(Edited 21/03/19)
(Edited 22/10/21)
(Edited 10/06/22)
I do not own Fairy Tail Hiro Mashima does.
Countering The Counterattack
/Erza's POV/
The sound of battle cries and explosions was what Erza was met with as her eyes slowly began to open, a pounding headache almost immediately greeting her the moment she tried to sit up.
"Damn it, did I get hit by the train or what?"
"Careful Erza, you've broken a few ribs," Mira replied softly as she gently helped Erza up into a sitting position. "All things considered, you got off lightly. Most mages would've been vaporized if they stood in the way of a Jupiter Cannon blast."
"Mira, is everyone ok? What's the situation?"
"I think this should answer your question," was Mira's only response as she wrapped Natsu's scarf around her neck.
"What … Then that means Natsu is-!?"
"Alive and leading the counterattack, yeah."
Erza got up and hobbled over to the window to see the ocean frozen over and the Jupiter Cannon destroyed. Her friends down below seemed to be fighting against Jose's shades however it appeared that nothing they did could harm them. They were likely buying time.
"How long was I out to miss all this, and who froze the ocean?"
"Natsu got Ur to help out; apparently he even got Mystogan to come back too."
"So, Jose was lying then," Erza sighed in relief as she clutched the scarf tightly. "I was a fool for even remotely believing something from that bastard's mouth."
"Well, Natsu did have a broken nose so it looks like Jose wasn't being completely untruthful."
"Wait, Natsu actually got hurt!?"
"Nothing too bad. He was here a few minutes ago and told me to give you his scarf when you wake up. Apparently, you'd know what it meant."
Erza sighed as she took a seat. "He doesn't want me pushing myself further, damn Natsu trying to play hero."
"I'm pretty sure this fight is covered Erza, once Mystogan gets here it's as good as done."
"But I can't just sit here and do nothing Mira," Erza huffed in annoyance.
"I say the same thing to myself everyday Erza. After Lisanna …. I can't do anything to protect others. I know it's hard but sometimes you just have to stay put."
"Mira I'm sorry I-!"
Mira simply waved her hand silencing Erza as she placed some cake in front of her much to the redhead's delight.
"Eat this, try to take your mind off things. Natsu has plenty of backup so he'll be back before you know it."
"Fine, but I still don't like this," Erza sighed in defeat.
'Please be safe everyone,' Mira thought as she stared out the window at the battle that raged on.
/Phantom Lord Guild Hall/
"You didn't take long to get back on your feet Natsu."
"No time for playing around unfortunately Ur, though if you happen to have any fire in those pockets of yours …?"
"I'm glad you're not dead Natsu," Elise cut in with a smile which prompted a confused reaction from the Dragon Slayer.
"Dead? Who told you I was dead?"
"Phantom's Guild Master did, lying ain't friggin manly!"
"And you all just believed what that prick Jose said?"
"Well, with a Jupiter Cannon in your face it often stresses out even the most disciplined of mages," Ur replied, clearly amused by Natsu's disbelief.
"Right. Well, we all know what we have to do, take out the Element Four and Gajeel then meet up to help Natsu finish of Jose," Gray said prompting Natsu to chuckle.
"Leave Jose to me Gray, you'll just be in the way."
"The hell did you just say!?"
"Are you two really men, you act like kids," Ur giggled prompting Gray to look away with a huff.
"Enough of this, we need to move," Natsu sighed as he took point and began to sprint up the destroyed barrel.
"You heard him everyone, let's get going!"
"Right," everyone shouted in unison as they began to make their way up the barrel.
Natsu dashed past the weak mages littering the Guild Hall knowing full well that the others could handle them. Besides, he needed to save his energy for Jose who would likely take more than a few blows to take down.
"Where the hell are you, Jose!"
Upon receiving no response Natsu began to break everything in sight until a projection appeared in front of him.
"You have some nerve Fairy brat after what you did back at the other hall. I'll fight you again simply to crush the life out of you! Take those stairs to the right and take them to the top and you'll find me soon enough."
Natsu simply growled as he bolted up the stairs, his rage continuing to build as he thought about what Phantom did to Makarov, to Erza and to his family.
Meanwhile, the others were currently searching for their targets and finding that they had very little luck as they sprinted about the place with little to no idea as to the direction they were going.
"This place is huge, how the hell are we supposed to find anyone here?"
"Gray, remember what I taught you about being aware of your surroundings?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
"They're called the Element Four right, well look over there," Ur said as the group looked to where she was pointing and noticed that it was raining.
"That's your target Gray. My target is around here somewhere, the winds have picked up."
"Now that you mention it, something seems off with the ground."
"It seems you believe yourselves to have us figured out," a voice said from down the hallway as a man carrying a sword began to walk slowly towards them.
"And there's number Four," Ur sighed.
"Guess I'll take this one then," Elise said as she faced the man.
"Then that leaves this one to me," Elfman yelled as he punched the ground.
"No! Zis simply will not do," a man snapped as he emerged from the ground.
"I'm going after this Aria guy, you guys be careful," Ur said as she ran down a nearby hallway.
"Yeah, I'll go after the rain woman," Gray agreed as he rushed off in the rain's direction.
"You Fairies are taking us too lightly; I am Totomaru, The Great Fire, one of the Element Four. You are well past the chance of surrendering so I must put an end to you here."
"I couldn't care less who you are; you don't attack Fairy Tail, hurt our friends and get away with it! War God's Wakizashi!"
A black blade appeared in Elise's hand that had magical runes etched into it, practically humming with power as she held it expertly to her side whilst charging her foe.
"You won't be winning this fight Fairy," Totomaru smirked in response as he clashed with Elise who easily blocked the strike.
"We'll see about that."
You are Elfman no, one of ze take over siblings? I am Sol, Ze Great Earth, and I will be crushing you zis day."
"Look pal I don't know what your deal is but you're getting in our way and that ain't manly!"
"On ze contrary I think you're the one interfering, no?"
Elfman just roared as he threw another punch at Sol much to the man's amusement as he lazily dodged the attack.
"Can't even form a full Take Over, you are no match for me, little Fairy."
Elfman just got angrier as he charged Sol and the two began to battle it out.
/Gray's POV/
Gray had been running for a few minutes until he ended up outside, quickly finding himself drenched by the strange raincloud that was only localized around that particular section of the guild.
"Damn … Does this rain ever let up?"
"Drip drip drop," a feminine voice sighed as woman with blue hair, blue eyes and blue attire slowly paced toward him. "You must be a mage from the Fairy Tail Guild?"
"Are you the one causing this rain?"
"Yes, I am Juvia The Great Sea, one of the Element Four. Please surrender, this fighting is pointless, if you surrender now, I might be able to convince the Master to be lenient."
"Sorry, but that's not gonna happen, not after what happened to gramps. At least you're not as crazy as the other Phantom Lord members though."
"The others hate Fairy Tail, they see your guild as shadowing ours from its true glory. I on the other hand think that if we were to work hard, we could achieve the place of number one."
"See now that's a goal I could get behind, it's a shame that we're on opposite sides of this or we could have been friends."
Juvia's eyes widened at Gray's statement. "Y-you would want to be friends with someone like me? No one's ever wanted to be my friend before!?"
"Why not? You seem pretty nice, despite the obvious Phantom stuff …?"
"Well, wherever I go it always rains," Juvia sighed sadly as she looked up at the cloudy sky above. "I don't know why but it just pours and never stops."
"Oh, I get it; they think that you make everything gloomy by being around, right?"
"Yes unfortunately, Jose brought me into the guild promising that I would be among friends but to be honest it hasn't felt that way."
Gray walked over to the woman and sat down on the edge of the building they were on and motioned for her to sit.
"So, you feel lonely huh?"
"Most of the time yes. I'm surprised you didn't just start attacking me as soon as you saw me, why is that?"
"Fairy Tail isn't like that," Gray replied firmly. "We may fight a lot but most of the time it's only because we have to."
"That's the complete opposite of what Master Jose tells us, though I'm more inclined to believe you after speaking with you."
"We don't have to fight still do we, it wouldn't really feel right fighting a friend?"
Juvia began to feel warm inside as she stared at Gray, trying to discern whatever it was that had begun to sprout within her chest.
'What is this feeling,' she thought as she stared up into the sky and saw something beginning to pierce the clouds.
"Oh, hey look, the suns coming out! Guess all you needed was a friend to talk to," Gray grinned as Juvia slowly formed the beginnings of a smile.
"I can't fight you, not after this. You should go before anyone else turns up," Juvia replied, not even taking her eyes off of the rays of sunshine for a moment.
"Thanks, I'll let my friends know that you're a friend and not to fight you."
"Wait how does that even work," Juvia asked as her attention moved toward him.
"Well because everyone in Fairy Tail is family, becoming friends with one of us means being friends with all of us. Guess you made a lot of friends today, huh."
Juvia could only stare at Gray as a light shone down on him making him appear far more appealing than he actually was, at least to her anyway.
"Well, I'd better get moving," Gray continued as he stripped all of his clothes off without even realizing it.
Juvia's eyes nearly burst from their sockets as she fell unconscious with love hearts in her eyes, shocking Gray who hadn't even noticed his current state of dress was the sole cause.
"Hey Juvia, what's wrong! Oi, Juvia!?"
/Ur's POV/
Ur was standing at the top of the Guild Hall, ice covering the rooftop thanks to her natural proclivity to alter the environment to better aid her Ice Make Magic. Her eyes scanned the area like a hawk, years of battle experience and trustworthy instincts telling her that her target was lurking around.
"I know you're here Aria. your little magic draining technique won't work on me."
"Oh, she knows!? It's so sad! Now I'll have to kill her the old-fashioned way!"
"You're Aria, correct?"
"I am Aria of the Great Sky, not that it will matter to you for much longer!"
"Is that so? From what I've heard you don't do much other than cry?"
"So sad! You judge what you do not understand. My Airspace Magic will leave you battered, beaten, broken and drained before you even have a chance to scream!"
"This is the problem with people like you, always underestimating your opponents."
Aria raised his palms as Ur simply stared at him unamused. "Zetsu!"
Without even moving a large wall if ice formed in front of Ur negating the attack. Aria floated backward slightly at the narrowed eyes of the Ice Make Mage, her intimidation factor alone making him have second thoughts for but a brief moment.
"You're not ready for a fight like this, come back five years from now and we might be able to talk," Ur muttered as ice began to cover parts of her body.
"So sorrowful! The attack failed, but I will not despair for you will lie defeated soon!"
"Your magic does not possess the advantage Aria. My form of Ice Make Magic allows me to adapt to any combat situation. No matter what tricks you have up your sleeve, they won't outpace my mind."
"How sad! The woman believes she has won the battle when it has but begun!?"
"This might be your airspace Aria, but what's in my mind is my space. And whatever I think of in my mind I can make reality, that is the true power of Maker Magic!"
Aria began to launch a relentless barrage of airspace magic at Ur who still hadn't shifted from her starting position as her Ice was blocking each attack.
"How sad, she hasn't gone down yet!"
"Ice Make – Powdered Snow," Ur sighed as she exhaled as a large stream of snow.
The snow quickly got caught up in Aria's wind, unbeknownst to the man who seemed to be under the impression that her attack was simply far too weak to blast through it.
"A weak attack at best."
"Was it though," Ur asked in response as she motioned to Aria who was slowly being covered by small snowflakes that, once attached, refused to budge so much as an inch.
"What is this!?"
"My Powdered Snow will stick to any target I choose and once stuck, it is irreversible unless you're a skilled Fire Mage," Ur replied calmly as she crossed her arms. "Perfect for incapacitating flighty pests such as yourself."
"You claim to be strong yet use weak tactics like this," Aria grunted as he was slowly descending to the rooftop, the weight of the snow quickly adding up.
"To an ordinary mage the attack may be considered weak, but a mage with experience and knowledge on the way of combat would say otherwise. In hindsight, there are no weak attacks, only weak mages who use them."
"How dreadful to be called weak by a weakling! So sad!"
"You can hang onto your old ways, but you won't ever understand how to be a true mage and will fail to grow stronger until you do. Fairy Tail is full of mages who understand this concept and that is why your guild will lose this battle."
"To think that I, Aria, the strongest of the Element Four could lose so easily," Aria sighed as he was completely covered in Ur's snow.
"Well, that was no fun … And here I thought Natsu said this guy was tough? Oh well, at least I know this Jose guy will be," she said as she made her way to the Guild Master's chamber."
/Natsu's POV/
Natsu entered Jose's throne room, keeping alert in case Jose tried to ambush him. He knew full well that the man wasn't going to fight him fairly, gramps was all the evidence he needed for that.
"Come on out Jose, I'm gonna kick your ass!"
"You sure are a loud brat aren't you," Jose said as he floated down from the roof and sat in his chair.
"You're gonna pay for what you've done to our guild Jose! I'm not gonna let my friends down and lose against scum like you!"
"Natsu, you don't have to explain yourself to this guy."
"About time you got here Ur," Natsu grinned in response as he turned to see the Ice Make Mage stroll in through the same entrance he'd just used. "Honestly, I'm surprised it took you that long to take out the useless bastard?"
"He was a weakling, barely understood just how outclassed he truly was until he was mostly covered in snow. The real pain in the ass was tracking him down to fight him since he's such a coward, kind of like Jose here."
"You would be wise to watch your tone in front of me," Jose hissed as he leant forward in his chair. "I'm a Wizard Saint, your power is nothing compared to mine!"
"A meaningless title," Ur scoffed in response. "Scum like you have all but ruined that title for this country as you flaunt it about like you're entitled to the world. Maybe once the title of Wizard Saint was held in high regard but once you lot stopped caring about the everyday citizen and abused your positions for wealth and influence it fell to the common mages to deal with problems.!"
"And just why should we be forced to bow to the whims of the commoners," Jose sneered in response which earned him a look of utter disgust from Ur and a scowl from Natsu. "We earned our positions through power; you haven't got the right to tell us anything!"
"Wizard Saints are meant to be the example all mages are meant to follow Jose," Natsu snapped back in reply. "The people look to the Wizard Saints for guidance and aid because they're some of the strongest mages we have!"
"Yet instead of tackling the Dark Guilds, pushing back the violent creatures that even S Class Mages struggle with and aiding their communities, the Wizard Saints simply exist as lapdogs to the Magic Council," Ur spat, surprising Natsu at the sheer level of contempt clearly evident toward not only them, but the Council, in her tone.
"Such matters are beneath me," Jose sniffed in reply, clearly unfazed by Ur's pissed off look. "Who are you to stand there and expect anything from me, I'm far beyond anything you'll ever be!"
"You're wrong Jose," Natsu sighed with a shake of his head. "Like I told you earlier, you're not as powerful as you think you are. The world is much larger than this minor feud you've got with us, larger than even your ranking with the Saints. There are things out there that couldn't give two shits about your rank, your power is to them what an ant would be to you."
"Trying to act all wise and knowing like that will get you nowhere Dragneel," Jose spat as his sclera turned pitch-black. "You sound just like Makarov!"
"Perhaps I do, but it doesn't change the fact that I've seen a lot of the world Jose. I've seen mages in Scarlione that could blow away mountain ranges in a single attack. I've seen mages blow away tens of thousands of soldiers that would rank as S Class here in Fiore with ease! I've fought for years in that hell Jose and I know that all this fighting between our guilds, its meaningless in the end."
"Natsu," Ur muttered, shocked at how emotional the man was getting as he took several steps forward and extended a hand out toward the Guild Master who likewise was now sporting a shocked expression.
"Come on Jose, I know you aren't stupid. I know you hurt Makarov and our guilds are fighting, but we still have a chance to stop this and start mending the bad blood between us! We don't have to be friends, or even acquaintances, but surely you don't want all of this to end in death and bloodshed? What do you say, Jose?"
Jose's eyes flickered from the hand being extended toward him to Natsu's eyes, his upper lip beginning to curl as he slowly rose from his throne. The Guild Master walked down the steps before him and stopped in front of Natsu before speaking.
"I don't care about any of that nonsense, about your sob story or any of the trash in either of these guilds," Jose spat as he slapped Natsu's hand away, prompting him to jump back beside Ur as the Guild Master slowly began to levitate off of the ground.
"Jose-!"
"There's only one thing that matters in this world Dragneel and that's power in all its forms," Jose roared as his entire body became coated in a purplish aura. "You dare stand before me and preach that friendship garbage, I'd rather die than EVER let a single one of you Fairy Tail scum live!"
"So that's how it is then," Natsu sighed as he looked toward Ur who nodded sadly. "Fine then Jose, you leave us no choice!"
Natsu and Ur both began to release their magical power, the entire room shaking violently which quickly engulfed the entire mobile Guild Hall itself. Though no one could see it yet, they knew that the final battle was about to begin.
"YOU DARE STAND BEFORE ME AND OFFER PEACE," Jose roared as two spheres of purplish black darkness engulfed his hands. "I'LL KILL YOU!"
"Get ready Ur," Natsu snapped as he entered the Dragon Force, his appearance growing much more feral as Ur's body was covered by razor sharp chunks of ice.
"Darkness Magic – Dark Pulse!"
Raising both his arms at Ur and Natsu, Jose fired a monstrous blast of pure Dark Magic at the pair. The two sprung into action almost immediately with Ur slamming her heel into the ground to summon a solid wall of ice.
"HIHIHAHAHAHA! That won't be enough to stop this, Fairy trash," Jose laughed as the two blasts struck the attack before seemingly slipping off of its surface and crashing into the left and right sides of the throne room. "WHAT!?"
"Ice Make – Glassy Mirror!"
"Nice one Ur," Natsu grinned as the Saint fully extended his arms out and summoned two more of the Dark Pulse attacks. "Let me handle these ones, you get ready to counter!"
"Right," Ur nodded as she entered a similar stance to Gray, slamming her right fist into her open left palm as a massive blue coloured Magic Circle appeared behind her.
"Bring it on Fairies," Jose roared as he fired another burst of Dark Pulse, this time Natsu charging directly into the path of both attacks as orange sparks began to surround his body.
"We're not gonna go down easy Jose," Natsu snapped in response as he cocked back his right fist. "Crash Arts Secret Technique – Empyrean!"
Punching the space right in front of Jose's attacks, the ground beneath Natsu was blasted apart however, so too were Jose's attacks as a monstrous charge of Crash Magic tore them both into tiny cubes.
"Damn you Dragneel," Jose growled as Natsu leapt between the collapsing floor and toward Jose's position. "DAMN YOU!"
"JOSE," Natsu roared as he coated his right fist in flames. "Fire Dragon King's Quaking Demolition Fist!"
"Darkness Magic – Dark Impact!"
Jose and Natsu clashed, every window in the room shattering as the walls around them began to collapse. Jose grit his teeth as he felt Natsu's attack slowly begin to push him back however he was prepared for this scenario as he prepared a second Dark Impact in his other hand.
"Take this you filthy little cretin-!"
"Ice Make – Artic Arbalest!"
The clash between Jose and Natsu was cut short as a massive bolt of ice impaled him through the chest. Natsu landed and spun around to keep up the pressure on Jose who had already dispelled the ice in his chest as shades now coated his entire body.
"You think you actually stand a chance just because you can team up against me," Jose spat as he leapt off of the ground and hovered several metres out from land. "I'll blow you both away right now with an attack neither of you will be able to block!"
Holding both his hands out to his right side, a sphere of pitch black began to form with Natsu instantly recognizing the attack. He was already going through the motions as he sprinted back toward Ur's side, the latter unaware of the specific attack but fully aware of the power it held.
"Let's see you both try and stop this," Jose cackled with glee. "Darkness Magic – Darkness Mixer!"
Jose brought the attack out in front of him and fired a pitch-black blast of darkness at their current position. Unlike Dark Pulse, this attack was easily able to engulf not just them, but the entire top of the Guild Hall itself.
"UR," Natsu roared as he tackled her to the ground and raised his Crash Barrier to its absolute maximum.
The moment the attack struck; the entire sky seemed to momentarily go pitch black as everyone in Magnolia looked on at the frightening display of power from the clearly insane Jose. The other members of the guild who were still there could only gape in shock at the display, never having seen something like it before.
As the blast died down, Jose was rather disappointed to see that both Natsu and Ur had survived it. That being said, both were wounded with Natsu in particular bleeding profusely from several wounds across his body.
"Fuck," Natsu said through grit teeth as he got off of Ur and shakily moved to stand. "You ok?"
"I certainly wasn't expecting that," Ur replied shakily as she managed to get back on her feet. "You're hurt!"
"Never mind that Ur," Natsu sighed in reply. "Listen, I need you to do something for me-?"
"You aren't seriously going to ask me to get the others out of here, are you," Ur cut in quickly, scowling at the look she was receiving as a reply. "Natsu!"
"If its just me and Jose here I can go all out without worrying about killing the others Ur, surely you get that!? With all of you out of the way I can fight Jose with my full power!"
"Natsu …"
"Please Ur, I've got to do this! If I don't stop Jose whilst I still have the strength then no one can!"
"Fine," Ur growled before grabbing onto his jacket and dragging him close. "But I swear if you try and take this piece of shit out in a suicide play …"
"I'll beat him Ur, no suicide plays."
Ur locked eyes with the Dragon Slayer, his currently more Draconic orbs telling her nothing but his resolve to fight. Sighing, she relented and let him go before beginning to run toward the stairs.
"Good luck Natsu!"
"Thanks, be safe," was his reply before turning back around to face the amused smirk of Jose. "What?"
"You've just signed your death warrant," Jose grinned as he began to power up once more. "Two of you was an annoyance, but a little brat like you alone is child's play!"
"Is that right," Natsu huffed in response as he wiped some blood from his face. "If anything, I'd be running if I were you, Jose."
"Run? You'd resort to jokes at a time like this?"
"No jokes," Natsu replied as he sent his jacket to his Requip Space. "With all of my friends out of the way, I can finally go all out against you!"
Clutching his shirt, Natsu ripped it off and tossed it to the side, revealing his battle-scarred body to the Guild Master who was wholly unimpressed.
"This is where the real fight begins Jose," Natsu growled as he fully opened his reserves. "Whatever it takes, I'm taking you down!"
"Just try it boy," Jose roared in response as the pair began to power up, the sea around them rising up around the Guild Hall in response to their monstrous energy. Dark clouds began to gather as Jose and Natsu took steps toward each other.
"Who would've thought someone like you possessed such power," Jose sneered as his shades seemed to all gather behind him, forming a massive Phantom behind him. "But at the end of the day, vermin are still vermin!"
"You don't get it do you Jose," Natsu growled in reply as the fire around the room seemed to surge around his position, rearing up to form a replica of a Dragon as the two massive constructs faced each other down just like their creators.
"There's nothing to get, you're little more than vermin that needs to be exterminated!"
"Vermin implies that I'm prey, yet that couldn't be further from the truth," Natsu snapped as he coated his right fist in flames. "Because I'm not just any old mage Jose … I'm the Son … of a DRAGON!"
Jose clenched his right fist as the pair charged toward one another. Natsu moved to perform an uppercut whilst Jose went to try and punch Natsu across the left side of his face.
"DRAGNEEL!"
"RAAAARGH!"
Fatal Battle
Magic Council, Ten Wizard Saints
Jose Porla
Both mages struck home, Natsu landing his uppercut right as Jose clocked him across the face, sending the pair stumbling backward with blood now coating their fists. Both immediately recovered and moved to punch the other again however this time their fists met which shook the entire area beneath them hard enough to generate small tsunamis below.
"Is that the best you've got," Natsu spat as he blocked several more punches from the Guild Master before releasing a burst of Crash Magic that forced the man backward.
"I've barely even gotten started, Fairy," Jose spat back as he extended his arms outward. "Phantom will be the dominant guild in Fiore whilst Fairy Tail will crumble to dust, by my own hand!"
"Like hell we'd ever let that happen," Natsu roared in response as Jose began his attack.
"Shade Magic – Spectral Incursion!"
Hundreds of spectres burst from the ground and began to circle Natsu, taking quick slashes at him before fading only to be replaced by more. The pattern continued in an unpredictable manner making it hard for him to actively block them all, some managing to successfully land attacks.
In order to deal with them, he knew just what to do. Extending his own arms outward, Natsu's entire body started releasing a powerful wave of flame in all directions laced with Crash Magic. Jose grit his teeth and charged right into the flames coated by his own darkness.
"Damn brat, just die already," Jose hissed as he pushed past the flames to land a solid headbutt to Natsu, staggering him as he stumbled back from the sheer force behind the blow. "You want to play with the big boys, fine! Let's see you survive THIS!"
Natsu winced as the hand Jose held him in became coated in a familiar sphere of darkness. He was about to try countering but Jose beat him to the punch.
"Darkness Magic – Dark Pulse!"
Natsu was blasted at point blank range by the attack, his body being propelled up into one of the nearby towers at high speed. Before he even had a chance to recover, the tower collapsed on top of him which was then followed by Jose firing a second blast of Dark Pulse at him in an attempt to finish him off.
Jose flew up toward the ruined tower and waved his right hand, banishing and expecting to see Natsu's downed form. His eyes widened in shock when there was a distinct lack of the pink-haired Dragon Slayer.
"No-!"
Spinning around a second too late, he was shocked to see Natsu had managed to appear behind him, slugging him across the face and knocking him into the centre of the ruined tower where he smashed through every last floor until he reached its ground level.
"Fucking prick," Natsu panted as he spat out a glob of blood whilst landing at the top of the ruined tower. "Two can play at that game!"
Taking a deep breath, Natsu jumped back into the air once again and aimed his attack directly at the hole in the tower. Once he was lined up, he fired it.
"Fire Dragon King's Quaking Roar!"
Natsu's attack fully engulfed the tower however what he wasn't prepared for was for Jose to have already recovered with an attack of his own. As his attack engulfed the tower quickly, a solid beam of darkness engulfed the bottom and was travelling upward.
"Darkness Magic – Darkness Mixer!
The two attacks smashed into one another, equal in power as both Jose and Natsu funnelled more and more power into them. Eventually however, it was clear that doing so was a lost cause and so both simultaneously ceased them with Natsu already preparing a follow up attack as he fell down to Jose's level.
"I don't care how much gets destroyed, FAIRY TAIL WILL PERISH," Jose roared as he prepared to fire another long-range attack at him. "Shade Magic – Dead Wave!"
Extending his right arm outward, several shades quickly merged to form a powerful wave of dark energy at Natsu. To his surprise however, Natsu simply vanished from where he'd been in midair and reappeared right in front of him.
"WHAT-!?"
"Fire Dragon King's Demolition Fist!"
Natsu hit Jose in the stomach and blasted him through several walls, the Saint recovering with a series of rolls before launching himself into the air and flipping several times, landing atop a table where he quickly prepared another attack.
"Darkness Magic – Dark Razor!"
From all ten of his fingers, razor sharp blades appeared and extended out a considerable distance. Jose immediately began slashing away at Natsu who was currently charging toward him through the holes in the wall.
Using his Crash Magic, he tanked several slashes just so he could get into what appeared to be Phantom's main hall. Once he was inside however, he was immediately dodging and weaving around Jose who could only snarl in response.
"Stop running! Shade Magic – Shade Entangle!"
Natsu found himself flat on his face as a shade grabbed his ankle, tripping him up at high speed. Rolling onto his back, he was just in time to evade five of the blades impaling him in the back of the head as he rolled out of the way at the last moment and onto his knees.
Jose spun around and tried to slash at him again however Natsu blocked the attack with his left arm coated in Crash Magic, shattering the attack before lurching forward and landing a fierce headbutt to the man.
"Tch-! Persistent little gnat, aren't you," Jose sneered as he aimed the last five blades he had and fired them at Natsu, forcing him to dodge. "It seems I may have underestimated you considerably."
"Pretty sure you did that from the beginning," Natsu panted slightly as the two fully rose to their feet. "I did warn you before we started fighting …"
"I don't care about that," Jose snapped as his shades started to enter his body. "I'll do what I must to slay you here … I WON'T BE BESTED BY A FAIRY!"
"You truly are a lost cause," Natsu sighed as Jose's form began to warp into an even more corrupted version of himself.
His skin had gone grey, his eyes were now just lifeless and black and his magical power had increased even more. Not only that but it looked almost like he'd beefed up as his muscles tripled in size, tearing through his shirt and coat in the process.
"This is where you die, Fairy," Jose said in a spectral voice prompting Natsu's eyes to narrow.
'He willingly allowed himself to be corrupted by the Dark Magic he wields? At this point killing him would be a mercy …'
/Magnolia/
As Natsu and Jose fought, the rest of Fairy Tail watched on in complete shock. The sheer amount of power alone was something most mages wouldn't experience in their lifetimes yet here were two monsters tossing out attacks that could level cities like they were child's play.
Erza could only stare at the scene that was unfolding in front of her, unable to even comprehend the strength of either Natsu or Jose. She of course knew Natsu was powerful, his previous displays however had nothing on this. The sheer scale of this battle was on a whole other level.
"When Master said Natsu was as strong as Gildarts, I thought he was bluffing. Guess that makes me the idiot huh," Macao said weakly as the others mumbled in agreement.
"Who could've predicted anything like this," Wakaba replied in shock, his cigar long since forgotten as Cana noticed several figures in the distance.
"Hey look everyone else who went over is back!"
"What the hell is happening over there," Erza all but demanded from the group prompting Ur to reply.
"Jose is on a whole different level than us, Natsu had to match him or else we would all probably be dead right now. To be honest, I never thought I'd see a battle on this scale between two mages, Demons maybe …"
"That kid really came into his own huh," Macao grinned as another explosion went off. "I still remember when he couldn't even beat me. Funny how times change, huh?"
"Let's just hope he's got enough of that luck that brought him back to us left to take out Jose," Erza muttered as several more explosions went off. "If he loses, we're as good as dead. None of us can even hope to compete on that level."
"Gee, way to ruin the mood Erza," Elise replied, though no one laughed.
"Either way, we'll know in a few minutes time," Macao said as the group continued to watch the battle.
/Meanwhile – Magnolia Forest/
"Honestly Mystogan, you always show up at the worst times!"
"Sorry I'm a bit late; Natsu had me running around looking for these," Mystogan replied as he handed over a jar full of raw magical energy. "I hope this will help, Porlyusica?"
"You collected that much in such a short amount of time in addition to destroying all of Phantom Lord's safe houses?"
"We all do what we can."
"Honestly, what's with you brats," Porlyusica sighed as she took the jar off of Mystogan's hands. "Whatever happened to just being normal!?"
"You know what he'll do the moment he wakes and senses this power, don't you," Mystogan replied, ignoring her latter question which seemed to annoy her.
"Of course I know what will occur, but it isn't like it'll matter one way or the other anyway!"
"Well, I need to go and meet with the guild so I'll take my leave now."
"Of course, not like I wanted you here anyway," Porlyusica sniffed as the S Class Mage shook his head, departing for the site of the battle.
The elderly mage watched him go and shook her head, her eyes slowly drawn to the dark clouds surrounding the trashed form of Phantom's Guild Hall before swiftly looking away and heading inside.
"Honestly Makarov what is with all these brats," the old woman sighed as she opened the jar. "Take your power back you old fool before something else terrible occurs!"
Makarov's body began to glow gold briefly, a sudden surge in magical energy being noticeable by anyone with any modicum of the skill before it suddenly faded away. Porlyusica frowned as Makarov's eyes began to show signs of movement, no doubt knowing that her job was almost complete.
/Magnolia/
The situation had only worsened as Natsu and Jose continued to put out more power. The tremors only seemed to worsen as it looked like a vicious storm had begun to roll in, a by product of the two mages power.
"Brings a whole new term to one man army huh," Wakaba chuckled as many of the weaker guild members began to sweat from the heat, clearly being generated by Natsu.
"Wakaba, now's not the time," Erza sighed as she continued to wring her fingers raw with worry. "I know Natsu is powerful, but can he actually defeat one of the Ten Wizard Saints?"
"Come on Erza, have a little faith in him," Elise huffed as she gently nudged her arm. "You forget that I had to see the Ten Wizard Saints all the time back when I was part of the Rune Knights, I know Natsu won't lose to Jose!"
"Indeed. Though Natsu is far younger than Saint Jose, he bears power few his age could ever hope to match," an unfamiliar voice muttered which drew the attention of the entire guild.
"Mystogan," Mira gasped as the robe clad mage hopped down to stand alongside his fellow S Class Mages.
"My apologies for being late, but it appears the plan Natsu and I hatched has succeeded."
"Plan," Mira asked as she cocked her head to the side. "When did-?"
"Right after the mess at Phantom Lord's other Guild Hall. I met with Natsu and we knew that in order to deal with Phantom and Jose the response would need to be swift and decisive. I tackled all of the other sub guilds bearing the flag of the Phantom whilst Natsu was tasked with putting a halt to the Jupiter Cannon and holding back Saint Jose.
"So, what happens now," Gray asked as the robe clad mage looked out toward the battle. "You and Natsu gonna team up and thrash Jose?"
"I'm afraid not," Mystogan replied calmly as many of the guild looked shocked at his response.
"And why not," Erza growled as she rounded on the man. "Why are you planning on letting Natsu face Jose alone when you clearly have enough power left to help!?"
"Settle down Erza, I assure you that the situation is well in hand," Mystogan replied gently as he pointed up above the storm raging atop the mobile Guild Hall. "Natsu was the best choice to face Jose, my talents lie elsewhere. Jose is a powerhouse, a veritable font of magical power that could only be matched by the titanic strength of the Salamander. My own power is nothing to scoff at but …"
"I get it," Mira sighed in understanding. "Natsu is a frontline fighter whereas you're more of a support type mage, right?"
"Correct. I can face most foes easily enough but a Wizard Saint is a bit beyond my capabilities," Mystogan sighed as a single ray of golden light manage to pierce through the black clouds. "This fight is almost at its end …"
Everyone looked up to see what Mystogan was talking about and were shocked to see several more rays pierce through, signalling the end.
/Natsu's POV – Same Time/
"What's the matter boy, getting tired," Jose jeered as the two flashed around the utterly trashed room exchanging a fierce barrage of blows. "Is this the best the mighty Salamander of Fairy Tail has to offer!?"
Jose delivered a powerful blow to Natsu's gut, prompting him to lurch forward as blood escaped through his mouth and nose. Before Jose could follow up however, Natsu grabbed onto Jose's arm and dragged him forward whilst shooting himself upward to deliver a fierce headbutt that sent Jose flying through two stories worth of flooring.
"You think you've got the power to take me out Jose, don't make me laugh! If I fell here against a piece of trash like you then my entire journey up until now would've been for nothing!"
"It was undoubtedly for nothing," Jose snapped as several dark blasts of energy shot through the floor above, homing toward him as Jose started smashing even more of it away with his raw strength. "Even if you were to defeat me here, your life is forfeit! I'm a Wizard Saint, the Magic Council will have your head for even raising a finger at me!"
"Fuck the Council and fuck you," Natsu roared as Jose started lobbing large chunks of stone at him in addition to the dark projectiles. "The only thing that matters … is getting you the hell away from my city!"
"HAH! You still think you can win," Jose scoffed as he lobbed the last piece of stone before leaping off of the edge of the third floor and crashing into the main dining table, splitting it in two as both halves folded upward. "I'll show you the true malice we've held for your disgusting guild!"
Kicking one half of the table at Natsu, it was shattered against his Crash Barrier as the Saint grabbed the other half and charged toward him. Natsu entered a defensive stance as Jose closed the distance between them, blocking the massive half of the table with his forearm before spinning around and kicking Jose in the right wrist, sending the table flying away.
"Then let me show you the true power of the Fire Dragon, JOSE!"
Both men roared as they charged one another, fists coated in their respective elements as the ground cracked beneath each step. Jose summoned a sphere of Dark Magic and Natsu's fist exploded with crimson flame.
"Fire Dragon King's Demolition Fist!
"Darkness Magic – Dark Impact!"
The two started skidding to a stop, blood pouring from countless wounds as their bloody fists were raised out to their respective rights. Both roared as they struck each other in the face, the neither fist leaving the face of the other as the two pushed against each other with what magic they had left.
Blood seeped between the grit teeth of the two powerhouses as the ground started to crack beneath them. Both noticed this and went for the exact same move, immediately pulling back and attempting to punch the other on the opposite cheek with their free hand.
Both men struck home a second time, the floor below them blasted apart from the shockwave as they fell down into what appeared to be the power room for the Jupiter Cannon. The two landed several metres away from each other, blood splattering the floor as they each immediately struggled to their knees.
"I … WON'T LOSE … TO … FAIRY SCUM," Jose screeched as he started dragging himself forward with Natsu doing the same.
"THIS … IS IT … JOSE!"
"IT ISN'T OVER … UNTIL I SAY IT IS," the Wizard Saint roared as they both managed to stagger onto their feet mid punch.
Jose managed to strike Natsu first, knocking him flat on his back. The Saint immediately moved to capitalize on this and deliver a crushing blow but the moment he raised his right foot, Natsu kicked his left knee, knocking him onto his side.
"DAMN IT-!"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP," Natsu roared as he all but thrust himself at Jose with the last of his strength, pinning the Wizard Saint down.
"GET OFF ME YOU FILTHY-!"
Jose was silence as Natsu raised his right fist and punched Jose square in the face, the man gasping in pain. Before Jose could even consider trying to get Natsu off of him, the bloody fist came down again as Jose's vision momentarily went white.
"RAAARGH!"
Again and again, Natsu continued to hammer away at Jose's face. No longer was he fighting to incapacitate as his mind was now firmly entrenched back in past memories. Where Jose lay, he did not see the Wizard Saint, but his old enemies from a war-torn land.
"RAAARGH!"
Striking Jose once more in the face, the squelching sound was enough of a hint that Jose wasn't going to be fighting any longer. Unfortunately, Natsu was no longer in his own right state of mind as he raised his fist once again in preparation to strike.
"Hehehehehe … That's right, do it," Jose laughed, his voice crackly and somewhat muffled due to his missing teeth. "If I can't take out Fairy Tail through force … then destroying their champion … will suffice!"
Natsu panted as he raised his fist even higher, his mind screaming for him to do what he had been taught to do to people like Jose. Gritting his teeth, Natsu roared and went to strike Jose one last time only to halt mere inches from his battered face.
The dark and gloomy atmosphere of the room seemed to brighten as golden rays of flooded in from the hole above. Natsu felt his strength slowly being sapped away as he looked directly upward, the bloodlust clouding his mind receding as he slowly returned to his senses.
"Gramps …"
Floating down through the hole in the floor was Makarov, his eyes glowing the same golden colour as the rays of light around him. The old man said nothing as he landed, simply gazing at the two before shaking his head at the sight.
"Natsu?"
"Y-yeah …?"
"Could you please get off of Jose," the old man asked calmly as Natsu practically dragged himself away from Jose's incapacitated form. "Thank you. Now then …"
"Makarov," Jose hissed as his one remaining eye locked onto the old man, the other socket having been crushed by Natsu's savage beating. "Come to gloat, have we!?"
"No Jose, I didn't. I came here for only one reason and I'm sure you know exactly what that is, don't you?"
"Go … to hell … Makarov!"
"You truly are a lost cause," Makarov sighed sadly as he stopped next to the downed Wizard Saint. "You once showed real promise yet look at you now, broken and disgraced. How pitiful."
"You …"
"I know exactly what you planned to do just now Jose," Makarov continued as his frown deepened. "You knew you'd all but lost and planned on having Natsu kill you, forcing the Magic Council to take action against both him and Fairy Tail, making yourselves out as the sole victims."
"So what if I was," Jose chuckled weakly only to freeze at the rather frightening look of the old man towering over him.
"I'm afraid you've all but forced my hand now Jose, I truly never wanted it to come to this," Makarov growled as he held his hands out in front of him, forming a golden sphere of light that held the Fairy Tail insignia at its core.
"What is that," Jose hissed, the light hurting him just by sheer proximity.
"Let me fill you in on a little secret Jose," Makarov continued as he looked over at the stunned Natsu. "As Guild Master of Fairy Tail, it is my solemn duty to bear the burdens of all those who join our family. The Guild Master would do anything for their children, no task is beyond the limits imposed by this ironclad rule!"
The sphere in Makarov's hand doubled in size prompting even Natsu to slowly shuffle backward in shock.
"I've killed a lot of people over the years for this Guild Jose, did you know that," Makarov said coldly as Jose looked genuinely frightened by the old man now. "I warned you time and again yet you refused to heed them. No more …"
"You … would kill me," Jose whispered as the entire room started to shake. "Truly!?"
"If there is a hell Jose, I'll be sure to see you there," Makarov replied darkly as the sphere expanded one final time with Makarov shoving it directly into Jose's chest.
"AAARGH! THE LIGHT-WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?"
"This is the end for you, Jose," Makarov muttered before looking back to Natsu with a gaze he never thought he'd see on the old man.
Pure, unadulterated malice.
"Fairy Law!"
Jose's screams died instantly; all sound did in fact as a colossal explosion of light rocked the area right in front of Natsu's current position. The last thing he saw before being blinded was Jose's body literally being blasted apart by the attack and Makarov not even flinching at the sight.
Eventually, though he wasn't sure exactly how long, the light died down and he was able to see once more. Where Jose had once been was nothing more than the remaining rags of his clothing, his Wizard Saint Signet Ring and his Saint's Brooch.
Natsu was completely speechless at what he'd just seen. How could his mind even begin to process the sheer impossibility of what had just occurred before his very eyes? Did Gildarts know about how Makarov truly was, did anyone!?
"Natsu," Makarov's neutral voice cut in, his inner thoughts being sliced through like butter as he focused his attention on the old man before him.
"Y-yeah?"
"I killed Jose."
"I-I kind of saw …"
"Yet that is not what frightens you, is it?"
"No …"
"I know how many you've killed, roughly," Makarov replied as Natsu felt like someone had just stabbed him through the heart with a rusty blade. "Had I not interfered here, you were going to kill Jose, weren't you?"
"Yeah, I was," Natsu replied slowly as he felt some of the shock slowly fade away. "Why?"
"I think that before we head back, we should settle this issue between us here, away from the others."
"I'd say. They'd lose their minds if they knew you broke the rule of no killing," Natsu huffed in reply prompting Makarov to sigh and take a seat on some rubble.
"Before we begin, I don't think this needs to be said, but I'll preface this conversation by asking that not a single one of the others aside from Gildarts can know about the truth here today."
"Obviously-."
"Not even Erza," Makarov cut in sharply prompting Natsu to narrow his eyes but nod nonetheless.
"Continue."
"Good. Now then, where would you like me to begin?"
"Maybe at the part where you killed Jose even though he literally had no means of fighting back?"
"Ah, yes," Makarov hummed in agreement. "I killed Jose for several reasons, the main one being that he has harmed my family to such a degree that I simply refused to acknowledge him as a human being any longer. He lost that right when he was willing to blow away the entirety of Magnolia with the Jupiter Cannon."
"You know that he was right about one thing, don't you?"
"The consequences of killing him?"
"Yeah."
"Joint effort."
"GRAMPS-!"
"Shut up and listen to me boy," Makarov hissed as he rose to his feet once more and began to pace. "I will use my own position as a Wizard Saint to bail us out of the murder charge. As a Rank Six Saint, my word alone will be enough although the Council certainly won't be happy about it."
"So, you can get us off the hook for murder?"
"Yes."
"Surely the others will quickly realize we killed Jose, right?"
"No, they won't. The Council won't allow that to become public knowledge," Makarov grinned in response which honestly unsettled Natsu somewhat.
"Don't want to upset the status quo, right?"
"Precisely. If anything, they'll just move to replace him quickly rather than faff about like usual."
"So … what now then?"
"Now the two of us need to settle the tension between us," Makarov sighed as he walked over toward Natsu and extended a hand. "Since the time of First Master Mavis, the Guild Master and the Ace Of Fairy Tail have committed unspeakable acts in order to protect the innocent smiles of our children, the children of Fairy Tail. Though we are not always successful in this endeavour, we have done much to ensure our family is able to grow and survive the tumultuous days to come."
"So, what you're basically telling me is that the Guild Master and the Ace will do anything and everything in the shadows to make sure the rest of the guild can function as peacefully as possible?"
"Yes."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I know that out of all the other S Class Mages aside from Gildarts, you are the one who can understand this rather grim task. Gildarts told me much of the Scarlione Campaign and the horrors the both of you faced however seeing you beat down Jose has all but solidified my opinion that you should be included on these matters."
"You do realize the repercussions if this ever comes to light, right?"
"None of it ever will my boy," Makarov replied gently as he placed a hand upon Natsu's own. "To keep the others safe above all else, that was your desire for leaving with Gildarts if I recall? Slaying filth like Jose, that is par for the course for what Gildarts and I usually have to deal with."
"Damn," Natsu muttered as he looked into the eyes of the old man. "You aren't just gonna start sending me out on assassination missions and stuff now, are you?"
"Of course not," Makarov snapped in response as he gently wacked Natsu over the head. "We only remove threats to Fairy Tail itself and even then, they must warrant it, that's all."
"I mean … I suppose that's fair," Natsu mumbled in reply which elicited a tired sigh from the old man.
"Think on it Natsu, you'll come to the right conclusion in the end. For now, however, we must return to Magnolia proper."
"Yeah, the others," Natsu said with a wince as he tried to stand only to collapse. "Shit-!"
"Easy Natsu, easy," Makarov said gently as he expanded his right hand to easily pick up the weakened Dragon Slayer. "I'll fly us back."
"Forgot you could do that," Natsu chuckled weakly as he looked at all the wounds over his body. "I have a few too many holes in me …"
"I'm sure Erza will have a field day," Makarov joked as the pair exited through the hole in the ceiling and made their way back toward Magnolia proper.
/Magnolia/
The entire guild was stunned as the light dissipated from Phantom's Guild Hall. Most of the guild had never seen such an attack before and none of them knew who had done it since it was a light-based attack. Well, none, save for one.
"That was Fairy Law," Erza muttered in a mixture of shock and awe. "I never thought I'd see the day it would be deployed …"
"Did gramps do that," Gray asked in response earning a dumb nod in return.
"Yeah Gray, the Master was the one who unleashed that attack. He's literally the only one who could have done something like that. There's no way Jose could have taken that attack and continued fighting so the Master has surely ended this war."
"That's a relief," Gray sighed only to notice something approaching them from Phantom's Guild Hall. "Hey guys, look!"
"It's Master Makarov and Natsu Elise grinned as the old man landed before them all and gently placed Natsu down on the ground, his enlarged hand returning to normal.
"Thanks gramps, I doubt I would've had the strength to make it back," Natsu chuckled weakly as everyone openly gawked at his body.
His body was torn to shreds, large holes and countless bruises littered his form as he failed to even rise to a sitting position and instead chose to simply lay there, bleeding out. Erza couldn't help but tear up at his condition, feeling somewhat responsible for not trying to rejoin the battle earlier.
"Hey … what's with the tears?"
"Look at you," Erza sniffed as she gestured toward his entire body. "You're so badly hurt I don't even know where to begin!"
"I'd hug you but I'd rather not cover you in all this."
"Well fortunately, I just so happen to know where to start," Makarov cut in as he turned toward the others. "Elise, you are currently the fastest here aside from Natsu. I want you to head on over to Porlyusica and have her prepare for Natsu's arrival!"
"You can count on me Master," Elise nodded sharply before vanishing in a burst of speed.
"Mira, I want you and Erza to clean him up and dress his wounds as best as you can before we move him. If these open wounds aren't sealed, he'll die of blood loss!"
"Of course Master, we're on it," Mira nodded as she turned toward Jet. "Fetch me the first aid kit and as many bandages as you can find!"
"On it Mira," Jet replied before vanishing.
"I feel so loved right now," Natsu lightly joked only to receive a firm glare from both Erza and Mira in response.
"Shut up Natsu," Erza snapped as Mira towered over him.
"You're lucky to be alive mister!"
"Wait," how am I the bad guy," Natsu mumbled as he felt his eyelids beginning to grow heavier. "Wait …"
Natsu fell unconscious as all eyes moved toward Mystogan who had one of his staves in his right hand. Makarov nodded appreciatively at the man who simply nodded back in turn.
"I'll speak with you soon Mystogan, please stick around for the time being since there is much to go over."
"I understand Master, you know how to contact me."
Makarov nodded as Mystogan's body slowly faded away into an ethereal mist, leaving no trace of his presence behind as the guild prepared to deal with the aftermath of their battle with Phantom Lord.
/Unknown Ruins/
"So, it seems Phantom Lord was defeated. Their reputation seems to have been rather exaggerated, to say the least."
"You should know why the Phantom Lord Guild was so prominent, Brain. A Wizard Saint as a Guild Master by itself necessitates such a highly regarded reputation and the promising mages are quick to heed the call under their banner."
"I knew that already Hades, but let's not forget who they went up against. Fairy Tail, led by the Wizard Saint Makarov. According to your man Bluenote, some of their mages are clearly quite powerful for their age."
"Regardless of what the two of you think about this little war, the fact remains that Fairy Tail has suffered virtually no casualties throughout this minor conflict. This was certainly not what any of us had predicted."
"Yes. Well, we thought that Jose would have the upper hand against the majority of the mages of Fairy Tail however it appears that this Natsu Dragneel is becoming quite a pain."
"Agreed. His disruption of several key operations has begun to actually cause us losses. Also, the man has taken out two Demons Of Zeref within a two week period."
"The question remains, is he actively hunting us or are these simply a string of coincidences?"
"We will need to discuss Natsu at a later time. Kyoka has finished extracting all of the necessary information from Falk Transil. It appears that The Cortex had indeed been holding up his end of the bargain, none of our vital operational details were leaked."
"Then how does that explain the failure of the Lullaby plan? We didn't intentionally leak it and Valtheim's Razor would have been the only other guild to know of its existence in the area at the time those fools from Eizenwald said Dragneel caught wind of it?"
"I do not believe that there was a leak in this case, at least not from Valtheim. Rather, it would appear that it was by sheer dumb luck that Dragneel happened upon the information and managed to act accordingly."
"Any other information of note?"
"It appears that Valtheim had come into some information regarding an ancient superweapon, one that would tip the balance in our favour should it be reawakened. It appears that the weapon is buried somewhere deep beneath the earth, its location somewhere within Master Brain's territory."
"If there is a weapon hidden out there then it would be best if we acquired it as quickly as possible, lest the Magic Council gather wind of it and destroy it," Hades suggested prompting the other two Masters to agree.
"Master Brain, see that this weapon does not fall into enemy hands. If we can harness the strength of a superweapon against the Magic Council then it would give us enough to finally act in the open without fear of reprisal."
"I would gladly go and acquire this weapon but neither of you have yet to divulge so much as a name for it?"
"The memories make reference repeatedly to the word Nirvana so we've decided that will be its name."
"Nirvana," Brain muttered as he gripped his staff tighter. "I see, I shall have several of my sub guilds dispatched to the area immediately."
"Very good. Now then, onto the final piece of business on today's agenda."
"Ah, I believe you're referring to the tower. Rest assured that Ultear has almost completed its construction as planned."
"Remember Hades, we need that lacrima in order to compete with the Council. The stakes are high and we cannot afford failure on this one."
"Ultear has recommended to that fool Jellal that he hire several members of the Deathshead Order, I trust you can spare them, Mard Geer?"
"This project is far too important not to," Mard Geer replied with a wave of his hand. "I shall also ensure that if Dragneel comes within a hundred miles of the project that he finds himself a head short."
"Let us hope that all goes well and neither Dragneel nor the Council catch wind of what we've got planned. If anything else goes wrong, our own personal guilds may need to become fully involved and that would be … messy."
"To say the least."
"We all have our objectives; I believe this meeting can be adjourned?"
"Indeed. I must depart and make preparations to find Nirvana," Brain nodded as he rose from his seat and left.
Hades simply grinned and rose from his own seat, locking eyes with Mard Geer who simply smirked in response. The two shared a look before Hades too departed, leaving Mard Geer alone.
"Pitiful humans …"
Hope everyone enjoyed Chapter 12. See you all in the next chapter.
(Edited 21/03/19)
(Edited 22/10/21)
(Edited 10/06/22)