A/N: And here is what you've all been waiting for! After how many chapters of teasing, we finally get to see Ichigo cut loose on the dragons. However, Ichigo won't be the one to defeat Future Rogue. Heck, it won't even be Natsu. To find out stay tuned for the next one but for now, enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 23: The Horn of Salvation

"GYAAAHHH!"

A shriek of pain escaped Erza after breaking her ankle. After fighting for so long, from the battles in the Grand Magic Games to the current struggle against the dragons, her body finally felt the effects of prolonged conflict. Titania was at her limit.

A swarm of the drakes was ready to pounce on the redhead when a white blur came in and tore them to pieces.

"Don't push yourself!" Yuzu yelled after beheading the last dragon offspring. "Damn it, big brother! How long will it take?"

Erza could see her guildmates struggling against the lizardmen. These creatures were just too strong for any standard wizard to fight. Even her and other S-class wizards had difficulty keeping even a few at bay. Yuzu was dealing the most damage to the enemy's numbers.

The knight grits her teeth at her show of weakness. For her body to fail her, it had to be now.

"I broke my leg," Erza thought dejectedly. "Even if Yuzu told us to run, I can't. I'm pathetic." She scoffed at herself. "I guess my stubbornness got to me again. I know that hiding my weakness isn't what makes me strong, but…." Her thoughts were disturbed when another group of drakes came up behind her. Erza took her sword and feebly stood with her weapon. "I'm not backing down. If this is the end for me, I'll bring down as many dragon offsprings as possible."

The drakes began surrounding the redhead. All of them were ready to pounce on her. Erza knew that any lapse in attention could spell her doom. However, help would eventually find her.

A powerful sphere of energy surrounded her and the reptilians. Thinking that this was an attack from the dragon offspring, she braced herself for any pain. Fortunately, the only ones in misery were the lizards. They howled relentlessly as surges of magic energy coursed through their body until an explosion followed, blasting them away from Titania.

"It looks like you barely have any strength to stand."

Erza's eyes quickly darted to the voice. Her eyes widened with jubilation when she saw who it was.

It was Jellal Fernandez.

"If I didn't know any better, you overexerted yourself." After casting the spell, the bluenette looked at the injured redhead, who nearly stumbled. Acting quickly, the former councilman rushed to her and kept her from falling. "Here, let me give you a hand."

"Great timing!"

Both mages looked to Yuzu, who appeared before them.

"You must be Jellal," the Quincy spoke, confirmed by the independent mage. "It's a good thing you came. Any later, then I don't know what could've happened."

"Not a pretty sight, that's for sure," was Jellal's answer. His attention then went to the woman in his arms. "Are you alright, Erza?"

The redhead knight noticed the concern in the blue-haired mage's voice. It made her blush a bit. "I am."

"Then, that's good," Yuzu remarked before her eyes hardened. She turned around and stared at some wreckage. "You can stop watching us. I can sense your presence."

Confused, Jellal and Erza stared in the direction Yuzu was looking. There was a shadow that slowly made itself visible. The moonlight shined on the figure, revealing the person watching the two mages' interaction. When the knight and the former councilman finally saw who it was, they stood wide-eyed.

"Milliana?" Jellal and Erza breathed in surprise.

At first, Milliana was shocked. Here was the man who caused all the pain and suffering in her life, and he had Erza in his arms. That shock quickly became anger as her eyes glared daggers at the betrayer.

"I finally found you!" the cat-loving mage growled. Milliana was about to take a step towards the cause of her pain when an oppressive force stopped her. It came from the woman in white.

"We don't have the luxury of fighting each other," Yuzu warned. "Whatever quarrel you have with Jellal, save it for after this mess." The Quincy then said something unexpected. "I didn't mean for just her to come out; I also meant you."

In another twist of fate, another person showed herself. This time, it was Kagura Mikazuchi.

"You're the woman who fought my brother," Yuzu spoke to Kagura. "Ichigo told me that you wanted to kill Jellal. However, you never told him the reason."

"Reason?" Kagura questioned. The tone of her voice indicated her rage was building up. "What reason would you need to kill that pathetic piece of trash!?"

"Everyone has a reason," replied the Quincy. "All actions are motivated by resolve. In this instance, your resolve is to take revenge on this man. The question is, what was his atrocity?"

Kagura stayed silent. In those few precious seconds, the tension between the four mages grew. Whatever grudge the sword maiden carried was too deep.

"You want to know why I want to kill that bastard?" Mermaid Heel's ace finally spoke. "Jellal Fernandez killed my big brother."

The words that followed shocked Erza, Jellal, and Milliana.

"He killed Simon."

Wide-eyed, the three mages stared at Kagura. This revelation was something none of them expected. Kagura Mikazuchi…was Simon's little sister?

"Is that true, Kagura?" Milliana asked her guildmate.

"Yes," answered the swordswoman without taking her fierce eyes off her brother's murderer.

"You're that child I saved."

Kagura's eyes focused on Erza.

"Back at Rosemary Village when Zeref's cultists came, I hid you away just before the cultists took me away.

Kagura's glare never faltered. "…And I appreciate what you did for me that day. However, if you try to defend that man, I will consider you my enemy."

Erza quickly got in between Jellal and the two vengeful girls. "You don't have to do this!" she pleaded.

"Erza, please don't make this hard for me," Jellal insisted. "Let them have their vengeance upon me."

"NO!" refuted the redhead. "It's not right!"

"What's not right, Erza?" the cat-lover questioned. "I'll tell you what's not right. What's not right is that you're defending this monster!"

"He wasn't in control back then!" Erza defended. "Jellal was manipulated. Whatever actions he did back then weren't of his own free will. That's why I've forgiven him."

"YOU WHAT!?"

"I can't believe you would fall for such a lie, Titania." Kagura scoffed at the redhead. "This man doesn't deserve forgiveness; not from me, not from you, not from Milliana, and certainly not from my brother!"

"How could you!?" Milliana cried. "How could you forgive such a monster like him!? Did you forget that he murdered Simon, Kagura's brother!?"

Yuzu observed that Jellal never said a single word. She could tell by the look on his face that he was regretful. The Quincy even guessed that the man was willing to give his life away to fulfill Kagura and Milliana's vengeance.

"He has to pay!" Milliana continued her screaming. "He's a liar and a murderer! I can't forgive him! I'm going to kill that son of a bitch even if I have to die trying!"

"Then you should begin digging three graves." Yuzu's voice suddenly interrupted the dispute. "The road of vengeance cuts both ways. It leads to a dark path that will only lead to emptiness."

"What the hell do you know when you never experienced what Kagura and I felt!?" Milliana countered.

The pressure Yuzu was constantly leaking increased, freezing the two vindictive mages. "I know enough that it won't bring back the dead."

Somehow, through sheer willpower, Kagura overcame the Quincy's spiritual pressure. "So I should just forget about it!?" the ace of Mermaid Heel questioned. "I won't do it! He killed my brother, my only family! I will never forgive him! It's wrong!"

"I never said it wasn't wrong," Yuzu countered. Her eyes darted behind the two. "Right, Ultear?"

"Yes, it is wrong."

All eyes turned to the time mage standing behind the female mages.

"I was wondering when you'd show yourself," Yuzu commented.

The time mage moved forward, standing next to the youngest Kurosaki. "If you knew I was here, why didn't you call me out?"

"One way or another, you'd eventually reveal yourself since you can shed some light on this quarrel."

A sigh escaped the time wizard. "You people never cease to amaze me."

Confused, Milliana questioned the new arrival. "Who are you?"

Ultear looked to the cat-lover and answered, "I was the girl pulling the strings."

Milliana and Kagura gasped and turned into resentful stares. Yuzu wondered why Ultear was doing this. The former dark mage was purposefully angering the two.

"Leave them be, Ultear," Erza warned.

"See, that's the kind of person I am," Ultear replied with a depraved smile. "There's no point in fighting it. No matter how hard I try to play the hero…I'll always be rotten to the core."

It was quick, but there was a hint of sorrow. None except Yuzu was able to see this. It made her question the Ark of Time wizard's true motives.

"Anyway, now isn't the time to stand around and chitchat. There are still hundreds of that mother dragon's offspring. We need to split up and wipe them out," Ultear explained. Just as she was about to leave, she gazed at the Mermaid Hell mages. "Oh, and one more thing, I alone am responsible for Simon Mikazuchi's death. I was the architect of the Tower of Heaven. So, I'm going to give you two a shot at revenge. The only thing you need to do is survive." With that, she finally left, leaving two stunned wizards behind her.

"She was intentionally redirecting all your anger at Jellal towards herself," Yuzu remarked, gaining the attention of Kagura and Milliana. "She may claim to have a rotten heart, but she's just as broken as the rest of us."

"Believe it or not, she's a victim herself," Erza added. "She was raised as a test subject and experienced pain."

"So, what would you two do now?" Yuzu questioned the two Mermaid Heel wizards.

"Honestly, I don't know," Milliana answered truthfully. "I don't know what to make of this." She looked at Kagura and asked, "How about you, Kagu– Huh?"

The mage in question was shedding tears. Kagura's sole purpose was to end the one responsible for her brother's death. Now, she didn't know what to do.

Kagura's knees gave in, letting gravity pull her to the ground. Her sobs were gradually getting louder as she wept. She was truly lost. "I'm sorry, Simon," the maiden cried. The tears were gushing out of her uncontrollably. "I don't know what to do anymore. I wanted to avenge you, but I'm so confused. Everything just feels wrong."

"Kagura," Erza breathed. She raced up to the crying, grieving woman and embraced her.

Seeing this, Jellal couldn't help but feel more remorseful. The former councilman may have been manipulated to do those things, but his hands still did. "Everything isn't as it seems," he spoke. "We live in a world damaged by lies and deceit."

"Even so, it's up to us to fight for something better," Yuzu said. She gazed at the stars, wondering when this desolate time would end.

The battles within the city raged on. Mages from the different guilds who participated fought tooth and nail trying to survive, Some of them are still standing strong while others are now at death's door.

Juvia just managed to intercept a miniature dragon's breath headed for Meredy. She erected a thick water wall that prevented the drakes from harming the Maguilty wizard. Meredy answered with sensory blades when the waters dissipated at the lizards.

"That was close," the pinkette sighed in relief. "Thanks, Juvia!"

"Don't mention it!"

This momentary distraction was all a drake needed to laugh its attack. From its mouth, a beam of magic shot towards Meredy and Juvia. Caught unaware, the two mages couldn't react in time.

"GET DOWN!" Gray managed to drag the two wizards down in time, avoiding an otherwise fatal shot. "Be mindful, would you!?" he reminded both of them.

Lyon was sharing the same thing Gray felt. That lapse of judgment from both Juvia and Meredy irritated him. If his fellow disciple of Ul didn't come to their rescue, it would've been costly. "STAY FOCUSED!" the silver-haired ice mage yelled after freezing a drake. "THIS IS WAR, NOT SOME GROUP SPARRING SESSION!"

"Sorry," Meredy quickly apologized.

However, Juvia was still on the ground. The raven-haired ice wizard touched her butt when he pushed her. The water mage was still feeling the area where gray's hand had been. Her face was flush with so much pink that she was practically glowing with excitement and embarrassment.

"I can still feel the warmth of his hand on my tooshie!" Juvia screamed in her thoughts.

"Juvia, I've been meaning to tell you now."

Gray's voice quickly got the former Element Four wizard's attention. Quickly standing up, Juvia behaved like a cadet waiting for a drill sergeant's command.

"Whatever something is, I'm ready to hear it!"

"I mean, it's not that big of a deal, but…."

"You never know; it might be a big deal!"

Meanwhile, Meredy was grinning mischievously behind the two. "Looks like this is about to get awkward."

Juvia's eyes stared directly at Gray's. There were a million different reasons why he wanted to talk to her. However, there was one that stood out from all the rest.

"Could this be the moment I've always dreamed of?" the elemental wizard wondered. "Will he confess his love to me, at last?" She gasped internally. "Oh my goodness! What will I say!?"

"JUVIA, LOOK OUT!"

Lyon's scream snapped the wizard out of her delusions. Behind her was a drake firing a dragon breath at her. Time seemed to have slowed. The beam of magical energy was approaching so fast that Juvia couldn't help but watch it close in.

Suddenly, a force pushed the water mage out of the line of fire. Juvia stumbled to the ground with a thud, and when she looked up to see her savior, her eyes widened in horror. The one who pushed Juiva was her beloved Gray, but with a hole in his chest from the dragon beam.

"GRAY!"

Walking alone in the abandoned streets, Ultear was deep in thought. Her words to the two vengeful mages of Mermaid Heel had painted her as the perpetrator of their suffering. Why wouldn't she? She was the one behind it all. And yet, there was this lingering feeling that she wanted to make up for all her sins.

"The only way to make things right is to kill Rogue," the wizard concluded. She suddenly fell to the ground. The memory of her conversation with Lucy and Yukino came into mind. Willing herself back up, she continued.

Explosions could be heard all over. Mages are fighting relentlessly against a seemingly unbeatable army. Many were already on the verge of death, while others persevered despite the bleak outcome.

Ultear stopped in an abandoned park. She fell to her knees once more, but it was caused by the gravity of her nearly committed act. "I stopped just short of murder," she thought. "I didn't go through with it, but that isn't the problem. The fact is, I would've done it. Without a second thought, I would've killed an innocent man!" That realization scared her. "Why would that be the first place my mind turns? Unless some part of me still craves it."

Ultear glanced at her hands. They were trembling. They were shaking at the fact that the first solution she could come up with was murder. A lone tear fell from her eyes and landed on her palm. She stared at the sky, doubting if her attempts for atonement were all for nothing.

"Crime Sorcière. What a joke," Ultear scoffed. "I could never atone for the sins of my past." That was what she believed. Some people were beyond redemption, and time wizard thought she was one of them. "I'm unfit for this world." If there were any way for her to repent, it would be to die. "I don't deserve to live."

Even from afar, the time wizard could hear the battles raging on. These people, compared to them, she was nothing more than utter trash. She was the lowliest scum in her mind, which meant she belonged in the darkness.

"For as long as I remember, I lived in the darkness." Ultear reminisced about her childhood, which brought pain and suffering to those she met. "I thrived on deception, contempt, resentment, and death. Still, I received forgiveness and compassion. Gray even allowed me a second chance at life. I wanted to atone for my sins, so I co-founded Crime Sorcière, the Witch's Crime.

"But I will never find salvation. At my core, I'm still the same. I'm a witch crumbling under the weight of her crimes, one who'd take an innocent life. Perhaps, I don't deserve to live.

A memory of her past came to the time wizard. It was one where she had found the perfect spell that could turn back time. However, performing the magic exacted a heavy toll. It would take away the time of the caster. Perhaps, this is what Ultear needed to do. She would give up all her time in exchange for the world's salvation.

"At this point, I will gladly pay that toll." The time wizard raised her hands and concentrated her magic. "If giving up this life of sin and sorrow…if that could truly set the world as it was, then so be it."

Just before she unleashed her magic, Ultears hands were grabbed by someone. She turned to see a woman. The person had burnt-orange hair, wide innocent eyes, and a motherly face.

"Don't do it," the woman said.

Ultear didn't listen. She tried to pry her hands away from the person, but she wouldn't let her. "Let me go!" she argued. "I need to do this!"

"And what would it accomplish?

"EVERYTHING!" Ultear managed to get herself free from the woman's grip. However, she has already lost the will to complete her plan. Her hands that were once ebbing with magic became lax as she stared at the woman. "Why did you stop me?" the wizard questioned while her tears flowed. "Why would you deny me atonement for my sins!?"

"Throwing your life away is considered repentance?" the orange-haired lady countered. "The way I see it, you're just running away."

"How dare you!?" Ultear grew livid. She pounced on the woman and grabbed the collar of her dress. "Do you know who I am and what I've done!? I'm a monster with a heart so rotten that everything I touch dies!"

Ultear went quiet for a moment. Her hands that were on the woman's clothes now hung beside her. "I don't deserve forgiveness," she murmured. "If anything, the only way for my crimes to be absolved would be sacrificing my life. I can't live in this world. I don't deserve to live."

The woman took in all the Ark of Time mage had said. There was sadness, regret, and anguish in her. Ultear truly believed she was beyond redemption. She was so adamant that her heart was so rotten that only by giving up her life could the wizard atone for her crimes.

However, the lady with orange hair believed otherwise. Although there are people beyond forgiveness, Ultear didn't fall into one. So, the woman asked the time mage a question that she had no answer to.

"Then what about Meredy?"

Ultear's head snapped to the woman who raised that question. "How did she know about Meredy?"

"What would she feel if you gave up your life?"

"It doesn't matter," Ultear dejectedly replied. "She would be better off without someone who could corrupt her."

"I'm not so sure," the woman spoke. "From what I heard from my sisters-in-law, Meredy seems like a fun girl. How could you say you've corrupted her if that's the case?"

"I've used her as a weapon when she was younger," answered a somber Ultear. "I was responsible for destroying her home village."

"And yet she has forgiven you, even treating you as a mother figure." The time mage didn't answer, so the woman continued. "She had every right to resent you, but she didn't. Instead, the girl chose to stay with you. Does that not show that your life is worth it to someone?"

Ultear only stared at the orange-haired lady. Every word she said was accurate, yet it did not stop there.

"How about your mother? Do you think she would be happy that her daughter would willingly give up her life? Would your mother be happy that you think you're unforgivable?"

"What would you know?" was all Ultear could answer.

"My mother was a drug addict and a prostitute," the lady replied, surprising the former councilwoman. "She would beat me until I stopped crying. My father was no different since he was an alcoholic. The only person who loved me was my brother. Because of him, I became the person I am now."

"But my mother was never there for me!" Ultear refuted. "She left me all alone!"

"That's not what I heard from Gray." Again, Ultear was surprised. This woman knew so much about her. "You wanted to turn back time because all you wanted was a mother's love. That alone tells me that you had a mother that loved you. So, would your mother like it if the daughter she had loved so much threw her life away?"

Ultear already knew the truth; she wanted to revert everything. That said, the cost of the spell was her future. Would her mother want that? As much as she hated to admit it, the answer was obvious.

"No," Ultear answered weakly.

The lady smiled at the time mage. Ultear could see that this smile was one only a mother could give her child.

"Listen, Ultear," the woman placed her hands on Ultear's shoulders. "You may believe that you have a rotten core, but the moment you begin to feel remorse, you become worth forgiving."

Ultear can't stop her eyes from watering anymore. Streaks of the liquid were racing down her cheeks as the woman consoled her. She even wiped some away.

"As long as a spark of regret exists, a person can be forgiven. Even the most hollow of hearts can feel again. Even the most rotten of hearts can heal. Don't waste your life on something that will make the people who love you heartbroken. Live for those who chose to stay by your side. Live for those who gave you a second chance. Finally, live for those who love you."

The dam broke. All the pent-up emotion Ultear had bottled in broke free. Her tears which were steady flowing earlier, are now gushing out uncontrollably. The time mage had instinctively searched for a shoulder to cry, and the woman let her use hers. There, for that precious moment, Ultear had wept. All that pain, sorrow, and sadness she experienced since her tender years have slowly faded. She wasn't alone. There was Meredy, who had loved her like a mother. Gray, a person who had forgiven her despite the hatred she had felt long ago. Above all else, Ul, her mother, would never be at peace had she gone through with it. All of these people would be saddened if she had made the sacrifice.

"I'm so sorry, Meredy, Gray, mommy," Ultear breathed into the woman's shoulder. "I was so selfish. All I thought of was my forgiveness that I never once considered what you'd feel."

The orange-haired lady smiled. She rubbed the back of the sobbing wizard and, as she expected, had calmed the time mage down.

"Thank you," Ultear said with sincerity. "Still, we need to deal with the monsters. I wanted to give the wizards in the city a fighting chance by casting that spell," she stated, addressing the dire situation the city was experiencing.

"You're welcome," the lady sweetly replied. "And don't worry about that. I'll handle it."

"How?"

"With this." The woman's hairpins began glowing with power Ultear had only felt once before. "Shun'o, Ayame, Baigon, Hinagiku, Lily, Tsubaki!" The hair ornaments burst into six figures of light, transforming into tiny pixies. "Sōten Kisshun." Two little fairies, one in an oversized pink dress and one with yellow hair tied to a ponytail, shot to the sky.

Ultear could see the spirits converged into each other before separating, creating a golden dome that began covering the entirety of Crocus.

"I REJECT!"

Upon command, the time wizards could feel her energy being restored. She stared at the woman in surprise. At first, Ultear thought that what was happening was mass healing. However, being a practitioner of time magic, she instantly recognized what was happening.

"This is time regression!" Ultear internally gasped.

"Baigon, Hinagiku, Lily," the oranged-haired lady called. "I want you to stay with Ultear as she recovers. Once that's done, go with her and help any mage you see." Her eyes then landed on the black fairy with a scarf. "Tsubaki, our enemies are relentless, mindless, and won't hesitate to harm our friends. I only have one command that you should follow…."

Ultear waited for the woman's order with bated breath. That warm, motherly demeanor she had was quickly replaced by a face of a hardened fighter. The words that came after completely contradicted what she had seen earlier.

"Kill them all."

With that order, the lone sprite disappeared in a trail of light. However, Ultear couldn't take her eyes off of the woman. This person could alter time without any consequence, and she was doing it to the entire city! There were so many questions right now, but she should have asked earlier.

"Who are you?"

The woman simply smiled, that safe and caring feeling returning.

"My name is Orihime Kurosaki."

"Gray, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

The ice wizard was lying on his back, clutching a fatal hole punctured through his chest. Throughout that time, Juvia had been cradling his limp body while profusely apologizing to him repeatedly.

"IT HURTS! IT HURTS!" Gray internally screamed as more blood poured from the hole. The red liquid began building up in his through as the seconds passed until he coughed out a considerable amount. "Darn…it," the Ice-Make wizard said weakly.

"Gray," Juvia spoke while looking at her drying beloved. "If only I weren't so caught up in what you were about to say, then maybe this might've never happened."

"Juvia," the ice wizard was about to say something when he coughed out even more blood. Each one was more painful than the last.

"Please, don't talk. Just rest. I'll protect you until we get you to someone with healing magic."

While the water mage protected the fallen Ice-Make practitioner, Lyon and Meredy were doing their best to fend off the numerous hoards of the dragon offspring. However, with each one they incapacitate, more pop up to make it difficult.

"These fuckers just keep coming!" Lyon shouted as all form of civility was exhausted. He sent an ice bull towards the swarm, but the creation was quickly shattered. "If this keeps up, I won't have enough magic to fen them off!"

"Same here!" Meredy yelled. She fell to her knees as she was about to fire her magic. "That's it," the Maguilty mage breathed. "I'm at my limit."

"G-Guys…just…g-go," Gray pleaded.

"NO!" was Juvia's answer. "I will not leave you! I refuse!"

"She's right, Gray," Lyon agreed with the water mage. "I'm not about to leave a comrade behind."

"Save…yourselves," the ice mage said, his voice audibly weaker now. "Get…Meredy out…of here, too."

"Please, Gray." Juvia's grip on the raven-haired mage grew tighter. "Just hold on. We'll get you out of here."

"Don't give up, Gray!" It was Meredy this time who spoke. "We can still save you!"

"It's too late for me," Gray muttered, resigned to his fate. "At least…I know you three…would live."

"PLEASE, GRAY! DON'T SAY THAT!" Juvia screamed indignantly.

Lyon launched an ice spell with the last bit of his magic that created a wall between them and the lizards. "I don't know how long that'll hold them." As if to answer his inquiry, the ice wall shattered. "Well…I tried."

The Lyon and Meredy stood in front of their injured friend while Juvia cradled the fallen Gray, all three ready to defend him till the end. Magic or no, they weren't just going to leave a friend. As the mages waited for the lizardmen to pounce, someone with swords descended and landed on the nearest drake. The impact from the landing shattered the beast's head, blood, and guts flew everywhere. The newcomer swung his arm around to fire a powerful surge of electricity.

"Hadō #63: Raikōhō!"

The blast vaporized the lizards, leaving only their hard armor clattering. Juvia, Gray, and even Meredy's eyes elicited jubilation and relief when they looked at their rescuer.

"ICHIGO!"

The patriarch turned his gaze towards the four mages and examined their condition. His eyes focused on the fatally wounded ice mage on the ground. "Punctured lung, ripped diaphragm, and severe blood loss." He went quiet before saying, "He'll be fine."

"ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS!?" Lyon shouted incredulously pointing at Gray's injury. "How is a hole in the chest considered fine!?"

Ichigo stayed calm and replied, "He'll be healed, and so will you and everybody in the city fighting the dragons."

Right on cue, a dome of golden light enveloped the entirety of Crocus. Under its heavenly light, their wounds began to heal. They looked toward Gray and were shocked to see his deadly wound shrinking. The ice wizard in question stood up when his injury completely disappeared. He felt the area of the hole, and as expected, it was gone like it was never there.

"Thanks, Ichigo," Gray told the reaper.

"We're not done here yet," Ichigo answered. "Right now, every mage and knight in the city will be back to peak condition."

And it was true. All wizards and soldiers fighting desperately against the dragons were regaining their strength. There were gasps of surprise, confusion, and wonder. None of them knew what was happening, only that they were restored to fighting form.

However, there were a few who knew what the golden dome was. The Fairy Tail mages were smiling in glee that the two people they had waited for finally entered the fray.

Ichigo saw the ethereal sphere slowly vanish, signaling that the healing process was finished. Taking out two chips, he tossed the items to the side and the objects transformed into a rectangular screen with inky veins protruding from its sides.

"Bakudō #77: Tenteikūra."

The Juvia, Meredy, and Lyon stared curiously at the strange spell. The only person who knew what was happening was Gray. It didn't surprise him when he suddenly heard Ichigo's voice. However, the ice mage could see the surprise on the others.

"Mages and knights of Fiore," Ichigo addressed, his voice audible to all he considered allies. "This is Ichigo Kurosaki of Fairy Tail. Prepare yourselves; our counterattack starts now."

(Shiro Sagisu – Number One ft. Hazel Fernandez)

Ichigo pulled his shihakushō back to reveal a glowing symbol. With a hand over the sigil, spiritual energy caused it to glow before gradually fading into particles. When the marking completely vanished, an otherworldly pressure permeated the area.

The four mages with the reaper stood still in awe and fear at the overpowering presence. They then noticed that the more oversized sword of the death god began developing blue lines. It started from the tip that crawled up to the rest of the blade, turning the path the lines took into white. Dense spiritual energy seeped through Ichigo's body as red, blue, and black specks danced around in a crazed ballet. The powers were building up inside the patriarch's body. When they finally reached the peak threshold…

…It exploded.

Karin could feel the majority of her sealed power coming back to her. She had fought in this world for the longest time with a handicap. Now, she can unleash it all once more, and the only thing keeping her from her true strength is the restriction seal.

Pulling her robe to expose her limiter, one drawn in the shape of the Shiba crest, the middle sibling poured her spiritual energy, making the crest disintegrate. Once the symbol vanished, a burst of navy blue reiryoku exploded from the female reaper, earning a surprised glance from her guildmates.

"OH, YEAH!" Karin exclaimed in excitement as she relished the power she had tucked away. "They're so screwed now!"

While Karin was enjoying the return of her hidden strength, the mages of Fairy Tail were staring at her if complete bafflement. The output of energy the female reaper was casually releasing was astronomical. It was far more than anything they had ever witnessed.

The sight was indeed…transcendental.

The moment Yuzu had received Ichigo's message, she knew that was the signal. Quickly pulling the collar of her tunic, she exposed the Quincy cross on her upper chest and willed spiritual energy into it. The wizards near her were curious about her actions and surprised when the symbol disappeared. That surprise grew into shock when sky blue energy exploded from the Quincy.

The power was so tremendous that Erza and the rest had to cover their eyes from the intensity.

"What in the world!?" Kagura could only gasp as she fell to her butt from the raging energies of the archer.

"This power…" Jella muttered. He had never seen anyone, not even among his fellow Wizard Saints, so much power being unleashed.

"Yuzu," Erza called. "What's happening!?"

"It's been five years," was the Quincy's answer. "It's been so long since I've had all my strength. Now, I can use it to its fullest once more."

Yuzu didn't respond anymore, only letting the power she had sealed away course through her body. It was a fantastic feeling, like reuniting with a part of yourself.

And with this power, she will help turn the tide of this catastrophe.

Orihime had pulled the opening in her dress to reveal a drawing of a six-petal flower on her chest. Ultear watched with fascination as the woman she found out to be the wife of Ichigo Kurosaki willed the symbol on her chest to fade. Once the final ink in the sigil was gone, an immediate reaction followed.

A burst of white and golden light swirled around the woman. Orihime closed her eyes and let the power she had sealed for half a decade fill her body.

Ultear stared at the woman, her eyes never leaving the Kurosaki matriarch who relished her immense power. It wasn't just her, though. Her six pixies also showed their strength as they glowed brightly like miniature stars.

"Such power," the time wizard thought. She was in awe. Ultear studied Ark of Time and had become a formidable mage. However, she knew that this wasn't the full scope of Orihime's powers. It's as if the woman in question can transcend the decree of the gods.

It was true, though, for if the gods did decide that this day would be their end, the will of the Weaving Maiden would reject it.

Kazui had sensed the sudden change in the atmosphere. Though hollowfied, the boy was still aware of what was happening. His parents and aunts have finally released their limiters. It was time for him to do the same. The horned boy stared at the stone dragon he had been fighting. The humongous beast was heavily panting, its body littered with broken scales and scorched flesh thanks to his destructive Ceros.

Kazui was already at a considerable advantage thanks to his sturdy defenses, impressive healing factor, and powerful attacks. Now, the dragon will truly experience pain beyond any creature would feel.

The young hybrid held a hand over his limiter, a symbol that showed a crescent embracing the sun. Willing his reiatsu into the mark, its ink slowly began to fade. Little by little, Kazui could feel the power he had sealed away return to him. Once the restriction had vanished, he let out a hollow roar as his spiritual energy skyrocketed. Torrents of black, gold and red furiously swirled around the reaper as his gaze landed on the fearful dragon.

"WHAT ARE YOU!?" The beast questioned after taking a step back in fear.

Kazui didn't answer. He simply looked at the dragon with his black-wreathed golden eyes.

A look promising destruction.

First, the golden sphere and then the five massive pillars of pure energy. Rogue didn't know what happened, only that the mages below had their health fully restored, and five otherworldy signatures made themselves known.

"Ichigo finally entered the fray."

Future quickly stared at the fire mage in front of him. Natsu was grinning. That smile made the shadow wizard irritated. It was like the son of Igneel knew something that he didn't, and it annoyed him.

"What do you mean?" questioned Rogue.

Natsu's smile grew wider. "Ichigo is here," the dragon slayer said. "With him, no one, not even the dragons you control, can stop us now!"

The time traveler's eyes darted in the direction of the Kurosaki patriarch. It was absurd. Can one man turn the tide of this battle in his favor? Rogue tried to discern the power emanating Ichigo's direction. It was strangely familiar. He had felt it before. Then his eyes suddenly widened when he realized who it was.

"It's him!" screamed Rogue internally. "It's the man with the swords!"

The shadow mage's musings were abruptly disturbed when a figure shot up to the sky. It was the woman in black he fought earlier. Rogue didn't know that this woman would cast a spell that not only subdue the dragons under his command but will also signal the beginning of his downfall.

"At full power, this Kidō spell will not only defeat the dragons but endanger the lives of everyone." Karin knew of the consequences if she utilized the full might of this destructive spell. The spell in question could potentially drain the reishi in the environment. However, she wasn't careless, and she had better control over her reiatsu save for Orihime and Yuzu. "I'll just tone it down to ensure it doesn't affect our allies…I hope."

The mages of Fairy Tail watched from below as the female reaper summoned her spiritual power, causing her hands to ignite in an intense navy blue glow. Suddenly, the clouds began glowing in Karin's power. Her reiatsu was lighting up the sky in what could be described as divine light.

Once Karin determined she had the necessary power, she finally performed the spell that would subdue the colossal reptiles and drain them of their energy.

"HADŌ #99: GORYŪTENMETSU!"

Five dragons descended from the heavens and roared beside their caster. The terrifying cry paused the ongoing battle below as everyone, including the dragons and the drakes, froze upon the sight of the phantasmal beings floating beside the female reaper. With one gesture, Karin commanded the five spiritual constructs to attack.

"Go, my dragons!" the middle Kurosaki ordered. "Go and feast upon the spirits of my enemies! Subdue them and consume their souls as your nourishment!"

As they were told, the reishi constructs went their separate ways, each targeting an enemy dragon. They quickly plunged their jaws into the beasts when they found their victims. The hard scales of the reptiles proved useless against the beings made of pure energy. Levia, Scissor Runner, Motherglare, the stone dragon, and the raven-scaled dragon were now viciously pinned by the Kidō constructs while their energy was being drained.

"Sheesh!" Karin thought. "No wonder it was considered a forbidden spell." She can observe that the unlucky dragons gradually weakened, making it easier to defeat them. "Now, with that done, it's up to Ichigo to take down the one who dropped those damn eggs."

Gray, Juvia, Lyon, and Meredy watched as the torrent of spiritual energy surrounding Ichigo subsided. What they saw shocked them. Ichigo was utterly different. The once short hair grew down to the knees. Black markings appeared on the left side of his face that stretched down to his torso. The most glaring change was the single bull-like horn protruding from the patriarch's left temple and his ominous radiating energy.

Those who didn't recognize this energy were shivering in fright. It was so suffocating, so malicious, and overpowering that being near Ichigo felt like they were being choked to death. Gray, however, knew this energy all too well. It was one he had felt back when he accompanied Lucy and Wendy to Aldebaran. There was no mistaking it. This was the power of a hollow.

"Ichigo," Gray called. "What happened to you?"

The reaper stared back at them, making the wizards step back. Ichigo's left eye was that of a hollow. He then replied, "Hollowfication."

The others didn't understand it, but Gray was wide-eyed. His suspicions were correct. Ichigo's energy was that of a hollow. "How?"

"I was born with it, but don't worry," the reaper assured. "I have full control over this transformation. Now, we'll be taking back this city from the dragons." Connecting his mind to the Kidō spell, he continued giving instructions. "Wizards and soldiers of Crocus, let the dragon slayers take care of the dragons. Only their magic is capable of slaying them. Us Soul Reapers, Quincies, and Fullbringers will be assisting them since our abilities are just as deadly. The rest of you have one job, tearing these lizard bastards apart. If you get hurt, hurt them back. If you get killed…walk it off."

"WALK IT OFF!?" everyone who heard thought.

Ichigo then deactivated the communication spell. It had been a long time since he entered this form. All that dark power and instability are now in balance within his body. He looked at his clawed hands and willed his reiatsu into his fingertips, producing a bright orb of reishi. He sent the crimson ball into an approaching drake with a wrist flick, blowing up the creature and leaving nothing in its wake.

"It's been a long time since I used my hollowfication," Ichigo reminisced. "I forgot how powerful it makes me."

"Powerful is an understatement," Meredy remarked, still overwhelmed from the aura of the reaper. "What do you even call this transformation?"

Ichigo smiled. "A form born from the darkness that I tried to suppress. However, once I accepted this power as my own did my mind and body reach balance. This will be one of the factors that will save our future. This will be one of our salvations. That's why this transformation is called…."

The wizards waited in anticipation.

"The Horn of Salvation."

Ichigo made a slicing motion, suddenly cutting any building standing in their vicinity. The action caused Gray and company to tremble under the simple demonstration. The reaper then gathered his spiritual energy into the tip of his single horn, producing a familiar crimson orb of pure, concentrated reishi.

"I recognize this," Lyon thought. "This was the attack that defeated Jura!"

The red orb steadily grew, stupefying the mages at the accumulated power. They waited and waited, but the charging time of the attack still wasn't finished. It only kept on growing.

Meredy couldn't help but tremble. This power…no one should have this much power. "It's…not…stopping," she stuttered, her eyes never breaking contact with the ball of energy.

"Now to deal with that diamond dragon. CERO GIGANTES!"

The red orb shot to the sky, becoming an intense red beam that painted the black night in its hollowed crimson veil. The blowback from the shot pushed Ichigo a few inches from where he stood, the ground splintering from the force of his Cero. Gray, Juvia, Meredy, and Lyon gazed in awe as the beam rocketed towards its target.

Everything happened so fast.

Rogue had every advantage in his favor before the man named Ichigo Kurosaki intervened. The dragon slayer grunted as he tried to steady himself on top of Motherglare. The adamantine-covered reptile was restrained by a spectral dragon summoned by the woman in black.

"Break free, Motherglare!" Rogue commanded. "Damn this beast!"

Meanwhile, Natsu was looking at the scene in excitement; although, not for the reasons you expect.

"Hey, uncle!" Salamander pointed at the reishi construct. "It's an energy dragon!"

Atlas Flame simply nodded, stirred by the power of the phantasmal creature. "To think such spells exist within the arsenal of the death gods." While admiring the struggle their enemies were experiencing, the fire dragon perceived a sudden flux of energy approaching their location.

Natsu seemed to sense it too and when they both turned to the source, they gasp when they saw a massive crimson beam barrelling toward them. "SHIT! FLY AWAY! FLY AWAY!" the dragon slayer yelled frantically.

Atlas Flame didn't need the warning. The flame dragon hastily maneuvered himself away from the incoming beam, barely avoiding the Cero. Rogue and Motherglare didn't have the same fortune though. Being bound by the Goryūtenmetsu, they never got the chance to escape as the diamond dragon's head was consumed by the powerful red reishi beam.

"MOTHERGLARE!"

The adamantine beast never replied. It hovered motionlessly in the air while the Cero continued to burn the flesh off of the dragon's cranium. When the reishi attack died down, Motherglare's head was nothing more than a cauterized neck and empty space. Its wings stopped flapping and with that, the massive creature began its uncontrolled descent to the ground.

The future Rogue was clinging to the falling carcass of the now headless Motherglare. He was confused. A dragon died at the hands of a non-dragon slayer. "How is it possible?" he thought. "How can someone who isn't a dragon slayer slay a dragon?"

Meanwhile, Natsu was gaping at the red beam that killed the adamantium-covered reptile. The son of Igneel still had vivid memories of the hollow he and his team encountered in Aldebaran. His and Wendy's combined dragon breath didn't do jack squat against the Adjuchas-class monster's doom blast. That, however, paled in comparison to this. Natsu knew that the hollow flash belonged to Ichigo and its power was beyond anything Etherion could fire. The fire mage suddenly had a grin on his face as an idea came to mind. "Once this is over, I'm going to challenge Ichigo to a battle!"

"What…"

"…the…"

"…fuck?"

Meredy, Lyon, and Juvia finished each other's sentences in astonishment after witnessing a beam that could put Etherion to shame. The thing just killed a dragon so easily. Even Gray was left speechless after the sight. The four then turned towards Ichigo once more to see him flying up into the sky.

"Did he just fly?" Lyon asked no one in particular.

"Yup," Meredy decided to answer.

While up in the air, the adult reaper pointed his twin swords at the ground. An orb of red spiritual energy accumulated on the tips of the blades, both primed for continuous fire.

"Cero Arma Cadena."

Similar to Coyote Starrk's Cero Metralleta, Cero Arma Cadena is a continuous barrage of powerful Ceros that doesn't use the reiryoku of the user but instead, the reishi of the environment. To anyone else, it would be impossible. However, because of Ichigo's Quincy heritage, he can absorb reishi from his surroundings to use as ammunition for this Cero variation. While both the Transcendent and the Primera Espada possess immense spiritual power, Ichigo doesn't have the disadvantage of running out of reiryoku…

…Not that he even would.

Ichigo fired, strafing the army of draconic offsprings with a hail of bright, concentrated Cero fire. The distinct buzzing sound of continued shots of hollow flashes caused the mages on the ground to rejoice for receiving air support. Sensing that the greater threat was up in the air, the drakes focused their breath attacks on the orange-haired death god. Said death god wasn't the least bit concerned. He simply phased in and out of the air to avoid the bombardment of breath attacks. In retaliation, the patriarch Soul Reaper fired a normal Cero at the beasts, carving a deep trail on the city as he guided the red beam at the many targets.

The eldest Kurosaki wasn't the only one doing damage though.

Yuzu was firing consecutive salvos of spirit arrows at the hoard. It wasn't just Ichigo's Ceros that were raining down but also the Quincy's soul-extinguishing arrows. And now with her powers unrestricted, she can fire over two thousand with just a single reload and any drake hit by her arrow storm had its soul destroyed. The youngest of the siblings won't pull her punches in this fight. She would show these monsters and their twisted master the havoc the Last True Quincy could bring.

Orihime was simply walking with Ultear along the streets of the city, helping any wizard she sees who needs it. If there were any of those monstrosities wanting to attack her, Tsubaki would quickly eliminate them in the blink of an eye by puncturing a hole in their hard-shelled head. Baigon, Hinagiku, and Lily would automatically erect the Fullbringer's barrier to protect her without needing her command. Years of familiarizing herself with her pixies have enabled Orihime to subconsciously command them to do what she needs unlike before when she still has to say their names.

Karin, on the other hand, was leaving a trail of dead drake bodies while riding her waters in search of more of those dragon offspring. Any armored mini dragon unfortunate enough to cross the female reaper's path was expeditiously killed. The reishi-dense tide she summoned did more than just eliminate Karin's enemies. The current and pressure was so strong that any miniature dragons subjected to the waters were crushed, ground, and mutilated that what remained were nothing more than body parts.

As for Kazui…

Zirconis landed near where Makarov and some of the other Fairy Tail members were. Seeing the dragon once again made the old mage worry about his children. Even with Orihime's healing restoring them to full strength, none have the power to even put a dent in the gigantic lizard. Only the magic of the dragon slayers could hurt it. They were lucky that Laxus, Gajeel, and Wendy were with them, giving the mages a fighting chance.

"Hehe," the jade dragon chuckled. "It's fun to play with food before a meal."

Fairy Tail's wizards all tensed up to prepare for whatever the reptile was up to.

"Come on, you overgrown gecko!" Gajeel taunted. "We're not afraid of you!"

"We're back in full power if you're wondering," Laxus stated. "We're going to beat the ever-living crap out of you, you hear?"

"Yeah!" Wendy cried in agreement.

The dragon just chuckled at their feeble attempts at intimidation. "Really?" Zirconis questioned. "You shouldn't get your hopes up just because you three got healed." He pointed a clawed finger and said, "You may have been healed but with that level of dragon slayer magic, how can you possibly defeat me?"

Just then, Cana noticed something in the air coming toward them. At first, she thought it was another dragon but upon closer inspection, it wasn't. However, it didn't change the fact that the thing was big and headed their way.

"Guys, look out!" the brunette card mage yelled.

All eyes, even Zirconis', turned to the incoming object and quickly cleared its probable impact zone.

CRASH!

The object landed between the mages and the green dragon. Dust and debris covered the massive thing from view all they could see was its silhouette. Eventually, the obscurities dispersed, and what they all saw shocked them.

A dragon's head, the stone dragon to be specific, was bleeding from the severed neck. The mages, more so the dragon slayers, were astonished to see a dragon dead. Based on their fight with Zirconis earlier, it took all they had to even wound the damn lizard.

As for the mentioned jade dragon, his eyes were wide with stupefaction and denial. It wasn't possible. Only a dragon slayer's magic could kill a dragon and the dragon slayers of this time were nowhere near the strength of those from long ago. So, how? How could one of his brethren die? Their species were considered living forces of nature. What could cause this?

The answer is simple. A force beyond nature.

Another figure crashed between the dragon and the wizards. An audible crack sounded as the person landed on the dead dragon's head. The stony scales and skull shattered upon impact. Everyone present waited with bated breath for the newcomer to reveal his or her identity.

Wendy and Madeline sensed something familiar from the individual. It was both powerful and frightening. The power was reminiscent of a hollow's yet mixed with it was the reiatsu of Soul Reaper. That made the two children think. There were only two people who had this kind of spiritual energy. Ichigo could be seen leaving a trail of destruction upon the drakes, so that leaves one person to be the one in front of them.

The person stood up, finally revealing himself to everyone. Once again, they were all left speech at what they saw. The person was a boy about the same age as Wendy, Romeo, and Madeline. Long orange hair flowed in the air while his head was hidden in a skull-like helm with two horns. Ghostly white skin with black spider-like markings covered his upper torso. Yet the most noticeable thing on the boy was the gaping hole on his chest.

Wendy shouted the name of the boy once her suspicions were confirmed. "KAZUI!"

Everyone, save for Mira and Carla, looked at the Sky Maiden like she was crazy.

"Wait, that thing is Ichigo's kid!?" Bixlow questioned.

"He doesn't look anywhere near like Kazui!" Evergreen exclaimed.

It was just ridiculous. Kazui gave off an aura of joy and serenity. This…thing exudes bloodlust and death; a far cry from what the beloved young reaper emanates. However, Mirajane spoke that put their doubts to rest.

"Believe it or not, that is Kazui," the demoness clarified. "He is currently in his hollowfied form."

Before the white-haired barmaid could explain further, the hybrid in question faced the bewildered dragon and began charging a familiar orb of gold and white. The build-up was quick, the ball of compressed reishi now the size of a full-grown man before the sound of a buzzing hum permeated their ears as the doom blast shot to the dragon.

Zirconis was still in a daze when the golden hollow flash struck him. His only response was to wail in agony as the concentrated blast of reishi obliterated his viridescent scales while being pushed further from the hollowfied boy's guildmates.

The hollowfied Kazui wasn't finished, though. Disappearing via Sonido, the son of the Transcendent appeared above the downed dragon and plummeted at incredible speeds. As expected, his landing was hard, hitting one of Zirconis' wings and shattering its bones. The wizards winced when a loud crunching snap penetrated their ears.

The boy wasn't done. Kazui fired a Cero at the wing joint, burning the scales and flesh. He grabbed the limp limb so hard that his claws began digging into the dragon's flesh. Despite the size, he was able to grab the wing and stretch it out. With a blood-curdling howl, the hybrid raised Mangetsu and managed to sever the appendage from the dragon's back. with a powerful swing

Zirconis roared in pain. The loss of his wing meant that flight was now impossible. However, his torment wouldn't end there as the cause of his pain appeared in front of him and pried his jaws open. The green dragon fought back and tried to crush the young upstart with his teeth but Kazui was just too strong. A second-generation, natural-born perfect hybrid with god-like powers was beyond any dragon could hope to defeat.

Staring into the maw of the viridescent lizard, Kazui gathered his spiritual energy at the tip of his horns. Flecks of gold and white converged into a condensed orb. Zirconis sensed the accumulation of power and began frantically clawing his mouth, hoping to get the boy away before he was able to finish.

Too late.

The Cero Iluminado fired and punched a hole through the jade dragon's skull. Kazui then raised his head, the action causing the golden beam to cut through the dragon's cranium until the upper skull was torn in half. He let go of the mutilated head, letting the deceased beast crash to the ground.

The mages couldn't believe it. Kazui killed a dragon and he did it rather easily. However, it wasn't what was embodied by their shocked faces. No, it was how the boy had eliminated the dragon. It was vicious, brutal, and cold-blooded. The young reaper's method was akin to an animal, driven solely by bloodlust and instinct.

Kazui turned his attention to his guildmates causing them to flinch. He flickered out of existence and appeared in front of them. Just being near him made mages' skins crawl. They were wary since Kazui looked more monster than a human and that with his current behavior, he might turn on them any minute.

"Kazui?" Wendy called out, hoping that her best friend was still there behind that mask.

The call must've gotten through because the helmed boy looked directly at the bluenette. Gentle hazel-colored eyes met gold demonic ones. While most people would be afraid of them, Wendy continued to stare at the boy's yellow orbs. She wasn't afraid.

Kazui plunged the tip of Mangetsu into the ground and reached for his horned helm. Sliding his thumb into the opening of its chin, he lifted the artifact and removed it from his head.

"Kazui, are you still there?" Wendy asked and to her joy, received a soft smile for an answer.

"It's still me, Wendy," was Kazui's reply.

It was all the Sky Maiden needed. She quickly ran up to him and wrapped her arms around Kazui. "I thought you wouldn't come back," Wendy whispered into the hybrid.

Kazui was a little surprised and flustered. However, he quickly accepted the gesture and replied with his own by having an arm over the girl's shoulders. "I never left, Wendy," he assured. "I may look like this but deep down, I'm still the boy you know."

With their strength restored, Lucy and Yukino continued to trek across the destroyed city of Crocus in search of their guildmates. However, they were once again ambushed by countless drakes and were forced to defend themselves.

"I open thee, Gate of the Lion, Leo!" called Lucy.

Bathing the vicinity in golden light, Loke appeared and stood in front of the two girls. "Don't worry girls, I'll protect you," said the leader of the Zodiacs.

Not one to just stand behind, Yukino took out her own golden and called upon her spirit. "Open, Gate of the Heavenly Scales, Libra!"

Appearing in the same celestial light, the scantily clad spirit stood beside her master, ready to fight the oncoming monstrosities.

"Libra, do it now!"

As commanded by her master, Libra increased the gravity on the drakes. Loke used this opportunity to deal some damage. Lighting up his fists, the Celestial leader lunged at the closest lizard and struck with a spell.

"Regulus Impact!"

Said drake got blown away, crashing into the rest of its kind. Libra pulled the chains connected to her scales, manipulating the gravity and flinging more of the mini dragons into the air and then slamming them down into the ground hard. Loke took this opening and jumped into the air. His fists flared in divine light and unleashed a barrage of punches on the incapacitated lizardmen.

"Regulus Gatling Impact!"

The attack was effective but there were more coming their way. Both Celestial wizards took out more keys from their pockets and summoned more spirits.

"Gate of the Golden Bull, Taurus!"

"Gate of the Paired Fish, Pisces!"

Taurus and the twin fishes immediately attacked the dragon hatchlings, relentlessly fighting the growing hoard to stop their advances and to protect their masters. However, despite the added fighters on their side, it was only a matter of time before Lucy and Yukino's magical reserves run out.

"Damn it!" the blonde cursed. "Just when we thought we were in the clear."

"There's just too many of them," the adopted daughter of the Kurosaki stated.

"Even so," Lucy muttered as her gaze was still focused on the dragonlings. "I'm not giving up! I'll continue fighting, even if it means draining all of my magic!"

Yukino shared the same sentiment and yet, she has this feeling that it wasn't enough. She wanted power. Power to protect her new family, her guildmates, and her friends. She wanted the power to find her lost sister. She wanted power to become strong, and to stand side-by-side with her new father, mother, brother, and aunts who have given her the chance to happiness.

"I want the power to protect them. I want the power to repay their kindness and to show that their faith in me wasn't misplaced. I want power because I love them and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make them smile."

Little did Yukino know…the power was inside her, waiting to be released.

The Quincy cross hanging from the silver-haired mage's neck began glowing. Unlike the glow of her Celestial keys, this was a bluish silver. Yukino never noticed this since she was focused on dealing with the mini dragons. However, what got her attention was a deep voice in her head.

"Do you mean it?"

It got the Celestial wizard to pause. When she did, her surroundings turned grey. Everything was motionless. Even the celestial spirits, Lucy, and the hatchlings were frozen. Then she heard footsteps. Thick boots tapped the ground as they got closer and louder until she saw who it belonged to.

A tall man in a tattered cloak stood before her. The stranger's long black hair fluttered even when there was no wind while his eyes, obscured behind a visor, stared at her.

"W-Who are you?" questioned the stellar mage, surprised by the sudden appearance of this stranger.

The man didn't respond. Instead, his cloak grew and began converging upon the startled wizard. A yelp of shock and fear escaped Yukino's mouth as she covered herself, bracing for whatever she may experience within the darkness.

However, Yukino felt nothing. She opened her eyes to see what had become of her and what she saw amazed her. She was in an open world where the skies were blue and cloudless and the breeze was calm and soft and soothing to her skin. She glanced down and was puzzled to find rows upon rows of glass panels lining up in what she determined was a structure of some kind. Its surface reflects the clear sky.

"Where am I?" Yukino asked, not expecting an answer.

"In your inner world."

Yukino's head whipped to the source of the voice and found the man who brought him here, standing on what looked like a metal pole.

"Inner world?"

"It's more accurate to say that you are inside your soul," clarified the man.

"My soul?" thought the girl. How was that possible? More importantly, why was she brought here? "Who are you? Why did you bring me here?"

"Don't you know?" the stranger spoke. "You called for me."

"W-What?"

The cloaked man raised a finger and pointed at her, specifically the cross given to her by her foster family. "That cross has been collecting energy since you began wearing it."

Yukino held the precious item in her hands, looking at it fondly and curiously.

"You wanted power, and it responded to your call."

The mage's head quickly snapped to the man in black before looking back at the item in hand. "This cross answered me?"

"…And when it did, so did I," continued the cloaked individual. "However, I'm not just going give you the power." That got Yukino's attention. "I'll only give it to you if you have a good reason. Why do you want the power in the first place? What drives you to gain power?"

Yukino didn't stay quiet. She quickly answered the man's inquiry. "To protect them."

"Protect who?"

The stellar mage's eyes gazed at the stranger with determination. "My new family, my new guild, my new friends. Without them, I don't know what would've happened to me that night I was kicked out of my former guild. I want to repay their kindness for taking me in when I lost the only thing I considered home. I want to find my sister and be the one to protect her this time." Yukino's determined face softened as a smile graced her face. "I want power not for my own gain but for those who matter to me."

The man remained silent, assessing the silver-haired girl's reply. The quietness made Yukino anxious. Was her answer sufficient? Was her reason acceptable? The answer to those two questions came when the stranger beamed at her and flung his cape to the side, revealing a blade of pure energy flaring in a silvery-blue hue.

"This power is rightfully yours," Stated the person. "And with it, you are a step closer to achieving your goals."

The blade of power drifted to the young mage. Yukino reached out to the object and with a single touch, all that energy surged through her being. "Amazing!" she exclaimed mentally while savoring her newfound strength. The stellar wizard felt stronger than ever before.

"Look forward," spoke the man and gaining the girl's attention. "Move forward, don't look back, and never stop. Don't let your determination falter and second guess. Aim true and unleash the arrows upon those who stand in your way!"

The cloaked individual tilted his head to the sky and hummed. His gaze returned to the girl in front of him as he spoke, "It's time for you to return. Your friend seems to need some help."

"Wait!" shouted Yukino. "Before I leave, can you at least tell me your name?"

The man thought for a moment before answering. "If you wish to know my identity, then you may call me Juha."

A dragon hatchling managed to slip past the four Zodiac spirits. The creature recklessly ran towards Lucy who was busy fending off another drake with her celestial whip.

"LUCY, LOOK OUT!"

It was only thanks to Loke's cry that the blonde mage took notice of the oncoming lizard but the spirit's warning was late. The hatchling was only a pounce away before it got its claws on Lucy. Said stellar mage braced herself for the incoming attack and the pain it would bring. However, instead of claws or teeth sinking into her skin, the sound of something fast whizzed by her ear. When she opened her eyes, she found an arrow made of energy protruding from the hatchling's head. It fell, dead from the weapon that pierced its hard skull.

Curious, Lucy turned around to see who fired the projectile. Thinking it was Yuzu, imagine her surprise when it was Yukino, wielding a spirit longbow, who unleashed the arrow.

"Yukino?" Lucy muttered, surprised by the new power her fellow stellar mage now possesses. "When did you…how?"

"I don't know," the silver-haired mage answered. "All I know is that this new power will help us fight these monsters." Pulling the string of her weapon, she fired more arrows at the hatchlings, taking out a few with well-placed aim.

Lucy's surprise quickly turned into hope. She let out a grin knowing that they now have some advantage against these lizards.

Suddenly, a hail of crimson orbs pelted the dragonlings. Shrieks of agony and sounds of flesh burning pervaded the scene as the rain of destruction fell upon them. The two wizards and their spirits backed away from the strafing run of energy fire knowing that being caught in the crossfire would be a bad idea.

The blasts finally stopped and the clouds of dust that were picked up during the volley finally subsided. The lizards were nothing more than a bloody paste on the ground. Lucy, Yukino, and the four Zodiacs looked up and saw the one responsible for the salvo that eliminated the hatchlings.

"Ichigo!"

The call from below prompted the reaper to look down to see Lucy and Loke waving at them. There were three others thee which he presumed must be celestial spirits. However, what caught her attention was Yukino holding a spirit bow. It made him smile knowing that his adoptive daughter was slowly becoming stronger just like she aspired.

Upon landing, Ichigo was quickly approached by the wizards and spirits. "Are you guys alright?" he asked.

When the mages got to see the reaper, they hesitated for a moment because of Ichigo's hollowfied form. The power he exuded was both overpowering and terrifying. Just being near him made Lucy's skin crawl. The spirits, on the other hand, were sweating for being near an individual with so much reiatsu.

"We are now!" Lucy joyfully replied, though there was some hesitance in her voice. "Give Orihime my thanks for earlier."

Seeing their unease, Ichigo reigned in his spiritual pressure and alleviated the wizards were feeling. "Will do. And don't be afraid because this is still me. Just imagine this like some partial Take-Over or something." The reaper's attention then focused on Yukino. Walking toward the Silver-haired girl, he couldn't help but smile at this achievement of hers. But first, "Yukino…"

"Hmmm?"

"On your left."

Understanding what her foster father meant, Yukino fired an arrow that took out a stray hatchling.

"Atta girl," expressed Ichigo who was now ruffling Yukino's hair, making the girl pout at him. "I'm proud of you."

Yukino's pout morphed into a look of astonishment after hearing those words of encouragement.

"We can now begin your training after all this is over," Ichigo added.

"Training?"

"Of course. It was always my intention to train you. When we return to Magnolia, you'll start your training to become a Quincy." Ichigo could see the bright smile on his adoptive daughter's face.

"I'm so happy for you, Yukino," Lucy exclaimed after hugging the girl.

"Lucy."

"Yeah, Ichigo?" asked the blonde celestial mage.

"Your Celestial spirits are kind of similar to my wife's pixies. Why don't you see her after all of this is over. I'm sure she can teach you a thing or two."

"REALLY!?" Lucy's face was radiating excitement.

"Yeah."

Ichigo stared at the mighty palace of Mercurius. Despite the battles that raged within its walls earlier, it remained standing. It won't be long until the invasion ends. As the moon in the sky loses the red hue on its surface, he wonders what might the spiritual energy gathered by Eclipse would do now that they managed to close it prematurely. He could only hope that nothing unfortunate would happen to anyone.

A/N: For the next chapter, I'll be focusing the most on one character. I think you already have an idea of who this person might be. Still, the Grand Magic Games arc will be nearing its conclusion after the next chapter which will be titled...

"Madeline."

Like always, leave a like or a comment if you enjoyed the story. If you have any concerns, don't be afraid to write your thoughts. Your input always helps improve the story and it is thanks to all of you that I managed to get this far. That said, if you have some criticisms, please make them constructive than just outright flaming.

So, until next time.