Chapter 35: The Girl in the Mask

The fortress of Phantom Lord was a dreary and foreboding place. A palace of magnificent design and stature, the towering construct of marble, stone, and metal still retained its regal design when the guild was still an official one. It played to the extravagance and ego of its guildmaster who, even to this day, still held so much ire for Fairy Tail out of envy.

And it is that envy that a small strike team consisting of the most powerful mages of Fairy Tail was dispatched to take the disgraced Phantom Lord down. Now that it was recognized as a dark guild in league with the likes of Tartaros and/or Grimoire Heart, it was all the more reason for Jose Porla and his followers to be neutralized.

Ichigo knew how much envy can drive a person mad, making them commit things all in the name of power or glory. And most of the time, it leads to so much pain and misery for those caught in the crossfire.

That's the reason why he and his team are here in Tihuaqan Forest. Phantom Lord had made this innocent stretch of land and trees their secret hiding place while they planned their revenge on Fairy Tail.

The reaper stopped amidst a cluster of oak trees that shadowed a good portion of land a few dozen meters away from the dark guild's hideout. Beside him was Titania Erza adorned with her newer Hearts Kreuz armor while scrutinizing the palace of the former Wizard Saint. Cana Alberona stood at the ready next to the redhead, her cards drawn into a fan in her left hand. Juvia Lockser and Gajeel Redfox both eyed the new yet familiar base of their former guild with some nostalgia and guilt. Finally, Natsu Dragneel and Lisanna Strauss were side-by-side, the former sticking close to his partner like a bodyguard.

Sending a weak pulse of Pesquisa, Ichigo identified at least a hundred or so signatures inside the castle. He also detected a few guards stationed around the fortress. The Transcendent, while not as strong of a sensor like Orihime or Yuzu, can still make out how strong an individual is. Currently, most of the mages inside the castle are of B-rank; only four individuals reached S-rank, the strongest being Jose himself.

"There are at least a hundred or more people inside the castle," notified the reaper. "We can take out most of them except four powerful signatures who I presume would be Jose and his lackeys. Lisanna," his eyes went to the youngest of the Strauss siblings, "scout the perimeter. Count how many guards are posted and the number of entrances we could use."

The snow-haired girl nodded. Light emitted from her body, engulfing her figure as some of her bodily features changed. When the brightness died down, she had transformed into her Cat Soul Take-Over. However, unlike her original transformation, there were now key differences. What used to be just oversized paw mittens were now replaced with furred bracers with a gray and black stripe pattern with the fingers ending with razor-sharp claws. Her usual striped two-piece was now a full-body suit with gray and white fur covering her bust and hip with some tufts around her ankles and collar. Finally, the feline features on her face were more beast-like and her legs more angular for better jumping power.

All in all, Lisanna looked like a predator – a fierce and stealthy hunter of the wild. Ichigo and Erza were impressed at her transformation since this was a far cry from her tame appearance, especially during the spar the hybrid had with her a while ago. Cana and Juvia had their mouths agape when they saw the demure one of the Strauss siblings change into this. Gajeel whistled, liking the air of seriousness Lisanna was giving off. Natsu… just admired what he was seeing. He always knew that she was beautiful, but this? Lisanna looked like the queen of the jungle, and she looked so hot.

"Huh?" the son of Igneel quickly shook that thought out of his head, not that it managed to drive away the pink in his cheeks.

"Damn… Natsu's had it bad," Cana chuckled as she whispered to the water mage. Juvia giggled at the drunkard's remark.

Lisanna approached her partner and gave him a reassuring smile. "I'll be back, Natsu. Don't worry." After telling those words to the dragon slayer, she left to scout the fringes of Phantom Lord's fortress.

"Natsu…"

The teen whipped his head to Ichigo.

"She's a keeper," the reaper said with a knowing grin. This made the others fall into a controlled laughter.

Natsu just turned his head away bashfully.

-o0o-

Lisanna returned a few minutes later. She quickly reverted to her normal form and relayed what she saw. "There are four entrances into the castle with four guards each. They look fairly easy to deal with."

"That makes this rather simple," Ichigo remarked before facing the others. "Like we discussed last night, we enter the castle in pairs and scour the place for any information. After that, we regroup to take down Jose and his lieutenants and whoever the Hell he's in cahoots with. Finally, be careful, all of you, and if shit hits the fan, leave me to deal with all of them."

The seriousness in the reaper's tone was enough for them to get the message. This wasn't their typical quest. This was a mission that could end badly with one misstep. As they spread out to take the entrances of their choice, Ichigo had this nagging feeling in the back of his mind. That innocent fortune reading he had Cana do last night was going to be more trouble than he originally thought. He'll be vigilant with that as he approaches four Phantom Lord goons.

"Hey!" one of the guards saw him. The thug aimed his weapon at him while the other three began summoning their magic. "Whoever the fuck you are, you just made a mistake coming to Phantom Lord!"

"You can run away now," the reaper warned, "or you can stay here and be put down. Your choice."

The four mages stood their ground. One of them noticed the guild insignia on his hand. "HE'S FAIRY TAIL!"

"KILL HIM!" another ordered. "Master Jose wants any of them fairies dead!"

As they charged, Ichigo sighed in disappointment. He had given them the chance to walk away but they squandered it. In an instant, he appeared behind the group with his Flash Step and the smaller Zangetsu blade unwrapped with blood. Not a second too soon, two of the Phantom Lord wizards were hacked into chunks.

The remaining two looked behind them in shock as their comrades' bodies dropped to the floor in pieces. In a split second, one of them suddenly spat blood. The man looked down to find the short sword going through his stomach. Ichigo then dragged his weapon upward and split the upper torso and head of his victim in half.

The last guard barely registered anything before his vision was cut in half. His upper cranium fell while the rest of his body dropped into a puddle of blood.

"I warned you," muttered Ichigo while he hoisted his weapon to his waist, "but you didn't listen."

With the guards dead, the death god proceeded into the castle. As expected from an egomaniac, Jose didn't waste any expense in making his headquarters look extravagant. "Must've cost a fortune," thought Ichigo as he looked around the walls littered with expensive décor. He had met people with extreme narcissism before with Aizen being the best example. However, the difference between the genius madman and the disgraced former Wizard Saint was that Aizen knew the importance of function over design… not that the Espadas were lacking in the fashion department.

Anyway, it seemed that the others hadn't alerted anyone from Phantom Lord as of yet, which is good considering they needed to find incriminating evidence to put this rogue guild behind bars.

As Ichigo surveyed the layout of the palace, he felt a presence slowly converging on his location. Scratch that, he felt several approaching him. His brows furrowed as he reached to his side and unwrapped the smaller blade of his dual Zangetsu.

"I knew shit was about to happen real soon."

Just before the team of five mages arrived, the reaper vanished via Sonido. When the goons finally came, they were left bewildered that there was nothing to find.

"Hey, I thought there was a disturbance here," remarked one of the Phantom Lord mages.

"Same here," another concurred. "I thought Sol said he detected an intruder."

The last one scoffed. "Darn that Sol. I swear, he just wants us to–"

From out of nowhere, the man was quickly snuffed out when his head went flying. The others gasped but weren't able to do anything as they, too, were expeditiously dispatched by the reaper. With the five now dead, Ichigo wiped his blade and brought it back to his side.

"Something's not right."

"His reputation is well earned."

"Indeed, Master Jose. To think that a god would become part of that wretched guild. It makes me sad that such fortune went to Fairy Tail."

"God or not, he will suffer for coming to our abode along with the rest of the Fairy Tail ilk and the two traitors."

Jose Porla watched with both amusement and ire as he and his lieutenants observed the infiltration done by this Fairy Tail strike team. How he managed to obtain this intel was all thanks to one Quiroga Zoroastra. The enigmatic figure had tipped Porla that Fairy Tail would be sending a group to infiltrate their base. The guildmaster didn't want to pass up the chance to spite Makarov and his guild; so, he set up a trap for the would-be intruders.

What he didn't expect was the involvement of Ichigo Kurosaki.

Jose Porla had heard of the death god and, to no one's surprise, threw a fit that such a powerful individual – a god, no less – was now a member of that despised guild, Fairy Tail. He had his sources confirm the stranger's power and it was verified thanks to his spies present during the incident at Crocus.

He thought that his vengeance was now beyond his reach. However, thanks to his mysterious benefactor, he was given the power to contend with the death god.

That thought made him grin. The idea of defeating the mighty death god of Fairy Tail would be the greatest blow he could deal to that accursed guild.

"Let them think that they're still undetected." Jose scanned the other lacrima projections, now eyeing a certain dragon slayer and Take-Over mage. "Sol, do you still remember the torment you put Elfman Strauss during our war with Fairy Tail."

The Frenchman practically swooned upon recalling that encounter. "Oui, Master Jose." A grin slowly formed on his face as he added, "Though it ended rather against me, I must say that I did enjoy putting that mindless brute in a nightmare."

Jose looked at his Earth mage and said, "How about we give them the same experience? Only this time, I want you to capture Lisanna Strauss."

"It would be my pleasure," Sol answered with delight in his voice. With that, he submerged into the ground, becoming one with the Earth before fully disappearing to complete his mission.

Aria stood next to Jose, questioning why his master had given such an order. "Why take the youngest Strauss hostage? I fail to see the purpose in her capture."

"Simple, Aria. She's the weakest among them." Jose then glanced at the blindfolded man. "However, that's not the main reason. Look how close she is to Natsu Dragneel."

Aria watched one of the feeds with Natsu and Lisanna in it. His master was right. The two were very close to each other. That said, he did have one question. "How do you propose we take the girl and what purpose would it serve?"

"Natsu Dragneel is known to be a brash and impulsive individual," Jose began. "However, he is also very protective of his guild. But with Lisanna Strauss, that need to protect seems to be deeper considering they had a shared history together. And, if our sources were right, the calamity that befell Crocus involved their daughter from the future."

"I see. No doubt meeting their future child would strengthen an already fervent bond."

"Correct, Aria. This is where our associate, Rusty Rose, comes in. Despite his power, Natsu Dragneel can easily be goaded, making him lose focus and act irrationally. With his Ark of Embodiment, Rusty Rose is the perfect person to lure away that foolish dragon slayer. I'm pretty sure he'd enjoy tormenting that girl once she's captured. "Just in case, however," Jose glanced at Aria and ordered, "You'll be there to drain that brat's powers should he prove too much for Rose. After that, greet our former guild members and make them feel at home."

Although tears were streaming down his cheeks, Aria was grinning madly at the prospect of finally getting back at Juvia and Gajeel.

Those two traitors have the nerve to show their faces here after they betrayed Phantom Lord. Juvia, he could understand turning to Fairy Tail, but Gajeel? He was the worst among them when he was still a member of the guild. Now that he was part of that blasted guild of Mavis Vermillion, the Iron Dragon Slayer had softened. He became weak and pathetic compared to what he once was.

Aria of the Heavens would enjoy making that traitor suffer.

Erza's gut was screaming at her that something was wrong.

Ever since she and her team entered Phantom Lord's domain, the redhead knight kept feeling that someone was watching her. At first, she thought it was just her imagination. That all changed when Cana also voiced the same suspicion.

"Do you get the feeling that we're being watched?"

"Believe it or not, I do."

The two girls stared at each other in concern. If they have similar thoughts of being monitored, then there's a possibility that it might be so. It was even worse for Cana since she just remembered the quick fortune-telling she performed for Ichigo.

"Crap. I knew that fortune was gonna bite us in the ass."

Suddenly, a magic bullet shot through the corridors. The two mages ducked under the blast and let it sail behind them before erupting in a minor explosion. Erza and Cana looked to the source of the attack and found, much to their misfortune, a squad of Phantom Lord Wizards heading their way.

"There are the fairies!"

"Whoa… they're hot!"

"I wouldn't mind having some fun with them after the master punishes these intruders."

Erza clicked her tongue in annoyance. It was too soon to be discovered by the enemy. "Get ready, Cana. Things just got ugly really quick."

Said brunette sighed, pulling out her cards that crackled with her magic. "It's a good thing Ichigo's paying my tab because I am so gonna drink until I'm downright plastered."

"After we finish this mission," Erza reminded.

"I know, I know." Cana threw a lightning card at the incoming mob and sparks immediately flew. A good number of the guards were down for the count and only a few were left standing.

Erza summoned a sword and dashed toward the remaining Phantom Lord mages. With quick and precise strikes, all guards were now incapacitated.

"Well, that was easy," the brunette drunkard remarked. Knowing their luck, it wasn't supposed to be this easy.

"You're right," Erza agreed. She was looking around for anything suspicious. "It is too easy." Her eyes narrowed. "Something's not right."

As if to prove her point, multiple earth spires sprang from the ground. The knight and the card mage jumped to avoid getting hit by the attacks. More spikes emerged from the ground and the ceiling, making it difficult to maneuver the hallway. One stray spike managed to clip Cana, giving her a light gash on her forearm.

"Damn," Cana cursed while inspecting the wound.

"You alright?"

"It's just a scratch, Erza," assured the daughter of Gildarts.

It may be a scratch, but it was done in deliberation. The two mages now confirmed that someone was nearby and, whoever that someone was, he was hostile.

"I see that you vaunted Fairy Tail mages are still as stubborn as ever," said a familiar voice that put Erza and Cana on edge. It was a voice they never thought of hearing again.

"Isn't this voice…?"

"I know, Cana," Erza concurred and held her guard up. "It belongs to Sol of the Element Four."

"Salut!" The recognizable verbal tick of the elemental wizard was heard just a few feet from where the two stood. Slowly, the vengeful wizard rose from the ground with a predatory smile. "It's a pleasure to see you two mademoiselles again."

"Sorry if we don't share the same sentiment," Cana said with a sneer. She still remembered the sadistic torture session he did on Elfman.

Erza, on the other hand, went straight to the point. "I'm going to ask just once, Sol," she said while pointing her sword at the French-themed mage. "Tell us your plans now and the council just might give you a shorter sentence."

Instead of cowering, Sol merely laughed. "Non, non, non! Is that a threat, Titania? While you and your wretched guild remained the same, we mages of Phantom Lord changed during your seven-year absence. We gathered our strengths and increased our connections to one day destroy Fairy Tail. This encounter was unexpected but not an unwelcome surprise."

The air suddenly shifted. The walls shuddered as bits and pieces of rubble began floating in the air. Erza and Cana were prepared to fight knowing that their enemy would grow in power over the years. However, they failed to take into account how much power Sol had gained and now, they could finally see it radiating around the Earth mage.

A bright glow of orange magic power emanated from the Element Four member. A gift from their secret ally, Sol felt like he was on top of the world – a power that only the likes of Ichigo Kurosaki held. A white substance formed over his face, shocking the two female mages. The viscous material congealed over So's face, solidifying into what looked like a Guy Fawkes mask with jagged teeth. His irises, which were menacing gold, were now swimming in a sclera of blackness.

Erza recognized immediately what that mask entails. She saw Ichigo use it against Minerva during the Grand Magic Games and the power it exuded was sickening. Sol's transformation paled in comparison to the death god's, but it was nonetheless more powerful than any wizard should have.

"Umm, Erza?" Cana spoke rather shakily. She still had her guard up, but she knew they were in real trouble. "Isn't that similar to Ichigo's mask?"

"It is," the redhead confirmed. Her glare at the hollowfied mage grew intense. "How? How did you manage to obtain hollowfication!?"

"Non, non, non." Sol wagged his finger. "That, mademoiselle, is for me to know and for you to never find out. Roche Concerto!"

As a volley of boulders advanced toward them, Cana had only one thing to say in a situation like this.

"I really hate that fucking fortune."

Whatever nostalgia Juvia felt before entering the castle was now gone once she was inside. Everything about this Phantom Lord was a far cry from what it used to be. Granted, it has always been like this; it is just more prominent now than before. However, the water mage did not delude herself from the atrocities her former guild committed while she was still a member, and she will do what she can to make up for those mistakes.

"Is it me, or is this place drearier than the previous Phantom Lord headquarters?" Gajeel questioned, taking in the ambiance of the castle.

"No, it's not you. This place really feels gloomy."

Before taking another step, the son of Metallicana held a hand up. Juvia stopped and eyed her partner. "Someone's here," said the dragon slayer. "Show yourself! I know you're there, Aria."

Juvia's eyes widened and, upon the mentioning of the name, the massive figure of the air mage phased into existence.

"Such a sorrowful reunion, this is!" Aria cried as a gush of tears drenched his blindfolds. "To meet my former guildmates only to battle them to the death!"

"Nice to see you too, you big oaf."

"Please surrender, Aria," Juvia told the Phantom lieutenant. "This doesn't have to escalate with one of us hurt."

"Oh, it should, my lovely Juvia." With a flick of a wrist, multiple airspaces exploded next to the Fairy Tail mages. They were quick enough to evade the onslaught, but Aria didn't seem perturbed.

"Is that the best you got, Aria," taunted Gajeel. "I'd had thought that you'd be stronger after seven years."

Aria suddenly stopped crying. His forlorn face twisted into a malicious smile that unnerved Juvia. "Be careful what you wish for, Gajeel."

Magic power so staggering emanated from the air mage. His energy made the winds furious and unbearable that Juvia and Gajeel were forced to cover their eyes from the intensity.

"This power…" Juvia spoke as she fought the strong gale. "It's too much!"

"It's a gift from one of our allies," Aria revealed. "You should take a look at the power they gifted us."

And look they did. Gajeel and Juvia's eyes went wide when a familiar white semi-liquid material coalesced over Aria's face. The blindfolds over his face tore as the strange viscous fluid solidified over his face, forming a dreadful artifact resembling a Melpomene mask with both upper and lower fangs curving upward. His once-odd red eyes were now yellow over black sclera.

The former Phantom wizards immediately knew what this mask signified. It was the same as Ichigo's given the malevolent power if radiated.

"Such sorrow for you, my former guildmates. With my hollowfication, I will annihilate you and Fairy Tail!"

"Fat chance!" the iron dragon slayer shouted as he extended his right arm, turning the limb into a long pole made of draconic metal. "Iron Dragon Lance!"

Instead of a direct hit – which it was – Aria let the attack bounce off his skin, making it seem like Gajeel hit steel instead of flesh.

"What!?" the iron dragon slayer exclaimed.

Aira simply grinned and muttered, "My turn," before disappearing and reappearing so fast next to Gajeel that the spell he did wasn't even noticed. "Zetsu."

In the blink of an eye, Gajeel was blasted through several cobblestone walls. Aira turned his attention to Juvia who was charging him with an attack.

"Water Slicer!"

The arc of water never hit its mark. Aria vanished once again and appeared right in front of Juvia to grab her head. With a strength he shouldn't have, he lifted the woman and slammed her to the ground, cracking the floor in minute chunks from the impact. He then let go and fired a Zetsu blast, sending her away through an adjacent wall.

Not far away, Gajeel groaned as he tried standing up. The mission was a bust. The enemy somehow managed to find out about their infiltration and prepared countermeasures for it. Worst of all, Aria has hollowfication; something that only Ichigo and Kazui should have. With circumstances like these, there was only one thing to do…

"We need to get the fuck out of here!"

If it were him, he'd continue fighting. No way in Hell was a dragon slayer backing away from a fight. However, Gajeel wasn't the only one here and unlike him, Juvia didn't have the same resilience and durability he had. Even in her water form, she was still vulnerable if overwhelmed enough.

"Iron Dragon Roar!"

A blast of iron shrapnel cascaded forward to the air mage. The attack carved a good chunk of the ground but abruptly stopped when Aira held his hand. On his palm, the hollowfied mage was unleashing steady bursts of Zetsu that counteracted the dragon's breath.

"What a sorrowfully futile attempt, Gajeel," Aria mocked as he powered his spell to completely dissipate the surge of iron shards. "Why don't you surrender, Gajeel, then maybe Master Jose will be merciful."

Surrender? Mercy? No, Gajeel knew Jose was a sadistic man and he would never show mercy.

"Fuck you."

"Too bad, so sad," Aria said with false pity. "I'm gonna have to kill you now."

Lisanna and Natsu stopped walking. A sudden shift in everyone's magic power made them worry. Cana and Erza's magic spiked for a moment while Juvia and Gajeel's lowered.

"Natsu?" Lisanna looked at her partner.

"I know, Lis," Natsu replied. "Except for Ichigo, the others must be in trouble."

"Oh… you don't know how right you are, Natsu Dragneel."

A voice suddenly echoed through the halls. The two lovers were put on edge, but nothing could've prepared them for what came next.

The wall next to Natsu burst, a fist emerging through the shattered rubble and clocking the dragon slayer right in the cheek. The son of Igneel went sailing into the air and eventually crashed into a nearby pillar.

"NATSU!" Lisanna cried in worry. She was almost struck by their assailant but managed to duck and jump back to avoid the strike.

"If it isn't the wretched mages of Fairy Tail."

The voice sounded older and gruff, but Lisanna remembered who that condescending voice belonged to. "Rusty Rose."

"Good." The visage of Rusty Rose appeared as the rubble dissipated. Unlike the clean and eccentric demeanor, he had seven years prior, he looked more rugged and unkempt. Still, that didn't lessen the grudge he had against Fairy Tail. "You still remember me, little fairy."

"You know this loser, Lis?" Natsu asked after getting up from the pillar he crashed into.

"Rusty Rose from the Grimoire Heart's Seven Kin of Purgatory," Lisanna answered. "He's strong but Fried and Bixlow managed to beat him."

"A defeat I'm not willing to repeat," Rusty Rose cut in. His arm lit with magic, and it changed into a four-clawed appendage covered in scales. "Jet-Black Sword!" He swung the transformed limb, extending unnaturally and heading straight for the duo.

Natsu and Lisanna ducked, the abnormal sword tearing through the walls like a hot knife through butter. The son of Igneel opened his mouth wide a breathed out a torrent of draconic fire.

"Fire Dragon Roar!"

The burning flames of Natsu's dragon breath sped toward the former Grimoire Heart mage but, instead of dodging, he swam through the conflagration. This caught Natsu by surprise and, before he knew it, the dark mage appeared before him to slash his chest.

"ARGH!" yelled the dragon slayer.

"Natsu!" Lisanna cried in a panic. Her eyes drifted to the man responsible for harming her partner. "Damn you!"

A glow covered her body as she jumped at the enemy. When the light faded, it revealed an upgraded version of her Bird Soul transformation. Instead of turning into a bird, her body now had bird-like features. Bright green feathers covered her upper torso, hips, and legs. Her head was covered by the upper part of an eagle's beak that stretched into a beautiful golden crest of feathers. Her arms were also covered in feathers, but they were longer and had a darker shade of green. Finally, the youngest Strauss' feet were turned into scaly formidable talons that could rend flesh easily.

"HRAAAAGH!" With a cry, Lisanna spun in the air and did an axe kick on Rusty Rose. The Ark of Embodiment mage raised his arm to guard himself. Claw met scales as sparks flew and a few chips from Jet-Black Sword were scraped.

Rusty Rose staggered back and was caught off guard when a flaming fist drew closer to his face.

"Fire Dragon Iron Fist!"

The dark mage was found hurtling on the ground. Quickly standing up, he spat out a few drops of blood and smirked. The little fairies were testing his patience.

"No matter." With a burst of magic, miniature wings appeared on his feet. "Pegasus Wings!" Rusty Rose was quickly on top of Natsu. He raised Jet-Black Sword high and was about to slam in on the dragon slayer; however, Lisanna quickly grabbed the transformed limb and bound it from moving.

Natsu saw this opportunity and quickly capitalized. He tried kneeing the former Purgatory Kin, but it was swatted away by the enemy's free hand. Lisanna was then thrown towards Natsu, and they both tumbled to the ground.

"I want to applaud your efforts but that would be a waste of effort," Rusty Rose mocked as he watched the two stand up. This charade needed to end. "I guess I should stop playing with my food and properly deal with you once and for all."

Natsu and Lisanna felt a horrendous, yet familiar sensation permeate the air. The feeling was awfully close to that of Ichigo's transformation. When they looked at their adversary, their fears were proven correct.

The former mage of Grimoire Heart swiped his right hand over his face, summoning a white ooze of energy that solidified over his facial features. What came into existence was a sadistically grinning Thalia mask with angular fangs protruding outward.

The younger of the two mages stepped back in fear, both sickened and frightened by the demonic mask. "I-Impossible," Lisanna gasped. "Only Ichigo and Kazui can do that!"

"If you're referring to your death god and his spawn, then you would be right," Rusty Rose confirmed. "However, a certain benefactor has shown me the path to even greater power!"

"Oh yeah!?" Natsu's fire lit defiantly in the face of the hollowfied wizard. "I'm just gonna shove that power into your ass like we did years ago!" Then, he pounced.

"Natsu, wait!" Lisanna yelled.

"Fire Dragon Talons!" the fire dragon slayer roared as he performed an axe kick.

The youngest Strauss was not far behind. In her transformed state, the feathers on her forearm glistened before becoming razor-sharp.

Rusty Rose sidestepped as the flaming foot cratered the ground. He raised the Jet-Black Sword and blocked the sharpened feathers. Pushing the girl back, he sensed Natsu approaching and promptly jumped back.

Lisanna engaged once more, swiping her sharp feathers as Natsu threw in some punches and kicks. Despite their efforts, however, they can't seem to land a hit on their enemy.

"Damn it! Fire Dragon Roar!"

In a fit of impatience, Natsu unleashed a torrent of fire dragon breath. Sadly, Rusty Rose wasn't worried. Raising his hand high, he gathered a staggering amount of magic and willed a being into existence with his Ark of Embodiment.

"Come to me!" he roared. "Sacred Guardian Beast: Belcusas the Thunderclap!"

A massive hand suddenly sprang from the ground and grabbed Natsu. The being slowly emerged from the Earth, revealing a heavily armored creature that yelled in fury as bolts of lightning shot out from its body.

Natsu felt his body shudder as volts of electricity coursed through his very being. The summoned beast eyed its victim before throwing the teen far away.

While admiring his handiwork, Rusty Rose failed to notice his captive break free from his grasp. Distracted, Lisanna took that chance and struck a hit on her captor's face. That little damage, however, as Ark of Embodiment practitioner simply backhanded her in disgust.

"How dare you do that to Lisanna!" Seeing his partner hurt, Natsu lost composure and recklessly charged at Lisanna's assailant.

Seeing the reaction, Rusty Rose smirked and decided to aggravate the already-furious dragon slayer.

"I've heard of the fate she suffered long ago," Rusty Rose began. He ducked from Natsu's wild haymaker. "She supposedly died years prior but somehow managed to come back. It must've been painful, wasn't it? To find out the one you love dies, and without seeing her one final time."

"Grr…" Each word that came out of Rusty Rose's mouth was driving Natsu to the breaking point. "SHUT UP! You don't know a damn thing!"

"You're right, I don't. However, that simply allows me to see your reaction myself!"

"What the Hell do you mean!?" Natsu missed a flaming hook.

"Don't listen to him, Natsu!" Lisanna stood up and readied herself once more. "Don't let him get into your head."

"How touching," mocked Rusty Rose. "It seems there really is more between you. Aah… childhood friends. Such a wonderful; how I'd love to break it!" He pointed at the girl and commanded his summon, "Belcusas! Take care of the dragon slayer. I'll deal with his woman."

"I won't let you–" Natsu was slapped into the far end of the hallway.

"Natsu!" Lisanna screamed. Before she could go to her partner, she was kicked in the head by the enemy.

"Your battle is with me, little fairy."

-{}-

This was not good.

Natsu gradually stood up and dusted himself off all the rubble on him. That creep was going to hurt Lisanna and there was no way he was going to let that happen. Seeing the thundering beast lumber forward, he knew that this fight needed to end fast.

"Alright… you want a fight? I'LL GIVE YOU A FIGHT!"

Silver flames erupted from his body. Flakes of argent fire danced around him as its heat began melting his surroundings. The gift from his beloved daughter will save Lisanna and put a stop to whatever Phantom Lord has planned.

"Change Mode, Spirit Fire Dragon!" Natsu didn't hesitate and dashed toward Belcusas.

The armored giant lashed out, bringing down his fist to crush the dragon slayer. However, Natsu raised his hand – flames alight – and swatted the attack away. The silver fire burned through the creature's armor and cooked its flesh in mere seconds. It screamed in agony, giving the dragon slayer the chance to deal a decisive blow.

"Spirit Fire Dragon Talons!" He jumped and connected a savage kick to Belcusas' chin. Again, the flames burned through what was supposed to be impenetrable armor and seared the beast's flesh. Natsu wasn't done yet as he kept on punching and kicking the summon relentlessly.

Nobody was gonna stand in his way. He needed to make sure this thing wouldn't be able to come back and stop him from getting to Lisanna.

A dropkick forced Belcusas on its rear. The creature was riddled with melted armor digging into its skin with multiple burns and charred flesh singed with smoke. It was time to end this.

Natsu ran as fast as he could, picking up speed as the spiritual fire covered his entire body. He leaped forward, the flames bursting from the soles of his feet and propelled him towards the mangled summon like a fiery missile.

"Spirit Fire Dragon Sword Horn!"

The flames intensified, launching him faster than the eye could perceive. Belcusas never saw it coming until he found himself with a cauterized gaping hole in his chest. It looked at the large wound and turned around, only to find the dragon slaying breathing heavily.

Natsu stared at the beast as it vanished from the physical realm, disintegrating into magic particles that scattered into the atmosphere.

Finally done, he quickly ran to where Lisanna and Rusty Rose were, hoping that his love wasn't hurt.

-{}-

"Pathetic," taunted Rusty Rose. "To think this is what became of the guild that defeated Grimoire Heart." He weaved gracefully against the flurry of attacks from the Animal Soul mage.

Lisanna knew that she had no chance of winning. With hollowfication empowering the former member of the Seven Kin of Purgatory, the power gap between her and the enemy was staggering. That said, she was not one to give up in the face of unbeatable odds. She will fight, even if it is only meant to stall time until Natsu comes back so they can take this dark mage together.

"If we beat you once, we can beat you again!" Lisanna yelled defiantly.

This only made Rusty Rose laugh. "Really? With the difference in power alone, there's no way you could take me down, even if you had help from Salamander!"

"We won't know unless we try!" she roared while sending a barrage of sharpened feathers at the enemy.

The attack was casually blocked with Jet-Black Sword. Rusty Rose dashed forward using his Pegasus Wings and grabbed the white-haired girl's hand. In that moment, Lisanna felt something hard struck her abdomen. The dark wizard was grinning while he drove a malicious knee into her gut.

The youngest Strauss spat out saliva as the attack forced her to her knees. She tried to get up, but a bout of pain suddenly struck. Lisanna clutched her stomach, hoping to ease whatever affliction struck her but, as her eyes trailed down to her feet, she paled when she caught a glimpse of a trail of blood.

"Oh no…"

Rusty Rose also saw the blood and immediately knew of its hidden implication. In a fit of satisfaction, he burst into uncontrollable laughter. "Oh god, this is rich!" he yelled in sadistic glee. "To think that I'd get the chance to take more from that dragon slayer than just his girl! This must be the luckiest day of my life!"

However, Lisanna wasn't listening to him. Rather, she was frantically searching for any indication that the life she had in her was still there. Seconds passed and it seemed as if the spark of her and Natsu's union had been extinguished. Tears were beginning to spill as hope began slipping away.

"M-Maddie… please be alright."

Just when she was about to give up, the expectant mother felt a spark. Hope renewed, she closed her eyes and searched within herself for that flicker of magic. There, within her, was the familiar spirit of her and Natsu's offspring.

The tears that were meant for grieving now spilled with relief. Maddie was alive! "Oh, thank god…" she breathed out.

"Why so relieved?" Rusty Rose asked mockingly. "Is the life you conceived still beating? Did I not hit you hard enough?"

"You monster," the girl growled.

"Please, I'm a demon and you're a fairy. You shouldn't be surprised that I'd go so low as to extinguish an unborn child's life."

"Lisanna!"

Both she and the dark wizard turned to find Natsu having arrived just in time. The dragon slayer scanned his Lisanna for any injuries and gasped when he laid eyes upon a trail of blood flowing over her legs.

Fury built up inside the dragon slayer's heart for the atrocity committed by Rusty Rose. Flames roared from his body; bright red flames becoming majestic silver. His glare was fixated on the dark wizard that his will to burn him alive could be felt by his would-be victim.

As for Rusty Rose, even with the added power of his hollow mask, he could still feel the heat radiating angrily from the irate dragon slayer. However, it was the kind of fire Natsu was emitting that worried the former Purgatory Kin. He knew from looks alone that this wasn't dragon fire.

Before he even noticed, Natsu pounced on him and landed a devastating right hook. A small crack rang in the ears of the former Grimoire Heart wizard as he stumbled back. He didn't even get to look up when another fist connected to his chin. Again, Rusty Rose staggered back as Natsu continued his relentless onslaught on the dark mage.

A dragon slayer's power is fueled by emotions. Right now, Natsu was feeling overwhelming rage. How dare this man hurt the woman he loved!? Each punch and kick he delivered told how much he hated Rusty Rose and the audacity he had for making Lisanna bleed.

Sadly, his anger would only go so far.

Having had enough of the dragon slayer's beating, Rusty Rose roared and blasted Natsu away with a blast of magic. He dispelled Jet-Black Sword and started approaching the son of Igneel. When his victim stood up, he ran up to him and grabbed his face. The black mage drove a hard fist into the pinkette's gut followed up by an elbow to the chin.

He didn't stop there, much to Natsu's misfortune. Rusty Rose kneed him again in the abdomen and slapped him in the face. There was always that sick feeling of pleasure derived from beating the ever-loving shit out of someone with your bare hands. The former Grimoire Heart mage had this feeling coursing in his heart, and he was enjoying it.

Meanwhile, Lisanna could only stare helplessly as her love was brutally mauled by the enemy. She wanted to help, to go there and pry that bastard away from Natsu and just run. But, if she moved, she'd run the risk of a miscarriage. The trail of blood on her legs was proof that she was close to losing their daughter.

Content with the beating, Rusty Rose threw Natsu away. The dragon slayer landed on the hard cobblestone floor. He tried to get up, knowing that he still needed to rescue Lisanna from the enemy.

"You still want more?" Rusty Rose asked. "Your persistence is admirable but sadly, the effort is useless. While you did surprise me with that sudden power, it still wasn't enough to beat me."

"Shut… up…"

"Hmm?"

"I said… shut… up." Natsu's glare never faltered. "You bastard… have no right… t-to hurt… Lisanna."

Lisanna wanted to cry. Even with his beaten form, Natsu still thought about her. This was too much. "Natsu, please, don't hurt yourself," she begged.

"No," breathed the son of Igneel. "It doesn't matter if I get hurt. I promised myself that I'll never lose you again, Lisanna. Never again."

Hearing the tender moment between the young lovers, Rusty Rose's face scrunched up in disgust. "Are you done? Have you finally got it out of your system? It doesn't matter what you think because today, you will definitely lose this girl. This time, however, it'll be permanent."

"LIKE HELL YOU WILL, YOU BASTARD!"

Natsu ran with his body roaring with silver flames. Rusty Rose met the dragon slayer head-on and transformed his arm into jet-Black Sword once more. The two mages clashed, firing magics and spells to defeat the adversary.

Natsu struck the former Purgatory Kin in the chest, sending him reeling back. The dark wizard answered with a vicious swipe with his four-pronged sword arm, tearing the dragon slayer's skin on his chest. That didn't stop the son of Igneel as he lunged and managed to connect a flaming foot. Rose grabbed Natsu's arm in retaliation and flung him over his shoulder. He then drove Jet-Black Sword to his victim but the pinkette managed to roll away.

Before he could make a move, Natsu got a hard boot to his back that sent him tumbling to the floor. Rusty Rose followed through by kicking him in the head which was powered by Pegasus Wings. Dazed, the fire dragon slayer didn't notice another slash that wounded his back.

"GRAAAGH!"

Like music to his ears, Rusty Rose enjoyed the shrill pain before finally slamming the dragon slayer's face into the floor.

"Had enough?" the enemy mage questioned. To answer his question, Natsu still stood up despite struggling to get to his feet. "It seems a more forceful solution is required."

Natsu gathered his spirit fire in a last-ditch attempt to beat this man. He breathed in, deeply, and let the fires of his magic gather inside his lungs.

Rusty Rose also prepared an attack of his own. He raised his transformed arm forward, letting energy coalesce on the four tips of his misshapen sword. Red power hummed at the very end of his hand while his smile grew sadistically wide. This power was a consequence of the hollow mask he obtained.

With every ounce of magic he had, Natsu roared a blazing silver torrent of fire at the one who hurt his partner. "Spirit Fire Dragon Roar!"

At the same time, Rusty Rose unleashed his attack.

"Cero."

A low thrum was the only indication of the doom blast barreling through to meet the dragon's breath. When they collided, it wasn't even a competition. Natsu's fire was penetrated by the hollow flash, dissipating the flames into nothingness as it eventually struck the dragon slayer and consumed him in a flash of red.

"NATSU!" Lisanna's screams of horror were drowned out by the sound of the Cero echoing along the narrow pathway.

Eventually, the blast slowly died down, revealing the smoking figure of Natsu who fell prone.

"NO!" Throwing caution to the wind, Lisanna quickly stood up and ran to her beloved. "No, Natsu… Natsu!"

However, a sharp strike to the back of her neck rendered her unconscious.

"Jose would be pleased to know that we have someone to entertain us," Rusty Rose chuckled as he dragged Lisanna's sleeping form to god knows where.

"L-Lisanna…" Barely conscious and with no strength, Natsu reached out to his love and partner until she and her captor finally disappeared into the darkness. "No…"

"Easy there." From out of nowhere, Ichigo appeared beside Natsu and checked his condition. "Shit. We need to get you out of here."

"Lisanna…" Natsu moaned. Tears were beginning to spill in the corner of his eyes. "They… took her. They… took… Lisanna."

"And we'll get her back," Ichigo promised. "We'll get her back and more. But, for now, save your strength and rest. You're going to need it during the rescue."

Natsu didn't have the strength to argue and fell asleep.

"Enjoy your stay, Fairy Tail bitch," a Phantom Lord mage told Lisanna as she was thrown into one of the dungeons.

The anti-magic bars closed shut; the only thing she could do was hope that she would make it out of there without getting any further injury. Still, her thoughts lingered on Natsu.

The dragon slayer took a beating, all in a bid to save her but was all for nothing. That alone was enough to make her feel responsible for his injuries. The only thing she could do now was hope the father of her child survived.

It would be such a tragedy for Madeline to grow up without a father.

"Natsu, please be okay," Lisanna whimpered. She tucked her knees into her chest and closed her eyes. However, a sound put her alert. She listened for the sound again and found that it was a sob. Looking around, she noticed another figure in the far corner of the dungeon huddled in rags.

It was a little girl.

"Oh my!" Without hesitation, she approached the child with the intent of tending to her needs. Her actions caused the small girl to bury herself deeper into the corner. Seeing that she was scaring her, Lisanna slowed down and gradually approached the girl. "Hey," she called. "It's alright. I won't hurt you."

Peeking out of her makeshift clothes, the small child stared into the blue eyes of the Strauss and found comfort in them. She let the raggedy cloth down and stretched out her hand.

Lisanna gently took the small plump hand of the child and examined her. The kid had lemon-green hair. She had a purple, maybe pinkish birthmark running across the bridge of her nose. However, what stood out the most was the cracked mask on her head.

"Come here," Lisanna gestured. "You'll be safe. no one will hurt you."

Nodding, the girl stepped out of her cover and walked to the Strauss.

"Are you alright? Why are you here?"

"I… I don't… know," responded the child.

"Did they do anything to you?"

The question must've brought painful memories when the kid began sobbing. "They… hurt me. Those… bad men, the poked needles… into me."

Lisanna didn't hesitate to bring the girl into a hug. The affectionate gesture seemed to calm her down. The sobs lessened as the tortured child felt comfortable in the Strauss' embrace.

"You're safe," assured Lisanna. "You're safe and I won't let anyone hurt you, got that?" She received a nod. "Do you have a name?"

The child pulled away. She wiped away the tears that stained her cheeks. She hesitated a bit but found that she could trust this woman.

"My name… is Nel."