Immediately after Jose's declaration, Kushina made a hand sign, a red magic circle appearing on her back. From it sprung four gold chains, with a large, singular spike surrounded by four smaller ones which proceeded to dig into the ground and raise her up, then using the new, limb-like appendages to carry herself forward in greater strides than she could have managed without them.

The others followed suit, Juvia turned her feet to water to almost keep up with Kushina. Naruto shifted to his Etherious form, using the stronger muscles to increase his speed. Gray and Erza ran at the back of the pack, but that didn't make their roles any less important as the red head requipped into her Blackwing Armour and Gray used his Ice-Make magic to create a war-hammer, one blunt side, the other, a massive spike.

Jose seemed apathetic to their attempts at intimidation, "Dark Pulse!" He declared, sweeping his arm in a horizontal arch, causing a wave of dark-purple magic to sweep across the room.

The ten-foot-tall attack was quick, cutting clean through the ends of Kushina's chains despite her attempts to avoid it, "Dammit." She growled in annoyance, allowing her chains to dissipate and hit the ground running, still making a b-line for Jose.

Unlike her ally, Juvia was struck by the wave, as it wasn't a solid-based attack it couldn't pass through her water body. The attack knocked her clear. Naruto took a different approach, taking the wave head-on by throwing his explosives at it. The explosion gave him just enough time to slip through the gap it created, only losing seldom few hairs from the tip of his tail. Erza quickly carried herself to safety. Gray dropped his Warhammer in front of him and managed to catch Juvia before she hit the ground.

"Ice-Make Shield!" Gray declared, creating a wall between the two of them and the wave.

"Thanks." Juvia said as the defence held out, once Gray lowered it, they rushed back into the fray.

A chain shot from Kushina's hand, on the end of it was a barbed spike, "Get over here!" She roared.

"Violent one, aren't we?" Jose asked mockingly, parrying the attack with his dagger. Kushina grinned at the action, twitching her fingers to control the end of the chain, causing it to loop around and bind Jose. His face scrunched up as his eyes shut, seemingly in pain.

"Naruto!" The redhead called out, gripping the chain and swung the Phantom Lord guildmaster with great force towards him.

"Got it!" The blond called back, as Jose reached him, the chain dissipated and he took a swipe. A scream came from Jose as the claws raked into him with a spray of blood, as he was knocked back a yellow light shone before an explosion engulfed him.

That wasn't the end of the beating as Erza came flying in, slashing Jose in a cross pattern, causing him to crash into a wall hard enough to leave a crater. He slumped down, defeated.

"Aw come on guys, you couldn't have let me have a crack at him?" Gray complained.

"Wait," Kushina said, "Something isn't right, Jose is a Wizard Saint who specializes in combat, he couldn't have been that easy to take down."

"He's not," Juvia intoned grimly, "Master Jose is not so easy to get the better of, I think he-" She began to further explain before suddenly being blasted backwards. The scream died in her throat as the invisible attack knocked the wind out of her.

The others turned to see Jose, stood up and otherwise immaculate aside from the dried streaks of crimson around the rip made by Naruto's claws but the wounds themselves had seemed to heal over much more quickly than they should have. "I must congratulate you," He spoke sarcastically, "I allowed you to hit me, just to see if you really are as strong as the rumours say…"

"Can it!" Gray bellowed, rushing at him, swinging his warhammer in a vertical arc. Jose however, moved quickly, avoiding the blow which could have caved his head in. The hammer's blunt end crashed into the ground where he'd been standing. Now, the guildmaster stood to Gray's right, charging a beam of purple light.

"As I was saying before you so rudely interrupted me," Jose said, blasting Gray with the attack, causing him to smash into a pillar, his warhammer shattering, "I'm quite disappointed, that I have to kill such promising young mages, it makes me sick that your talents are wasted on Fairy Tail."

"You're wrong!" Came a shout from the doorway to the sanctum, it was Lucy, panting heavily as if she'd been running for a while.

"Lucy!" Erza, Naruto and Kushina cried in glee. Gray, barely managing to prop himself up, still managed a pained smile. Though Juvia stayed silent.

"Oh how touching," Jose interrupted, "So a little bird escaped from her cage and the first thing she does is seek out her friends."

"That's right," Lucy said, "They are my friends, I know they won't turn their backs on me. Face it Jose, it's over, you lost. The Element Four have been beaten, Abyss Break is stopped and the Giant is down! You can't win!"

The older man chuckled darkly in response, "Oh Miss Heartfilia, on the contrary, I'm far from defeat. I'm one of the Ten Wizard Saints," He began to brag, not noticing a petite, feminine figure rising from the ground behind him, "I'm all that's needed to beat you and the rest of the Fairy Tail Guild, once your comrades lie dead and your master broken, I will deliver you to-" Jose suddenly stopped, his expression twisted into one of immense pain, only a pathetic choking sound managed to escape his throat before he fell flat on his face, clutching his crotch region.

"Punishment has been delivered, Princess." Virgo chimed in, the others began struggling to contain their own laughter at that.

Jose's temporary takedown gave them enough time to regroup, "You?" Lucy questioned, noticing Juvia, the water-user avoiding eye contact, "She was the one who helped kidnap me."

"She's… working with us," Kushina explained briefly, "For now, you didn't tell us about that little detail," She continued distrustfully, addressing Juvia, "We'll sort that out after we're done here."

Lucy appeared uneasy before turning her attention to another thing, she was not aware of, "Naruto? Is that… you?" Lucy asked, Naruto scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"I guess you've never seen me like this but yeah, this is me."

"Best save the wonder for after the fight, look alive!" Gray declared, pointing back to Jose, his body now surrounded by a dark aura. He slowly stood up, gritting his teeth so hard they looked ready to shatter. The sclera of his eyes were as black as midnight. Virgo attempted to go for another strike, only for Jose to grab her leg, stopping it dead and struck her point-blank with another beam.

"Virgo!" Lucy cried out, however the spirit had already been sent back to the Celestial Spirit World.

"Be concerned about yourself, girl!" He venomously spat, "Absurd!" He called, sending a series of projectiles with vaguely humanoid faces on them, essentially a mass production of his shades. Numerous shades rushed at each mage, Gray, Juvia and Lucy rushed in front, splaying their arms out protectively. Thankfully, it worked, Naruto, Erza and Kushina were spared from any harm.

"Guys!" Naruto cried in alarm, it was too late for them to hear Naruto's call, the shades drained them of their strength, causing them to collapse to the ground, "No, no, no, no!" He bellowed, each cry becoming more desperate. A deep, guttural growl resonated from his throat as his face twisted in an animalistic snarl, "You're going to pay for that!" Came a roar directed at Jose, then running straight for the Phantom Lord guildmaster, Kushina and Erza following behind as closely as they could.

"You have your mother's temper alright." Jose muttered casually, sidestepping Naruto's initial swipe as he lunged at him. The blond was undeterred, backhanding Jose in a follow-up strike. Naruto sent a small cluster of bombs chasing after Jose, promptly exploding. Though the guildmaster was soon revealed to have protected himself with a layer of Darkness magic.

"Go down!" Naruto commanded, once again trying to take a swipe at Jose, who thengrabbed Naruto's wrist and despite the transformed Fairy Tail mage standing head and shoulders above him, Jose threw him with ease back at his fellows. Naruto's claws tore up Jose's sleeve as he tried to find purchase to stop himself flying away but to no avail.

Before Naruto even landed Jose waved his hand, causing an explosion right in front of the three Fairy Tail mages. They couldn't be seen until the smoke cleared, Kushina cradling Naruto protectively as best she could, given his lycanthropic appearance, having used her chains to pull him towards her and turned her back to try and take most of the damage from the attack. However, Erza was stood in Giant's armour, the gold-enameled plates beginning to fall apart, she had taken the full force of the attack to protect the other two. She fell back, requipping into the casual clothes she wore when not wearing armour.

"Erza no!" Kushina screamed.

"Defeat… him… Kushi-" The scarlet-haired woman managed to breath out before falling unconscious.

"Ah, love, whether shared between parent and child or friends, a determination to put yourself before others. How sickening that you leave yourselves vulnerable to protect someone so easily duped into a trap."

"What do you mean?" Kushina growled angrily.

"This." Jose said succinctly, raising a hand, without warning, Naruto began to scream and writhe in pain. His pained cries sounding just like that of a wolf's before he reverted back to his human state.

"Naruto! What's wrong?" Kushina asked her son in distress before noticing a strange dark marking on his wrist. It was in the shape of three tomoe around a single dot, glowing a deep orange to highlight it on his blackened forearm, "You…"

"That's right, that mark will cause him a great deal of pain. Imagine him, twisting in agony as he begs for death right in front of you. While forcing Makarov into a pained solitude of self-loathing will be glorious, seeing you broken before your death as you can do nothing to save your son is just a case of collateral damage-"

"Shut your mouth." Kushina said, cutting off Jose's malicious rant. Though, the tone in which she had spoken was quiet, unusually so, and not the kind of rise Jose had expected to get out of her, "Death already took the love of my life. It will not take my son!" She roared, turning the full force of her magic power and killing intent towards Jose, the furious scowl of her narrowed, purple eyes and red hair rising, now untamed from its ponytail only served to make her all the more intimidating. Slowly, she began walking towards the Phantom Lord guildmaster.

Despite being shaken by the sudden force, Jose began to grin madly again, "Kushina, dear," He began condescendingly, increasing the output of his own power. The force of the two's displays causing small pieces of rubble to rise, "Surely you wouldn't risk your comrade's lives, especially not when I have your son hostage." While she didn't let up with the power she was exuding, Kushina hesitated in her steps.

"It's… okay… mom…" Naruto managed to say through the pain, struggling to grin, "Two… can play… at his game…"

"What?!" Jose screamed in surprise, clutching his arm that controlled the mark and desperately clawing at the remaining scraps of his sleeves. Part if his forearm was glowing yellow and quite literally blew up in his face. Naruto audibly gasped in relief as he was freed from the pain.

"You little brat!" Jose screeched before he could do anything more, a hand shot through the smoke from the explosion and promptly grabbed Jose by the neck. It was Kushina, screaming wordlessly in fury directed squarely at Jose. He was slammed against a wall yet again, not even having a moment to regain his composure before he was hit in the face repeatedly, the initial punch breaking his nose.

Jose once again produced his dagger, swinging in a gambit to stab Kushina with it. In response, she upped the savagery of her assault, using her free hand to push Jose's face away to give him even less of a chance of getting her even pressing down on his right eye with her thumb. The guildmaster screamed in pain, a small bit of blood beginning to trickle down his face as Kushina tried to push her thumb deeper. Finally, Jose managed to strike true, driving the blade deep into the arm holding him up.

The brief lapse in strength caused by the pain was enough of a window of opportunity for Jose to lift Kushina using his magic. The tendril that had hold of Kushina crackling with a lightning that was causing her pain to avoid Naruto trying anything else, Jose also began using the mark he had placed on him.

He smirked triumphantly, even with his right eye now partially blinded by blood, "Clever," He admitted, panting heavily, "Naruto placed a bomb on me and you lessened the amount of magic power you were giving off to ambush me through the smoke, but it was all in vain." At his declaration, Naruto and Kushina began to feel even more pain than before, their screams sounding like music to Jose's ears.

A large chunk of the ceiling suddenly fell in, crashing to the ground behind the Phantom Lord master, "Jose!" Boomed a familiar voice.

"Makarov," Jose idly greeted, dropping his current attention to focus on his fellow Wizard Saint descending down to his level, "You're looking well." He mocked.

"I'll give you to the count of three for you to surrender." Makarov said, the pitch of his voice deep despite being at his normal size, a ball of yellow light forming between his palms.

"Straight to the point I see, but do you honestly think I'm scared by an idle threat?" Jose countered, the same effect of rubble beginning to levitate as Makarov's magic began to build into a far more tangible force..

"One."

"Look around you Makarov, I defeated your children quite easily and I doubt Aria's help to take you on."

"Two."

Now Jose was nervous, though he couldn't very well let Makarov know that, "Such childishness, do you honestly think that in your current state you can beat me? Go back to bed old man."

"And that's three," Makarov finished, closing his hands around the ball of light, "Fairy Law!" From his action, a great flash of yellow lit up the entire room, even extending to the outside. The great, coagulated shade outside dispersed with an unearthly screech. Yet despite the clear aggression behind the attack, any conscious members of the Fairy Tail guild felt only relief and comfort. Naruto, and Kushina beheld the attack in all its glory.

Within Jose's sanctum, as the light died down, Jose was revealed. He was cowering now, his arms held protectively in front of him. White as a sheet and his hair now the colour of snow. Even flinching as Makarov took a step towards him.

"Be glad that I was merciful." Makarov said, his tone grim and cold, that sent a shiver up Jose's spine, "Naruto, Kushina, can either of you stand?" Though shaky, the two managed to affirm the question as they stood up, Naruto nervously checking his wrist. "Worry not about that nasty little mark my boy, Fairy Law purges darkness from anything its caster views as a threat. That mark was a threat to you, thus it was threatening for me, it will trouble you no more." Makarov assured him with a comforting pat on his shoulder.

"Gramps, the guild hall-" Naruto spoke up before Makarov cut him off.

"I know, though the building may be gone, our memories within it are not. The most we can do now is take the others back and rebuild it." Makarov said, his tone solemn as silent tears ran down his cheeks. Silently, the three mages gathered up their allies, including Juvia and began making their way back to the guildhall.

Natsu slowly opened his eyes, he ached all over, didn't know where he was and couldn't remember what he was last doing. It had something to do with… "Phantom!" He shouted in realisation, sitting up quickly and immediately regretted his decision as the suddenness of blood rushing to his head caused a headache. He gave a pained grunt at that.

"So you're awake Salamander?" A familiar, gruff voice spoke.

"Gajeel!" Natsu said, aggravated.

"Ah keep your hair on," The Iron Dragon Slayer asserted, "If it weren't for me we'd be mincemeat in one of those gears. 'Sides, no point to fighting, Jose got beaten. Makarov came along and… wiped him out, some bright light." Gajeel explained.

Natsu had to process the information for a moment before he came to conclusion, "Aw come on! I missed Fairy Law?! But that's one of the coolest spells he has!" He lamented, Gajeel gave a sigh of exasperation at that being his fellow Dragon Slayer's priority.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me, I need to ask you something Gajeel. About your dragon." Natsu spoke up, suddenly serious.

"What do you want to know about that ass for?" Gajeel asked, almost accusingly, "If you want to know where he is, I don't know. One day he was gone, haven't seen him since." He said dismissively.

"He didn't happen to disappear on the seventh of July seven years ago, did he?" Natsu asked, Gajeel reacting by quickly turning around.

"Yeah, how did you know? Do you know where Metalicana is?" He asked in surprise.

"No, but my dragon, Igneel disappeared on the same day."

"So both dragons disappeared seven years ago, year X777, on the seventh day of the seventh month?" Gajeel wondered.

"What's with all the sevens, huh?!" Natsu said, headbutting the Iron Dragon Slayer.

"How the hell should I know?!" Gajeel yelled, "Listen Salamander, I don't know or care about anything to do with dragons anymore, you're wasting your time here!"

"Fine, forget you then! I'll find out about them on my own!" Natsu declared angrily, turning away from Gajeel and heading back to the remnants of the guild hall.

Over the following weeks, the Magic Council arrived, questioning every member of both guilds thoroughly, albeit separately. While Juvia testified against her guild, she was released and absolved of involvement in Phantom Lord's war against Fairy Tail. Though given the fact that she was still a wizard of the offending guild, she was released during the questioning of Fairy Tail members but left a note behind, with a small sentence about hoping to meet with the guild again. The final verdict was for the dissolution of Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail would be assisted in efforts to rebuild the destroyed guild hall.

The last call for the train heading deeper into Fiore's countryside was given, Lucy stepped onto it. Apprehension gripped her as to where she was going, since coming back she was assured constantly by her fellow guild members she was not to blame for the attacks. Yet, if her father would sink so low as to hire Phantom Lord, what was to stop him doing the same with another guild? So, she wrote a note out, left it in her apartment, hopefully the others would find it soon. If she was to nip the problem in the bud, she would need to bite the bullet and return to her home. The whistle of the train sounded and she was off.

Omake: Fire Dragon and Hellhound

FT guild hall, X777

It had been a fairly standard day in the Fairy Tail guild hall, Naruto played together with Cana, helping her in improving her tarot reading. Erza was off on her own, she seemed to prefer doing that, meanwhile Gray was trying to challenge her to a fight. What no one was expecting was for the guild hall doors to fly open and a small wave of heat to flow over the bottom floor of the building.

"Wow! So this is what it looks like on the inside?" The young, pink-haired boy questioned. Cana and Naruto looked at each other questioningly, wondering just who this new kid was. Makarov walked in behind him, a warm smile on his face at the eagerness the boy displayed.

"Gramps, who's this?" Naruto asked, snapping Natsu's attention towards him.

"This is Natsu, he claims to have been raised by a dragon." Makarov replied nonchalantly as if it wasn't a completely absurd statement to make.

"What?" Both Naruto and Cana asked.

"It's true!" Natsu stated, "He taught me all about food, how humans live and even how to fight!" He said, "He didn't tell me about someone like you though, I mean, you look and smell funny but other than that you seem like any normal person."

"Uh… thanks?" While Naruto was glad Natsu didn't jump to the conclusion of him being a demon, the way in which he phrased it was a bit… unorthodox. Though, a confident smirk soon split across Naruto's face as his tail began to wag, "You say your dragon taught you to fight? Care to test yourself out?"

"You're on!" Natsu affirmed, "I'm getting fired up now!" He declared, the air around him beginning to simmer.

Meanwhile, Makarov was busy dying internally as he wondered just what kind of fresh hell he had allowed to waltz into his guild hall…