Hi everyone, thanks again for your patience. We are with another introductory chapter to my story before we get to the main arc. This is one chapter I've been very interested in writing and I hope that you all enjoy it as well. With all that being said, let's get started.
Not Love
As the sun began to set over a small town, a young woman with brown hair, brown eyes, and glasses ran down a set of steps toward her home. "If I miss my curfew, father will yell at me again." She said to herself as she tried to hurry home.
However, the young woman ended up tripping on the steps on her heeled-shoes and slipped down rather painfully. One of her shoes happened to slip off her foot, which would be picked up by a man with black hair, green eyes, who also wore a pair of glasses.
"Are you okay there?" The man asked as he walked up the steps to the landing where the girl was crouched.
She looked to the man in surprise, but grateful that someone had come to help her. "Uh… yeah, I'm okay. I think I might have just sprained it a little, that's all."
The man kneeled down to tend to her sprained ankle. "Just stay still." He told her as he placed his hand over her injury. His hand began to emanate a soft green glow as the pain in the woman's ankle suddenly vanished. In less than a second, her injury was completely healed, and she couldn't believe it.
"Wha…?"
"I want you to try standing up." The man told her, making sure that her injury was properly attended to. The woman then proceeded to stand up normally, much to her surprise.
"It doesn't hurt anymore…"
"That's good." The man said as he put her missing shoe back onto her foot.
"Uh… I can put my shoes on myself…" The woman said, trying to be modest, but he was already finished.
"There you go." The man smiled.
"What did you do?" The woman asked. "Was that magic? Are you a wizard?"
The man only gave a slight chuckle as he proceeded to walk away, while the sun had completely set. "Goodbye."
"Please, wait!" The woman called out to him, causing him to stop as he turned around to face her. "What's your name?"
The man smiled as he gave her his name. "I'm Bradley."
She smiled back. "Bradley…" She muttered aloud, almost dreamingly. "My name is Angelina. Can we… meet again?" She asked as the light-lacrima on a nearby lamp turned on automatically.
From then on, the two would spend nearly every day together. It started off as a genuine friendship as they enjoyed each other's company, but overtime, it evolved into something greater: love.
However, not everyone was happy with this newfound relationship, which was the case of Angelina's father as he confronted her in her room, within the confines of their mansion.
"Do you understand me, Angelina?!" Her father exclaimed. "I forbid you to see that man anymore!"
"Why?!" Angelina cried. "Brad is such a good person!"
"I don't care!" Her father exclaimed back. "You are not to meet him! And you'll stay in this room until you promise me that you won't!" Before she could even argue, he had already closed the door and even locked it. "This is for your own good." He spoke to his daughter through the door before handing the butler the key. "I'm counting on you."
"I understand sir." The butler nodded as the father left, leaving Angelina alone to cry in her room.
"Fire Dragon Iron Fist!"
"Ice-Make: Shield!"
Gray created a shield construct to block Natsu's faming fist. Though the ice-shield broke from Natsu's attack, Gray soared through the ice-shards to slug Natsu across the face before Natsu punched Gray in the gut, resulting in the two dealing a multitude of punches at one another. Both Natsu and Gray's attire had changed a bit since their return to the Fairy Tail after seven years had passed. Natsu's current set of clothes consisted of a black jacket with an orange trim, he had a sleeve on his left arm, but his right arm was bare to show his red Fairy Tail emblem on his shoulder; he also wore his usual white baggy pants and his precious scarf still around his neck. Gray wore a white-long-sleeved trench coat with a dark red undershirt and gray x-shaped straps on the chest with black pants.
Natsu and Gray's smackdown was one of the many training-battles that was occurring in the farm-like area outside the Fairy Tail guildhall, with several other members going at it.
Dante swung Rebellion down on Erza, who blocked it with her dual swords before pushing back to knock Dante back slightly before she went on the offensive, swinging her swords at Dante, who blocked and parried with Rebellion. The two sliced and hacked their respective blades at each other so fast, it almost looked like a blur of shiny sparks was in-between them. Like everyone else, Erza's attire had also changed. Her armored top was a tad darker with a cross in the center, and a dark blue knee-length skirt.
Elfman, currently in his full-body Beast Form threw a punch down at Lisanna, who was currently in her She-Cat form. She was able to back-flip and avoid the punch that blew a hole in the ground before she used her superior speed to leap at her brother and slice her claws at him, but he brought his arms to his face to block the rapid-claw strikes.
Lucy snapped her Fleuve d'etoiles whip toward Trish, who easily ducked underneath it before rushing at Lucy, who attempted to pull her celestial whip back, but Trish was easily able to leap over it and wrap her legs around Lucy's waist before flipping her over and onto the ground where Trish kept her pinned. Unlike many of the others, Trish's attire hadn't changed from her usual set of clothes.
"Not good at close-quarters combat, are ya?" Trish asked as Lucy could only groan.
"No… not really."
Trish gave a sigh as she helped Lucy up. "Listen, Lucy. If you wanna be a Devil Hunter; first, you gotta get a better weapon than that whip. Sure, it's pretty, but it's not exactly a weapon if it can't hurt the bad guys. And you also gotta rely on hand-to-hand if you can't use it, or your spirits aren't available. So why don't we work on that?"
"Yeah… sounds good." Lucy put her rod away as she tried to punch at Trish, who blocked the punch easily with her hands, and allowed Lucy to continue to try and punch as Trish gave her some more advice.
At the same time, Mira and Lady sat meditatively in an area that was relatively away from the sparing. Mira's clothes hadn't changed much, though Lady's had as she wore a white long-sleeved top, which was only partially button toward the top; she also wore a pair of white short shorts with brown leather-boots. "Alright Lady, I want you to focus." Mira began to instruct. "Dark magic, demonic power especially, can be corruptive. Anger often works to accelerate that corruption if you let it get out of control. But if you are able to control that anger, and harness it, you can harness your new power and not let it consume you."
"Alright." Lady attempted to meditate and focus, trying to block out all the sounds of battle and training occurring around her.
Meanwhile; Modeus sat on a bench with Patty, Happy, and Carla as they watched Wendy in her own sparing session with Romeo. Wendy's attire had also changed as she wore a white sleeveless, one-piece skirt, with a pair of arm-sleeves over her arms; she also had a red ribbon tied around her neck and around her waist with a fluffy trim at her skirt's edge and around the top and bottom of her sleeves. She also wore a pair of white thigh-high tights with red boots, with her hair tied in pig-tails and red ribbons at the end. Modeus' attire hadn't changed however as he wore his typical black clothes and jacket, with the white Fairy Tail emblem on his left sleeve.
"Purple Rain!" Romeo threw his father's purple-fire attack at Wendy, but she didn't seem intimidated.
"Sky Dragon Roar!" She blew a breath attack to blow away the purple flames before rushing Romeo to deliver a kick, enhanced by a cyclone of air that surrounded her foot. Acting quickly, Romeo threw up a wall of green flame in front of his body. When Wendy hit it, the wall exploded to blast both of them back.
Wendy was actually surprised. "Whoa… hey Romeo, what was that? It was fire, but it felt like I kicked a solid wall?" She asked as she pushed herself back up.
Romeo was still on his back as he pushed himself up slightly to answer it. "It's something new I learned from Master Totomaru. All those colored fires have different powers; like blue is cold, yellow stinks, and purple sticks to any surface…" He generated a green flame in his hand. "But this green fire can take solid shapes. I've only been able to make shields with it, but maybe I can even make a sword out of it."
"Wow, a fire sword! That sounds cool!" Happy beamed.
"Very creative." Modeus commented. "Romeo certainly has quite the gift."
Wendy looked more than a little amazed as she walked up to offer him a hand. "Wow Romeo, I had no idea you were so talented. You're amazing!"
Romeo's eyes widened as a blush formed on his face. "Thanks… you're pretty cool, too…" He tried to hide his blush as he accepted Wendy's hand.
Patty had a teasing smile on her face as she leaned in to whisper to Happy. "Did you see that? His face was redder than an apple."
Happy stifled a chuckle. "He liiiikes her."
Carla, however, was far from amused. "That boy had better not get any funny ideas. Wendy is far too young for that sort of thing."
"What are you? Her mom?" Patty teased. The girl gazed around at all the members of Fairy Tail currently sparing with one another. "So, is this what it's like in Fairy Tail?"
"Yes." Modeus responded. "Either a sparring session, or they're scraping with each other inside. Though they can go at it like this for hours, I'm fairly certain they would never try to seriously hurt each other."
"Well, it's certainly more exciting here than it is at the orphanage." Patty said. "But that guildhall is still dorky and gross. It needs a serious make-over."
"You should have seen our old guildhall." Happy said. "That was a palace compared to this."
"Unfortunately, due to certain events, Fariy Tail's reputation has gone rather downhill." Carla said. "So, having the cost necessary has become rather difficult."
"We'll get it back, soon." Modeus assured. "But, no matter what, Fairy Tail never seems to change."
"Aye sir." Happy agreed.
Natsu and Gray slugged a punch in each other's faces before they both fell down across the ground. Though this was typical for them, Natsu however appeared more than a little frustrated as he slammed his fist on the ground. "Damn it! Not a single bolt of lightning!"
"Still can't get it?" Gray asked as he was up on his feet, and later joined by Dante, Erza, Lisanna, and Elfman.
"Nah." Natsu shook his head as he sat cross-legged on the ground. "I haven't been able to use it since our fight with Hades."
"Maybe it was a one-time deal?" Dante suggested. "I mean your power mostly seems fire…."
A lightbulb suddenly popped over Natsu's head. "Wait, that's it! Hey Trish!" He called to the lightning-she-demon, who halted her training with Lucy. "Shoot some lightning at me!"
Pretty much everyone present looked at Natsu either in surprise, or annoyance. "Seriously?" Trish questioned with a sweatdrop over her head.
"Hey, was he ever dropped as a baby?" Lady asked Mira who only had her typical smile on her face.
"I don't really know… but that's definitely our Natsu." Mira smiled.
"Yeah, every bit the idiot we've all come to know." Lady voiced in minor annoyance.
"Come on Trish! Zap me already!" Natsu told her.
"Why?" Trish questioned. "You wanna get fried?"
"I'm a Lightning-Flame Dragon, now." He explained. "Which means I should be able to eat lightning like how I do fire."
"Hmmm, that actually does make sense." Erza nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, it also sounds very manly." Elfman said in approval.
"Uh Natsu, Trish is a demon, remember?" Lucy reminded him. "It's not even the same kind of lightning Laxus uses."
"Yeah, so? I mean I ate demon fire before." Natsu pointed out.
"That's true." Dante confirmed. "That shot this guy up to his Dragon Trigger or…" He couldn't remember the proper name for that transformation
"Dragon Force." Erza corrected him.
"Right, that." Dante nodded.
"Well, it certainly wouldn't hurt to try it." Lisanna shrugged.
Trish gave a small sigh. "Alright. Eat up." She shot her hand forward to shoot a bolt of lightning at Natsu, which he tried to eat as he opened his mouth right as the blast hit him. Natsu was sent skidding across the ground, though he remained on his feet as he came to a halt and everyone looked to him in minor suspense.
"Natsu…?" Happy said with concern as he hovered closer toward his friend.
The Salamander rubbed his mouth a bit. "Man… lightning tastes pretty weird. It's nothing like fire."
"Wait… so you were able to eat it?" Gray asked.
"Yeah." Natsu nodded.
"Well, did it work?" Dante asked.
"Give me a second… hang on..." Natsu tried to generate some lightning from his body, but all he did was generate a surge of flame around himself, much to his disappointment. "Crap…"
"Well, at least we know lightning can't actually hurt him now, right?" Lisanna said, trying to find some form of positivity from this disappointing outcome.
"But still, this is quite concerning." Erza began. "Whenever Natsu was able to consume large quantities of flame, he could replenish his power. Now we've seen that he's even able to consume lightning. Logically speaking, he should be able to use it now."
"Perhaps his body is not yet fully adjusted." Modeus began to theorize as everyone turned their attention to him.
"Modeus?" Wendy asked. "You know about this?"
"I'm not quite the expert when it comes to Dragon Slayer Magic, so this is only a guess." Modeus began. "But, when dragons were still around, I've seen them pass their abilities on to others of their kind before they would pass it on to humans, which led to the creation of Dragon Slayer Magic. Likewise, when a dragon willing gave their power to another, that dragon could use both his original element and the one he recently gained. Laxus is a Dragon Slayer as well, which is how he was able to give his ability to Natsu. Again, this is only my theory, but seeing how dragons are physically stronger than humans, Natsu's body might need time to adjust and grow stronger before he can use lightning regularly."
"A sound and interesting theory." Carla admitted.
"So, does that mean if another Dragon Slayer gave me their power, I could use it with my Sky Magic, too?" Wendy asked. "Like if Gajeel gave me his magic, I could use Sky and Iron?"
"Theoretically, yes." Modeus confirmed. "But I can't make any confirmations. Like I said, I'm not the expert when it comes to Dragon Slayer powers."
"Well, looks like you have your answer, Natsu." Erza told him. "You likely still have your power, but you may have to wait before you can use it again."
Natsu sighed in minor disappointment. "Yeah I get it… still sucks though."
"Hey, come on Natsu, you're still pretty badass even with just fire." Romeo tried to cheer him up.
"Course not on my level, but a close second." Dante smirked.
"Hey! You wanna go?!" Natsu exclaimed in comic anger.
As an argument quickly broke out between that group, Patty could only look in minor annoyance as she sat with Wendy. "That guy's your brother?"
"We're not actually related, but we're both Dragon Slayers and part of the same guild." Wendy replied. "So, he's like a big brother to me, and he's still an amazing"
"You think he's amazing, I think he's an idiot." Patty said, not quite impressed as a comic fight already broke out between Natsu, Gray, and Elfman; which Lucy, Romeo, Happy, and Lisanna attempted to break up. "So, Wendy, was your mommy really a dragon?" She asked, changing the subject.
"Yeah, the Sky Dragon, Grandeeney." Wendy confirmed as she looked to the sky with a loving smile. "She was really nice. Always so kind and gentle, she was really big, and some people might think that she was scary, but I didn't think so."
"So, if Grandeeney was your mommy, what about your daddy?" Patty asked, which caused Wendy to look in confusion.
"My… daddy?"
"Yeah." Patty answered. "Everyone who has a mommy also has a daddy."
Wendy actually tried to think. "I… never really had one. It was just me and Grandeeney… but, when I try to think about me having a father… I guess I can consider Master as one, but he more seems like a grandfather."
"Cause he's like a hundred years old?" Patty joked.
"Oh, Master's not that old." Wendy quickly said. "Actually, now that I think about it, Grandeeney was actually older than even him, because she told me that dragons can live much longer than people."
"So, Grandeeney was your mommy and your grandma?" Patty asked in a joking sensation, resulting in the two young girls giggling.
"That's enough!" Erza exclaimed as she brought her fist down on to the heads of Natsu, Gray, and Elfman, causing all three to lay face-flat on the ground with comic bumps on their heads. "Getting into fights happens pretty often at this guild, but you're almost grown men. So act like adults!"
"Yes ma'am." All three groaned.
"That's one way to break up a fight at least." Lady commented as she and Mira walked up toward the group.
"Aye, that's Erza for ya!" Happy chirped.
"Oh, my goodness." Mira smiled.
Lisanna and Lucy giggled as well before the white-haired girl turned to the blonde. "So Lucy, you're serious about becoming a Devil Hunter?"
"Yep." Lucy said with a confident tone of voice. "I mean, I am the niece of the Dark Knight. Gotta do his legacy proud."
"Even though you always scream and run away from a fight?" Trish joked, causing Lucy's confidence to comically falter.
"I swear, you guys just love killing my self-esteem, don't you?"
"But, in all seriousness, hunting demons can be incredibly dangerous Lucy." Mira told her. "If you're not careful, you could end up in serious trouble."
"Yeah, I know. That's why I'm training." Lucy answered.
"Training is one thing." Trish said. "But if you're really serious, you're gonna need a better weapon than that fancy spirit whip you got."
"I have a suggestion." Capricorn said as he suddenly popped up out of nowhere, much to everyone's comic surprise, with a large chest in his hands.
"Wha… Capricorn?!" Lucy exclaimed. "What are you doing here? I don't remember summoning you."
"You didn't, Miss Lucy. I came through of my own will." Capricorn explained. "I heard your conversation and I agree, in order to battle the demonic forces of the Underworld, it is rather crucial that you possess the essential weapons. As such, I believe I have something for you."
The humanoid-goat set the chest down onto the ground as everyone, even Natsu, Gray, and Elfman, who had gotten up, looked with curiosity as Capricorn opened up the chest to present its contents to Lucy. Inside the chest, in a cushion, appeared to be a special kind of chain-whip. It had a decorated handle with a red strap and black ribbon hanging off the end, the chain was rather long and appeared to be made out of a shiny-steel, and at the end was a flanged-club at the end of it.
"Capricorn… what is this exactly?" Lucy asked.
"It is the Morning Star." Capricorn answered. "A weapon forged by Sir Sparda himself."
That got everyone's attention. "My dad made this?" Dante asked, sounding more than a little surprised himself.
"Yes." Capricorn confirmed. "It was made from a special kind of steel that is rather fatal to those of demonic origin. Sir Sparda originally made it for your ancestor, Anna Heartfilia, Miss Lucy. It would then pass on through your family line until it fell to Lady Layla, and now, it is my honor to pass it onto you."
Lucy picked up the Morning Star by the handle in her left hand, and the chain her right hand as she inspected the weapon. It was incredibly light in her hands, despite being made entirely out of a special steel.
"Perhaps a demonstration is in order?" Erza suggested.
Everyone silently agreed as Lucy looked around for any particular target. She happened to spot a nearby tree-stump as she flailed her new weapon and snapped the flanged-club at it. The second it made contact, the stump was all but obliterated with one strike, much to everyone's surprise, with the exception of Dante, Natsu, Gray, Elfman, and Erza who looked quite impressed.
"Whoa…" Lucy muttered as none were more surprised than her.
"The metal is also rather strong enough to deal a great deal of damage to any non-demonic foes." Capricorn put in.
"I'll say." Gray smirked.
"Yeah! That was so freaking manly!" Elfman stated.
"Most impassive." Erza nodded with a confident smile.
"Looks like you found your weapon, Lucy." Natsu smiled at her as she looked with amazement at the Morning Star in her hands before a smile formed on her face.
"This is amazing. Thank you, Capricorn." She thanked her spirit.
"You are quite welcome." He smiled with a bow of his head before beginning to vanish to the Spirit World. "May it serve you well." Those were the last words he said before vanishing completely.
"Yeah, that might be good in a fight…" Patty began. "But you gotta admit that it is ugly."
"Hey." Dante stated with a half-grin as he lifted the girl up by the back of her shirt. "My dad made that for my cousin's family. Show some respect, brat."
Patty's only response as her sticking out her tongue, which resulted in most of the group laughing as Lucy wrapped up her newfound weapon and attached it to her belt next to the Fleuve d'etoiles rod.
"Spiffy weapon, little lady." The group turned toward the guildhall to see Morrison walking out. "Let's see how it works with your new job."
"Oh, you found us some work old man?" Natsu asked.
"Yep." Morrison confirmed. "The mayor of Capulet town has put in an urgent request for a team from the guild to come meet him immediately."
"Sounds like an emergency." Gray noted.
"What exactly is this job about?" Erza asked.
"He said he'd explain to you once you get there." Morrison replied.
"Well, better get going." Dante stated. "Who's coming along?"
"You know we're in, right Happy?" Natsu raised his hand with his Exceed companion.
"Aye, sir!"
"I'm coming too." Gray stepped up. "No way you're leaving me behind."
"I'll be joining in as well." Erza also stepped up.
"Yeah, I think I'll join in too." Lucy also said.
"Mind if I come?" Lisanna asked. "If it's an emergency, the more the merrier, right?"
"If my little sis is going, then so am I!" Elfman stated.
"Hey, let me come too." Wendy also walked forward.
"If you are going, I will as well." Carla was already in the air with her wings, hovering close to Wendy.
"Allow me to join in as well." Modeus stepped up.
"Hey, if you all guys are in, then I'm definitely going." Even Romeo was on-board. 'My first job with Natsu. This is gonna be so cool! Me and everyone… and even…' He cast a glance at Wendy before a blush formed on his cheeks, which he tried to hide.
Lady gave a small sigh. "You know, I'd come too. But I'd like to get some more training in. Is that alright with you, Mira?"
"Sounds good to me." Mira smiled. "It's probably a good idea to get a handle on your Devil Slayer magic before you use it on jobs."
"Then I'll stay behind, too." Trish said. "Just in case you need a good sparing partner."
"Well, looks like we're all set." Dante stated. "Let's get going." He led the group consisting of Natsu, Gray, Happy, Erza, Lucy, Lisanna, Elfman, Modeus, Wendy, Carla, and Romeo away from the guildhall.
"Hey! What about me?!" Patty called.
"You're too young and you don't have any magic!" Dante called to her. "Sorry, but wizards and professionals only!"
Patty comically sulked as she sat on the ground with crossed arms and legs. "Fine. But only because I don't want to get covered in dirt and soot."
"Sorry Patty!" Wendy and Lucy waved to her. "We can play when we get back!"
"Keep the guildhall nice and tidy while we're gone!" Lucy called as the group left.
Angelina continued to sit in her locked room, doing nothing but holding the basket of flowers that Bradley had bought for her a few days ago. Though she appeared physically weak, she would not abide her father's wishes and promise not to see Bradley again. She truly did love that man, and she couldn't even find a reason why her father was so insistent on her not seeing him.
She happened to glance out her window, where she looked in surprise to see a group of individuals she did not recognize walk past the gate and into the grounds. Unbeknownst to her, these were members of the Fairy Tail guild.
A maid entered the room to address the young woman. "Miss, your father wanted me to tell you your meal is ready."
"I don't want anything to eat." Angelina said as she continued to gaze out the window.
"Please, Miss." The maid pleaded. "If you don't eat something, I'm going to be in trouble with your father."
The group of Fairy Tail members consisting of Dante, Natsu, Erza, Gray, Happy, Lucy, Lisanna, Elfman, Wendy, Modeus, Carla, and Romeo sat in what appeared to be a meeting room as they waited for their client.
"Ah, this is a pretty sweet pad." Dante commented.
"The guy is the mayor, so of course he's loaded." Gray replied.
"So where is he anyway?" Natsu looked around. "He called us here, you'd think he'd show up."
"He's probably one of those rich-egotistical types." Happy put in.
"We only just got here guys, I'm sure he'll show up soon." Lisanna told the pair.
"And try to be respectful. All of you." Erza told the group as they saw the door open.
"Gentlemen, Ladies…" The man who appeared to be the mayor walked in, as his butler took off his jacket and left. "Hello, sorry I'm late. That meeting dragged in longer than I thought it would. Thank you all so much for coming. I'm Mike Hagel."
"Erza Scarlet, of Fairy Tail." Titania stepped up to shake the man's hand. "These are my friends."
"So, mayor-guy, what exactly do you want us to do?" Natsu asked, resulting in Modeus giving him a firm-shoulder grasp on the young Salamander.
"I apologize Mr. Mayor. Please continue." Modeus gestured.
Though Mike did not appear to like Natsu's tone, he chose to let it slide as he reached into his coat and pulled out a photo of the man Angelina had been seeing and presented it to the group.
"Who's this guy?" Romeo asked as he was the last to look at the photo.
"I want you to kill this man." The mayor said.
Needless to say, they were all more than a little shocked. "What?!" Lucy exclaimed.
"Kill him?! But why?!" Wendy also exclaimed.
"I've got a daughter." Mike began. "My only child, Angelina. My wife died a long time ago and since then, I've raised my little darling all on my own. My daughter means everything to me, and this Brad-guy is planning on taking me daughter from this town, and from me! I won't allow this worthless drifter to just run off with my daughter because he feels like it! Surely you can understand that!"
"No, we don't!" Lucy stated, surprising the mayor as he turned to face each of the Fairy Tail members as they each gave a serious glares in his direction. "You want us to kill a guy just because he's dating your daughter?!"
"We're not hired killers!" Elfman exclaimed. "We don't go around killing people just because someone else doesn't like em!"
"Damn right." Natsu also said as he was already on his feet. "If that's really what you wanted to hire us for, then we're out! Find someone else!"
"I agree." Erza spoke, though her tone suggested she was calm, she herself had a glare to give to the mayor. "If this man were a criminal, or someone dangerous, then we would talk. So unless you have a better reason to see his death, other than because he is romantically interested in your daughter, then we will not accept your offer."
Angelina stood up from her place in the dining room, not appearing to even take a bite of her dinner. "Um… uh, miss…!" The maid tried to call to her.
"You know the rules." The butler said as he appeared to bare her way to the door.
"I should at least be able to use the washroom alone." Angelina replied.
Seeing no problem, the butler allowed Angelina to step out into the hallway. As she made her way toward the bathroom, she happened to pass by the room that her father and Fairy Tail were meeting in.
"There's been a series of murders all over my city." Mike told them. Angelina gave a small gasp, but not one loud enough to catch anyone's attention as she hid past the door to listen to their conversation.
"Murders?" Dante asked. "What kind of murders?"
"This is it." The mayor presented a scrapbook to them as Dante took it and began to comb through the pages, seeing the newspaper clippings as well as photos of the victims. "These murders are so hideous… so gruesome… that people are even saying that the culprit isn't human."
"Do you have any proof of this?" Carla asked.
"No… but no human can cause something like this!" Mike continued as the group listened. "These assaults started happening right around the time this Brad-guy showed up." That got Angelina's attention as she continued to listen, a sinking feeling forming in the pit of her stomach.
"And you think he's responsible for this?" Gray questioned.
"Are you saying he's a demon in disguise?" Lisanna also asked.
"As we've said, we need proof." Modeus said. "Do you have any solid evidence of these claims?"
"I saw it with my own eyes." Mike stated as he looked out the window with narrowed eyes. He saw one night Brad using his mysterious power to restore a dead rose, which he presented to Angelina by sticking it in her hair.
"How do you know the guy ain't a wizard?" Natsu asked. "You can have magic and not be a demon. Sounds kinda fishy if you ask me."
"I'm begging you! Kill this Brad!"
That really scared Angelina. There was no way she misheard that, but… did her father really want Bradley to die? He may have disapproved of their relationship, but to kill him?! She couldn't let that happen! She wouldn't let that happen! Without a moment of hesitation, she ran to escape the mansion and warn him.
Not long after that, the members of Fairy Tail were outside the mansion discussing what they're next move should be.
"So, what do you guys think?" Dante asked.
"That guy's a total bastard." Elfman stated. "He's no man at all!"
"I've heard of over-protective parents, but that guy's taking it way too far." Romeo said.
"Yeah, kinda reminds me of how my dad used to be." Lucy voiced her disapproval as well.
"So, this Bradley guy, do you really think he's a demon?" Wendy asked.
"Well let's go find him and find out." Natsu put in. "If use my noose, I can tell whether the guy's a demon or not."
"But even if he is a demon, doesn't mean he's bad." Happy put in. "I mean, look at Dante, Sparda, Modeus, and Trish. They're all demons and they're good."
"Yes, I agree." Carla also said. "But whether he's a demon or not, the mayor was telling the truth that there were murders occurring in this city."
"So even if Brad isn't the one doing it, that would mean there's a different and evil demon in this town." Lisanna said.
"It may not even be one demon." Erza said. "It could be several. There's no way to know for sure."
"Maybe we should also talk to this Angelina-chick?" Gray suggested. "Let's hear her side of the story, cause I get the feeling there's more than what her old man is letting on."
"Yes, that's a good idea." Modeus agreed.
"I think was in the house when we were talking to the mayor." Wendy said. "I could definitely smell someone who smelt similar to the mayor. Family members always have similar scents, so it had to be her."
"Yeah, it was her alright." Natsu confirmed. "I could smell her too. In fact, she was right outside when we were talking to that old fart."
"So, she heard everything?" Lisanna asked. "Then she's probably going to try and warn Bradley that her father wants him dead."
"Then we'll split into groups." Erza began. "Modeus, take Wendy, Lucy, and Carla and find Angelina. Try to talk with her and get her side of the story. The rest of us will investigate these murders and find out whether Brad is connected to them or not. Dante and myself with Romeo and Lisanna; Natsu with Happy, Elfman, and Gray."
"Got it." Everyone said at the same time with simultaneous nods as they split off into their respective groups to accomplish their mission.
Night had already fallen as Angelina ran across the sidewalk that laid close toward the edge that overlooked the entire city. She spotted the man she loved as she ran to him. "Brad!"
Bradley was taken by surprise as he saw her running toward him with a distressed look on her face. She immediately wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his chest. "Brad! Please! Let's run away together! Please!"
"What's wrong, darling?" Bradley asked as he calmly pulled her away. "Try to calm yourself down and tell me what's going on."
"Brad… listen to me…" Angelina began to explain. "I think my father has hired some people… to kill you."
That surprised Bradley quite a bit. "To kill me? But why would he try to kill me?"
"Because of your strange magic." Angelina replied. "My father thinks you're a demon! He must have seen you do something. I don't know what."
Bradley however looked down with a knowing expression on his face. "Does he, now?"
"We can run away! Let's leave here!" Angelina pleaded, tears already forming in her eyes.
"My dear Angelina…" Bradley pulled her into an embrace. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you get wrapped up in all of this."
"But I…"
"I don't want you to worry about me in the slightest, Angelina." Bradley told her. "I'm going to be alright. I promise you. Someday your father will understand to."
"But Brad…" She still tried to protest, but it almost seemed like he was resigned to his supposed fate.
"You should be going home now. I'm glad I could see you."
Bradley walked through the streets of Capulet City, seemingly alone. He soon entered a small bar. After about five minutes since he walked in, he had already been given a small drink as he read a book. The door opened shortly after as the pair of Dante and Erza entered the bar as well.
"Pardon us, sir." Erza spoke. "Is it alright with we sit here?"
"Yeah, I don't mind. Go right ahead." Bradley responded as Dante and Erza sat on either side of him.
"I'll take a beer." Dante spoke to the bartender. "And a pizza. Any kind so long as it doesn't have any olives."
"I'll have a water and a strawberry cake." Erza also said.
Meanwhile; standing on the roof across from the bar; Lisanna and Romeo watched as Dante and Erza sat around Bradley.
"So, that's the guy." Romeo noted. "Doesn't seem all that tough."
"Doesn't seem all that bad at all." Lisanna said. "Doesn't look like he could even hurt a fly."
"Hey Romeo! Lisanna!" They heard Happy's voice as they saw the flying Exceed, along with Natsu, Elfman, and Gray as they got onto the roof as well.
"Big Brother, Natsu, everyone." Lisanna greeted. "Did you guys find anything."
"We went to all the sights where those murders took place." Gray answered. "The local police cleaned them all up."
"But I could tell by the scent that there were definitely demons there." Natsu said.
"So, there is more than one demon." Lisanna said with a serious expression on her face.
"What about you guys?" Elfman asked.
"Dante and Erza found this Brad-guy." Romeo answered. "He's in the bar with them." He pointed to their supposed target.
"That's the guy?" Happy asked. "Doesn't seem all that scary."
"I'll say, he seems to wimpy to be a demon." Elfman seemed to agree.
Natsu however needed to only take a few whiffs to get an answer. "No, he's a demon alright." That got everyone's attention. "But, he's not the same one who did all those murders."
"Are you sure?" Gray asked.
"Oh yeah." Natsu confirmed. "There's defiantly some demonic killers in this town, but he ain't one of them."
Meanwhile back at the Mayor's estate, Mike had answered the ringing phone. "What?! You still can't find Angelina?! Don't even think about coming back here until you do!" He hung up the phone. "Is she at that greasy bastard's place again?" He said in a low growl.
The butler next to him gave an apologetic bow. "I offer you my deepest apologies sir. This was all because I took my eyes off her…" They were surprised to see the door open, and even more surprised to see it was Angelina at the door. "Miss! You're back!" The butler exclaimed with relief.
However, her father was less than pleased as he quickly made his way to his daughter. "Father, I…" She was suddenly cut off by him slapping her across the face, which was enough to knock her down.
"Do you understand me?!" Mike exclaimed as Angelina was placed in her room yet again. "From now on, your meals will be brought to your room and you'll be watched everywhere you go!" He then slammed the door shut and locked it.
Angelina looked out the window with despair clear in her eyes. "Oh… my Brad…"
"Wow… over-protective doesn't even begin to describe it."
Angelina could only gasp as she saw Lucy, along with Wendy, Modeus, and Carla sitting on her bed.
"Yes, I believe 'possessive' is the proper term." Carla agreed with Lucy's statement.
Upon seeing them, Angelina looked like she was about to panic. "Wait, it's okay, we're not going to hurt you." Wendy said as she stood up. "We're from Fairy Tail."
"You're… you're the people Father hired to kill…"
"Yes, but we won't." Modeus stated, causing Angelina to look in surprise. "We may be a part of a guild, but we are not assassins. If we are to take a life, we need to know the circumstances before jumping to conclusions."
"Brad… he's… please, whatever my father told you, it isn't true!" Angelina told them. "Bradley is the nicest man I have ever met!"
"Which is why we want to talk with you." Carla said. "We wish to hear your side of the story, seeing how your father has been less-than-forward on his reasons other than his apparent possessive nature."
"But there are murders happening in this city." Lucy said. "If your boyfriend is innocent, we can prove that. But we need answers. So, why don't you start from the beginning."
Angelina could tell that these people were honest, just from how calmly and kindly they spoke. For that reason, she sat down on her chair and began to tell them the whole story.
Meanwhile, back inside the bar, Bradley continued to read the book he had as Dante and Erza both sat on opposite sides of him, they both had their respective drinks but waited on the food.
"What's this book you're all into?" Dante asked.
"It's a romance novel, actually." Brandley answered.
"I happen to be fan of the genre myself." Erza revealed. "Though I'm more into the classics, as opposed to some of the more recent novels that seem more focused on… the physical aspects of a relationship as opposed to actual romance."
"Yes, I feel the same way." Bradley agreed. "One person's love for another is a wonderful thing. And it is not just romantic love."
"Oh really?" Dante asked.
"Yes." Bradley continued. "There are familial bonds as well; such as between a parent to a child, or a love shared by siblings."
"I can't help but agree." Erza said as a genuine smile formed on her face. "The bonds people form with each other, whether be it love, or even simply friendship… they can last a lifetime and affect a person in a way that nothing else ever could."
"It sounds like you speak from experience." Bradley smiled in Erza's direction.
"Yes. I've met more than a few people who've helped me to change my life." The mighty Titania confirmed as she had a whole laundry list of people that she treasured.
"Hey, what's taking that pizza and cake so long?" Dante asked the bartender almost irritably.
"They're making em right now." The bartender answered.
"Damn…" Dante cursed before he took his bear. "Let's drink up."
Bradley was somewhat surprised but accepted the gesture none the less. "Yeah." He clinked his glass to Dante's mug and Erza's glass as they each drank.
"By the way, you seem kinda like a drifter. Where are you from?" Dante asked. Bradley didn't appear to respond, something Dante and Erza both noticed. "Okay, you don't have to answer if you don't want to."
"Well, I'm going to be on my way now." Bradley stood up to leave. "It was nice meeting you two."
"Thank you, you as well." Erza nodded as they saw him leave. Once he was gone, Erza spoke to Dante. "It's not him."
"Yeah, he ain't got that killer instinct other demons got." Dante agreed. "But he's definitely a demon. I can tell."
"But of course, this would mean that there are other demons lurking somewhere close by." Erza said as the bartender came by.
"Here's your pizza, and your cake. Sorry to keep you folks waiting."
"Thank you." Erza nodded as she already proceeded to eat it, however Dante looked more than a little annoyed at a certain topping on his pizza.
"Hey! There's olives on this thing!"
Bradley walked alone into a nearby alleyway, away from the street. However, a large group of shadows began to loom over the walls as it appeared three identical demons emerged from the walls. They each had greyish skin with glowing red eyes, horns and claws as they appeared to surround Bradley.
"Everyone has been saying that the gate will open tonight!" One demon stated in an excited tone.
"Will it now?" Bradley asked.
"But to leave the living world like this would be such a shame." The second demon chuckled.
"So, it's been you three. Who have been responsible for that string of murders." Bradley deduced.
"We're quite fond of the warm taste of living blood." The third demon licked its chops.
"You guys like warm?!" They all looked up in surprise to see Natsu falling down from the sky. "I prefer pipping hot!" He unleashed a powerful breath attack on the group of demons. One was completely engulfed by the flames and burnt to a crisp, but the other two sunk into the shadows to escape the inferno.
Bradley was able to escape as well, curtesy of Happy who flew him into the sky. "Sorry about that." Happy told him. "Natsu just loves to burn things." Bradley however offered no response as he was beyond surprised by this.
The other two demons emerged from the shadows in the alleyway as they tried to get some distance from their attacker. "Who did that?!" One demon questioned.
"That's the Salamander! A Dragon Slayer!" The second demon voiced in surprise.
"And he's not alone either!" Gray suddenly appeared behind them as he pressed both his hands on the walls of the alleyway. "Freeze!" Both walls of the alley had completely frozen over, preventing the demons from escaping into the shadows again. "Sorry fellas, no escape acts for you." Gray smirked.
"Insolent human!" One demon leapt up at Gray to attack, but was completely unprepared for the sudden appearance of Elfman, his right arm transformed into its Iron Bull form, who leapt over Gray to slug the demon across the face before Lisanna rushed past her brother in her She-Cat form to slice her claws at the demon's neck, killing it.
The third demon, realizing he was probably next, attempted to escape as he leapt over the wizards and onto the streets to try and sink into the shadows in the ground, only for his right leg to be caught by a stream of purple flame.
"Looks like I got a big one." Romeo smirked as he pulled on his Purple Flame like a fisherman to yank the demon out of the ground and send him crashing into a lamp post.
The demon tried to get up and attack Romeo, only for an invisible force to slice off both his arms, causing the demon to holler in pain as it saw Erza with a sword in hand, glaring at the demon as she stood in front of Romeo. But pain soon gave way to clear terror as Dante suddenly appeared to flash Ivory at its face.
"Bingo." Dante smirked as he pulled the trigger, shooting the demon in-between the eyes to kill it. "Eating a large pizza in five minutes. That's a new personal record. What about you, Red?" He looked to Erza with a smirk. "Broke any records with that cake?"
Erza had a grin herself. "I usually eat twice as fast if I'm a hurry."
Romeo only smirked as he shook his head at their banter. 'Seven years later and these guys don't change one bit.'
Happy set Bradley down as the rest of the Fairy Tail members regrouped. "I suppose I should be thanking you." Bradley said.
"You're a demon." Natsu got right to the point.
"I see there's no hiding it from the likes of a Dragon Slayer, as well as the Son of Sparda." Bradley said, casting a glance toward Dante.
"So, you know who I am."
"The youngest son of Sparda, as well as the human guild he's joined call Fairy Tail." Bradley began. "But more significantly, most of you are the select few who survived an encounter with Acnologia."
"You heard of that monster, too?" Lisanna asked.
"It's hard to find anyone in the Underworld who hasn't heard of the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse." Bradley replied. "But you're not here for that, are you?"
"The mayor hired us to kill you." Gray said. "Because he thinks you're a demon, but I guess he's right about that. More importantly to him though, you're getting cozy with his daughter." However, a smirk fell on Gray's face. "Lucky for you, we're not gonna do it."
Bradley looked more than a little surprised.
"We're part of a guild, but we ain't killers." Elfman stated. "We're a guild of real men!"
"What he means is, Fairy Tail only fights the bad guys." Romeo translated. "And you're not a bad guy."
"You're not the demon that's been going around killing people." Happy said.
"No." Bradley confirmed. "In fact, you've just killed the true murderers."
"Oh yeah, those jerks were definitely the real bad guys." Natsu had recognized their scent the second he saw them.
"However, from the sound of it, it seems as though you were aware of their presence." Erza spoke to Bradley with a serious tone of voice. "They mentioned a 'gate' opening tonight. You know what that is, don't you?"
Wanting to avoid the risk of causing a panic among the town's civilian populace, Bradley had led the Fairy Tail members to a more secluded spot, the same spot he met Angelina a little bit ago as he began to explain the situation to them.
"The gate those demons were referring to is a small portal from which my master will arrive." Bradley began. "He will come from the Demon World and into Earthland. I was summoned by a human to prepare the way. I have done his bidding, so my job is over now."
"Your master, is he Mundus?" Erza asked. "Or one of the Three Demon Kings?"
"Hardly." Bradley answered. "There is no way for a weakling such as me to free the likes of Mundus or the Three Demon Kings. It is the effect of the seal Sparda and the Dragons placed on the Underworld. The stronger the demon, the greater the resistance the seal puts in place."
"That does seem to make sense." Lisanna understood. "So who is your master?"
"Belphegor." Bradley replied. "He is a demon lord. He is not nearly at the same sort of level as Mundus or any of the Three Kings, but he is not someone to be taken lightly either."
"Hey, wasn't there someone from Arkham and Vergil's guild named Belphegor too?" Happy tried to remember.
"It was probably just an alias that guy used so that Arkham could get to use Temen-ni-gru." Gray dismissed. "So, what does this Belphegor-guy want anyway?"
"What other demons with power like him want: more power." Bradley responded. "In the past seven years, the Underworld has grown to be a more dangerous place. Higher-ranked demons, including the Three Kings, are fighting amongst themselves in order to try and gain more power. I can't tell if it's from the reappearance of Acnologia or something else, but Belphegor is just one of many demons who seek to come to Earthland. They think by conquering and devouring the magic power that's in this realm, they in turn will gain even more power."
"Why do these guys always want more power just for the sake of wanting power?" Natsu asked in an annoyed tone of voice. "I keep hearing the same gibberish over-and-over, it's getting really old."
"Why are exactly are you telling us this?" Dante asked.
"Maybe because… I want you to put an end to all of this." Bradley answered. "Belphegor is greedy, I'm sure that he'll try to devour this entire city. That café with the wonderful coffee, and the hill with such a beautiful view of the setting sun, everything…" He fell to his knees in despair and grief.
"And all the people too, like Angelina?" Dante asked.
"What should I do? I don't want to lose her!" Bradley stated as tears were already forming in her eyes. "She was so kind to me! I've always been treated so cruelly in the Demon World, but she'd smile at me… and I don't want to think about the possibility of her being devoured by Belphegor."
"You really do love her, don't you?" Lisanna asked.
"Yes." Bradley confirmed. "Is it wrong though? Can love exist between a human and a demon?"
"Sure, it can." Dante confirmed with a smile himself. "My mom was a human, and my dad a demon."
"Aye, we've met more than our fair share of nice demons." Happy said.
"We even got a couple in our guild." Romeo added.
"If you love this Angelina lady, then you should just be with her. I don't see why not." Natsu shrugged.
"Since when do you know about that stuff?" Gray looked at Natsu somewhat questionably, who comically growled back at Gray.
"Not the time." Erza lightly scolded the pair.
Despite their encouragement, Bradley was still filled with the fear of not only his master, but what he could do to everyone in the city, as well as Angelina. "But I… I'm just one demon… I don't have the power to defy my master."
"Yeah, when it comes to demons, you seem pretty wimpy." Elfman stated before he smirked. "But if you ask me, you seem more like a real man than a demon." That caused Bradley to look in surprise as Elfman continued. "You know you're weak, at least physically, but you still wanna protect the one you love, so you're asking for help. Ain't nothing wrong with asking for something like that. True, standing up and facing the bad guy is pretty badass, but if you ask me, knowing when you need to ask for help if you can't do it alone, makes you even more of a man. And pal, you are definitely a real man!"
"A… real man…?" Bradley stuttered. "You really mean it?"
"What are you sitting there, crying for?" Natsu asked. "Your boss is about to come knocking, right?" He smirked as his right fist was coated in flames. "Well I say we knock em right back!"
"You… you'll really help?" Bradley asked, hope forming in his chest.
"You asked us to help, right?" Gray smirked as well. "So, might as well."
Even Dante smirked as he turned to the rest of his friends. "What do you guys say? Ready to kill of a demonic big shot?"
"Aye sir!" Happy popped up into the air with his wings.
"Yeah! Let's do it!" Lisanna was already pumped.
"Alright! I'm all fired up now!" Even Romeo was ready as he tried to mimic Natsu's smirk.
"We'll help you." Erza said to Bradley with a genuine smile. "Tell us where this Belphegor will emerge from. And when."
At the same time; Angelina had spoken to Lucy, Wendy, Modeus, and Carla everything she knew about Bradley, as well as the times they spent together. Though they compared the times Bradley and Angelina were together to the times the murders took place, which were enough to prove that Bradley was innocent; many of them found themselves rather moved by how fondly Angelina spoke of Bradley.
"The last time I spoke to him, was a little more than two hours ago." Angelina finished. "I… I wanted to warn him what my father planned but…"
"I wouldn't worry." Modeus assured with a smile. "If he is anything like how you've told us, our friends will be able to tell that Bradley means no harm, even if he is a demon."
Angelina couldn't help but breathe a huge sigh of relief. "Thank god…" However, her relief turned into a bit of worry. "So, is he really a demon?"
"We can't answer that." Carla said. "Mostly because we haven't seen him so we can't tell. But I'm certain our friends will be able to tell."
"So, even if he is a demon, I don't think it'll make a difference." Lucy said, catching Angelina's attention. "Unlike some people, we have the foresight to tell the difference between good demons and bad ones. In fact, this guy right here is a demon and he's one of the nicest people we know." She gestured to Modeus, further surprising Angelina.
"And from what you've told us, Brad seems like the sweetest guy ever." Wendy smiled. "I think you two make a cute couple."
Angelina smiled as she tried to hide her blush. Her smile was quick to fade, however. "But… my father… even if Bradley is innocent, Father won't allow it. He's probably the most stubborn man in the world."
"Yeah, I know the feeling." Lucy said, getting Angelina's attention. "My dad was a lot like that to. He was stubborn, extremely possessive, and always insisting that I do what he wanted me to do. It made me absolutely miserable. Even when I ran away, he tried to hire people to kidnap me and drag me back to his home against my will. So you know what I did?" She stood up and looked Angelina right in the eyes as she spoke with a serious tone. "I went up to his face and I let him know exactly how I felt. I told him right then and there that I would not be his tool to use anymore. And if he threatened my friends, we would crush him like any other enemy. That got him to back off and let me be with the people I saw as my real family. And, after a while, he began to change for the better. The point is Angelina, you should tell him right to his face, exactly how you feel and what it is you want. If he really does care about you, he'll respect your wishes; and if not, well then it's his loss."
Angelina appeared at a loss of words. "I… stand up to Father…? But… I never did anything like that…?"
"Angelina, pardon me if this sounds forward, but how old are you?" Carla asked.
"I… I'm twenty-two."
"Twenty-two years old." Carla began. "You are a legal adult, meaning you are fully edible to leave this home and live somewhere else if you chose to. Your father has no control over that."
"Don't worry, we'll help you." Modeus assured. "If we explain everything to your father, perhaps he may even be willing to let you go. And if not, we'll find a way."
"You… why would you do all this for me?" Angelina asked. "You don't even know me."
"Helping people is sort of part of the job." Lucy smiled. "Even if we're not officially hired or payed, Fairy Tail works to make everyone happy. That includes you."
Angelina was almost brought to tears. The very people her father had intended to kill the man she loved was willing to help her and her lover in any way they can, despite not even knowing her personally. "Thank you…"
Smiles were shared amongst the group, however Wendy's smile faded as she gave a small gasp. "I smell blood!"
"What?" Modeus was the first to get serious before they heard a pain-induced scream, which Angelina appeared to recognize.
"That was my father!" She already ran to the door and tried to pry it open, but Modeus lightly pushed her aside as he kicked the door open, breaking it down and allowing Angelina to run down the hallway with Lucy, Modeus, Wendy, and Carla following her.
Angelina was the first to run into the main hall, from the balcony, she saw her bleeding father lying on the ground in the middle of a strange circle painted on the floor with demonic circles. "FATHER!" She screamed as everyone else gasped at the sight as they ran down to try and help him. "Father!"
"Don't worry! I can heal him!" Wendy was already applying her healing magic to try and close up the wound. Lucy and Carla tried to help Angelina, when suddenly Modeus felt a presence behind him, he quickly drew Hunter's Moon and pointed the tip of the blade at the culprit: the butler.
"Don't move!" Modeus glared at the butler, who didn't seem the least bit intimidated, despite the blade being less than an inch from his neck.
"It's the butler?!" Carla exclaimed as Lucy and Wendy were more than surprised as well. But none appeared more surprised than Angelina.
"You… why would you do this…?"
"Soon, a powerful demon will be summoned to this city from the ritual I have performed." The butler said ominously as Modeus got a good look at the circle and markings that were drawn on the floor. He recognized it almost instantly.
"Get away from the circle! Now!" Modeus exclaimed as Lucy and Angelina pulled the bleeding Mike out of the circle, while Carla pulled away Wendy just as a series of demons broke down from the ceiling and shot at the group, prompting Modeus to swing his sword at them and cut down the two demons that tried to ambush him.
"Sky Dragon Roar!" Wendy unleashed a breath attack to take out two more demons that tried to attack her and Carla.
As Lucy stood up protectively in front of Angelina as a single demon loomed over her, she took out her newest weapon. "Alright, time to see what this Morning Star can do!" She flailed her chain-whip at the demon, the flanged-club at the end not only pierced into the demon's chest area, but it even caused a magical-build up inside the demon before it exploded. "Whoa…" Lucy looked in surprise at the Morning Star in her hand before she smirked. "I could used to this."
Modeus, Wendy, and Lucy stood ready as more demons began to emerge from the shadows of the room; however, a series of bullets, fire-balls (of orange and purple color), ice-lances, and swords blasted through the front door and the walls around it to blast and slice away all the demons in one shot as Elfman, in his Full-Body Beast Form crashed in, along with Lisanna in her own Dragon Take-Over. They were also joined by Dante, Natsu, Gray, Romeo, Happy, and Erza, clad in her Heaven's Wheel Armor. Even Brad had joined them as well.
"Sorry we're late for the party." Dante stated with a cocky grin as he held both his pistols.
"Guys, it's the Butler!" Lucy tried to tell them.
"We already know." Gray understood as they all glared at him. "Not exactly a faithful servant, are you buddy?"
"You might be human, but definitely no man!" Elfman literally growled in his Beast Take Over.
"Accursed Fairy Tail. I had a bad feeling about you the moment I saw you with the mayor." The butler glared back.
"Yeah, that's kind of our style." Natsu smirked.
"But you're too late, I'm afraid." The butler stated. "The ritual is already completed. Belphegor is on his way."
"Bradley, see to Angelina and her father." Erza instructed.
"Alright." Brad nodded as he quickly made his way over toward his lover and her injured father while Wendy and Lucy provided cover. "Angelina!"
"Brad!" She called back to him as they helped the injured mayor to his feet.
"What are you doing?!" The butler exclaimed. "Are you actually planning to betray Belphegor?!"
"Course he is! Cause unlike you, he's a real man!" Elfman exclaimed as the drawn circle already began to glow a blood red color.
"Heads up guys, we got company!" Dante locked and loaded his pistols.
"Happy, Carla, help Bradley and Angelina get the mayor to a safe location. The rest of us will handle this!" Erza told them.
"Alright, you got it." Carla already sprouted her wings along with Happy as the two Exceeds helped Bradley and Angelina to take Mike outside.
However, the butler appeared to laugh. "It's all futile! The great Belphegor will be here any moment now! You are all going to…!"
"Shut up!" Natsu slugged him across the face to send the butler flying across the room and crashing into the stairs.
"Get ready! Here it comes!" Modeus stated as he and everyone else began to form a circle around the portal that was beginning to form on the floor. The first to emerge from the portal were a pair of large arm-like appendages as what appeared to be the upper half of the demon lord Belphegor arose from the Underworld. His skin was a pulsating black, in addition to his massive arms, a series of tentacles with Venus-fly-trap mouths at the end emerged from the side of his mouth which appeared to open up in a four-way pattern. He also had a multitude of eyes as he gave a roar.
"Take him down!" Dante exclaimed as the group went on the offensive while also avoiding the tentacles and arms that were lashed out at them.
"Ice Make: Cold Rebellion!" Gray created an ice-duplicate of Dante's titular sword, which he used to try and rush Belphegor, cutting the tentacles that tried to come his way, but he stopped and was forced to leap back to avoid the crushing strike from Belphegor's hand. Elfman, likewise, tried to rush him from the other end as Belphegor lashed out his other hand at him, but Elfman caught it and pitted his own Take Over's strength against Belphegor's. Though he seemed able to hold it back, it only seemed to annoy Belphegor as he tried to lash out even more tentacles at Elfman.
"Fire Claws!" Lisanna's claws lit on fire as she flew in to protect her older brother, slicing all the tentacles that were lashed out in his direction.
Dante tried to fire Ebony at Belphegor, while also using Rebellion to cut down the near infinite number of tentacles that were lashed out at him as well as Lucy who couldn't find an opening to attack with the Morning Star. Natsu leapt above the pair of cousins to deliver an attack. "Fire Dragon Roar!" Natsu's breath attack hit dead-on, causing Belphegor to roar in pain as Romeo appeared on the other side to throw a series of blue fireballs at the large demon. Once they made contact, a cluster of ice froze over Belphegor's side.
"Sky Dragon Wing Attack!" Wendy shot a series of airwaves that impacted Belphegor's frozen side, shattering the ice and causing the demon a great deal of pain.
"Circle Sword!" A wheel of blades formed around Erza to cut down the tentacles lashed out at her as Modeus slid past her to unleash an attack of his own.
"Demon Sword: Phantom Moon!" Modeus swung Hunter's Moon to throw a wave of crescent-moon-shaped projectiles that not only sliced up many of Belphegor's tentacles, but even sliced at his side.
However, despite the clear damage they were doing, most of Belphegor's injuries appeared to be healing.
"Our attacks are barley doing anything to him!" Lucy exclaimed.
"If Belphegor's outer hide is strong as well as capable of healing, I'd wager his insides are more vulnerable." Modeus deduced. "Pin his arms down and force his mouth open!"
"Got it!" Elfman exclaimed as he grabbed onto the wrist of Belphegor's right arm, still in his full body Take Over, and used his own strength to try and pin the right arm down. At the same time, Erza, now quipped in her Giant Armor, grabbed onto the wrist of Belphegor's left arm and pinned it down as well.
Romeo, likewise, threw a whip of purple flame out that he directed and controlled to wrap around Belphegor's throat. He tightened it and began to pull as Gray performed a similar action. "Ice-Make: Chain!" Gray produced a set of ice-chains that also wrapped around Belphegor's throat. Both he and Romeo began to pull with their respective magics to try and choke Belphegor and force his mouth open.
While he was pinned, Natsu, Modeus, and Lisanna had leapt over and onto Belphegor's mouth as Modeus wedged Hunter's Moon in-between his jaws while Natsu and Lisanna tried to pry it open.
"Come on pal! Open wide and say awe!" Natsu exclaimed as he even punched Belphegor in one of his many eyes with a fire-fist. Belphegor knew what they were trying to do and did his best to avoid opening his mouth. He quickly produced more than two dozen tentacles and tried to lash them at everyone. However…
"Vernier!" Wendy quickly casted the speed enhancement support spell on herself and shot directly at the looming tentacles. "Sky Dragon Claw!" Spinning her body, with a razor-wind surrounding her right foot, she almost acted like a massive rotating blade as she easily and quickly sliced through all the tentacles before they even reached their targets.
Finally, Belphegor's mouth was forced open, exposing what appeared to be some kind of core, other form of vulnerable spot, in the form of a rotating set of red spheres. Once it was exposed, Dante and Lucy made the final move together as they leapt from the balcony above down toward the exposed vulnerable spot.
"I'm sure it must have been a long journey." Dante cracked as he plunged Rebellion into the vulnerable spot while Lucy flailed the Morning Star and struck the spot.
"Too bad that Earthland is off-limits to the likes of you! So, we'll have to ask you to leave!" Lucy exclaimed as her weapon pierced through the vulnerable spot, causing Belphegor to scream in agony as a series of explosions erupted all over his body, causing everyone to jump back and gain some distance.
Belphegor soon began to sank back into the portal, which began to close as he sank deeper and deeper, until his whole body was completely submerged and the portal closed entirely, leaving only the bare floor as everyone lowered their guard and put whatever weapons away if they had any. Elfman and Lisanna ceased their respective transformations while Erza quipped back into her normal armor.
"Well, did that get him?" Lisanna asked.
"If that wasn't enough to kill him, it should have at least caused him severe injuries which should put him out of commission for a long time." Modeus informed.
"So, we won?" Romeo asked.
"Looks that way, kid." Dante confirmed. "Where's that asshole butler?"
"Got em right here." Gray said as he and Natsu pulled the Butler's unconscious body from the hole in the stairs.
"I say we hang him by his feet and beat em like a pinata." Natsu smirked almost evilly.
"No." Erza stated firmly. "We'll turn him in to the Magic Council and let them decide his punishment. But first, we need to check in Bradley, Happy, and the others."
The mayor's eyes slowly opened as he found himself surrounded by his daughter, the members of Fairy Tail, and even Bradley, who, along with Wendy, was already applying their respective healing magic.
"Angelina…" Mike stuttered as he tried to pull himself up.
"Father." Angelina was quite relieved.
"What is this…?!" Mike coughed.
"Try not to speak." Wendy told him. "You lost a bit of blood, but we should get you fixed up soon."
"Brad…?" Angelina looked toward her lover, who only gave an assuring smile.
"Do not worry, he'll be fine." Bradley assured, much to Angelina's relief.
"You… you demon…!" Mike glared at Bradley, despite him healing his wound. "Do you really think… that by doing this for me… I'm going to allow you… to see my daughter…!"
"Oh, come on!" Lucy exclaimed as everyone else in Fairy Tail seemed more than a little annoyed.
"The guy's saving your life for crying out loud! You're not even gonna thank him for it?!" Natsu questioned.
"It's alright." Bradley assured. "That is not what I am concerned about right now. No, I'm doing this simply because I do not want to see Angelina sad."
Angelina was more than touched by Bradley's actions and words, but she still had some words she had to say to her dad. "Father listen to me. I love you sincerely, but I don't know if I can live with you anymore."
"What…?!" Mike exclaimed in surprise as almost everyone else, including Bradley, looked to Angelina in an equal amount of surprise. All save for Lucy as she had something of a smile on her face.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not a little girl anymore." Angelina continued. "I'm an adult, I can take care of myself. I don't care of Bradley's a demon, he's a good person regardless. I know that because I took the time to get to know him, I'm sure if you did too, you'd feel the same way. I love him Father, and I am going to see him whether you approve or not."
Mike almost couldn't believe the words his daughter just spoke to him and neither could Bradley. "Angelina…"
"It's alright, Brad." She assured him. "This is my choice."
Lucy smiled at that, as did everyone else in Fairy Tail as it seemed like that theyir work was done with Wendy finishing applying her magic.
"What you're not gonna go 'you liiike him', Happy?" Carla teased.
"Nah, not for this." Happy said with a genuine smile.
"Alright. He's threw the worst of it, but I would still be careful, for the next couple of days." Wendy said.
"Thank you." Angelina nodded.
"Yes, thank you all for your help." Bradley also thanked.
"Don't mention it, it's what we do." Gray nodded with a smile.
"Sorry Mr. Mayor, but it doesn't look like we're gonna be able to grant your request." Dante told Mike. "Brad understands love, so I'd say he's gonna make it just fine in this world. He might be a demon, but the only things we kill are monsters."
As the group began to make their leave, Natsu turned to the pair one last time. "Hey, anytime you guys find yourselves in Magnolia and need help, come by the guildhall. Or if you just wanna hang out, that's cool to." He gave his titular toothy grin.
Angelina and Bradley looked toward each other with smiles before they addressed the Salamander and the rest of Fairy Tail. "Thank you, I believe we will." Bradley nodded with a smile.
The Next Day
Everyone from the job, as well as many of their friends, hung out inside the Fairy Tail guildhall, which included Patty as she sat at a table next to Wendy, Romeo, and Carla.
"Hey guys, check it out." Lucy said as she came in with a letter. "Just got something from Angelina and Brad." She sat down at a table and opened the letter as Natsu, Gray, Erza, Lisanna, Happy, and Elfman gathered around her. Dante was close enough at his table to listen, as were Modeus, Wendy, Romeo, Carla, and Patty as Lucy began to read the letter aloud.
"Dear Fairy Tail, thank you again for everything you've done for us. You not only saved everyone in the city, but our own lives as well. More importantly, you showed us that love can exist almost anywhere, even between a human and a demon. Your actions have even opened up my father's eyes, up to the point he even bought us an apartment in downtown. You are all welcomed to visit us anytime, and we'll be sure to stop by Magnolia and pay you all a visit as well. Thank you, from both of us, Angelina and Bradley."
"Well, isn't that sweet?" Gray smiled.
"Her dad bought them they're own place, huh?" Elfman smirked.
"Guess he wasn't such an asshole after all." Even Natsu smiled.
"And all it took was saving his life, and his town, from a crazed Demon Lord." Lisanna added.
"You hear that Dante?" Happy told him.
"Yeah, I heard ya." He waved. "Those two are gonna be just fine."
Erza noted the smile on his face, which caused her to smile as well. 'It is rather nice to see him smile like that. I'm sure he knows Angelina and Bradley have a bright future ahead of them.'
Dante's smile turned into a joking smirk. "I think I see some hybrid kids soon."
Though most of the group chuckled, with the exceptions of Lucy and Erza as they rolled their eyes with smirks, Patty looked annoyed. "Dante! Do you not have any manners at all?!"
"Nope, he most certainly does not." Carla shook her head with a smile.
"If he had manners, he wouldn't be Dante." Romeo joked, causing Wendy to laugh. Romeo tried to hide his blush as he smiled and looked away. 'I made her laugh! Awesome!'
"That is simply Dante's way of saying that he's happy for them." Modeus spoke to Patty. "Despite being rough around the edges, he's someone who is truly benevolent and sees the good in people, much like everyone else in this guild." He cast a glance towards Wendy with a smile, causing her to smile back.
As Modeus walked back to talk more with the group, Wendy couldn't help but look at Modeus as she recalled the conversation, she had with Patty the other day. "Hey, Patty…"
"Yeah?"
"Remember when I told you how I thought of Grandeeney as my mother, and you asked me who I felt was like my father?" Wendy asked as a loving smile formed on her face. "I think I already know who that is." She said as she cast a glance at Modeus who was talking with some of her other friends.
As the usual racket went on in the guildhall, Dante kicked his feet up at the table and leaned back against the chair as he gazed up through a window near the ceiling and gave a smile as he looked up to the clear blue sky, the images of his mother Eva, and his father Sparda, appearing in his mind, which only caused his smile to brighten up even more.
Done.
So that was a sweet and fun chapter. I had quite a bit of fun writing that, and we can see that even despite the doom and gloom our heroes typically face, there's always a light at the end of the tunnel of darkness and turmoil that is worth fighting for.
One important thing to note in this chapter is Lucy's Devil Hunter new weapon: The Morning Star (which is based directly off the Castlevania weapon used by Trevor Balmont in the anime. I just thought that weapon suited her considering she uses a whip as her own personal weapon). In my series, it was forged by Sparda himself and given to Anna Heartfilia, who passed it down through her family line before it fell to Layla, and now it's Lucy's. You can bet it's definitely going to come in handy in the future.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed reading that chapter as much as I've enjoyed writing it. You can expect Bradley and Angelina to appear in the future as well, so they're not just one-shot characters. We got two more chapters left before we get to the next main arc of my series, so until my next posting, stay safe and stay healthy out there. Peace out.