The Tale Of Natsu Dragneel Vol I Power Of The Dragon

by Azza1608

The desire to protect those he loved most, that was what drove him to embark on a Century Quest with Gildarts all those years ago. Harsh training wasn't enough to prepare him for the horrors of the real world and he returned a changed man. (Not a story for those seeking Canon logic. Everything from character portrayal, events to power scaling is completely different.)

19. The Battle Of Fairy Tail

(Edited 18/07/22)

(Edited 25/07/22)

I do not own Fairy Tail Hiro Mashima does.

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The Battle of Fairy Tail

/Magnolia – Centre Of The Town/

Eliza shook her head as she lazily swatted another member of Fairy Tail into unconsciousness, the poor mage being no less than her twentieth opponent since the battle had started.

Looking around, the War Goddess pondered why she was even bothering to help at all, the majority of the Guild meaning nothing to her in the slightest. Was it simply obligation, to do it in Elise's stead?

It was a rather strange, foreign feeling that welled within her chest. One that hadn't been present since her youth, one that reminded her of a vicious struggle to where she stood presently.

"Not that it mattered," the War Goddess muttered bitterly, her eyes widening in surprise as she looked around to see if anyone had heard her. "It appears my mind is wandering today, how lovely."

Without even bothering to turn around, the War Goddess grabbed a blast of Fire Magic that had been shot at her from an alleyway and tossed it back. Without even looking back, she continued on as a massive explosion rocked the area.

"I may need to ask Natsu for compensation for this, such droll entertainment need not warrant my hand."

/Magnolia – Port District/

Gray skidded to a stop as he watched a sizeable explosion go off deeper in town, the entire area shaking as many of the civilians looked around in confusion.

He couldn't help but scoff at their ignorance. There was the equivalent of a civil war going on in their town and they acted as if it were nothing more than a mere scuffle, a minor thing that the cheeky rascals at Fairy Tail were up to.

"Maybe they'll change their tune when the flame brain and Laxus start fighting each other," Gray sighed with a shake of his head as he sensed several above average magical signatures up ahead. "Wonder if any of those are the Thunder Legion?"

Taking off at a sprint, he could vaguely make out the figures of several members of the Guild and one of his targets. With a scowl, he picked up the pace and managed to reach them right as his target cut down the last person before him.

"This ends right here," Gray shouted as he brought his hands together in an offensive stance, a large dark blue Magic Circle appearing around them. "I don't know what you guys think helping Laxus is gonna get you, but it won't be S Class!"

"S Class," the man before Gray scoffed as he turned fully to face him. "Such a small thinker Gray. We aren't following Laxus out of a desire to reach S Class, nor are we doing it because he's forcing us to."

"Then why the hell would you three turn on the Guild!?"

The man didn't respond, instead slashing the air before him as runes manifested between himself and Gray. Gray shot several ice spikes at the man, only for them to shatter against the runic barrier.

"I don't have time to deal with you, my job is far from over," the man said blankly as he turned and started to walk away.

"Don't turn your back on me," Gray snapped as the temperature in the area began to plummet. "FREED!"

Member Of The Thunder Legion

The Emotionless Master Of Ecriture

Member Of Fairy Tail

Freed Justine

"Though I will admit that you possess far more skill than the common rabble amidst the Guild, it isn't enough to warrant my attention just yet," Freed replied dismissively as he looked over his shoulder at the Ice Make Mage. "Compared to some of the others in the game, you might as well just be fodder-."

"Don't give me that crap Freed, this isn't about either of us and you know it," Gray snapped back as Freed raised an eyebrow curiously. "You know Laxus is finished now after what he's done, why bother following him!?"

"I could ask you the very same question Gray?"

"Huh?"

"Why do you follow Master Makarov," Freed countered smoothly as he waved his free arm out toward the town where multiple explosions went off. "It is because of his weakness that four people were able to cause such an incident to occur. Does that not frustrate you Gray, make you want to change the Guild Master to someone who can enforce the rules effectively?"

"First off, you know as well as I do that the only reason you guys are getting away with this for so long is because you've got most of the girls hostage," Gray snarled in response. "And second, even if I wanted the Guild Master to be different, Laxus is the LAST person anyone would want it to be!"

"Is that so? And why is that Gray, why do you believe no one would want Laxus in charge despite how accomplished he is?"

"Putting aside that he's an arrogant jerk who picks on people weaker than him, has no honour and is willing to use hostages to get what he wants, is willing to let innocent people get caught in the crossfire and has set the Guild against itself … he's not even the best."

"Not the best? Who could possibly claim that they are superior to Laxus," Freed replied with a slight frown. "None have put in more work than Laxus-!"

"Gildarts would crush Laxus easily," Gray cut in which finally drew a genuine reaction out of the green-haired mage. "Natsu's also beaten two Wizard Saints now and he's probably as strong as the Master, and even Erza's got a shot against Laxus too!"

"That's enough," Freed hissed as he swiped his blade through the air to silence Gray. "I won't stand here and let you besmirch Laxus and all he has achieved, comparing him to Erza and … Natsu of all people!"

"Oh yeah, I forgot that you lot were away with Laxus this whole time," Gray laughed as he entered a defensive stance. "Bet Laxus spewed out a lot of hot garbage about Natsu being weak still, huh?"

"Laxus informed us that Natsu had grown stronger, but was of no real threat to him," Freed replied which only had Gray laughing harder.

"Man, you guys really are hopeless! If you think Natsu is weaker than Laxus then I actually feel sorry for you three," Gray laughed as Freed sneered in his direction. "I almost want to let you go and fight him for yourself just to see the look on your face as he swats you away like an annoying pest!"

"You lie, there's no way Natsu has grown that powerful," Freed hissed, the grip on his rapier tightening.

"Hate to break it to you Freed, but Natsu's way beyond the rest of us now," Gray replied with a somewhat sombre grin. "I had to learn that the hard way. I used to think of myself as his rival, but now that he's back and I've seen what he can do, I know he's so far beyond me I'll never catch up to his level."

"But that's-!?"

"Impossible? Only if you stay within that narrow-minded bubble Laxus crafted around you Freed," Gray replied quickly as the man seemed somewhat conflicted. "I'm telling you Freed, Natsu could stomp all three of you without even trying. He's like Gildarts now, simply beyond what the rest of us can do."

Freed locked eyes with Gray, studying the younger man's every movement as he silently tried to pick up the subtle hint of Gray merely spouting lies to throw him off. It was obvious though that he wasn't, the Ice Make Mage was calm and collected, simply waiting for Freed's next response.

"Even if that were true, Gray," Freed sighed as the tip of his blade began to glow a purplish-black colour. "It is too late to deviate from this course."

"It's not too late Freed, you just have to stop doing what Laxus wants," Gray replied sharply only for Freed to shake his head.

"I can't do that Gray, just like you can't turn your back on Master Makarov," Freed replied as he vanished. "We are all just members in the game now!"

Gray ducked as Freed sailed over him, blade poised to strike as he summoned an ice one of his own. Freed vanished and reappeared behind Gray again, however he'd already spun around after having sensed the shift in the air and the pair clashed.

Freed was shocked at Gray having sensed him multiple times, a feat that only more advanced mages could hope to achieve as it required one to be able to actively detect their opponents through alternate means.

"How-!?"

"I might not be a monster like Natsu, but I've also gotten a lot stronger since you were last here Freed!"

"Even if that is the case, it won't be enough," Freed shot back as he vanished from view. "Let's see how you handle a fight against a real mage, Gray! Dark Ecriture – Duplication!"

Gray was surprised as several versions of Freed kept appearing and disappearing all around him simultaneously. He knew of course that Freed's Dark Ecriture Magic was rather diverse, but he'd never heard of the man using this kind of technique before.

"What's wrong Gray, too much for you to handle," Freed shouted mockingly as two of the Freed copies before him slashed their swords out in front of them. "Dark Ecriture – Arrows!"

"Ice Make – Icicle Barrage!"

Slamming his fists together before making a punching motion out in front of him, a large, Dark Blue Magic Circle appeared and shot out a barrage of razor-sharp icicles that quickly clashed with Freed's arrows.

Before he even had a chance to contemplate that he was able to match Freed's attack, he felt something strike him in the side as his entire body suddenly felt like daggers were clawing at his skin.

"Argh-!?"

"Dark Ecriture – Pain!"

"Damn it," Gray hissed as he got back up and fired another icicle barrage at the Freed that had managed to get in behind him. "So many in one spot!"

"Is this the best you can do Gray, after all that talk," Freed taunted as the various duplicates of him continued to warp all around the area. "I have to say I'm disappointed."

"You think landing a hit on me is gonna be enough," Gray snarled as he extended both his arms out to his sides as the temperature in the area dropped drastically. "I'm not just gonna give up if it means my friends and family are in danger!"

"Manipulating the temperature …"

"Ice Make – Gale Stream!"

The various copies of Freed all reacted in shock as a massive blast of icy wind shot toward their position. The wind by itself wasn't the issue however, it was the literally blades of ice mixed throughout it that were the issue.

"So, it appears you do have some sort of skill," Freed replied as all copies quickly started slashing the air before them. "Dark Ecriture – Reflect!"

To Gray's shock, the moment his attack struck the group of Freed and his duplicates, it immediately bounced off. The razor-sharp attacks shot out toward nearby buildings and even toward himself.

"Shit-!"

"I'll admit that you've certainly improved Gray, no regular Ice Mage could do that," Freed began as all versions of him vanished on the spot. "But you have a long way to go if you want to reach the peak of what it means to be a true S Class Mage."

"But you aren't even S Class," Gray snapped back as he narrowly dodged some of the reflected Gale Stream. "And who are you to call me weak when you can't even face me head on!?"

"All the more proof that you aren't on my level Gray."

"Wha-!"

Gray was suddenly face down; his face smashed into the ground with Freed towering over him. The Gale Stream heading their way simply bounced off of Freed again and smashed into the nearby buildings as the green-haired mage met the semi-conscious ones of Gray.

"Remember, we are mages, and we are not obligated to 'face each other head on' as you so eloquently put it. We wield our abilities to achieve victory over our foes, irrespective of if it means we must 'fight fairly' or not."

"D-damn it," Gray gasped as he struggled to his knees. "You coward!"

"Using my abilities to their full potential is not cowardice Gray," Freed muttered as he raised his right leg. "Considering all you've seen recently; I'd have thought you'd understand that by now."

Kicking Gray in the head with his boot to knock him out, Freed was shocked as his boot kicked through solid ice. Gray's entire form shimmered and turned into chunks of ice as he was suddenly struck in the head himself and sent flying into one of the nearby damaged buildings.

Gray sighed, the sign of the cold evident by his visible breath as ice began to form around the left side of his neck and face. Watching as Freed quickly recovered and leapt out of the building, he couldn't hide the slight smirk at the trickle of blood running down the side of his face.

"If that's how you want it Freed then fine, I'll stop fighting fairly."

"I see," Freed responded with a slight smile before returning to his usual stoic demeanour. "It appears that I've sorely underestimated you Gray, my apologies. I can assure you though, it won't happen again."

"I thought you just said that you weren't gonna-?"

Gray paused, slowly looking down at the sword that was now sticking out of his stomach. A trickle of blood escaped from the right corner of his mouth as he slowly looked over his shoulder to see another version of Freed standing there, this one however was different.

His right eye's sclera was black with a purplish aura around the iris itself, the veins surrounding the eye socket being more pronounced as a result of whatever it was. Looking back to the Freed he was talking to, he was shocked to see it shimmer away, revealing it to have also been an illusion.

"What …?"

"The truth is Gray, you were never fighting the real me," Freed explained as Gray felt the sword be gently removed from his body, dropping down to one knee as he clutched his stomach. "Truth be told, you are the first person I've even bothered dispatching personally, so take from that whatever you want."

"Heh. You really played me, huh," Gray chuckled softly as he felt his body begin to shake. "No wonder Master Makarov kept wanting you to go for the S Class trials every year."

"I will say this Gray, you have impressed me," Freed admitted as Gray collapsed fully onto the ground. "But, be grateful that it was me that you faced out here. If it were Laxus, you would have died fighting for your beliefs."

"That might be true," Gray muttered as he could vaguely see Freed preparing to knock him out with his foot. "But Laxus is still fucked no matter how you look at it."

"I don't think he is Gray."

"Even if he somehow beats Natsu, Eliza would beat him," Gray replied as Freed once again appeared somewhat conflicted. "And if she chooses not to do anything, Gildarts would have his ass out of this town faster than he could say his own name …"

"…"

"It's not too late for you to stop helping him Freed-."

Before Gray could plead his case, he was knocked out by a boot to the head as the green-haired mage turned around and looked out toward the looming figure of Kardia Cathedral in the distance.

"I've chosen my side Gray, much like you chose yours," Freed muttered as he began walking back toward the city itself. "Should we lose though, I shall bear the punishment for my actions without complaint."

/Fairy Tail Guild Hall – Same Time/

As the battle between his children waged ruthlessly within the town below, Makarov sat stock still at the bar, sipping on a mug of ale. His mind couldn't help but replay what Natsu had said the previous day regarding Laxus and what may need to be done about the boy.

Though Laxus was indeed his Grandson and a relative of one of the founders of Fairy Tail itself, that didn't mean he was to be given a free pass for his actions. Laxus would need to be punished severely for what he was trying to do and currently, only one option appeared likely.

"How could I let it come to this," the old man sighed as he took another small sip from his drink. "I should have seen his intentions years and done more to stop this …"

But what could he have done? The relationship between the pair had soured years ago and they could barely hold a conversation anymore, any that did occur usually devolving into pointless arguments.

The boy had fallen far, his once precious smile twisted into a sadistic grin of defiance against all he'd stood for. In Laxus' eyes, Fairy Tail needed to be number one in Fiore and forcibly cement itself as something that would make the founders themselves weep.

"Oh Laxus, you truly have gotten yourself into a mess this time," Makarov sighed as he looked back over at the petrified forms of the girls. "Not even I can save you from this one …"

As Makarov lamented the consequences his Grandson would certainly be facing, his ears twitched at the sound of something beginning to crack. For the briefest moment, he feared that Laxus had gone through with his threat as Erza's statue started to show visible signs of damage.

Leaping from his place, he started to run toward the stage before stopping as he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Cursing his weakness, he halted in place and clutched his chest as the statue of Erza shattered, a bright light engulfing the room.

Once the light died down however, Makarov was both shocked and relieved to see Erza standing there with a look of confusion across her face. She was clearly somewhat disoriented as she shook her head to regain her bearings.

"Erza!"

"Master … I-I don't understand-?"

"Evergreen," Makarov replied as Erza seemed to pull herself together, the focus coming back to her gaze as she locked eyes with the Guild Master. "She petrified all the girls who were set to take part in the Miss Fairy Tail Contest."

"I take it this was under the orders of Laxus," Erza asked with a frown as the aged Guild Master merely nodded once in response. "I see."

"I need your help Erza," Makarov continued as Erza's eyes darted toward a visible explosion outside the open doors of the Guild Hall. "Laxus has set the entire Guild against itself in a sick game, all in order to weed out what he deems the 'weak' and also as a condition to not destroying the girls' petrified forms."

"I knew Laxus held a dislike toward many in the Guild, but to openly cause a civil war among us Master? Is this really the work of Laxus or-?"

"I cannot say if Ivan is truly involved in all of this," Makarov replied instantly as both he and Erza looked back to the petrified forms of the other girls. "But the sheer disregard for the lives of the others has me beginning to question the possibility."

"Ivan was rather desperate to gain control over Fairy Tail before you banished him, perhaps he has actually managed to twist Laxus over to his side," Erza added as she turned to look back out the doors again. "But something doesn't add up though?"

"What is it?"

"Laxus isn't the kind of person to just kneel before someone else," Erza began as Makarov listened intently. "Even if he wanted to reconnect with Ivan, there's no way he would just start taking orders from him."

"Perhaps. The thing is though Erza, Ivan can be rather crafty when he needs to be," Makarov replied with a deep sigh. "That's what got him kicked out in the first place, as you very well know."

"I suppose we can just force Laxus to explain himself once he is brought back," Erza replied as she turned back to face the Guild Master. "I assume Natsu has already gone after Laxus?"

"Natsu, Gajeel, Eliza and Gray all left a short time ago," Makarov replied with Erza nodding swiftly.

"Then I'll head out as well, try to find Evergreen and force her to free the others."

"I'm counting on you Erza," Makarov said, his voice slightly cracking which didn't go unnoticed by Erza who shot the man a sympathetic smile.

"For what its worth Master, I'm sorry about this."

"You have nothing to apologize for Erza," Makarov replied as he fought off his tears as best he could. "He's my Grandson …"

Erza said nothing, watching as the old man struggled not to break down on the spot. Moving to his side, she knelt down and brought Makarov in for a gentle hug.

"We'll get through this, you'll see. Just as we've all leant on you for support, trust us to be there for you this time," Erza whispered as Makarov shed a few tears and wrapped an arm around Erza's neck to return the hug. "You aren't alone in this, Master."

"Thank you, Erza," Makarov replied shakily as he finally managed to gain some semblance of control over himself again and the pair separated. "Look at me, I'm a rather poor picture of a Guild Master right now, aren't I?"

"Not at all," Erza replied gently as she rose to her feet. "You just prove that despite the powerful figure you project, you're still one of us at the end of the day. After all, only the most compassionate could ever hope to lead a Guild like Fairy Tail."

Makarov's eyes widened at Erza's words and the similarity they held to those of another woman he knew during his early years. Looking over at Erza directly, the Requip Mage was already heading toward the doors, halting before the runes that communicated the ongoing battles and number of combatants remaining.

"Freed's work?"

"Yes," Makarov replied as he ran a hand over his face and shook himself back to some sense of normality. "Another way of Laxus trying to force me into handing him my position."

"It won't come to that Master; we'll make sure of it."

"I know you will, Erza," Makarov replied with a nod as he motioned toward the door. "Now please, get out there and find Evergreen."

"You can count on me Master," Erza replied firmly as she sprinted out the door and down toward Magnolia itself, leaving Makarov alone once more.

Once he was sure Erza was gone, he let the brief mask he'd managed to craft slip as he grit his teeth, tears beginning to escape him as he covered his eyes with his right hand.

"Laxus you foolish boy, Grandson of a foolish old man …"

/Magnolia Commercial District – Same Time/

As Erza began her search for Evergreen, Eliza had managed to arrive in the Commercial District. She again rolled her eyes at the sheer obliviousness the regular townsfolk had to what was going on as they went about their day oblivious to the chaos around them.

She wasn't exactly young and stupid, being an older God, she was knowledgeable on mortal habits to a small degree. She'd never actually set foot on the mortal realms personally, but even she knew that to ignore such madness going on all around them spoke volumes as to the lack of common sense these particular mortals had.

"You would think that they would at least ask one of them what was going on instead of letting them blow up half the town," Eliza muttered dryly as a Fairy Tail Mage was blasted out of second story window and smashed through one on the opposite side as several strange beings chased after him.

"Curious …"

The strange beings stopped and immediately looked in her direction, the closest one looking between Eliza and the Mage that had been blasted through the window before surprisingly beginning to speak.

"Look! Look! One of the Fairies!"

"One of the Fairies!"

"We've found another one!"

"Indeed you have my babies, indeed you have," a rather rough voice called out from the rooftop to her left as Eliza glanced lazily up to see who was speaking.

"Oh dear, it appears that I've encountered one of the members of Laxus' little circus," Eliza sighed as the man above twitched slightly in response.

In response, the man leapt off of the roof and down towards a series of flags that were protruding from the lower levels of the building. Displaying a rather impressive feat of dexterity, the man managed to casually latch onto the flagpoles with his feet and spin around them before leaping to the next until he reached the ground.

Upon landing, the man spun around and grinned, a green glow behind the armoured helmet he wore indicating where his eyes resided as he stuck his tongue out to reveal that it was in fact the location of his Guild Mark.

Member Of The Thunder Legion

Self-Proclaimed Master Of Souls

Member Of Fairy Tail

Bickslow

"Well, aren't you a rather charming fellow," Eliza said in response to his rather strange appearance as Bickslow seemingly shrugged off the rather icy response to his arrival. "I hope you realize that I'm going to have to beat you soundly for troubling Natsu and the old man?"

"Wow, I heard that there was a chick who sounded like an old bag sometimes, kinda weird to actually see her in the flesh though," Bickslow responded in amusement. "Kinda a shame, you're actually pretty hot!"

Eliza was grateful that no one else was around at that moment as her composure actually broke at Bickslow's words, a look of pure annoyance and loathing on her face as she narrowed her eyes at the man.

"What is it with you mortals and using such vulgar language toward those you've never met before," Eliza huffed as she shook her head in disgust. "Honestly, you mortals have no respect for the Gods these days!"

"God? you reckon you're a God," Bickslow asked in reply with Eliza shooting him a look that more or less told him he was an idiot. "Hmm, maybe that explains why your soul is such a weird colour and so damn dense compared to everyone else?"

"Excuse me, but did you just say that you can see my soul," Eliza asked in response with Bickslow grinning in return.

"Oh yeah, you bet I can," Bickslow laughed in response as he pointed to his eyes that were still hidden behind the helmet. "Thanks to my Magic, I can see and manipulate souls however I want!"

"Soul Manipulation is Black Magic," Eliza replied darkly, her glare actually having Bickslow unconsciously taking a step back. "I must say I'm surprised to hear Makarov was willing to allow a practitioner of such an art into this Guild."

"Hey lady, it might be Black Magic, but it ain't like I'm going around killing people for their souls," Bickslow countered sharply as all five of the strange soul constructs appeared behind him. "Ain't that right babies, nothing bad about you!?"

"You refer to them as your babies," Eliza muttered in disgust as she narrowed her eyes at the constructs. "Simply revolting."

"You think you can just insult MY babies and get away with it, no way," Bickslow snapped as he pointed toward her. "Soul Magic – Baryon Formation!"

The five constructs vanished and appeared in front of Bickslow, forming a circle as they began to spin around fast enough to generate a powerful gust of wind. Eliza however remained unfazed even as a bright green light began to form at the center of the circle.

"You're gonna regret talking shit about my babies like that old bag," Bickslow shouted over the sound of piercing wind that had enveloped the entire area. "Get em!"

The constructs fired a massive blast of pure magical energy at Eliza, the blast being as large as the street itself which actually surprised her. Despite this however, she didn't even so much as raise an eyebrow in response even as the attack cleared considerable distance within moments.

"How interesting," was all Eliza responded calmly, not even shifting from her relaxed stance as she was struck full force by the attack.

The attack ripped up everything in its path until it made impact at the end of the wide street, blasting a tall building directly off its foundations as the rest collapsed moments later. The collapse of the building shook the entire area as many who had moved out of the way gaped in shock at what had just occurred, some now realizing that perhaps this wasn't all fun and games after all.

Bickslow was laughing maniacally at the destruction as his constructs returned to their former position behind him, the black smoke from the dozens of fires ignited in the wake of his attack obscuring his view of Eliza's former position.

"Gahahahahaha! See now, that's what you get for talking shit about my babies-!"

Bickslow paused mid boast, his eyes glowing slightly brighter as he identified Eliza through the smoke. His surprise quickly turned to shock at the condition of her soul, the already abnormal presence seemed to be glowing far brighter than before, not dimmer as it would if one were to be on the verge of death.

Suddenly, Bickslow was forced on all fours as a monstrous blast of wind struck the entire street. Within moments, all the fire and smoke was dispelled to reveal Eliza, completely unharmed and even in the exact same stance as earlier, only her right arm having been moved to generate the wind.

"What …"

"What a pity. I had hoped that wielding Black Magic you would have shown me something half decent," Eliza sighed as she lazily batted away three energy blasts from the constructs. "Perhaps powerful mages are a dime a dozen after all?"

"The fuck, how did you endure an attack like that!?"

"It's quite simple really," Eliza replied as her crimson eyes pierced through Bickslow's own, the man taking multiple steps back in fear at the menacing woman before him, licking her lips as she summoned an Ebony colored short sword to her side. "I'm a God, dear, plain and simple."

"N-no way," Bickslow gasped as his constructs started rapidly firing out dozens of attacks that simply were swatted aside lazily by Eliza, the War Goddess now slowly beginning to walk forward. "No way are you a real God!?"

"I suppose I can't exactly kill you, but I'll make sure you learn your lesson for partaking in this farce," Eliza muttered as she vanished from view and reappeared behind Bickslow. "War God's Stymied Edge."

Bickslow lurched forward as blood poured from his mouth, all of his constructs trembling before hitting the floor. The man clutched his gut as he struggled to turn to face Eliza who was already walking away from him, headed into the direction of the Cathedral.

"Mortals such as yourself should know your place," Eliza said in response to the obvious question on Bickslow's mind. "There aren't many in this Guild with the potential to fight me at any point in their lives and you are more than a thousand years out of your league."

Turning back to face the man, Eliza shot him a haunting smirk, her tongue slightly protruding from her mouth as she licked some of the blood from the flat of her blade before letting loose a hum of approval.

"Though I will admit that you do bleed rather well dear," the woman continued mockingly as Bickslow felt his consciousness beginning to fade away. "Let this blood be your only warning to never try such foolishness again."

Turning back as the man fell unconscious, the citizens of Magnolia gave the War Goddess a wide berth as she casually strolled off in the direction of Kardia Cathedral.

"Honestly, this Guild truly is a product of its time," Eliza muttered under her breath as she dismissed her blade and continued on her way.

/Magnolia Residential District – Same Time/

Rushing through the streets of Magnolia, Erza frantically searched for the whereabouts of Evergreen. She knew full well that time was running out and if something wasn't done soon then Laxus would likely try to use them as a last resort against Natsu.

Naturally, Erza was fully aware that Natsu would beat Laxus in a fair fight. He was trained by Gildarts and the results spoke for themselves ever since he'd returned. There was just now logical way for Laxus to win in a fair fight, which left only one avenue of victory open for the man.

Not to mention the fact that he would clearly be angry at Laxus over what he'd done to her personally. After all, to this day he still held guilt over what had happened to Lisanna despite having had no involvement that could have caused it to happen.

"I won't let it come to Natsu killing Laxus," Erza muttered under her breath as she cleared entire streets with several powerful steps. "Count on me to deal with saving the other girls, Natsu."

"How pitiful," a rather snide voice called out which had Erza skidding to a stop and looking straight up at one of the nearby rooftops. "The mighty Titania, Queen Of The Fairies, fawning over a boy in a time of crisis!"

"I was not fawning over Natsu," Erza replied sharply as she summoned one of her swords into her right hand and pointed it at Evergreen who leapt down onto ground level. "I don't need to fawn over him, he's MINE after all."

"Hardly," Evergreen sniffed which had Erza narrowing her eyes in response. "A man like that could do far better than a barbaric woman like yourself. Honestly, running around the way you do, I'm surprised you didn't renounce the title as 'Queen Of The Fairies' years ago since its clear who is superior in both looks AND skill!"

"Drone on about the title all you want, I couldn't care less," Erza snapped back which startled Evergreen into a defensive stance. "The Guild and those around me gave me that title, it wasn't something I simply chose for myself nor do I particular care for it! I am Erza Scarlett, S Class Mage of Fairy Tail and Natsu's Girlfriend, nothing more!"

"How cute, trying to act like you never cared about being number one," Evergreen cooed before narrowing her own eyes at the Requip Mage. "Don't pretend like we didn't have to watch you and Mirajane fight over who was superior for years on end Erza, we all know what the both of you were after!"

"Look Evergreen, I'm not the same person I was when I was a child and neither is Mira," Erza sighed in frustration. "Our past squabbles over who was stronger ultimately meant little and aren't relevant to what's happening now!"

"On the contrary Erza, those past squabbles have everything to do with the current situation," Evergreen laughed mockingly. "What Laxus is going to do is rebuild the Guild with only the strong, cut out those who are weak!"

"Laxus won't get the chance," Erza hissed back as she tightened her grip on her blade. "Natsu will destroy Laxus!"

"So you all say, yet I beg to differ. Laxus is unbeatable!"

"Enough of this Evergreen," Erza roared as she summoned a second blade. "I order you by my authority as an S Class of the Guild to release the other girls from their petrification!"

"Empty threats Titania," Evergreen countered with a smirk that had Erza gritting her teeth in annoyance. "You think mere words are going to be enough to stop a coup against the Guild? You're even dumber than I thought, Titania. Such a naïve way of thinking is exactly what got Fairy Tail into the mess it's in now!"

"The only thing that has happened is that Laxus has lost his mind, be it through some outside influence or of his own jealousy toward the Master, it doesn't matter! What matters is that both Laxus and the Thunder Legion are not only betraying everything the Guild stands for, but that they are putting the lives of the citizens of Magnolia at risk to do it," Erza countered strongly as her body began to glow and she Requiped into her Heaven's Wheel Armor. "Now for the last time Evergreen, release the girls or I WILL use force!"

"I won't lose," Evergreen muttered as her body started to glow a faint golden colour as four thin dragonfly-like wings sprouted from her back and the mage slowly began to hover off of the ground. "I am a member of the Thunder Legion, an elite! As a chosen of the future Fourth Master, I can't lose to the likes of you!"

Moving her head sharply to the right, Evergreen avoided a sword Erza had fired at her as dozens more began to manifest behind the Requip Mage until they formed a large circle, all poised to be fired at a moment's notice.

"Twice the pride, double the fall … Evergreen," Erza replied darkly as she too began to slowly hover off of the ground to match Evergreen's height. "This is a fight you won't win Evergreen; I only hope that you can come to terms with that."

"What nonsense," Evergreen hissed back as the golden light broke up into tiny particles that now surrounded the rebellious Fairy Tail Mage. "Let us see just how deserved the title of 'Titania' truly is, shall we!? Fairy Magic – Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun!"

Waving both arms out in front of her, Evergreen fired the orbs of golden light at Erza's position. Said orbs quickly morphed into razor sharp needles as Erza swiftly began to dodge around the relentless barrage.

As she dodged the initial volley, Erza looked behind her to see that the attack had ripped through the buildings around them and cursed at Evergreen's lack of care for the people whose homes she was striking.

Narrowing her eyes, Erza began firing many of her swords at Evergreen who nimbly dodged through the barrage. Seeing that Evergreen had her beat in the dexterity department, Erza had an idea as she dispelled the sword in her right hand.

"Requip – Adamantine Shield!"

Summoning half of the legendary shield into her left hand, Erza placed it firmly in front of her and charged directly at the shocked Evergreen. Clearly, the woman hadn't assumed Erza would go for something so direct and she was already falling back.

"Further proof that you are little more than a barbaric woman," Evergreen huffed as all the needles she was firing suddenly stopped in place. "Fortunately, unlike some, I actually have plans within plans!"

"What-!?"

"Let us see how you handle this Titania," Evergreen grinned as the needles began to pulse rapidly. "Fairy Magic – Fairy Bomb – Gremlin!"

All around Erza, the needles began to explode as Evergreen watched on in glee. The explosions were each sizeable, the smoke cloud after only the first few being large enough to cover the Residential District.

"Do you see now Titania, you're outmatched! You might have been stronger once upon a time, but now you've stagnated and given rise to my ascension to the throne of Queen!"

"Is that right?"

Evergreen didn't even have the time to think as she was struck in the back of the head and sent flying down into the street, crashing hard into the stone pavement where she skidded along the road until she hit a shopfront. Smashing into the gutter, she was tossed up and through the shop window where she finally came to a stop.

To say Evergreen was in shock at what had just occurred was an understatement. Prying herself out of a destroyed display, the Fairy Tail Mage traced the visible path she'd taken to get here back to the giant smoke cloud … and Erza standing atop a lamppost in another armor.

"Requip – Flight Armor."

"Curse you Titania," Evergreen cursed as she adjusted her glasses and jumped back out of the trashed store. "Do you seriously have an armor for everything!?"

"Don't be foolish Evergreen," Erza replied bluntly as she adjusted the sword in her hand. "If I had one for everything, there wouldn't be any need for all of this pointless fighting."

Vanishing from place," Evergreen was shocked to see Erza popping from lamppost to lamppost, her sheer speed being beyond her ability to track.

"Impossible … HOW CAN YOU BE THIS FAST!?"

"This is the difference between us Evergreen," Erza replied as she appeared right in front of her and landed a fierce kick to the side of the head that sent Evergreen flying into the side of another building. "This is the kind of ability one needs to be S Class."

"So now … you mock my power," Evergreen snarled as she dropped to one knee, blood escaping from various wounds she'd sustained being tossed around by Erza.

"There's a lot more to being S Class than power, Evergreen," Erza replied as she reappeared in front of the wounded mage and Requiped back into her Heaven's Wheel Armor. "The mark of a true S Class Mage isn't just their strength, but a whole slew of things."

Summoning over twenty swords, all were poised to strike Evergreen who clearly had no means of fighting back. With a sigh, the member of the Thunder Legion shakily got up and looked down her nose at Erza.

"You really think you've got me beaten on all fronts, don't you? Well, let's not forget that I hold the greatest trump card of all in this little game," Evergreen said darkly as her eyes began to glow a bright golden colour behind her glasses. "One wrong move Titania and I'll end this little game with our victory …"

"If you're willing to go that far over this and kill our friends, then I have no other choice," Erza sighed as she summoned even more weapons until over fifty weapons of varying types now hovered all around Evergreen, poised to strike.

"Wh-what-!?"

"I will ensure that the deaths of my friends are avenged, that their murderer suffers the worst of fates as I slowly tear them apart piece by piece with every weapon in my arsenal!"

"HOW IN THE WORLD CAN YOU EVEN SAY THAT WITH A STRAIGHT FACE," Evergreen squeaked as the weapons inched closer along with Erza herself until they were merely inches apart. "Y-YOU'RE CRAZY!"

Erza paused a moment, making Evergreen think that this was the end as she prepared herself for the hell that was about to follow, only for an armoured fist to strike her directly in the face.

"Look, if you're going to lie about doing something, then at least make it somewhat believable," Erza said bluntly as she pulled her fist back and dispelled her weapons. "You're literally part of the Guild, everyone already knows what you're capable of."

"Fair enough," Evergreen mumbled as she covered her face. "You win, I give up."

"That's better. Now, release the girls," Erza commanded with Evergreen sighing but doing as requested, her eyes momentarily flashing. "Good."

"You do realize that having me release them is only going to make things worse," Evergreen said after finally moving her hand away from her face. "Without them, Laxus is going to resort to his Plan B."

"Plan B," Erza muttered before shaking her head. "Look, just tell me where Laxus is Evergreen?"

"Kardia Cathedral," Evergreen replied with a slight frown. "Not that any of you will be able to stop him now that he's going to use Plan B."

"We'll stop Laxus, regardless of whatever this Plan B of his happens to be, Evergreen," Erza replied only for Evergreen to shake her head.

"You don't get it Titania; his Plan B is foolproof. Not even Master Makarov would be able to stop it!"

This had Erza's full attention as she once again rounded on Evergreen who raised her hands in mock surrender.

"I'll tell you, alright."

Explain everything, now!"

/Fairy Tail Guild Hall – Same Time/

Makarov could only grin as he watched the girls one by one turn back into themselves, each just as dazed as Erza was when she emerged. Without a moment's hesitation, the old man ran toward them.

"Master … I can't quite remember what happened," Mira muttered as the old man gathered their attention.

"I'm afraid Laxus has finally decided to make his move," Makarov sighed with Mira immediately knowing what the old man was talking about. "He's managed to pit most of the Guild against itself though Natsu and the others are trying to stop him."

"Sounds like we've gotta get out there and help then," Cana cut in as all eyes turned toward the Card Mage. "Sure, we might not be as strong as Laxus, but we can't just let the others do all the work, especially with the likes of Freed out there!"

"That's a fair point, Freed is rather crafty," Mira agreed as she turned back toward Makarov. "We'll all head out and do what we can to help Master."

"I'm counting on all of you," Makarov said with a slight nod only to wince as he felt another sharp pain rip through his chest.

"Master," Mira gasped as the old man staggered forward. "I think someone should stay with the Master while the rest of us help out."

"I'll stay," Levy offered with the others nodding gratefully. "I'm not much for fighting so I'll help the Master here."

"Thanks Levy, you're a lifesaver," Mira sighed as she looked back toward Makarov. "I assume you haven't taken your medicine because of what's been happening?"

"I know I should have Mira, but the Guild-!"

"The Guild will sort its problems out, but not at the expense of your health," Mira replied firmly as she looked back toward Levy. "You know where we keep the Master's medicine, right Levy?"

"Yeah, I'll make sure he takes it while you guys are gone."

Mira smiled back at the blue-haired Script Mage before looking over toward Juvia and Cana, both girls nodding at the silent order she'd given them as all three made for the door.

As they left, Makarov sighed and sat down on the floor. Even more of his children were now being thrust into this senseless mess, and for what gain?

"Perhaps its time I truly do start looking for a successor …"

/Magnolia Outskirts – Half An Hour Later/

The girls had made their way out of town, shocked at the trail of destruction littered across Magnolia as many of its residents seemed to cry out for an answer. Unfortunately, their cries went without a response as the trio made their way toward a location Mira had believed Freed to be.

"Are you sure Freed is out here Mira," Cana asked as the pair left the town behind. "Why would he come this far out!?"

"This is where the tracking spell believes he is Cana, don't ask me why he's here because I don't have an answer!"

"I think we should trust in Mirajane for now Cana, she seems to know what she's doing," Juvia added somewhat shyly with Cana audibly groaning in response.

"Two against one, fine. I'll keep quiet then, but can we stop with the running already!?"

"You'd be able to keep up if you didn't drink as much Cana!"

"Don't try and start that crap now Mira, you're the one who serves em to me!"

"You can both save the argument about Cana's drinking problem for later," Juvia cut in as she pointed up ahead. "Isn't that Freed?"

Both Mira and Cana looked ahead and were surprised to see Freed standing tall before a downed Elfman, the latter gritting his teeth as he struggled to stand.

"Elfman!"

"M-Mira," Elfman gasped out as he shot her a relieved smile. "Thank God you're alright!"

"Step away from Elfman, Freed," Cana growled as she summoned several cards from thin air.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that Cana, not after Elfman broke the rules of the game," Freed replied calmly as he leveled his sword at Elfman's downed form. "Elfman was already eliminated by Evergreen yet he chose to attack me anyway, he must face the consequences of his actions."

"None of us want any part of your sick games Freed!"

"What you all want isn't any of my concern, Cana, for it is Laxus' will that the game be played by all members of Fairy Tail."

"But Freed, how can you stand to hurt the others like this," Mira chimed in as Freed spared a glance in her direction. "We're all family Freed, don't you remember?"

"Perhaps once, but no longer," Freed replied, his eyes avoiding Mira's own as the white-haired S Class Mage forced herself back into his vision by standing in front of Elfman.

"Freed, you don't mean that."

"It doesn't matter what I want anymore Mirajane," Freed replied bitterly as he managed to meet her gaze for a brief moment. "The sides have already been chosen; it is far too late to turn back from this."

"No Freed, it isn't too late. You have the power to stop this, take down the runes placed across the city and put an end to this senseless violence-."

"I can't," Freed snapped with Mira recoiling in surprise at the stoic man's outburst. "I can't Mirajane, you don't understand …"

"Then tell me Freed," Mira replied gently as she took several steps toward the man only for Elfman to grab onto her arm and pull her back. "Elfman!"

"Stay away from him … Mira!"

"But-!"

"He's on Laxus' side," Elfman growled as he managed to rise to his feet once again. "He's taken out more Fairy Tail members than anyone else in this damn game, haven't you!?"

"…"

"He's always been on Laxus' side, ever since he first joined the Guild," Elfman continued as Freed's stoic demeanor slowly returned. "Him and the rest of the Thunder Legion barely give the rest of us the time of day, thinking they're better than the rest of us just because they follow Laxus around!"

"Elfman stop talking like that-!"

"It's true Mira, don't deny it," Elfman snapped with Mira gazing at her Brother in shock. "He's not really one of us Mira, none of them are. They're all just Laxus' little soldiers …"

"Very well put Elfman," Freed muttered as Mira's head snapped back to the man to see his cold and calculating demeanor back in full effect. "We all swore we would follow Laxus into the pits of hell, and that's exactly what I plan on doing."

"Freed wait-!"

"Though it pains me to do this to someone so nice, I must eliminate you from this game as well, Mirajane," Freed continued as he moved his blade in the direction of the S Class Mage. "For what it is worth, which I can only surmise is little, I hold you in high regard Mirajane … I'm sorry."

Moving to strike Mira, she was pulled out of the way by Elfman whose body was now glowing a bright golden light, prompting Freed to immediately disengage and leap backward.

"Take Over – Beast Soul!"

"Elfman, NO-!"

"You fool, you've already been warned of the consequences of breaking the rules," Freed sighed as he turned his attention back toward the now transformed Elfman who now appeared more like a monster than a man. "Now you will suffer the consequences for your foolishness!"

"I've got a better idea Freed," Elfman growled as he charged toward him. "How about you suffer the consequences … of turning Mira to STONE!"

Freed vanished right as Elfman was about to strike him, reappearing directly behind him with his blade glowing an ominous purple colour.

"Dark Ecriture – Pain!"

Elfman roared as the slash Freed had performed released a set of runes that fired at his exposed back, sticking instantly and taking full effect. His body was rattled with pain, much as the spell suggests, and he collapsed to his knees.

"ELFMAN," Mira cried as she began rushing toward her Brother only for Cana to hold her back. "Let me go Cana, I have to help him!"

"You can't Mira, Freed would crush you as you are now!"

"I don't care, I'll take all the pain he can dish out," Mira cried in response as Cana struggled to hold the girl back. "Let me GO!"

"See what your foolishness has wrought, Elfman," Freed asked as he moved closer toward Elfman's downed form. "Had you simply obeyed the rules, Mirajane would have simply been rendered unconscious by a sleep spell, yet now here we are."

"I-I'm not gonna let you … get away … with this … FREED!"

"Roar all you want Elfman," Freed sighed as he vanished right as Elfman spun around and tried to strike him, reappearing again at his back as he landed another Pain Spell. "You simply aren't even close to my level."

"Stop this Freed, Elfman isn't as strong as he used to be," Mira cried out, still struggling to escape Cana's grip.

"He should have considered that before he broke the rules," Freed sniffed in response as he slashed his blade again. "Dark Ecriture – Pain!"

Elfman roared again as slash after slash struck him, an overlap of Pain Spells now having the large man convulsing on the floor.

"And now for a little of this," Freed muttered as he summoned a new set of runes. "Dark Ecriture – Fear!"

Slashing his blade again, Elfman immediately began to scream as the sensory overload tore through him. Freed however overlayed it with more Pain Spells as the man screamed in agony.

"And now, for the final step," Freed said as everyone else present froze. "The punishment for those who break the rules … is Death!"

The world seemed to slow down for Mira, the outraged cries of both Cana and Juvia being drowned out by an incessant buzzing sound that continued to grow louder and louder. She didn't even feel Cana letting her go, her entire sense of awareness slowly falling away as something began to speak to her.

Hear it, Mirajane? First you lose Lisanna due to weakness and now, now you lose Elfman too.

"No, I-?"

Yours is such a bright and beautiful nature, but one that ultimately is wasted upon the Humans. Why hold back for their sake, Mirajane? Do you not desire the strength to protect those you love?

"I-I want to … protect …"

You have that power within you still, the power to protect … but only if you allow me control.

"You?"

Choose quickly Mirajane Strauss, lest Elfman die right before your very eyes.

"But I-?"

I can save him, but you simply have to let go …

Mira gasped as flashes of the day Lisanna was killed ripped through her mind, dozens upon dozens of angles of her little Sister being brutally slaughtered by the monster Elfman had lost control of had the once bright star of Fairy Tail screaming, crying in horror as her Magical Power began to skyrocket.

"What," Freed hissed as he paused in his actions.

"My goodness," Juvia gasped as she took a step back from Mira right as her entire body became surrounded by a dark-purplish aura. "Such Dark Magical energy!"

"No way," Cana muttered as she snapped her attention back to Freed. "Do you have any idea what you've just done!?"

"This is impossible," Freed gasped as he took several steps back from Elfman's now unconscious form. "There's no way she's managed to regain access to all that power!?"

Mira's screams began to twist and distort into a much darker sounding one, the pain and agony replaced by rage and hate as her form shifted. Her long flowing white hair now standing upright as the clothes on her body were replaced with a revealing one-piece suit that fully revealed her arms and legs.

Her fingers lengthened slightly, her nails becoming more claw-like before being covered by form fitting metal gauntlets as her legs were simultaneously covered by thigh-high boots that matched the design of her one-piece suit.

A stocky tail sprouted from her tailbone, seemingly made from the same kind of metal as those from her gauntlets as it smashed the ground, creating a sizeable hole whilst a pair of black colored wings sprouted from her back that looked Demonic in nature.

By this point, Freed had backed up considerably, sweating profusely as the screams died down along with the massive burst of Magical Power. The moment Mira stopped screaming, her head returned to center before looking directly at Freed, slanted eyes narrowed directly at his location as she ran a clawed hand through her hair to reveal pointed ears.

"It cannot be," Freed choked out as Mira grit her teeth at him, revealing her enlarged canines that were clearly those of a predator. "Her power has returned … the Demon Mirajane!"

Advisor To The Guild Master

Fairy Tail S Class Mage

The Demon Of Fairy Tail

Mirajane Strauss

"Wh-what is this power," Juvia stuttered as Cana slowly backed away toward her position. "What happened to Miss Mirajane?"

"Freed's really done it now," Cana hissed as she looked between Freed and Mira's respective positions. "Best thing we can do now is get as far away from here and try to get help."

"W-with respect, this power indicates that Miss Mirajane should be far beyond Freed, doesn't it?"

"The help isn't for Mira …"

Juvia swallowed hard as Mirajane flapped her wings once, now hovering off of the ground with Freed taking several more steps back in fear. The look the strange form of Mira was giving Freed, combined with what Cana had just said, was all she really needed to put two and two together.

"I can't believe it," Freed muttered as he finally managed to meet Mira's gaze. "To think you would go so far as reawakening the power lost to you so long ago … Satan Soul!"

In response, Mira simply vanished and reappeared with her face mere millimeters from Freed's own. To his credit, he did not flinch at what would have given lesser men a heart attack, even as a cold dark voice spoke but one word.

"Die."

"Mira no-!"

Freed vanished, multiple explosions going off behind where he once stood signalling that Mira had struck him and sent him flying from the outskirts all the way into town. Every building Freed had struck collapsed, a smoke trail being left in the wake of his form as Mira looked over her shoulder at the shaken Cana and terrified Juvia.

"Stay out of this."

Vanishing from her previous location, Mira appeared high above Magnolia as she tracked Freed's trajectory. From the smoke, a slight flash immediately caught her attention as she snapped her attention toward the Commercial District.

"Dark Ecriture – Wings!"

Freed emerged from a collapsed building, slightly bloodied yet still more than capable of fighting as he shot high into the air. Mira didn't react, letting Freed reach her altitude as the man grit his teeth.

"Even if you've reawakened your power, I won't lose," Freed cried as he swiped his blade. "Dark Ecriture – Duplication!"

Five Freed's emerged from the one, totaling six in all, as they moved to surround Mira. The Demon however wasn't fazed in the slightest even as all six slashed their blades out in front of them, using the exact same spell.

"Dark Ecriture – Destruction!"

All six Freed fired out massive blasts of purple Magic, the skies over Magnolia saturated in the purplish glow. Despite this, Mira didn't even attempt to do anything to stop him, startling Freed as all six attacks smashed into her form setting off a massive explosion.

"Weak."

"No way," Freed said weakly as Mira dispelled the smoke with a wave of her hand before aiming said hand up above her head.

"Darkness Magic – Darkness Stream!"

Freed gasped as hundreds of blackish-purple energy blasts erupted from Mira's palm, shooting high into the air before spinning around and coming straight back toward the six Freed who all immediately began evasive manoeuvres.

Three of the Freed were obliterated instantly, the fourth managing to dodge several blasts before being struck by over a dozen at multiple angles. The fifth Freed attempted to counterattack shortly after but was crushed like the others before even managing to generate so much as a spark from his blade.

Which left the real Freed who, unlike the duplicates, had significantly more intelligence and had flown as far away as he could whilst the other five bought him time, as miniscule as it was.

"There is no escape."

Mira's form vanished and reappeared several times across the skies before appearing directly in front of Freed mid-kick where he was sent flying directly into the town below. Smashing into the central road, he skidded all the way into the fountain where he managed to right himself and flipped upward at the last moment, sparing the iconic structure.

"This power is intense," Freed gasped as he wiped some blood from his vision. "To think she still held so much power despite barely having access to a sliver of it!"

And then she appeared again, standing atop the statue at the fountain's centre, the same cold and focused look present.

"It seems you really live up to the name," Freed sighed with a small smile. "But you aren't the only one who possesses forbidden spells!"

Tossing his sword aside, Freed's left eye turned a dark purple as he swiped his hand out in front of himself to summon a set of runes. Mira didn't respond in the slightest, allowing Freed to go ahead with whatever it was he was planning.

"Dark Ecriture – Babel's Evil: Darkness!"

Freed roared as his body was quickly morphed into that of a monster, the only thing still recognizable of him being his signature green hair which was now longer and slicked back behind him.

"That's enough!"

Both the recently transformed Freed and Mira looked over to the right to see Natsu walking down the central road, Gajeel directly behind him with the latter looking utterly speechless at what he'd just seen.

"Stay out of this Natsu," Freed roared as he slammed his fists down onto the road, shaking the area as many civilians ran for cover.

"I'll deal with you in a minute, Freed," Natsu replied dismissively as he turned back to look at Gajeel who nodded stiffly and waited where he was. "I didn't come here for you."

This shocked Freed, despite his berserk state, keeping the transformed man quiet as Natsu walked toward Mira's position. Halting before the fountain, he looked up at the Demon before him with a neutral expression.

"It's been … a long time."

"You've grown strong," Mira replied which confused both Gajeel and Freed at the wording. "Last we met, you were but a hatchling, were you not? Yet now you stand tall before me as a Dragon."

"Not even close to that I'm afraid," Natsu replied gently as Mira finally managed to crack a ghost of a smile.

"Salamander, what the hell's goin on," Gajeel asked as Natsu looked over his shoulder to face the man. "Isn't this Mirajane, the white haired one from the bar?"

"It is, but it isn't at the same time," Natsu replied which only further confused Gajeel. "Mira's power is rather unique compared to other Take Overs due to what she specializes in."

"You've grown smarter as well," the woman who clearly wasn't Mira replied calmly as she smiled in Natsu's direction again. "As expected of one with a legacy such as yours."

"You said that the last time we spoke," Natsu replied with a frown that actually drew a smirk from the woman. "What do you mean by my 'legacy' exactly?"

"Not my place to say," the woman replied before once more adopting a serious expression. "Besides, I'm rather busy at the moment so if you wouldn't mind going after that pest Laxus-?"

"Hecate," Natsu said sharply, cutting off the Demon as she partially smirked at his sudden response. "I can't let you kill Freed, even if I'm pissed off at Laxus and the Thunder Legion."

"Is that right," Hecate responded as she vanished and reappeared in front of Natsu, much in the same way she had done to Freed earlier. "And I suppose that you shall stop me should I dare continue?"

"You know I'll step in and fight you if necessary," Natsu replied evenly as neither he nor Hecate blinked. "Just look through Mira's memories and you'll know."

"I don't need to know that, Natsu," Hecate replied slowly as both tensed slightly. "Your scent tells me all I need to know."

No one present saw the pair move, yet now Natsu held back Hecate's fist with his right arm, although neither appeared to be straining which indicated that it was a mere test between the pair.

Hecate grinned and pulled back with Natsu taking a step back in turn, the tense atmosphere dying down somewhat as many believed Natsu had defused the situation. That was, at least, until Hecate vanished.

"I held no plans to kill Freed, merely show him his place," Hecate's voice whispered into his ear as Natsu turned on his heel and began walking back toward Gajeel. "After being sealed away for so long, we have no desire to be restrained again."

"As long as you don't kill him, do what you need to," Natsu muttered in reply which only Gajeel picked thanks to his Dragon enhanced senses. "For what it's worth, I'm glad to see you back, Hecate."

Hecate reappeared right in front of Freed, striking the currently off-guard and still transformed man in the chin which sent him flying high into the air. The punch held enough force to shake the entire area, a fierce gust of wind blowing throughout the area as Natsu returned to Gajeel.

"Damn Salamander, you're a cold son of a bitch."

"You should know better than most the burdens of a Guild," Natsu replied as they began walking toward the Cathedral once again. "I trust you'll keep your mouth shut?"

No response was needed as the pair left the area, leaving Hecate to deal with the transformed Freed who was now furious at having been struck with his guard down.

"Damn you," Freed roared as he held out his hands, summoning two large purple Magic Circles that began firing out dozens of small energy blasts. "You'll pay for deceiving me!"

"You can try."

Both Freed and Hecate blitzed toward one another, clashing high above Magnolia with a furious exchange of fists. Unfortunately for Freed, his attempt to match Hecate's strength proved futile and he was quickly overpowered and smacked in the face hard enough to send him fly across the skyline.

Hecate snarled as she held both arms out to her right, a blackish-purple colored spherical vortex beginning to form between her hands as Freed struggled to right himself, having been dazed from the powerful blow to the head.

"This will finish it," Hecate muttered darkly as every Mage in Magnolia looked up at her position, the sheer pressure from the attack held within her hands so great the buildings groaned under the strain. "Darkness Magic – Soul Extinctor!"

Making a forward thrust motion with her arms, a colossal blast of pure Dark Magic was fired in Freed's general direction with the Runic Mage unable to even see it coming. Within moments, the sun itself vanished from view as a gigantic tidal wave of power ripped through the skyline, engulfing Freed instantly with the man screaming in a mixture of pain and fear.

Hecate released a somewhat heavy sigh, the strain of Mira's form wielding her after so long beginning to come to bear as she felt the girl's core slowly beginning to reach empty. Vanishing from her position in the sky, she reappeared on the ground and watched as Freed rocketed into the dirt on the outskirts of town, no longer transformed into a hideous monster.

The man was bloodied, beaten and clearly down for the count. Even as Hecate flashed before him, he refused to surrender, struggling to even reach a sitting position as he grit his teeth in a last act of defiance.

"Come to kill me then," Freed gasped as he dropped onto his back, the last of his strength leaving him. "Get it over with!"

"Is that all you have to say?"

"Laxus was my superior … I've failed him," Freed replied bitterly as he clenched his fists. "There's nothing left for me now …"

Hecate moved to stand over Freed, dropping to her knees as she cocked back her right arm in preparation to land the killing blow against the green haired man. With a roar, Hecate brought her fist down, Freed's eyes closing as he waited for the end, only for a loud crack to sound next to his left ear.

"Is that really how you feel, after all the years you've been a part of Fairy Tail?"

Freed's eyes shot open in shock to see the Demon before him vanishing, peeling away in a golden light as Mirajane returned to her usual self. There was no smile present on her face however, only regret and pain as she kept his focus solely on her.

"Mira … jane …"

"This battle … this war between the Guild … can't you see that its all meaningless," Mira asked gently as Freed felt that feeling he'd felt dozens of times earlier that day swell up once more. "Surely deep down you don't truly believe in what Laxus is doing, do you?"

"I must believe in Laxus," Freed hissed back, despite the clear sign of doubt written all over his face. "Without Laxus … I'm alone …"

"Oh Freed, you silly man," Mira replied with a shake of her head, smiling sadly down at the man who cringed in response. "Don't you understand? We're all friends, fellow members of the same Guild, smiling together, laughing together, walking together. The burden of pain doesn't rest on the shoulders of one, but upon us all, just like a family should."

"No … I don't need the others," Freed barked in denial, despite tears clearly beginning to form at the corners of his eyes. "I've always been an outcast, alone, even within the Thunder Legion! I've always been alone; I don't need anyone else!"

"I think you do Freed," Mira replied sadly as she began to shed tears, the downed Mage now gaping in shock at the sight before him. "No one can fight the world alone Freed, not you, not Laxus or anyone else. Eventually, people come to realize that there is something missing inside, a void of loneliness that they can't hide from …"

"No … you're wrong-!"

"It isn't too late for you Freed, nor is it too late for Laxus," Mira continued, shutting the man's feeble attempt to argue down swiftly. "Because in the end, once a person realizes that they are isolated from the world and those around them … they become kind."

At Mira's words, Freed finally began to cry as years of pent-up loneliness and frustration began to pour forth before Mira who smiled, despite her own tears.

"You aren't alone Freed, you never were," Mira whispered as she hopped off of him and sat down at his side. "You're family."

This was the sight that many people, civilian and Mage alike, witnessed upon arriving at the conclusion of the largest battle so far, leaving only one foe remaining at Kardia Cathedral.

/Magnolia's Kardia Cathedral – Same Time/

Laxus sat upon the foot of the altar steps, his eyes glued to the results on the Runic Array Freed had set up for the Battle Of Fairy Tail. His expression was neutral, yet to any who truly knew the man, they would have already beat a hasty retreat.

"So, they've all abandoned me," Laxus muttered, his head in his hands as he pondered his current situation. "Guess they weren't cut out for my dream after all."

Golden sparks danced across the concrete floor as he held in his steadily climbing rage, knowing full well that he was the sole target remaining in the game now with the elimination of Freed.

"So what if they're gone, they only held me back anyway," Laxus continued as the sparks grew in intensity. "With them gone, now I can take the Guild through true force-!"

Laxus paused suddenly, his ears twitching slightly as he heard soft footsteps approaching the front of the Cathedral. His eyes darted upward and he couldn't help but widen his eyes in genuine surprise.

"Well now, I had assumed you'd have gone straight to the old man," Laxus said with a smirk worming its way onto his face. "I'm honestly flattered you'd come directly for me, Mystogan."

The Mysterious Wanderer

Fairy Tail S Class Mage

The Mage Of Mystery

Mystogan

"There is still time for you to stop this Laxus," Mystogan began, the smirk on Laxus' face being wiped away as fast as it had appeared. "I'm sure if you put an end to all of this now, the Master will be lenient with you-."

"You weren't here when I made my little announcement, so I'll give you a little recap," Laxus shot back in response as he rose to his feet. "As of two hours ago, I'm making a bid for Fourth Master. This little game is designed to weed out the weak and feeble trash that the old man let wash through our doors over the years so I can kick them out, leaving only the strongest where they belong!"

"I had heard tales of your descent into ruthlessness on my travels, yet standing before you now, I can't even begin to compare you to the man you once were Laxus," Mystogan sighed with Laxus sneering in response. "As a Mage who passed the S Class Promotion Trials, you should understand what defines true strength Laxus, or have you forgotten?"

"Oh, I haven't forgotten a single damn thing from those trials," Laxus sneered in response. "I've just come to realize just how flawed that way of thinking really is!"

"Be that the case or not, your change in ideals should hold no sway over the Guild at large," Mystogan countered evenly. "Fairy Tail is not, and will never be, yours to change. The ideals you have gained will not cow those of the First Master and the founders who created this Guild and should you not be capable of accepting it, you should consider leaving the Guild and find one better suited for you."

"Leave the Guild? Why the hell would I do that," Laxus scoffed in response. "This Guild is mine; my Great Grandad was one of the founders and that makes ME a prime candidate over what to do with it! And face it, times have changed and the ideals of weakness can't keep up in the modern world! I'll take the reigns of this embarrassment and forge it into the power it was always meant to be!"

"I must admit that hearing such things from you pains me," Mystogan sighed sadly. "After everything the Guild has done for you, you would turn on them so viciously? Not to mention all that Master Makarov has done for you as well, yet you would throw his generosity back into his face?"

"I couldn't care less what the old man thinks," Laxus growled as the sparks around the Cathedral began to flare up once more. "Don't think you can guilt trip me Mystogan …"

"This has gone too far for me to resort to such methods," Mystogan replied as his arms tensed. "What you are doing is eerily similar to the actions of your Father, Ivan-!"

Before Mystogan even had a chance to finish, Laxus had extended his right hand and fired a bolt of lightning in Mystogan's direction. The S Class Mage in turn had already reached for a staff before Laxus had even moved more than an inch to attack, firing back a light purple beam of pure Magical energy in response.

The two attacks clashed, fighting against one another for a mere moment before setting off a powerful explosion that produced a shock wave that shattered every window in the Cathedral.

Mystogan narrowed his eyes at Laxus, the man no longer wearing his coat and now down to his purple dress shirt. His eyes were clearly conveying how angry the statement he never was able to finish made him, and he then conveyed as such.

"You keep him out of this Mystogan, or I'll show you what TRUE power feels like," Laxus hissed as both Mages took several steps backward. "Then again, it isn't like I'm the only one with baggage, is it? After all, a face like yours would certainly raise questions now wouldn't it, J-!?"

This time, Mystogan had attacked first, though Laxus was already moving by the time it had begun.

"Two Layered Magic Circle – Sonic Blast!"

Firing a solid blast of light purple Magic at Laxus, the larger man surprisingly spun around the attack with ease, a solid bolt of lightning forming in his right hand that he threw at Mystogan once his spin was concluded.

Mystogan arched out of the way of the attack, watching as it sailed over him and smashed into one of the nearby pillars, causing a sizeable explosion. Righting himself, Mystogan assumed a defensive stance as Laxus shot a smug grin in his direction.

"Well now, that got a real reaction out of you, didn't it," the larger man chuckled darkly as their eyes met. "To think that the great Mystogan has the ability to panic after all, how interesting!"

"Where did you learn that information," Mystogan asked, his tone dropping as Laxus clicked his tongue in response.

"Funny, I can't quite remember," came the teasing response. "Though I suppose that I'll give it up if you manage to beat me, eh?"

Mystogan narrowed his eyes before sighing, lowering his staff as a powerful Magical pressure settled all around Kardia Cathedral. Laxus' eyes widened in a mixture of shock and excitement as the shrouded S Class Mage responded.

"You will regret this, Laxus."

"Is that so?"

"Since you refuse to stop this madness and are threatening the Guild, I have no choice but to face you," Mystogan began as the staff in his hand lit up a faint blue. "But be warned, you are about to face Magic the likes of which you've never faced before!"

Slamming the end of his staff into the ground hard enough to embed it into the stone, Laxus chuckled as he entered a defensive stance.

"Ooh, how scary! Give me your best shot by all means buddy," Laxus taunted, his facial expression morphing into one of pure rage. "But don't even think of looking down on me just because you use some obscure Magic … I'll show you the difference between us, and the oceans' worth of a gap in power you've failed to account for!"

"Is that so?"

Laxus' eyes widened as an explosion went off at his feet, the sheer level of power behind it enough to embed him into the roof as he glared down at Mystogan's position.

"One Layered Magic Circle – Mine Glyph!"

"You cheeky shit-!"

Mystogan pointed his staff at Laxus, two Magic Circles forming around the tip as a much larger third one manifested in front of Mystogan himself.

"Three Layered Magic Circle – Vanity Missile!"

A solid blast of light-purple Magic was fired directly at Laxus who grinned sadistically in response, his laughter being the last thing Mystogan saw as the other S Class Mage's position was struck by his attack.

The attack blew open a massive hole in the Cathedral, the entire area shaking violently as a good section of the roof supports snapped from the strain causing much of it to begin collapsing.

"How exciting! To think you'd actually go so far, Mystogan," Laxus cried as he reappeared in a flash of lightning at the far end of the room, his hands pulsing with lightning prompting Mystogan to immediately enter a defensive stance. Lightning Magic – Lightning Shower!"

Laxus laughed as dozens upon dozens of lightning bolts were produced from the palms of his hands, fired directly at Mystogan who was clearly surprised at the man's attack. Nevertheless, he was already moving to counter the moment Laxus had begun his attack, the three Magic Circles he'd produced earlier ceasing to move before performing a rotation in the opposite direction.

"Three Layered Magic Circle – Mirror Water!"

Laxus' attack crashed into Mystogan's own before being reflected back at the blonde who only laughed harder in response. His laughter was short lived however as several stones around him morphed into dark purple lances and shot into his position.

"What-!?"

"One Layered Magic Circle – Morph Alter!"

To Mystogan's surprise, Laxus' entire body turned into pure lightning right as he was about to be impaled by his attack, slipping through before reappearing nearby with his lower half still transformed.

"So, that's how he does it," Mystogan mused as Laxus made several swift motions with his hands. "He can turn his entire being into pure lightning …"

"HAHAHAHA! GOOD, VERY GOOD MYSTOGAN," Laxus jeered as massive bolts of lightning from his lower half ripped through the Cathedral. "Don't hold back, use everything you've got! Lightning Magic – Lightning Rush!"

Mystogan was caught off guard as Laxus vanished, suddenly reappearing right in front of him before smashing him in the face with a blow of ordinarily lethal volts that any lesser Mage would have died from. Crashing into the back wall before falling to his knees on the ground below, Mystogan winced as Laxus reappeared nearby.

"So, how was it? Do you understand your place in the pecking order yet Mystogan!?"

"You are certainly strong, Laxus," Mystogan muttered as he steadily rose to his feet, the grin on Laxus' face growing wider as he did. "But …"

Laxus felt a shift in the air above him and looked upward only to gape in shock at five Magic Circles situated above his position. Snapping his attention back toward Mystogan, he was shocked to see the man aiming a staff in his direction.

"HOW!?"

"All I needed was a moment's contact to land a homing spell that my attack could lock on with," Mystogan replied sharply as his staff was enveloped with a light-purple aura. "I've had these prepared since before we began!"

"Heh! Seems the reports of your intelligence weren't exaggerated," Laxus replied with mock-praise before clenching his fists as his entire body began to release sparks. "Come on then!"

"Five Layered Magic Circle – Sacred Song!"

Laxus grunted as a massive blast of Magic smashed into him, the attack setting off a massive explosion that shook the entire Cathedral to its core. Mystogan knew however that it wouldn't be enough to take down the man, his still standing shadow within the attack not even budging despite the raw power being slammed into him.

"It seems it wasn't enough," Mystogan sighed, his attack ceasing to reveal Laxus still standing there with the same grin as before.

"You get it now, Mystogan? No one in this Guild is stronger than me," Laxus said as he rose back to his full height. "But it seems people still aren't quite getting the message, so I'm gonna change that."

"You cannot change the minds of those who refuse to believe Laxus," Mystogan replied only for Laxus to chuckle darkly in response.

"Then I'll MAKE them believe it," Laxus spat as he clenched both his fists, lightning exploding from his body as an unbelievable amount of power came down upon the entire town.

"Laxus, what are you doing!?"

"I'm showing the entire town the future," Laxus roared as Mystogan looked out one of the holes in the Cathedral only to gasp in genuine shock. "FAIRY TAIL IS MINE!"

"This is madness Laxus," Mystogan replied sharply, turning his attention back to the larger man who only laughed maniacally in response. "The Magic Council will have you for this if you go through with it!"

"I don't fear the Council, nor anyone else," Laxus snapped in response. "They're all weak, forced to rely on numbers to win! MY POWER IS MY OWN AND IT WILL FORGE A NEW FAIRY TAIL, ONE THAT'LL TAKE THIS COUNTRY BY STORM-!"

"Laxus, that's enough!"

Interrupted before he could finish his speech, Laxus snapped his attention to the entrance of the Cathedral and narrowed his eyes at the doorway. Standing there with a deep frown on his face was Natsu, Gajeel at his side with the latter clearly shocked at what he was doing.

"And just what do you think you're doing here," Laxus growled as the sparks around his body died down. "And with that piece of trash with you!?"

"Gajeel is here because I asked him to be," Natsu replied evenly as both he and Gajeel entered the Cathedral. "You know why I've come Laxus, let's not play any games today."

Natsu and Mystogan looked toward one another before sharing a brief nod, one that didn't go unnoticed by Laxus who grit his teeth in anger. The blonde knew that with Natsu's arrival, Mystogan would leave, and it ruined his fun.

"I'm glad you got here Natsu," Mystogan said softly as he motioned outside. "This is certainly spiralling out of control."

"I'll say," Natsu replied before shooting a glare directly at Laxus. "What the hell do you think you're playing at Laxus? Call off the Thunder Palace right now!"

"What am I playing at? What the hell do you think you're playing at, entertaining the idea that you can tell ME what to do," Laxus snarled in response. "I've just about had it with that cocky attitude of yours Natsu. Ever since you got back you've been pissing me off!"

"And that's my problem why?"

"You don't get it, do you!? You break one of the strictest rules in the Guild, disappear for nine years yet come back and get given S Class right off the bat," Laxus snapped back furiously. "The old man has lost it, there's no way you should've been able to do what you've done and still be in the Guild and yet he rewarded you for it!"

"You think what gramps did was a reward," Natsu replied icily as he met Laxus' glare with a look that had the blonde actually taking a subconscious step backward. "You have no idea what I went through over those nine years, no fucking clue the amount of pain and suffering I endured to get back here!"

"Even if that's true, it doesn't change the fact that you should've been kicked out for what you did," Laxus replied in a slightly subdued tone. "Face it, the old man has gone soft and the Guild is suffering for it! Just look at the whole Phantom incident and tell me that would've happened if he wasn't weak!?"

"The incident with Jose and Phantom was inevitable," Natsu replied as he glanced a look at Gajeel who looked understandably uncomfortable with the current topic. "Jose had a personal grudge against the Guild and was gonna use everything he had to take us all out. He used his Guild as a weapon against us and ultimately lost, leaving us to teach the members of his Guild who want to change the right way to do things."

"Teach them? What, you mean like this bastard," Laxus snapped as he waved his arm in Gajeel's direction. "How can you just stand there and want to help the guy who trashed out Guild Hall!? Made us look WEAK!?"

"What Gajeel did was terrible, I won't deny that," Natsu began before looking to the fellow Slayer with a slight smile. "However, that doesn't mean I'm going to hold it against him if he's willing to change."

"Salamander …"

"He swallowed his pride and asked gramps to join, the first step on the road to redemption," Natsu continued as Laxus sneered in disgust at his words. "Gajeel and Juvia aren't bad people, they've just been manipulated by someone who was truly evil to strike at us Laxus! The sooner you realise that, the sooner you'll see that they aren't so different from you or I-."

"Those Phantom scum are nothing like me," Laxus roared as his body released a torrent of sparks in Natsu's general direction. "THEY'RE BENEATH ME!"

The sparks struck Natsu's Crash Barrier, shattering instantly, much to the surprise of Laxus who hadn't considered his Crash Magic as a factor. Mystogan looked between Natsu and Laxus before humming in understanding.

"It appears you will have this situation well in hand, Natsu."

"Yeah, thanks for fighting him until I got here Mystogan," Natsu replied thankfully. "Can you head back to the Guild Hall; gramps might need your help since his heart is acting up."

"I'll head there right away, but remember Natsu-."

"The Thunder Palace, I know," Natsu sighed. "I'll be careful."

"That is all I ask," Mystogan replied before fading away in a swirl of Mist.

"Seems even Mystogan is content with helping weaklings," Laxus sighed with a shake of his head. "And here I thought there was something to him but I suppose he's had enough time to be ruined by you lot."

"That 'weakling' you're referring to Mystogan helping is your own Grandfather Laxus," Natsu snapped in response. "Show him some damn respect!"

"I respect those who deserve my respect and none of you deserve it," Laxus countered venomously. "The Guild is mostly full of weaklings, and those who are actually strong are either lazy or too scared to use their power! It makes me fucking sick every time I go into that place seeing you all lying around like garbage!"

"You really are delusional Laxus if you truly think power is the only thing that matters. Even if we were to adopt your idea that strength should determine who gets to be the Guild Master, you wouldn't even qualify!"

"How do you figure that one, enlighten me!?"

"Gramps is stronger than you, that's an undeniable fact. Gildarts would tear you apart without even trying, Eliza would rip you apart faster than Gildarts if you pissed her off and they're all stronger than me so if you're weaker than me then where does that leave you?"

"I must have misheard you; it sounded like you just said that I was weaker than you," Laxus replied through grit teeth.

"Because you are," was the simple answer that had the blonde visibly shaking. "Like it or not Laxus, my being stronger than you is just a simple fact. I spent nine years training and fighting under some of the harshest conditions in the known world. I was trained by Gildarts, the strongest person in the Guild if you don't count Eliza and have fought against a Grand Wizard and TWO Wizard Saints!"

"You'd better watch your mouth before I shut it for you," Laxus muttered darkly only for the Dragon Slayer to continue.

"I've spent almost a decade constantly honing my power against some of the strongest, what have you done for the last nine years Laxus? Aside from turning against your own, you wander around with the Thunder Legion refusing to help anyone but yourself!"

Lightning began to surge throughout the cathedral as Laxus prepared to attack Natsu, his rage now at its peak as the pink-haired Slayer looked over his shoulder toward Gajeel.

"I want you to watch this fight Gajeel," Natsu muttered as he vanished his jacket and shirt into his Requip Space, revealing his scarred upper body to the Iron Dragon Slayer. "If you take my advice, this is what you could become …"

"You think you're so great just because you did a bit of training with Gildarts, don't you!? Well I've got news for you Natsu, you aren't shit to me," Laxus roared as he slowly lifted up off of the ground as his lower body transformed into pure lightning. "You're nothing but a rotten little punk who got a few too many bright ideas in his head and I'm gonna bring all of em crashing back down to reality!"

Laxus disappeared in a flash, surprising Gajeel at the blonde's raw speed. He was suddenly pushed back by a powerful shockwave however and, as he looked forward, he could only gape in shock.

"What …"

Natsu had moved several feet in the blink of an eye, a blazing foot striking a shocked Laxus directly in the chest.

"Fire Dragon's Talon," Natsu said right as Laxus vanished and smashed into the back wall of the Cathedral. "No games this time Laxus, I was already in a bad mood but you've actually pissed me off."

"What the fuck is this," Laxus said as he coughed up blood whilst ripping himself free from the wall. "How did you do that!?"

"I told you just before Laxus, you're not as strong as you think you are," Natsu replied as the blonde grit his teeth in frustration before sighing and shaking his head.

"I guess I'll have to admit that you aren't exactly a weakling," the blonde conceded before beginning to generate a massive amount of power that had Natsu raising an eyebrow in surprise. "But don't think something so absurd as me being weaker!"

Laxus' body began to expand, his purple dress shirt being ripped to shreds as his muscle mass almost doubled in size, exposing his entire upper body. The blonde grinned as scales began to form across his arms and chest whilst his canines lengthened slightly to signify his more feral appearance.

"Hold up a minute, no fucking way," Gajeel hissed as Laxus laughed mockingly in his direction.

"Oh, I bet you'd hate seeing this, wouldn't you, Phantom scum," Laxus jeered as he looked toward Natsu who was only mildly impressed if the look on his face was anything to go by. "So, what do you think now!?"

"A Second-Generation Dragon Slayer," Natsu hummed in response as he crossed his arms. "You're acting as if this is news to me?"

"So, you knew all along, huh?"

"The nose of a Dragon can always identify another Laxus," came the blunt reply. "That's the first thing I learnt from Igneel. Though I will admit, I'm surprised you can use the Dragon Force, though the surprise starts and ends there."

This clearly wasn't the answer Laxus was looking for, a momentary look of shock quickly morphing into one of seething anger as he clenched his fists, lightning spraying out of his body as the larger man struggled to hold himself back.

"And just what the hell is that supposed to mean!?"

"You can use the Dragon Force, impressive. But you wouldn't have had to work hard to achieve it compared to me, making it a far weaker variant than mine overall."

"You little shit-!"

"I'm well aware of how Second-Generation Slayers work Laxus, I know that you have a Lightning Lacrima infused into your body which grants you the power of a Lightning Dragon," Natsu explained before turning toward Gajeel. "Thing is though, by default, a Second-Generation Slayer doesn't have the raw potential a First does simply because they weren't trained by a Dragon. Elise is in a similar situation where she's a First-Generation God Slayer so her potential is greater than any Second-Generation God Slayer you'll see."

"But blondie is still stupidly strong though," Gajeel countered with Natsu nodding in agreement.

"He is, but that's the Lacrima infusion at work. He's received the bulk of the power upfront with stunted potential growth. His own power can grow, but his Slayer abilities have an apex that he can't ever surpass."

"I'll show you who's the stronger one here," Laxus growled as he smashed a pillar next to him to dust in a single backhand. "You think I'm just gonna stand here as you talk shit about my power!?"

"I'm not talking shit, its just a fact," Natsu replied as he began releasing his own power. "Watch closely Gajeel and you'll see what I mean!"

As scales began to cover Natsu's own form, Gajeel could immediately sense the difference between the pair. Laxus was an absolute monster thanks to the power of the Dragon Force, but Natsu on the other hand was something else entirely.

"Its time to show you the place where you belong," Laxus growled as lightning struck behind him, followed by several more to form a Dragon made of solid lightning. "Hope you like the dirt Natsu, because that's all you'll be able to taste once I'm done with you!"

"I don't think so Laxus," Natsu replied firmly as fire exploded from his form, the temperature of the room increasing sharply and forcing Gajeel to back away in shock. "If gramps isn't willing to smack some sense into that thick head of yours, then I will!"

Behind Natsu formed a massive Dragon made of solid crimson fire, present for only a brief moment before vanishing as Natsu and Laxus charged toward one another. Both men yelled as they clenched their left fists, adjusting their bodies before delivering brutal shoulder-charges against one another, their heads colliding with enough force to crack the ground beneath them as fire and lightning ripped the area apart.

Fatal Battle

S Class Mage, Fairy Tail

Laxus Dreyar

Both Natsu and Laxus grunted as they hit each other before pushing off one another with enough force to send the pair skidding backward. Laxus was already moving however, taking two sprinting steps to the left before vanishing in a flash of lightning.

Spinning around with his leg ignited, Natsu narrowly missed Laxus who had pulled back at the last moment before unleashing a swift series of flame enhanced blows to the blonde's chest.

Laxus winced, but endured the rapid series of hits. After taking a dozen, his right arm shot out grabbed Natsu's wrist, jerking him toward the blonde who had already prepared an attack with his left.

"Lightning Dragon's Iron Fist!"

Striking Natsu across the jaw, Laxus was shocked that Natsu hadn't been sent reeling by the attack, only to be shocked further when he began to feel resistance pushing back against his attack.

"You call that a punch," Natsu growled as Laxus' fist was pushed right back. "This is a punch! Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

This time it was Laxus who was struck in the head, the shock on his face all one needed to see he had neither expected the attack to bear such power, nor for it to outclass his own by such a wide margin.

After several moments, Natsu's attack exploded, sending Laxus flying across the Cathedral where his body turned into lightning and he shot up into what remained of the ceiling before reforming. Now standing atop one of the pillars, Laxus opened his arms up wide as they shifted back into lightning, sparks shooting out in all directions.

"Let's see how you handle this," Laxus snapped. "Lightning Dragon's Lightning Storm!"

A resounding bang shattered most windows in the area as massive lightning bolts erupted from Laxus' arms, instantly striking Natsu's position as the pink-haired Slayer expertly dodged at the last moment.

Sprinting off to the right, the attacks simply followed his direction, the thunderous booms accompanying them messing with his hearing which forced him to rely on his other senses. Eventually however, he managed to reach a considerable distance from Laxus and began charging up his own attack in turn, both his hands becoming coated in crimson flame.

'As long as this doesn't go beyond the Cathedral then it should be fine to use,' Natsu thought to himself as he weighed the options of his attack. "Fire Dragon King's Quaking Nova!"

Spinning around with a rapidly growing sphere of flame in-between his hands, it got to around Natsu's size before the Dragon Slayer threw it at Laxus' position. Laxus redirected his own attack to fire at Natsu's attack, but was shocked to see all his own simply being blasted into cubes.

"Crash Magic," Laxus hissed as the attack drew closer. "You little shit!"

"Still think I'm messing around Laxus," Natsu asked in reply as Laxus was forced to cease his attack, his entire form converting into lightning and shooting off to the right just as Natsu's attack smashed into his former position.

Making a closing motion with his right hand, Natsu's attack detonated before it could escape the inside of the Cathedral, setting off a massive explosion that shook a good portion of Magnolia, kicking up winds so powerful that it even knocked Laxus out of his lightning form.

"You getting it through that thick skull of yours yet Laxus," Natsu continued as he slowly advanced toward the blonde who was on his knees. "Call off the Thunder Palace and surrender and I'll make sure gramps is lenient-."

"You think this is enough to put me down," Laxus growled as power exploded from his form, prompting Natsu to cease moving toward the man and instead assuming a defensive stance. "All you people ever do is look down on me … WELL NOT ANYMORE!"

Launching himself toward Natsu, his fist was surrounded by lightning that quickly formed a much larger version of itself. To Natsu's surprise, a yellow Magic Circle appeared in front of Laxus as he threw the punch at the air before him.

"Lightning Dragon's Breakdown Fist!"

The attack coating Laxus' fist travelled through the Magic Circle, quadrupling in size so that it was now the size of the inner Cathedral itself. This left Natsu no room for evasion despite the pink-haired Slayer standing his ground.

"Crash Barrier!"

Pumping the barrier around his body up, a thin visible bubble was erected around Natsu's form right as Laxus' attack crashed into him. The sheer power behind Laxus' attack had Natsu and his barrier skidding right back toward the edge of the room until he was blasted out onto the main street.

The barrier absorbed the brunt of the damage however Laxus' attack wasn't over yet as it then exploded, shattering Natsu's Crash Barrier and striking him with countless miniature lightning strikes that blasted the ground around him to pieces.

Many who had been crowding around the Cathedral perimeter were shocked to see the attack Natsu had just been struck with, the illusion of this being something harmless now firmly shattered in the minds of the citizens.

However, there were also many Mages from Fairy Tail present, and they were less than pleased with what they'd seen.

"I've got to admit it to you, I can't call you weak anymore," Laxus chuckled as he appeared on the roof of the Cathedral with the same smug grin as earlier. "To endure that attack you'd have to be made of something else!"

"I assure you Laxus, I've definitely taken worse," Natsu muttered as the smoke cleared to reveal his slightly damaged form. "And I'll admit, taking out a Crash Barrier definitely wasn't something I expected from you, even if it was only at quarter strength."

"Seems you still need a few more blows before you realize your place," Laxus shot back as both Mages began to power up again. "Hope you stop holding back because this next one's gonna hurt!"

Laxus leapt off of the roof and began charging toward Natsu's position however Natsu suddenly shot toward Laxus, fire exploding from his right fist as everyone nearby ran for cover from the searing heat it produced.

"What the-!?"

"Fire Dragon King's Demolition Fist!"

Laxus had no chance to counter as the pair were both mid jump, forced to try and block the massive fist made of crimson fire that smashed into him. Subsequently, he was blasted back up onto the roof, landing atop one of the few remaining spots where the roof hadn't collapsed with Natsu landing nearby.

"What kind of attack was that," Laxus spat as he rolled onto his front, wiping some blood from his face before looking directly up at Natsu with a scowl. "That was as good as my Breakdown Fist!?"

"Is it really that hard for you to believe that I'm strong Laxus," Natsu sighed with a shake of his head. "For every attack you have, I guarantee you I've got something just as dangerous. That being said though, we can't take this too far or we'll risk the town."

"You think I care about them," Laxus snapped in response as he slowly rose to his feet. "I don't care what happens, no one is gonna stop me from taking control over this Guild, not even you!"

"Then like I said earlier, seems you'll have to learn the hard way," Natsu replied evenly as Laxus' scowl deepened.

"You talk a big game Natsu, but let's see if you're still cocky after I hit you with THIS," Laxus roared as he arched his neck back, sparks escaping from his mouth with Natsu instantly doing the same.

"Lightning Dragon's Roar!"

"Fire Dragon King's Roar!"

Initially confident, it was immediately replaced by shock and Laxus' attack was dwarfed by Natsu's own. The two attacks collided with Laxus' only capable of pushing back for a mere moment before being blasted apart.

"No way-!?"

Dropping right as the attack was about to approach, Laxus converted his body to lightning and slipped around the attack before appearing right in front of Natsu with both his arms held above his head like he was about to throw something.

"LET'S SEE HOW YOU HANDLE THIS NATSU," Laxus roared as a powerful rumbling shook the area. "Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd!"

This attack had Natsu immediately on guard as Laxus threw a massive halberd made from solid lightning at him from near point-blank range. Spinning around on the spot, both arms were coated in lightning and orange sparks as he reached out and grabbed the attack just before it could pierce him.

Almost immediately, he was skidding backward, the tiles of the roof being shredded as he went until he was firmly clinging on the edge with all he had. Many down below were in shock at what they were seeing, and this is the scene that Erza arrived to witness.

"NATSU!"

This momentary distraction was enough for his grip to weaken for the briefest of moments, enough for the tip to pierce his chest as Natsu felt the volts tear through his body. Any further and he could very well die from the sheer lethality of the volts alone.

"Hah! Guess this proves just how weak you really are Natsu," Laxus taunted from behind his attack. "All that talk about being stronger than me got you exactly what you deserve!"

"Call of … your attack … Laxus," Natsu ground out as he grit his teeth defiantly. "Last chance!"

"Last chance!? You think you're in any position to say something like that you little shit," Laxus roared back as he spat on the ground in front of him. "That's all I've got to say that pile of shit you just said!"

Instead of a response, Natsu's expression shifted even more as his grip on Laxus' attack tightened. Within moments, his attack started to show signs of cracking as Natsu funnelled an enormous amount of Crash Magic into it, shocking the blonde as he took several steps backward.

"No way … THERE'S NO WAY!?"

Laxus' attack shattered into cubes, Natsu already advancing toward the stunned blonde with his left hand ignited in flame and the right surrounded in orange sparks. Laxus converted his lower half into lightning and started to move backward however it was already too late as he was slugged across the face and sent crashing through one of the Cathedral towers.

Flying out the other side, Laxus didn't even have the time to fall as Natsu advanced upon him with the shattered remains of his own attack floating behind him. Clenching his right hand above his head, Laxus was stunned to see Natsu reform his Heavenward Halberd before quickly realizing the situation he was in.

"Wait a sec-!"

Receiving a blow to the chest that knocked him out of the sky and down toward the main street below, Laxus was suddenly pierced through the chest by his own attack as the entirety of the town watched on in shock.

Striking the ground with enough force to knock everyone off their feet, Laxus was left within a sizeable crater, impaled on his own attack as he cried out in pain. His cries turned into angered roars however as he saw Natsu land at the crater's edge with a blank expression, the pain within his chest overridden with anger.

"YOU THINK THIS IS ENOUGH TO BEAT ME," the blonde roared as he extended his right hand up to the skies. "I'LL SHOW YOU ALL … MY TRUE POWER!"

Natsu's attention immediately shot upward with that of everyone else as Laxus activated the Thunder Palace, the dozens of lacrima surrounding the city lighting up the skies so brightly that many quickly averted their gaze.

To those that didn't however, they noticed something off about it. The lacrima fired large beams of lightning, but not down toward the city. Instead, all the lacrima seemed to fire toward a central point where it began to pool into a rapidly growing sphere of destructive energy.

"Natsu," Erza shouted through the rapidly rising chaos. "You have to stop Laxus right now, he's not going to use the Thunder Palace on Magnolia! He's-!"

"You're too late Erza," Laxus laughed as he managed to rip the Heavenward Halberd out of himself and dispel it, rising into a sitting position. "I WIN!"

Beneath the massive pool of power formed a giant yellow coloured Magic Circle that began spinning rapidly toward the right. A second one of equal size formed beneath that and began spinning to the left as they tilted on a slight angle to face Natsu directly.

"Let's see you survive this you little bastard," Laxus laughed maniacally. "Thunder Dragon's Zeus Cannon!"

The moment the colossal attack was fired, everyone, save for the strongest, were knocked down by a powerful sonic blast. As for Natsu himself, he was already preparing himself to block the attack as he held both his hands out to his right as two orange coloured Magic Circles formed around his hands.

"You've gone way too far this time Laxus," Natsu snarled as fire escaped through his grit teeth. "Erza!"

"Y-yes Natsu!?"

"Find Eliza, I need both of you to take out those lacrima," Natsu barked out as he looked directly up at the colossal blast heading toward him. "I can't hold something this big off for long so hurry!"

Erza didn't even respond, knowing full well what to do as she vanished in a burst of speed to find Eliza, leaving Natsu to face down the incoming attack.

"I can't use this kind of Crash Magic properly yet when I combine it with my Dragon Slaying abilities … but maybe separating it will help," Natsu hissed as he moved his hands up to face the incoming attack, projecting both the orange-coloured Magic Circles in front of him before taking a deep breath. "Fire Dragon King's Reverberating Roar!"

Firing out an impressive attack, it was only half the size of the Zeus Cannon. That being said however, it easily passed through the two Magic Circles filled to the brim with potent Crash Magic which meant that at the very least it was still capable of at least matching it.

As the two attacks collided, it almost halted the Zeus Cannon in place, however it was clear to everyone that Laxus' trump card was slowly but surely gaining ground.

"You really are a cocky bastard if you think you can stop it," Laxus coughed as he slowly got out of the crater. "This attack has years' worth of my power stored in it; you don't stand a chance!"

He couldn't exactly refute Laxus' words, even if he wanted to. Whilst he was clearly stronger than Laxus by a considerable margin if one were to put the pair against each other in a no holds barred fight, the full might of the Thunder Palace was another story.

'Even Gildarts might've had trouble with this,' Natsu thought to himself as he felt the ground beneath him crack, his feet sinking into the stone pavement as a stark reminder of the lethal attack he was currently fending off. 'I hope Erza finds Eliza and they take out those lacrima soon … I don't know how long I can hold this back!'

/Magnolia Residential District – Same Time/

Erza flew through the city streets, a maddened gleam in her eyes as she rushed to find Eliza. She couldn't recall the last time she'd moved with such haste and yet she knew deep down that should she falter for even a moment, Natsu, and by extension most of the city, would pay the price.

"Damn it, where the hell are you, Eliza!?"

"Come now Erza dear, surely you know by now that you need not shout for me," Eliza called back as she lazily strolled out from a side alley. "I would ask what has you in such a frantic mess however I feel like doing so would be a complete waste of time."

"Look Eliza, can we please save the wordplay for later," Erza huffed as she spun around and pointed at the lightning ray of death bearing down upon Magnolia. "I really need your help in taking that out!"

"It seems Natsu allowed his feelings to get in the way of knocking that Laxus fellow out of the game quickly," Eliza mused as she ran a hand through her long silvery hair. "Quite the impressive feat of power though, holding back such an attack, even if ultimately futile."

"So, does that mean you'll help," Erza asked quickly, practically bouncing on her feet in a mixture of worry and frustration as the Goddess' gaze snapped toward her.

"Why?"

"Wh-what do you mean 'why' Eliza!?"

"Why should I help?"

"Wh-Bu-I-Ah-!?"

"This mess could have been entirely avoided if Natsu had just attacked Laxus with his full strength with the intent of critically injuring, maiming or even killing him," Eliza continued over the stuttering and utterly gobsmacked Erza. "This mess is one entirely of his making, I saw the whole thing."

"B-but he'll die if you don't help!?"

"Perhaps, but such is life," Eliza replied with a shrug. "A man such as him, a specimen of one of the greatest conflicts ever crafted upon this world should have known far better when dealing with Laxus. This potential death scenario is one entirely of his own making."

"How can you say that," Erza muttered in sheer disbelief. "Don't you care at all!?"

"In the grand scheme of things … I can't really see it, no."

Erza could only stare at the woman, no, the being before her, unable to even begin forming a response. Surrounding herself with a bright golden light, Erza Requiped into her Heaven's Wheel Armor and shot the Goddess a dark glare.

"After all the things we've done together, I thought I could rely upon you," Erza said as she turned around and floated up into the sky. "I know that if it were Elise, she'd have helped in a heartbeat because she's not the kind of person to abandon their friends."

"…"

"I wish you were the one in the coma and Elise were here, she's far better than you'll ever be," Erza spat as she flew off and landed on a nearby rooftop.

Landing with an audible thud, she took a moment to recollect her thoughts as she steeled herself for the arduous task to come. Without Eliza's support, she had no choice but to try and destroy the lacrima on her own.

"Knowing the way Laxus thinks, there's no doubt that he's placed some kind of trap on these things in the event that they're destroyed," Erza mused aloud as she grit her teeth. "Regardless, I can't let that stop me!"

Multiple flashes went off around her as Erza started summoning dozens of weapons around her, pushing them out to make space for even more. With each individual weapon summoned, a bit of her reserves were drained, yet she knew she needed at least a hundred separate weapons to take out all the lacrima in one go.

After summoning over forty, she felt the strain on her core and winced, magical exhaustion settling in and yet she refused to budge as she quickly pumped out twenty more in a matter of moments.

"This is … rough," Erza huffed as she summoned another five. "Really rough!"

Looking over toward the clash between the Zeus Cannon and Natsu's attack, Erza steeled her resolve. Seeing what her partner was contending with, she grit her teeth and summoned another twenty weapons even as she dropped to her knees from the strain.

"Just … thirty-five … to go," Erza gasped as she summoned another ten as blood began to trickle down her nose. "If … Natsu has to suffer … then so … do I!"

Defying the odds, Erza managed to summon all one hundred weapons needed to stop the Zeus Cannon right as she collapsed. Lying face down, everything hurt and her vision was shaky and yet she knew her work wasn't done yet based solely on this already noteworthy feat of Magic.

"Natsu … needs me," Erza hissed as she shakily pushed herself up and rose to her knees. "I won't … let him down!"

Rising into a semi-standing position, Erza sent the weapons out into the skies above Magnolia where they came to rest before a lacrima. This however, had her thinking of the potential immediate aftereffects of what she was about to do.

'If I strike these and Laxus has indeed placed some kind of trap on them, I won't survive it,' Erza thought as her blurred vision managed to just barely make out Natsu still sustaining his own attack in the distance. 'But even still, I won't let that stop me. It might not be much in comparison to what you're having to deal with Natsu, but I won't let you down!'

Giving the mental order, all one hundred weapons pierced through the lacrima at the exact same time. Almost immediately, the Zeus Cannon fizzled out as Natsu's attack pierced through the massive ball of lightning it had been coming from, setting off a massive explosion high above the city.

As Erza collapsed onto her back, she looked up to see all the destroyed lacrima had left behind massive lightning bolts that were all forming into another ball of lightning above her. Despite the seemingly perilous situation she was clearly in, Erza couldn't help but laugh weakly as she struggled to even stay conscious.

"So, I guess I'm going to die by Zeus Cannon after all, how ironic …"

Her laughter slowly died however as a shadow moved over her immobile form, a familiar scent hitting her senses followed by a deep sigh.

"Honestly, you lot truly don't do things by halves, do you?"

"E-Eliza …?"

Stepping over her downed form was indeed the War Goddess, her piercing red eyes meeting her half lidded own, though there was something within Eliza's that hadn't been there before.

Respect.

"We shall discuss this later when you aren't half unconscious," Eliza answered the unspoken question as her attention moved directly upward toward the rapidly massing attack intended for Erza. "Rest assured, I shall handle this."

With those words, Erza fell unconscious, leaving Eliza alone to stare up at the second coming of the Zeus Cannon. Her eye colour shifted from their red to Galaxy Blue, an Aura of pure power coating her entire form as she flew off of the rooftop to hover high above Erza's unconscious position.

"Honestly," the War Goddess sighed as she extended her right arm outward and summoned an Ebony bastard sword that she easily held with one hand. "This reminds me of the old times, such recklessness!"

Vanishing from place right as the remnants of the Zeus Cannon fired, those who were watching were shocked to see the attack split cleanly in half. The two halves were cut so precisely that they veered off into the empty countryside surrounding Magnolia where they safely exploded.

Eliza reappeared on the rooftop as she dismissed her blade, her Galaxy Blue Aura vanishing as quickly as it had appeared as the War Goddess looked down at the unconscious Requip Mage.

"You mortals really do know how to get yourselves in the direst of scenarios," Eliza sighed as she picked up the red-haired mage. "But still, that's probably why I like you all so much."

Vanishing from the rooftop, the Battle Of Fairy Tail had reached its apex, the last battle to decide the fate of the Guild reaching its climactic finale.

/Outside Kardia Cathedral – Same Time/

Silence reigned supreme outside Kardia Cathedral, the stunned citizens and Fairy Tail Guild members alike unable to process what had just happened over the last ten minutes. Even Laxus was stunned, unable to even process what had just happened before his very eyes as he watched his Thunder Palace be completely destroyed within a matter of moments.

"My Thunder Palace," Laxus muttered to himself as he looked over toward Natsu who was clearly tired, but not out of energy just yet. "How did you do that!?"

"See, that's the problem with you Laxus," Natsu sighed tiredly as he rose back to his full height. "You can't even comprehend that I didn't pull that off by myself."

"You're lying! I saw you match my Zeus Cannon, you had to have done something!?"

"Erza and Eliza helped me take out the Thunder Palace and stop the Zeus Cannon," Natsu snapped back, clearly frustrated with the blonde. "Stop being a stupid prick and get this through your thick skull! Having friends to rely on isn't a burden!"

"Who needs friends … when I have power," Laxus chuckled maniacally as he cupped his hands in a familiar stance only Natsu truly knew. "I still have one technique left that'll get you out of my way for good!"

"Fairy Law won't save you Laxus," Natsu said sharply with the blonde faltering slightly, not having even begun to form the attack. "For one, you don't have the time to form it in the time it'd take for me to kill you, because I assure you that if you truly did try and use it to harm the people of Magnolia … I'd slit your throat myself."

It was in that moment Laxus knew, looking into the cold, almost haunted gaze of Natsu, that he was truly beaten. The man before him wasn't a boasting brat who just happened to have a bit of spare power and bravado, he was a warrior.

This was a man who had seen things, done things, killed things all for allegiance.

"Heh. Guess that's that then," Laxus sighed, though Natsu's unnerving gaze never once faltered despite his words. "You win."

"…"

"What do you want from me, some sort of song and dance about how I renounce my wicked ways and return to the light of sunshine and rainbows," Laxus spat bitterly as he turned his back on Natsu and began to walk away.

"I would think long and hard about what you've done, Laxus," Natsu's voice echoed across the silent street as many in the crowd parted in fear of the blonde.

"Oh yeah, why's that," the man asked, not turning around in order to avoid that freaky gaze he knew was still firmly planted onto his back.

"You were a good person once, someone I actually had a lot of respect for," Natsu's voice echoed as Laxus stopped in place. "Seeing what you've become, how low you've fallen … I couldn't be more disgusted with you."

"Is that all?"

"Not even close," Natsu replied firmly as the blonde started walking away again. "Because at the end of the day, my disgust and disappointment in you is a world away from what your Grandfather is feeling."

Again, Laxus stopped in place. This time however, he actually turned around and met Natsu's gaze which hadn't shifted in the slightest. Although it unnerved him, he refused to back down even as Natsu continued to speak.

"He loves you more than his own Son Laxus, and you tore his fucking heart out with what you did today and for what?"

"…"

"You think your Father is some kind of hero? Someone to look up to? A victim," Natsu asked, each question making the blonde wince as many of the bystanders looked between one another in confusion. "He loved you more than Ivan, his own SON and you threw that love back at him like the ungrateful bastard Ivan was!"

"…"

"And now, he's got to repeat history with you Laxus," Natsu continued, the venom clear in his tone as many looked between the pair worriedly as if Natsu was going to attack Laxus after he'd surrendered. "All of us love that old man, I WISH he was my real Grandfather and yet he's got to deal with an ungrateful bastard like you as his Grandson-!"

"Are you done?"

"Are you going to go back to that Guild Hall and apologize for what you've done," Natsu asked bluntly as all eyes moved toward Laxus who didn't really seem to be looking at anything at all, a faraway look in his eyes.

"I'll get there when I'm good and ready," came the almost robotic reply as the blonde turned around slowly and walked off into Magnolia leaving Natsu to address the crowd at large.

"All right everyone listen up," he cried as civilian and Guild Mage alike stood at attention. "First off, an official address from the Fairy Tail Guild regarding this incident will be given tonight instead of the Harvest Festival celebrations as we work with the Mayor to resolve this incident. All Fairy Tail Mages are to return to the Guild Hall immediately, no exceptions! Thank you."

Summoning the rest of the clothes for his upper body, Natsu walked as confidently as he could off in the direction of the Guild Hall as the talk of the crowd quickly erupted with none being aware of unique individual amidst their rank that had been watching Natsu intently.

/Fairy Tail Guild Hall – Several Hours Later/

It had taken just a little over two hours for word to spread across Magnolia that Laxus' game had ended and everyone was meant to return to the Guild Hall. The many Mages of the Fairy Tail Guild stood around in the main hall, the usual easy-going mood non-existent as many awaited the address from Makarov that Natsu had announced earlier.

As for Natsu himself, he was currently off in a side room with a rather important individual. This person had arguably more interest in what had transpired throughout the Battle Of Fairy Tail than any other, and unfortunately for Natsu, it appeared like this person deemed him the representative to speak to.

"So, to be quite clear, the destruction our fair city has endured was all thanks to the machinations of a rogue member of Fairy Tail, correct?"

"As unfortunate as it is to admit it, I'm afraid so," Natsu sighed tiredly as the elderly man before him stroked his grey beard thoughtfully. "What Laxus and the Thunder Legion have done will be punished, you have my word on that."

"Oh, I most certainly don't doubt it Natsu," the older man replied with an understanding nod. "As hard as it will no doubt be for Makarov to do what is right and just, I know full well he will do what is necessary. My problem however does not lie solely with the actions of these rogue members of Fairy Tail alone, you no doubt know?"

"Yeah … I get it," Natsu sighed, idly wondering if this is how Makarov felt every time details from one of their jobs came back in. "Rest assured that Fairy Tail fully intends to assist in the reconstruction efforts around the town free of charge and that our Master and his assistant will discuss appropriate financial compensation with the Treasury at a later date. We fully intend to repay our debts, Mister Mayor."

Mayor Of Magnolia Town

Two-Time Champion Of The Endurance Road Race

Kenta Miyura

"You must understand that it isn't like I want to be the one coming here to ensure you are all aware of the consequences," Mayor Kenta sighed with a shake of his head. "But the Treasury simply does not possess the funding necessary to repair the damage to the town."

"I understand Sir, and although I'm not authorized to permit the movement of Guild funds, I can ask that you write up a series of job requests for us and submit them by tomorrow afternoon," Natsu began as the Mayor scribbled into a notebook he had drawn from his coat pocket. "Don't bother filling out the payment section and make sure you clearly list the urgency of each job so that we can get the appropriate people out there as soon as possible."

"I'll have our advisors look into that for you," Mayor Kenta agreed with a stiff nod. "I dare say however that the damage to Kardia Cathedral and the Residential District shall be high on the priority list …"

"I'll comp Kardia Cathedral personally if Mystogan and Laxus don't chip in," Natsu replied with a wave of his hand. "The damages surrounding that area lie at our feet and although I can't speak for either Mystogan or Laxus, I'll certainly do my part."

"I must say, you aren't quite what I'd imagined," Mayor Kenta muttered more to himself than to Natsu who only raised an eyebrow curiously in response. "Forgive me, but the stories of you depict a man more aligned to action than to the art of the tongue … so to speak."

"I get what you mean," Natsu replied with an understanding nod. "Though I am a fighter primarily, I also had diplomacy and debate drilled into me during my time serving the Scarlione Empire. I'll admit though that it isn't entirely my forte …"

"Not your forte? Nonsense!"

"I prefer action Sir, though diplomacy certainly has its place," Natsu chuckled softly as the Mayor hummed in response. "Even the way I'm speaking now isn't how I would normally behave, owed primarily to my harsh tutor who ensured I wouldn't slip up when my skills were needed."

"Well, I dare say whoever trained you did a fine job Natsu," Mayor Kenta replied brightly as he gave Natsu a gentle pat on the arm. "In fact, those skills may come in handy for where life shall most likely take you moving forward from today!"

Natsu was about to respond only for Mayor Kenta to remove a letter from his coat pocket and hand it toward Natsu who took it hesitantly. Looking between the letter and the Mayor, the older man could only chuckle.

"People can say what the want about you Fairy Tail Mages, but you've all got heart," Kenta beamed with pride as Natsu's eyes widened at the familiar seal on the front of the letter. "I'll leave you to discuss this with Makarov."

"Wh-when did you get this!?"

"The letter came through yesterday afternoon, straight from Era," Mayor Kenta replied easily. "I was planning on coming over earlier to give it to Makarov however it seems circumstances had their way, though we got there in the end."

"…"

"For what it's worth young man, I truly do believe that you should accept this offer," the Mayor began with Natsu's eyes not leaving the letter itself. "You remind me of Makarov and his friends back in their younger days, truly something special."

"I-Thank you Sir," Natsu stuttered as he slowly started making his way toward the door. "I'll go see Master Makarov now, if you don't mind?"

"Of course, I trust we'll discuss the rest of this issue at a later date," the Mayor replied with a casual wave of his hand. "Don't let me ruin such a momentous occasion for you!"

"Thank you, Sir," Natsu nodded with a small smile as he left the room and made his way out into the cacophony that was the main hall. Easily pushing his way through the crowd, he saw Makarov was discussing something with Mira at the bar and quickly made his way toward them.

"Ah, Natsu," Makarov sighed weakly. "Mira just told me you were discussing the incident with the Mayor?"

"Yeah, I've got the beginnings of something going with him although we'll need to discuss it a bit more later," Natsu replied. "You won't be surprised but he wants us to fix the damage to the town."

"And your response?"

"Committed Fairy Tail to completing a bunch of jobs free of charge to fix the town and that you and Mira would discuss the finer details with the Treasury at a later date for repayment costs."

Makarov sighed as he downed his entire mug in one go, Mira's expression not all that different from his own as all three pondered where to go from there.

"By the way gramps, we need to discuss a few things in private."

"My office then," Makarov said with the Dragon Slayer nodding stiffly in response. "Alright then, we'll head on up now."

"Come get us if we're needed Mira," Natsu said as Mira nodded in reply, looking somewhat out of it. "You alright?"

"I'm fine Natsu, just … tired."

"Hecate?"

"She's not making it hard for me or anything, actually quite the opposite. No, the transformation just took a lot out of me is all," Mira sighed as she leant up against the bar with both Makarov and Natsu watching the normally cheery barmaid in concern.

"If you want you can head home and rest Mira, Natsu and I can handle the Guild for today," Makarov offered with the white-haired girl looking between both before nodding gently.

"I assume Elfman is at your house?"

"He's asleep at the moment, Porlyusica has already seen him."

"Then it seems like you should join him Mira, gramps and I can handle things here."

"Are you sure Natsu? Isn't Erza still unconscious?"

"She's in the infirmary still with Eliza, I haven't even gotten that far yet," Natsu replied with a tired sigh. "From what I've been told its just Magical Exhaustion, so she just needs rest."

"I might stop by and see her before going home then," Mira said as she moved around to their side of the bar and stopped before Natsu, shooting him a tired smile. "Hecate was really happy to see you again you know?"

"Don't be surprised if she asks for permission to fight me at some point then," Natsu snorted in amusement with Mira giggling a little in response. "Knowing my luck, she'll want a no holds barred fight."

"She did mention something to that effect, yeah."

Oh boy," Natsu replied sarcastically. "Well Hecate, I'm gonna be a little bit busy cleaning up after the Guild so it'll have to wait, I'm afraid."

"Hecate said that you're just making excuses, but she'll allow it," Mira replied in place of the Demon with Natsu snickering in response.

"Alright then, I'll graciously accept that but only if YOU go get some rest Mira," Natsu responded as he motioned toward the open doors.

"I will, thanks again you two and call me if you need anything," Mira said as she started making her way toward the exit, leaving Natsu and Makarov to share a look as they walked up the first flight of stairs and entered Makarov's office.

Shutting the door, the old man made his way over toward his chair with Natsu opting to sit directly across from the old man, rather than take a seat on his couch like usual.

"So, what is it," Makarov asked as Natsu tossed the letter toward the old man who caught it expertly. "I was wondering when this would arrive?"

"You knew about this?"

"I'm a Wizard Saint myself, remember," Makarov replied with a look that told Natsu he was an idiot for asking such an obvious question. "Not only that, I'm your Guild Master as well so of course I knew about it ahead of time."

"…"

"You don't seem excited," Makarov noted as he opened the letter and skimmed it before looking back at Natsu again. "You know, most people who get asked to become a Wizard Saint are usually excited about it?"

"Do you really think me accepting this is a good idea," Natsu asked as he leant back in the chair he was in, a thoughtful look on his face. "Yajima said I should think carefully about it and I'll admit it has been something I thought about on and off but-!"

"It is a rather weighty responsibility if you actually plan on taking the job seriously," Makarov replied as he placed the letter down on his desk. "I can't answer if you should accept it or not Natsu, only you can. What I will say however is that if I were in your position, I'd accept it."

"Why?"

Aside from the fact that it's a rather well-paying position, the title alone opens countless doors that would forever remain closed to almost all others in Fiore," Makarov began as Natsu listened intently to the old man's words. "Look at how handy my title was in saving our hides for killing Jose, then imagine if we were both Wizard Saints?"

"So, you want me to take the title to get away with breaking the law?"

"In a roundabout way of speaking … yes," Makarov replied with a ghost of a smirk that had Natsu wide eyed. "Come now, surely you can understand the benefits of being virtually untouchable by the law?"

"I do, its just weird hearing you say it is all," Natsu replied with a look that had Makarov chuckling softly in response.

"Will you take the position; I'd be rather happy with you if you did?"

"I suppose I'll do it, mainly because of the freedom it gives me," Natsu replied after several moments of mulling it over. "It'll probably make Erza happy at any rate."

"Excellent, then you'll need to get a good night's sleep," Makarov replied happily as he tapped the letter as the pair watched it vanish with an audible pop. "We'll both need to head to Era tomorrow since the induction of a new Wizard Saint requires the presence of all the others."

"Fair enough I guess," Natsu replied as he looked out the window toward the setting sun. "A lot happened today, didn't it?"

"Indeed it did my boy, indeed it did."

"You spoken to Laxus yet?"

"I was about to before you came along," Makarov replied, losing his cheer as the man visibly deflated like a balloon. "It's the last thing on my list for today …"

"I understand gramps, I'll leave you to it then," Natsu sighed as he turned around and began walking toward the door only for Makarov to clear his throat. "Yeah?"

"I just wanted to say … I'm glad you didn't hurt Laxus as badly as I thought you would. I know what he had done to Erza and the others angered you, but I'm glad you were still able to give him a chance to surrender."

"I don't doubt that what you're about to tell him will hit harder than anything I did," Natsu replied without turning back to face the older man. "Good luck, Master."

Opening the door and shutting it just as quickly, not daring to look back at Makarov's expression, Natsu looked down the stairs to see Gajeel awkwardly standing there. In most other scenarios, he'd have made a joke about it, but the current situation had put a clamp on that for the day.

"You doing alright Blacksteel?"

"You're a friggin monster, anyone ever tell you that?"

"Not really the greatest way to open up a conversation Blacksteel, but luckily for you I know what you mean by that so I won't take offence," Natsu replied with a slight tugging at the corner of his lips. "But yeah, I've been called that by a few people, why?"

Walking down the stairs so that the pair were on the same level, Natsu motioned for Gajeel to follow him out the back of the Guild Hall as Gajeel responded.

"I dunno … I guess when I heard you went toe to toe with Jose, I still didn't fully believe it, y'know? But seeing how you held back blondie's city levelling attack I can't help but look at my own power and wonder where I went wrong or some shit?"

"The first mistake you've already made is considering yourself as weak Blacksteel, you're already setting yourself up for failure for if you try to improve," Natsu sighed as the pair walked past the pool and sat down at a table far from the others who were also mingling outside. "You have the potential to be powerful Gajeel, but you've first got to find a reason to attain that power. Wanting power for power's sake will only get you so far before you hit an insurmountable wall. Tell me, up until recently, what's been your goal to grow stronger?"

"To be the strongest guy around," Gajeel snorted in response. "I was part of Phantom Salamander, that was what most of em were in there for."

"Fair point."

"But y'know, I've never really told anyone this before, but my other goal was to find Metalicana," Gajeel continued without meeting Natsu's gaze. "I never told anyone because I figured it'd be embarrasin to bring up."

"I know what you mean, you don't want others to make fun of a dream they all see as hopeless. I'm much the same with Igneel in a lot of ways, I don't often talk to the others about him because as far as their concerned, the Dragons are history."

"But we're proof they aren't-!"

"I know Blacksteel, but we've been raised by them from babies, they've never even seen a Dragon before. You've got to look at it from their perspective."

"But what about the God Slayer chick who has a literal God walking around in her right now, how can they accept that but not that Dragons exist!?"

"In my experience, people only believe what they are forced to perceive as real," Natsu replied softly as he looked beyond Gajeel and out toward the sea. "Back in Scarlione, monstrous fighters from across the sea were invading … I've seen a Dragon Slayer that could rip apart a countryside with a wave of their hand, a God Slayer who could manipulate time itself and a Mage who could shrink a city down into the palm of her hand and crush it effortlessly."

"Holy shit …"

"I've seen all sorts of things Gajeel, feats of power ninety percent of people wouldn't even conceive in their lifetimes," Natsu continued, seemingly lost in his own memories. "To someone like me, I can have a pretty open mind on what is and isn't possible, but to the average person in there, they wouldn't and likely won't ever have a clue."

Sitting up straight and meeting Gajeel's stunned gaze, Natsu's expression had the normally stoic man shrinking in on himself. It was a gaze he'd only seen on veteran Mages, ones who had seen things no one should, almost appearing unhinged in a sense.

"We are the story Gajeel, the children stolen and raised by Dragons and yet the Dragons abandoned us once we were old enough to fend for ourselves. The only proof of their legacy is the Magic we wield in their name, and honestly, that's all that matters."

"Damn … I never really thought about it like that," Gajeel muttered as Natsu seemed to pull himself back together somewhat, running his hands through his hair before sighing deeply.

"Getting back to the main topic at hand and my point with all of this," Natsu said as Gajeel sat up a little straighter in response. "Find yourself a new reason to grow stronger and I promise that you'll see the results much quicker than if you don't."

"Find a reason," Gajeel muttered as he hummed Natsu's words several times over. "Find a reason …"

Just as Natsu was about to continue, he shut his mouth as a familiar scent struck him and he looked upward to see Levy making her way toward their little spot. Gajeel seemingly froze up, immediately avoiding looking at the blue-haired girl although Levy herself showed no such reservations.

"Hi Natsu, Gajeel, glad to see you're both doing alright after today," Levy said with Gajeel lightly grunting in response, though if Levy heard it she didn't acknowledge it.

"Hey Levy, you doing alright?"

"I'm fine, but I just wanted to let you know Erza just woke up."

"Did she? Guess that's my cue to leave then," Natsu joked lightly as he lightly glanced at Gajeel who was doing everything in his power to avoid Levy's attention. "Hey Levy?"

"Yeah?"

"Gajeel was just telling me about how he still doesn't know Magnolia too well and he wanted some help getting around," Natsu began as the Iron Slayer nearly choked on his own spit in response. "I'm a bit busy, do you reckon you could show him around a bit?"

"Sure!"

"WHAT-!?"

"Great, thanks Levy, I knew I could count on you," Natsu grinned as he placed a gentle hand on the blue-haired girl's head which elicited a small blush from her in response.

"O-oh, well … I don't mind helping out, its not that big of a deal!"

"You're a lifesaver Levy, thanks a bunch!"

"OI SALAMANDER, WHAT THE FU-!"

"No need to thank me Gajeel, just doing my job as an S Class Mage of the Guild," Natsu grinned cheekily from behind Levy's back. "You two have fun tonight, I've got an undoubtedly hungry red-head who'll need some cake waiting for me!"

Natsu vanished in a burst of speed, leaving Gajeel and Levy to awkwardly share brief looks with one another until the small girl finally dared to speak.

"S-so, how about we check out the best eating spots!?"

"S-sure," Gajeel stuttered, inwardly cursing Natsu with every fibre of his being.

/Fairy Tail Guild Hall, Medical Wing – Same Time/

Having woken with a rumbling stomach and a blistering headache, Erza wasn't in the best of moods. Seeing Eliza sitting next to her bed and remembering what she'd said prior to her rather impressive feat of Magic certainly didn't help matters.

"You must be rather angry at me," Eliza mused, snapping Erza out of her thoughts as she shot her signature glare in the Goddess' direction, with no result. "I would ask that you let me explain myself before you decide to outright hate me though."

"Why should I?"

"Because I know for a fact that Natsu would understand and empathise with my methods as he has personally endured them and knows that they work."

"Methods? What the hell are you talking about!?"

"I'll take that as a sign to explain my reasoning for making you do what you did without my help," Eliza sighed as she stood up and paced across the room. "To put it bluntly, I made you solve your own problem to the best of your ability because I wanted to see what your limit truly was."

"What my limit was?"

"I've taken a keen interest in your little group specifically," Eliza continued as she counted Team Natsu off on her fingers. "I know where Elise and Natsu stand in terms of their upper limit, and now yourself. I know just how much power you can produce before you falter, just how far within yourself you can truly dig for that last scrap of Magic, and with it I can better assist you all."

"I-I'm totally lost?"

"I'm a God of War dear, my job is in conflict in the most literal sense," Eliza explained gently as she came and sat back down next to her bedside. "Knowing how far you and the rest of your team can be pushed means I can better guide you on the path to becoming the strongest you can possibly be."

"So you didn't help me because you wanted to see how far I could go before I collapsed from exhaustion, all in the name of a test?"

"That's the gist of it, yes."

"And you said just before Natsu has experienced this firsthand?"

"Back in Scarlione, yes."

Erza didn't really know what to think about that. On one hand, Natsu would have endured a similar scenario under significantly harsher conditions, yet if she had failed today then people could have potentially been killed as a result.

"I know what you're thinking Erza dear and you need not worry," Eliza said, slicing through her internal thoughts like a knife. "Had you been incapable of destroying all one hundred lacrima yourself I would have done so in your stead."

Erza wanted to argue with that, but she honestly couldn't. After all, even though she was on the verge of unconsciousness after destroying the lacrima, she knew Eliza had stepped in and somehow stopped the last burst from the Zeus Cannon.

That didn't mean the whole situation didn't annoy her though.

"I cannot tell you what your future holds in store Erza dear," Eliza continued, immediately capturing her attention with what she'd just begun to say. "However, I can tell you that your enemies from here on are going to grow stronger than ever before."

"What do you mean by that exactly!?"

"I cannot tell you specifics, it is forbidden," Eliza replied firmly only to relax her gaze at the clearly confused girl before her. "To be truthful … I do not wish to see you all fail, so I shall do everything within my permitted ability to aid you all."

"I think I get what you mean," Erza replied slowly as Eliza met her gaze. "You like us and don't want to see us die to these powerful enemies, right?"

"…"

"Right?"

"You would be … correct … in such an assertion, yes."

"Alright," Erza sighed as she sat up in her bed, Eliza's gaze never once leaving her as she got comfier. "Then how about instead of testing us during moments of crisis, you just come to us and tell us to go all out against you and see where we stack up?"

"I thought that testing you in such a situation would draw out your maximum potential, or is that not the case?"

"I often forget you aren't human," Erza sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Alright look, just don't do that anymore and we're good, okay?"

"I suppose that's fair enough," Eliza sighed in response. "If only all of us had it that good …"

"What?"

"Nothing dear, merely thinking aloud is all," Eliza laughed as she got up and made her way toward the door. "At any rate, Natsu will be here for you soon so I should really be going!"

"Eliza?"

"Yes dear?"

"I'm not mad anymore, just don't do it again please," Erza sighed with a shake of her head. "That's all I'm asking, nothing more than that."

"As I said just now dear, I suppose that's fair enough," was the immediate response as the War Goddess practically fled the room right as Natsu came charging inside.

Seeing him hone in on her made Erza blush a little. Said blush only increased as he stopped before her and brought her into a tight hug.

"You alright Erza?"

"I am now …"

"Eliza briefly mentioned what happened out there, you doing alright," Natsu asked, concern clearly evident in his eyes as he cupped her cheeks and placed his forehead against her own. "You seem physically fine …"

"As flattered as I am Natsu, its just exhaustion," Erza giggled as she pecked him on the lips quickly and shyly smiled his way. "Thank you though."

"I couldn't have won today without your help you know," Natsu whispered with Erza shaking her head in response.

"You would've found some way …"

"Not one that wouldn't have gotten people killed," came the quiet response. "Even though Eliza tested you at a really shit time, you really pulled through for me Erza."

"Natsu …"

The two gazed into each other's eyes for several moments before leaning inward and sharing a passionate kiss. Natsu cupped Erza's right cheek as she ran a hand through his hair, their tongues almost immediately beginning a battle for dominance until suddenly a small squeak snapped the pair back to reality.

The pair swiftly broke apart with Natsu spinning around to spot a fiercely blushing Juvia standing in the doorway, her gaze averted though it was clear she'd seen their entire interaction.

"J-Juvia," Natsu laughed weakly as he shot up from his seat. "Something wrong?"

"I-I just came to get you N-Natsu b-because L-Laxus came into the Guild Hall and everyone is …"

Natsu's embarrassment vanished completely as he looked back toward Erza who was already getting out of bed, her regular armor appearing in a flash as Natsu turned back to look at Juvia.

"Thanks for letting me know, I'll handle the Guild," Natsu said as he walked out of the room and out into the audible chaos that was the main hall.

Narrowing his eyes, Natsu watched as Laxus endured the anger and hatred of the others without so much as flinching. Noticing that someone was about to throw something at the blonde, he decided enough was enough.

"ALL OF YOU, CUT IT OUT RIGHT NOW," Natsu roared as he flexed his power, silencing the room almost instantly as Laxus looked in his direction. "The Master is in his office, Laxus."

Laxus simply nodded wordlessly and made his way through the parted crowd quickly, disappearing into Makarov's office. Once the door was shut, that was when the crowd decided to get rowdy again.

"How can you just let that bastard walk back through here!?"

"Yeah!?"

"We should give him a taste of what he's given us!"

"You'll all keep your mouths shut if you know what's good for you," Natsu snapped in response as he flexed his power once again to silence the crowd. "Laxus' fate is in the hands of Master Makarov, not the rest of us!"

"Natsu's right," Erza's voice echoed in agreement as she appeared alongside Natsu, Juvia opting to remain out of sight nearby. "You should all know better than to supersede the Master's judgement!"

"But if any of you try and go over the Master, you'll have to go through the two of us first," Natsu said firmly as many of the regular members of the Guild immediately backed down, knowing full well they stood no chance against Natsu AND Erza. "That's what I thought."

"Now all of you, go about your business until the Master is willing to address us," Erza barked as the crowd quickly dispersed.

Once the crowd was dissolved, Erza sighed and leant against Natsu for support with the man wrapping a gentle arm around her waist.

"Where's Mira?"

"At home," Natsu muttered in reply. "She's in a similar state to you after reawakening Hecate after all this time."

"So that was her," Erza hummed softly. "I'm going to go see her tomorrow before she opens up the Guild, see how she's taking it."

"I don't think it'll be like before with her Take Overs," Natsu replied as the pair slowly made their way toward the bar with Erza taking a seat and Natsu making his way behind to serve the pair some drinks. "I spoke with Hecate myself and although she's still on her cryptic shit, she doesn't seem as angry as she once was."

"Really? I wonder why?"

"Who knows," Natsu shrugged in reply as he served Erza a drink. "By the way, gramps and I have to go to Era tomorrow."

"Why?"

"Reformed Magic Council decided I'm apparently prime Wizard Saint material," Natsu snorted in response as he took a sip from his drink.

"Oh, that's nice."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"WHAT," Erza screeched, nearly choking on her drink as she put together what Natsu had said. "THEY'RE MAKING YOU A-!?"

"SHH! Not so loud," Natsu hissed as he clamped a hand over Erza's mouth. "I don't want people to know until after I've gone!"

"O-oh, sorry."

"But its true though," Natsu continued. "Gramps convinced me to take it because its paid and because it'll give me the immunity, I need to do what needs to be done."

"You're lucky I know what you mean by that Natsu Dragneel or I'd be rather concerned," Erza replied with Natsu rolling his eyes. "Still, this calls for a celebration, doesn't it?"

"Maybe once I'm back, for now I just want to go home to my big bed and snuggle with my super sexy strong girlfriend," Natsu replied teasingly as Erza blushed up a storm. "Super strong smart sexy-!"

"Shut up," Erza snapped between fits of giggling as the pair each downed their drinks. "But yes, I concur."

"Then it's a date!"

"You take me to the greatest places, don't you," Erza sighed mockingly as Natsu walked out from behind the bar and offered her his arm.

"That I do madam! Now then, our super-duper soft bed AWAITS!"

"Shut up you dork and let's go home," Erza huffed, swatting his arm playfully as she slipped her left arm around his right and the pair left the Guild Hall.

/Fairy Tail Guild Hall, Makarov's Office – Several Minutes Prior/

Makarov could only stare at the blonde before him, a blank expression on his face even as the larger man shuffled awkwardly in his seat. This was almost a repeated scenario from another he'd hoped he'd purged from memory by now.

If only he were so lucky.

"I'm here," Laxus muttered with Makarov humming in response.

"That you are."

"So you gonna kick me out already or what?"

Makarov frowned in response, crossing his arms as Laxus scowled, clenching his fists as the two family members struggled to speak more than a scant few words before clamping up.

"Before I do anything Laxus, I want answers," Makarov said with a tone that brooked no argument. "First off, was Ivan involved in any of this?"

And there it was, the worst question none had been willing to ask openly was laid bare by the one who arguably had the most to lose because of it. They both knew what it would have taken for Makarov to even utter the words, Laxus' face becoming scrunched up in response a telling sign in of itself.

"He wanted involvement," Laxus began as Makarov sucked in a sharp breath. "But I told him to butt out."

"So, Ivan knew about all of this," Makarov repeated with Laxus nodding in response. "How long have you been in contact with him?"

"A couple of years, on and off, nothing frequent."

"And he wanted to join you in taking over Fairy Tail?"

"Yeah," Laxus replied bitterly. "But like I said, I told him to butt out."

"Why?"

"What do you mean by that," Laxus asked heatedly as he snapped his gaze up to Makarov's almost immediately. "What are you trying to say!?"

"Both Natsu and Mystogan suspected Ivan's involvement in all of this," Makarov replied calmly with Laxus narrowing his eyes in response. "It seems their concerns weren't totally unfounded, but what I find strange is that you turned him down despite your goals aligning. Why?"

"Why? I'll tell you why," Laxus hissed as he cracked the armrests of the chair he was in. "Because I saw right through the bastard and what he wanted! He didn't care about me, he only cared about getting the Guild! I was just a means to an end and no one uses me like that!"

"And yet, in your foolishness, you very nearly did become the tool Ivan needed regardless," Makarov countered sharply, silencing the blonde whose eyes widened in response. "You don't even realize that, do you?"

"Wh-what do you mean!?"

"Had you taken Fairy Tail by force, taken me out of the position and defeated Erza, Natsu, Mystogan, Mirajane and the rest of the regular members here, you would have only weakened the Guild."

"But-!"

"Once the Magic Council re-establishes itself in full, what you had done would be brought before them by a sizeable number of people and organizations," Makarov continued. "From Magnolia and her citizens, to our allies in Blue Pegasus, Quattro Cerberus, Lamia Scale and Cait Shelter. None would stand for what you had done Laxus."

"…"

"And even if you somehow avoided having the Council come down upon you like an all-encompassing wave, you would then have to contend with Gildarts who would likely kill you for what you'd done."

"Gildarts wouldn't kill me-!"

"He most certainly would," Makarov replied sharply, cutting the blonde off with a look that told him all he needed to know. "You don't know anything about what either Gildarts or Natsu have done boy. You should count yourself lucky that Natsu didn't kill you for activating the Thunder Palace against the citizens of Magnolia because I assure you that if he was in Scarlione you'd be six feet under."

Laxus wanted to argue the point, but thinking back on that look Natsu gave him toward the end of their fight, he knew Makarov wasn't lying. The more he thought about it, the more he realized just how overconfident he had truly been, yet Makarov's words kept coming.

"But even discounting Gildarts, you would have weakened Fairy Tail to the point that Ivan would have come crawling back to take the Guild over. Without her pillars, the Guild stands no chance against a man like Ivan, you see?"

"But I wouldn't have let him take the Guild-!"

"I have tried everything in my power to teach you the harsh truths of the world Laxus yet time and time again you fail to heed my warnings," Makarov growled as he leapt out of his chair and walked around his desk to stand next to the blonde. "Not only have you disregarded everything I've taught you and spat on the very foundations of this Guild, you almost lead to its complete destruction and the deaths of thousands …"

"Hold on a second … you aren't saying-!?"

"For your brazen disregard for every tenant this Guild was founded upon, I have no choice but to revoke your status as a Mage of the Fairy Tail Guild," Makarov said firmly as he held out his right hand as a sliver of Magic washed over Laxus.

The blonde didn't need to check, he knew that his Guild Mark had just been erased, however he couldn't even so much as speak. He knew it was a possibility, but for Makarov to actually kick him out for real still hit hard regardless.

"As of this moment, you are hereby banned from all locations associated with the Fairy Tail Guild including the Guild Hall and Tenrou Island," Makarov said as he turned his back on Laxus and walked across the room.

"Hold on a second-!"

"My decision is final," Makarov said as he cut Laxus off before he could even press a case. "You have twenty-four hours to collect your things from the premises before you will be forcibly removed."

Finally, Laxus fell silent, accepting the reality of his situation as he slowly rose to his feet. Looking down at the old man who refused to look back at him, Laxus sighed.

"I guess that's it then."

"Indeed."

Laxus was about to speak again, but hesitated, unable to bring himself to say what he wanted to and instead opted to clench his fists and walk toward the door. Placing his hand upon the handle, he paused again as that same feeling welled up inside of him, urging him to speak once again.

"Oi?"

"What?"

"Just one last thing before I leave," Laxus muttered as he removed his hand from the door and turned back around to find Makarov still in the same spot from earlier.

"What is it?"

"Even if you hate me for what I've done, I'm still gonna surpass you old man," Laxus began as his voice managed to gather strength. "Not for something stupid like helping my Father, but for myself!"

Turning back around and placing a hand firmly on the door, Laxus took a deep breath and sighed before opening the door and stepping through. Turning back to close the door, Makarov still had yet to move.

"I'm gonna grow stronger so I can become a man in my own right," Laxus concluded as he slowly shut the door. "That's all."

As the door shut quietly, Makarov's form shivered ever so slightly as the moonlight peeked through the darkened room to illuminate the man's tear-streaked face. Through his blurred vision, his eyes could just barely make out a photograph on the shelf he'd stopped before, a photo of a young man with spiky blonde hair and an older man with fading blonde hair sharing a drink together, laughing heartily alongside a group of familiar figures in the background.

"Oh Laxus, you foolish boy," Makarov sniffed as his resolve began to leave him. "I look forward to the day you'll stand before me again."

---

(Edited 18/07/22)

(Edited 25/07/22)