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.

13. The Holy War Begins

Hi everyone. Once again, I thank you for your patience. Things are heating up in the Order of the Sword arc here in Fairy May Cry; all the clock pieces have been found and are being brought together; now Dante's team, after calling a truce with Nero's group, is about to go up against Byro, who doesn't appear to be in the mood for negotiation. But things take an unexpected turn here in the end as I've got a few surprises in store. With all that being said, let's get started.

The Holy War Begins

Outside the Fairy Tail guildhall, Alzack walked toward a large tree stump where his wife and daughter were currently sitting, the later appeared to be reading a certain book.

"Oh, here you are." Alzack said, causing his wife to turn to him with a smile.

"Hey, Hon." Bisca smiled back.

"So what book is she reading today?" Alzack asked as he walked closer.

"The Key of the Starry Heavens." Bisca replied. "She was going on about wanting to help the guild, so I let her borrow a copy from the cathedral's library."

Asuka had reached the end of the children's book, but she had a puzzled and even worried look on her face. "Mama? Is that really how book is supposed to end?"

"Yeah, that's it." Bisca confirmed.

"Is something wrong, sweetie?" Alzack asked upon noticing his daughter's expression.

---

Meanwhile; inside the guildhall, Macao and Wakaba both sat at the bar when Kinana noticed the distressed look on Macao's face when she gave him a cup of coffee.

"Master, what's wrong? You seem a little down."

"Nothing. Just thinking, that's all." Macao replied.

Wakaba adopted a teasing grin. "Yeah right. You're worried about Romeo, admit it."

"Alright, I am!" Macao exclaimed. "But I'm his dad! What do you expect?!"

"There's no need to worry, man." Wakaba said in assurance. "Kid's got Natsu and Dante with him."

"Yeah, that's what scares me." Macao said with a sigh. "I mean, I don't want my boy ending up like either of those two, or worse both of them combined." He said, causing Kinana to wince with a nervous smile.

---

Meanwhile, in the underground city, the heroes of Fairy Tail, as well as the trio from the Order of the Sword, found themselves facing against Byro who continued to stand on top the giant octopus named Kanaloa with the stolen clock hand in one hand, and his staff-weapon in the other.

"Check it out, Romeo!" Natsu pointed to Byro with a laugh as he patted Romeo's back. "He's trying to act all high and mighty while sitting on an octopus!" He chuckled, but Romeo didn't appear to share the humor.

"I wouldn't laugh. He held his own against Gildarts, remember?" Romeo reminded.

"Yeah, yeah, he's powerful, who cares? He's riding a giant freaking octopus!" Natsu continued to laugh, causing the aforementioned octopus to sweat in annoyance.

"Ugh, Natsu's turned into a jerk of a role model." Happy commented.

"That makes me worry about Romeo's future." Michelle added.

"But seriously, what the heck is with the octopus, anyway?" Dante questioned. "I mean, I'd get it if he rode a horse, a werewolf, a wyvern, or some other giant monster, but an octopus?" He turned to Nero. "The heck is up with that?"

"I got no idea." Nero replied. "The guy's got a fetish for calamari or something?"

"Actually, calamari is squid." Lisanna corrected.

Natsu then stopped laughing and adopted his usual grin. "Wait, that means that if I beat this guy, then it's kinda like I'm beating Gildarts, too!"

Byro glared at him in response. "I'll destroy you." Immediately, Kanaloa spat out a splash of ink, prompting Natsu and Romeo to dodge as they looked in surprise to see the ink melt through the floor.

"Guys, be careful!" Lisanna warned them. "That ink is corrosive! It'll melt the skin off your body!"

"Kay, got it!" Natsu said with white circular eyes, with Romeo adopting the same expression.

"I got something a little more dangerous!" Dante drew both Ebony and Ivory and shot at Kanaloa, but the octopus actually took the bullets with little damage before flailing one of his tentacles toward Dante, prompting him to jump back and avoid the devastating impact. Natsu was up next as he tried to unleash a breath attack, which Kanaloa retaliated with another ink-blast to collide with Natsu's fire and hold it at bay.

"You're kidding, thing knows how to fight?" Dante questioned.

"Kanaloa is no pet." Byro told him. "He is a veteran warrior and has faced and defeated even the most ferocious of demons." Kanaloa then spun his body around like a bladed top, while extending all his tentacles outward like a fan to try and beat back the heroes, who had tried to jump out of the way. Dante jumped back, while Natsu grabbed Romeo to leap back as well. Happy pulled Michelle out of the way, while Lisanna leapt back with them.

"Coco! Look out!" Lucy tackled Coco out of the way when it looked like she was about to get hit.

Even Nero pulled Dan back as they were in the same predicament. "Coco!" Nero tried to call to her when he lost sight of the girl in the dust and rubble.

"I'm alright, Nero!" Coco called back to him as Lucy helped her up. "Thanks…"

"No problem." Lucy replied.

"Hey, octo-asshole!" Natsu angrily called to both Kanaloa and Byro. "Are you so stupid that you don't even know who's on your side!"

"Seriously! Coco, Nero, and Dan are supposed to be your allies!" Even Lucy agreed.

"I realize that." Byro acknowledged. "But, I also know that the Order of the Sword has produced warriors that won't hesitate to sacrifice their lives for the sake of their mission. As such, they should as well."

"Go to hell, you bastard!" Nero shouted. "My friends and I aren't expandable pawns to you!" He flashed Blue Rose and shot at him, but Byro quickly and effectively blocked the bullet with his staff-weapon.

"You dare to draw your weapon at me?" Byro glared toward Nero. "I have heard that you were more than a little rebellious, Nero. But you would turn your back on this holy war?"

"Holy war, my ass!" Lucy called out. "You have no right to speak to any of them! You're not even part of the Order, and even if you were, you can't just throw their lives away like they're nothing! These people are not your slaves or anyone else's!"

Coco looked toward Lucy in surprise, not expecting the blonde that was her enemy a short time ago to stand up for her with such ferocity and passion. Even Nero was partially caught off guard. However, Dante could only smirk at his cousin's attitude.

"Last chance for you to give up, old man." Dante warned him. "Just hand over that clock hand and we can talk things out. Otherwise, we are going to kick your ass. Picking a fight with this guild is a big mistake."

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Byro replied. "You all fail to grasp the severity of this situation. There are many more lives at stake in this war than you realize."

However, none of the people present noticed the giant clock circles, still embedded in the wall behind them, began to glow as the Ancient Podomelian language began to illuminate around it, much like the clock hand before.

---

Meanwhile, the group consisting of Modeus, Gajeel, Levy, Panther-Lily, Jet, and Droy continued to walk with Gajeel carrying the clock face under his arm. However, the Iron Dragon Slayer came to a stop when he noticed the glowing Podomelian script illuminating on the front.

"Hey, this thing's glowing." Gajeel said, causing the group to turn around and look in surprise.

"Whoa, what's going on?" Jet questioned.

"That's kinda freaky." Droy commented.

"It's Ancient Podomelian." Levy recognized the script.

"Much like what was on the clock hand before." Modeus noted.

"Can you translate it?" Lily asked, however the clock face suddenly stopped glowing and turned back to normal. "What happened?"

"It just… stopped…." Levy said.

"We're you able to translate anything?" Modeus asked Levy, who shook her head in response.

"No. Couldn't get a good look in time." She replied.

Gajeel then got a closer look at the clock face. "This thing is supposed to be a piece of a doomsday weapon or something, right?"

"Yes… that is what we theorized. But we don't know for certain it's capabilities of." Modeus answered.

"Well, it's made of iron." Gajeel said. "Might as well help myself to a snack…" He opened his mouth and was about to bite into it.

"Whoa! What do you think you're doing?!" Levy quickly shouted as she tried to pull him away.

"What's it look like?! I'm trying to get rid of the thing!" Gajeel told her in annoyance. "If this thing so dangerous, and we don't want any power-hungry not jobs using it to cause Armageddon, then I can just eat it up and be done with it!"

"I actually can see the logic in that approach." Lily noted.

"But I would still advise against it, Gajeel." Modeus said to him. "Even if it is made of iron, and you are able to eat it, we don't know what other kinds of magic it has embedded in it. It could poison or harm your body. Probably safer if you don't eat it."

Gajeel sighed in minor frustration. "Fine."

"Hey, it's okay. You were just trying to help, and we appreciate it." Levy assured him with a smile, causing Gajeel to grumble.

"Why is Levy so tolerant with him?" Droy asked.

"No idea. The guy's a jerk who thinks more with his fists then his brains." Jet commented.

"Hold on a moment." Modeus stopped the group from continuing any further. "We have company." He directed everyone to look behind them to see a familiar Exceed who appeared to be following them.

"It's Sammy again." Gajeel stated. "What's the nerd following us for?"

"Because he's a stubborn fool." Lily said.

"I am not a fool, and I'm not following you. I am merely observing you." Samuel told them.

"Just so we're clear, you're not getting your hands on this clock face!" Levy told him.

"You're a skilled fighter and a competent strategist, but I doubt you can take on our entire team at once." Modeus said, his hands on the hilt of Hunter's Moon and ready to draw it at a moment's notice.

"Rest assured, I have no intention of fighting any of you." Samuel said as he adjusted his glasses. "And according to my calculations, it makes no difference whether or not I'm the one who retrieves it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lily questioned.

"I can't say with utter certainty but… Brother, Modeus, may I have a moment?" Samuel requested.

Both Panther-Lily and Modeus noted how Samuel was speaking toward them. There was no arrogance or challenge in his voice, he wanted to talk to them civilly, no tricks or anything. This was enough to tell the pair that something was on Samuel's mind, and it might be something worth discussing.

---

At the same time, the team consisting of Erza, Lady, Wendy, Carla, Patty, Cana, and Milliana, walked through the grassy field with Erza pulling the acquired clock legs in her wagon, which was tied down with the rest of her luggage. As the group continued to walk, Patty noticed a contemplating look on Wendy's face.

"Wendy, are you alright?" Patty asked.

"Huh?" Wendy was pulled out of her thoughts in surprise.

"You've been rather quiet this whole time. Is something on your mind, Wendy?" Carla asked.

"Yeah… I've just been thinking." Wendy said.

"Let me guess, Credo?" Lady assumed, to which the Sky Dragon Slayer nodded.

"I'm not surprised, I've been thinking about that myself." Erza said.

"That guy turned into a crazy-looking demon!" Milliana said in a tone that indicated she wasn't over her surprise. "He even said he was an angel!"

"Not to mention he was crazy powerful, too." Cana said. "Not a whole lot of people can take Erza to her limit."

"But… that's the thing." Wendy said. "I don't know if he's a real demon…" This got everyone's attention as she tried to explain as best she could. "What he said when he transformed…. He said he was 'chosen' to 'become something more than human'."

"I… I'm not sure I get what you're saying." Patty said in confusion. However, Carla was able to get where Wendy was going.

"No, I see. The way Credo was talking. Those choice of words imply that he did not always have that ability." Carla began.

"He didn't adopt the transformation during my first battle with him." Erza recalled. "So, I can't say whether or not he was holding back, or he only recently gained the ability."

"Either way, his phrasing seemed to indicate he was born human without any magical power at all. He did not have the ability to transform." Carla continued. "Which means, something happened to him."

"We know those Angelo things are basically puppet armors fueled by demonic energy." Lady said. "And… now that I think about, the same kind of energy that powers those armors… it was the exact same demonic power Credo was giving off."

"Are you sure?" Cana questioned.

"I'm sure." Lady confirmed. "Guess it's one of the perks of being a Devil Slayer, lets me sense the different types of demonic energy."

"Even their scents where the same." Wendy said. "All those Angel soldiers smelled exactly the same, with the Alto Angelos being somewhat stronger than the Bianco ones. But Credo… when he transformed… I mean I could still smell his scent from before, but I could also pick out the exact same demon scent the Angelos had, but it was way stronger."

"Wouldn't that mean… that the Order of the Sword has been using the same way to bring those armors to life… to turn Credo into that?" Milliana questioned.

"Hold on… you guys aren't saying that the Order is actually turning people into demons, are you?!" Patty exclaimed. "Is that even possible?!"

"Well, we have seen people try to use demonic power before." Erza recalled not only Mira's Satan Soul ability, as well as the Devil Slayer magics utilized by Lady and Job, but even Arkham trying to use the power of Sparda and even Hades with just a portion of Mundus' power. "But, even if that power completely overwhelmed and corrupted those people, they were still physically human at their core."

"The only ones who could successfully utilize that kind of power besides demons themselves, would be human-demon hybrids like Dante." Carla said. "But to actually transform an individual from a human into a demon… I can't even begin to fathom how such a method would even be possible."

"And he seemed fully in control over his actions." Lady said. "He knew what he was doing; and he didn't go berserk or anything. At least… not at first glance."

Milliana shivered "This is starting to get really creepy."

"There's definitely something going on with the Order of the Sword." Wendy said with a nervous expression. "Using demonic power for those Angelos is one thing… but if they're actually turning their own people into demons…"

"Can't even imagine why they would do something like that." Cana said.

"Regardless, our priority right now is to make sure the clock piece is secure." Erza said, glancing back to the aforementioned clock legs. "But I agree that the Order's actions sound more than a little disturbing. Once we meet up with the others, we can compare notes and begin to plan our next move."

"Why do I have a sinking feeling this is going to blow up in our faces like usual?" Carla asked rhetorically.

---

Fortuna

Within an ancient castle that sat on top of Lamina Peak on the island was a large chamber that was occupied by two individuals. One was Agnus, who stood at the side of a bed-like structure in the center of the chamber that had one of four pillars in each corner, holding up a stone canopy. Currently laying in the structure was the second individual, and head of the Order of the Sword, Sanctus himself.

With all the final adjustments made, Agnus only watched as the runes on the structure began to glow a blood-red color, the glow passing into Sanctus' body. His eyes suddenly shot open, the sclera and pupils turned black while the iris' glowed red. Sanctus' whole-body shock and twitched, along with most of the chamber, causing Agnus to look at him with concern, Sanctus' veins showing, becoming dark blue, as the power swelled within him. Finally, after a few more minutes of shaking, Sanctus' body slowed as he fell back into the bed, his eyes closed again. They then fluttered open, as if from a deep sleep, only they appeared to be normal, despite the enormous power now under his command.

"Ah, your Holiness…" Agnus bowed with a pleased and excited smile. "Your transformation… it was a s-s-s-success!"

"Agnus…" Sanctus looked towards him.

"All of the clock pieces have been f-f-f-found." Agnus reported. "Even now, that irksome Fairy Tail is g-g-g-gathering them all t-t-t-together." He chuckled darkly. "Those poor fools. It is only a matter of time before the Clock is r-r-r-reassembled."

Sanctus gave a content sigh. "The Savior comes to us… it was fortunate I was able to participate… in the Ascension Ceremony."

"Your Holiness… we have t-t-t-tested the process and have perfected it!" Agnus told him. "So many others far less worthy than you have undergone the p-p-p-process! True, you have received the strongest d-d-d-dose of his power. But, that only means you are worthy, and you look magnificent!"

"And what of Zentopia…?" Sanctus asked.

"Their priests, sisters, and monks have already begun to arrive." Agnus reported. "The Archbishop should be here soon as well."

"Good… Once I'm fully rested… I will see to it, that the joining is made official." Sanctus said.

"Excellent, and then nothing will stop us!" Agnus smirked.

However, neither of them noticed that their entire conversation had been eavesdropped from outside. From behind the main door, Kyrie, who had been snooping around the castle for some time, happened to overhear his Holiness talking with a man she did not recognize and followed them, while maintaining a safe distance and keeping as quiet as possible. She had guessed something was going on, which was all but confirmed once she spotted the demons and those large monoliths they had been guarding; but she could never have imagined that his Holiness was involved to. She kept her hands over her mouth to keep herself completely quiet, her eyes shaking as sweat dripped down her face, her whole body became tense with fear as she can't even imagine what was about to happen.

'Nero… Sammy… Coco… everyone… please come back soon. Whatever's going on… we have to stop it…! I think something terrible is about to happen…!'

---

The underground city rumbled as Kanaloa continued to rampage against the heroes of Fairy Tail, with Dante leaping from ruin to ruin to avoid the streams of acidic ink spat toward him from the giant octopus. With Kanaloa, and apparently Byro, focused on Dante; Natsu and Lisanna, the later transformed into her She-Cat take over, both leapt in an attempt to ambush Byro from behind, but he merely waved his staff to shine a light of violet energy that erased their magic power.

"What the heck…?!" Natsu exclaimed, with Lisanna looking especially shocked, remembering Byro did the exact same thing to her back when their guild was attacked.

'That's right, he can erase magic!' She thought in surprise just as Kanaloa smacked one of his tentacles toward the pair to send them flying back.

"Natsu! Lisanna!" Happy called out as he flew to catch Natsu, with Coco running up the wall to catch Lisanna as well.

"Are you alright?" She asked with concern as she leapt down to skid on the ground.

"Yeah, I'm good." Lisanna smiled.

"We're not getting anywhere like this." Dante stated as he landed close to Lucy, Romeo, Michelle, and Nero. "We gotta find a way to separate the old guy from his pet."

"I'll take care of that, just keep him distracted." Nero told them.

"Got it." Lucy nodded as she pulled a small knife, which she used to cut her palm a bit, much to most of her friends' surprise, particularly Michelle.

"Big Sis, why would you cut yourself?!" She exclaimed in shock.

"Cause I need water to summon the big guns." Lucy said as she pulled out a certain Celestial Key and placed it in her bloody palm. "Open! Gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!" From her hand, the mermaid spirit known as Aquarius appeared before the group.

"That's right, you need water to summon her." Dante recalled before a smirk fell on his face. "And blood has water in it. Not bad little cousin."

"Thanks, I try." She smirked back before turning to her spirit. "Aquarius, take that oversized seafood special down!"

"With pleasure!" Aquarius shot her urn forward and blasted a powerful stream of water straight toward Kanaloa, who met the attack with a stream of ink. Both attacks collided and pushed back against each other. "Ya know, if you could summon two spirits at once, my man Scorpio and I could take this thing down no problem." She said to Lucy in particular.

"I'll work on it, just keep that thing busy!" She told her spirit.

"Is this really all you can muster?" Byro questioned, sounding unimpressed. "I know an attempt to distract when I see it." He turned around to see Nero, already leapt into the air and ready to attack. "I expected better from even a rebellious child like you, Nero."

"Did you expect this?!" Nero exclaimed as he thrust his Devil Bringer arm forward, sending a giant transparent fist straight toward Byro, which was able to catch him off-guard.

"What…?!" Byro exclaimed, not expecting this kind of attack from Nero. But this shock left him vulnerable for Nero's attack to strike against Byro and knock him off Kanaloa, sending him rolling across the ground before getting back up on his feet just as Nero prepared to unleash another attack from his Devil Bringer again. This time, Byro was prepared as he waved his staff unleash another cancellation attack to nullify Nero's attack, before catching Nero's demonic appendage in his free hand. Nero attempted to pull his fist free, but Byro's grip proved strong enough to keep a firm grip on him before he brought his staff down on his head to knock him down.

"You possess the power of a demon." Byro noted. "I admit that I didn't see it coming. Credo never mentioned it."

"What the hell of it?" Nero glared as he tried to slash at him with Red Queen, which Byro blocked with his staff before punching him in the side of the head to knock him down.

"Fire Dragon Iron Fist!" Natsu suddenly appeared at Byro's side, but like before, Byro negated Natsu's magical fire, even so the Salamander still threw a punch at him, but Byro parried it with his staff before thrusting his knee into Natsu's gut to knock him back. He tried to bring his staff down at Natsu, only for Dan to suddenly appear and take the attack with his shield; the physical impact from Byro's strike was repelled against him, causing him to slide back on his feet slightly, but Byro still stood tall.

"So, even you turn your back on our mission?" Byro glared at Dan.

"Nero, Coco, and I called a truce with these people." Dan stated as Natsu and Nero pulled themselves back up. "I may be a hit with the ladies, but I'm a man of my word. I'm not gonna stop until I figure out what the heck's been going on here."

"Yeah seriously, do you have any idea what the Order's been up to?" Lisanna called to Byro as she, Dante, Lucy, Romeo, Aquarius, and even Happy, Michelle and Coco faced him.

"Here's something, they've been using demonic power to fuel empty suits of armor and bring them to life." Dante stated. "Don't you think that's even a little bit suspicious?"

"I'm honestly not interested in such drivel." Byro commented, surprising most of the group.

"What?!" Nero questioned.

"You're not even a little bit wierded out by that?!" Happy questioned.

"There's a crazy conspiracy going around and you're not even going to question what's been going on?" Lucy also questioned. "You're not even questioning why you stole my father's memento?!"

"Or why you're even going to such lengths to steal the other clock pieces as well?" Michelle questioned in the same tone.

"We are not stealing them!" Byro replied. "We are taking them into our care."

"What are you talking about?" Dante questioned.

"We are gathering these pieces because they belong to the Infinity Clock." Byro explained. "The Archbishop of Zentopia has allied with the Order of the Sword for the sole purpose of retrieving these pieces."

---

Flashback

"Time ticks forward, when the Darkness of the Pit meets the Light of the Stars, Chaos will Engulf the world, and the Savior will come to deliver us from the Chaos." The Archbishop said as he sat up on his bed, with the kneeling Byro in front of him. "I don't suppose you have any idea what that means, Byro."

"That's the phrase you hear in your dreams, is it not? Forgive me my lord, but I haven't the slightest." Byro said.

"I have been told by the leadership of the Order of the Sword that a powerful and dangerous weapon called the Infinity Clock exists somewhere out there." The Archbishop began. "Currently, it is broken into six pieces that have been scattered across the land. However, should these relics be gathered together, and the Clock reassembled…"

"What will happen?" Byro asked.

The Archbishop looked with a grave expression. "Then reality itself will be torn apart, and the world will come to a horrific end."

"That cannot be…" Byro muttered in horror.

"According to the Order, a wizard guild is looking to gather the pieces of the Infinity Clock, and they appear to be led by the son of Sparda himself." The Archbishop informed.

To say Byro was shocked was an understatement. "The son of the Legendary Dark Knight himself?! My lord… are you speaking of Sabertooth?"

"No." The Archbishop replied. "That guild, along with the man named Vergil, do not appear to be involved in this matter. The guild I refer to is called Fairy Tail, and a young man named Dante, the twin brother of Vergil and Sparda's youngest, is seeking the clock pieces. The Order has asked us to aid them in their mission in securing these relics to make sure they don't fall into the wrong hands. In other words, we now have a higher purpose given to us by a higher power… Byro, prepare yourself for a holy war."

End Flashback

---

"So, it is a doomsday weapon." Nero noted with a serious expression, as Byro apparently told the whole group what the Archbishop told him.

"Well duh, we already guessed that much." Dante stated. "The ominous signs were pretty much everywhere."

"But now we know for certain." Michelle said in a worried tone. "The Infinity Clock has the ability to end the world."

"Yeah… sounds like it…" Romeo muttered.

"Aquarius, do you or any of the other Spirits know about the Infinity Clock?" Lucy asked her spirit.

"First time I've heard of it." Aquarius replied. "But I don't think the old guy's bluffing."

"Things just got way more serious around here!" Happy stated, sweat already dripping from his pours.

"I cannot give this back to you." Byro said as he kept the clock hand close to his person. "A meager wizard guild doesn't have the power to protect the world from destruction, even if the son of the Dark Knight is in your ranks, he is clearly too immature and rash to bear such a responsibility."

"Says you!" Dante stated. "My pals and I have taken on all sorts of whack jobs that wanted to start some kind of apocalypse, and we won each time!"

"Yeah, that's right!" Natsu agreed. "We've beaten down all sorts of end-of-the-world whack jobs before! Not to mention all the shady stuff the Order of the Sword's been up too!"

"Natsu's right." Lisanna agreed. "Even if these clock pieces are dangerous, we can't exactly trust them with such a shady organization that has their own hidden agenda."

"Why does the Order even want the clock pieces anyway? Isn't' the point not to gather them?" Happy added.

"Do you even know what to do with it, Byro?" Nero questioned with a glare. "Or are you just a brainless dumbass following orders?"

"Yeah, those guys are playing with demonic power, and you just want to hand them a weapon that can bring them the end of the world?" Lucy questioned.

"That's a recipe for disaster if I've ever seen one." Dante commented.

"Oh no! We're all gonna die!" Michelle exclaimed in comic panic.

Byro was taken by surprise before a stern and irritated look fell on his face. "I can assure you that our teachings are not mistaken! How dare you even question the Archbishop, he is infallible!"

"That's not true." Michelle said as those near her looked toward her in minor surprise. "Nobody is perfect, we all make mistakes. That's why we can't find world piece, I thought everyone knew that."

"We're not questioning that Archbishop-guy anyway, we're questioning those shady Order creeps!" Natsu corrected. "Any idiot can see those guys are up to something! Heck even people on their own side can see something's up!" He said, referring to Nero, Dan, and Coco.

"They're right, Byro! Please just listen!" Coco called to him. "There is somebody within the Order plotting something sinister. Those Angelo soldiers aren't even human, and they even went so far as to attack us. Why can't you see there's something bigger going on?"

"Even if that were the case, I cannot allow such a dangerous weapon to fall into the hands of those who are rash and immature." Byro said stubbornly. "I'll find a way to seal these relics if the Archbishop commands it."

"Sounds like he's not gonna listen." Dante said with reluctance as he pulled out Rebellion. "Guess we're gonna do this the hard way."

"Hey, you guys take care of the giant octopus!" Natsu said to most of his friends and allies while he, Nero, and Dan faced Byro once more. "We got this jerk!"

---

Fairy Tail guildhall

A loud crash was heard as Kinana suddenly collapsed onto her hands and feet on the floor, causing her to drop the tray of food and dishes she had on hand as her friends immediately ran to her.

"Kinana, what's wrong?!" Wakaba asked with worry as Reedus kneeled close to her.

"Are you feeling alright?" Reedus also asked.

"It's close…" Kinana's whole body began to shake. "So very close…" Suddenly, everyone looked in alarm to see her arms beginning to glow an eerie purple color, steam coming from them as she continued to mutter. "I sense it….the end… is within our grasp… I can hear it now! I hear…!" She suddenly fainted, causing everyone to look with worry.

"There's no need to panic, it's just another of her fits." Wakaba said as Macao picked up Kinana in his arms.

"Hey Wakaba, know where Makarov is?" Macao asked.

"In the East Forest with Porlyusica." He answered.

"Man, I hope he gets back soon." Macao said as he looked toward Kinana with worry. "I can really use his help about now."

---

Meanwhile; back in the underground city, Byro continued to block and parry the fist, sword, and lance strikes from Natsu, Nero, and Dan respectively with his staff, using physical attacks to beat them back while also using his own Magic Nullification abilities to negate the fire and demonic powers from both Natsu and Nero; the later brought Red Queen down toward him, which Byro blocked and parried with his staff, sweeping Nero off his feet to drive his elbow hard into his back and send him rolling. Natsu tried to charge and swing his fist at him, but Byro swerved to the side and brought his staff into Natsu's rib cage, causing him to grunt in pain as he was sent back. Dan gave a shout as he thrusted his lance at Byro, which he blocked with his staff.

"Ha! Gotcha!" Dan gloated. "I'll shrink that fancy staff of yours to the size of a rice grain!" However, nothing happened, much to Dan's shock. "What?! What's going on?!"

"Have you forgotten?" Byro said. "My nullification magic neutralizes all forms of magic, even that from magic weapons such as yours." He slammed his staff into Dan's face to send him rolling back.

Dante looked with a wince as he saw how one-sided that battle was going. 'They might not be able to hold out much longer. Gotta finish this quick.' He leapt back to avoid a crushing tentacle strike from Kanaloa, who continued to hold the rest of the group at bay.

"Everyone, listen up!" Dante called to his friends and allies. "Mermaid-chick, blast a constant stream of water straight at the thing!"

"The name's Aquarius, jackass!" The mermaid-spirit said irritably, but still did as Dante instructed and blasted a stream of water from her urn at Kanaloa. Like before, the giant octopus reacted with a steam of ink from its mouth to collide with the water attack. "Kay! Now what!?"

"Just keep it distracted!" Dante told her. "Lucy, Lisanna, Romeo, go for it's tentacles! Tie em down!"

"You got it." Lucy nodded with her friends as they went around Kanaloa's side, while the octopus was still focused on pushing back against Aquarius' attack. Lucy, from Kanaloa's right side, drew her Fleuve D'etoiles and snapped it at two of the giant tentacles, the magic whip tying and ensnaring them together. Romeo mimicked her actions from the right side, producing whip of purple flame to tie the two tentacles closest to him.

Lisanna ran behind Kanaloa as she did something similar. "Take Over: Animal Soul: Snake Arms!" She transformed both her arms into long snakes that she stretched out to tie the four remaining tentacles together and keep Kanaloa restraint.

"Happy, Coco, go for its eyes!" Dante ordered.

"Aye sir!" Happy flew above him, carrying Coco and going straight for Kanaloa's face before throwing Coco toward Kanaloa's right eye, which she nailed with a powerful kick.

"Nine-nine-ten, points!" Coco said triumphantly.

"Max Speed Attack!" Happy flew at high speeds and slammed his head into Kanaloa left eye, effectively blinding it.

"My turn, Aquarius, give me a boost!" Dante ordered the mermaid spirit.

"Don't get pushy, pretty boy." Aquarius told him, though she smirked as she saw what Dante was planning and blasted a wave of water to push Dante straight into the air.

"Beowulf!" Quickly quipping into his Devil Arm, and using the momentum from Aquarius' wave, Dante leapt straight toward Kanaloa, pulling back his right gauntlet before slamming the armored fist into Kanaloa's face. "Let go! Now!" Dante exclaimed.

Lucy, Romeo, and Lisanna released their respective bindings on Kanaloa just in time, the force from Dante's attack was enough to send the giant octopus flying and rolling across the ground, causing it to crash hard into the ruins on the other side of the underground city.

"Wow! That was amazing, Cousin Dante!" Michelle cheered with stars in her eyes.

"Yeah, I know." Dante said cockily while everyone else either smiled or smirked with triumph.

Even Byro saw what happened. "They were able to restrain Kanaloa and deliver an attack powerful enough to neutralize him. Impressive teamwork. Apparently, there's more to these Fairy Tail wizards then we'd originally thought."

"That's what you get for underestimating us." He heard Natsu's voice as the Fire Dragon Slayer pulled himself to his feet, despite the injuries he received, including the blood he spat from his mouth. "Last chance. Give Lucy back her clock hand, or you're in for a world of hurt!"

"As I said, I cannot do that." Byro replied as Nero and Dan also picked themselves up to face Byro again. "As we speak, members of your guild are collecting the scattered clock pieces and are most likely bringing them here. I am prepared to do whatever it takes to stop you from gathering them."

"Well I'm prepared to beat your face in!"

However, before either of them could make a move, the clock hand in Byro's possession began to glow underneath the cloth wrapped around it.

"The clock hand…" Byro noted in surprise.

Even the giant clock circles behind everyone began to glow as well, emanating a faint but powerful magic pulse, which everyone noticed.

"The hell…?" Nero questioned.

"It's starting to resonate…" Michelle muttered.

---

"So, what did you want to talk to us about?" Panther-Lily asked Samuel as they, along with Modeus, stood on a small rock mound a little distance away from their allies.

"I consider myself a proud Holy Knight of the Order of the Sword. However, I have not forgotten my roots, I cannot deny that I am an Exceed." Samuel began. "I've come to realize that an Exceed's sense of time is vastly different from that of the humans. And while demons don't perceive time in the exact same way we Exceeds do, it still differs from the humans as well."

"That is true." Modeus nodded in agreement. "Demons do have a considerably long lifespan when compared to humans. Is that what you wanted to talk about?"

"Partly, but I've also been thinking about what you've told me." Samuel began. "The Angelo soldiers are not real people, but rather demonic energy that is used to bring empty suits of armor to life. I was able to figure this out rather quickly, and there is a logical choice in doing so. Facing demons is a most dangerous occupation, and sadly not everyone comes out alive. So, a man-made army of artificial and expendable soldiers seems like a logical choice if you want to avert causalities."

"When you put it that way, I do suppose it makes sense." Panther-Lily seemed to agree.

"However, it is not the act itself that has me concerned." Samuel continued. "It is the fact that nobody else knows about it. I was able to determine it myself, yet none of my friends or comrades know of this. It's not common knowledge. So I must ask, why would such a thing be kept secret? The only logical answer I can see is…"

"Someone in your Order is using this for his or her own purpose." Modeus deduced. "There's more to these synthetic soldiers than simply sparing human lives."

"Indeed, but I have no evidence to prove such a conspiracy, nor do I know the reason for it, I would be a fool not to have my concerns." Samuel said.

"You said that was one of the reasons. But what does this have to do with our perception of time?" Lily asked.

"It has nothing to do with the Angelo soldiers, but there has been something that's been bothering me since I deciphered that book." Samuel said, referring to the Key of the Starry Heavens. "It is odd, but as two individuals who have a different perception of time than that of a human, it is my hope that at least one of you would understand."

"Please explain." Modeus told him. "Do you believe there is something else in the book? In the Key of the Starry Heavens?"

"Don't think that by sharing this with you, I am denouncing the Order." Samuel said to the pair. "I will fufill my duty as a Holy Knight. However, just as in Edolas, no one knows what course this war in the human world will take."

"Hey guys!" Levy called to the three of them. "The clock face is glowing again!" They, along with Gajeel, Jet, and Droy looked with curiosity and concern as the clock face in their possession began to glow and resonate.

---

The same phenomenon was happening to the other clock pieces as well as the members of Fairy Tail and their various allies took notice. The clock engine in the possession of Gray, Juvia, Trish, Lyon, and Sho; the clock bell that had been recovered by Mira, Elfman, Freed, Bickslow, Evergreen, and Wally; and even the clock legs with Erza, Lady, Wendy, Carla, Patty, Cana, and Milliana.

---

Meanwhile, the Archbishop of Zentopia had only recently arrived in Fortuna, and had confined himself to an empty chamber, filled with dozens of candles that he had lit all by himself, while chuckling to himself.

"It's close… so very close… the Darkness of the Pit shall meet the Light of the Stars once again… Time is ticking forward…" He placed his hands over his eyes. "It's finally happening! The Savior shall come and bring about the End!" He laughed like a madman.

As the Archbishop appeared to descend into madness, Sanctus remained outside the chamber as he had an evil smile on his face.

"It would seem that the clock pieces are coming together. It won't be long now." He spoke.

"Indeed." A new voice spoke over a telepathic link between himself and Sanctus. "Everything is happening exactly as we planned."

"I trust you and the others are gathering now?" Sanctus asked.

"We will be there shortly before those fools bring the clock pieces to us. Soon, this world will end, and a new one shall be born from the ashes."

"I am pleased that you decided to join us. You and your friends will make valuable allies for us, my fallen angels." Sanctus smirked.

---

"Nuh-uh." Asuka shook her head as she continued to hold the children's book in her tiny hands. "I don't like this book at all." She said, surprising her parents. "It's got a weird story. And it's scary."

---

Kinana woke up with a gasp, finding herself in a bed within the attic of the Fairy Tail guildhall as she heard the voice of a man in her head.

"Your voice. Let me hear it."

"Who are you?" She asked aloud, sitting up. "Tell me! I have to know!"

---

Back in the underground city, Byro was completely surrounded on all sides. Dante, Natsu, Nero, Dan, Lucy, Aquarius, Lisanna, Coco, Romeo, and Happy had encircled around him, with Michelle standing further back for safety's sake. However, Byro seemed more concerned about the shrinking octopus that had been defeated as it scurried toward him, where he kneeled down to collect him.

"You've done very well, Kanaloa. I'll handle things from here on." He consoled his comrade before putting him away.

"Whoa, it's pocket-size! How'd that happen?" Lucy looked in surprise.

"Great for a snake, or side-dish." Michelle said as her stomach growled rather loudly.

"He's a warrior! Not an entree!" Byro replied.

"And you're toast, pops." Dante stated as he quipped Ebony and Ivory. "Hit all at once! Now!" He fired both his pistols as everyone else attacked simultaneously.

"Fire Dragon: Roar!" Natsu unleashed his signature breath attack.

"Purple Rain!" Romeo threw out a hail of purple fireballs.

"Dragon Soul: Inferno Blast!" Lisanna quickly transformed into her Dragon Take Over and shot her own breath attack.

Lucy flailed both her Fleuve D'etoiles and Morning Star whips toward Byro, while Aquarius blasted another column of water. Nero shot with as many bullets of Blue Rose as he could, Dan thrusted his lance to send multiple energy projectiles, and Coco leapt into the air to deliver an airborne kick for Byro's head.

However, Byro wasn't the least bit intimidated as all these attacks sored directly at him. With a quick wave of his staff, casting his nullification magic to neutralize all magic attacks, including the demonic energy in Dante's bullets, and even Aquarius herself. Byro quickly flashed his staff to block Nero's bullets while allowing his free arm to be entangled by both Lucy's whips before using his superior strength to flail her into Nero, while simultaneously using the crescent-moon shaped hook at the end of his staff to intercept Coco and catch her ankle before throwing her at the incoming Natsu.

Dan thrusted his lance toward Byro while Lisanna tried to come in from behind as she adopted another transformation. "Animal Soul: Harpy!" But Byro was quick to neutralize this transformation as well before swerving around to grab Dan by the back of his armor to throw him into Lisanna.

"Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame!" Natsu jumped directly up and prepared to unleash a powerful fireball down on top of him, just as Dante shot toward him with Rebellion, and Romeo tried to throw a hail of blue fireballs from the side. But Byro not only neutralized both those attacks, he even hooked the thrusting Rebellion with his staff before hoisting upward to pull Dante up to deliver an knee to his gut and send him into Romeo before Byro threw a punch to the falling Natsu's face and send him flying.

"I got you, Natsu!" Happy flew up to try and catch him, but Byro waved his staff to send another wave of his nullification spells to negate Happy's aera magic and allow them both to fall.

"Pathetic." Byro said as he saw everyone else attempting to stand up. "Most of you already know that I can nullify all types of magic and even demonic power. I'm also a master of hand-to-hand combat, having faced groups far larger than this. You fools won't even warm me up."

"You haven't faced us before." Dante said with a glare as he held Rebellion.

"True, I've never had a chance to face a Son of Sparda before." Byro replied. "But I'm afraid I don't have time for such games. So I shall eliminate you now." Not even giving him the chance to fight back, Byro quickly flashed his staff upward as a massive surge of violet-colored magic shined above him before it took the form of a giant arrow, which he threw toward Dante.

"Divine Arrow!" Byro launched his attack at incredible speed. Dante attempted to activate his Quicksilver style and dodge it, but found himself unable to and was blasted by the attack, sending him flying and crashing to the far side of the underground city in explosive fashion.

"Dante!" Lucy practically screamed.

"Cousin Dante!" Michelle also shouted in distress while everyone else was beyond shocked.

"As I said, my power neutralizes all others." Byro explained. "Even when I unleash an offensive attack, if you are caught within range of my magic, yours will be rendered inert. There was no chance of him dodging or deflecting my Divine Arrow."

"This Byro is way worse than the one we met in Edolas!" Happy said, not even bothering to hide the fear in his voice.

"If you think that's enough to actually take down Dante, you got another thing coming pal!" Romeo told him.

"I'm quite certain that wasn't enough to kill him." Byro acknowledged. "But it will neutralize him for the time being, which will give me more than enough time to deal with the rest of you insects. Though one of you presents something of a wild card." He glanced toward Nero, specifically his glowing demonic arm. "I'm not sure what kind of demonic power you wield, Nero. But even it won't be enough to stop me."

"I still got this!" Nero drew Red Queen and brought it into the ground before revving the handle like a motorcycle. "That should be more than enough to kick your ass!" He shot at Byro, lashing out his sword, which Byro blocked with his staff before kneeling him in the gut to knock him back. He then heard Natsu's roar from behind as he lashed out at him with a flaming punch, which Byro neutralized, but he still threw his fists toward him. Byro however brought up his staff to block both fists before delivering a kick to Natsu's head to knock him back.

"Natsu!" Lisanna exclaimed as she transformed into her Harpy Form yet again, but Byro neutralized that transformation just as she reached him. He was quick to grab her by her head and slam the end of his staff into her face to knock her back.

"Lisanna!" Lucy quickly ran to her and tried to help her up.

"Bastard!" Natsu quickly appeared behind Byro and wrapped his hands around his neck. "You're gonna pay for that!" However, Byro was able to grab Natsu and flipped him over his head to slam him into the ground. Just before he brought his staff down onto him, Nero quickly appeared and used Red Queen to block Byro's staff before throwing his demonic fist out to score a direct hit on Byro's face, which was actually able to knock him back a bit.

Deciding to press the advantage, Nero pulled out Blue Rose in his free hand and fired, but Byro spun his staff around like a helicopter blade to intercept the bullets. Still, Nero kept shooting as he charged Byro and tried to slash at him with Red Queen, but Byro threw out his staff to knock Nero back before thrusting it into Nero's ribcage before bringing his own fist down onto his head to knock him into the ground. Even when Dan attempted to charge Byro, holding out his shield to block and reflect any physical or magical attack Byro would send his way; Byro was quick enough to move and yank the shield from Dan's grip before swinging back on his staff and delivering a blow powerful enough to shatter Dan's armor and send him crashing into a building. Even then, Natsu and Nero both got back on their feet to lash out with a simultaneous attack, which Byro seemed more than prepared for.

"Geeze, how strong is this guy?" Romeo questioned as he and Coco helped Dan to his feet and regrouped with Lucy, Michelle, and Lisanna.

"Don't be surprised, kiddo." Dan told him. "The man's strength is legendary, and that nullification magic is nothing to scoff at either. In fact, I heard he was even selected to be one of the Ten Wizard Saints."

That took them all by surprise.

"What?! Are you serious right now?!" Lucy exclaimed.

"He was supposed to be a Wizard Saint!?" Lisanna questioned.

"Yeah, I heard that too." Coco nodded. "But he turned it down and pledged his service to Zentopia."

"Is there anything that can stop a beast like him?" Michelle questioned with fear clearly evident in her voice.

Natsu roared as even Nero gave a warrior's yell, both trying to come at him from front and behind. But Byro blocked Nero's sword with his staff in front while grabbing Natsu from behind to slam him into Nero and bring his staff down hard onto both of them with enough force that it caused a crater.

"That… hurt…" Natsu grumbled. "You okay…?" He asked Nero.

"No…" Nero grumbled back.

Byro raised his staff with the intent of beating them both to death, however, right as he brought the staff down, it was quickly blocked by Rebellion as Dante suddenly appeared in front of Byro. Though he still had some scratches, bruises, and even dried blood on his body, he looked far from beaten as he glared at the surprised Byro.

"Don't hit my friends." He stated before quickly swiping Rebellion at Byro, causing him to stagger back as he felt a long bleeding cut along his chest. Byro looked at his blood-soaked hand as he noticed his wound.

"It's been a while since an opponent drew blood from me." Byro noted. "Clearly, I underestimated you Dante, able to strike me even after getting hit by my Divine Arrow."

"I've had worse bloodbaths going up against my brother." Dante said before looking back toward the recovering Natsu and Nero. "You two hang back with everyone else, I got this."

"By yourself…? Are you crazy…?" Nero muttered.

"Yeah… I can take this guy…?" Natsu stuttered as well.

"The two of you couldn't take him together." Dante told them as he faced Byro directly. "Trust me, I can handle him. Just stay back."

"Overconfident, aren't you?" Byro asked. "Haven't you been paying attention? My magic will neutralize any and all powers and tricks you may have."

"I still got my father's blood in me; your fancy anti-magic can't neutralize that." Dante said as he pounded his own chest. "Plus I got this." He spun Rebellion around in his hand. "And I'd say I'm pretty good with it. So, what do you say? Your fancy staff against my sword. Mano-y-mano." He said with a smirk.

"Such shortsightedness." Byro stated. "It's hard to believe your Sparda's son with such brashness and immaturity."

"This coming from a mindless attack dog who snaps every time his owner blows his whistle." Dante said with a glare, causing Byro to glare back. "You want the clock pieces, right? Well, you're gonna have to go through me to do it."

Byro wielded his staff as he took a combat stance. "I have extensive training in mortal combat. Well honed, refined to the point that no man has ever bested me in a physical match. Even powerful demon lords have fallen to my weapon and fists. But more than anything, I'm prepared to sacrifice my very life for the sake of my mission."

"That so, huh?" Dante said as he twirled Rebellion before pointing it challengingly toward Byro. "Let's see you put those words to action."

Unbeknownst to everyone present, someone else was watching the confrontation that was about to take place. High in the ruins near the top of the massive cavern, Gilver sat from the shadows and watched with anticipation.

"Well, this should be interesting." Gilver noted. "Zentopia's top attack dog against the Son of Sparda, himself. But I guess it doesn't matter who will come out on top in the end, because the spoils will inevitably fall to us." He snickered.

---

Fairy Tail guildhall

"Master, what happened to me?" Kinana asked as she continued to lay in bed with Macao sitting by her bedside, while Wakaba hung further back.

"You just passed out from anemia." Macao told her. "You just need to rest for a while."

"No, you don't have to lie, I know this has something to do with the spell I was under." Kinana said, surprising both Macao and Wakaba. "It's all just blur, now. I don't remember being a snake." She began to shake slightly. "I'm afraid… what'll happen if I do remember… I don't think it'll be a good thing… Should I really be here?"

Both of the older guild members winced as they remembered the first time Kinana was brought into the guild, just after Dante first joined and just before that whole mess with Edolas.

---

Flashback - Seven Years Ago

"What?! You were changed into a snake?!" Wakaba questioned the younger Kinana as she sat in the infirmary of the old guildhall, with Mira, Makarov, and Macao present as well.

"Yep." Kinana confirmed. "My memories from back then were pretty hazy except for one thing. Someone I hold very dear made a special promise to me. Isn't that wonderful?"

"A promise, huh?" Wakaba asked.

The girl then had a dreamy expression with stars in her eyes. "He promised that even if we were torn apart, one day he'd come back to me on a shooting star and take me away from all my worries!"

"That's crazy talk." Wakaba sounded unimpressed.

"Well, I think it sounds romantic." Mira smiled.

"Of course, you'd think so." Wakaba said with an annoyed sweatdrop.

"Hey master…" Macao spoke with Makarov out of Kinana's earshot. "Who is that girl?"

"Believe it or not, she was a snake a moment ago." The guildmaster of Fairy Tail answered. "While we were out and about, we spotted a snake that appeared to be afflicted by a curse."

As Mira spoke with Kinana, Wakaba joined the two men in their discussion. "And when you lifted the curse, it changed into that little girl?"

"It was no easy task lifting it, that's for sure." Makarov said. "And I don't know why it was placed. I tried my damnedest, but I'm afraid she's still unstable."

"Explains her memory-loss." Macao commented.

"I think it would be best if we kept an eye on her for the time being." Makarov said.

"You're a helpful old fart, ain't no denying that." Wakaba said.

"I'm concerned about the voice she keeps hearing." Makarov added. "It pains me to say this, but if her memories as a snake resurface, she may not have the brightest future ahead of her."

"Poor kid's got it rough." Macao said with sympathy.

"Shame to think her future could be ruined by her own memories." Wakaba commented in the same tone.

"Well then, we'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen." Makarov stated.

End Flashback

---

"Come on kiddo, try to keep your chin up." Macao tried to assure the distressed Kinana. "There's no reason to worry about the curse, okay? I promise, no matter what happens, we'll be here to keep you safe."

"Try to get some sleep, while you can." Wakaba told her.

Despite the assurances they tried to give her, nothing could shake the worry and nervousness Kinana was feeling toward herself.

---

Back in the underground city, sword clashed against staff as Dante continued to engage Byro in a brutal duel, neither of them appeared to be holding back as they exchanged fists and weapons with each other, neither of them using any kind of spells or tricks in this match up. Dante brought Rebellion down, to which Byro blocked with his staff before driving his elbow into Dante's face, but Dante recovered quickly enough to deliver a cartwheel kick to Byro's jaw, causing him to stagger back before he thrusted Rebellion straight at him, which Byro caught in the moon-shaped hook of his staff before pulling it away and throwing a punch toward Dante. However, Byro did not expect Dante to actually catch Byro's fist in his palm, nor did he expect the smirk from the red-clad Devil Hunter.

"That all you got?" He challenged before quickly lashing out with a kick to the side of his head, knocking Byro back before Dante brought the flat of his sword into Byro's stomach with enough force that it appeared to knock the wind out of him and sent him back before falling down on one knee.

"He… He got Byro on his knees…?" Coco stuttered.

"I'm not surprised." Lisanna said as she and her friends shared smiles. "This is Dante we're talking about."

"The guy really is Sparda's son…" Dan said in awe.

"Got that right." Romeo smirked.

"Well, I'll be damned, he's not half-bad." Nero commented.

"Whatever, I can take him." Natsu said with self-instilled confidence.

"Sure you can, Natsu." Happy said, not even trying to hide his sarcasm, causing Natsu to look at him with comic anger.

"Cousin Dante can win this, right big sis?" Michelle asked Lucy.

"Don't you worry." Lucy put her faith in her older cousin as she smiled toward him as he continued to engage the recovering Byro. "When push comes to shove, nothing can stand in his way."

Nero then noticed a look on Coco's face. "What's wrong?"

"I just… don't get it." Coco tried to explain the confusion in her mind. "He's such a brave and heroic person… so… why is Byro still fighting him, even though he knows he's Sparda's son? In fact, why is he… an enemy of the Order? I thought… we were following the will of the Dark Knight"

"Maybe because the side we were on, isn't as righteous as we thought." Nero commented, silently referring to all the mysteries and conspiracy-theories he and his allies have surrounding the Order of the Sword.

Byro gave a roar as he threw his fist at Dante's face, knocking him back as he tried to bring his staff down toward his head while he was down. But Dante quickly flashed Rebellion to parry the staff before thrusting his head into Byro's face in the form of a headbutt with enough force to cause blood to splatter out of his noose.

"So, you say you and your pals are prepared to sacrifice your lives for your mission, huh?" Dante questioned. "Gotta tell ya man… that's kinda dumb."

"What?!" Byro exclaimed, sounding more than a little offended by the remark.

"I mean, your own self-sacrifice is one thing, if it's a last resort kinda thing and you gotta do it when to save the world and there are no other options, sure. That makes sense." Dante replied. "But the way you're talking, it's like you're not considering other options. Like sacrificing your own life is the only path for you. Hate to tell ya this, but that's not true. There's always another choice. Besides that, you sound like you speak for these guys to." He gestured his thumb toward Nero, Coco, and Dan. "Even if the Order and Zentopia are officially merged or whatever, you don't have any right to speak for them about throwing their lives away. In fact, if you're prepared to do that without their consent, then you're basically a murderer." Dante said as he flashed a glare. "And those kind of people really rub me the wrong way."

Byro however glared harder as he quickly thrusted the hook of his staff around Dante's neck to pull his face into his knee before flipping him over and onto the ground and stomping hard on his face.

"It's strange…" Byro began as he pressed hard to keep Dante pinned. "Looking upon you fills me with emotions I abandoned a long time ago, but anger is at the forefront. You yammer on about the sanctity of life, about the nobility behind your own vendetta, but you are nothing more than guild rats chasing coin! You would compare your avarice to our holy mission?! Belittles us, but the Archbishop and the ideas he represents! You are a dishonor to the memory of Sparda himself!"

That alone earned a fist from Dante into Byro's kneecap, causing him to wince in pain and loosen his grip on Dante, which he took advantage of by reaching out his hand to call Rebellion toward him and slice at Byro, causing a diagonal cut along his chest that already struck blood. Back on his feet, Dante slammed Rebellion on Byro with enough physical force that it caused a crater and brought Byro down on his hands and knees.

"Oooh, that's gotta hurt." Dan winced.

"He made Dante mad. That's always a mistake." Happy said as everyone else continued to watch. Those in Fairy Tail wanted to call out on Byro on how wrong they thought he was, but seeing the look on Dante's face was enough for even Natsu to know that this was his fight and he had the right to say what he had to say.

"You say I'm a disgrace to my dad's memory?" The angry Dante began as he glared at Byro. "I'm not the one who goes around kicking down the little guy, thinking it's justified because they say it's part of some grand holy mission in my father's name! That's the biggest load of shit I've ever heard!"

Byro glared harder as he tried to pull himself up, but Dante still continued.

"You think I'm in a guild just to earn a quick buck? Okay, yeah, I gotta put food on the table somehow, but if you ask me, that makes it a win-win for everyone. People need help, they ask us and we help them; finding a lost pet, recovering stolen goods, beating down bad guys, we'll do it, and they pay us. Both sides are happy. But we don't just do any job for the sake of cash, heck we've even turned down jobs if they're too shady, like asking us to commit murder or something without any real evidence. Whenever a job is asked of us, we always ask 'why'. We're not afraid to ask questions, which is more than I can say for you." The incident with Angelina and Brad was brought to mind for him and his friends at that mention. "You got no right to call me a hypocrite when you're the one who's deliberately hurting people! Don't you even bother to ask your boss why you're doing it?! You really are just a blind old dog!"

"Be silent!" Byro yelled he tried to bring his staff to Dante's side, which he blocked and parried with the flat of Rebellion before slicing at him again with enough force to send him rolling back, though he was quick to get back on his feet.

"This world is already saturated with chaos!" Byro continued as he tried to speak in a more collected tone. "The Infinity Clock's addition may not even be noticed. However, it is our duty as agents of Zentopia and soldiers of the Order of the Sword to minimize that chaos as much as we can, just as the Dark Knight did long ago."

"If you really wanna do something like that, then you should have just talked to us." Dante told him. "That clock hand you stole is part of my family's history too. Wouldn't it have been easier if we worked together instead of you and your friends just straight up attacking us?! You brought this on yourself, asshole!"

"That's what I wanted to do!" Nero stated.

"They're right, Byro!" Even Coco called out. "All the suffering and hurt that we've caused on this mission, we've never bothered to ask 'why', when we should have!"

"You have been corrupted and fell short of your duty." Byro casted a glare at Nero, Coco, and Dan; the later two looking the most shocked while Nero just glared before Byro turned his attention back to Dante. "A weak and naïve child such as yourself is unfit to lead this world out of darkness, regardless of your parentage."

"Then why am I still standing?" Dante questioned with a smirk before clashing his sword against Byro's staff again, their weapons locking as they glared at each other.

"A coin chasing wretch couldn't possibly understand what we fight for!" Byro continued as he tried to press against Dante, pushing him back slightly. "In this world of misery, people will cling to anything that provides hope! And if that happens to be either Zentopia or the Order of the Sword, or even both once we've merged, then cling to it they shall!"

"Even if you have to force them down that path?" Dante questioned back as he delivered a headbutt to Byro to knock him back. "Spoken like a true dictator."

"If we are commanded to sacrifice ourselves and others to fulfil the mission assigned to us, then so be it." Byro stated, his expression rock-hard and unwavering. "It's our duty. The greater good must be served."

"That doesn't make any sense!" Romeo called out.

"I didn't understand it, but whatever you said I know you're dead wrong!" Happy shouted.

"Got that right!" Natsu agreed. "You're willing to kill people to get what you want?! Then how are you different from all the other bad guys?!"

"No kidding!" Even Lucy agreed. "Don't you care how many innocent people are hurt or even killed because of your mission!? Are you really that cruel?!"

"It is foolish to act on emotion, it solves nothing." Byro said firmly, casting a glance at the others. "To reveal the course of righteousness, and to walk its path unfettered, we are faced with difficult choices and are forced to make sacrifices."

"Without even bothering to try and find an alternative?" Dante questioned, causing Byro to attack him with his staff again, which Dante blocked once more. "Not everything has to end in sacrifice ya know! I literally just told you that?! How many times has it got to take to sink into your thick skull?!" Dante tried to swing Rebellion at Byro again, only for him to catch the blade with the hook of his staff, pull it down and keep his foot pressed on it, leaving Dante open to deliver an elbow strike into his chest to knock him back, but Dante still stood firm.

"Righteousness is like an arrow!" Byro stated. "It pierces through all in an unwavering line to arrive at one thing: truth! The world is filled to the brim with contradictions, I believe we are all painfully aware of that fact! Therefore, it is only logical that the path I've chosen will end in sacrifice."

"Oh man… the cryptex in my head is all kinds of jumbled up after that speech." Dan commented, sounding more than a little confused.

"Making difficult choices? That must be rather easy for you." Michelle said.

"What?" Byro questioned, turning his full attention toward her; even everyone else, particularly Dante and Lucy, were surprised at the tone Michelle was speaking.

"You said you follow your cause without listening to your emotions. That's just a strategy to avoid feeling guilty. Harden your heart to suffering and you can justify any decision."

'Michelle…?' Dante looked in surprise. It wasn't just what she said, it was the way she said it. It almost sounded like she had experience in that department, like she knew how it felt to close off your heart to justify the choices one makes. For some reason, it made Dante more than a little uncomfortable.

"You dare to dispute the principles of righteousness to me?!" Byro shouted, giving the group of Fairy Tail his full attention, but Dante quickly appeared in front of him to stop him from attacking his friends, even though they looked more than ready to fight back himself.

"This is righteous?!" Lisanna called out to him with a glare as she stepped up. "I've heard that whole excuse before too! For two whole years in Edolas, I've seen it myself! Those in power making the weak suffer in the name of some fake righteousness! Any path that takes innocent lives will never lead to the greater good! It creates nothing but a cycle of pain, suffering, and hate! And if you're willing to go along with that cycle, what does it say about you?! Every single living thing; human, demon, dragon, Exceed, even animals are all born to follow any path they want! It's the same for us so-called 'guild rats'! We decided to use our power to help people! Yes, it may be our job and we do get paid for it, but we don't do it for the money! We do it to bring happiness! That's how we got to where we are, that's how Fairy Tail's been since our founding! Fairy Tail has fought monsters who've tried to hurt and take away that happiness and freedom before, and we've never backed down! We'll never lose to someone like you! Not now! Not ever!"

"I can't believe what I'm hearing…!" Byro's eye twitched in shock. "You dare... to ridicule the followers… no… all of Zentopia and the Order to that extent?! You even mock the memory of…"

"Don't you dare say his name!" Lisanna exclaimed. "I know for a fact that if he were here right now, he would be every bit of ashamed as we are now!"

"Wow Lisanna, way to tell em." Natsu smirked.

"That's right, Fairy Tail members listen to what's in our hearts!" Lucy said with a look of passion and fire, as well as a smirk.

"Our guild is about helping anyone who needs it!" Romeo added.

"And we're not gonna stop, till we stop you!" Happy also exclaimed.

Dante smirked toward his friends and family one more time before facing Byro again. "Well, there you have it pops. That's how we see the world, and it's why we're gonna keep fighting. And that right there… that is how honor Sparda's memory."

"Whoa…" Dan honestly had no idea what to say. Even Coco was rendered speechless as she looked to these people with amazement, her eyes shaking with emotion, among them were warmth and happiness.

Even Nero smirked at the resolve of this guild. 'Guess these guys aren't so bad after all.'

However, Byro's entire figure was filled to the brim with rage, and it looked like he was about to explode at a moment's notice. "ENOUGH OF YOUR BLASPHEMY!" He shouted as his whole body began to glow a mixture of violet and white light. "I SHALL INFLICT THE DIVINE WRATH OF SPARDA ON EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU! WITH THE POWER BESTOWED ON ME BY THE ORDER OF THE SWORD!"

The entire chamber shined as the bright light glow even brighter; forcing everyone present to shield their eyes until the light faded. Once it was gone, none of them could believe what they saw. Even Dante was caught completely off guard.

Hovering in the air was Byro, but he wasn't the same as he was before. His skin and face appeared to be made of solid stone as his eyes glowed a dark purple color. He wore a white hooded robe that stretched down to his feet with a dark blue body suit, but both the suit and robe were covered in white and gold armor. He had white armored around his abs with a two-piece golden chest plate above it. He had white and gold shoulder pads with curved golden spikes. He also wore white armbands with gold outlines at the top and bottom, with white armor around his legs and golden kneecaps and ankle bracelets above his white armored boots. But what stood out the most was a set of six large white feathered wings that shot out of his back.

"What the hell….?!" Dante exclaimed as he and everyone else doubled checked to make sure they weren't seeing things.

"What in the heck happened to this guy!? Did he just transform or something!?" Romeo shouted.

"His scent…" Natsu took a few whiffs before a serious look formed on his face. "He smells just like those Angelo guys! Only way stronger!"

"Wait… did… did he turn himself into an Angelo!?" Lucy questioned; with Nero, Coco, and Dan looking toward each other in surprise as Byro spoke.

"What you see before you, is the power bestowed upon me by the Order of the Sword." Byro spoke as his voice sounded more distorted than before. "With this power, I have ascended past the limitations of my humanity and have become a true agent of divine justice. I have become an angel!"

"What…?" Coco breathed, still not over her initial surprise.

"Did he just say an angel!?" Lisanna exclaimed in shock.

"Things just got way serious around here!" Happy said as he was already filling the sweat from his body. The only one who didn't appear to be shocked, for some reason, was Michelle. Her expression looked almost unreadable, but everyone else was too shocked to notice.

"He said the Order did this to him…" Lucy said as she cast a glance to Nero and the others.

"Hey, don't look at me!" Nero said, raising his hands to show he had no clue what was going on.

"Yeah, this is news to us too!" Dan said.

Dante was the first to get serious as he glared at the transformed Byro. 'This power is definitely the same kind from the Angelos. So, he's not an angel, more like a demon with prettier wings.' A smirk fell on his face before he clapped sarcastically.

"Yeah, nice fireworks pops. Really flashy transformation you got there." Dante said. "Since you're throwing off the kid gloves, maybe I should do the same."

Soon, the young Devil Hunter's body was engulfed in a red whirlwind that picked up around him before his whole body shined a bright red. When the light faded, gone was Dante's human form; standing in its place was the intimidating appearance of his Devil Trigger.

"Holy crap!" Dan shouted at the sight of the demonic transformation.

"What in the world happened to him?!" Coco exclaimed.

"That's his Devil Trigger." Lucy explained as she looked toward her cousin with seriousness and a little worry. "Whenever Dante taps into the full demonic power within his blood, he becomes that. All his strength, speed, and power skyrocket."

"Yeah, but the issue is, he can't hold that state for very long." Romeo added.

"Dante's not playing around anymore." Lisanna said. "He's dead serious now."

"Oh man… my tail fur is starting to stand on end now…" Happy's whole body shook.

Nero found himself entranced by the appearance of Dante's Devil Trigger as he saw him hover from the ground to be on equal level with Byro. "He really is a demon…."

"Not just any demon… he's Dante, the Son of Sparda!" Natsu said with a smirk. "Don't take your eyes off this for a second, Nero. The real fight's about to begin."

The Devil Trigger Dante and Angelo Byro continued to glare at one another before a small smirk fell on the latter's face.

"I have become an Angel to fulfil holy mission, and now a Devil stands in opposition of my crusade. I suppose this must be fate." Byro commented.

"I don't believe in fate." Dante stated as he drew his black Rebellion. "I believe in carving my own path. So how about I carve it right through you?"

Two seconds passed before they clashed their weapons with even more ferocity and power than before, neither one planning to stop till their foe was on the ground.

---

Fortuna

The main city was an absolute bustle as nuns, priests, and other people of Zentopia had all finally arrived and gathered outside the main cathedral. Over a hundred people had gathered, which added to the hundreds more of those who lived on the island and even those who worked directly with the Order, clad in their white hoods as they mixed with the people of Zentopia. Despite this, many priests, and nuns of Zentopia spoke among each other in regard to their leader.

"What is the Archbishop's condition?"

"It hasn't improved at all."

"The Order of the Sword's doctors took him in the second he got here."

"Does this mean the worst? What will happen now?"

"Should our organizations still merge together? Not just with the Archbishop's health but all the attacks on our churches recently?"

As more worried murmurs continued to spread among the crowd, even those with the Order and Fortuna's residents, a single voice cut through the crowd.

"There is no need to fear, my children!"

Every single man and woman found themselves staring straight up to the balcony at the top of the cathedral where Sanctus himself stood, with two Alto Angelos at his side in the form of guards.

"His holiness!" One from the Order exclaimed as he and his comrades bowed their heads and held their hands up in prayer.

"I would like to thank each and every one of you for coming, especially those from Zentopia." Sanctus began to announce, his voice carried over a magic loudspeaker. "I know you have traveled far, and the journey was arduous, especially in these troubled times. But I assure you, this is a time to rejoice. With this, the Order of the Sword, and the religion of Zentopia are now one. However, due to the Archbishop's health, he will, for the time being, be unable to lead. So, until he has recovered, I will be assuming command of our conjoined movement. But you have my word, his holiness will receive the best treatment our people can provide. As for the attacks on your church, my forces will work tirelessly to ensure the perpetrators are caught and brought to justice. Fear not children of Zentopia, for whatever darkness may come your way, you are no longer alone. We shall stand with you and face the darkness together, just as the Dark Knight Sparda stood in the defense of all against the unholy might of the Underworld! Let us pray!"

With that, every person present seemed to accept this as they kneeled and began to pray in their own way. The Order of the Sword and Zentopia were now one, all according to plan. With everyone currently praying and wishing salvation on the world, nobody noticed the subtle evil smirk on Sanctus' face.

---

Explosions and flashes of red and purple light lit up the entire underground city as the Devil Trigger Dante continued to engage Byro in his Angelo form. Both clad in auras of dark red and purple light respectively, clashing repeatedly in the air around the entire massive chamber, shaking it to the core as everyone watched in awe and suspense.

"I feel like I'm stuck in a nightmare! What kind of battle is this?!" Coco exclaimed.

"A battle between an angel and a demon! That's what it is!" Happy exclaimed in the same tone.

"I don't think either of them is holding back anymore!" Lisanna noted as Dan looked with stars in his eyes and a dropped jaw, rendered completely speechless.

"You're saying that's Dante when he lets loose with his power?" Nero asked, sweat dripping from his forehead as he couldn't take his eyes of the battle.

"Got that right." Lucy confirmed. "In fact, two other people in our guild have the same kind of power."

"Is that right…?" Nero found himself looking at his demonic arm as it was beginning to glow brighter. But the glow wasn't what caught his attention, it was the thought of what else he could do with this power and how far he could take it.

Natsu couldn't take his eyes off the fight either. Without a doubt, he was amazed, but at the same time, a strong feeling of frustration set in. 'Damn it! I've seen his Devil Trigger before… so I know… there's no way I can keep up with it!' He remembered the only times that allowed him to even compete with Dante at that level were the times against Vergil and Arkham when he transformed into his Dragon Force, and his Lightning-Flame Dragon mode against Hades. But as he stood now, he was unable to obtain either transformation. And it was more frustrating than he'd ever felt before.

Another who remained silent and continued to watch was Michelle, but her expression was completely unreadable as she didn't look with amazement as one would expect. In fact, there didn't appear to be any emotion in her eyes at all.

The Devil Trigger Dante roared as he sliced with his black Rebellion while Byro Angelo mimicked the same action by thrusting his staff at Dante. The second both weapons clashed, it created a powerful shockwave that continued to rock the chamber. A back wave of red energy encompassed Dante while a similar wave of purple energy blew around Byro before they flew higher up to clash with one another again in a flurry of rapid blows before Byro flew back and unleashed a volley of ranged attacks in the form of massive dark purple arrows, which Dante flew around and sliced at as he tried to close the gap between him and his opponent.

Once he got close enough, Dante delivered a powerful slash that sent Byro soaring through the air like a meteor before crashing into the wall at the far side of the chamber. However, this was not to last as Byro unleashed an attack that seemed identical to his previous Divine Arrow, only twice as large and powerful. It shot right toward Dante, but he remained in his spot before raising his blade, which was encompassed in a red aura, before slicing through the arrow. Both halves of the attack shot past him and crashed to explode at the wall behind him. Dante then shot at Byro once again, who flew out of the way before unleashing another volley of long-range attacks. But like before, Dante sliced through each attack to get in close and bring his blade toward Byro, who blocked it with his staff before being knocked back.

"Hey, you know, I just noticed something." Dante commented.

"What?" Byro growled.

"You're not cancelling my shit anymore." Dante noted. "Before, you could cancel out my demonic power with little trouble. Now, not so much. I'm guessing you can't. You said that power negates even demonic energy, which means if you could, you'd also cancel out your own transformation. Say what you will about being an angel, but you got demonic power in you."

"I am an angel!" Byro replied. "But you are indeed correct. My nullification magic is rendered inert in this state, because it would have cancelled out my own abilities. But, the power that I now wield is far stronger than when I was limited by my humanity, so I'd say it's a small price to pay."

"You talk about humanity like it's a hinderance." Dante noted. "Like being a human is a weakness and having more power will somehow free you of that weakness. Heard all that before too, it's a broken record at this point."

"I've had enough of your sinful drivel!" Byro raised his staff as it shinned even brighter with its purple energy than ever before. "Prepare to face divine punishment!"

"Quicksilver!" Vanishing completely for an instant, the Devil Trigger Dante suddenly appeared behind Byro's Angelo form before he was struck by a seemingly invisible force that caused him to stop his attack before being sent crashing into the wall closer to the ground.

Byro struggled to pull himself out as he felt the injury across his chest. "How… how is…?"

"I don't know how this whole Angelo-transformation thing works, but I'm guessing this is the first time you've used this form in a real fight." Dante commented as he hovered directly in front of his enemy. "I've noticed you've been slowing down ever since the fight started. You thought since you had this power, you'd be invincible because you were 'chosen' or whatever." Byro glared as Dante continued. "Hate to tell you this pal, but that's not how this kind of thing works. A transformation like that only has limited power, and the more you use it, the more it drains you. I would know, because I had the same issue with my Devil Trigger. And that's the difference between you and me: experience."

Byro tried to lash out with another massive arrow-attack, which Dante avoided by swerving to the side and delivered a roundhouse kick to Byro's head to send him skidding down across the wall. He recovered quickly enough and flew out to gain some distance while Dante flew after him. Byro turned around to unleash another volley of ranged-attacks, which Dante mimicked by thrusting his sword to perform his Million-Stab technique. Both attacks clashed in mid-air, resulting in a series of explosions. But it only lasted a few seconds before Dante's attack blasted past Byro's and struck him all over, covering his body with explosions that sent him flying. Dante appeared behind him however and brought his black Rebellion down to send him crashing toward the ground, creating a massive crater as everyone from Fairy Tail and the Order continued to watch in either awe or confident smiles.

The Devil Trigger Dante slowly lowered himself to the ground as the Angelo form of Byro tried to pull himself up, but was unable to as he fell on his hands and feet.

"How…? I… I was… chosen… My path…it was of righteous… how can I…?"

"You still don't get it, do you?" Dante said as he touched on the ground. Byro desperately tried to throw a punch at him, which Dante caught with little issue, despite the shockwave that blew past him. "It's got nothing to do with being chosen, or even bloodlines. I've worked hard to master my power, and I'm not done mastering it. Power and conviction alone can't win if you don't know how to use either of them. That's why you've lost this fight."

Before Byro even had a chance to reply, Dante sliced Rebellion at him. A second later, Byro's body was engulfed in a purple flash as his transformation vanished and he turned to normal before falling flat on his back. His whole body was covered in bleeding wounds, bruises, and he could barely move. It was a wonder he was still conscious.

Dante's own transformation faded as he reached down to take the clock hand from his defeated enemy. "I'll be taking this back now. Still, gotta say, you put one heck of a fight old man. Maybe with a little practice and humility, you'd make a pretty decent sparing partner." He finished with a smirk, causing Byro to glare harder, as he seemed unable to speak at the moment.

With that, the fight was over. Natsu, Lucy, Happy, Lisanna, and Romeo each had smirks of their own; while Nero, Dan, and Coco were nothing short of amazed. Michelle's expression however, still seemed unreadable.

"Well done, Dante." A familiar feminine voice spoke up as a certain redhaired armored woman walked toward him. "As usual, you have to finish things with a certain flare." She said with a smile.

"Oh, hey Erza." Dante greeted casually, while the rest of their Fairy Tail comrades looked quite happy to see her. "When did you get here?"

"A few moments ago." Erza answered.

"Not a bad fight, pal. But I could have topped it." Dante heard Gray's voice call to him as they all glanced toward the top of a ruined building to find the group consisting of Gray, Juvia, Trish, Lyon, and Sho present as well, with the clock gears in their possession.

"Yeah, sure you could have." Trish teased Gray with a pat on the back.

"Gray, Juvia, Trish!" Lucy exclaimed with a grin as she and the rest of her team looked to see the other groups of fellow guild members and their allies join in as well. "Everyone made it, and they found the other clock pieces!"

"Mira and Elfman, too!" Lisanna stated with a smile as she saw the team consisting of her siblings, the Thunder Legion, and Wally with the clock bell.

"Even Gajeel's here!" Natsu pointed out as he saw the group of Gajeel, Modeus, Panther-Lily, and Team Shadowgear, having secured the clock face.

"Carla's group hit paid earn, too!" Happy said with joy as Erza's group consisting of Wendy, Carla, Patty, Cana, Lady, and Milliana had also arrived with the clock hands secure as well.

"And with our piece, we almost got the whole set!" Romeo pointed to the clock circles still embedded in the wall.

"Forget almost, we do got the whole set." Dante revealed with a grin as he held the clock hand. "So, it looks like we won."

Dan, Coco, and even Nero were more than a little shocked as well. If Fairy Tail and their allies had secured the clock pieces; it would mean that Credo, Samuel, Mary Hughes, and Sugarboy were all defeated as well. Though, Nero's shock was more pacified as he knew something was going on with his side behind the scenes, and perhaps this way they might be able to get some answers.

"It would also seem you've acquired more than just the clock pieces." Erza noted, casting a glance toward Nero's group.

"Hold on, Erza! It's okay!" Lucy stepped in.

"Yeah, we called a truce! We're not enemies anymore!" Lisanna also pointed out.

"Is this true?" She asked Dante in particular.

"Yep." He confirmed.

"Look…" Nero stood up with a sigh as he approached Erza. "I'm sorry we picked a fight with you guys and started this whole mess. Obviously, something's going on, and all my friends and I are just as much in the dark as you are. Whatever's going on, I'd rather find out what it is first than deal with the disaster that's probably gonna come right after. And seeing how you and your pals want the same thing, that technically means were on the same side. So… what do you say?" He offered Erza a hand to shake, his human hand to be specific.

Erza couldn't help but instinctively cast her glance toward Nero's demonic arm, which he was quick to hide once he saw where she was looking. A brief look of shame fell in her eyes upon seeing this was a sensitive subject for Nero. But it quickly faded upon realizing that he was actually reaching out to her in a genuine attempt to cooperate, something she would accept.

"Very well, let's figure this out together." Erza said with a smile as she shook Nero's hand.

"First things first, we gotta figure out what the hell we're gonna do with these things." Dante said as he held the clock hand, which suddenly began to resonate.

Lucy gave a gasp as she was suddenly struck with a vision. A vision of six separate stars coming together before seeing the backs of three individuals standing on a hilltop. Though two of them kept their backs to her, she noticed the black hair of a young man and long blonde hair of a woman, though they still kept her backs to her. She however seemed more focused on the horned individual as he turned around with a troubled look on his face.

"Sparda…?"

Dante, Nero, and Erza were the first to look in shock as the resonating clock hand suddenly flew from Dante's grasp, glowing even more brightly than before. Then all the other clock pieces began to do the same as one-by-one; the gears, bell, face, and legs flew from each of their respective groups, much to all their surprise before the massive clock circles were pulled from the wall by the same force. Even the injured and defeated Byro, who had just begun to pull himself up, looked in genuine shock and surprise.

"Big Sis! Cousin Dante! Look!" Michelle exclaimed as they all saw the clock pieces coming together.

"What the hell's going on here?!" Nero exclaimed as well.

"It looks like… the pieces are coming together…!" Lucy stuttered.

And that's exactly what happened. All six pieces came together and began to glow a bright gold. A massive gong-like noise rang through the air as the six pieces that made up the Infinity Clock reassembled themselves into the complete weapon of mass destruction that it once was. The Infinity Clock hovered as a pair of legs kept it propped up, the clock face had both hands present on it as a large pair of clock circles encircled the mechanism as it gave off another gong.

Everyone present, be they members of Fairy Tail, the Order of the Sword, or otherwise, looked in awe and worry as around the reassembled Infinity Clock, lights shined around it like a multitude of shooting stars. But the despite the bright light that shined around the Clock, this light carried an unholy presence about it that spelled certain doom as the Clock's gong sound continued to ring through the air.

---

Suddenly, an unsettling feeling of dread had set upon the entire land as a select few individuals could feel the approaching darkness grow, threatening to engulf everything in eternal chaos. The Infinity Clocks' bell somehow rang through the air, and everyone could hear it, even if they were miles away from its current location.

From her bed in the Fairy Tail guildhall, Kinana gave a maniacal laugh as if she were possessed by another entity.

Even Makarov and Porlyusica could feel it as they looked to the sky in worry and dread. "No…" the old guildmaster said. "What horrible power…!"

Even Jean-Luke and his fellow Archeologists looked with worry.

---

Those among Fortuna could hear it as well as Kyrie ran outside onto the streets of the main city to see the panicking citizens, even the priests, monks, and nuns of Zentopia.

"What's that sound!?"

"It feels like it's inside me!"

"My head's splitting!"

Kyrie looked up to the sky with fear radiating in her eyes as the ringing continued. "What in the name of the Dark Knight himself is happening…?"

---

"I can hear it…" The Archbishop muttered as he kept his hands pressed against his ears. "It has come at last… the Darkness and the Light have reunited! The end is within our grasp! The end is within our grasp! The end is within our grasp!" He laughed like a maniac.

Sanctus stood over the Archbishop as his malevolent grin only grew. "Indeed, it is."

---

"My ears are ringing!" Nero clutched his head as he and everyone else continued to look in worry at the pulsating Infinity Clock still hovering above them.

"That's some alarm clock!" Happy commented.

"The tomb is collapsing!" Erza took note of the crumbling around them.

"I can't be… why now…?!" Lucy couldn't believe it.

"Why do I have the feeling we just screwed up in the worst possible way…?!" Dante stated.

Gray saw how Natsu didn't even appear to be paying attention. "This ain't the time to space out! Let's scarm!"

However, Natsu was paying attention, to the new scents in the air. Six of them in fact, several that he recognized and hoped he'd never have to sniff again.

"That smell… but how?!" A serious expression formed on his face. "Everyone, keep your guard up! We're in real hot water now!"

Just below the Infinity Clock, on the highest perch in the tomb, six individuals revealed themselves, one of them was Gilver. Floating just above him was a man clad in a black hooded robe with dark blue tattoos over his chest and under his eyes as he carried a scythe over his shoulder. Next to him was a dark-skinned woman with white hair and blue eyes; she wore a primarily white and revealing outfit with blue wing-like ornaments on her shoulders, white thigh-high tights and heeled shoes with white gloves and orange cuffs at the end of her sleeves.

The other three, most of Fairy Tail recognized, however. One was a man with red hair and a scar over his right eye, wearing primarily red clothing with a white cape over it. The other was a man with spikey blonde hair, clad in a black one-piece suit with red stripes and a pair of goggles. The one that stood in the middle was a pale-skinned man with spikey black hair with black lipstick and wearing a beige coat with white fur over the ends. These three were from the once-thought defeated dark guild named the Oracion Seis.

Done.

Well, looks like shit has hit the fan now for our heroes. They've successfully retrieved all six clock pieces, even after a brutal and epic battle between Dante and Byro, the later revealing that he had his own Angelo transformation much like Credo. I had a lot of fun writing that battle, both with their normal forms and their respective transformed states. But Dante ultimately won due to being more experienced with his Devil Trigger, while this was the first time Byro utilized his own Angelo form in a real fight.

But, it seems their victory is hallow now that the Infinity Clock has been reassembled and old enemies have made their appearance. The Oracion Seis is back! And with some new additions due to some of their original members missing. One of them being Angel/Sorano as it was revealed early on in this fic that she is currently with Crime Sorciere, so someone else is in her place. As for who, take a look at the DMC4 game again, specifically a certain alias used by Trish to infiltrate the Order in the canon game, only this time, she's her own individual as opposed to just being a disguise. (Think like how I made Nelo Angelo his own character in the Edolas arc, it's something similar here).

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Things are gonna get real interesting from this point forward. What's next for our heroes? Find out next time on Fairy May Cry: Devil's Retribution.