2nd Generation

by Fallen Angel Codester

Nashi Dragneel has a lot too live up to, but she doesn't have to worry about that all that much. Almost twenty years have past, and now new foes want a shot against Fairy Tail. Rated M for heavy content in later chapters

426. Twelve

Nine years huh? My how time flies. When I first published 2nd Generation, I was in tenth grade. I had no intentions of ever publishing something this long online. I had never finished a project I had started on this website, ever. Part of me assumed this would be just another unfinished attempt at creating something that I would forget about over time.

Yet somehow, it wasn't. Time and again I returned, to keep updating. Somehow this story avoided being forgotten. Was it because Fairy Tail got me into anime? Maybe. Was it because I had more creative freedom in an OC story than a regular one? Who knows. Certainly I don't.

Next year will mark a decade I've been writing this, and by then we will be closing in on the end. I certainly won't reach the end by then, but at the very least we'll be closer. Hell, we might not make it to eleven years. Who knows?

Unrelated to the chapter, but I think I've been spelling Ankhseram wrong for years now...How did I manage that? Seriously... I am so embarrassed right now.

Please enjoy the culmination of nine years of work, and look forward to the beginning of the final saga in the New Year.

Damien couldn't sleep.

That was nothing unusual for the six-year old, as he had so much energy he could barely keep still on a good stay. This night, though, something was bothering him. He felt an odd itch in the back of his head, one he couldn't scratch himself. No matter what he tried, it hadn't gone away all day. Not even training with his Mom had helped, which was even more annoying. That still was not the weird part though.

The weird part was that despite how energetic he still felt, his eyelids and he felt himself drift off to sleep. The moment he did though, he felt his mind travel to a dream, hurdling him towards it like it was calling him. When he arrived, he found himself standing in a dark place, water beneath his feet. The water did not get his bare feet wet though, which was odd. Frowning, he looked around to try and spot anything. He saw nothing. What kind of dream was this? It was kinda dumb.

"It's no dream, Damien."

Damien whirled at the voice to see who spoke. Standing before him was a man wearing an obsidian black tuxedo, one that glimmered in the low light. He had medium-length black hair that was swept back, also shining in the light. His eyes were black as well, which was unnerving. His skin was porcelain white and perfect, which was also odd.

"It isn't?" He asked, "then what is it? Who are you?"

"One thing at a time," The man replied. "Introductions first. My name is Xisplate, I am what's known as a Demon Lord of Judgement." Damien raised an eyebrow at him.

"Never heard of you," he said.

"I would suspect not," Xisplate agreed. "Most do not know of our existence. Still, I am here for one reason and one reason only; because we are bonded."

"Bonded?"

"Indeed. You see, it is ordained by God that Demon Lord's will choose a takeover wizard to merge with. I have chosen you."

"Why would you choose me?" Damien asked curiously. "Out of any choice?"

"Well that's simple," Xisplate replied. "You are the son of Mirajane Strauss and Laxus Dreyar. Your potential is very high, and as such you are more than capable of handling my power once you grow older. I already know you can takeover into a basic demonic form. I am simply a higher being than that."

"How do you know that?" He asked, "you watching me?"

"Since the moment you were born," Xisplate answered. "Actually, before even that. I had decided you would be my takeover wizard the very moment you began to grow in your mother's womb."

"Gross."

"Ah yes, I forget that human children do not appreciate talking about their origins," Xisplate said. "Still, I have been with you since then. It is why, even as a child, your strength is so vast. I am aiding you."

Damien didn't really know what any of that meant, but it sounded cool. He took a few steps closer to him and hummed, looking him up and down.

"So you're strong."

"Immensely so."

"So that makes me strong?"

"Indeed."

"Cool, so I get to takeover into you now?"

"No." Damien made a face at this response.

"Why not?" He asked.

"As I just explained, my power is immense," he said. "And yours is not. Your body is not ready to take on my strength, it would be too much and you would lose control." Damien frowned.

"Mom explained what happens when a takeover wizard loses control," he said. "It's bad."

"Very much so. Losing control hands your body and power over to the entity that inhabits your body. You do not want to do that."

"I guess not," he agreed. "When will I be ready?"

"I'm not sure," Xisplate said. "It varies person-to-person."

"You've had takeover wizards before?"

"Thousands. I have been bonding to humans since time immemorial. You are the latest."

"Huh, cool." He replied. "Alright, if this is real and not a dream, I suppose I accept."

"I did not ask your permission," Xisplate said. "I merely told you the truth."

"Mom says you should always ask."

"I'll keep that in mind." Damien regarded him quietly once again, nodding slowly.

"So how long will you be with me?" He asked. Xisplate's face darkened a little.

"Until your last breath."

---

Damien had enough consciousness left to know his throat had been slit. He fell sideways as blood coated his front, vision blurry. He could see his friends staring at him in shock. Tears in their eyes. He saw Steph, on her knees, screaming her heart out. He couldn't hear her, though. It was all so hard to hear. His vision faded out, but he still tried to reach out to them.

Please, he wanted to say, please save me.

But he could tell they couldn't. Zomrus had them locked in place. His vision went blurry, and he could feel his life fading out.

"I suppose this is it, then."

Damien, free of his body, managed to look over his shoulder and saw Xisplate there.

"Xisplate..." He murmured. Xisplate had tears in his eyes, watching him sadly.

"This is it for us, Damien," he said. "Once your life fades completely, I'll be absorbed back into Zomrus and cease to be."

Damien's stomach lurched at this. No, he couldn't lose him here! He still needed him!

"Xisplate, wait..." He tried, but fell to one knee. His life was fading faster and faster.

"Go peacefully please, Damien," Xisplate said softly. His body began to fade from view, making Damien grit his teeth. "Do not go to the afterlife kicking and screaming."

"No...!" He tried to shout but whimpered instead. "Wait, Xisplate! Wait!"

"I have only until you die," Xisplate said. "If you have anything to say, say it now." Damien fought off the tears as he watched the Demon Lord grow more and more translucent, unable to do a damn thing. He growled angrily. No, it couldn't end like this! He couldn't die here, his friends still needed him!

Even still, he knew it was fruitless. He had no strength and it was waning fast. He looked up at Xisplate and saw he was nearly gone. Determination grew in his gut, and he got to his feet. He took slow shaky steps forward, walking the short distance to the fading God. He looked up and met Xisplate's eyes, still fighting off the tears. Xisplate smiled at him. A genuine smile, a human smile.

"I'll miss the talks we used to have, Damien," he said wistfully. "You always were so much fun to talk to." Damien clenched his fists as tears ran down his cheeks.

"I hated you so much..." He breathed, "but you were protecting me all this time. Even at the end you were protecting me."

"It was my duty."

"You did more than fulfil some duty!" He shouted, "none of the others had a relationship like we did...You were always there, in the back of my mind...Even when I loathed you, I was never alone. Because I had you." Xisplate snorted.

"You were certainly an entertaining host," he admitted. "Never a dull moment." Damien felt his body shaking as fear began to set in, knowing he was about to head into the unknown.

"...Is the afterlife a nice place?" He asked weakly. Xisplate frowned.

"I wish I could tell you. I do not know what will become of the realms with Zomrus awake again."

Damien felt like he was a kid again. A scared child with no idea of what was out there. He felt the void calling to him, and it scared him.

"...You'll stay with me, right?" He asked, realising his voice had changed as well. Back to how he sounded as a kid. "Until I'm gone?" Xisplate smiled wider, tears staining his cheeks as well.

"Until your last breath," he said.

Unable to control his fear or sadness any longer, Damien collapsed into Xisplate and hugged him tightly, trying desperately to hold onto him as the void pulled on them both. He sobbed into Xisplate's shoulder as he lamented his fate, the Demon Lord rubbing his back slowly. No matter how much he screamed and begged, nothing changed. The darkness was digging it's claws in deeper and deeper by the second. They had no time left.

"I think this is it, Damien," Xisplate said. Damien simply held on tighter. "You know, I think out of all the wizards I've met over the years, you were my favorite. Thank you for showing me how it felt to be a part of a family."

Damien did not get to reply.

Xisplate faded from his arms and disappeared. He stared at the wisps that remained of him as they floated away, leaving him alone.

As death grabbed a hold of Damien Dreyar, for the first time in his entire life, he was alone.

Completely and utterly alone.

---

As Damien Dreyar breathed his last, the Circle that remained pulsed with power. Those present looked around in shock as reality began to tremble, threatening to break apart at the seams. After a few seconds of this, Zomrus began to laugh.

FINALLY! After all these years, my separated pieces have returned to me! The locks placed upon me can hold me no longer! Cain! Free me from this eternal prison, so we may remake the world as we see fit!

A black door erupted from the earth behind Cain, all of the chains that had been holding it gone and withered. The door's heartbeat had increased, and whatever was within was pushing against it, desiring it's freedom more than ever.

"Lord of Death and Envoy of the End!" Cain chanted, the markings on his body glowing stronger. "I call your name as these seals are broken! Your power has returned to you, and your eyes have opened! I beg of you, be free of this prison and make your name known in this world again! All will know your name once more! Zomrus, Brother of Creation, I set you free!"

The doors opened at the middle and slammed all the way open, nearly breaking off of their hinges. What lay beyond was nothing but a black void, but it didn't take a wizard to be able to sense the being that lay beyond. For a few seconds there was silence.

Then, there was a deafening roar.

People all over Earthland, and indeed all life in the universe, heard this roar. It resounded off of the corners of reality and echoed across space, causing all who heard it to collapse into a heap. Anyone unlucky enough to be doing a perilous task at that moment lost their lives, but they would be considered the lucky ones.

As the roar died down, an entity approached the doorway. It's silhouette was black, but it was unmistakably human. It grew larger and larger, and before long it stood right before the exit-way.

Then, it entered the Circle.

It's being was not comprehensible. All present could sense it was there, but none could see it. All they knew was that a new entity had entered reality, one that had been lost for eons. A deep, rumbling laugh echoed through the Circle.

Don't worry, humans. I will take a form you can understand with your three-dimensional minds.

Then, before the door, a being started to come into existence.

This being had skin as white as snow, but had no veins visible in his skin. His skinny body was covered by a obsidian-colored robe, one that was wove from the sheer power the God possessed and had a gold trim that shone with the intensity of the sun. The robes looked to be as deep as an ocean, immense magic rippling just beneath the surface. In his hand he held a golden staff, the end transforming into a deep black scythe that extended several feet before ending in the sharpest blade ever conceived by mortals.

His head soon came into being, and his hair was somehow even blacker than his robes. It too rippled with magic, his long and wavy hair seemingly going on forever despite it being only medium-length and swept-back. His face came next, with a mouth set in a smirk so devious it would make anyone suspicious, and a perfect chiseled jawline and nose. His eyes came last, revealing irises of deep explosion red, ringed by black. When one looked into his eyes, they could conceive of creation itself; what the universe must have looked like when he and his brother first breathed life into it.

Zomrus took a deep breath and exhaled, smiling.

"Finally," He breathed, his voice melodious and pitch-perfect. "I am reborn."

He turned to his side where Cain was, to see the man kneeling.

"Stand Cain, son of Adam. Your God wishes to speak to you, eye-to-eye."

One did not need glasses to see Cain was horrified. He got to his feet shakily, the power of his takeover gone from his body. His eyes were wide with fear, and he looked like a mouse standing before a continent. Zomrus smiled wide at the man.

"You have served me well these last few years," he said. "Never before have I had a pawn as useful as you."

"T-Thank you, My Lord."

"You fulfilled every duty to the letter, doing exactly as I asked and brought me back to this realm. The fates were right to destine you as my right-hand man. Stand tall and proud, you have served me excellently."

"T-Thank you, Lord."

"Hm, and those Children as well. Let me bring them here."

Eleven portals opened, and through them stepped the Children of Nyx. Some looked worse off than others, but they all looked horrified to see Zomrus and immediately fell to one knee, revering him. Zomrus held his arms out before them, smiling even wider.

"The Children of Nyx," he said. "You have served me faithfully. Cain did an excellent job of recruiting from my Cult."

Zomrus walked down the line of Children, regarding them all quietly. He stopped at the one who was known as Philotis, her head hair hiding her face.

"Look at me, Philotis," Zomrus said. The small woman shakily raised her head, fear and respect etched over her features. "I was most impressed with your battle against the Dragneel's and bastardised reject known as Drakhosz. To survive the pain he inflicted on you, and still be able to carry out your duty? Excellent."

"Thank you, Lord Zomrus!" She said, trying to remain calm.

"In time I wish to discuss all of your roles in our new world," Zomrus said, walking past them and looking to his defeated enemies, who were still kneeling and unable to move. "But for now, I wish to talk to our defeated enemies."

---

"Raise your heads."

Nashi was given no choice, her head snapping to attention and looking at the man in question. Had she not known any better, she'd have thought the scrawny young man before her wasn't anything special. But his eyes gave him away. The eyes were horrendous.

Zomrus smiled and held his arms at length before them.

"I commend you on your strength, Fairy Tail," he said. "I have seen humans fight before, but none quite as intensely as you. I wish to congratulate your efforts. You did well to bring me back."

No one spoke.

"Ah, but you weren't trying to do that, were you? You were trying to keep me asleep. And you failed, as here I stand. But do not anguish in your loss, Fairy Tail and friends. Take solace in knowing that all of this started eons before any of you were even close to existing."

Zomrus walked before them in a line, all of them forced to watch him do so.

"You know this, don't you?" He asked, looking over at them. "This has all been predestined before you arrived. My awakening was inevitable. No blessings from my brother or other Gods could possibly have prevented this. My brother knew this, did you know?"

No one answered him.

"My brother knew you would lose," he said, "and yet still he blessed you and allowed you to come here. You successfully hastened my awakening, and for that I thank you. After all, I've been working on this a long time. Would you like to know how I accomplished all of this while I was asleep?"

Again, silence.

"Well it's funny you should ask," Zomrus continued. "See, the wheels of this story started turning about four hundred years ago. It was right about when you returned to life, Natsu Dragneel."

Everyone watched as Natsu was forced to the front of the crowd by an invisible force, eyes wide as he gazed upon the God of Death.

"Did you never wonder?" Zomrus inquired, staring down at him as one would an insect. "Did you never ask how it was the God's allowed you to come back to life? To exist long after you had exited the mortal plane? Well I have an answer. Would you like to know why?"

Natsu could not ask why. Zomrus smiled.

"Because Zeref did something no other wizard since before my slumber ever managed to do," he said. "Zeref did not retrieve your soul from the Circles, like Ben and Zoe did to Nashi. No, what Zeref did that fateful day was create life itself. He invoked Soul Creation Magic and created a new, fresh soul. One that he implanted into your preserved corpse and brought you back to life. Didn't you ever wonder why you have no concrete memories of before then? Of why your mother and father are barely but a blur to you? Because you are not their son. You are an artificial soul your grieving brother created. Don't feel too bad though. All things considered, you are more Natsu Dragneel than the other boy ever got to be."

Natsu did not reply.

"Of course the creation of fresh life outside of biological reproduction was not appreciated by my brother. See, humans had been forbidden from practicing such magic after my imprisonment. It was why Zeref had been cursed in the first place, after all. Delving to deeply into teachings of mine was forbidden. But in doing this, Zeref put us all on this path."

Zomrus turned to them and smiled.

"By invoking Soul Creation Magic, Zeref did something Ankhseram hated. The one thing he'd tried to avoid; he caused me to stir. By creating your soul, Zeref caused me to shake in my slumber. It caused my consciousness to reawaken after thousands of years. Truly, it is thanks to Zeref we stand here today. I will honor him later. If only my brother had the stomach to simply kill Zeref, perhaps none of this would have happened."

Nashi stared at the God in shock, barely able to comprehend what he was saying to them. This made way to much sense, sense she could not deny.

"Of course, stirring in my chains did little," Zomrus said as he continued to pace. "I was still robbed of my strength and in chains created by the only being who could challenge me. But now that I was able to perceive things again, I took a look at the world, out of curiosity. What I saw offended my very being. Humans had not changed. They and dragons were still massacring each other with no regard for anyone or anything. When I saw this, I knew I was needed, and so I started to plan. The first thing I had to do, of course, was find my worshippers. Hard as it may be to believe, there were humans who sided with me in the conflict with Ankhseram. Those who agreed you needed correction. I knew those people would still be out there, worshipping me. And so I looked, and when I saw a magical signature similar to mine, I knew I had found them. See, they held a relic of mine; my staff. That was the one Cain has used up until now. Sadly, it seems he shattered it in his conflict with Damien Dreyar, but no matter. Such things are easily repaired."

Zomrus shrugged indifferently.

"My worshippers had been driven into hiding following the war, fighting for their very survival. This pocket had fled all the way to Ikathe - which you call Seven - and hid themselves well. There they remained, for thousands of years, praying for my return. And return I did. See, as Damien might have told you, the Time God Chronos had been given a prophecy. This prophecy spoke of my release, and named four names. Those names were Zeref, Natsu, Nashi, and Cain. Three of you are present right now. How do I know of this prophecy? That's simple, really. See, even though the Demon Lords were separated from me, they still were a part of me. When Mezevera thought of this prophecy, I too gained knowledge of it. Even with only a small fraction of my power, I was able to glean it. Once I connected with my followers, I relayed this prophecy too them, and told them that when the one the prophecy spoke of arrived, they were to support them as my envoy."

Zomrus clapped Cain on the shoulder at this, startling him.

"And so my followers waited and prayed, for four hundred years. During this time I also watched you, Natsu Dragneel. I watched you and your family defeat Zeref and that annoying mutt Acnologia. When I saw Zeref had tried to imbue you with the power to kill immortal beings for his own selfish ends, I knew why you were so important. I knew why you had been named in that prophecy. It was your strength that would help me exact my revenge."

"After much time, almost ten thousand years of waiting, the prophesied one appeared. When I saw Cain come to Fiore with The Olympians many years ago, doing what they were doing, with an Oracle in tow, I knew he was the one to carry out my will. Using my limited influence, I sent that weak fraction of me Mezevera a vision of the caves were I was secretly worshipped. As planned, Cain was dispatched to investigate. When he arrived, he was shown the truth of this world by my worshippers. When he grasped the staff, I told him all about my plans and why I needed to do them. Cain was a good boy, and he agreed with me. He'd seen the horrible things The Olympians had been prepared to do to try and stop me, and he didn't like it one bit. As I'm sure you're all perfectly aware, The Olympians were willing to do very nasty things in order to save the world. I suppose I relate to that somewhat. If only they weren't complete fools. Once I had swayed Cain and he agreed to be my herald, we agreed on our next steps."

"First things first, Cain would need allies he could rely on. So before he left, he initiated a selection process among the children of the cult. He selected twelve, a divine number, that would assist him in any way he needed. Those would be eleven of the twelve Children of Nyx you see behind him. Granted that Jason boy escaped, but one missing was of no consequence. Cain himself could become the twelfth, and it would make little difference."

Zomrus nodded appreciatively at the Children before continuing.

"Of course we needed to know if I could use these Children as we needed. I wanted to imbue them with my strength as I had done before, but I was too weak. We could use the Demon Lord's power instead though. So Cain went to Zeus and explained that it would be a good idea to create a test group. A test group that would see what happened when infused with the power of a Demon Lord. You would know this group as Devil Advocate. Cain's excuse was to try and create an army against me, and Zeus bought it like a fool."

"Of course this was a failure, as the power given the children of the program was too diluted and unreliable for me, so that plan was abandoned. I would simply need to give them power once I awoke instead. Instead I had Cain train the Children in Lost Magics, so they would be powerful enough."

Zomrus turned, and Nashi paled as he looked directly at her.

"Before that though," he said, "A special someone was born into the world. When I saw Lucy Dragneel give birth, and I heard the name she gave her baby daughter, I knew my awakening was coming. The final name from the prophecy had been given, and it would take mere decades for me to be released. As I watched her, I sensed a power residing within her. The same power Zeref had cultivated in END had been passed on to Nashi. It was this power, the very power Zeus wanted to use on me, that I would use to free myself from my chains. But to do that, we needed to get our hands on Nashi herself."

"So we worked. As Zeus and The Olympians fought against you all, Cain and I worked against them. When Nashi Dragneel gave her life at the top of Mt. Olympus to save her friends, Cain and I had planned that. Nashi Dragneel's death was the instigating step in this conflict we just had. And since Zeus had gathered several Demon Lord takeover wizards like a fool, he had given me the tools I needed while trying to stop me. What is it you humans say? One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it? Zeus would have liked that saying I'm sure."

"I instructed Cain to speak with the takeover wizards for Zoka and Ruli. He did so and inducted them into his secret alliance. When Nashi Dragneel died, I used my limited influence to whisper to Zoka and Ruli. They are the weakest Demon Lords, being two halves of one whole understanding of human behavior. I weakened their resolve, and in doing so allowed Ben and Zoe to use their strength to resurrect Nashi. Once they did, Cain had them split her into two beings. One of these beings would be used to instigate the fight between The Olympians and Fairy Tail, while we took the other to Tartarus."

Nashi trembled at the name, remembering what had happened there.

"Do you recall what I said earlier? That Zeref created a being that, when strong enough, could kill immortals? Well, this power had been refined through his union with a human, Lucy. The power that swelled within even half of Nashi was incredible. More than potent enough to kill the Demon Lords. So we took it for our own. He absorbed large swathes of this power, refined it, and used it for ourselves. Did you see the blades the Children used to kill the Demon Lords? They were imbued with END's strength. A single strike was all it took to kill them and have the power return to me."

"During this time, you lot predictably came to blows with The Olympians over the other half, and defeated them. That was one thorn out of my side, but the Demon Lords remained. Thankfully, that was already dealt with."

"When Zoka and Ruli resurrected Nashi, it broke a fundamental rule that governed their existence. When this happened, they all retreated to their domains, eventually agreeing they needed to take Nashi's soul back to ensure I stayed sleeping. This put you all and the Demon Lords on an inevitable collision course, and Cain planned to meet you there with the Children." He took a deep breath.

"Sorry, I forgot humans prefer summaries. Allow me to give you the short version: Zeref Dragneel caused me to stir when he brought Natsu back. Thanks to this I found my followers, informed them of the prophecy, and when the time came I guided Cain to them. Once he was my envoy, we worked to undermine Zeus' plan to defeat me, and took Nashi's power for ourselves. Using this, we have killed the Demon Lords and resurrected me."

Zomrus gestured around.

"And here we are. Everything since the beginning has led us here. The Children used END's pilfered power to slay half of the Demon Lords, and then Cain used my strength to slay the remaining six. Now I am awakened. All of this, because one little boy four hundred years ago could not go on without his baby brother. A very human feeling, I'm sure you'd agree."

If Zomrus' existence had not stunned everyone into silence, the story certainly did. Nashi barely even felt conscious, kneeling there, staring ahead blankly. This had been preordained from the very start? All of this was going to happen no matter what?

Her eyes drifted over to Damien's grey corpse, blood staining his front. His eyes were lifeless, and staring into them caused her stomach to turn, nearly retching all over the ground.

They'd lost, completely and utterly. There was no scenario where they would have won. How could they have beaten a God?

"Now then," Zomrus said. He lifted a hand, and a black and gold throne erupted from the ground. He sat upon it and stared down at them, smiling. "I'll have to start this new era off with the right impression. I am a benevolent God, much as my brother might have said otherwise. As such, I will answer any questions you all have. Ask anything, and I will answer you."

No one spoke for what felt like a million years, and part of Nashi just wanted to die.

"This power inside of me and Nashi," her father spoke suddenly, startling her. "What exactly is it? How can we kill immortals?"

"An excellent start," Zomrus said, gesturing to her dad with his scythe. "As I'm sure you're aware, Zeref wanted nothing more than to die. However, the Curse of Contradiction prevented this. The more value he held for life, the more lives he snuffed out. Not even disregarding life could he be free, as Ankhseram cursed him to immortality anyway. It was in this, obviously, that he began the Etherious project. Most of his demons, such as Kyoka or Mard Geer, were simply not powerful enough. They all missed the key factor."

Zomrus smiled.

"The power that you possess, Natsu, has no real name. At least, not something that you humans could understand even if I tried to translate. But to answer your question, this power originated with Ankhseram."

He laughed.

"As you may have guessed with your rudimentary knowledge of magic, God's are immortal and practically invincible. The closest you have ever gotten to hurting us is whatever you call that 'God Slayer' magic, and even that is too weak and diluted. No, the only thing that can kill a God is someone of comparable power. Someone who also has divine power. Be that as it may, Zeref realized at some point that when he had been cursed, Ankhseram had left behind divine ether. It was an infantile amount, barely able to really count as leaving anything behind, so it needed to be nursed and grown, like a tree. But how do you do that? He could not, as he was ageless. His demons up until that point were not really alive either."

Zomrus turned back to her dad then.

"But what if he implanted that magic in a human child?" He asked, "what if that divine ether was given to a child and allowed to grow as they did, eventually culminating in the power to slay those that cannot die? That is where the power you refer to as END originates. It is divine ether, which was grown and twisted inside your mortal body to become something new altogether. You and your daughter and very unique, Natsu. Nashi even more so."

The God turned to her.

"Your strength was already nearly ready to blossom when you impregnated Lucy Heartfilia," he said. "Seeing as you aren't totally human, that meant that this volatile mix of divine ether and human magic passed onto her. And as she grew, so too did her END's strength. Tell me, Nashi dearest, do you know why you could not use magic for the longest time? It is because you are wholly unique. Only someone comparable to you, like your father, could have awakened the strength inside of you."

Zomrus frowned at this, twirling his scythe in his hand.

"Over the four hundred years I had to think, I have often wondered if Ankhseram did that on purpose. If he allowed Zeref Dragneel to further tamper with Black Magic. My brother also knows of the prophecy, so I like to think he allowed Zeref to continue on, and purposefully allowed him to cultivate his divine ether."

As if Nashi had not already been speechless, this certainly would have silenced her. Her inability to use magic was connected to all of this? Seriously?

"Anyone else have any questions?" Zomrus asked.

No one spoke.

Someone hiccupped.

"...Why?" Steph's frail voice asked. She was slumped on her knees, arms hanging weakly at her side. Her eyes had not left Damien's corpse. "Why are you doing this to us?"

Zomrus regarded her quietly, and it made Nashi antsy. He was staring at her like someone would look at an ant of the ground.

What happened next shocked her.

Zomrus got up from his throne and walked to Steph. He knelt before her, and used his hand to tilt her chin up so she was looking at him. He smiled down at her, but his eyes were cold.

"You mustn't think this is a personal vendetta, Stephanie dearest," he said in a sickly sweet tone. "This has nothing to do with any of you personally. I'd have done the same to anyone. But more to the point, I'm doing this to save the creation my brother has allowed to rot. He has spent ten thousand years and longer allowing humans, dragons, and all manner of creatures to desecrate the universe we built for them. No longer, never again. I will ascend to your world and right these wrongs. I will rule you as a benevolent King, who treats all fairly and never allows to crimes to escape his gaze. I will be the guiding light humanity needs in order to clean the filth they are responsible for."

He stood then.

"Please don't fret," he said, louder to everyone. "I have no intention of killing any more of you. When I go to your world you will come with me, and you will bear witness to my plan to change the world. I promise you, you are being over-dramatic. No more lives will be lost this day."

The fact that any were lost at all is a crime we cannot forgive.

In a fraction on a nanosecond, reality itself slid to a halt.

---

Zomrus regarded the frozen reality around him quietly. Judging from the complete freeze of both the humans and the realm, he was dealing with his first-made brothers.

"Was it necessary to freeze them, Chronos?" He asked aloud, turning in the direction of a gathering presence. A fair distance away from him, reality warped and bent around the arrival of a figure. This figure was clad in white robes similar to his, but every thread of his was woven from the threads of fractured timelines. In his hand he held a staff, a small clock serving as the figurehead. His hair was dark black with blonde fringes, and seemed to shimmer every second. As for his face, he had the same chiseled features Zomrus had, but his age seemed to be completely random. Sometimes he was old, sometimes young, something in the middle. Never ugly, though. His beauty remained ever-present.

"What is coming for you should not be gazed upon by mortal eyes," Chronos said. Zomrus scoffed.

"Don't act like a savior," he chastised. "Did you think I didn't see you, twenty or so years ago? I saw you fight Fairy Tail with that woman descended from your followers. What was her name? Dama?"

"That was then, this is now," Chronos replied. "Do not act like Dimaria's actions in the war mean I cannot come to their aid now."

"Dimaria! Yes, that was her. Tell me Chronos, what was it like serving her will like a dog?" Chronos' face tightened. "Did you think I didn't notice? The way you acted in that fight with Chelia was very unlike you."

"You know as well as I that God Soul Magic merges a part of my being with Dimaria, not all of me." He replied. "Her actions are her own."

"Always the excuse for those who got used," Zomrus spat back. "Where's your brother? I miss him so."

"He has been here the whole time."

Ah yes, of course.

Beside Chronos, reality began to warp once again. Space fractured and multiplied, reality folding inward on itself. A being soon imagined, one also wearing robes. However, his glistened with countless stars and the vastness of space reflected in them. Every thread was woven from a different part of space, showing his dominion over it. In his hand he held a staff as well, his figurehead being a a fractured orb multiplying into many, then becoming one once more. His hair was long and wavy, also rippling with incredible colors and shows of space and planets. He shared the same face Chronos did when he was a young man, also obviously very handsome. Looking into his eyes was like staring into the vastness of the cosmos, in all it's splendor.

"Ah, the dynamic duo," he said, raising his arms. "Chronos and Aether, God's of Time and Space. How I've missed you both."

"There hasn't been a single quectosecond where I missed you," Chronos said.

"There exists no realm where I would miss you either," Aether said, his voice floaty and nondescript. Zomrus just laughed.

"Did my brother send you?" He asked, "Are you two meant be his line of defense? I must say, he's forgotten how powerful I am if he thinks you two can stop me."

"We are not that foolish," Aether replied.

"Says the one who helped father a race of giant creatures who feasted on another intelligent race." Aether frowned deeply at this.

"The dragons are their own creatures," he said. "I hold no responsibility for what they do." Zomrus sighed.

"And that's the crux of the problem," he said. "It is our responsibility. We are their God's, don't you understand? If we do not return order to this retched place, who will?"

"Certainly not you," Chronos said, "one who believes humans to be nothing more than cattle who need to be fenced in and domesticated."

"Have they done anything to prove me wrong?" Zomrus shot back. "I hear they nearly eradicated dragons off this planet. Doesn't that bother you, Aether?"

"Dragons are far from extinct," Aether replied. "There exists a colony of hundreds, deep to the south. Even if they were, it is not my concern." Zomrus groaned.

"How is it not?" He asked, "We're responsible for them! Aether, you helped us create the dragons, so yes, you do hold responsibility for them! Chronos, you aided us with humans, so you too are responsible. Don't shirk your duties."

"Our duties do not include babying our intelligent creations," Aether said. "Our duty is to regulate Space and Time. And yours was to regulate Death, until that wasn't enough for you."

"Oh believe me, I had more than enough of that," he said. "I had to sit there for eons, staring at the atrocities you three dismissed as a consequence of free will. I will sit by no longer. I will fix this system, mark my words. Ankhseram may as well send the entire pantheon after me, it doesn't matter! Unless he descends from his gaudy throne to fight me himself, I will press forward!"

"Again," Chronos said, "we never once said we were here to fight you." Zomrus raised an eyebrow at this. Aether turned, pointing his staff at the assembled humans. All of them were consumed by a sphere, contained in a new reality Aether had created. Zomrus smiled.

"Oh I see. My brother sent you here to make sure we don't rend the universe apart when we fight."

To punctuate his sentence, a white magic circle burst to life in the sky, casting holy light across the entire circle. Zomrus grinned as he turned his gaze upwards, watching as multiple magic circles, each smaller than the last, formed a tower to ground level. A light began to descend from the uppermost circle, reaching him in only a few seconds. And from that light, a being emerged.

This being had porcelain white skin like him, although his eyes were golden. He shared the perfect facial features and flowing hair, his golden like his eyes. His robes were the purest white possible, the edges trimmed with gold as well. In his hand he held a staff in the shape of his symbol, the Ankh, that glowed with strength. This being, despite people believing he was male, had very androgynous look to his face. One could conceive him as either male or female depending on the angle. Gender was of little consequence though. They were Gods after all, they didn't really have one. They simply chose one for humans to identify them.

Ankhseram took a step away from the Circle, regarding Zomrus quietly.

"Brother," he said, his angelic, melodious tone more harmonic than Zomrus'. "I see you've woken up."

"No thanks to you, brother," Zomrus replied. "That little bit of divine ether you left Zeref resulted in this. Are you proud of yourself?"

"I did nothing but accelerate the inevitable," Ankhseram said, frowning. "Zeref was clearly the one meant to herald your awakening. I merely pushed him along his path."

"And in doing so led us all here," Zomrus concluded. "What would the Fairies think, knowing their God knew they would lose here?"

"I would hope they understand I am a being that sees in more than three dimensions. That I know more than they ever could." He snorted at this, rolling his eyes.

"Tell me brother, what do you hope to achieve by coming here?" He asked, "Our strength is equal, and you do not have the strongest wizards of the age to help you now. Well," he cast a look at the trapped wizards, "I suppose you have some, but you won't risk them. Will you?"

"They are not destined to die this day," he said. "You know this as well as I. You have absorbed Mezevera now, so surely you know of the prophecy she gave The Olympians. Of Nashi Dragneel, lighting the darkness you bring." Zomrus laughed.

"I do," he confirmed. "I must admit, the prophecy was very vague. Doesn't really answer if she wins or loses."

"Prophecies rarely do," Chronos added.

"Regardless, I wasn't going to kill them anyway. My goal is not subjugation through pointless murder." Ankhseram frowned.

"Subjugation of any kind is the problem," he said.

"Is it?" Zomrus asked, "is it wrong to want to right what I think is wrong?"

"What you perceive as wrong is the free will of intelligent life," Ankhseram argued. "How would you feel if a higher being approached us and told us we were not to be trusted, and that they were now in charge?"

"This and that are different," Zomrus shot back. "We are the God's, we are the rule makers. It's our job to keep this universe flowing smoothly."

"Says the one currently disrupting it." Zomrus laughed out loud at this.

"Me?!" He asked, "says the one who sealed away the God of Death! Who erased him from all historical texts save those who worshipped me! Tell me Ankhseram, how exactly does a God of Life regulate death? That's right, you don't. Because if you did, Zeref would not have been cursed to contradiction. He would have been condemned for all eternity. You could not, because it isn't in your nature to end, only to begin. That's why you need me to regulate existence alongside you. Those paltry Demon Lords could not compare to my abilities."

"You have this one last chance, brother." Ankhseram said. "Abandon your foolish goals, and I will let you retake your place at my side. Continue on this path, and I will have no choice but to stop you."

"No choice?" Zomrus asked. "No, brother. You have no chance at all." Ankhseram frowned, casting his eyes to Chronos and Aether.

"Do as I instructed, and no more," he said. Both Gods nodded, and he returned his gaze to Zomrus.

All of creation stood still. The Beginning and End stared directly at one another. For a moment, neither moved.

And then universes worth of power clashed against one another.

Zomrus raised his staff and blasted Ankhseram with all of his strength, Enough ether to wipe out all life in the universe shot for the God of Life, who raised his own staff and used his own power. This power was enough to breathe life into trillions of beings. Had they not already been in a separate dimension, this clash surely would have wiped away any trace of civilization on Earthland. So intense was their clash that the only reason the pocket reality did not fall apart was Aether, who was using all of his strength to keep it in one piece.

"You know clashes like these will solve nothing!" Zomrus called over their magic. "We're equals, brother! What do you really intend to do with me, exactly?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied. "You attacked first. What was your goal exactly?" Zomrus grinned.

"Oh you'll find out, brother. And regret you ever left behind your ether for Zeref to use."

Stopping his attack, Zomrus blinked to life right before his brother, and swung his scythe. Ankhseram dodged it and aimed his staff at him, a ray of golden light shooting from the hoop of the ankh. Zomrus moved out of the way, but felt singed as it passed him.

"That was pure divine ether," he noted as Ankhseram landed. "You tried to clash your own existence against mine to damage me. Do you want to defeat me so badly that you'd risk your own existence to end mine?"

"I'm glad you didn't forget how to monologue while you were locked away," Ankhseram said. "If you want to fight, fight."

"I don't want to fight," Zomrus admitted, "but you've left me no choice, brother."

---

The fight between Life and Death ceased to be understandable to the mortal mind. Even when either god tried to explain what happened during this confrontation later, neither could get across just how destructive their battle was. Outside of the Circle, time flowed relatively normally. One could say that from the time Zomrus woke up, to this entire clash, was maybe only half an hour.

However, within the Circle controlled by Aether and Chronos, Zomrus and Ankhseram clashed for ten thousand mortal years. This was caused by Chronos, who had slowed time down within the Circle relative to the outside world and the pocket where the humans were so that they did not experience the years go by. Entire new universes and planets came to life and were destroyed in this time period. Enough power to rend all of existence to nothingness was unleashed hundreds, thousands, millions upon billions of times. There was not a single moment in this entire time period where the two Gods were not clashing. Time and again, the scythe met the ankh, rending apart any molecule caught in the way.

And yet, neither could gain an opening.

Zomrus and Ankhseram were, after all, equals. Neither had more strength than the other. So when they clashed, neither could ever get the upper hand. Neither's attacks affected the other, as they had enough power to avoid taking damage. This was just as they had ordained, as life and death itself were related concepts, but could not take a permanent upper hand in the mortal plane. For anyone or thing that died, hundreds of new beings took it's place. For thousands that died, in time they were replaced by new life. Neither was able to usurp the other for control. As it should have been, as it needed to be.

Of course, over this ten thousand years they argued. Argued and argued, trying to convince the other that they were the one in the right. That they were the ones who needed to win this fight. And just like the psychical and meta-psychical fight, neither could win over the other. Neither gave any ground. During this entire time, Chronos and Aether dutifully kept the realm intact, unwilling to allow this fight to spill over into the mortal plane. If it did, billions would perish in an instant.

And so they fought. And fought. And fought again. No matter how many times either brother used enough strength to create a universe-level extinction event, the other was not affected. Ankhseram would throw the magical essence of all past, present, and future living things at Zomrus, who simply snapped his fingers and snuffed it out. Zomrus would throw every single bone from all dead things since the dawn of creation at Ankhseram, and Ankhseram destroyed them all. There was no headway being made, no advantage to exploit. This was what it meant for the Brothers of Creation to do battle.

At some point after ten thousand, nine hundred and six years, Zomrus landed a ways away from his brother and scowled.

"We're taking too much time to decide this brother," he said to Ankhseram. "If you have a way to settle this, then settle it."

"Same goes to you," Ankhseram replied. "We are equals. If you have a way to get me out of the way, then do it. I tire of this pointless conflict." Zomrus growled in annoyance. He hadn't wanted to do this, yet he had no choice. Ankhseram would not yield, but he could not either. There was no other way.

Reaching into his robes, Zomrus retrieved a glowing red stone. This stone's magical signature was scarily similar to the Dragneel's locked in the pocket dimension nearby. Ankhseram's eyes widened when he saw it.

"That's-"

"A portion of the power Nashi cultivated?" He asked, "the power to kill immortals? Why yes it is."

"You're not fooling me, brother. You know what would happen if one of us were to actually die."

"I do. Who said I was going to use it to kill you?" Before letting Ankhseram respond, Zomrus slammed the crystal into an open slot at the head of his scythe. The weapon glowed red, the blade gaining a red edge that hummed dangerously when it sliced through the air. "Now brother, let's see if we still can't get an opening on one another!

As the battle began again, it was very obvious Ankhseram was losing ground. He needing to now avoid all slashes from the scythe, which proved to be difficult seeing as they fought for another six hundred years. Even still, he managed to completely avoid the strike and keep Zomrus off of him, but it was clear it wouldn't last forever. Zomrus laughed as he watched his brother evade yet another hundred years of blows. Zomrus had to admit, he was impressed that his brother avoided the scythe for seven hundred years. Of course it also meant Ankhseram lost opportunities to strike at him, but did it really matter at this point? If he hadn't defeated him yet, he simply would not.

Zomrus slashed his scythe horizontally, ripping to shreds any living atoms between himself and Ankhseram. The God of Life dodged to the right, the slash's power flying past him and cleaving through the entirety of the Circle for light years.

"You're losing ground, Ankhseram," he said. "Getting overwhelmed?"

"You wish I was," Ankhseram replied. "All that strength you stole, and you still can't land a blow." Zomrus raised an eyebrow at this, grinning deviously.

"No? Let's see how you like this one then!" Zomrus raised his scythe diagonally over his head, Ankhseram raising his staff. Both stared at one another for a millisecond, before they swung their respective weapons.

Calling what resulted from these swings a 'clash' would be a mortals perception of the events that followed. When the Scythe of the God of Death connected with the Ankh from the God of Life, and entire new universe was born. This universe was full of life, ready to get a head start on the life they had been given. Sadly, they were then immediately snuffed out, as the extinction event that had created them caught up to them. Billions of life forms were destroyed in an instant in this new pocket universe, having only existed in the known reality for a few seconds. But for them, billions of years had passed.

That was just what it meant when Life and Death did battle.

Zomrus swung low on his brother, who jumped over him and swung his staff at his head. Zomrus ducked out of the way and backed up, taking up stance to swing again. Ankhseram tensed at this, making him grin at the defensive stance.

"Do you plan to block my attacks for all time, brother?" He asked, gathering his strength into his scythe.

"If that's what it takes to prevent you from doing what you plan," Ankhseram replied. Zomrus smiled even wider at this.

"Then by all means, be my guest!"

He turned and slashed at the pocket dimension containing the human wizards.

The slash attack created a glowing blade of red magic, one that hurtled towards the bubble they were being protected in. The attack was so fast that not even Chronos was able to slow it down in time, and it was going to cleave through all of them and destroy them all. Zomrus grinned as he watched the attack fly, knowing what would happen.

And as he predicted, Ankhseram appeared in the way.

His brother had only time to get in the way, eating the slash attack instead. The magic power sliced through his brother's robes and into his flesh, golden ichor spilling everywhere as the slash drove itself into his flesh. Ankhseram grit his teeth as the attack faded, nearly collapsing as it did so. Golden blood now drenched his remaining clothes, the wound not sealing up like a normal one could have.

"You said-"

"That I wouldn't kill the humans?" Zomrus asked for him. "I'm not going to. I was going to stop the attack had you not got in the way. I knew you'd never let me hurt them, even if there was only a slim chance I would. I know you, brother. If there is one thing you value above all else, it is the sanctity of innocent life."

Ankhseram's robes had been sliced off his top half, leaving him exposed above the waist. More and more blood drenched his chest and legs, dark veins spreading out from the slash.

"Even now, the magic Zeref created is worming it's way into your very core. It won't be powerful enough to kill you, separated from Nashi as it is. It will, however, weaken you enough for me to win this duel. How does it feel, brother? To know the reason you lost is because you couldn't bare killing Zeref all those years ago. Do you regret it?"

Ankhseram did not answer at first, panting heavily. His legs were trembling as more golden blood seeped out of the wound, the veins digging in deeper and deeper.

"I don't regret it," he finally answered. Zomrus raised an eyebrow as Ankhseram looked up at him, defiant. "I don't regret not killing him. Because unlike you, I value human life. I don't want to snuff it out unless I absolutely have too. What Zeref did deserved punishment, but not death."

"You're a weak parent, brother," Zomrus said flatly. "Your pathetic parenting as led your child to cause your own death. I will not make such mistakes." Ankhseram actually laughed at this, surprising Zomrus.

"You've already made enough mistakes to seal your fate," he said, grinning himself. "You've already made enough enemies to destroy whatever you try to build." It was Zomrus' turn to laugh.

"What, those puny humans? What do you expect them to do, if you can't do anything?"

"It was human strength that helped me topple you before, brother," Ankhseram replied. "Too see you doubt it again is nothing short of self-sabotage." Zomrus frowned at this, walking towards Ankhseram, who did not move.

"I don't doubt human strength," he said, "not anymore. I used human strength to stand here today. I trusted in Cain and the Children, and they broke me free from my prison. I know the power of free will, brother. It freed me, after all."

"And even still you doubt them?" Ankhseram asked, "perhaps all those years locked up did permanent damage to you, brother. You're not making sense."

"What good will free will do without you to guide them?" He demanded, getting in his brother's face. "Without the heavens to guide them they are without a hope, without light. Do you think human strength alone can topple the empire I plan to build?"

"Who said they were alone?" Ankhseram asked him, Zomrus raising an eyebrow. "There are ten other Gods we created, remember? They do not answer to you." Zomrus smirked.

"And who will they answer too then, once I've locked you in chains as you did to me? You know as well as I do that the others of the pantheon do not match our strength. Of course you know this, as you didn't allow Chronos and Aether to help you in this fight."

"Why do you speak as if I didn't know this could happen?" Ankhseram asked, ichor now dripping from his mouth. "I knew this was a possibility. The other God's have their instructions. They will not bow to you." Zomrus frowned.

"No?" He asked, "Then perhaps I should eliminate hope from your wild cards." He then turned to Aether and Chronos, who looked unperturbed. "Aether, free the humans from that reality. I want them to watch what happens next."

"I don't answer to you," Aether replied.

"Well you'd better start," Zomrus said, aiming his scythe at Ankhseram's neck. "Or else I really will kill him."

"Do as he says, Aether," Ankhseram said. "Remember what I told you."

Zomrus had no idea what that might have meant, but the God of Space did as he was told and dismantled the pocket dimension the humans were protected in. Once he had, Chronos restarted time around them, causing them all to blink in surprise and look around, shock written all over their faces.

"What the-?!" Natsu Dragneel started, seeing Zomrus and Ankhseram. "Is that-?!"

"Ankhseram!" Nashi shouted, shuffling a bit closer as she recognized the God. "What the hell just happened?! How did you get here?!"

"I will have silence, thank you," Zomrus said loudly. The humans were silenced before they could complain more, making him smile. "Good. You didn't get to see it, humans, but Ankhseram fought viciously to save you. He fought me for eleven thousand of this Circle's years. And yet, I have defeated him. Defeated him with the very power you hold, Nashi. Do you recognize it?" He waved the scythe before her. Her face was ghostly white, although he couldn't tell if that was because she was scared, or the sheer presence of four God's was tearing her apart.

"And now," he turned back to Ankhseram, smiling at his brother. "I will seal away the God of Life, imprison him as he did me. I want you all to watch. Watch as the mightiest ally you have to fight against me is sealed away for all times."

"We thought you were sealed away forever as well, Zomrus," Ankhseram teased weakly. "Yet here we stand."

"Do you think me a fool?" Zomrus asked, "I will not allow the keys to your chains to walk around freely. I will keep them close and under my supervision. So, human wizards, please watch as I seal away Ankhseram for eternity."

Before he could start his ritual, a fist was driven into his face.

He turned, unaffected, to see Natsu Dragneel had punched him. The man had activated his Etherious powers, using all the strength he could muster to strike him. Of course it did nothing, but it did distract him momentarily.

"ATTACK!" Natsu roared, "DON'T LET HIM NEAR ANKHSERAM!"

His scream seemed to spark life in his allies. All the human wizards got to their feet, magic exploding out of them as they activated their powers. Zomrus watched indifferently as they rushed him, frowning.

"I said I will have silence," he said.

There was no effect.

In fact, Zomrus watched as his will rebounded away from the wizards. He cast a glance at Aether, who smiled at him.

"Protective reality," he said. Zomrus sighed at this.

"Why must everything be so complicated?" He asked.

He turned, just in time to take a strike from Gray Fullbuster's Ice Devil Slayer Magic to the face. He shook it off in annoyance, just in time to see Sting and Michael rushing him with their powers amplifying by the second thanks to Dragon Force. They struck him with their powers, but it barely stung. He stumbled backwards to get out of their way, looking to the side as Orga and Rina Nanagear both aimed their hands at him.

"Lightning God's Artillery Barrage!" They both cried. Zomrus was beset upon by dozens of lightning strikes that tried to fry him, and he had to admit it did sting a bit. He flexed his presence and shattered the spells, just to see he was no being consumed by a whirlwind. The wind sliced at his form and tried to rip him apart, but all it did was provide him a decent breeze. He freed himself again, seeing Erza Scarlet and her son both rushing him, neither wearing any form of armor at all but carrying dangerous looking blades.

"Humans never know when to quit, do they?" He asked aloud as he dodged the multitude of strikes they both aimed at his neck. He kicked Simon Scarlet away without doing any damage to him, then turned and backhanded his mother. This caused him to be beset upon by Jellal, who he knocked away with his scythe. He tried to move, but saw his legs had been consumed by ice. He looked to see both Gray and Ultear working to keep his legs sealed, but all he really had to do was flex his legs to free himself. They kept at it, annoying him further.

Before he could free himself again, Someone grabbed onto him, and it burned. He turned to see Natsu grabbing him, smirking at him deviously.

"And why am I being hugged?" He asked the man.

"Too make sure she doesn't miss," Natsu replied. "NASHI, HIT HIM WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!"

Zomrus turned as he sensed another spell incoming, this one actually causing him to wince. What he saw was Nashi Dragneel consumed by dark flames, her body becoming somewhat demonic.

"I don't know if you can hear me, END!" Nashi shouted, "BUT I REALLY NEED YOU RIGHT NOW!"

The flames around the girl went out, and she rushed him at light speed. Zomrus could see a meteoric spell being created against her knuckles, one that caused his being to tremble slightly.

"Must you annoy me so?" He asked.

He swung his scythe down vertically, cleaving through Nashi Dragneel's hand all the way up her forearm, slicing it in two. The girl screamed as she hit the ground, her arm hanging limply as her father rescued her and fell backwards. He sighed as he watched the girl wail, Winter and Chelia rushing to help her.

"Chronos, be a dear and help her, would you?" He asked. Chronos looked annoyed at being ordered around, but he raised his hand anyway. A sphere appeared around the split appendage, a clock seal on it. Within a millisecond Nashi's arm was wound back to before it was split, causing her wails to cease as she stared on it shock.

"Please stop being a nuisance," he said to them. "I'm trying to finish up over here."

"As if we'd let you!" Erza Scarlet shouted, a black welt growing over her artificial eye from where he'd slapped her away. "We'll die if it means stopping you!"

"Dying would mean nothing, as you cannot stop me," Zomrus said. "I tried not to hurt you, but sending Nashi after me left me little choice."

"So Nashi can hurt you," Sting said.

"Was that not apparent?" Zomrus asked. "I said the power she has cultivated was used to not only kill those Demon Lords, but wound Ankhseram so. Of course I would need to evade that strike. It wouldn't kill me, but it would annoy me very much. So much so I might need to kill some of you had it landed. Good thing it did not, hm?"

"At least they created this opening!" Zomrus' eyes widened, and he turned just in time for Ankhseram to grab his wrists and wrestle with him for control.

"Let go of me, brother!" Zomrus shouted, "this pathetic show is beneath us!" Ankhseram grinned at him.

"Aether now!" He called, light burning into Zomrus' wrists. Zomrus turned and saw Aether slam his staff down, and his eyes widened.

"Do not!" He shouted.

"I am Aether, God of Space!" Aether chanted, "I call upon the Twelve Gates of the Heaven's! Hear my call, and seal yourselves now! Do not allow the marked one entrance to Paradise!"

Marks were burned into Zomrus' wrists, ones that did not disappear after he'd wrestled himself free of his brother. Zomrus looked down at the marks in annoyance.

"Really, Ankhseram?" He asked, "you would deny me my throne? Such a pathetic final gambit. These seals will not hold forever once you're imprisoned, you know."

"I know," Ankhseram said weakly, on one knee. He grinned up at Zomrus. "But it does give them a fighting chance to stop you!" Ankhseram aimed his hand off to the side, light glowing off of him again. Zomrus turned and watched as the humans were all marked with seals as well, glowing ankh's being burned into their arms.

"What is-"

"Aether!" Ankhseram interrupted.

Aether once again replied to the God of Light, his staff glowing once more. Zomrus watched as every one of the human wizards was blinked out of existence, transported far away from the Circle. Turning back, Chronos and Aether had also vanished. He scoffed in annoyance.

"Do you think a Supreme Creator will have trouble finding them?" He asked. Ankhseram snorted at this.

"Really?" He asked, "go ahead, find them." Zomrus made a face, but spread his eyes over Earthland anyway.

He did not see them.

He made a face and searched again. He searched millions of times, prodding every nook and cranny. Still they eluded him. His mouth creased into a frown, looking back at Ankhseram.

"You've hidden them from me," he said flatly. Ankhseram nodded.

"I did," he said. "Now you cannot see them. Nor anyone else important to the cause."

"You marked more?"

"Everyone needed to take you down, yes." Zomrus' frown deepened. That was annoying, to say the least. Even if he felt confident, he knew from the prophecy Mezevera gave there was still a chance he was taken down. This complicated matters.

"You would put the fate of your beliefs in mere mortals?" He asked. Ankhseram laughed.

"Only mortals are truly capable of altering the future," he said. "You know that, Zomrus. That's how you were freed in the first place. Because Cain altered the future by serving you. Maybe you were right, brother. Free will does seemed to be a bit of a nuisance, huh?" Zomrus felt annoyance take over him as he stared at his brother's smirk. Himself above, Ankhseram was annoying.

"That mark will not last either," he said. "You've given them a year, at best."

"That is all they will need," Ankhseram affirmed. "You've been sealed out of Heaven, Chronos and Aether have fled, as well as the only ones that can stop you. Don't you have something to be doing, brother?"

This was not how Zomrus wanted this to go. This was supposed to be his triumphant victory, and instead all he felt was irritation. This was not something to take pride in anymore. He had wanted a desperate defeated audience, and instead he and Ankhseram were alone. Just as they had been in the beginning, and the last time one of them had been jailed. He'd been sealed out of Heaven, and the thorns in his side had escaped. All in all, his mood had been thoroughly soured.

"I will allow you your consciousness in your chains, brother," he told him. "I want you to watch those humans fail at avenging this loss."

"How gracious, brother," he said. "Make sure to not embarrass yourself in front of me." Zomrus sighed, shaking his head. Snapping his fingers, twelve portals came into existence and plopped Cain and the Eleven Children with him. They all stared at Ankhseram in shock, no one speaking.

"Come forward, Cain," he said. "You will be the first to receive a portion of this power." Cain looked unsure, but he took a few steps forward. He knelt before Zomrus, who then looked to Ankhseram.

"Anything to say before I carve you into twelve and seal you away?" He asked. Ankhseram grinned up at him, spitting ichor at his feet.

"Keep my seat warm," he said. 'I'll be needing it back once you're defeated."

Zomrus said no more. He took out the gem containing Nashi's power, returning his scythe to normal. He then brought it down on Ankhseram's chest, and began to carve.

---

Nashi had no idea what had just happened.

One moment, her arm had been cleaved in two, and the next she was teleported away into some forest. Everyone else was with her, everyone lying in a heap.

"...What have we done?" Elise asked. "Zomrus is awake, he defeated Ankhseram. We lost."

No one replied to her at first, no one having any idea what to say. Nashi fled into her father's embrace when she heard Steph's muted sobs, being reminded that Damien was dead.

Then the world went black around them.

Mortals, this is the God of Death, Zomrus. You do not remember me, but you will know me soon. I have defeated and enchained Ankhseram, who sought to protect you from me. But do not fret, I do not intend to hurt you as long as you obey me. I will remake this world as it always should have been, and all you have to do is follow my lead. If you do not, the punishment should be obvious. Do not resist me, for there is no reason. I am all seeing, all knowing. You will not escape my gaze.

This is Year Zero of the New Era. Welcome to my world.

The world itself shuddered around them, countless trees snapping and falling to the ground around them. After a few seconds it stopped, and there was silence.

Deathly silence.

"What do we do?" Orga asked, hugging Rina close to him. "We lost."

"Not yet we haven't." Nashi looked up at her father in surprise as he spoke, seeing a defiant look in his eyes.

"Natsu?" Erza asked, "What do you mean?"

"Ankhseram and Aether saved us for a reason," her father reasoned. "We still have a part to play. This isn't over."

"How do you suppose we beat a God?" Gray asked him, "and don't give me some flame-brained response, please. I want a real answer." He frowned at this.

"I don't know, but there had to be something we can-"

"I know what to do."

Nashi turned to look, as did everyone else. Ultear stood in the center of them, looking determined. She had tears staining her face, and as she noticed this Nashi also saw her right eye's iris was shattered and disjointed.

"Ul?" She asked, "what do you mean?" Ultear took a deep breath as everyone watched her.

"Chronos gave a prophecy to me and Mezevera," she said. "He gave me the way to win this war. He must have foresaw this would happen and gave it to me as a failsafe."

"What did it say?" Michael asked. Ultear took a deep breath.

"The first thing we need to do is go North," she said. "He said we need to find someone he called 'Mother.' Any ideas?" No one spoke. "Great, so that's not helpful right now. He also said we needed to find the one that carries his name. Any ideas about that?" Again, there was silence.

"It means we go to Alvarez," someone said. Everyone turned again to see it was Chelia who had spoken, and she looked certain. "The one who carries his name? Dimaria was Chronos' host. I would reason she still is, no?"

"Been a while since I heard that name," Jellal said. "Anything else, Ultear?"

"Yeah," Ultear affirmed, "he said, "From those long thought dead, to those you have fought before, you'll need to settle debts unsaid if you hope to win this war." Those you have fought before could mean Dimaria, but I'm unsure as to who else it could be."

"Those long thought dead," Erza echoed. "Who could that mean?"

"Dragons," Ultear answered, surprising everyone.

"Ul," Natsu said, "we haven't seen dragons in decades."

"I know," Ultear said, "but I also had a vision. I saw a golden dragon commanding hundreds of others over Crocus. We need to find this golden dragon and ally with him. Anyone have any ideas about him?"

"Weisslogia never mentioned a gold dragon," Sting said.

"...Igneel had an old friend he used to mention," Nashi looked up as her father spoke. "He said this friend was one of his most trusted allies. I can't remember his name, but I do remember that he was the Sun Dragon." Nashi made a face at this, her mind catapulted backwards in time to the dragon graveyard beneath Crocus. She remembered what Nessia the dragon spoke of.

"Sirius?" She asked him. She watched her father's eyes light up.

"Sirius! That's it! How did you know that, Nashi?"

"I heard it mentioned a while back, when were helping Drake in the dragon graveyard." Elise sat up at this.

"I remember that!" She exclaimed, "Nessia said Sirius was spending a lot of time with the poison dragon Mercuria, who was for coexistence."

"So if Natsu's dragon and Sirius are one and the same," Ultear said, "we can assume he too is for coexistence. Question is, is he alive?"

"If he is the dragon you saw, he'd have to be," Erza reasoned. "And that's all we can really hope for right now." Ultear took a deep breath at this, clearly gathering herself.

"Now we have some first steps," she said. "We need to travel North to find this Mother, then we need to go to Dimaria. We also need to find Sirius, if that dragon was him. Other than that, I can't think of-!"

Ultear stopped as Michael jumped up in surprise. Nashi looked, and saw that Michael's shadow had grown significantly larger. Before anyone could ask, someone was ejected from the darkness and landed hard on the ground, moaning.

"Keita?!" Michael asked, rushing to his friends side. "What are you doing here?! How did you get here?!"

"I..." Keita managed weakly, "I-I don't know. My Dad told me to think about you, then he shoved me into the shadows...Then I was here."

"Shadow Travel," Sting said, also at Keita's side. "Rogue told me about it. He can travel to people's shadows if he's well enough acquainted with them. He made you think of Michael so you could be sent here." Keita groaned as he sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"I see you guys made it back to the mortal world," he said, "although guessing by what happened in Gazania, you failed."

"What do you mean?" Erza asked, "what happened?" Keita shook his head to get his bearings.

"Some voice made a cryptic announcement, calling himself Zomrus. Then, without warning, thousands and thousands of skeletons sprang up from nowhere. They were corralling people in the center of town, killing anyone who resisted violently. The guild hall was still standing, but when they reached the front door...My Dad sent me away. He told me to warn you guys, if you were still alive. We need to go help them!" Keita then lifted his sleeve, showing an ankh burned into his wrist. "There's this too, what is it?"

Silence came over the group at this. Keita looked around for support, but no one said anything.

"Well?" He asked, "Anyone going to answer me? Whatever, we need to move! Where are we, anyway?"

"We don't really know," Michael admitted. "But we already kind of have an idea of what we need to do."

"Yeah, we need to go help the others! I can only assume Fairy Tail and the other guilds are having this happen too, so-!"

"No," Natsu said, gently pushing Nashi away as he stood. "What needs to happen now is you kids head North. The adults will head home to save our families."

"What?!" Nashi exploded, getting to her feet. "I'm not letting you go without me!"

"Me either!" Simon said to his mother. Ultear had already grabbed her Dad's arm.

"Natsu is right," Erza said to Simon. "We need to split up. See if we can save them."

"Splitting up is the last thing we should be doing!" Ultear exclaimed.

"I'm going to save my parents, no matter what you say!" Elise shouted.

The group descended into anarchy at this, parents arguing with their children. Nashi pulled desperately on her father's arm, begging to go with him. Now that she had been reminded, her stomach was churning at the idea that her mother and Luke were in danger.

"WOULD YOU ALL SHUT THE FUCK UP?!" Her father roared, silencing everyone. "We don't have time to be bickering about this! Listen to me carefully, this is no game or field trip! This is a guerilla war! We're fighting to take down the God of Death, for fuck sake! The last thing we need is for him to have leverage over us by taking our families captive! And if we fail, the last thing we need is for all of us to go down! Don't you get that?! I'd rather die than let Zomrus dig his claws into Lucy and Luke! Splitting up is the only way!"

"NO!" Nashi shouted, hugging his arm. "I'm not going to lose you! Not again! we'll save Mom and Luke together!"

"No," he said gently to her, "we will not. You and the other kids will go North to find Mother. We'll handle our families. Don't you have faith in your old man?" Nashi looked up into his kind eyes, trying desperately to reason with her.

"B-But what if you get captured?" She asked. He frowned.

"Then you're all that stands between Zomrus and his New Era being permanent," he said. "You need to understand, Nashi. We can't let him use our families, but we also can't let him capture all of us. Do you understand?"

"B-But-"

"Nashi," he silenced her with her name, making her look up at him. He gave her a wide warm smile. "I promise, I'll move heaven and earth to get back to you safely. I'm not going to lose you either, so please. For once, please listen to your Dad." Nashi stared at him with wide eyes, turning to look at her friends. They all looked equally as displeased, but Simon and Ultear nodded at her. She took a shaky breath and turned her head back to her dad, staring at his feet.

"Promise me you'll come back," she said weakly. "Promise me you won't die or get captured."

"I promise to find you again," he said. "I promise I'll be by your side before long."

Nashi hated that he hadn't promised what she'd asked for, but she knew as well as he did that her demand was foolish. He couldn't promise that, and she shouldn't have asked for it.

"You don't even know where we are," she reasoned weakly, "so maybe we can stick together a little longer?"

Something else answered her question. In the woods nearby to them, an orb appeared in a shimmering light. When she looked over, she saw that the orb was reflecting Magnolia, then reflected Gazania and the homes of the others.

"Seems like a sign to me," Sting said, "but from who?"

"Aether, probably," Erza surmised. "He sent us here, he must know where we are." Nashi had almost forgotten Chronos and Aether had been present. What were they doing now? Where they fighting Zomrus in their own way? Was this really all they could do to help?

"There's another one!" Michael called. Nashi turned to see another orb floating in the opposite direction, showing scenery she did not recognize.

"Is that from you, Aether?" Jellal asked to no one. A warm feeling flooded through the back of Nashi's mind, an answer to Jellal's question.

"Seems Aether thinks we need to split up too," her father said as she looked back at him. He smiled weakly, "I promise I'll save them Nashi. You don't have to worry." She frowned, but eventually her reason won out over her emotion.

"Fine," she hissed out, burying her face in her father's chest, his strong arms embracing her. "Please be safe, and save the others. Please don't die."

"Same to you, Nashi. Keep yourselves safe, and before long we'll be together again." Nashi said no more, simply relishing in his embrace for a little while longer. After goodbyes had been said and everyone grouped up, Nashi stood with her friends as the adults stood opposite them.

"Stay off the roads," Erza advised, "don't do anything to draw attention to yourselves. And keep an eye on each other, okay?"

"You guys too," Simon said, his voice tight. He was trying to avoid crying.

"We're going to save everyone," Chelia said, her voice warm. "Don't you guys worry. Focus on your own goals. And don't do anything stupid."

"You too, Mom" Winter said quietly. Nashi did her best to not run after them as the adults turned and walked through the trees. This left her and the others her age alone in the woods.

All alone in a world now owned by their enemy.

"We should get a move on," Ultear said, taking charge. "Wasting time is the last thing we need to be doing."

"Ul's right," Simon said. "We need to get a move on. Let's go guys, before-"

He was caught off by a stifled sob, and Nashi's stomach turned. She'd been so focused on everything else she had somehow forgotten.

Everyone turned to where Steph was, nestled away from them, her back turned. Her body heaved with every sob, rocking back and forth in a vain attempt to soothe herself. Nashi looked towards the others, but everyone else looked lost as to what to do as well. Nashi wanted to lay down and cry about Damien as well, and to be honest she was just barely holding it together. Now that they had a moment, she could see all of her friends were doing the same. It was evident by the pain on their faces that they were all barely holding on by focusing on the task at hand. Steph could not. It was her brother, after all.

But they had to do something, didn't they?

Somewhat surprisingly, it was Ultear who stepped forward. The girl walked up behind Steph and knelt down to her level.

"Steph," she said soothingly, her voice gentle. "We have to go. We have a job to do."

Steph did not reply. Ultear seemed to think for a moment before she gently put her hand on Steph's shoulder. For a moment neither of them moved, everyone waiting to see what happened next. Steph sniffled loudly.

"D-Damien...H-He's..."

"I know," Ultear said, mourning evident in her tone. "I know."

"Z-Zomrus...Zomrus slit his..."

"I know, I know."

Finally speaking seemed to be what broke Steph's resolve, as she turned her body and wailed as she collapsed into Ultear, who grabbed on and held onto her like her life depended on it.

"I HAD TO WATCH HIM DIE!" Steph screamed, her voice cracking as she did so. "I WATCHED MY BROTHER DIE!"

"I know sweetheart, I know," Ultear said sweetly, rocking Steph back and forth slowly. Nashi felt grief welling up inside of her, threatening to spill at a moments notice. Damien was dead. He was really dead. Instinctively, her hand grabbed onto Simon's, who was next to her. He squeezed her hand back, which was all the permission Nashi needed to turn and cry into his shoulder. Elise joined them, and Simon hugged both of them close to him as they sobbed. Nashi appreciated that he was their rock despite his own grief. Nashi felt almost no comfort from having his arm wrapped around her, but she took what little solace she could.

"Damien wouldn't want us to fall to our knees over this," he whispered to her and Elise. "We're going to avenge him, even if I have to drive my blade through Zomrus myself." Nashi could do no more than nod against him, using her free arm to hug Elise as well, who did the same for her.

She could not have known it at the time, but it was not going to be the last time she mourned.

---

"And so it beings."

Ten beings were seated in a throne room that glowed golden. There were five seats on either side of the room, and an eleventh directly in between them all. This main eleventh throne was vacant. These ten beings, five male and five female, were the remaining God's of the pantheon created by Ankhseram and Zomrus.

"Do we have the strength to hold out?" Raijin asked, thunder booming around him. His hair was electric blonde, his eyes as blue as plasma. He was wearing robes emblazoned with bolts of lightning in gold on white silk, more striking across the fabric occasionally. In his hand he held a staff with a figurehead of the same symbol, which crackled with energy.

"We have a single mortal year," Raana replied, her voice akin to an erupting volcano. She had red hair that glowed like magma, her eyes black like obsidian. Her robes matched her hair, lava traversing the threads endlessly. In her hand she held a staff as well, with the sun serving as it's figurehead. "365 mortal days. We need only hold out that long."

"Remind me, Chronos," Oranos said, making the God of Time turn to him. Oranos had floaty, white hair that blew in a non-existent wind, his beard doing the same. His eyes were hard to describe, as his irises were translucent. His robes were woven from clouds, trimmed with the night sky. "What did Ankhseram tell us to do?" Chronos stared at the hearth in the center of the throne room quietly, contemplating the orders from the God of Life.

"We are to defend the heavens," he replied. "The marked mortal agents will serve Ankhseram's will. I gave the one they call Ultear Fullbuster a prophecy. She and the others will carry it out."

"Until they have gathered their allies," Aether continued, "we are to provide them only minimal assistance. If we help too much, Zomrus will close in on their location."

"What about the Ascended God Slayers?" Raijin asked. "Rina Nanagear, Winter Vastia, and Katsuchi Akiho took to our realms. In time they will be seduced into returning. Should we condemn them?"

"No," Chronos replied. "You know what comes next for them, Raijin. The same that happened to Dimaria and myself." Raijin looked uncomfortable at this, Raana and Oranos not looking pleased either.

"We can discuss the God Slayers later," Hadur said, his voice booming like a hammer striking iron. He had pitch-black hair and a goatee, his eyes red-hot like coals. He built like a mountain under his soot-colored robes, which came from working a forge since the dawn of creation. "Until then, we must prepare for the worst case scenario. I will reawaken the Holy Forge and begin my work. We will equip the angels with weapons that can fend off Zomrus' army."

"I will strengthen the Gate's barriers," Aether said. "With any luck, I can buy us a few mortal days."

"What about the rest of us, Chronos?" Inanni asked. She pushed her golden blonde hair from her sky blue eyes, her revealing robes showcasing her perfect form. Chronos looked towards the Goddess of Love, and came to the uncomfortable realization that he was in charge now. It only made sense, as he was the first born of them, but it still did not sit right with him.

"Gather your strength and bless your worshippers," he replied. "We only have the one mortal year. We must be ready for the war that is to come."

"The last one was bad enough." Tyra lamented. She ran a hand through her blood-red hair, which was cut short and messy. She did not wear robes, instead adorning silver armor with the chest plate emblazoned with her symbol, a vertical sword covered up by a shield. She held no staff, and instead had a sword on her belt. "This war will decide the fate of all realms and beings, ourselves included." Chronos nodded slowly.

"Yes," he said. "The Second God War."

---

All across the world, across all continents and in every country, skeleton armies rose. These skeletons would not die and did not relent, forcing everyone to either submit or die. Millions attempted to resist, but it amounted to nothing save for a few pockets, who had to go into hiding to survive.

In Crocus, which Zomrus had mockingly chosen as his new capital, a dark spire destroyed the previous castle and replaced it with one of Zomrus' making. Gigantic black walls erupted around the city and the surrounding fields, buildings erupting from the ground as well. Before long, the fields around the city had been transformed into countless new districts, built to house the people Zomrus was funneling directly to him.

This was a New Age, an age where free will was dead. An age were one could only count on one thing; the ever watchful eye of their Supreme Overlord.

The new King of All Things, Zomrus, was being deified before the days end all across the world. Billions cowered in fear of the God's strength, wondering what is was they had done to be punished like this. Why had this happened? What had they done to deserve this?

But this was not the end of Zomrus' plans, his end game. No, that had changed. He now turned his eyes to the Heaven's, subconsciously touching the binding pact markings Ankhseram had placed on his wrists. Denied permission to ascend to Heaven, Zomrus now had a new goal; Force the Twelve Gates open, and conquer Paradise itself. Only then could he truly be the King of All Things, as he needed to be. It was the only way to make this world right.

Ankhseram's power would wane every second he was imprisoned. In a year's time this seal would come undone, and he could return to his rightful throne. Not only that, but the protective blessing Ankhseram had given the human wizards that 'played a part' would also fade, revealing them to him. All he had to do was wait 365 days.

But a certain someone had no idea any of this was happening. All he knew was that the world itself shook, and some God proclaimed himself the ruler of Earthland.

And that for some reason, an ankh had burned itself into his inner forearm.

"What the hell happened out there, guys?" Drake asked, staring out over the open ocean from the cliff he was positioned on. Mercuria kept a watchful eye on him, running one of her claws over the ankh burned into her. The winds were changing, she could tell.

Coming 2024

The War With The King Arc.

And with this, dear readers, I bid you adieu. In the New Year we will start the final arc, and in doing so answer the remaining questions. Before I go though, I have a request. What have you guys thought so far? Have you enjoyed yourselves? Are you excited? I'd really like to hear from you guys, as it's usually kinda quiet. I want to know what you think! Besides that though, I have no more to say for know. If you like my writing and want more of me, I'll be working on my One Piece fic in the meantime. Until next time!