Chapter 36: The Virulence of Revenge

*****Earlier*****

Something was wrong. Very wrong.

The sudden fluctuations of power at key points in the castle were enough of an indication for Ichigo to know that the plan was a bust. Gajeel and Juvia were in a dire situation, given their magic power steadily lowering. Cana and Erza seemed to hold their own, but it may not last long. Natsu and Lisanna were experiencing the worst of it with whoever it was they were dealing with. However, what truly made Ichigo worry was the familiar power that only he, his son, and to some extent, her sisters have.

"This is Hollow reiatsu!" Ichigo thought. "How the Hell did they get their hands on Hollow powers!?"

It wasn't possible… unless…

"The Arrancars!" Ichigo grits his teeth. Now that he thought about it, it was painfully obvious. The people he encountered right after the Phoenix got annihilated must be the ones who provided the means for Hollowfication. The question is:

"How did they do it?"

For now, there was no time to waste. His friends were in danger and, if the enemies had a power originating from his world, then he was the only one who could stop them.

This was a losing battle.

Already equipped with her Heaven's Wheel armor, Erza skillfully brought her swords in a defensive circle and blocked an incoming hail of rocks. Once the barrage of rock bullets ended, the fairy knight flung her floating blades at Sol.

Sol merely raised his hands and in doing so, lifted the ground into a thick slab that took the brunt of the speeding blades' end. Sensing a surge of magic, the Earth mage leaped just in time before a dozen cards blew the ground he once stood.

Cana was panting, having exerted a significant amount of magic in fighting off Sol. While she was merely providing support for the more up-close fighter that was Erza, she was by no means slacking in keeping the Phantom bastard on his toes.

"Impressive!" Sol said. If it was a compliment or a taunt, the girls didn't know. "You mademoiselles have grown strong in the last seven years, as to be expected."

"Get to the point, you creep!" Cana shouted.

"Very well." Landing softly on cushioned Earth, Sol grinned at the two wizards with malice. "It means that, despite your new-found strength, it would be no match for a power of the heavens!"

To emphasize his point, Sol held a finger and pointed it toward the two teens. Red energy slowly gathered at the tip of his finger, gradually growing in size from a harmless dot to the size of a tennis ball.

Erza and Cana turned pale. They knew what this was and the damage it could bring. While they didn't have any firsthand experience with the red orb, it didn't take away the power that was surging within.

"Behold! CERO!"

The orb shot forth as a powerful red beam of energy. A low reverberating thrum was the only indication that it was heading furiously toward Erza and Cana.

Acting quickly, Erza got in front of Cana and called upon her most durable armor. A bright light encased the redhead before dissipating and bearing her Adamantine Armor. She held her forearms up, perpendicular to the ground. A defensive magic circle formed in front of her just in time to take the brunt of the hollow flash.

Erza grunted upon feeling the impact of the doom blast upon her shield. From looks alone, Sol's Cero wasn't anywhere near as powerful as Ichigo's; however, it was by no means undamaging. She could see the cracks in her defenses and the longer she resisted, the more her body felt the stress of the doom blast.

Erza grits her teeth, fighting tooth and nail not to get overpowered. She poured more power into her shield. She caught a glimpse of ten cards flying past her. "Cana?"

"Don't mind me, Erza. Just focus on your magic." The magic cards formed a circle around the Adamantine shield and spun rapidly. It generated a force field that added to the integrity of the defenses. "Aegis of Heaven!"

Sol wasn't perturbed by the additional power in their defense. In fact, he smiled and chuckled in a mocking tone. "It amuses me that despite your improvements, it still isn't enough to save you from Phantom Lord's coming revenge. Non, non, non. You will not live to see another day!"

And the man began laughing. Despite their best attempts, it was evident to Erza and Cana that they were outmatched in terms of power. What's more, Sol was laughing at not just their attempt at defiance, but everything they stood for. Truly, the envy and animosity Phantom Lord held for Fairy Tail ran deep into their core.

The barrier they set up started cracking once more. The combined power of their magic was slowly being overwhelmed by the might of the Cero. Sol's laughter grew louder, a sick pleasure in its undertone as he enjoyed the struggle of the mighty Titania and the spawn of Gildarts Clive.

Cana fell to one knee, her magic slowly dwindling. Erza stood tall and resilient, but she was being pushed back.

"Darn it," gritted the redhead. "I don't know… how much longer… I… can… take this!"

"Erza…" Cana breathed. She was panting, exhaustion beginning to take over her. "I'm… getting… tired." Looking up, the brunette could see the cracks in their barrier widen. "It's too… strong."

"Damn it!" Erza screamed internally. "My… magic is… dwindling." She, too, fell to her knees.

"Fantastic!" Sol creamed in sadistic joy. "I will finally get the honor of felling the mighty Titania! Oh, such a wonderful day! HAHAHAHAHA!"

But, just when he thought he would savor the glory of eliminating Erza and Cana, the wall next to Sol burst open. A black figure quickly grabbed the Earth mage's hand, effectively neutralizing the doom blast.

The next thing Sol felt was him toppling over and the feeling of metal passing through his right leg. It took a while, but when he looked down, he saw copious amounts of blood gushing from what used to be his leg. The pain came… and he screamed.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Ichigo didn't waste any time and slammed the Earth wizard to the ground. He stomped on Sol's other arm, eliciting a loud snap that made the wizard cry out in pain even louder. He didn't stop, however, for he grabbed Sol by the collar of his shirt and headbutted the man again and again. Blood splattered from the cut on the Phantom wizard's head before the god of death punched him in the liver, breaking four ribs.

Ichigo dropped the unconscious man unceremoniously to the stone floor. His eyes swept toward his two guildmates. He quickly went to them as Erza Requipped back to her Heartz Kreuz armor.

"You guys all right?" questioned the reaper worriedly. "I'm sorry about this. I should've prepared for a contingency in the case of us getting discovered."

"We don't blame you, Ichigo," Erza assured. She was helped in standing up by her mission leader. "Our intel was solid. Mest is loyal so he didn't turn on us, that's for sure. So, there's only one way this could've happened."

"Someone must've tipped Jose of our plan," Cana finished. She dusted herself before looking at her two guildmates. "If I'm going to guess, someone with a higher pay grade than your informant."

"I think so, too. Erza," Ichigo called the redhead's attention, "do you still remember the two mysterious people who escaped right after the incident with the Phoenix?"

"I do…" Titania's eyes widened, realizing where Ichigo's logic was headed. "You're thinking it was them?"

"Now that I've seen what these people can do," the reaper pointed at the unconscious Sol, "I know it's them." His expression hardened. "The Arrancar."

"Okay, I'm lost. Who are these Arrancars?" Cana asked.

"They're basically like me," Ichigo answered, shocking Cana. "The only difference is that they're more Hollow-like than Soul Reaper."

"Well… that sucks," the brunette grimaced. Honestly, to learn of people who are like Ichigo on the side of evil was a scary thought. "So, what now?"

"We need to find the others," Erza panted. She stood up and wobbled a bit from her dwindled magic reserves. "I just felt Natsu's magic significantly drop. And Lisanna…"

"Don't worry. I'll find them." Ichigo craned his head to the unconscious Sol. He pointed a finger at the Earth mage and fired a steady blast of Cero. It was a quick beam that cauterized the gaping stump that was once his leg. However, Sol woke up screaming from the burning sensation which prompted Ichigo to kick the Frenchman in the face to knock him out again. "There. That should stop the bleeding."

Seeing the rather unpleasant method of cauterizing a wound and the subsequent knockout procedure by her teammate, Cana had to ask, "What do we do about him?"

"Take him," answered the reaper. "We need answers and there's no better one to give them than a lieutenant to Phantom Lord's guildmaster."

"Are you sure about this, Ichigo?" Erza questioned doubtfully. "I'm not sure if he'll be cooperative."

"No enemy would be cooperative, Erza," Ichigo commented. His eyes were still trailed on the unconscious Phantom mage. "However, I know a squealer when I see one. And I'm not just gonna make him talk… I'm gonna make him sing."

The last word he spoke with his hollow voice sent shivers down the spines of the girls. No matter what they do, his hollowfied voice always makes them uneasy.

Ichigo saw the reactions of his teammates and quickly apologized. "Sorry," he said with his normal voice now.

"That's all right," assured Erza.

"I still need to get used to it," remarked Cana. "That said, there are more important things to worry about right now."

"I know," the reaper agreed. He reached into his coat and handed two vials containing a greenish liquid. "Take this."

Erza received the strange fluid. She stared at it for a while before looking at the reaper and asked, "Is this some kind of medicine?"

"Hojiku-zai," Ichigo answered. "…Or, at least, a friendlier version of the stuff."

The two girls looked at him curiously. "What do you mean 'friendlier'?" Cana inquired hesitantly.

"That medicine was invented by a demented scientist. It can cure any injury in a matter of minutes," answered Ichigo.

"I sense a 'but' there."

"…But you'll probably feel excruciating pain from the healing process." Seeing the brunette and the redhead grow squeamish, the reaper quickly assured them. "Don't worry, this is the better version developed by my mentor. You'll only feel an itch at most."

"Okay. Still not assured, though." Bracing herself, she removed the cap of the vial and plunged the needle into her arm. Slightly wincing, she was amazed when her wounds began healing without any side effects. The only uncomfortable thing was the slight itch where the needle penetrated her skin. "Wow! This is amazing."

Erza did the same and she, too, was astonished at the quick healing she received. "Do we still have for the others?"

"I still have eight vials left," Ichigo replied. "In missions like these, there's no such thing as being too careful."

"Agreed." Walking to the downed Earth mage, Erza lifted the Sol and hoisted him over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Her utter disregard for the enemy's condition made Ichigo and Cana sweatdrop. "Come on, Cana. We should be heading out before more reinforcements show up."

"Right," Cana nodded.

"You don't have to worry about that," Ichigo spoke. "I'll make sure to keep them off your backs while looking for the others. Just make sure you get the heck out of here."

"Will do."

With that, the knight and the card mage ran in the opposite direction and headed towards the exit.

Ichigo, meanwhile, ran into the deeper parts of the castle. He can already pinpoint the location of the others, the closest being Gajeel and Juvia. That said, he still needed to ensure that Erza and Cana could escape without getting detected. The reaper was sure that there were multiple sensors present in the castle that could detect the magical signature of any intruder; so, the only way to keep the two hidden was to make himself a bigger target.

Ichigo is a natural-born transcendent hybrid with an emphasis on the "transcendent" part. His spiritual signature was naturally undetectable because he already passed through multiple dimensional thresholds. If he were to truly unleash the full might of his powers, this entire realm would crumble in a matter of minutes, and no one would suspect that it was his mere presence that was causing it.

Magic, being a by-product of the symbiosis between Ethernano and Reishi, was an oddly intriguing power system. It held some similarities with the Spiritual Arts, but those similarities were limited. Still, the fact that Ethernano was connected to Reishi meant that the two had shared properties that would be noticeable for both the spiritually and magically aware.

With this fact in mind, all Ichigo had to do was lower his transcendent spiritual pressure to the point where it could be perceived by beings who were dimensions below him. Thanks to more than a decade of exploring and refining the many abilities he had at his disposal, he managed to gain a good amount of control over his spiritual pressure… even if it was still regrettably atrocious compared to his wife and siblings.

Closing his eyes, he let his spiritual pressure consume the entirety of Phantom Lord's palace. Like a tidal wave, he could already feel the magical energy from both Erza and Cana being consumed by his own, masking the two and hopefully, the others as well. With only his presence being detectable, the majority of Phantom Lord's forces would converge on him and not his guildmates.

And, wouldn't you know it, a large group of wizards intercepted him.

"There's the Fairy Tail wizard!" said one of the mages that surrounded Ichigo. The hybrid sighed. These poor fools don't know who they're dealing with.

"You know… you could just walk away and quit this guild, right?" he sincerely asked. However, that offer of mercy was quickly squandered.

"Fuck you!" shouted a Phantom mage.

That was all Ichigo needed. He unsheathed the smaller onyx-colored blade of Zangetsu and spun it rapidly by its cloth strap.

"Well, I tried."

"Iron Dragon Roar!"

Gajeel's dragon breath was easily dodged by Aria who faded into mist. Highly alert, the son of Metallicana ducked just as a vicious swing went above him. He spun around, transforming his right arm into a jagged sword, and swung hard. Thinking that he got a hit, he was shocked when his sword arm was grinding against Aria's skin.

"Is that it, Gajeel?" Aria asked with a grin. He slowly raised his right hand and back-fisted the dragon slayer.

Gajeel was hit in the face, disorienting him. His former guildmate was about to land another blow when a whip of water wrapped around the masked man's arm. They both craned their head to the caster and saw Juvia gritting her teeth at the Wind mage.

The bluenette pulled, dragging the stout man toward her as she formed a solid rod of condensed water. Once Aria was close enough, she attacked. "Water Cane!"

Just like before, Aria simply turned intangible, letting the water rod phase through him, much to Juvia's shock. He took this opportunity to punch the woman in the abdomen, making her lurch and hold her gut due to the pain. With Juvia incapacitated, the Hollowfied mage held his palms out and conjured magic into the space between. "Zetsu!"

Luckily, Juvia managed to do the same thing Aria did. Turning her body into liquid, she let the magic attack pass harmlessly through her.

"Impressive!" Aria actually sounded genuine. "However…" He swirled his hands around, creating a vortex that spun and sucked in the water constituting Juvia. Aria repeated the motions once more, strengthening the pulling force and entrapping the water mage in his windy prison.

Juvia fought against the rotation, but it was becoming harder to wade through it. The vortex itself was doing more than just keeping her inside, it was expelling the air out of the center where she was located. The oxygen inside was decreasing as the seconds ticked by, pushing her closer to fainting.

Luckily, Aria wasn't paying attention to the other intruder until he got socked in the face with a metal log. He tumbled on the stone floor yet came to a stop and glared at the dragon slayer.

Meanwhile, Gajeel was helping Juvia up. The water wizard was taking deep breaths after having the air in her lungs sucked out. The son of Metallicana tilted his head up and found Aria quickly standing up. Not wanting to take any chances, he took a few steps forward and breathed in.

Magic energy converged into the pits of his lungs, iron shards spinning around in the maelstrom until he let out a vicious draconic roar. A tornado filled to the brim with metal surged through the corridor and struck Aria, pushing Hollowfied man back who managed to remain standing despite the powerful spell.

Not wanting to be left out, Juvia took this opportunity and summoned a large torrent of water that crept around the feet of the Phantom wizard. She maneuvered the liquid, letting it creep over the enemy's legs and securing him in place.

Aria tried to move but his mobility was taken, no thanks to his former guildmate-turned-traitor. He needed to get out, so he unleashed a considerably strong Zetsu to disperse the dragon's breath. However, the water mage took his distraction and, in one swift yet forceful wave, he was instantly encased in a large sphere of water.

"Water Lock."

Panting from the earlier beating, Gajeel walked up to Juvia and patted her back. "Nice one," he breathed out. "It took some time and some serious bruises, but we managed to subdue him."

"Yes, we did," agreed the water mage. However, instead of relief for having captured Aria, she and Gajeel heard low chuckles from the watery prison. She looked up to find Aria snickering without a care for his predicament.

When Aria held an open palm forward, the two Fairy Tail wizards expected an Airspace spell to be prepared. However, what they instead saw was a crimson orb forming in the center of his hand. At first, they only braced themselves as the energies gathering inside the Water Lock was more than anything Ethernano could do. But, upon closer inspection of the growing ball of red power, it finally dawned on them that this wasn't a spell but something only two people in their guild could do.

"SHIT!" Gajeel cursed but was too late.

"Cero!"

The ball collapsed into itself and fired into a dense concentrated beam that instantly shattered the liquid prison. Acting quickly, Gajeel got in front of his partner and coated himself in his iron scales. The dragon slayer braced himself.

"This is gonna fucking hurt!"

And it did. Once the red doom blast struck him, the majority of his armor got blown away, leaving his skin defenseless.

"GRAAAAAGH!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. The heat searing his unprotected skin was beyond even Salamander's flames. However, he stood defiant as he resisted the hollow flash.

"Gajeel!" Juvia cried in worry. Not wanting to let her teammate endure this any longer, she conjured multiple magic circles around Aria, hoping to disrupt his relentless attack. "Water Cyclone!"

Torrents of water emerged from the magic circle, all of which began converging at the Airspace wizard. Aria ceased his hollow flash onslaught and phased away from the approaching maelstroms.

The Phantom Lord mage re-emerged not far from the Water Cyclone's point of impact. Annoyed when he saw Juvia re-aim her magic circles, he made a fist pointing at her.

"Bala."

Two quick blasts struck Juvia right before she could make herself intangible. "BWACK!" Struck in the chest and stomach, the water mage fell backward and lay on the ground while her gut and bust sizzled with smoke from the point of impact.

"Damn… it," gritted Gajeel. Smoke was also rolling off of him due to having most of his skin seared. "I'm… too injured… to keep going." He heard a thud in front of him and saw an unconscious Juvia rolling to a stop mere feet away from where he kneeled. Aria had kicked the water mage in a fit of sick pleasure.

"Did you think that you had the upper hand over me?" Aria questioned while taking slow, deliberate steps toward the injured mages. "Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. The mighty Gajeel reduced to this. You know, I always thought you were so full of yourself back when Phantom Lord was still the strongest guild. Hell, you were even more savage than I am… and I was the one who drained Makarov's magic away."

"Where the fuck are you getting at, Aria?" sneered Gajeel. Where was this conversation leading to?

"Oh, just reminding you of how much of a piece of shit you are."

"That's it? That's all this is?"

"Yes. But it's not you being a sad little pissant that irks me, it's the fact that you think you can just throw all the cruelty you did in the past now that you're a Fairy Tail mage."

That… stung, and yet, Aria was right. He has changed for the better thanks to Fairy Tail. If he wasn't found by Master Makarov, then he may still be in some ditch feeding off scraps of rusted iron. It may not look like it, but he was grateful for the second chance he was given.

Despite that, though, Gajeel couldn't get the feeling of guilt in his chest. All the cruel things he did as a Phantom Lord wizard were clawing in his heart.

The actions he took seven years ago… it would never disappear.

Seeing his face falter, Aria grinned in satisfaction. "So sad that the great Black Steel Gajeel is now a husk of his former self. While it saddens me to see you perish…" his hands loomed over the two, "it brings me great joy to end you myself."

What little magic Gajeel could feel was seeping away. That alone was enough of a clue for him that they were slowly being subjected to Metsu.

"Goodbye, Gajeel, Juvia," crocodile tears dripped through the eyeholes of Aria's mask. "It saddens me that– ACK!"

Like a missile, Aria disappeared before dealing the final blow. The stout man crashed into several columns before coming to a stop. Next, a barrage of Balas pelted the downed Airspace mage until he was completely unconscious.

It all happened so fast that Gajeel had to slap himself to get his bearings. Once he did, he was face to face with none other than Ichigo with a vial in his hand.

"Hold still," said the reaper and, with a quick series of motions, injected the contents of the vial into the dragon slayer's system.

"What the…?" Unable to form any words, Gajeel simply watched in fascination as his wounds healed rapidly. "Damn. That stuff was nice. What was it?"

"Medicine," was Ichigo's quick reply. The reaper handed him another vial. "This is for Juvia. Get the heck out of here and regroup with Erza."

"Got it." Gajeel didn't waste any time arguing with the reaper. The mission was a bust and they were left injured. Recuperating was needed and his partner needed some medical attention.

Carrying the unconscious bluenette in a bridal carry, the iron dragon slayer left to find the rest of the team, leaving Ichigo to look for the last pair missing.

Sadly, the hybrid came a few moments too late.

*****Present*****

Ichigo ran a hand over his face while fighting back the urge to kick the nearest piece of furniture to vent out his frustration. However, that thought was the last thing that needed to be translated into action when there were other… more important concerns to be addressed.

The mission was a disaster. Somehow, Phantom Lord knew they were coming and had prepared accordingly for their arrival. What's more, the dark guild managed to obtain powers not of this world. And, when his team confronted the lieutenants of the guild, they were easily defeated, with one of them captured by the enemy.

"Ichigo! Natsu's waking up!"

Turning around, Ichigo followed Cana to the bedroom where the unconscious fire dragon slayer lay.

Natsu was indeed stirring, moving about, and squinting as he slowly regained consciousness. "Ugh…" he groaned before finally opening his eyes. He blinked a few times, trying to get the fuzziness in his sight to fade. Once it did, he recognized the ceiling of the place they booked earlier. "Wha…?"

"Easy there, Natsu." Erza sat next to the dragon slayer as she said those words. She had been watching over him for a day. "You took quite a beating back at Phantom Lord's base."

"Yeah," Cana agreed. "Good thing Ichigo had that Hoji-whatsit that healed us."

"Huh?" The dragon slayer could barely make out the words Erza and Cana were saying. However, he was coherent enough to recognize some of the things the two were saying. "Phantom?" The moment he uttered those words, the events that occurred the day before. "Wait!" he cried as he sat up. "The attack! Rusty Rose! Lisanna!" Natsu stood up. Despite the wobbly feet, he was determined to get back to Phantom Lord's base and get his beloved back. "They took her! They took Lisanna!"

"We know!" Cana quickly said. She grabbed the dragon slayer's back, preventing him from going any further. "Natsu, damn it!"

Erza followed suit, clutching the pinkette's arm to keep him from moving. "Natsu, stop this!"

"Let me go!" shouted Natsu. He was adamant about getting Lisanna back. "I need to get her back! I need to get Lisanna back! You don't know what I saw down back there!"

"Then tell us!" the redhead shouted.

"I saw blood," he replied yet he didn't stop struggling to break free. "I saw blood running down her legs! She's hurt!"

When Ichigo caught that, his head quickly snapped toward the dragon slayer. "Come again?"

"Lisanna's hurt!" Natsu repeated, this time more forcefully as he finally broke free from Erza.

"No, not that. The other thing you said about blood…"

"I… I saw blood trickling down her legs," Natsu murmured. He stopped struggling this time, opting instead to merely stare at the ground in distraught. "She… she was hit in her stomach by Rusty Rose."

"Rusty Rose? As in, Grimoire Heart's Rusty Rose?" Cana inquired.

The son of Igneel nodded and continued. "W-When she saw the trail of blood, she looked frantic. Her hands were moving all over her abdomen like she was trying to feel for something."

The two girls present had their eyes grow wide. They immediately looked at each other, sharing the same conclusion. They let the Natsu continue to confirm their growing suspicion.

Natsu was let go. He didn't seem to want to rush out of the hotel anymore but instead, simply stood there as a few tears pooled in the corner of his eyes.

Again, Erza and Cana were left speechless. Natsu wasn't one to cry. The only time he did was Madeline's passing. The feeling of worry, helplessness… the inner turmoil raging within him broke whatever emotional integrity he had left.

"I… I couldn't stop him," Natsu stammered between sobs. "I wasn't… strong enough. I did everything I could… but it wasn't enough."

Seeing Natsu so… devastated was all too familiar for Ichigo. It was the same feeling he had when he lost his original home. The failure, helplessness, and powerlessness – emotions that ate at him for so long until he found some semblance of a purpose.

Quickly walking towards the overcome dragon slayer, he took hold of the teen's shoulders. "Natsu, look at me," he said. "Look at me." When he looked at him eye-to-eye, the reaper spoke with a calm yet resolute voice. "We will get her back. We will get Lisanna back and put those who hurt her into the ground. Understand?"

Somehow, Natsu felt reassured. The way Ichigo's determined eyes conveyed his intentions were more than enough for the dragon slayer to know that the reaper would do whatever it took to keep his promise. So, he nodded.

"But I want you to calm down and not rush blindly," instructed Ichigo. "I need everything to be ready before we storm into Phantom Lord's palace. So, give me time to make preparations while you rest. I know it's the last thing you want to do but you were hurt the most during the infiltration. The last thing that I want is for you or anyone to get hurt while we attempt this rescue."

Again, Natsu nodded. "I understand, Ichigo. Just promise me that once you're done, you tell me immediately when we'll strike."

The reaper grinned. "Oh, don't worry. You'll be the first I let loose on those fools."

Satisfied, Natsu went back to the bed he laid in earlier. He sat down on its soft mattress and kept quiet.

"Wow," Cana expressed in astonishment. "I've never seen Natsu so…"

"Focused?" Erza finished. Even she was a little taken aback. "I've seen him focused before, but a quiet kind of focus is new to me."

"Which means that he's willing to wait if it means getting Lisanna back without complications," Ichigo explained. "He's not going to do something reckless if it's just gonna put his partner in jeopardy."

"He's maturing. That's what you're saying, right?"

"In a way, yeah." The transcendent turned around to leave but, before that, he urged the two girls to follow him.

-{}-

"Ichigo, when Natsu mentioned blood running on Lisanna's legs earlier, could it be that she's…"

"Yes, Erza," Ichigo confirmed as he and the two walked into an abandoned warehouse just on the of Oaktown. "Lisanna is pregnant."

Despite their suspicions being confirmed, Erza and Cana still couldn't help but widen their eyes at the revelation.

"Really!?" Cana gasped. "Gajeel just told us they did the nasty the other day! I didn't know something actually came out of it."

"Did you have to say it like that?" Ichigo felt a bead of sweat roll over his forehead.

"By the way, Ichigo, have you known Lisanna was pregnant?" Erza interjected.

"I have," the reaper answered. "I've had my suspicion when her diet got strange during the meeting at Era. I wasn't the only one, though. Karin and Yuzu also came to the same conclusion."

"How'd you even notice it?" the brunette drunkard asked.

"My dad used to run a clinic back in my original world. We've had a variety of patients come through our doors and pregnant women were no exception. That's where I learned the tell-tale signs."

"I see." Taking in that info, Erza narrowed her eyes on Ichigo. "If you knew, then why did you let her come with us? It was dangerous for her to be part of this mission."

"I know," Ichigo admitted. "I initially wasn't going to let her join us on this quest, but Lisanna was adamant about it. She knew the risks… and the guilt of having Madeline die in her arms was the driving force behind her decision."

The mention of the late Fullbringer brought about feelings of sympathy for the teen mother. It was the feeling of powerlessness that drove her to join them. It at least sheds some light on Lisanna's decision.

"We're here." Ichigo opened the door to the disregarded building. He and the girls went inside the mostly empty structure. In the center were Juvia and Gajeel, all healed and watchful, and a beaten-up Sol tied to a chair. "Has he talked?" he asked Gajeel.

The son of Metallicana shook his head. "No. He refuses to budge."

"We've been asking questions for hours and he still wouldn't say anything," added Juvia.

"He's proving to be quite stubborn," Erza remarked while eyeing the Earth mage.

"Not for long…" muttered Ichigo as he approached the bound wizard.

"Ah… if it isn't Monsieur Reaper himself," Sol greeted once he took notice of Ichigo. "I must say it's an honor to be graced by divinity but, as you can see, I'm currently in a bind."

"Cut the crap, Sol!" Gajeel warned.

"I see that your temper hasn't changed much, Gajeel," taunted Sol. His eyes darted over to Juvia. "Juvia, mon cheri, I see you finally showed your true, weak colors."

Juvia wasn't perturbed, however. "You can talk all you want, Sol, but Fairy Tail has given me more than what would've asked for."

Scoffing, Sol continued, "Of course, you would say that. You never truly belonged to Phantom Lord. If Gajeel, the most ruthless of us, has gone soft, then how much more a le faible such as yourself."

"You know you're the one tied here, Sol," Cana reminded. "And you have a broken arm and a missing leg. So, you don't have much to do other than tell us what we need."

"Feh!" spat Sol. "You think I will sell my guild to you? Mademoiselle, our hatred for Fairy Tail will never be swallowed by fear. And, with the power of the Hollow given to us, our plot for vengeance will be realized."

The team already knew that much considering they got a good taste of it not long ago. Still, some details needed to be brought to light and it required Sol to divulge these and the possible location where they might hold Lisanna.

"Guys…" Ichigo suddenly spoke, garnering the other four's attention. "Let me do this on my own. You don't want to see what I'm planning to do."

"Wait… are you going to do what I think you're–"

"I am," the hybrid cut Erza off. "We have at least a day before the worst happens to Lisanna and I'm not going to go easy on him." He faced his comrades with a hardened gaze and said, "Time is against us, and the last thing I want is for all of you to get traumatized."

"Is there any other way to get the info we need from him?" Juvia asked, not liking the method proposed. Sol might be a sick, twisted bastard, but resorting to torture was too much.

"There might be, but we don't have the luxury of finding out which method works." Sighing, Ichigo looked at his teammates with a remorseful gaze. "If it makes you feel better, I'm not going to enjoy this. All the same, it's best if I do this rather than any of you."

The four glanced at each other, taking stock of their mission leader's decision. It took a moment, but they eventually came to a unified conclusion.

"Alright, Ichigo," Erza spoke for herself and the others. "We'll leave the interrogation to you. However, please, don't do something you'll regret."

The concern was a welcome one for the reaper. "I will." However, as Erza, Cana, Gajeel, and Juvia left the warehouse to return to their hotel, Ichigo knew that he would never regret doing this. Now, it was time to get some answers. "I'll get straight to the point, who gave you the means to achieve Hollowfication?"

"Non, non, non. You think I'll easily– AAAAGH!" The sound of cracking bones and intense pain filled the abandoned building as Ichigo bent one of Sol's fingers.

"I'll ask again, how did you get Hollowfication?" Ichigo questioned with a more forceful tone.

Still reeling from the pain, Sol kept on glaring at the reaper. "Haah… y-you broke my finger."

"I did… and I'm gonna break more if you don't give me what I want."

"You think a few broken fingers would make me spill?" Sol challenged. It was quickly answered by another finger snapped. "AAARGH!"

"I'm losing my patience."

"Do you think I care?"

This was going nowhere, and Ichigo knew it. More… intense methods are required.

In an instant, the air was saturated with the reaper's spiritual pressure. Sol's breath hitched, the atmosphere itself bearing down his already injured body against the chair he was bound to.

"Gonna talk now?" Ichigo questioned in an almost apathetic tone. When he got no reply, he swiped his hand over his face, summoning his demonic Hollow mask.

An air of hostility doubled the unbearable feeling once the death god donned his mask. Breathing became a struggle for Sol, and it did not help that the golden eyes behind the dreaded mask were staring right into his soul.

"Are you ready to talk now?" The reaper reached out his right hand, a glowing orb forming in his palms. He grabbed Sol's arm, the one he broke to be specific, and let the power sear into the Phantom Lord mage's skin. "How about now?"

Sol seethed through his teeth. The only thing he can do is resist the burning of his flesh caused by the reaper before him. His plight would only get worse when the hybrid took out his short sword and stabbed it into his leg. This elicited an agonized scream from him, almost making his voice hoarse from how hard he yelled.

"Had enough? Are you gonna talk now?" When Ichigo didn't get an answer, he positioned the shorter blade of Zangetsu and plunged it into the wizard's other leg.

"AAAAAH!" Sol knew to expect something different if he were to encounter Ichigo Kurosaki. He knew the reaper had a different approach to dealing with his enemies but, given his past encounters with Fairy Tail and the fact that this man was a member, the Earth wizard thought he'd never resort to such extremes.

But, he was wrong.

This man… no, monster, had no qualms about resorting to cruelty if it meant saving one of his own. And it didn't help that his eyes were so full of darkness and animosity that looking at it made his soul crumble. However, what truly shook the Phantom Lord wizard was the sudden change in the eyes of Ichigo. From the gold and black orbs came eyes that held five pupils.

From that point on, Sol ceased seeing Ichigo as human and instead, something incomprehensible. And if there is one thing humanity is afraid of, it's what they don't understand.

Sol was about to get stabbed another time when he finally broke. "Alright! Alright… I'll talk…"

"Good. Now, how did you manage to obtain Hollowfication?"

Swallowing his fear of the deity, he immediately answered, "We didn't receive the power directly. Someone just taught us the method to procure it."

"You have to be more specific than that," Ichigo clarified, dangling his blade right above the wizard's other leg.

Sol flinched. "W-What he taught to us wasn't technically true Hollowfication! Unlike the normal method that involves inserting a Hollow's soul into an ordinary soul, we were simply injected with liquified Hollow Reishi. It doesn't totally break the boundary between souls but opens it just wide enough for us to gain Hollow powers."

Ichigo knew all about the process of Hollowfication considering he's a walking embodiment of it. The explanation given by Sol, while logically possible, requires knowledge of the ins and outs of Hollowfication and Hollows in general. The Phantom wizard doesn't seem to be knowledgeable in that field, yet the fact that he knows the jargon on the supernatural means that this secret benefactor of theirs has intimate knowledge of their world.

"This person who taught you, what does he look like?" Ichigo asked, already suspicious of this mysterious individual's identity.

"He wears white – him and all his men," stammered Sol. "He looks like he's in his late twenties with silver hair tied in a ponytail."

"Does he have a broken mask of some sort?"

"Wait, how did you – Argh! AAAAAH!" Sol screamed as his other leg felt metal dig deeper into it.

"I asked you a question and I want an answer!"

"YES! He has a mask! It's like a broken jaw or something while his subordinates have bird skulls on them!"

"Are there any other defining features?"

Sol didn't take long to think. Their benefactor had one distinguishing trait. "He had a number '5' tattooed on the left side of his neck."

While his suspicions were now confirmed, this revelation made him let go of Sol. Eyes wide in shock, Ichigo took two steps back as he rewounded the info he extracted in his head.

There was an Espada in Earthland.

"That's… impossible!" he thought as he stared at the ground. "But Noitra's dead. I know Kenpachi killed him during the Winter War! Unless…"

The Espada was an elite group of Arrancars under the command of Aizen Sōsuke. However, the Espada he led during the Winter War wasn't the first to attain said ranks. Others came before such as the Arrancars part of the Privaron Espada and a close family friend, the former Tres Espada, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck.

"Maybe whoever this Arrancar is… he or she was the Quinto Espada before Noitra Gilga."

However, there was one detail that he almost missed.

"You said the process involves using liquified Hollow Reishi, correct?" Sol nodded fearfully. "You must have some sort of donor for that. Who is it?"

Ichigo wasn't expecting the following answer.

"A Hollow child," answered the Earth mage. "She was brought to us by one of our conspirator's subordinates as our source of Hollow Reishi."

"A Hollow child?" The reaper's blood ran cold. "Who is it? Give me the description of that child."

"She looks around five to six years old, with a pinkish birthmark running over the bridge of her nose. The child has lemon green hair and a cracked Hollow mask over her– GAAAGH!"

In a fit of rage, Ichigo grabbed Sol by the collar of his shirt and lifted him… while still tied to the chair. "You Monsters! All this time, you were using an innocent girl for your twisted power-hungry ambitions. Worst of all, you're exploiting one of my closest friends." He pulled Sol close, their faces now mere inches away. "Is she alive? Is Nel alive!?"

"YES!" Upon answering, he was tossed to the ground. The nasty thud coursed through his body thanks to the hard landing.

"Why?" Ichigo asked. "Why are you so obsessed with destroying Fairy Tail when they had done to your guild? You were even willing to harm a kid just for the sake of vengeance."

"Nothing!?" Despite being bound and lying down, Sol and no hesitation in answering such a ridiculous. Even in the face of fear, his hatred for the fairies was greater. "Those insufferable fairies had taken everything from us! We were at the top! We had prestige, money, influence… EVERYTHING! That all changed when Fairy Tail rose in popularity. Every year, they accomplish feats that would make Phantom Lord look pale in comparison. Our standing as Fiore's strongest was taken away from us!"

"That's it?" Ichigo inquired, finding the reasoning incredulous. "All of this because of ego? I somehow expected it to be something like this but… you just sound so pathetic."

"Pathetic!?"

"It is! Fairy Tail never even challenged you outright. They never desired your place at the top. Whatever achievement they gained was earned through their efforts and not as a means to spite your guild."

"Bah! It doesn't matter." Sol squirmed under his binds, finding it a bit looser than earlier. "With the power from your world, not even the likes of Titania, Salamander, Laxus, or even Gildrats can stop us!" Finally, his hands were free.

"Then, you've got to go through me…"

Sol sprang into action. "D'aise!" He quickly donned his Hollow mask and mustered as much magic as he had. He will eliminate the death god even if it kills him so long as nothing will get in the way of Phantom Lord's vengeance.

Sadly, the Hollowfied mage's target disappeared. The next thing he knew, he was seeing his lower half fall to the ground as his entrails splattered the floor.

Ichigo held no remorse for doing this. He didn't like it, but these people were beyond saving. They kidnapped Lisanna and were using Nel as a power source for their sick goals.

Phantom Lord is too dangerous to be kept active.

It was decided then. All of them. From Jose, Rusty Rose, Aria, and their cronies. If left to do their twisted deeds, then no one is safe.

His guild, his family… he needed to protect them. That's why…

Phantom Lord had to die.

A/N: ModernRogue11 here and I must say, I think I just made a Tite Kubo-esque title. My main theme for this chapter was about revenge and how it could stem from even the pettiest of reasons. Phantom Lord is one of the best examples of revenge born out of pettiness. I hope most of you can understand the underlying theme of this chapter.

Also, I gotta apologize for taking this long. This was longer than expected but maybe in the coming days, I could post another chapter that would ultimately finish this mini-arc. Let's just see how it goes.

Don't forget to read my other story, Of Heroes, Sorcerers, & Fairies, and another one that won't get many updates, Gods Beyond the Shattered Moon. It's kind of funny that the latter has more reads now than the other. Still, I appreciate that you readers take the time to read them.

Until next time.