Hi guys Azza here!

Ok so I'm going to try and get a few of these out over the next two weeks since I've got time off. Not sure exactly what that'll mean in terms of a solid number but I'd say expect Impel Down to be done in the next few days since we have like two more chapters max to go of it.

Also, I forgot to mention this last chapter but how coincidental is it that I had to introduce Ivankov at the start of Pride Month. That's so random haha!

Finally just a quick thing. Once Marineford War Arc kicks off I'll be doing Servant Profiles for all the custom Servants present such as Rider Of The Axis, Archer Of The Black Devil, Assassin Of The Holy Church and the plethora of others who obviously aren't from Fate or are but just don't have one. They'll be stylized similar to the way the wiki does them complete with Class Skills, Individual Skills and so on. These are already fully written and ready to go but I won't be doing more than one a chapter and only after their True Name is revealed in the story itself.

So hopefully that a bit of fun for you!

Anyway, onto the reviews.

Dragonborn2704 – Next Arc. Can't really say much more than that for obvious reasons haha!

Anyway on with the story!

I do not own Fairy Tail, One Piece or the Nasuverse.

Beginning The Ascent From Hell

/Impel Down – Level Four Burning Hell/

Emerging up onto Level Four, Natsu watched as Luffy sent a platoon of prison guards flying with a well-timed Gum Gum Gatling attack. Looking around, he could see that everyone had started laying into the guards much in the same manner with even his Eternal Hell cell buddies utterly crushing their opponents despite being drastically nerfed by their shackles.

"Fucking scrubs," the blonde spat as he crushed the head of a guard between his thumb and index finger like a grape. "The weak shouldn't be guarding Hell, I feel insulted."

"Agreed," the older man replied as he vanished and inserted a razor-sharp nail right into the temple of another guard, killing him instantly before reappearing nearby. "This does add further credence to the rumour that aside from Magellan and the former Warden, Impel Down does not possess as solid defences as the world likes to believe …"

"Barororororo! Who cares about trash like this or why they're here," the largest man laughed as he wiped out dozens of guards with speed far outpacing anything they could ever remotely hope to contend with "The weaker they are, the easier the escape and the quicker we can get this crap off of us!"

"True," the old man grinned darkly as they all appeared mid-step next to Natsu who had finally caught up to the rest of the group. "Say, what do you plan on doing to get us out of these exactly?"

"I assume that the keys are either on Warden Magellan's person or in his office, so we will obviously try and search the latter first to make things easier," Natsu replied as he lazily leant out of the way of a guard that had broken past and tried to slash at him with a sword. "Of course, if push comes to shove, we'll have to take out Magellan …"

The guard stumbled forward upon missing and received only a knee to the chest that sent him flying high into the air, blood escaping him as Natsu vanished and reappeared right next to him. Kicking him in the neck, the man died upon contact however the body was sent flying into a large group of guards and knocked the lot down whilst also cracking the ground around them.

"Heh, nice kick," the blonde grinned as the massive group of escapees reached the bridge.

"We've got a problem," Natsu muttered as he looked directly upward before suddenly snapping his gaze directly downward at his feet. "It's Magellan …"

"You felt that too," Jimbei asked as he blasted back a group of nearby guards. "I could only faintly sense it, but-!"

"He was up on Level Two, probably heading down the normal way, but must have been informed that the infamous Level Six has been compromised," Natsu replied, his gaze not leaving the ground. "He must have jumped down the elevator shaft since they broke it to halt you guys from catching up to Ace."

"So, Magellan is on Level Six," Ivankov mused as they all looked back toward the doorway leading to Level Five. "That means we have a little time, right?"

"Maybe? Magellan is quite powerful, the Warden of this place and clearly good enough to hold it together by himself for quite a long time," Natsu replied as he fully turned around. "We might need to delay him a little …"

"Anything in mind," Crocodile asked as he smoked on a cigar, thankful that they didn't even bother clearing out his stash from his clothing once it was taken from him.

"I considered collapsing Level Five to delay him," Natsu began as many of the group openly displayed shock at how casual he was about such a feat. "But upon reflection, doing so would destabilize the base structure of the prison and bring the entire thing down. So, I have another plan but I need to borrow you for a second, Inazuma."

"Me?"

"That Devil Fruit of yours, you can cut anything as if you were using scissors on paper, correct?"

"Yes, why?"

"Use your power to bring up the floor behind us and I'll raise it to block the doors-."

"You think stone and steel is gonna block a guy like Magellan," Crocodile laughed. You sure you know what you're doing?"

"Raising it into place is the first step," he continued as he held up his hands, the group watching them slowly turn Blood Red. "I'm going to melt it down and literally weld the entire passageway shut. It won't hold him forever, but he can't brute force his way through quickly for the same reason I can't just collapse an entire floor on top of him. We'd all die."

"That's actually not a bad idea," the largest man agreed with a nod. "If I wasn't shackled, I'd use my own power to expand the stuff the Rev guy cuts up so you'd have more to work with."

"All the more reason we should try and get all of you unshackled then," Jimbei said as he motioned to the gathering force across the other side of the bridge. "Whatever plan we do, we need to do it quickly!"

"Jimbei's right. "Inazuma, I need you cutting stuff up now! Crocodile, I need a sandstorm masking this side of the bridge so they don't target Inazuma with gunfire to try and stop us! The rest of you, rip them apart!"

Though some of them clearly didn't want to do what Natsu ordered them to, his current look and the menacing Aura he was constantly putting out just by being there meant no one was willing to argue against him.

"Also, just one more thing," Natsu said quickly before the group could disperse. "I know that a lot of the people locked up in here are trash, but they are useful trash. I want all of you to release as many from their cells as you can to cause further chaos."

"That's a rather dark way to look at your fellow man, isn't it," Jimbei replied bluntly prompting Natsu to shrug.

"Fortunate then that I'm not part of the quote 'fellow man' and can quite easily toss them aside like the garbage they are. Besides, you know full well that they don't really deserve to leave this place either, Jimbei."

"…"

"Also, a Fishman expounding upon the values of Humans? A bit much coming from the current Captain of the Sun Pirates, isn't it?"

"Heh. That's probably some of the coldest stuff I've heard come out of someone's mouth in a long time," Jimbei replied as the group started to disperse. "But you are correct about everything except that last point. I don't hate Humans; I just don't trust them easily."

"A wise policy to employ in this world when not of the Human race. Better to distrust and be wrong than to trust and end up sold into slavery by a species that is statistically weaker than your own."

Jimbei was surprised at the venom coming from Natsu but decided not to comment any further. Though he felt the Aura crashing into him like everyone else, he couldn't help but also feel calmed by its presence. In fact, it was almost as if the Aura was a means of assuring him that he was going to make it, that this was all going to work out ok for them.

Turning around, Jimbei moved to help the others fight off the guards as Crocodile whipped up a sandstorm to cover their half of the bridge from view.

"Alright, you've got three minutes before it dies," Crocodile said as he turned his focus toward maintaining the barrier. "Without extra sand I'm forced to use my own body for this, so be quick!"

"I've already got several strips ready to go," Inazuma said as she continued to slice through the ground like it was butter.

"Right then, keep them coming," Natsu said as his eyes flashed a Deep Purple colour, the strips being lifted up off of the ground and quickly being jammed into the entrance. "More Inazuma!"

"I'm running out of floor to use Natsu, cut any further and it will collapse this section!"

"Use every last scrap you can spare!"

Inazuma nodded and continued her work as Natsu started wedging the bits in at odd angles. Behind him, he could he the guards crying for mercy and barely stifled a chuckle. They were lucky they didn't have to deal with him at the moment.

"This is it Natsu, that's all I can cut!"

"That'll have to do, I'll handle the rest," Natsu replied as he slammed the last piece into the doorway. "Right then-!"

Walking over toward the pieces that now stuck out of the doorway, Natsu held up his hands and watched as the heat slowly melted all of it down into molten slabs, using his Gravity to ensure that it didn't burn through the stairs. Taking a deep breath, he suddenly froze all of the molten slag into position and exhaled a powerful gust of breath that seemingly cooled it down enough to harden it in place. A second breath soon followed with a third coming shortly after as the way down to Level Five was completely sealed off.

"Now for the finishing touches," Natsu sighed as he took a step back, his eyes flashing Deep Purple once more as the doorway itself suddenly collapsed, truly blocking off the way down. "And done!"

Turning back around he noticed that the group had utterly thrashed most of the guards however a quick look toward the stairs leading to Level Three revealed that the Jailer Beasts from earlier had regrouped and were actively guarding the stairwell.

Moving to re-join the rest of the group, Natsu was only halfway across the bridge when his ears picked up on the sound of multiple footsteps descending toward their level from behind the beasts.

"These aren't guards, way too casual," he murmured to himself whilst picking up the pace slightly. As he walked, he also noticed Crocodile talking to a dark-skinned man off to the left, said man seeming vaguely familiar though he couldn't quite remember from where he'd seen him.

"Oi Crocodile, who's that?"

"Hn? You mean him? That's Mister One," Crocodile replied as the stoic looking man stepped forward. "He was part of Baroque Works before Straw Hat took us down.

Former Officer Of Baroque Works

Crocodile's Right-Hand Assassin

Dice Dice Fruit User

Daz Bones (Mister One)

Bounty – 75,000,000 Berries

"You want to bust out of here with the rest of us," Natsu asked prompting the man to chuckle softly before meeting his gaze directly.

"What do you think?"

"Heh, I'll give you that. Your shackles aren't as strong as the ones those three over there have so I should be able to cut through them."

"You can cut Sea Stone?"

"To an extent," Natsu replied as he drew his sword and morphed it into a dagger, a move that surprised both Crocodile and Daz with the latter exposing his shackles after a quick nod from his Boss.

Two swift slashes was all it took for the flimsy Sea Stone to shatter, something Natsu found highly amusing. Once Daz was free, his forearms morphed into edged blades before reverting back to normal.

"Heh, budget cuts," Daz scoffed which earned a snort of amusement from Crocodile.

"What'd you expect from the World Government Daz?"

"True. So, we're following your lead then?"

"For now. Once we're free you can do whatever you want, I just want to trash this place as much as possible on my way out," Natsu replied earning a nod from the man.

"I can understand that, I'll help so long as Crocodile is."

"Deal," Natsu said as he shook the man's hand firmly. "Now then, it appears that we're about to meet someone rather interesting …"

Looking back toward the stairs leading to Level Three, Natsu watched as Jimbei charged toward one of the Jailer Beasts with his right fist cocked back, a swirl of air seemingly generated from it as the Jailer Beast roared and raised its club.

"Fishman Karate: Five Thousand Tile Shattering Fist!"

His fist stopped several metres away from the Jailer Beast however the attack seemingly kept going as its body suddenly, and quite violently, folded in on itself from where the point of impact would have been. The Jailer Beast let out a shrieking wail as it vanished from its current position and a large bloodstain suddenly appeared on the back wall next to the stairway.

"Heh, that's Jimbe for you," Crocodile laughed darkly as the Fishman returned to a defensive stance. "He's rather laid back and easy to get along with, but try fighting him for real and he'll tear you apart like any other Pirate.

"Zehahahaha! Well now, that was rather interesting, wasn't it boys!?"

"Weehaha! Captain, let me have a few rounds with him!"

All eyes turned toward the stairs where the escapees and guards noticed several shadowed figures who had apparently been watching the fight. One of the guards spun around and moved to open fire but a bullet between the eyes halted that plan in its tracks.

The small group walked out with several people present showing genuine surprise at the presence of the leading man. The blonde who was in the same cell block as Natsu couldn't help but chuckle darkly, seemingly knowing the man on a more personal level than the rest.

"You … WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE," Jimbei roared as the man started to laugh once again.

"Oh come now Jimbei, is that any way to treat a fellow Warlord? Eh, EH!? ZEHAHAHAHAHA!"

"You don't deserve any respect-!"

"I'd be watching who you point those fists at, First Son Of The Sea," the man warned with his toothy grin not once fading. "You never know, you might be next on the chopping block?"

"How dare you make fun of Ace when its YOUR fault he's in this mess, BLACKBEARD!"

"Blackbeard," Natsu muttered as he looked over toward Luffy who also seemed to recognize the name. "Ah shit …"

"You … I just heard you say that your name was Blackbeard," Luffy growled as he stepped up to the man who was easily double his height. "Is that true!?"

"Zehahaha … I'm surprised to see you of all people down here, Straw Hat Luffy," Blackbeard laughed which only earned him a scowl from most present in response. "But yeah, I'm Blackbeard."

"Then you're the one … I know you're the one who captured ACE!"

"Heh, guilty as charged," Blackbeard grinned savagely as he held out his right hand. "But I think some thanks are in order since it was you who allowed me to get this far!"

"Wh-what-!?"

"When you defeated Crocodile over there, that opened up a spot within the Seven Warlords. I needed the position so I could get around without having to deal with those shitty World Government soldiers and find some things I needed. The thing is, to join the Seven Warlords I needed to prove to them that I was worth having around and so, I was planning on capturing you and your other friends!"

"At Jaya," Natsu cut in prompting Blackbeard to laugh yet again. "I remember seeing all four of you at Jaya right before we were going up the Knock Up Stream."

"That's right! Fortunately for us, as we were waiting for you lot to show up again, we ran into an old friend, an old … Brother," Blackbeard grinned as he clenched his outstretched hand. "There was history between myself and Ace, but needless to say that he ended up being my ticket into the Warlords which means I don't need to hunt any of you down now!"

"You bastard-!"

"Why so mad Straw Hat, you should be thanking Ace for taking your place," Blackbeard continued, seemingly not caring in the slightest at Luffy's growing rage. "After all, had he not taken your place then you'd be the one who'd have died. Perhaps you should thank him at his grave, eh?"

"You piece of shit, I'M GONNA KILL YOU," Luffy roared as he moved to attack Blackbeard only for the man's outstretched fist to unfurl.

"Yami Yami: Kurouzu!"

Luffy was shocked as he suddenly lost control over his entire body, sailing through the air until he ended up in Blackbeard's grasp. Right at he touched Blackbeard's hand, he felt his entire body lose strength only for the man to slam him head first into the stone floor.

"Luffy," Jimbei cried as he charged forward, prompting Blackbeard to jump back toward his allies with an amused grin. "Blood …"

"Oi, isn't Luffy meant to be made of rubber," Bon Clay asked confusedly as they all pointed to the blood coming from Luffy's mouth, nose and ears. "What the hell happened!?"

"A good question," Crocodile muttered as he looked toward Natsu who's eyes were narrowed in on Blackbeard. "Any ideas?"

"His Devil Fruit, something is off about it."

"ZEHAHAHAHAHA! I'd heard about how smart you were Dragneel but its interesting to see it firsthand! You certainly figured it out a lot faster than Ace did!"

"D-damn," Luffy coughed. "What the hell happened!?"

"My Devil Fruit, my power," Blackbeard said slowly as a massive torrent of Darkness exploded from his form which in turn blocked off the exit. "My power will put an end to all those arrogant Logia, those cocky Zoans and those crafty Paramecia! The power of the Yami Yami Fruit can negate the powers of other Devil Fruit Users!"

"What the hell," Natsu muttered as he made a mental note to research this later. "A Fruit that can negate the others? Surely there's a drawback to something that powerful?"

"Heh, of course there is," Blackbeard chuckled as he looked over toward Luffy. "I take twice the amount of damage as a regular person and despite being a Logia, I can't turn intangible. But think about it, who needs any of that crap when the others can't fight at all!? ZEHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Tch-! I'm gonna kill you Blackbeard," Luffy snapped as he moved to attack the man again only this time Jimbei held him back.

"Stop Luffy! Blackbeard isn't someone you can face right now," the Fishman snapped back. "Besides, we have more important things to be doing like saving Ace!"

Luffy seemed to listen to Jimbei as his struggling promptly ceased. Slowly, Jimbei released him however he was prepared to grab him once more as he slowly started to advance toward Blackbeard.

"You … I'll kill you one day," Luffy muttered darkly as the larger man chuckled softly.

"Zehahahaha … I'll look forward to the attempt, Straw Hat. Fortunately for you, I've also got other places to be so I'll be on my merry way now."

The entirety of Level Four shook violently as Natsu snapped back around to the stairwell he'd cut off. Spinning back around, Crocodile, Daz, Ivankov and Jimbei immediately knew what to do as they all started advancing toward Level Three.

"We don't have much time; we need to move!"

As the various escapees ran past Blackbeard and his allies, Luffy seemed to remain rooted to the spot until Natsu placed a gentle hand on his shoulder which seemed to snap him out of whatever state he was stuck in.

"Go."

Luffy looked up at Natsu and struggled not to shudder. He wasn't scared of much but whatever state Natsu had woken up in really wasn't something he wanted to be on the bad side of, and so he ran off with the others.

"Zehahahahaha … I have to admit Dragneel that you definitely look the part of a real-life Devil. Haven't seen anyone look like that since Roger."

"Don't try and relate to me," Natsu replied coldly in response as he stepped up to Blackbeard who, to his credit, didn't so much as flinch, despite the pair being mere inches apart. "I'm a thought away from seeing what you'd look like if I turned your body inside out and hung you from the rafters with your own intestines. Don't push me …"

He didn't drop Blackbeard's gaze as Van Augur pointed his rifle at his temple. Blackbeard meanwhile activated his Devil's Aura to match Natsu's own Blood Red eyes as the guards that had remained on the sidelines started dropping to the ground unconscious.

"Gee, I sure am sorry for offending you," he replied mockingly, the area shaking once more from Magellan's attempts to get in. "I have to admit that I'm not quite ready to fight someone on your level just yet, but I'm also interested to see if you're as strong as the trash over at Marineford think you are."

Natsu's hand twitched with Van Augur basically shoving the barrel directly into the side of his head to no effect. The entire area shook violently for a third time as the sound of cracking stone echoed all around the chamber.

"I would suggest you call off the peon before he finds his little peashooter several inches deep inside through an unknown entry point."

"Van Augur, enough," Blackbeard said sharply as the man hesitated for a moment before withdrawing. "We don't have to fight here …"

"I can tell just by looking at you … I can see what you truly are, Teach. I'll let you go this time but so help me if you cross my path again and so much as blink the wrong way …"

"ZEHAHAHAHAHA! I'll keep the warning in mind," Blackbeard laughed as he deactivated his Devil's Aura and took a step back from Natsu. "Like I said, you're currently out of my league and I've got other stuff to do!"

Natsu didn't even answer the man and marched straight for the stairs before he turned around and tried to kill him. As he went, a familiar figure emerged from the shadows cast by the nearby wall and fell into step beside him.

"Are you certain it was wise to let Teach go?"

"As I am now, I couldn't guarantee a win, nor could he. A fight between us would kill everyone with no purpose and so it simply isn't worth it."

"Is that all?"

"He's a fixed point."

"Ah …"

"But also, he's heading deeper into the prison," Natsu continued as the man next to him seemed to slowly understand what he was hinting at.

"I see …"

"You wanted this place trashed beyond repair, Magellan will focus entirely on us because of the prisoners who are trying to escape which means Teach will likely finish the job of ruining this place."

"Hehehehe … I trust your judgement on this," the man grinned as he grabbed onto Natsu's shoulder to halt him in place. "Here, take this."

Holding out his hand, the man offered Natsu Black Fire which he eagerly devoured. The sadistic smirk on the man's face combined with his glowing orange eyes was the only visible thing in the darkness as they once more continued to ascend to catch up with the others.

/The Servant State Of Eden – Same Time/

Having been released from the hospital by Nightingale, Mordred and Bedivere had moved to re-join Arthuria however Mordred simply couldn't ignore what she was seeing. The sheer sight of what the Servants had created was nothing short of fantasy.

"How …"

"The combined efforts of Servants from all corners of reality really," Bedivere replied with a shrug. "The Kings agreed that since we technically still represent Chaldea that we should work to aid the cause in any way we could, even without a Master present."

"So you built a megacity!?"

"The short answer is yes, the long one though … I'd say it's rather complicated."

"Huh?"

"A matter for another time," the Knight sighed. "Come, we must re-join with the others, we've already taken far too long thanks to Florence's … I think you know."

"Right," Mordred sighed as they continued on to what Mordred could only be describe as the 'Cooler Camelot' which seemed to annoy Bedivere to no end.

The castle was, at its core, a replica of the original, however it had many noticeable upgrades. The most notable one was clearly the massive horizontal protrusion at the very top which stretched out far beyond what any normal building could possibly support.

"That would be the new Throne Room," Bedivere noted, having seen Mordred gazing at it intensely. "Since there are obviously multiple versions of the King, multiple Thrones were needed in addition to the Round Table itself. Still, it isn't as lavish compared to what King Gilgamesh and King Ozymandias built."

"Why, what'd they make?"

"Well, they actually teamed up and made that," Bedivere said as he pointed toward the colossal pyramid with neon lights all over it giving it a very techno futuristic vibe. The point at the top also released a golden beam of light every few seconds that shot off into the night sky, releasing a shower of golden sparks down upon Eden itself.

"What the hell is that!?"

"That is Euphoria," Bedivere replied knowingly as Mordred watched another shower rain down upon Eden wide eyed. "I have never needed to go there personally, but from what I have been told by others, if there is an emotion you really desire to feel at any given time … one can always find it at Euphoria."

"And those two stuck up Golden Kings made that?"

"Euphoria was designed by both of them plus a Caster that has a rather unhealthy desire for money. Between them, Pharoah Nitocris' management skills and Pharoah Cleopatra's eye for design, Euphoria is the go-to place for most here. That isn't to say that there aren't more places of interest on Eden but I doubt anywhere else probably would have the same level of detail within its walls."

"I'm sure Natsu would want to check out a place like that," Mordred sighed as she pulled her gaze away from Euphoria and focused back onto the New Camelot Castle. "Let's get going."

"Agreed," Bedivere muttered quietly as the pair quickly made their way inside.

Upon entering, Mordred was shocked to find that even the inside was virtually the exact same as the Camelot from her time, the Grand Staircase at the centre of the entrance hall present with the exact same rug and everything draped down its steps.

"A lot of effort went into the designs of each Kings home," Bedivere said as the pair began to ascend the stairs. "For instance, the Roman Emperors decided to make their home within a recreation of the famous Colosseum. This one however is double the size and includes a wing for each Roman Emperor complete with whatever they so desired. I heard Nero had half her wing turned into a bathhouse and Caesar had an entire section made out of gold just to impress Cleopatra."

"Man … I mean can this place even exist?"

"There was a reason why we called it 'Eden' you know," Bedivere smirked as they reached the top floor. "The place quite literally is an impossibility, a place of luxury for those fortunate enough to make it here which is one of the reasons why our military is as large as it is."

Pushing open the doors to the throne room, Mordred was greeted to a sight that most certainly stirred something within her heart. Bedivere seemed to notice this and gently nudged her forward, urging her to go on inside.

The hall was larger than it had been in her actual life, but it was still the Throne Room she remembered. And filling said room was her comrades, most of whom she thought she'd never see again as the Knights Of The Round mingled amongst one another just like in the old days.

The immersion was broken however as she looked to her left, jaw dropping as Lancelot and Gawain raced each other across the non-carpeted section of the hall on office chairs, using their swords as makeshift oars.

"I'm going to win this time for sure Gawain!"

"Not likely Lancelot," Gawain grinned back cheekily as a wheel popped off of Lancelot's chair. "It appears luck is on my side this glorious day!"

"YOU CHEATED!"

"Did I?"

"Damn it, I WON'T LOSE," Lancelot roared as he swung his blade harder, blasting both himself and his chair forward to catch up to Gawain.

"OI! We agreed not to do that this time!"

"We also agreed not to cheat," Lancelot snapped as he bonked Gawain on the head with his chair whilst surpassing him.

"That's it-!"

A blast of golden light followed by a large explosion sent Gawain flying after Lancelot as many of the other members of the Round cheered them on, raising mugs or slabs of meat whilst supporting their preferred victor.

"This is gonna be the tiebreaker Lancelot, I'm not gonna be coming second to you this time!"

"Oh yeah, watch this-!"

"He's not seriously gonna-!"

Mordred watched as Lancelot prepared to use his Noble Phantasm, Gawain quickly following suit as the Knights started cheering even louder to the point that it was nearly deafening. As the two charged toward the other end of the massive hall, Mordred noticed someone within the crowd that clearly didn't have a chance of moving out of the path of the two and found herself moving on instinct.

Bedivere was shocked as Mordred simply vanished, her speed only being felt by the members of the Round who were shocked to see her suddenly appear right in the path of the two Knights.

"Mordred!?"

"GET OUT OF THE WAY," Gawain roared only to realize just why Mordred had jumped in the way.

Behind Mordred, Sir Gareth, who had also only just been released from hospital but with much more grievous injuries, was shaking slightly since being on crutches meant she couldn't get out of the way in time.

"The fuck do you two think you're doing," Mordred roared as she held back both Knights with her bare hands, much to the shock of everyone present.

The second they were halted in place, Mordred punched both of them in the face, knocking them to the ground before quickly turning around and crouching down to check on Gareth.

"You alright short stuff?"

"B-big Brother Mordred," Gareth gasped only to receive a rather rough pat on the head. "Quit it!"

"Heh. I heard about what you did to end up like that, ever the little trooper, eh?"

"I-I don't think it was that big of a deal …"

"SIR LANCELOT! SIR GAWAIN," Bedivere roared as he marched over toward the two who had yet to get up off of the floor. "HOW MANY TIMES MUST I WARN THE TWO OF YOU NOT TO MESS AROUND WITHIN THE CASTLE!? YOU ALMOST TOOK OUT POOR SIR GARETH!"

"S-Sir Bedivere, y-you don't have to be mad at them," Gareth said quickly as she hobbled past Mordred to stand in between the Knights. "I was just too slow to get out of the way …"

"No, we were at fault," Gawain said in a defeated tone. "You are still seriously injured after performing a great deed for the King and we could have sent you back to the Throne with our actions."

"Gawain is right, we almost did something reprehensible," Lancelot added as the pair slowly sat up to meet Gareth's shocked gaze. "We must apologize."

"N-NO! N-NEITHER OF YOU SHOULD APOLOGIZE," Gareth stuttered out in horror as the rest of the Knights fully gathered round. "I could not bear my Brother and my most trusted mentor!"

"Nevertheless, it appears that some form of punishment is due for Sirs Lancelot and Gawain."

All the Knights immediately parted as Arthuria gracefully walked to the centre of the group, looking down at Gareth with a gentle gaze. "You are still injured Sir Gareth and should not be forced to fear for your safety amidst the gathered court. The fact that you hold no ill will against either of them is noted, however punishment is due."

"Y-yes … my King."

"Sir Gawain, Sir Lancelot," Arthuria's voice boomed as the pair immediately kneeled before her. "You have almost destroyed one of your own fellow Knights out of foolishness, what have you to say in your defence?"

"I am prepared to endure whatever punishment you deem necessary, my King," Gawain replied sharply. "Even if it be my own life!"

"I agree! I too shall endure whatever punishment you deem fit!"

"Very well," Arthuria said as she moved closer to the pair. "Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain … I order the both of you to join the group embarking to aid our ally Whitebeard in the coming war!"

Both Knights looked at one another before looking up at Arthuria who was smiling ever so slightly. Seemingly confused, the pair looked around and noticed that the rest of the Round were likewise confused.

"I am fully aware you meant no real harm and that this will likely seem like a light punishment, but I could see just from your faces that you deeply regret what could have happened if not for Sir Mordred's intervention."

"Speaking of that, when the hell did you get so damn fast Mordred," Gawain blurted out before slapping both his hands over his mouth.

This resulted in most of the Knights present bursting into laughter as the mood quickly returned to what it had been before she'd arrived. Mordred looked over toward Arthuria who motioned for her to follow.

Doing as instructed, Mordred followed her away from the gathered Knights and down a small exit beside one of the three thrones. The two remained silent until they entered what appeared to be a bedroom though Mordred could only assume it wasn't in use since there was a hole in the roof.

"You did that," Arthuria commented upon noticing Mordred staring at it which prompted her to blush and stutter out an apology. "Do not feel bad about it, I am just glad you survived. Now, our forces are leaving to join Whitebeard in less than an hour, this feast is to celebrate those of us who are leaving to face battle. I wanted to speak with you alone first though … about something important."

"What's that?"

"It is in regards to our earlier conversation, the one before we were interrupted by my Saber counterpart," Arthuria replied slowly as she sat down on her rather soft looking bed and motioned for Mordred to sit next to her. "I feel like this must be said before you depart for this conflict …"

Mordred almost robotically walked over and sat down next to Arthuria, doing everything in her power not to explode from the emotions swelling inside of her as Arthuria dropped her mask and gave her a real genuine smile.

"Mordred. When I saw the state you were in, when I heard the grim diagnosis Florence had for your condition and what I felt as I sat next to you for all that time. The emotions I'd felt then combined with everything I'd felt upon witnessing your path across this world with Natsu … I felt proud."

"Father …"

"I want to get the proverbial elephant out of the room first before we go any further," Arthuria said quickly as she adopted a more serious gaze. "You were conceived through illegitimate means in an attempt to take my throne Mordred."

"…"

"You were raised by Morgana to slay me, to take my Kingdom in her name."

"…"

"And you ultimately succeeded in killing me at Camlann, though not in the way anyone could have foreseen."

"…"

"But …"

"…"

"Despite all of this …"

Mordred's eyes widened as Arthuria took her hands into her own, the gentle smile returning full force as she felt her heart clench tighter than it ever had before.

"You were eager to learn the way of a Knight, proud to serve as one of my Knights Of The Round. I could see it within you whenever we'd meet, you felt genuine pride serving as one of my chosen."

"It was one of the greatest honours of my life," Mordred replied quietly. "I always craved acknowledgment from you and it felt like you'd done so by making me one."

"In a lot of ways, it was hard to deny what we were," Arthuria continued as she looked down toward Mordred's chest. "Like me, you had pretended to be a man in order to become a Knight. Like me, you feared what would happen should you be discovered."

"Yeah …"

"So, I had to really think on it, because we are technically both Female," Arthuria said as she dispelled her armor to reveal her rather sizeable bust. "So, I figured if we are going to try and make this work then we should iron out just how we should address one another I think."

"Y-you mean-!"

"Yes Mordred, I do."

"W-well I think that I should still call you Father since … well … you know-."

"Merlin," Arthuria scowled as she imagined just how funny he thought his actions had been at the time. "I suppose that makes sense given the fact that Morgana technically was the one who bore you for all that time."

"And to be honest, I've referred to myself as a man for ages and only Natsu has really spoken to me like I was a girl and that's really only in private so …"

"I understand. If you would like I could do so in private as well?"

"Yes," Mordred replied quickly only to blush in embarrassment which elicited a genuine laugh from the normally reserved King. "S-sorry."

"It is quite alright, I must admit I am rather excited to see where this goes too Mordred, my-."

Arthuria didn't have a chance to finish as Saber Artoria suddenly manifested herself mid strike right in front of Mordred who summoned Clarent to block her attack. The two sacred blades clashed, shaking the castle down to its foundations as the unprepared Mordred was blasted out the window.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS," Arthuria's voice boomed, demanding an answer from her younger counterpart who simply ignored her, donning her full armor and jumping right out the window and onto a nearby roof where Mordred had landed.

Having spun in mid-air and donned her own armor, Mordred came skidding to a stop on a nearby rooftop and was shocked to see her Saber Father fully prepared to attack her. Upon seeing Mordred's current appearance, Saber Artoria snarled and went to slash at Mordred again however this time she was ready and the two clashed with equal force.

"That armor of yours is nothing more than a mockery of my own!"

"This is the armor Clarent gave me," Mordred snapped back. "Why are you being like this Father!?"

"I have no child," Artoria snapped back in response as she broke of the clash and the pair exchanged a furious chain of slashes that couldn't be seen even by some of the weaker Servants.

Dodging her last downward slash, Mordred leapt off of the roof and onto the ground but Artoria was already there, kicking off of the ground with Excalibur glowing a bright golden colour with a powerful wind coating its edge.

"Father, be reasonable," Mordred pleaded as she ducked to avoid the attack and rolled out of the way to avoid being slashed from behind. "We don't have to fight!"

"I won't stand for whatever it is you're planning Mordred, I won't!"

"I'm not planning anything-!"

Mordred's words fell on deaf ears as Artoria charged her once again however this time when she came to attack Mordred dodged to the left and almost managed to land a swift strike on the King Of Knights who hadn't expected such a swift movement.

"So, you already reveal your true colours!"

"No Father, Clarent just doesn't want me to die!"

"LIES!"

The pair vanished and appeared at the end of the street exchanging fierce blows, the area around them being torn apart by shockwaves as the various civilians ran for cover. Mordred knew this wasn't going to end well and knew she needed to somehow get back to her older Father.

Clarent itself seemed to agree since Artoria knew the battlefield and would easily find her if she tried to hide. It was rather fortunate that she'd been able to recover before this or she'd have died back in the castle from the first strike for sure.

Reappearing at the centre of a busy street, Mordred was shocked to see Artoria touching down a considerable distance away at the top of a walkway, landing on top of a guardrail as she glared daggers down at her.

"Father stop!"

"You had a chance to leave but chose to go too far Mordred," Artoria replied coldly as she slowly began to raise Excalibur above her head. "Not even someone like Natsu could change a monster like you … Noble Phantasm Release –

"FATHER STOP! LOOK AT ALL THESE INNOCENT PEOPLE," Mordred cried out in shock, horrified that Artoria would go so far as to wipe out so many for the sheer chance of killing her.

"Their deaths will ensure the safety of-!"

"Ho? What an interesting sight I've stumbled across."

"Get out of the way," Artoria barked only for the newcomer to laugh as he stood in front of Mordred.

"Last I checked I didn't take orders from you, and these civilians were our responsibility to protect. Or have you suddenly had a change or heart and decided to join the World Government?"

"How dare you accuse me of such a reprehensible thing, Ozymandias!"

The Sun King grinned and summoned his staff to his right hand, slamming it down on the ground with the entire area seemingly heating up at his command. Mordred was shocked at the sheer level of power flowing out of the man who seemed to do it effortlessly.

"Now I'm not usually one to step into family affairs, but Mordred clearly is the one begging for you not to blow up an entire section of Eden and has asked numerous times for you to stop. Seems to me like you are the aggressor here, King Of Knights?"

"Tch-!"

"Whatever you may feel for Mordred has no place here," the man continued as more Servants seemed to arrive on the scene. "Stand down King Of Knights or I shall be forced to wipe you away!"

Artoria seemed to realize she was outnumbered as several other Kings had arrived to support Ozymandias. Gritting her teeth, she ceased her Noble Phantasm and dispelled her blade though her glare of hatred never once faded.

"There," Artoria spat before jumping off of the railing and vanishing behind a set of buildings as the crowd slowly began to disperse.

"Well now, that sure was interesting," Ozymandias sighed as he turned around to face the stunned Mordred. "Wondering why I, the great and powerful Sun King Ozymandias, came to your aid?"

"Y-yeah …"

"Let's just say that I know a fair bit about family drama and I did kind of see the whole thing. I'm also well aware of where you need to be and I doubt Natsu would be pleased with any of us if we just let her wipe you away here, right?"

"But why YOU of all Kings?"

"You'd rather it be Gilgamesh?"

"That isn't the point and you know it!"

"Hehehehahahaha! I assure you that my intentions here were noble, even if I refuse to take part in the upcoming war. Besides, there are two fools back at Euphoria who were most insistent that you not be harmed by the King Of Knights so I figured I'd grant them a boon."

"Two fools?"

"You know, Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash Kyrielight," the Sun King grinned, snapping his fingers to summon a giant Sphinx right there in the middle of the street. "Hop on, I think they'd like to see you after everything that has happened, no?"

Mordred nodded quickly and hopped onto the Sphinx, the beast taking to the skies gracefully. Unfortunately, Mordred's mind was too clouded to take in the view below as she tried to process what had just happened.

Despite how wonderful Eden was, she kind of wished she was back with Natsu already.

Hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you in the next one!