I think I'll pass." Cana replied, causing her father to look in comic shock before turning around to sulk in comical depression as he walked away.

"Yep, sure heard her mother say that." Gildarts muttered.

"Just go already!" Cana yelled, causing her dad to stiffen and run away.

"See ya later! Bye!" He called out.

Makarov winced slightly. "So, is that what you call going easy on your poor old man? I don't really see a need for that when you were the one keeping the big secret from him."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I can't mess with him." Cana smirked before she looked seriously. "But master, are you sure it's okay for me help out here? I am still on probation, ya know?"

"The terms of said probation were to prevent you from going on work, but if a crisis were to occur, then you may lend us your strength." Makarov reminded. "Since we appear to be heading toward one, I am giving you permission to help."

"Okay, just wanted to be sure." Cana said.

"That being said, I feel that I must press that you must not use Fairy Glitter." Makarov told her firmly with no room for argument. "You're nowhere near mastering it, any attempt at usage will only cause more problems."

"Don't worry gramps, I get it." Cana assured. "Trust me, I know."

---

"He's had another one?" One priest asked aloud as he, and a group of several other priests and nuns walked toward the Archbishop's chambers.

"The nightmares are getting worse with each passing day."

"We've tried giving him sedatives, but it doesn't seem to help."

Soon, the group pf priests and nuns entered the Archbishop's chambers as he laid in his bed. Right away, they could tell that he looked worse for wear, bags were under his eyes and he looked like he hadn't slept in weeks.

"Are you feeling any better?" A priest asked.

"We're you able to sleep?" A nun asked as well.

"Yes… but the dream…" The Archbishop muttered as he wiped his face with a cloth. "… has returned… more vividly than before…"

"You had it again, tonight?"

"Such horrors… how could they spring from my own mind…?" The Archbishop questioned. "However, I believe there must be some purpose behind these visions…"

"These nightmares of yours didn't start happening until the existence of the Order of the Sword was made public." One nun said. "Perhaps the two are related."

"Maybe… the thought of sleep terrifies me now…" The Archbishop said.

"But sleep is crucial to maintaining your good health, sir!" One priest told him.

"The time for the Founding Festival draws near… and it is that time when Zentopia and the Order of the Sword will merge together…" The Archbishop stated. "We must summon the Cardinals if in the event some misfortune is to befall me, in fact, I also want you to contact the Head of the Order for the same reason."

"Please! You mustn't talk like that!"

"I cannot take this lightly." The Archbishop stated as he put on his robe as well as his mitre. "Facing unpleasant facts is part of the responsibility of leadership. I am bound by my solemn duty as the Archbishop of Zentopia."

---

Fortuna – Order of the Sword's Headquarters

The robed individual who served as the leader of the Order of the Sword, Sanctus, stood calmly in his personal chambers as he carried his hands behind his back, silently thinking to himself. Soon the silence came to an end as the doors opened, and a new individual stepped inside.

This man appeared to be well-built, dressed in white attire similar to that of a scientist with gold outline on his uniform indicating a religious theme as well. He had dark skin with long brown hair tied in a ponytail with a monocle over his left eye. He carried a clipboard and a pen as he appeared to be writing something down.

"Your Holiness." The man bowed his head and addressed Sanctus. "I am p-p-p-pleased to report that the mission was a s-s-s-success." He spoke in a stutter. "Credo and the others have acquired the c-c-c-clock hand and are moving to retrieve the map as we s-s-s-speak!"

"Excellent, thank you Agnus." Sanctus nodded. "All goes according to plan."

"What's more, it would seem the rumors are t-t-t-true." The man named Agnus added. "Dante, and those from Fairy Tail that disappeared seven years ago have returned. And they appear not to have aged a d-d-d-day! Quite extraordinary!"

"And this would also happen to include the young Miss Heartfilia, correct?" Sanctus asked.

"Yes, your holiness." Agnus confirmed.

"Good." Sanctus smiled. "And I trust your research is doing well?"

"Oh, better than well." Agnus smirked. "I have p-p-p-perfected the Ascension Ceremony! And with it, all preparations are now c-c-c-complete! All that's left is to reassemble the Infinity Clock!"

Sanctus stifled a chuckle. "After waiting so long, toiling in the shadows, we are about to step into the light." He spread his arms out as he gazed upward toward the ceiling. "Soon, we shall cleanse this world, so that it may be born anew!"

---

The Next Day

"Whoa…" Natsu said in awe as the group consisting of himself, Dante, Lucy, Happy, Erza, Gray, Lady, Trish, Lisanna, Michelle, Patty, Wendy, Carla, and Modeus all stood before the abandoned Heartfilia mansion that was once Lucy's childhood home. "This place looks kinda familiar."

"It's where Lucy grew up." Erza told him.

"It's huge!" Lisanna looked in awe, as this was the first time that she was laying eyes on it.

"Seriously, it makes that other mansion I was going to look like an apartment!" Patty exclaimed, referring to the mansion owned by the older Patty Lowell.

"And the property extends all the way back to those mountains apparently." Lady pointed her thumb back toward the mountains in the distance.

"Does the family still own it?" Gray asked.

"Nope." Trish shook her head. "Lucy's old man lost everything when his company was bought out from under him."

"Well, it looks like someone's been taking real good care of it." Happy observed the status of the mansion, noting that it was actually well maintained.

"I suppose they'd want to keep it cleaned and maintained until a buyer can be found." Carla said.

"Seems nobody however made an offer in more than seven years." Modeus noted.

"What do you expect?" Gray put in. "I get the feeling the only people who can actually buy this place are actual royalty."

"Hey Dante, maybe you can probably have this mansion." Wendy told the red-clad Devil Hunter. "I mean, it was owned by your family on your mom's side."

Dante chuckled. "Unless the old owners got my name written on a will of theirs or something, I'm pretty sure the only way I can get it is to actually buy it, and no way in hell can I afford this."

"Not when you can barely afford your own apartment, mister." Patty told him.

"Shut it." Dante groaned slightly.

Lucy giggled a bit. "Hey, remember when you Vergil came over here that one time?" She asked her cousin.

"It was only that one time." Dante replied before a reminiscing smile formed on his face. "But yeah… I do remember. Back when life was actually simple."

"Such good memories." Michelle said with a smile of her own, which caught Dante and Lucy's attention. "Your house always reminded me of a beautiful palace out of a story book. I had so much fun here!"

"Wait… you've been here before?" Lucy asked.

Suddenly, Michelle fell to her knees and cried up a storm in comic fashion. "We used to play together all the time!"

"Uh… that's right… of course we did…!" Lucy tried to say, though she honestly didn't remember, she tried her best to cheer up Michelle.

"Hey eh… not to sound oblivious or anything… but did we play together when we were kids?" Dante asked. "Just wanting to be sure…?"

Michelle whipped the tears from her eyes. "Oh no… like I've said… we didn't meet until recently… so don't worry about it, Cousin Dante."

"But you did play with Lucy when you were kids?" Trish asked, a curious expression on her face.

"Yes…" Michelle stuttered before turning toward the aforementioned blonde. "You… you remember all the pretty cloths you made for me…?"

"Yeah… sure…?" Lucy still had no idea but didn't want to run the risk of more waterworks.

"Wait… you made clothes?" Lady questioned. "As a kid?"

"Wow, I never thought you were the handy type, Lucy." Lisanna said with a smile.

"I bet you two must have been adorable." Erza also said with a smile.

"She used to make the cutest out of colored paper and flowers." Michelle said, causing Lucy to look in a blushing shock while Trish chuckled.

"Oh man… that's rich!" She said with a laugh.

"That's certainly a… unique way to make clothing…" Modeus noted, trying to sound sincere.

"You know, all the kids at the orphanage and I used to make clothes like that for the all the dolls that we had." Patty said to Wendy and Carla.

"Oh, really? People can make clothes for toys?" Wendy asked in surprise, not noticing the odd look that fell on Michelle's face.

"How would you be able to make clothes out of paper and flowers?" Natsu asked Dante and Gray.

"No idea." Gray replied.

"But… not that I think about it…" Dante smirked as he, Gray, and Natsu all imagined the sight of Lucy, Erza, Lisanna, Lady, Trish, and even Michelle, wearing literal paper and flowers that barley covered their bodies. All three of them smiled dreamingly at the imaginary sight until…

*CLANG!*

*ZAP!*

*KICK!*

"DON'T BE CREEPY!" Lucy exclaimed as she had kicked Natsu's head into the ground, while Lady smashed Dante on the top of his head with a steel-coated fist, and Trish had zapped Gray with her lightning.

"You boys deserved that!" Patty scolded them.

---

"Now, do you finally think you can get serious? Is that too much to ask?" Erza questioned with a glare as everyone was inside the mansion.

"No ma'am." Dante, Natsu, Gray, and Happy all replied.

"So why are we here at Lucy's old mansion anyway?" Patty asked.

"Because both Dante and Lucy's moms were sisters, so Sparda and Lucy's father also knew each other." Lisanna answered.

"We know the clock hand is connected to Sparda." Carla said. "Which could explain how Lucy's father was able to obtain it."

"It is possible that the clock hand was left here by Sparda for safe keeping." Modeus added.

"Meaning if there are any clues my folks or aunt and uncle might have left behind; it might be here." Dante said, getting serious. "My old man definitely had a thing for puzzles, it really bugs the hell out of me."

"So where should we get started?" Wendy asked.

"The first order of business is splitting into groups of three or four." Erza began. "Gray, Lady, and myself; Dante, Lucy, Trish, and Michelle; Modeus, Wendy, Patty, and Carla; and Natsu, Happy, and Lisanna. Each team will take a different area of the mansion and scour every room from top to bottom."

"Keep in mind." Modeus also spoke. "Given the possible danger this clock represents, and if my former mentor and his family did indeed leave anything here, it is possible they concealed it in a that would be difficult for the average person to find. So, keep your senses pealed, anything could be clue. Expect the unexpected."

---

The assigned groups began to search through the different areas of the mansion; Dante, Lucy, Michelle, and Trish found themselves in the mansion's attic, and at the moment it looked as if they had yet to find anything of noteworthiness.

"There's definitely a lot of junk in here." Dante observed the vast number of boxes and cloth-covered items throughout the large attic.

"It's not all junk." Lucy tried to defend as she searched through one box. "A lot of this stuff is actually priceless, while the rest is…"

"Junk?" Dante finished with a grin and cocked eyebrow, causing Lucy to sulk in minor annoyance.

"But perhaps there is a clue here that can give us answers." Michelle said. "But what exactly are we looking for?"

"No idea, but I get the feeling we'll know when we see it." Trish replied as they began to uncover several items and searched through several boxes.

Lucy then noticed a cloth draped over what appeared to be a picture frame, when she took the cloth off, it revealed to all of them a semi-torn painting of herself as a toddler with her mother and father.

"When was this painted?" Michelle asked as they all took a look at it.

"I remember posing for this." Lucy replied with a reminiscent smile on her face. "It wasn't long before… Mom passed away. I had a heck of a time sitting still for this painting, all I wanted to do was play. I also kept asking about when Dante and Vergil would come over again." She turned toward her cousin. "Ya know, you and your brother were pretty much the only playmates I had. But… after Mom died…. I heard that you two wouldn't be coming over again. I remember taking all that really hard… losing my mom and the two boys that I had so much fun with all at once… I ended up lashing out on everyone around me… I feel like I was a little terror."

Dante had a sympathetic look on his face. "Sorry." He then noticed something behind the painting and took it out. Nobody, not he, nor Lucy, Trish, or even Michelle were prepared for what they saw.

It was a photo album, with the front covered with glitter and colored letters that read 'Eva and Layla, the Best Sisters Ever!' It looked like it was something designed by little kids. Without even thinking, Dante opened the album to something that he and his three female companions did not expect.

The first picture was that of a toddler blonde girl, sitting in the lap of a man whom they could guess was their father, and a woman, who was likely the mother, sitting down with them on a couch and holding a baby girl in her arms.

"Who are they…?" Michelle asked.

"That's… that's my mom…" Dante stuttered. "And… her sister and… parents…" He flipped through the pages to see more pictures of the two sisters growing up as the years passed; from toddlers and little kids dressing up and playing together outside, to their teenage years of them painting each other's nails and even doing hair. There were plenty of birthday pictures of Eva holding Layla in her lap as the younger girl blew out her birthday candles, or Eva opening up her birthday presents with Layla clinging around her neck like how a little sibling would.

"They look so happy together…" Lucy muttered as she and Dante were feeling a great deal of emotions swimming through them. "They weren't just sisters… but the best of friends…"

Both Trish and Michelle remained silent as the pair of cousins continued to look through the album. As they remained silent however, Trish couldn't help but get a tad emotional herself as certain thoughts came to her that made her uncomfortable. As Michelle, it was almost impossible to read her expression and tell exactly what she was thinking.

As they got deeper into the album, Dante came to a stop as he and Lucy saw a photo of Eva and Layla as young women, both meeting a certain white-harried man clad in purple. It wasn't hard to figure out who it was.

"Dad…" Dante muttered.

"It must be how they met…" Lucy muttered as well as they continued to look at more pictures of Eva and Layla growing closer to Sparda, particularly Eva, as Sparda himself seemed to enjoy their company, evident by all the smiles. There were even romantic pictures of the pair, as well as Layla attempting to photobomb a few just for laughs, with both Sparda and Eva laughing. There were just two pages left, one had what appeared to be Sparda and Eva's wedding photo, causing both Dante and Lucy to gasp.

Eva was clad in a typical white dress for a bride, with a bouquet of roses in her hand as she wrapped her other hand around her husband's arm. Sparda was dressed in armor fitting for a knight, only it bore a resemblance to what his demonic form would look like, complete with his sword sheathed at his back. There were only two guests at the wedding, Layla, who cheered for them, and a young Jude who stood next to her.

"Looks like my mom met Dad shortly before your parents married…" Lucy spoke aloud, trying to fill the void of silence as Dante's features were obscured by his long hair before he flipped over to the next page. Nobody was prepared for the final photo.

It was a picture of Eva sitting on a chair with Sparda standing behind her alongside Layla and Jude, all four of them smiling lovely to something in Eva's arms: a pair of twin baby boys.

Before Lucy could even make a comment, she heard Dante's voice crack slightly before he set the photo album down on a box and began to walk away.

"Dante…" Trish tried to say something.

"I… I need a minute…" He walked back down the stairs, not entirely leaving the attic, but just to get some space. Trish and Lucy looked the most sympathetic in the direction he left.

"Maybe… Maybe I can talk to him." Michelle offered. "I might not have much to say but…"

"Go ahead, thanks Michelle." Lucy nodded as Michelle went to follow the grieving young man, leaving Lucy alone with Trish. "Guess I'm pretty selfish, huh?"

"Wha… what are you talking about?" Trish questioned.

"Here I am thinking about how hard I had it as a kid." Lucy began. "I mean, yeah it was pretty bad with me losing my mom, not knowing if I'd ever see my cousins again, and what happened between me and my dad… growing up in this house was not a happy time for me at all. But honestly… my childhood is paradise compared to what Dante and Vergil had to go through. They weren't even ten years old when… when… when they lost both their parents, and Dante thought he lost Vergil too. He was… all alone for such a long time, and… I don't know what Vergil went through, but given how he turned out, it must have been even worse. And after learning that… they're both my cousins I…" Tears were already forming in her eyes. "It must have been so horrible for them… I just wish I could have done something…"

"You were just a kid when it all happened, nothing you could have done." Trish told her as she put a hand on Lucy's shoulder. "Look, we can't change the past, but if you wanna do something now, then be here for Dante. You're family and you're both together now, so make the most of that."

That seemed enough to make Lucy smile a bit as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Thanks Trish."

Trish nodded with a smile. "And… if we're being honest, can I say something really sappy?"

"Go ahead." Lucy said with a small chuckle.

"You remember back on Tenrou Island, when Capricorn got possessed by that guy from Grimoire Heart?" Trish asked.

"Yeah, I remember." Lucy confirmed.

"Well… after Loke and I freed him… he told me about how your family and Spada's family were connected…" Trish began as she looked down slightly. "Capricorn even told me that… if Eva… Dante's mom… had a daughter… she'd be like me. I know it sounds kinda stupid and weird but… do… do you think… it's alright if I… consider myself a part of your family? Ya know considering I've never actually been a part of one?"

"I don't think that's stupid at all." Lucy said, getting Trish's attention as she took both her hands into hers. "Before I found out about the whole Sparda-Heartfilia thing, I already considered you a part of my family because we're both Fairy Tail. But, after hearing what you just said… I know you were technically made by Mundus… but you've got a lot more in common with Eva than you think. You're both strong, and always willing to do the right thing, and that's exactly what you did when you choose to leave Mundus and help Dante. If you ask me, I'd say that already makes you Eva's daughter, and if that's the case, then we're cousins to. And now that I think about it, the name 'Trish Heartfilia' does have a nice ring to it." She finished with a smile.

Trish's eyes watered almost automatically once she heard that. She soon laughed as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Yeah… that was really sappy."

"Hey, nothing wrong with being sappy." Lucy said before she and Trish shared a quick hug.

Meanwhile, Dante sat on the stairs just in front of the hatch that led out of the attic, a hand covering his face as he tried to push away all the bad memories that came to his mind from looking at all those photos, but it was incredibly hard. Seeing the picture of his mom and her younger sister so happy together not only made him think about her, but how close he and Vergil used to be before it all went to hell.

"Are you alright?" He heard Michelle's voice behind him, but he didn't bother to turn around and see her concerned expression.

"No… not really." Dante muttered, causing Michelle to look in sympathy before walking down to sit next to him on the stairs. "You know I didn't find out about my dad being a demon until after I lost my mom, right?" He began. "I found out from Nell when I was just a little older, quite the shock, huh? But I at least learned the reason why my parents ended up dying, not that it made it any better. Wasn't till after she ended up biting it that I ran into Vergil again. I saw my own flesh and blood twin brother… who I thought was dead for so long… only to have him run Yamato right through my chest. My parents were dead, so was the woman who took me in, and my own brother became a power-hungry psycho. Kinda felt like the universe or something didn't want me to have a family. Then I ended up meeting Fairy Tail… found out Lucy was my cousin… which… it was nice to hear all that. But… really… I'm also glad that you came."

Michelle looked to Dante in surprise as he tried to wipe the tears from his eyes before facing her directly.

"Don't get me wrong, I freaking love Fairy Tail, those guys are the best!" Dante continued. "And I know you're a distant relative and all that, but… it's just… really nice… to know I have more family out there. What… what I'm trying to say is… I'm glad I met you Michelle." He smiled to her genuinely. "Thanks… just for being here."

Michelle was brought to tears from those words alone as she wrapped her arms around Dante for a surprise embrace. Though caught off-guard for a moment, he smiled as he embraced her back.

"Thank you…! Thank you so much!" Michelle sobbed. "I promise… to be the best cousin I can be!"

"Just being here's enough. That's all I really need." Dante said as his tears were getting misty again before he blinked them out.

After parting, the pair made their way back up the stairs where Trish and Lucy were waiting for them.

"Hey, you doing okay?" Lucy asked his cousin.

"Yeah, just fine." Dante said with a happy smile. "Come on, we got a mystery to solve and a potential apocalypse to stop, so let's get to it."

"Right." Lucy smiled with determination along with Trish and Michelle. "And hey Dante, I just got an idea. Someday, I wanna make enough money to buy this place! I'll put everything back how it used to be! And maybe… maybe you, Trish, Michelle, and even Vergil can all be a part of it, like we're one big family again."

"Really? Do you mean it?" Michelle said in an excited tone as she looked more than a little emotional herself.

"That's a tall order." Dante said with a joking grin. "You'd probably be an old lady by then just to make the bare minimum. But, if you can do it, then go for it. Heck, I might even pinch in a little bit."

Lucy smirked back. "Only a little bit? Geeze you can't spare a dime, can you?"

"Well I think it's a wonderful idea." Michelle said. "Not just restoring this place but bringing the family back together. I'm sure that would make Uncle Jude, Aunt Layla, as well as Eva and Sparda all very happy."

"Okay, okay, it all sounds nice." The smiling Trish got everyone back on track. "But we got a job to do first."

"Of course, and I actually just got an idea." Lucy said.

---

Soon, the group of four found themselves in Jude's old office, which was about two stories tall with a second floor, and more books than one could find in a public library.

Dante gave a whistle. "Wow, even the office is fancy. This place is only a little bit smaller than my old house."

"It's amazing!" Michelle exclaimed.

"It's my dad's personal study." Lucy said.

"Guy sure had a lot of books." Trish observed. "Can't imagine he'd find the time to read all of this."

"Now that I think about it, Dad's actually the reason I grew up to be such a bookworm myself." Lucy said.

"Heck, even my bro was a total bookworm." Dante added before he caught onto Lucy's idea. "So, you think your old man may have left something here about that clock hand?"

"Yep." Lucy confirmed. "So, let's get looking."

Without another word, the group made it to the second floor where a large majority of the books where shelved. "Your idea is a good one Lucy, but with so many books, it's basically like we're looking for a needle in a haystack." Trish told her. "We don't even know what we're supposed to be looking for."

"And I doubt it's gonna be easy" Dante added. "No offense to the bookworms here and in the afterlife, but I really prefer the puzzles that you can just smash your way through."

However, Michelle appeared to have found something, it was an album that had the writing 'To My Daughter' written on the spine. She took it out to show the group. "What about this one? It just seems… kinda special."

The four gathered together as Lucy skimmed through the book to find all the pages blank. "All the pages are completely blank."

"Think maybe there's some sort of spell used on this? Perhaps some kind of demonic power even?" Michelle asked.

"I'm not sensing anything." Trish said.

"Hey, I got a question." Dante said before pointing to the Celestial Spirit Crux that Lucy had just summoned. "Is the Cross-guy here sleeping?" He asked as Crux appeared to be snoring, complete with a snot bubble.

"No, he's just doing a search." Lucy replied. "If anyone can figure this out, it's Grandpa Crux."

Suddenly, Crux had awoken in a loud scream, causing Michelle to fall back, almost like she had a heart-attack had Dante not caught her, though he was mildly surprised along with Trish.

"Damn, talk about a wake-up call." Dante commented.

"Any luck?" Lucy asked her spirit, not surprised by Crux's demeanor.

"What we have here is nothing more than a stack of incredibly old paper, there are no spells of human or demonic variety, nor are there invisible ink or watermarks to be found inside." Crux informed.

"So, it's a dead end?" Trish questioned in minor annoyance.

"I wouldn't say that." Crux replied. "Though there's no magical solution to this, perhaps it would serve you all best if you were to approach this book as you would a riddle of some sort. Think of the title 'To My Daughter', perhaps it could be an anagram."

"And I'm guessing you can't just figure it out for us?" Dante asked.

"Sorry Sonny, but no." Crux confirmed.

"Damn it. I hate puzzles." Dante sulked.

"Well, it's all we have to go on right now." Lucy told him. "Let's call the others."

---

Natsu gave an annoyed groan as he and Lisanna walked into the study, with Happy flying beside them. "How are we supposed to know what in the heck to look for, huh?" The Dragon Slayer complained.

"Let's look for some food." Happy said.

"We heard Lucy's group found something, maybe it's what we're supposed to be looking for." Lisanna said as they walked in to find everyone else sitting on the floor with large pieces of paper, each with one of the letters that made up the phrase 'To My Daughter', all in capital, and the group trying to make sense of it all.

"Are you guys playing some kind of game?" Natsu asked.

"No, we're not." Wendy replied.

"We think we may have found something, and we're just trying to figure it out." Modeus answered.

"Please be quiet." Erza muttered.

"We're trying to concentrate over here." Gray added as he also looked through some of the letters.

"Is it some kind of puzzle?" Happy asked.

"It's an anagram." Patty answered.

"And to translate for the fire-breathing dumbass, it's trying to rearrange the letters into something new." Lady pointed out.

"Who you calling a dumbass?!" Natsu complained.

"Now, now, please don't fight." Lisanna tried to ease the tension before turning to Dante, Trish, Michelle, and Lucy who also appeared to be working. "Is this really something we can use?"

"No idea really, just spit balling." Dante answered.

"Well, whatever it is, it sounds like more fun than what we were doing, can I try?" Natsu asked before he suddenly sneezed and blew away most of the letters.

"Thanks a lot, you dummy!" Patty scolded.

"You just ruined our train of thought!" Carla also scolded.

"We were all working so hard on it!" Wendy stated.

"Woops, my bad." Natsu said, before screaming to barley ducking a sword-slice from Erza that grazed off a few hairs.

"I was on the verge of a huge breakthrough!" Erza stated as she gave a death-glare.

"Erza seems rather serious about this." Modeus noted.

"Yeah, no kidding." Gray said in a scared tone. "Remind me to never break her concentration."

"Well, I'd be pissed to if that happened to me." Lady replied. "In fact, it did happen to me, so I am pissed."

Dante sighed as he rubbed a hand down his face. "At this rate, the apocalypse is gonna start before we leave this damn room." However, as he glanced down, he noticed four letters had been blown together to form the word 'myth'. "Huh, think I found something."

The Celestial Spirit Crux, who had been hovering above the group, gave another startled yell as he awoke from his 'searching-slumber', getting the group's attention. "The letters before you spell the word 'myth'."

"Yeah, we can see that." Trish said with minor sarcasm.

"He may be on to something, however." Modeus noted.

"Myth is pretty ambiguous; we should figure something out with the other letters." Lady pointed out.

The group took the moment to arrange the other letters, which seemed a little bit easier as they had less to work with. In a mere moment, they had managed to put together two more words to spell out a complete phrase.

"Duo Great Myth." Erza read aloud.

Lucy snapped her fingers in realization. "Oh! I know! There's a pair of books known as the 'Two Great Myths'! Both were written by Will Neville, one is called 'Life of the Clockwork', and it also just happens to be where the strange inscription came from!"

"You have that book in your apartment, isn't that right?" Michelle asked.

"The same one that had a picture of my old man?" Dante also asked.

"Yep." Lucy confirmed. "Talk about a coincidence, and the other book should be right here!" She quickly ran toward a bookshelf on the first story and pulled out the book in question. It appeared to be a picture book with the crayon-drawn image of a little girl standing alongside an armored knight on her right, and a man in a white robe on her left, both had their backs turned as they looked toward the stary sky with a key floating above them. The title was also written on the top of the cover.

"The Key of the Starry Heavens." Dante read the title aloud. "Never heard of it."

"Isn't that just a kid's book?" Natsu asked.

"It's not just a kid's book!" Lucy argued. "It's an amazing work of art!"

"So you think this book might have something to do with this clock thing we're looking for?" Lisanna asked.

"Hang on, it has the word 'Key' in its title, right?" Gray also asked. "Maybe that's important."

"Seems like the perfect place to begin looking for a clue." Erza noted.

Modeus began to think for a moment. "Key… Starry Heaven…" He gave a sudden gasp.

"Modeus?" Wendy looked to her mentor in surprise.

"Lucy, is it true that Celestial Worlds consider their magic to come from the stars?" Modeus asked the blonde.

"Yeah." Lucy nodded. "That's exactly it."

"You thought of something?" Lady asked.

"I believe I have." Modeus confirmed. "From the inscription, we were able to learn the 'Darkness of the Pit' refers to the Underworld. But I believe the 'Light of the Stars' refers to the realm of the Celestial Spirits!"

Lucy gasped. "Yeah… you're right! I can't believe I didn't think about it before!"

"So, what does it mean?" Happy asked.

"The inscription says when the 'Light of the Stars' meets the 'Darkness of the Pit', chaos will engulf the world." Erza recalled. "Could that mean the possibility of the Underworld and Celestial World merging together?"

"Is something like that even possible?" Lisanna asked.

"The Demon World and Human World were connected together two thousand years ago." Trish put in.

"But the Celestial World exists as a separate world that only spirits, and Celestial Wizards are able to access." Lucy said.

As the group continued to talk and debate, Carla glanced at the cover of the book when she saw a vision of some sorts. She could see the image of the little girl, the armored man, and the robed man, all turning around with black scribbled eyes and mouths, saying "Don't!" in distorted voices.

Carla gave a startled and frightened gasp upon seeing that. "Carla, what's wrong?" Wendy asked.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." Patty observed.

"I don't know about the Celestial World and Underworld joining together or whatever, but I'm willing to bet my sword that this book has the answer we need." Dante said seriously before glancing toward Happy who held a different children's book in his hand. "Uh… is there something you want to share with the group, Happy?" He asked irritatingly.

"This is one of my very favorite stories!" Happy presented a book of a classic children's tale. "Some say 'The Tortoise and the Hare' is an amazing work of art as well!"

"Would you be so kind as to hand over the book?" A new voice asked, getting the group's attention as they prepared for battle.

"I'm not giving this to some random stranger!" Happy exclaimed, clinging onto the 'Tortoise and the Hare' protectively.

"Hmm, I don't find your joke to be very amusing." Suddenly, the door exploded, causing the group to turn around with Dante, Trish, and Lady aiming their guns in the same direction as everyone readied for a fight.

"We got company." Lady stated.

"Those jerks just blew up the door!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Incorrect. The door handle itself expanded in size, causing the door to break apart."

The group looked toward the source of the voice and were more than a little shocked, especially Happy and Carla.

"Whoa… that's crazy!" Happy exclaimed.

"I don't believe it…" Carla uttered. "He's an Exceed!"

It was true, this new individual was indeed an Exceed. His fur was light blue, almost teal colored. He wore a dark blue shirt under a red scarf with white pants and a pair of glasses. He also appeared to carry a pair of duel white swords sheathed at his back. But what stood out was the mitre on his head that bore a familiar emblem.

"Another one of those furballs?!" Trish questioned.

"I don't remember seeing him in Edolas!" Lisanna pointed out.

"He wasn't there." Carla confirmed. "He must have hatched from one of the eggs sent to Earthland all those years ago just like us."

"Hey guys, look at his headgear." Dante pointed to the headpiece that held the emblem they all recognized.

"He's with the Order of the Sword." Modeus stated in realization.

"Indeed. My name is Samuel, I am a Holy Knight of the Order and one of its finest minds." The Exceed introduced.

"So you clowns came looking for us after all." Gray stated with a glare.

"Give back what you stole from Lucy!" Natsu demanded.

"No can do." A certain white-haired individual walked in beside Samuel who took to hover in the air with his wings. "Sorry, but we still got our orders."

"It's Nero again!" Patty recognized.

"Hey, just the guy we've been wanting to see." Dante stated as he aimed his pistols at Nero, who responded by pulling out Blue Rose in return. "You said you wanted to talk, right? So why don't we have a chat right now."

"I am afraid we do not have the luxury." Samuel answered. "Credo has ordered us to retrieve that book from you by any means necessary, even by force if we have to. And considering your guild's reputation, I believe that force may be the only way. But then again, only barbarians would come up with such a method."

"This coming from the assholes that attacked our guild and are pals with that bitch, Mary!" Trish cocked her pistols.

"Looks like talking's not an option then." Lisanna said as she transformed into her Dragon Soul Take Over.

"You guys ready?" Wendy readied herself as well.

"I am." Erza said as she transformed into her Lightning Empress Armor.

"This will be your only chance." Modeus declared as he drew Hunter's Moon. "Tell us what the Order desires and we can find a peaceful resolution, otherwise we will take back what you stole from us."

"I honestly doubt they know anything at all." Dante said. "Right, kid?" He asked Nero specifically. "Just following orders?"

"Too late for regrets, huh?" Nero held Blue Rose in one hand, while wielding Red Queen in the other, only this arm was completely wrapped in red bandages, an obvious attempt to hide the demonic limb underneath.

"Don't give them time to counter! Attack now!" Erza exclaimed as she lunged her spear to shoot a powerful bolt of lightning, which Trish added to with a series of electric bullets from Luce and Ombre.

"Ice-Make: Lance!" Gray shot a series of ice-lances as Dante fired Ebony and Ivory as well.

"Fire Dragon Roar!" Natsu unleashed his breath attack

"Inferno Blast!" Lisanna followed Natsu's que with her own breath attack.

"Demon Sword: Phantom Moon!" Modeus swung Hunter's Moon to unleash a hail of crescent-moon shaped projectiles.

"Steel Devil Rage!" Lady shot her own breath attack as well.

"Sky Dragon Roar!" Wendy added to the combined assault with her own breath attack as well.

However, a third individual quickly leapt in front of Nero and Samuel to throw out a shield, which seemed to absorb everyone's attacks, much to their shock before it was shot out everywhere in multiple directions. While most of the group was able to avoid it or otherwise be blown back, Michelle tackled Patty to the ground to avoid getting hit by a stray blast while Lucy just screamed and ducked underneath the chaos to watch her dad's study get blown away to pieces.

"DON'T RUIN EVERYTHING!" Lucy screamed to her friends as they recovered. "I JUST DECIED THAT MY NUMBER ONE GOAL IN LIFE IS TO BUY THIS PLACE BACK SOMEDAY!"

"We got bigger problems right now, Lucy!" Trish told her in annoyance.

"What the hell just happened?!" Gray questioned.

"Something reflected our attack!" Lisanna exclaimed.

"Yep, and that would be me." The one who reflected the attack was revealed to be a man clad completely in knight-armor, save for his head. He had crimson colored hair and red eyes and a cocky grin on his face. He wielded a lance in his right hand and a mirror-like shield in his left hand that also bore the Order of the Sword's Emblem. "The name's Dan Straight, and I'm the top spearman of the Order of the Sword!"

"Great. Another whackjob." Lady muttered in frustration.

"You guys saw what I did with my shield, right?" Dan began to tell them. "It's called Ricochet. Get it? This baby takes any attack you can throw at it and sends it right back at ya!"

"That's just perfect." Dante growled.

"Why do all you guys have to be such a pain in the ass?!" Natsu exclaimed.

"They're all a bunch of morons, just don't question it." Nero commented toward his allies in a tone indicating he was used to this.

"That girl over there." Samuel pointed to Lucy who still held the 'Key of the Starry Heavens' in her arms. "She has the book we need."

Nero and Dan both caught sight of Lucy while Nero had a look of regret in his eyes, the sight of her crying face when he took the clock hand from her still left a bad taste in his mouth so he wasn't looking forward to doing the same thing again.

Lucy then got an idea. "Hey! Is this book what you guys are looking for!?" She showed the book in her hands.

"Lucy, what are you doing?!" Michelle questioned.

"Luring them outside!" Lucy replied. "Come on and try and catch me boys!"

Nero hesitated for a moment, but Dan made no such hesitation as he got a good look at Lucy and threw his lance to halt her path, before suddenly appearing right behind her.

"Such beauty…" Dan looked in awe. "Kapow!" He felt his heart shot out from his chest before pounding on the ground like a child much to everyone's confusion. "Such incredible beauty! It's as if love's arrow shot straight through the heart but it just keeps beating stronger and stronger! It's almost too much for me to handle! I can't get enough!"

Everyone in Fairy Tail turned white with confusion as they saw Dan's actions, while Nero and Samuel looked more than a little irritated, but unsurprised.

"Damn it… not again." Nero pinched the bridge between his eyes.

"I feared for this…" Samuel said in the same tone.

Dan took the stupefied Lucy's hand in his own. "And what do they call this loveliness?"

"Uh… Lucy…" She answered, unable to tell what was going on.

"Lucy!" Dan exclaimed as his body comically set on fire with a heart in his throat. "I just can't take it! Lucy! Ooooh! Stunning perfection has a name. Mind if I call you Lulu? Luey? Lupy?"

"I don't know…" Lucy muttered. Dante ended up turning to Nero with a confused expression as he pointed toward Dan, while Nero just shrugged and silently said this was how he normally acted.

"WAHOO!" Dan spun around like a love-sick maniac. "That voice! Those eyes! Those lips! That hair! That chest! That waist! Those legs! A perfect Vivi Nachi sequence! Inhuman form! Love on two legs! Beauty personified! L-O-V-E! Spells love!"

"I just got super confused…!" Lucy voiced her honest thoughts before Dante grabbed Dan by the shoulder.

"Get lost, dumbass." Dante ended up throwing Dan across the room and crashing into a bookshelf.

"Thank you." Lucy told her cousin.

"Okay now that the crazy shit's out of the way, let's get back to the main event, shall we!?" Dante readied himself with everyone else again who honestly wanted to forget what they had just seen.

"I'm cool with that." Even Nero agreed with Samuel nodding as well.

Erza shifted into her Flight armor. "Dante, Natsu, with me! We'll deal with them! Everyone else, get Lucy outside now! They must not get their hands on that book!"

"Right." Lucy nodded.

"Well, your ego seems to be in order." Samuel observed.

"Same for you, Sammy." Nero told his Exceed ally.

"I told you exactly one hundred and seventy-eight times to call me 'Samuel'."

"You don't seem to have a problem when Kyrie calls you that." Nero commented.

"That's because she's my favorite." Samuel said as he adjusted his glasses with a smile.

"Natsu! Light it up!" Dante ordered as the Salamander unleashed another breath attack toward Nero and Samuel, forcing them to split apart and allow Lucy to escape along with Michelle and Patty, who were currently being covered by Trish, Gray, Lisanna, Lady, Modeus, Wendy, Happy, and Carla.

Suddenly Dan shot out of the bookshelf he was thrown into and tried to give pursuit. "I wasn't finished talking to you, Lucy!" Dante however blocked his path as he swung Rebellion at Dan, who blocked it with Ricochet, but a powerful force sent Dante flying in the air before he flipped and landed on the railing of the second floor.

"The hell just happened?" Dante questioned.

"You pack quite a punch, don't ya buddy?" Dan called up to him. "Ricochet doesn't just reflect magical attacks. It can also reflect the momentum of physical attacks too."

Dante glared. "Well, this just got annoying." He was then forced to use Rebellion to slice and block the bullets shot at him by Nero, but he didn't get much time to attack as Erza zoomed toward him in her Flight Armor and swung her blades at him, forcing Nero to block it with Red Queen and leaving him open for Natsu to deliver a flaming punch in the gut to send him crashing into the ceiling.

"Hmm, now then…" Samuel began to read his personal notebook. "Taking into consideration the layout of the state such as this one…" He quickly ducked however to avoid a gunshot from Dante with Ebony.

"Piece of advice furball, I don't like it when someone talks more than I do." Dante glared at him. "It really rubs me the wrong way."

"I'll be sure to take note of that." Samuel replied before addressing his companions as they regrouped to face Natsu and Erza. "Nero, Dan, I trust you two can handle this."

"Do we look like amateurs?" Nero questioned. "Well Dan does, but I don't."

"Hey!" Dan exclaimed.

"You just go and try not to screw this up!" Nero told Samuel as he flew away.

"I never make such a mistake." Samuel said, but Dante attempted to run and stop him.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?!" Dante leapt from the second floor to intercept him with gunshots from Ebony, only for Dan to flash his Ricochet shield again to reflect the attack back at Dante.

"Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame!" Natsu threw a large fireball directly at Nero, who sidestepped to avoid it before shooting Blue Rose at the Salamander, but Erza quickly appeared in front of him to slice all the bullets with her dual swords and tried to rush Nero herself, but Dan quickly appeared to lunge his lance at her, which Erza attempted to block by crossing her swords. However, once the weapons clashed, Erza's swords shrank to the size of tiny toys, much to hers and her friends' shock.

'Her swords shrunk?!' Dante thought in surprise as Dan thrusted his lance down on the ground, specifically to a small piece of rubble, causing it to grow to massive proportions and pin Erza against the bookshelf on the second floor.

"Erza!" Natsu exclaimed as he and Dante looked in shock.

"Poke." Dan poked one of her shrunken swords with his lance, causing it to grow to enormous size as well as Erza attempted to get out of her binding.

"What kind of magic is this?!" She questioned, only to give a startled yelp as her enormous sword crashed just above her.

"Wow, that was kinda cute." Dan noted as he stood atop the massive blade. "You are quite attractive in your own way. But it's like a teacup compared to the ocean of loveliness my Lulu possess."

"What's wrong with you?!" Erza questioned.

"Stay right there for now." Dan teased as he swiped his lance on a series of books above Erza's head. "Until we meet again, Titania!" Suddenly, the books grew to enormous size, causing them to fall and pile on top of Erza.

"Beowulf!" Before Dan could even realize what was happening, Dante had zoomed into him to land a solid punch into his gut with his right Beowulf gauntlet and send him crashing into the wall with Dante leaping to give pursuit with his Devil Arm's speed boost.

"Damn it. This is just one mess after another." Nero growled, only to find himself blown back in the hallway by a powerful breath attack from Natsu. Though Nero ended up landing on his feet, he soon came face-to-face with a glaring Dragon Slayer.

"Dante already had his chance to beat you down, pal. Now it's my turn!" Natsu declared as his fists lit aflame. "You stole from Lucy, and I'm gonna make you pay for that!"

"Looks like we're doing this the hard way." Nero plunged Red Queen into the ground before revving it up like a motorcycle. He and Natsu locked eyes before they lunged at each other for a major clash.

---

The sounds of fighting rocked the entire mansion as the rest of the Fairy Tail group made a run for the main entrance.

"Sounds like things are getting serious back there." Happy said, taking note of the intense sounds of battle that continued as they ran.

"I sure hope they're okay." Patty said.

Lucy looked back with concern, something Lisanna noticed. "Lucy, this is Natsu, Erza, and Dante we're talking about! I'm sure they can handle it!"

"I know… but I…" However, Lucy and everyone else came to a halt to see Samuel standing and blocking their path. "What the?! When did you get there?!"

"Just in time, I say." Samuel replied. "Your moves are quite easy to calculate. I could go over the details with you, but that your friend stated he does not like someone who talks more than him for some reason."

"You're really getting on our nerves, cat!" Trish tried to swing the Devil Sword Sparda at him in an attempt to scare him off. However, Samuel's body began to glow as something actually caught the blade. When the glow subsided, everyone looked in absolute shock at what they saw.

It appeared to be Samuel, but his whole body had grown to the point he was the tallest in the room. His newly transformed state had a more lean-muscular form and his face seemed akin to a lion's with a short mane. And he appeared to have the Sparda blade clapped in-between his hands.

"Ah, I did not expect to see the Devil Sword Sparda here." The large Samuel noted. "I have heard that the lightning-she-demon named Trish possessed the weapon for some reason, but I had thought it was merely a rumor or a fake of the weapon. But I can see it is the genuine article." A look of disgust crossed his face. "What a waste to our lord and savior's memory." He then pulled back both his feet to deliver a kick and send Trish rolling across the ground.

"What the heck just happened?!" Gray exclaimed.

"He's huge!" Patty shouted.

"His body grew…" Michelle also looked in surprise while Lady, Happy, Carla, Lisanna, and even Modeus recognized this type of transformation.

"Just like Lily when he transforms." Carla noted in surprise.

"I told you I was a knight, and I will show you how I've earned that title." Samuel drew his dual swords and lunged at the group, only for Lady to appear in front of him, cross her arms, which were coated in steel to block the blades.

"You guys go! I'll handle this!" Lady exclaimed.

"She's right. We need to keep moving." Modeus said as he slashed Hunter's Moon at a nearby window. "Let's go!" He leapt out the window first, followed by Gray who carried Patty piggy-back-style, Carla flew out with Happy as they carried Wendy and Michelle respectively, while Trish leapt as she carried Lucy with Lisanna flying alongside them, still in her Dragon Take Over.

"You seem quite confident." Samuel noted as he hovered over Lady while facing her. "Thinking you can take someone who's both a skilled warrior and a strategical genius."

"I really hate guys with egos." Lady glared. "So, I'm gonna make you eat those words!"

"Perhaps you should be more concerned about your friends." Samuel replied. "Did you honestly think I didn't take this into my calculations?" Lady's eyes widened, realizing what Samuel was implying.

---

The group consisting of Lucy, Gray, Happy, Trish, Michelle, Lisanna, Wendy, Patty, Carla, and Modeus came to a stop outside to find their way was blocked by a squad consisting of four Bianco Angelos, led by a single Alto Angelo, who descended from the sky.

"It's those white knights from the Order!" Wendy shouted.

"Crap, not these guys again!" Gray groaned.

"Lucy, take Michelle and Patty and make a break for it! Go!" Trish told her as she was the first to attack by blasting a series of electric bullets from Luce and Ombre, forcing the squad of Angelos to disperse in multiple directions.

Lucy hated the idea of leaving her friends to fight her own battles, but she knew they had to secure the book, as well as protect the two of her friends that didn't have any magic. "Let's go!"

"Right!" Patty and Michelle both agreed at the same time as they made a break for it, only to have the Alto Angelo attempt to fly down and slice his sword at them to try and halt their advance. But he didn't get very far as Modeus appeared to block the sword-slice with Hunter's Moon; while Gray (along with Happy), Trish, Dragon Soul Lisanna, and Wendy (with help from Carla) engaged in a brawl against the four Alto Angelos.

---

Meanwhile, Dante's fight against Dan continued into one of the many hallways that adorned the mansion as he still used Beowulf, flashing around Dan at incredible speeds before lashing out a powerful kick, which Dan intercepted with his shield, Ricochet again. Just like before, the attack was reflected at Dante again to send him flying into the air and crashing into the ceiling.

"Agni! Rudra!" Dante wielded his dual-set Devil Arms to blast a combined cyclone attack of wind and flame, which Dan blocked again with Ricochet.

"You're a slow learner, aren't you?" Dan asked as the attack was reflected back at Dante. "Ricochet can reflect any magic or physical attack back at ya!" However, Dante smirked as his body was engulfed by the attack before vanishing in a puff of black smoke. "What the…?"

Suddenly, the real Dante appeared behind Dan to strike his side with Rebellion and send him rolling across the ground. "What you destroyed was a fake with my Doppelganger style. That shield is a pain, yeah. But I can find a workaround. Quicksilver!" Slowing down time around himself, Dante shot at Dan to strike him multiple times with Rebellion, making sure to avoid the shield, before time resumed and the combined force of the attacks sent Dan flying and crashing right into the wall on the other side of the hallway.

But Dan was quick to get back up in less than a second. "Wow! That was something else!" He exclaimed with a grin. "I'm actually impressed you made it past Ricochet!"

"You're one tough bastard, aren't ya?" Dante noted.

"You shouldn't underestimate us." Dan told him. "Knights from the Order of the Sword have to endure some pretty hellish training. Not to mention my armor's pretty tough, even high-level demons have a hard time cracking this."

Dante actually grinned. "This just got more interesting."

"You can say that again! Now take this!" He thrusted his lance forward to send multiple green magic bolts at Dante, who was forced to slice and block each strike with Rebellion. Dan took note however that Dante's sword wasn't changing size as he expected. "That's a Devil Arm you're using, isn't it?"

"What are you talking about?" Dante questioned.

"My lance Habaraki has the ability to shrink or grow any object it touches." Dan told him. "But for some reason, it doesn't affect living things. And since Devil Arms come from living creatures like demons, they can't be affected either. But hey, it makes this all the more exciting! It's been a long time since I had such a fun fight!" He lunged at Dante, pointing Habaraki forward, forcing Dante to parry the strikes with Rebellion as they engaged in a metal-on-metal duel before locking weapons. "Oh wow, you're really strong!"

"Wanna keep going, pal?" Dante challenged.

"As much as I'd love that, I got a job to do." Dan replied before leaping back to swipe his Habaraki lance at some rubble and increase their size to create a large wall and separate them.

"Hey! That's a shitty move!" Dante exclaimed as he tried to slice Rebellion to cut his way through.

"Sorry! Business before pleasure!" Dan called out as he ran away. "And I got business with my lovely Lucy!"

---

"Steel Devil Bullet Barrage!" Lady shot a hail of magic bullets at the transformed Samuel as he flew at high speeds to avoid the attack before shooting down at her to try and slice his blades at her, but Lady leapt back to avoid it. "Steel Devil Void Blade!" Both her arms converted into steel-swords as she lunged at Samuel, who blocked and parried each strike with expect precision.

"Judging from your attacks, it's easy to determine that you are a veteran fighter." Samuel commented as they locked their blades together. "However, am I also correct to assume that you've only recently gained your magical ability?" Lady glared as Samuel smirked. "I'll take that as a yes." He then dropped his swords, causing Lady to falter, letting Samuel sweep his feet to knock her off balance before he grabbed his swords in mid-fall and quickly brought the hilt of his left sword into her gut to send her rolling across the ground.

"You clearly know how to fight." Samuel continued. "But you are inexperienced with your magic, which makes it rather easy to calculate and predict your next move."

"Predict this you furry bastard! Steel Devil Bazooka!" She brought her arms together to create a shiny steel rocket-launcher shaped weapon before firing a rocket straight at Samuel, but he flew up to avoid the resulting explosion before quickly flying down to land a solid kick into Lady's back, further pushing her into the floor.

"You also have quite a temper." Samuel noted. "Which makes you even easier to predict."

---

At the same time, a large fiery explosion erupted from the mansion's rooftop as Nero had been sent flying out from the force of the explosion, with Natsu propelling himself after him with flames from his feet. "Fire Dragon Iron Fist!" He decked Nero across the face to send him crashing onto the roof top. But right as Natsu landed, he was forced back by gunshots from Blue Rose as Nero quickly got up before drawing Red Queen and revving it up to charge at Natsu.

Nero swung his blade at Natsu, who ducked to avoid one slice before lashing out with a flaming kick, which Nero instinctively blocked with his covered arm. The resulting impact and flames burnt away the covering to reveal the demonic limb that had also caught Natsu's attention before he flipped to kick Nero in the jaw and land to get some distance.

"What the hell is with that arm of yours, huh?" Natsu questioned. "Are you really a demon? Or some kind of half-breed like Dante?"

"None of your damn business!" Nero exclaimed as he thrusted his demonic arm forward to send a transparent fist attack straight at Natsu, who took the impact before rolling across the roof but got back on his feet just before reaching the edge.

"You're gonna tell me one way or another, pal! And you're also gonna tell me what your pals want from Lucy's clock hand!" He propelled himself at Nero again with flames from his feet as he pulled back another flaming fist, while Nero reeled back his demonic arm before they punched, both fists colliding, resulting in a powerful shockwave that blew them both back to the opposite ends of the room.

Nero winced as he felt his demonic hand sizzle a bit. "Hotter than I expected." He waved his hand slightly as he faced Natsu once more. However, right before they could re-engage again, someone else shot out of the roof. It was revealed to be Erza, clad in her Black Wing armor before shooting at Nero faster than he expected, striking him in the chest with a powerful slice that sent him hurtling off the rooftop and crashing in the garden on the side of the mansion.

"What the hell, Erza?! I was just about to deck him!" Natsu complained.

"We don't have time to play around, Natsu!" Erza told him. "Where are the others?!"

---

Back in the courtyard, the others did their best to fend off the Bianco Angelos with Happy carrying Gray as he blasted an ice-attack, Lisanna a fireball with her Dragon Take Over, Trish with a lightning-sword strike from the Sparda sword, Carla carrying Wendy as she unleashed a breath attack; but their respective Bianco Angelo soldiers proved capable of either shielding themselves or maneuvering around the attack. Even Modeus appeared to be at a stand-still, clashing blades against the Alto Angelo soldier that appeared to lead the squad.

Meanwhile, Lucy, Patty, and Michelle had made some distance before the former turned around to look back at her friends who continued to fight.

"Why am I just running? I should be helping them!" She was about to draw her keys, but Michelle quickly grabbed her hand.

"I know you want to help them Big Sister, but we have to secure that book!" Michelle told her.

"Yeah, I get that. But…"

"Hey Lucy, I think I have an idea." Patty said as she began to whisper to her and Michelle the plan she had come up with.

"Oh Luey-pie!" The three shivered as they saw Dan suddenly appear before them. "I'd rather not have to hurt you or your pretty sisters, but I'll be taking that book now."

"I highly suggest you comply." Samuel added as he flew onto the scene, still in his Battle Form. "All your friends are either occupied or indisposed. You cannot escape."

"Do it, now." Lucy said in a sublet whisper to Patty and Michelle before they split off with Lucy running in one direction, and Patty and Michelle running in another. "You want your book!? Well just try and take it!" She challenged as she appeared to be holding the book in her arms.

"Don't run away my darling! You know I'll catch you!" Dan sang as he tried to catch her.

"Oh please." Samuel brushed off as he intercepted Patty and Michelle. "How naïve do you think I am?" He picked up Patty by her shirt with one hand.

"Hey! Put me down you creep!" She struggled in his grip before he reached down the back of her shirt with his other hand, much to her irritation. "Watch you're grabbing back there! Pervert!" However, Samuel ended up pulling out the 'Key of the Starry Sky' that she attempted to hide.

"This is the real book, Dan." Samuel told him, causing him to stop chasing Lucy as she looked in horror, having been using Happy's choice of 'The Tortoise and the Hare' to act as bait.

"No! You saw through my plan?!" Patty exclaimed.

"Child's play, really." Samuel said, sounding unimpressed.

"EVERYONE! THEY HAVE THE BOOK!" Michelle called out to their friends that continued to battle the Alto and Bianco Angelos, causing them all to look in shock.

Suddenly, Natsu, Lady, and Erza, still in her Black Wing armor, shot toward Samuel from the mansion, who had already turned back into his smaller form and begun to read the book, as they tried to lash out a combined attack of their respective magics, only for Dan to block and reflect it with Ricochet and blast all three of them back.

However, he didn't seem to notice Dante striking from below. 'Bet he can't reflect two from different directions!' "Cerberus!" Dante flailed his ice-nunchucks to send a large streak of ice-crystals traveling along the ground to the seemingly unexpected Samuel who continued to read and didn't seem phased in the least.

'Unfortunately for him, there's no need to defend myself. The Angelos should handle that easily enough.' Samuel thought as the Alto and Bianco Angelos quickly broke off from their fights to shield Samuel and the book with their winged-shields, blocking Dante's icy-attack. 'Precisely as I calculated. Their mission is to ensure the book is not destroyed, so they will protect it however they can.'

Gray however quickly got an idea. 'Even if they do get the book, we can still take something from all this!' He quickly placed his hands on the ground. "Freeze!" He sent a surge of ice-energy traveling across the ground to mix with Dante's attack with Cerberus, resulting in a massive ice-spike that shot out of the ground just in front of Samuel, Dan, and the Angelo soldiers as Samuel appeared to have finished reading.

"You can have the book back, now." Samuel told Lucy in particular. "I've memorized every single page."

"Wait… what?" She was more than a little surprise as Samuel tossed her the book before grabbing Dan and flying away with the Angelo soldiers behind them.

"Bye-bye, Lulu!" Dan called to her. "Next time we get together, let's have it just be you and me!" However, Dan noticed someone was missing from their group. "Hey, where's Nero?"

"For some reason, Nero seemed off his edge, so I calculated a possible outcome where he may end up facing defeat." Samuel answered. "Regardless, we've accomplished our mission."

"But you're gonna just leave him hanging? That's cold, man." Dan told him. "Didn't he and Kyrie hatch you from that egg back when you were just cute widdle kids?" He teased that last part in a gushing fashion.

"Nero is fully capable of handling himself." Samuel replied. "I'm sure he can manage on his own, despite whatever issues he's thinking of." The Exceed glanced toward the Angelo soldiers that flew alongside them silently. He counted one Alto Angelo, but only three Bianco Angelos. 'Hmm, I seem to recall there were four Bianco Angelos. Oh well, I did calculate that we may end up losing one so it's not of any real consequence.'

Back down below, those of the Fairy Tail party were less than pleased with the outcome. "You bastards! Get back here!" Natsu called out to them.

"Yeah, come back and fight fair and square!" Happy also called out

"Damn it. They did it to us again!" Dante practically growled.

"At least they left the book." Wendy commented, trying to find some kind of solace.

"Sounds more like they were trying to mock us." Trish glared.

"Yeah, I'm really starting to hate these guys." Lady added.

"They certainly are insufferable." Carla also agreed.

"They will not get away with this!" Erza stated, having turned back to normal alongside Lisanna.

"What do we do now?" Lisanna asked.

"We might have lost to them, but I wouldn't say it was a total loss." Gray commented with a smirk. "Take a look." He pointed to that giant ice-spike he and Dante made earlier, revealing a Bianco Angelo stuck in the ice from the neck-down.

"You captured one of their soldiers?" Modeus looked in surprise with everyone else.

"Yep." Gray smirked.

"Well then…" Dante smirked. "Time for a little interrogation."

---

Meanwhile, Nero grumbled as he walked out of the garden, brushing all the dust off his jacket. He had already noticed Samuel and Dan leaving and realizing he had just been left behind. "Damn that cat… don't know why Kyrie thinks he's still cute. Total smart aleck." He grumbled in irritation.

However, as he rounded the corner, Nero noticed the Fairy Tail group gathered around the partially frozen Angelo soldier.

---

"Alright mister, you better start talking!" Patty pointed her finger toward the frozen Bianco Angelo with Natsu, Gray, and Happy glaring at him with her. "Why are you doing this?"

"Give back what you stole from Lucy!" Natsu demanded.

"What are you guys planning?" Gray questioned.

"And how come you're so mean about it?" Happy questioned as well. However, the Angelo said nothing in response.

"Hey, you hearing us?!" Natsu demanded. "Quit acting all cool and spill it!"

"Is he giving us the silent treatment?" Lisanna questioned.

"It's a standard form of resisting interrogation to say nothing in response." Erza replied.

"But… actually, now that I think about it… I don't think any of them said anything." Trish said, getting their attention. "Everyone else has told us to either surrender or hand over whatever they were looking for, but not these guys. They just straight up, attack us."

"It was like that when they attacked the guild too." Lady commented. "None of them talked or said a word."

"Hmm, most peculiar." Carla thought as she noticed her Dragon Slayer companion having a confused look on her face. "Wendy? What is it?"

"It's their scent…" Wendy tried to explain it. "I can't quite make it out but… they all have a weird scent but… that's not even the weird part. All of them smell the same." That really got the group's attention. "Even those taller ones smell almost like them, just a tiny difference. But other than that, it's like they're all the same person."

"Is that possible?" Modeus asked.

"No way. Everyone's got a different scent. Nobody ever smells the same." Natsu stated as he turned to glare at the frozen Angelo. "Something's up."

Dante, with a steeled expression, walks directly toward the frozen Bianco Angelo, who remained as still and silent as a piece of stone, even as everyone looked anxiously, silently wondering what Dante was about to do. In one swift motion, Dante grabbed the helmet with one hand and removed it. Expecting to find some kind of face, he and everyone else were nothing short of stunned to find absolutely nothing inside.

Dante looked inside the helmet and into the rest of the armor to find nothing at all. No body, no blood, no living being inside whatsoever.

"Empty…" Dante muttered before dropping the helmet, which, along with the rest of the empty armor, vanished from the ice in a flash of white light.

"Wha… what? Empty?!" Lisanna exclaimed. "How can it be empty?!"

Natsu, Patty, and Happy all screamed as they comically clung to each other. "IT'S A GHOST! GHOST ARMOR!"

"No… not a ghost." Modeus stated with narrowed eyes. "That was demonic energy."

"Are you certain?" Erza questioned.

"Absolutely." Modeus confirmed.

"But… it seemed different than a normal demon." Trish commented. "Like it wasn't… natural."

"Natural? What is it a fake demon or something? Synthetic?" Lady questioned.

"I don't know, and that's what worries me." Trish replied.

"So… the Order of the Sword is using demonic energy to bring armor to life and turn it into their own soldiers?" Gray asked.

"Doesn't seem very 'holy' to me, considering the cause they claim to fight for." Carla commented.

"But what does this mean?" Wendy asked.

"I'm starting to get a really bad feeling about all this, you guys." Michelle said.

Dante and Lucy bore serious expressions before they looked back toward the mansion. 'Dad… what is it you're trying to tell us?' Lucy thought to herself.

---

At the same time, none of them noticed that Nero had seen and heard everything. While Fairy Tail was more than a little shocked, none of them were even close to being shocked as Nero was. Instinctively, he glanced toward his demonic arm before turning around to get away from the area before any of them noticed his presence.

'A demon posing the Order's armor? Are all of them like this?! Who else knows about this?! Credo, do you know?!' A sinking feeling formed into Nero's stomach as he got the idea that there wasn't a lot of people in the Order that he could completely trust anymore. He had an idea something was off with this whole thing, but he didn't expect something like this. One thing was certain, things are about to get ugly real fast.

Done.

So, this chapter turned out to be longer than I thought. Fairy Tail seems to be one step closer to solving the mystery of the clock hand, but it seems the Order of the Sword is one step ahead of them. However, Nero is starting to have doubts about the Order as he, as well as Fairy Tail, know that the Angelo soldiers aren't normal. More fights and mysteries to come in the next chapter.

Also, we now know who's behind the church attacks: Gilver. The very same demon that killed Nell Goldstein. But Dante claims to have killed him? How can that be? And what's with that weapon of his? It's a katana, but it seems to have different elemental powers (fire, lightning, ice, and even acid to start). Sound familiar? (Take a look at the last chapter to get an idea).

We've also met two other members of the Order's most prominent knights: Samuel and Dan. Samuel has already shown off his Battle Form (similar to what Panther-Lily has), and I even gave him a pair of dual swords, considering he's a part of the Order of the Sword in my story, it only made sense to give him some. And, while Dan is still the womanizer we remember from the anime, I also changed his lance weapon a bit. It still shrinks and grows objects, but it doesn't affect living things the same way (including Devil Arms). That whole thing with the shrinking Natsu, Lucy, and even growing Happy was way too cartoonish even by Fairy Tail standards. I just had to get rid of it. But still, this was a fun chapter to write and things are going to get more interesting later on.

Don't worry, Dante will have his rematch with Nero and things are going to go a bit different from their last fight. I plan to give Dante plenty of one-on-one fights and victories against other opponents in this and future story arcs so it doesn't look like he's always getting a helping hand from people (which all of you have made the effort to point out).

I wanted to give Natsu a chance to but heads with Nero as they are going to be doing so quite often in the future given their respective personalities (but Erza intervened before the fight could be drawn out any further and a winner could be decided).

Until we meet again, stay safe and stay healthy out there. Vaccines are being distributed, here's hoping you all get yours very soon. Love you guys.