Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon

Chapter 23

"Mira, look out!"

Mira turned to see the red blast flying right towards her. Without her magic, she couldn't block it or fly away. She didn't have time to move, for it was moving far too fast. All she could do was watch in fear.

Until she felt a shove that pushed her far to the right.

Mira fell to the ground just as the blast passed by, missing her completely. She turned her head and looked up to see what had just happened and her eyes widened while her mouth hung open.

There, standing where she had just been standing not a second ago, was Nikolias, a massive hole through his chest from where the blast hit him. He stood there, motionless, a look of shock on his face while blood ran from his mouth and poured from his chest and back.

"NIKOLIAS!"


Severo's eyes went wide with fear. He whipped his head around. "You moron! I told you not to hit the dragon!" His whole body was shaking.

The cannon mage cowered. "But Master, I aimed completely away from him. He ran all the way across the field to save the girl. There was no way I could predict that!"

Severo paled. "Your punishment shall come later." He then returned his gaze to the battlefield. 'The Grand Lord isn't going to be happy about this.'


The Grand Lord slammed his massive fist on the wall, nearly breaking it as he stared out the window of the shrine. "NOOOOO!" he bellowed. "HE WAS TO BE UNINJURED! SEVERO! GET IN HERE!"

Moments later, a pale Severo entered the shrine. "You called, Grand Lord?" The next thing Severo knew, he was being slammed against the wall. He felt the air leave his lungs.

"Tell me why the dragon was hit by the Main Cannon," the Grand Lord hissed, "when I specifically told you that I was to fight and kill him?"

"I…It was an accident, Grand Lord," Severo squeaked. "He ran into it from the other side of the plain."

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR EXCUSES!" the Grand Lord roared as he threw Severo at the door frame. He collided with it and shakily got to his knees. The Grand Lord glared down at him. "Order the immediate retreat."

Severo looked up at him. "Retreat, Grand Lord?"

"Did I stutter?"

"No, but why retreat? We can still kill some fairies…"

"Killing fairies wasn't the objective of today," the Grand Lord interjected. "Today, the goals of the Bloody Moon guild were on hold so that I could get the opportunity to kill the damn Half-Dragon. But you and the other pathetic goons fucked it all up! I will fight and kill that creature, but only when he is at full strength. Only then will I be satisfied." He bent down slightly. "Do I make myself clear now? Order the immediate retreat."

Severo rose to his feet. "Yes, Grand Lord." He then ran out of the shrine.

The Grand Lord cried out in frustration, knocking over anything he could. "DAMN IT ALL!"


Nikolias began to sway slightly on his feet. His breathing was raspy and labored. He then lurched forward with his eyes squeezed shut, vomiting large amounts of blood. He coughed a few times while still bending slightly forward, splattering more blood on the dirt.

All fighting had ceased as soon as the blast hit Nikolias. The Fairy Tail mages stopped fighting because Nikolias was hurt and they were concerned. They were also in shock, for no one thought that he would get injured like this. The Bloody Moon mages, however, stopped fighting because they knew Nikolias was not to be hurt and they were now terrified as to what the consequences would be.

Mira felt tears stinging her eyes as she slowly rose to her feet. "Nikolias, no," she sobbed.

Suddenly, shadows began to dance around Nikolias as he clenched his fists. "Like hell," he growled.

All of the Bloody Moon mages backed away. None of them liked what they were seeing. They couldn't believe that this guy was standing let alone releasing so much power.

"Niky, are you okay?" asked a worried Gracie, who ran all the way over as soon as she saw what had happened.

Nikolias slowly lifted his head, staring down the Bloody Moon mages with golden dragon eyes. "Like hell I'm gonna let you kill the girl I love."

Everyone in Fairy Tail was stunned by what was just said. Of course, no one was more stunned than Mira, who was blushing furiously. "Nikolias, you…"

However, she couldn't finish that thought. Nikolias let out an angry cry as the shadows around him intensified. He then leapt high into the air and towards the very center of the Bloody Moon mages. As he began his descent, the shadows around him thickened as he called out, "SHADOW DRAGON SHOCKWAVE!"

The Bloody Moon mages began to run away in fear. They couldn't believe that he could fight like this with a hole in his chest.

Nikolias crashed into the ground and, after a second-long delay, a concussive shadow blast shot outwards. Many unfortunate mages were blown far away, hitting the ground with enough force to severely injure most of them. Some were fortunate enough to get back up relatively quickly and continue running. Nikolias slowly rose from his impact and stared at the retreating mages.

Then, a voice boomed across the plain. "EVERYONE RETREAT! BY ORDER OF THE GRAND LORD, WE SHALL RETREAT FOR NOW! BUT MARK MY WORDS, FAIRIES, YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED!"

"You aren't getting away!" Nikolias roared while extending his right hand. "SHADOW WHIP!" Countless shadow tendrils shot out of Nikolias' hand and wrapped around a dozen or so Bloody Moon mages. He yanked hard on the Shadow Whips, pulling all of the mages off of the ground. He then began to whip them around as if they were rag dolls before slamming them into the hard ground with enough force to instantly kill them all. He released the Shadow Whips and returned his attention to the rest of his targets, but curled his lips in frustration to see them all up the hill and initiating the full retreat order. He watched them run, his shadows disappearing but the snarl never leaving his face.

"Well fought, everyone!" Makarov declared. "For now, we have won, but it sounds like they haven't learned their lesson yet. We must be prepared for their next attack. We can only assume that it will be soon."

Everyone cheered.

Gracie took a few steps towards Nikolias. "Yo Niky, glad to see you didn't lose your cool there."

No response.

"Niky? You can hear me, I know you can."

Still no response.

"Nikolias?" Mira called out.

Everyone turned their attention towards the motionless Nikolias who stood with his back to them. They could all see that the hole in his body was somehow already beginning to close. The Red Eye truly had incredible power.

"Damn it, Niky, answer me!" Gracie yelled while taking another few steps forward. However, she was stopped in her tracks when Nikolias finally moved.

Nikolias swayed a bit on his feet before eventually falling to his knees and then collapsing on the ground.

"Niky!" Gracie yelled while running towards him. "Wendy, come here quickly!" She turned him over onto his back to see his eyes closed and his face stained with his own blood. She immediately pressed her fingers to his neck and put her ear to his chest. "He's still alive, but his pulse has slowed way down and his heart beat is weak. Wendy, hurry!"

"I'm here!" Wendy cried while kneeling beside Nikolias. She then hovered her hands over his chest. "I can do this, Nikolias. I can heal you. I have confidence in myself. HEAVEN'S AURA!" Her hands then began to glow light blue as magic poured into the gaping hole in Nikolias' chest. The wound began to glow light blue as Wendy's magic started to work on closing it. Everyone watched with bated breath as Wendy put every ounce of strength she had into healing Nikolias. They watched in amazement as the wound closed little by little every second.

After about three minutes, Nikolias' wound was completely closed and Wendy stopped her magic. She fell back and was caught by Natsu. "Wendy, are you alright?"

She nodded slowly. "I put…every ounce of…energy I had…into using that technique. I'm just…exhausted. Is he…okay?"

Gracie put an ear to his chest. "His heart is still beating and it may have even picked up the pace a bit. Great work, Wendy!"

Wendy smiled weakly. "I'm glad…he's alright."

Gracie brushed off her clothes. "Hopefully he'll wake up soon, but he lost a lot of blood. With some quality rest, I'm hoping he'll be on his feet in no time."

Makarov sighed. "Well that was certainly a scare. We should head back to the guild as quickly as possible so that Nikolias can get that rest."

Gracie nodded. "Sounds like a good plan. I'll carry him, but don't tell him. He'll be pissed when he hears that he was carried."

"How else would he get to the guild?" Gajeel asked. "He'd put it together."

"Okay, let me restate it then," she said while glaring at Gajeel. "Don't bring it up."

Gajeel chuckled nervously. "Got it."

Gracie bent down and carried Nikolias in her arms. "Let's get to Magnolia on the double."

Everyone nodded and began the walk home, praying Nikolias would wake up soon.


Severo hit the stone wall of the Grand Lord's throne room hard, cracking it slightly before falling to the ground. He was covered in deep cuts from the beating he had received from a very enraged Grand Lord and was struggling to rise to his feet.

The Grand Lord stormed over to him and gave him one final and powerful kick to the face, smashing him into the wall once more. "And maybe next time, you will do as I say. I was even kind enough to remind you."

Severo coughed up blood while he struggled to speak. "Yes G…Grand Lord. This w…was my f…fault. I…It won't h…happen ag…gain."

"It better not," the Grand Lord hissed. "I won't be so forgiving the second time." He straightened up. "We will return tomorrow and I will get my prize."

"But Grand L…Lord," Severo said, "the boy was…fatally wounded. Th…There's no way h…he'll be alive."

The Grand Lord glared at him. "Believe me, that creature is alive. He's far too stubborn to die so easily. That blast wouldn't have killed him."

Severo was surprised to hear that someone could actually survive a direct attack from their Main Cannon. "He could survive that, Grand Lord?"

"He can and will, which is why the fight will be tomorrow," the Grand Lord said with a grin. "I've been waiting for so long to fight him and to kill him."

Severo shakily got to his feet. "Tomorrow, Grand Lord. T…Tomorrow you shall get your prize."

The Grand Lord laughed. "Of course! I always get what I want." He grabbed Severo's neck and lifted him off of the ground. "Now listen, Severo. I have a plan and I expect you to follow it to the letter."


Two hours had passed and Nikolias still remained unconscious as he lay in the infirmary bed. Everyone in the guild was silent, praying that he would recover and wake up. No one wanted to see their friend suffer.

Mira had not left his side for a second. She sat at his bedside, staring at his sleeping face with tears in her eyes. "Why?" she whispered. "Why did you have to risk your life like that? I don't want that." She took his hand in hers, wishing that it was warm like it usually was. Wishing that it would squeeze back. "Please wake up, Nikolias. Please stay with me."

A knock came at the door and Gracie poked her head in. "How's the patient?"

Mira didn't answer. Instead, she just cried into the bed.

Gracie walked up and rubbed her back gently. "It's okay, Mira. Niky will be fine, so don't you worry about a thing."

"Why? Why did he have to save me like that? I don't want to see him like this."

Gracie sighed. "Telling Niky to not save someone he cares for is like trying to get the sun to stop rising and falling. It's something that will happen whether you like it or not."

"But why like this?"

"I'm sure that he didn't intend to get hit, but your safety was far more important to him. He cares for you a lot, you know."

Mira lifted her head to look at Nikolias. "He said he loved me."

Gracie giggled. "That probably slipped out. He wanted to tell you on your date tonight, but in all of the excitement it just came out."

"I was so happy when he said that, but I didn't want it to be like this."

"But look on the bright side, Mira. It's out there. And Niky will wake up. You can be together now and you two can be happy."

Mira tightened her grip on Nikolias' hand. "I'm looking forward to that."

Gracie put a hand on her shoulder. "You should get some sleep, Mira. It's late and you used a lot of energy today. Besides, you should be fully rested when Niky wakes up."

Mira shook her head. "I'm staying by his side until he wakes up. I need to take care of him."

Gracie sighed, but she couldn't help but smile. "Alright then, I won't stop you." She then let herself out and let Mira stay by Nikolias' side.

Mira laid her head gently on Nikolias' arm. "I'll be right here, Nikolias. I won't leave your side, just like I promised. Just come back soon. I still need to tell you how I feel. I still need to tell you that I love you."


The moon shone brightly through the window of the infirmary and illuminated the sleeping faces of Mira and Nikolias. It had been five hours now and Nikolias showed no signs of waking up anytime soon. Mira had dozed off a couple hours ago, her head on Nikolias' arm and her hand still firmly grasping Nikolias' right hand. She was mumbling incoherent words in her restless sleep, but it was clear that whatever she was dreaming about was bothering her.

Suddenly, her head snapped up. "Nikolias!" she cried out. She was panting heavily as her eyes scanned the room. She then looked down to see the still unconscious Nikolias and once again, tears filled her eyes. "I thought I heard your voice. I thought you woke up, but I can see that that wasn't the case." She squeezed his hand tightly. "Oh Nikolias, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. If only I hadn't stayed to fight once my magic was depleted, you wouldn't have had to save me." She rested her head on the mattress. "Can you ever forgive me?" She waited for a response, but none came. Tears rolled down her cheek and stained the sheets. "Please wake up, Nikolias," she sobbed. "Please wake up soon."

A soft groan could be heard and Mira's head shot up. She looked at Nikolias' face with wide and hopeful eyes. She watched as his eyes tightened slightly and then slowly but surely began to open. Mira's breath caught in her throat when Nikolias' golden brown eyes reflected the moonlight.

He turned his head slightly to see Mira looking at him with teary eyes. "Mira?" he said, his voice raspy. "What's wrong?"

Mira couldn't control it anymore. The emotions were too much. She threw herself onto Nikolias, forcing him to exhale sharply, and began balling her eyes out into his chest. "You're awake!" she cried. "You're finally awake! I was so worried."

Nikolias gave a small smile as he lifted his heavy arm to wrap it around Mira's back. "I didn't mean to worry you."

"You need to stop getting hurt, Nikolias," she said.

He laughed, but then broke into a coughing fit. Once he had calmed down, he smiled. "No promises there. But I can promise that I'll always come back."

Mira lifted herself off of him slightly to look at him. "Why did you do it?"

"Do what?" he asked.

"Why did you save me by putting your own life at risk?"

He moved his hand up to gently cup Mira's face and smiled warmly. "Because I love you, Mira. I love you and I want to be there for you."

She lay there, frozen, Nikolias' words rendering her brain useless. However, it soon kicked back into action and the words began to register in her mind. Even though Nikolias had said it on the battlefield, part of her wondered if it was untrue; if the heat of the battle made him go crazy. But to hear him say it in this setting made her heart soar. She smiled as more tears rolled down her cheeks and onto Nikolias' chest. "I love you too, Nikolias. I've been meaning to tell you for a while, but I was scared to push you away. But I do. I love you." She then crept closer and planted a firm kiss on Nikolias' lips.

She had kissed him before when he was in his dragon form, but nothing could compare to the feeling of this kiss. The tingling in her fingers, the feeling of his soft lips on hers, the heat that spread through her entire body—nothing she had ever experienced before could top these sensations.

He responded by kissing her back with as much passion and energy that he could muster while wrapping his arms tightly around her.

Mira pulled away and gave a small laugh. She couldn't believe how happy she felt in this moment. She wished that it could last forever. "I've wanted to do that for so long." She slowly stood up and wiped away some tears. "I'll let you rest, but I'll see you in the morning, okay?" She then turned to leave but was stopped by a sudden grip on her wrist. She turned around to see Nikolias looking at her with a gaze that melted her heart.

Nikolias slowly scooted over in his bed. "Stay with me?"

Mira smiled and nodded. "Okay." She sat back down and nestled into Nikolias' side. He put the covers over her and then wrapped his arms around her thin frame. She smiled as she buried herself deeper into his warm and toned body, settling her head in the crook of his neck. "Goodnight, Nikolias."

"Goodnight, Mira," he replied softly as he set his head gently against hers.

In that moment, Mira knew that this was how she wanted to spend the rest of her life; sharing a warm embrace with Nikolias with a smile on her face. She loved him and he loved her and there was nothing that could make her happier.


Gracie walked down the halls of the guild on her way to the infirmary. She was hoping that Nikolias had woken up by now. If not, then even she might start to worry as much as Mira. Speaking of Mira, she hoped that if Nikolias had woken up, Mira knew and they could talk things out. She giggled as she walked. 'Leave it to Niky to admit his feelings during a battle. His timing couldn't be worse.'

She knocked gently on the door to the infirmary. "Niky? You awake in there?" She didn't hear a response, so she slowly opened the door and let herself in. However, she soon stopped when she saw Mira sleeping in Nikolias' bed, snuggling into his body with his arms wrapped around her. She smiled at the sight. 'It's about damn time, Niky.' She walked over to the bed and gently shook the two. "Hey you lovebirds. It's morning. Time to rise and shine!"

Mira's eyes slowly opened. She yawned and blinked away some fatigue before looking up at Gracie. "Oh, good morning Gracie. I didn't hear you come in."

Gracie gave her a mischievous smile. "Well, I'm sure you were just too comfortable."

Mira's brain was still half asleep, so it took a while for Gracie's words to sink in. Once they did, her face turned bright red as she sat straight up, tearing herself from Nikolias' embrace. She immediately regretted it, though, for she missed the comfort and warmth of his arms.

Gracie laughed. "No need to get so embarrassed, Mira. This is what I've been hoping for, after all. I'm just teasing you."

Mira looked down at her hands, her blush never fading.

Gracie turned her attention to Nikolias, who was still sound asleep. "Hey Mira, he did wake up right?"

Mira nodded. "Yes, he woke up last night."

"Good, so then he's just being a lazy ass." Her mischievous grin then returned. "So, do anything super fun last night?"

Mira began waving her hands in front of her. "Nothing really, I swear!"

"Really? Nothing at all? He just woke up and you decided to get in bed with him? C'mon Mira, I ain't stupid. Give me the deets. What happened?"

Mira sighed, but decided it was best to give Gracie what she wanted, especially when she was sure she was right. If you didn't yield, you would be hounded until you confessed. In that regards, they were very similar people. She then recounted the events of last night to Gracie.

When Mira finished her story, Gracie clapped her hands together. "Good! So now it's all out there! Are you two together now?"

Mira smiled while she blushed. "I…I'd like to think so."

"I'm sure Niky feels that way, especially if he told you that he loved you."

"Good," Mira said dreamily.

Gracie smiled. "Well, I should tell the Master that Niky is awake." She then shot Mira a wink. "See what you can do about waking Niky up, okay?" She then left the two alone.

Mira was blushing furiously after Gracie's comment, but once she left, she looked at Nikolias' sleeping face and all feelings of embarrassment vanished. She was happy to be by his side. She leaned down, making sure to keep the hair out of her face, and gently kissed Nikolias on the lips. She heard him give a soft groan and then pulled away to look at his waking face.

Nikolias gave a big yawn before opening his eyes, his golden brown eyes glowing from the sunlight. He turned his head and looked at Mira with a smile. "Good morning."

"Good morning," she said softly, a big smile on her face.

He sat up in the bed, but never broke eye contact. "How'd you sleep?"

"Very well. And you?"

"Like a happy baby."

"I'm glad."

Nikolias leaned forward and stole a quick kiss before getting out of bed. "Well, I'm sick of this bed now. Feel like I've been in it for a year. Should we get something to eat?"

Mira nodded and stood up as well. "Let's."

The two made their way to the door of the infirmary. Mira was the first to get there, so she opened the door and was surprised when she felt Nikolias firmly grasp her hand in his. She looked at him with a blush on her face.

He gave her one of the most adorable smiles she had ever seen in her life. "Thanks for staying with me."

She smiled back. "Anytime. I'll always be by your side." She then took a deep breath. "Are…we dating now?"

He chuckled. "I'd like to think so."

She let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad."

He gently began pulling her out of the infirmary. "Alright, I'm starved now. Let's eat!"

She giggled. "Alright, alright. You don't have to pull, I'm coming."

The two walked hand in hand into the Main Hall. Much to Nikolias' surprise, everyone was waiting for them and, as soon as they walked in, they mobbed the two.

"So you two are together now?" Levi asked.

"Good to see you on your feet, Nikolias," Laxus commented.

"How the hell are you alive?" Gajeel asked.

"Confessions on the battlefield. How romantic," Lucy said.

"You kicked some ass out there, man," Gray complimented.

"Welcome back from the brink of death," Gildarts joked.

Nikolias laughed nervously while Mira stood there smiling. She had made up her mind that she wouldn't be embarrassed. After all, this is what she wanted. She was happier than ever.

"Alright everyone, leave them be," Makarov said as he worked his way to the front. "How are you feeling, Nikolias?"

Nikolias nodded. "100% Master. I'm good to go." He found Wendy in the crowd and smiled at her. "And I have you to thank, Wendy. Without you, I'd probably be dead. I'm really glad I taught you Chloe's move."

Wendy gave a smile. "I'm just glad that I could help."

"So you think you could fight?" Makarov asked.

Nikolias nodded and gave a toothy grin. "Hell yeah I can fight. When those guys show their faces again, they'll see no mercy."

Makarov smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. For now, rest up and relax. We'll need everyone in top form for when they return."

"Understood."

Makarov left and everyone else went back to their respective tables. Nikolias and Mira headed over to the bar so Nikolias could eat and Mira could work. Despite all that had been happening with the Bloody Moon guild, Fairy Tail was in very high spirits. After all, it would take more than a crazy dark guild to bring them down.


"Grand Lord, we've almost arrived," Severo said with a bow. "Magnolia is about three miles away."

"Excellent," the Grand Lord said and stood from his seat. "You better not fail me again, Severo."

"Yes, Grand Lord. I shall not fail you. The dragon is yours and yours alone and my subordinates understand the plan fully so that this time, there will be no setbacks."

The Grand Lord laughed. "Good!" He pumped his massive fist. "Then today is the day that I finish what I started!"


The alarm sounded throughout the guild hall.

"Is that the Bloody Moon guild?" Lucy asked.

"According to my runes, it is the Bloody Moon guild. They have returned," Freed explained.

"They're back already?" Gray asked. "Then why bother retreating yesterday? There's no way they could resupply or find new recruits in such a short amount of time."

"Their reasons are unimportant," Makarov stated. "We need to go intercept them and end this thing once and for all. Nikolias, do you feel up to flying?"

"Absolutely," Nikolias said. He then gave Mira a kiss before running for the door and calling out behind him, "Prepare your things. I'll be waiting outside."

Makarov nodded. "Alright everyone, we prepare for the next battle! Let's win this and show them what happens when they mess with Fairy Tail!"

Everyone cheered while quickly gathering their necessary tools.

The next battle was about to begin.


Nikolias landed on the same plain as before and lowered himself so that everyone could dismount. Makarov, Gracie, and Mira all hopped off of his head and assisted everyone else.

"Man, I can't believe we're here again," Gray complained. "Seriously, this is pissing me off. We should have just chased after them and finished this yesterday."

"Nikolias was injured," Wendy reminded him. "I don't think anyone was thinking about Bloody Moon when they were retreating."

"That's true," Gray said.

"I'm psyched for round two!" Natsu said while pumping his fist in the air. "Yesterday's fight was too short."

Nikolias emerged from the shadows of his transformation in his human form and walked over. "We'll end this today, Gray. Don't you worry."

"Yeah!" Gracie exclaimed. "Let's hope for a challenge!"

Nikolias sighed. "Gracie, this isn't the kind of situation that you want to be challenging. We need to think about getting everyone back home."

"Oh don't give me that," Gracie said with her hands on her hips. "Just yesterday you were saying how much you enjoy challenges and how easy that fight was."

"Don't take what I said out of context!" Nikolias exclaimed while getting in Gracie's face. "What I said yesterday was that I enjoy challenges but not once did I say that I wished this war would be a challenge."

"It's called reading between the lines!" she threw back. "Just admit it!"

"That's enough, you two," Makarov interrupted. "Why are you fighting?"

"We're not really fighting," Gracie explained. "Our conversations just have a tendency to get heated like this. It's part of our relationship. No need to worry."

"I see. Well, put it on hold for now," Makarov said while pointing to his right. "They're here."


Severo exited the portable shrine and stood upon the hill of the plain. His subordinates were all lined up and ready for another fight. "Alright men, take them down, but remember the plan!" The men gave a battle cry and charged forward as if yesterday's huge loss had never happened. Severo then turned around to face his elites. "Alright you four, you know the plan."

Juggernaut, Stryke, Stealth, and Vanish all nodded. "Yes Master," they all replied simultaneously.

Severo nodded. "Good. Now go out there and fulfill your missions!" The four nodded and charged forward while Severo sighed. "This plan had better work or I'm as good as dead."


Natsu, Gray, and Lucy stood close together while fending off some Bloody Moon mages.

"Watch out for the group over there!" Lucy called out.

Natsu nodded. "FIRE DRAGON ROAR!" A mighty flame erupted from Natsu's mouth and took out several attackers.

Gray put his hands together. "ICE MAKE: LANCE!" Ice shards flew at several other mages, slicing through their flesh and immobilizing them. "That takes care of a bunch of them. These guys are no stronger and their numbers are significantly smaller from yesterday. What the hell are they planning?"

Suddenly, a massive figure came down from the sky, taking out a few Bloody Moon mages and forcing Natsu, Gray, and Lucy to shield their eyes.

"What was that?" Lucy asked.

From the cloud of dust, a massive, heavily armored man stomped his way over to the trio, making the ground shake with each step.

Gray clenched his jaw. "Juggernaut."

Juggernaut looked at Gray. "Ah, there's one of the cowards that ran away from me. I was hoping for a full reunion, but I have no problem taking you all out one by one."

"Like hell! We're ready for you this time! We know what you can do!" Gray shouted.

"You know nothing," Juggernaut replied simply. "Now please sit still and don't run away. I hate running."

Suddenly, a tornado of steel shot towards Juggernaut and collided with his side. The trio turned to see Gajeel firing his Iron Dragon Roar at Juggernaut.

"Gajeel?" Natsu asked. "What are you doing over here?"

Gajeel stopped his attack and smirked. "I've been lookin' forward to fighting you again. Last time was a fluke. This time, I'm gonna slice you into little ity bity pieces."

Juggernaut turned his head to look at Gajeel, completely unaffected by the surprise attack. "Oh good, two of you are together. That's so much less work for me. I can kill all five of the cowards much faster this way."

Lucy was still staring at Juggernaut. "How big is that guy? And how was he unaffected by Gajeel's Iron Dragon Roar?"

"He has something called Clotted Blood Magic," Gray explained. "If by some miracle you are able to penetrate his impossibly thick skin, the injury will immediately heal itself."

Lucy's eyes widened. "H…How are we supposed to win then?"

"We'll find a way," Natsu growled. "We can take down this bastard!"

Juggernaut stared at Natsu and Lucy. "I find new prey interesting, but I'm sorry if my first targets are the two who ran away from me before."

"Fine by me!" Gajeel roared.

"Right," Gray said while preparing his magic. "We can take you down easy. Natsu and Lucy are like insurance."

"Oi, what'd you call me?" Natsu yelled.

"Natsu, not the time," Lucy said while putting a hand on his shoulder.

Natsu looked away from Gray. "Fine, but I won't forget that comment, icicle breath." He then turned his attention to Juggernaut. "We'll take this guy down and then I'll beat the crap out of you!"

Gray smirked. "Like you could, but it sounds like a plan. Let's beat the shit out of this guy, Natsu! Lucy! Gajeel!"

"Right!" the three cried in unison.

Juggernaut simply laughed. "Give me your best shot."


Nikolias and Gracie slashed their way through countless Bloody Moon mages.

"Too easy!" Gracie complained. "Ugh, this is getting boring now! It's senseless carnage."

"Would you stop complaining?" Nikolias said while he swiftly decapitated a mage with his black blades. "There's nothing we can do about it, so just end it quickly and spar with someone in the guild when we get back."

Gracie lit up. "That's a great plan! You're so smart, Niky!"

Nikolias sighed. "Man, you're a pain in the ass."

"Your skills have not dulled I see," came a new yet familiar voice.

Nikolias and Gracie turned to see who the voice belonged to. Upon seeing who stood there, Nikolias growled and bared his now sharp fangs.

Standing before them were Stealth and Vanish, smiling while looking at the corpses of their guild mates.

"My, he's just as violent as ever, Stealth," Vanish commented.

"Indeed he is," Stealth nodded.

"So, boy, we have come here because we feel like watching you fight. So please, pretend like we're not here," Vanish said.

"If you didn't want us to know that you were here, then why speak up at all?" Gracie asked while standing on guard. "Niky, who are these guys?"

Nikolias' growl was growing fiercer and louder. "These are those fuckers who use the Spatial Walk Magic."

"No way," Gracie said, astounded.

"I'm glad to know that you remember us," Stealth said. "It would be unfortunate to have to reintroduce ourselves."

Nikolias chuckled. "You never introduced yourselves, but it's not like I care. In a few seconds, your names will be worthless."

"We didn't? My, how rude. Let's fix that. I'm Vanish," Vanish said while gesturing to himself. He then moved his hand to his partner. "And this is Stealth."

"Yeah, pretty sure I basically just told you two that I don't give a fuck what your names are," Nikolias said.

"It's only polite. After all, we know your name, Nikolias. You should know ours. It's only fair," Vanish explained.

Nikolias raised an eyebrow. He couldn't recall ever telling them his name. However, he shook those thoughts away, realizing that now wasn't the time to be concerning himself over how they found out his name. He crouched low. "Sorry if I don't buy this observation crap. You two came here to die, didn't you?"

Vanish shook his head. "No, we came to observe. Nothing more."

Nikolias grinded his teeth together. He couldn't tell why, but he was getting extremely pissed off.

Stealth tilted his head slightly. "My, you look angry. Should we be worried, Vanish?"

"No I don't think so," Vanish replied. "He could never catch us to kill us."

"Ah, you're right. The one time he was actually able to capture us, we escaped with minimum effort."

Nikolias was trembling now. Gracie noticed this immediately. "Take it easy, Niky. They're just trying to get under your skin. Don't let them," she said in a soothing tone.

"We're doing nothing of the sort, girl," Stealth said. "We're simply reminding Nikolias of his failure to kill us or even capture us in our last encounter."

Nikolias was trembling even more. "You two," he hissed. "It's because of you two that our surprise attack on the Bloody Moon guild hall was a bust. It's because of you that they were prepared and I took a hit. It's because of you that she worried." He clenched his fists. "It's because of you that she cried!" Shadows were leaking from his body.

Gracie was getting a bit worried. "Niky, keep your head."

"Yes Nikolias, keep your head. Don't waste your energy chasing those you can never hope to touch," Vanish said.

Nikolias had enough. "I'm gonna kill you little fuckers right here right now!" he roared as he leapt towards them.

However, they easily dodged, and landed a safe distance away. "You have to actually catch us, dragon!" Stealth called out. "Otherwise, how do you hope to kill us?"

Nikolias continued his pursuit, chasing the two Spatial Walk wizards farther and farther away from the battlefield.

"Niky, where are you going?" Gracie called out. However, he wasn't listening to her. She sighed. "Men and their egos. It's incredible that even Half-Dragons have the typical male ego."

"Gracie!"

Gracie turned to see Erza and Mira running over. "Hey you two. What are you doing over here?"

"We noticed the two strange men and Mira wanted to check it out," Erza explained.

"Where is Nikolias going?" Mira asked.

Gracie scratched her head with the back of one of her katanas. "Beats me. Those two talked a bunch of crap and it pissed off Niky to no end. My guess is that was their intention and Niky bought it hook line and sinker."

"It must have been bad to anger Nikolias in such a way," Erza said. "What exactly did they say?"

"A bunch of stuff that probably only makes sense to Niky. It's not really important, though. All we can do is fight and wait for him to come back," Gracie said.

"Oh don't worry. You won't live that long."

The strange voice had all three women whipping their heads around and standing on guard. Standing before them was a man with red markings all over his muscular body like tattoos. He had a wicked grin on his face that was reminiscent of a psycho killer. He stared at the three with wild red eyes.

"Who are you?" Erza demanded.

The man laughed. "I'm so glad that Vanish and Stealth completed their mission so quickly. I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold on."

"Mission?" Gracie asked. "What mission?"

The man thought. "Hmm…I don't think I'm supposed to tell you. And it's not really any of your business, so let's just say that they did what they were ordered to do."

"That's an unacceptable answer. Plus, you still haven't answered the first question," Erza said. "Who are you?"

"Ah, right! I always introduce myself to my victims before I cut them up! That way, their last thoughts can be of the man that took their lives!" the man said while laughing manically.

"So who are you?" Mira asked. "We're getting impatient."

The man stopped laughing and bowed low. "My apologies. My name is Stryke and I'll be killing you three today."

Erza requipped into her Robe of Yuen armor and readied her bisento. Gracie twirled her katanas and Mira took her Satan Soul form. "Not happening," Erza replied.

"Ooooo, you three look like you'll be fun to slice up! Alright then!" Stryke took his hands and made deep incisions in each of his forearms with his sharp, jagged nails. The blood ran down his arms quickly and collected into his palm. The blood then began to glow and took the shape of two red sultan swords. He gripped the sword handles and his whole body began to glow red. "Let the fun commence!"


The Grand Lord looked out from the window of his shrine and laughed. "Excellent. Everything is going according to plan."